Heron Bay: thirty-six gated enclaves across the Coral Springs–Parkland line.

One gate, thirty-six neighborhoods

Heron Bay is the largest gated community in northwest Broward: roughly three dozen enclaves — Banyan Isles, Casa Del Sol, Cypress Pointe, Heron Isles, Heron Preserve, Long Cove, The Colony, The Enclave, The Estates, The Falls, Tuscany, Waterford Estates and many more — developed from the late 1990s through the 2000s around what was then the TPC at Heron Bay golf course. It spans the Coral Springs–Parkland line, with every home in ZIP 33076, and is served by two amenity centers: Plaza del Lago at the north end (fitness center, resort-style pool, ballroom) and The Commons to the south (ten clay tennis courts, hard courts, indoor racquetball and basketball), plus pools, playgrounds and trails within individual enclaves.

Housing ranges from roughly 1,400-square-foot townhomes and smaller single-family homes near $500,000 to 6,000-plus-square-foot estates on the lakes at $2–3 million. Most product is 1998–2008 construction in Mediterranean styles with tile roofs — which means many roofs are now at or past 20 years, the single most important detail for insurance in this community.

The golf course question

The course closed in 2019 and was purchased by the North Springs Improvement District for $32 million. About 150 acres are being preserved for stormwater management and walking trails, including a memorial to the 17 victims of the February 14, 2018 shooting at nearby Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The City of Parkland bought roughly 65 developable acres in January 2023 for $25.4 million and sold about 21 acres — the course's old "dog leg" — to Toll Brothers for a 52-home community called Saltgrass at Heron Bay, with pricing expected to start around $1.6 million; the city is planning a commercial and civic component on the balance. For existing owners this cuts both ways: lost fairway views on some lots, new trails and parkland on others, and a new wave of $1.6 million-plus homes that resets the community's ceiling. I track which enclaves face what.

Who buys here

Buyers trading up from elsewhere in Coral Springs, relocation buyers who want gated living with Parkland-level schools at a Coral Springs-level price on the south side, and downsizers moving into the townhome and villa enclaves. Rentals are permitted in most enclaves with HOA approval and minimum lease terms — relevant if you're buying as an investor or may lease later, as a client of mine did with a Heron Bay home bought in 2021 and leased in 2024.

What I check in Heron Bay homes

• Roof age and the insurance quote. Original tile roofs from 1998–2005 are past the age many insurers like. A roof permit from the last ten years changes the premium materially.
• Two layers of HOA. Master plus enclave; read both budgets, the master's reserve position, and lease restrictions.
• What's behind the lot. Former fairway, preserve, lake, future Toll Brothers homes or the planned civic/commercial parcel — the view and the value are not the same thing they were in 2015.
• School zoning by side of the line. Parkland-side homes commonly zone to Park Trails Elementary, Westglades Middle and Stoneman Douglas High; Coral Springs-side homes may zone differently. Verify by address.
• Sawgrass Expressway proximity. Convenience for commuters; check road noise on the western enclaves.