Black Diamond Ranch - Highland Nine

Black Diamond Ranch rises from unusually hilly terrain in Lecanto, on Florida's Nature Coast, where architect Tom Fazio was given a rare brief to build something exceptional. The property's centerpiece, the Quarry Course, opened in 1987 and is routed partly through and around a dormant limestone quarry. Its celebrated closing stretch, holes 13 through 17, plays across and along the quarry's cliffs and pits, with dramatic elevation changes seldom associated with Florida golf; sportswriter Dan Jenkins is often quoted calling them "the five best consecutive holes in golf." The course has appeared on national Top 100 lists for many years and is widely cited as among Fazio's finest work. Beyond the Quarry, the community includes the Ranch Course and the shorter Highlands nine, also Fazio designs, plus a golf academy. Oak hammocks, sand and exposed rock give Black Diamond a rugged feel that surprises first-time visitors expecting flat fairways.