You don’t have to growl, say “urg, ug,” pound a big club or scratch your belly to gain entrance into Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, a luxury, gated community in northwest Ocala. In fact, we’re quite sure making caveman noises and cladding yourself very scantily in dirty animal skins just might get you turned away.

But the first gated communities – at least by prehistoric linguistic standards – may have been developed thousands of years ago long before the dawn of civilization, some experts suppose.

The first gated community? A cave. And perhaps in someone’s very wild imagination, it might even have been called: “Golden Ocala Spear & Mule Cave.” But alas, we digress.

The first gated community, by this definition, may have been surrounded by big rocks, shrugs and damp walls with a big, burly lunkhead at the entrance. The cave guard’s duty may have been to keep those who couldn’t provide proper identification or who had ancient mischief in mind. The guard may also have restricted access to wayward animals: “Ug! Tasty pig and plump chickens, proceed; drooling wolf and angry bear, sorry, try cave down trail!”

While caves may have provided excellent, relatively luxurious accommodations rich in exquisite amenities (for ancient times, mind you), they were limited in quantity, which meant smart developers had to seek alternative abodes for their blossoming communities.

Wall Cities, Castles: Second Development Phase of Gated Communities

As caves fell out of fashion, innovators sought ways of providing all the comforts of cave life while tapping into the abundant feed of the new, burgeoning technology of the age that promised to revolutionize society: agriculture!

Thus rose the first cities and later castles with huge, tall, thick walls and gates to limit access. These ever-expanding fortresses served the sprawling human race for centuries – except for a few centuries some 1,200 years ago called the Dark Ages – until early modern times as armed forces and militias became more organized and focused, reducing the need of huge walls for protection.

While worldwide, modern gated communities began flourishing in the last half century as developers searched for ways to provide focused services and amenities to prospective home buyers with specific tastes and preferences. Less congested streets, pools, clubhouses, golf courses and other features became very popular selling points, leading to a boon in the gated-community industry.

Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club blankets more than 1,300 acres of rolling Central Florida terrain, offering residents a wide array  of amenities and opportunities for luxury living. It began a dream to create a golf and equestrian wonderland.

Today Golden Ocala is a spread of artistry and grand architecture: fountains, statuary and gardens woven gently into the area’s landscape. It has 10 neighborhoods where residents have access to champion golf and tennis, an equestrian center, a state-of-the-art spa and fitness center and a stately 77,000-square- foot clubhouse.

Golden Ocala offers an array of elite memberships and provides members with exclusive benefits. Contact us about becoming a part of the Golden Ocala experience.

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