One of the hidden gems at Bay Hill is the nine hole Charger Course.  Call it an intramural, warm-up, settle-the-bets, or happy-hour nine, but this is a well thought out strand of holes that replicates the challenges of the championship course and stands on it’s own as well as a quality test of your golfing skills.  Find a way to slip this one into the itinerary, your trip to Bay Hill is incomplete without the Charger experience.

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Starts out simple enough with a shortish four par looking for about 220 off the tee straight down the pike.  As you stare at the green you think you are seeing double, which you in fact are since one and eight share a double green in Arnold’s apparent nod to this common sight at St. Andrews.  The green complex is typical of what you see throughout, tiny green raised up from the fairway tightly wedged in between collaring deep bunkers.  Aside from the size of the surface this is in full character with the big course.

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The second is a cold splash of water to the face, a forced carry short par three to a sliver of a green draped across a shoulder of water and sand.  Pins on the left are pure suckers, aiming spot is center over the bunker to the crown point of the green. The technical theme continues with a hopscotch target par four where reason must prevail over temptation or you stand to send your match into arrears.  Something 200 to 220 at the aiming bunker though the fairway will bring your ball to rest left center and take the first water experience on the hole out of play.  The second is a short pitch into a clever green arrangement collared by sand left and the second water experience on the right.  Like the previous hole all pins call for a deep play to the center and putt back from there.  If you walk to the fourth tee one over or better you are in command of your game today.

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The next par five is the least interesting offering of the nine.  This plays as a straight three-shotter into another tight green complex squeezed by sand.  The green is deep so it should contain an aggressive long club that successfully negotiates the narrow opening in the front of the green.

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The par five that follows is  pure thrill ride and may be the pivotal decision making hole of your match.  A strong draw will follow the shape of the hole and leave you adjacent to the fairway bunkers that define the left corner of this dogleg.  From well above the target you are looking down at a stunning green complex.   A long kidney shaped green lies between  a hillside left and boulder trimmed water on the right.  This hole shares the distinctive wharf style look of the sixth from the championship course just to it’s left.  If you choose to take a poke at it on your second aim at the left edge of the green because the contour in front will feed the ball the right.  Taking on the flag directly will leave you a Flintstone lie in the rocks.  Even a lay up needs to favor the left edge of the fairway for a clean look up the angle of the green.  A good score here is great fodder for post round conversations in the bar.

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The sixth is one of those innocuous looking par fours that will have you scratching you head walking off the green wondering what went awry if you don’t maintain focus.  Approach angle is important so hoist a hard one to right center and you leave a short club to a sand nestled green slightly above you.  This green is fairly long by Charger standards but there is a rise in he center that demands a full carry to the back pin positions. Two controlled shots and this is a routine par, anything wandering brings lots of possibilities to you scorecard.

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If they had a postcard hole for this nine this next dramatic par three would be it.  Depending on the tee you play it can be a short pitch to stiff long club from a high tee to an appetizing green arrangement below.  Full forced carry over more boulders and water to a green stuffed into the foot of the slope behind. You have to play the back third of this green to hedge the carry and any putt back down to the pin will be a ripper.  If the wind is blowing at all the club selection is a Donald Trump crap shoot with a significant elevation change just complicating the formula.  Once you send you ball on it’s way just sit back, relax, and enjoy the IMAX view of what will result. This is as fine of a three par as there is on the property.

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The run to the house is a pair of wonderful par fours that continue to emphasize line and distance control.  Tee ball on eight is semi-blind into a landing area above.  Right center off the tee gives the best attack angle into this green.  Double vision again prevails as you may remember that the eighth is a continuation of the first green bisected by a separating bunker.  The approach sets up for a soft draw working at the pin on the left.

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The final hole shadows and replicates to some degree the ninth on the championship course.  As you will find on it’s big brother, you have to turn it over off this tee to follow the line of the hole.  The second is a long shot into a very deep green narrowed by shading bunkers on either side.  The green falls off gently back and right so you can use the ground to assist a low trundling shot to get to a back right pin.

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When you finally settle in for the beer and Bay Chips at the bar with your buds or the wife, you will take great pleasure in replaying in your mind this bonus nine and the shots it required.

