Isleworth, Windermere, Florida

Isleworth, Windermere, Florida is a private golf community in Windermere Orange County, Florida.

Located outside the Orlando city limits, the community is desirable for its proximity to the city's downtown, its location within the Butler chain of lakes, and as a local status symbol of wealth and grandeur.

Isleworth has its roots from the Chase family, a group of citrus grove owners from Philadelphia who purchased land in the area after the U.S. Civil War. Sidney and Joshua Chase referred to their property as the "Isle of Worth," because its citrus trees seemed naturally resistant to periodic cold snaps. In 1984, Chase descendants sold their lands to Arnold Palmer, who with developers designed an elite and massive golf course. In 1993, the Tavistock Group purchased the golf course and surrounding area and began developing the elite and magnificent mansions that are the hallmark of the community.

Isleworth is home to a championship 18-hole golf course originally designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, later re-designed and modified by Steve Smyers. The course consistently ranks as the longest and toughest course in the state by the Florida State Golf Association (FSGA).

Late in 2007, the community became a bone of contention between Orange County officials and nearby Windermere when the city announced plans to annex Isleworth. With property tax rolls totaling $800 million that year, it generated $3.5 million in tax revenues for the county that the city was anxious to redirect to its own coffers. Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty quickly threatened to end county fire and sheriff services to Isleworth if annexation plans went forward. ["Isleworth's tax revenue spurs face-off," by David Damron, "Orlando Sentinel", 19 December 2007.]

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