Popular for its luxury amenities, the Lely Resort of today is a far cry from its more humble beginning. The world-class community was first imagined in the early 1970s by a man with the last name of Lely. He snapped up 25,000 acres of land at the time, with the intention of constructing more than 10,000 homes on the acreage. Three golf courses eventually went in during the 1990s, but it wasn’t until the early 2000s that much of Lely Resort was finally realized. This correlates with the sale of more than 300 acres of land, which was transferred around the time to Stock Development. While the population was only around 1,400 people in 2000, it grew to include well more than 4,000 people in Lely Resort in just one decade. Today, the large resort offers luxurious homes in dozens of neighborhoods, three championship golf courses, and a retreat called The Players Club. Amenities at The Players Club include a swimming pool and spa, a fitness center, tennis courts, and a basketball court.  There’s also a restaurant, nail salon, and an outdoor Tiki bar. There are two clubhouses tied to the golf courses at Lely, complete with dining, fitness, tennis, and more. In terms of residential options, there are single-family homes, townhomes, and condos to choose from.  If you’ve visited Lely Resort already, you may have noticed the bronze galloping horse sculptures at the entrances. Some of the “Freedom Horses” were made by a Colorado artist in the late 1980s and installed in the early 1990s. They’ve stood galloping in place since that time, even though the onslaught of Hurricane Andrew.  Remarkably, three more bronze horses designed by the same artist were kept in storage for about 25 years before eventually finding their own place at the resort’s second entrance a few years ago.