In 1973, developers Paul and Jerome Fletcher purchased 5,300 acres west of A1A. The land that included an 18-hole golf course and an apartment complex, both under the name “Thousand Oaks.”
In the mid-1970s, the Fletchers proposed one of Florida’s earliest large-scale planned communities: the Caballos Del Mar Development of Regional Impact (DRI), envisioned to include 14,000 modular homes.
By 1980, the property was divided. 1,300 acres were sold to Arvida Corp. (now part of The Players Club at Sawgrass), while the Fletchers retained 1,200 acres that became Marsh Landing at Sawgrass.
Arvida developed its parcel into a gated, controlled-access community. They built what is now TPC Boulevard and added security gates at Solana Road and the southern entrance on A1A.
Meanwhile, the first homes in our area were built under the name “Innlet Beach,” along with the original club and golf course. Even today, homes in our community carry the legal name Innlet Beach. Residents were later given the opportunity to join The Sawgrass Players Club, at which point the name “Oakbridge” was adopted.
Originally, you could enter Innlet Beach via two points along Palmera Drive. One of those entrances is now gated off, closing the former connection to the Thousand Oaks neighborhood off A1A.
Innlet Beach Sales Brochure
Innlet Beach Master Plan
Original plans for Oak Bridge Club clubhouse
Planning for Lasting Quality
When the 3,670 acres of Innlet Beach were being developed, the Fletcher Land Corporation and a team of professional consultants created a Comprehensive Master Plan. This plan guided the creation of the Planned Unit Development (PUD) and DRI and covered everything from density and open space to utilities, amenities, traffic, and commercial development.
Because the Fletchers anticipated shifts in the real-estate market, the plan allowed for flexibility. Such as slight changes in density or the substitution of one recreation amenity for another of equal value as long as the overall quality and openness of the community were maintained.
For today’s residents, this means peace of mind. From the beginning, Oakbridge was designed as a thoughtfully planned community. Not just a neighborhood that grew over time, but one built with a long-term vision for quality, recreation, and a high standard of living.