Lely Resort is one of South Naples' largest master-planned communities — 2,900 acres, more than 40 neighborhoods, and a price range that runs from $88,000 condos to $3.9 million estate homes. What most buyers don't realize until they're deep in due diligence is that The Players Club & Spa membership is mandatory in nine specific neighborhoods, adding a $10,000 refundable deposit at closing plus roughly $6,400 per year in dues. Which neighborhood you buy in determines your total cost of ownership more than almost any other factor. Understanding the three-tier fee structure before you tour — not after you fall in love with a home — is the most important thing you can do as a Lely Resort buyer.
If you've spent any time searching homes in South Naples, you've likely come across Lely Resort. The listings span an almost impossible range — a $95,000 condo and a $2.8 million estate on the same community page. Buyers constantly ask us: "What's actually going on with the fees? What am I required to join? Is there golf I have to pay for?" The short answer is: it depends entirely on which neighborhood you choose. Here's the full picture.
What Lely Resort is and where it sits
Lely Resort is located in South Naples, Collier County, off US-41 (Tamiami Trail East) and Lely Resort Boulevard. It's roughly 7 miles southeast of downtown Naples and about 20 miles from Marco Island. The community encompasses 2,900 acres and approximately 6,215 housing units across more than 40 distinct neighborhoods — which makes it less of a gated community and more of a small city within a city.
The main roads inside Lely Resort are public. The master property owners' association maintains common areas at a cost of roughly $120 per year — one of the lowest master HOA fees you'll find for a development of this size anywhere in Southwest Florida. There's also a one-time capital contribution of approximately $1,500 due at closing.
But that $120 master fee is just the base layer. The real question is what sits on top of it.
At Lely Resort's center is The Players Club & Spa — a private resort-style amenity campus with three pools, 13 tennis courts, pickleball courts, a full-service spa, a fitness center, and casual dining. Adjacent are two public-access golf courses: Flamingo Island (designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr.) and Mustang (designed by Lee Trevino). Both are pay-as-you-play; no membership required. Separate from everything else is The Classics Country Club, a private, members-only course designed by Gary Player.
Those three tiers — the public golf courses, The Players Club, and The Classics — are the architecture of the fee structure buyers need to understand before they start touring.
A $700,000 home in Majors (mandatory Players Club) and a $700,000 home in Mustang Island (optional) are meaningfully different purchases from a total-cost-of-ownership standpoint.
The three-tier fee structure: what most buyers miss
Tier 1: Master POA (~$120/year)
Every homeowner in Lely Resort pays this. It covers community landscaping and shared infrastructure. End of story — this one is simple.
Tier 2: The Players Club & Spa (mandatory in nine neighborhoods)
This is where buyers get surprised. The Players Club membership is mandatory if you purchase in any of these neighborhoods: Ashton Place, Cordoba, Hawthorne, Lakoya, Legacy, Majors, Players Cove, Prestwick Place, and Signature Club.
In those neighborhoods, the commitment runs approximately $10,000 refundable equity deposit at closing plus $6,400 per year in dues (subject to Florida's 6% sales tax on the dues portion). There is no opt-out. It's written into the deed restrictions — your title company will confirm it in the community documents during the review period.
In other neighborhoods — Ole, Mustang Island, Lely Island Estates, Falcons Glen, Greenlinks, Twelve Oaks, and Sunstone, among others — Players Club membership is optional. You can join if you want to; you can skip it if you don't.
That distinction changes your monthly carrying costs significantly. For a $600,000 home in a mandatory neighborhood versus the same-priced home in an optional neighborhood, the Players Club dues alone add roughly $533 per month that you wouldn't otherwise owe. Over a 10-year hold, that's more than $64,000. Know before you offer.
Tier 3: The Classics Country Club (always optional)
The Classics is a fully private, members-only club. Initiation fees range from approximately $45,000 to $100,000 depending on membership category, with annual dues running $8,000-$22,000. No neighborhood in Lely Resort requires Classics membership — it's always a choice. Some estate home listings in Classics Plantation Estates and Tiger Island Estates include a golf membership transfer in the purchase price; watch for that in the listing remarks.
If private golf matters to you, The Classics is genuinely exceptional. If it doesn't, Flamingo Island and Mustang are solid public-access options that cost nothing beyond the daily or seasonal rate.
Neighborhood breakdown and where you'll land by budget
Lely Resort's 40+ neighborhoods fall into three broad price tiers. Here's a practical map:
Condos and attached villas ($88,000-$500,000): Twelve Oaks offers some of the most affordable units in the Lely footprint, starting around $88,000-$150,000 for older condos. Greenlinks is the go-to for investors — nightly and weekly rentals are permitted, which is rare in Naples-area gated communities. Sunstone is Stock Development's newer attached villa and condo product in the $300,000-$500,000 range. Ole is a Mediterranean-style village popular with seasonal buyers and younger purchasers, with condos typically in the $250,000-$500,000 range and a 30-day minimum rental policy.
Mid-range single-family homes ($400,000-$825,000): Mustang Island puts you on golf-course lots with single-family homes typically in the $500,000-$825,000 range, Players Club optional. Lely Island Estates is an established neighborhood with mature landscaping and lake views, generally $450,000-$750,000. Falcons Glen tends to be a quieter enclave in the $400,000-$600,000 range.
Luxury estate homes ($600,000-$3.9M+): Lakoya is Stock Development's most recent luxury product in the community, with estate homes typically $900,000-$2.5 million and mandatory Players Club. Majors features golf-frontage estate lots in the $600,000-$1.5 million range, also mandatory. Classics Plantation Estates and Tiger Island Estates are the top of the market — custom estates from roughly $1.5 million to $3.9 million and beyond, some with Classics Club memberships included.
When you're comparing listings in Lely Resort, always compare within the same neighborhood tier. If you're also weighing Lely Resort against other established Naples golf communities, our Mediterra and Quail West guides cover two of North Naples' top luxury alternatives — useful context if Lely Resort's South Naples location or fee structure isn't quite the right fit.
What the Lely Resort market looks like in 2026
The numbers as of mid-2026 tell a clear story: this is a buyer's market. Active listings: approximately 158. Median sold price: $775,000. Months of supply: 8.0 (a balanced market is 5-6; 8 is meaningfully tilted toward buyers).
Due diligence checklist before you offer
Confirm the Players Club membership status in writing. The mandatory-vs.-optional distinction will appear in the community governing documents, not the MLS listing. Your title company and agent should flag it, but verify it yourself.
Ask for the HOA financials and reserve fund study. This applies especially in the older condo buildings (Twelve Oaks, parts of Greenlinks). Florida's Milestone Inspection law now requires most condo buildings over three stories to undergo structural inspections — ask for the status of any required inspection and whether special assessments are anticipated.
Pull the flood elevation certificate for your specific parcel. Most of Lely Resort is FEMA Zone X (lower risk), but parcel-level designations vary, and your insurance premium depends on it. For older homes, check roof age — Florida's insurance market penalizes roofs over 15-20 years old significantly.
Your title company will order the HOA estoppel letter, which confirms the exact amounts owed to the HOA at closing and flags any pending special assessments. Don't close without it.