The Black Diamond Ranch golf course in Citrus County, renowned for fairways carved around canyon walls of an abandoned lime rock quarry, is up for sale, along with an adjacent golf residential community, a 28,000-square-foot clubhouse and 550 acres of undeveloped land.

Stan Olsen, the 81-year-old developer who turned the Black Diamond Ranch into a residential golf community in 1987, is planning to retire.

Olsen and his company, Black Diamond Properties Inc., are interested in selling the entire business, including the two 18-hole and one nine-hole golf courses that feature the Tom Fazio-designed "Quarry Course."
Golf Digest has rated Black Diamond among the nation's top 100 for 20 consecutive years, and Golf Magazine Living ranked Black Diamond among the 25 best courses to live on in 2007-08.

The Plasencia Group Inc., a Tampa-based hospitality real estate firm Olsen retained to broker a deal, said no asking price has been determined.

The Tampa company has handled deals involving PGA National in Palm Beach, Amelia Island Plantation near Jacksonville, the Hills of Lakeway in Austin, Texas, and Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, S.C. It will help upgrade operations at the golf community to enhance sale prospects under the poor economy.

"We are committed to finding an investor with strong financial credentials who shares Mr. Olsen's desire for a successful long-term strategy and who will present a reasonable plan for enhancing the property and the value of the real estate," Lou Plasencia, chairman and chief executive of The Plasencia Group, says in written announcement.

Five privately owned homes were listed for sale on the Black Diamond Club website with prices ranging from $319,000 to $325,000. An additional 18 lots were offered for sale at prices between $9,000and $220,000.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.