Orlando, Florida

Architect: Arnold Palmer
Tee              Par    Yardage    Rating     Slope
Blue             36       3085        35.2        125
Yellow          36       2867        34.1        115
White (L)      36       2278        33.8        118

(Click for a printable version of this course review)

(Click to see the moegolf Bay Hill Championship Course review)

(Click to see Bay Hill photos from the Postcard From Bay Hill)

As the first iteration of Dean Beman’s stadium course concept and the permanent home of The Players Championship, Pete Dye put together a course that would challenge the best players in the world and create iconic images in the minds of golf fans.  The original design was impossibly difficult and somewhat controversial, but a bottomless well of tour money has allowed them to continuously tinker and improve the layout and get much more unanimous professional approval as a result.  The reconstruction of the fairways and greens in the last decade plus the introduction of Sub-Air technology under the putting surfaces allow the tour to prepare this course as hard and fast as they desire.

Make no mistake about it, there is nothing timid about this course.  Pete has a garage full of intimidation factors in his design repetoire and he dipped into that reserve generously in putting this together.  Massive waste bunkers, huge mounding to mask landing areas, plumes of sage grass, and water galore amassed together make for a house of horrors to the average player.  Truth is the intimidation is more psychological than real so the trick is to look beyond the surface veneer and focus on a playable line to each hole which he graciously provides. The combination of intelligent decision making and unwavering focus on a playable line can make for  an enjoyable day.

Looking at the winners of The Players over 30 years you will see the unexpected names like Calvin Peete, Mark McCumber, Tom Kite,  Lee Janzen, Justin Leonard, Fred Funk, and K. J. Choi.  Look at runners up and you have Larry Mize, Mike Reid, Jeff Sluman, Glen Day, Jay Haas, and Scott Verplank.The common denominator is straight driving and competent putting on fast greens.  Anything out of the fairway off the tee increases the challenge of hitting greens by a factor of 1.5 and the score goes up accordingly.   This is target golf with serious penalty for missing your intended shot lines.  The fast greens are very segmented and steeply sloped so regularly putting from outside the section that has the flag will have similar deleterious impact on your scoring.

As is recommended by the yardage book, pick a tee marker that is appropriate for you skill level.  If your average drive is 235 or less play white, 235 to 250 play blended blue/white, over 250 play blue.  Don’t consider the back tee unless you have your name embroidered on your golf bag.  The key is to have the driving areas reasonably within your range so you can actually enjoy the challenging approaches into the greens.

The sequence of the golf challenge is carefully architected.  Both sides start a bit easier with scoring opportunities early, but ratchet up considerably around the fourth hole.  The last three holes on both the front and the back make keeping a score in tact a whole lot of work.   The eighth hole is a brutal par 3 7/8ths and the ninth will eat your lunch six ways to Sunday.  Better than the finish at any of regular tour stops, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen collectively present opportunity for glory or disaster  in equal measure.  This is target golf at it’s most extreme.

Personally I think the par 5 sixteenth is one of the coolest holes out there.  For the long hitting pros going for the green in two is a must but there is a huge penalty for bailing out left to avoid the harrowing water that encroaches on the right.  Any wind at all makes this huge green very elusive.  Nothing more need be said about the iconic island green at 17, you have witnessed a boatload of heartache and misery in HD watching the broadcasts over the years.  The eighteenth is as hard a par to make as you could ever imagine.  Missing your approach into the grassy moguls right of the green can lead to a downright embarrassing sequence of recovery attempts.

In the last renovation they built a clubhouse that is worthy of being the home of the PGA Tour.  You will find an endless offering of tour memorabilia to add to your study.  The locker rooms, eating facilities, and practice areas are something to experience as well.

Playing the course that so adequately bevils the top 50 in the world each year is definitely a thrill.  Just play it at a reasonable yardage and don’t beat yourself up if Pete and Alice have their way with your scorecard.

Ponte Verde, Florida

Architect: Pete Dye (1980)

Tees                 Par            Yardage      Rating     Slope

Blue                 72                6661           73.9        146

White               72               6103            70.9        137

(Click here to review TPC Sawgrass hole-by-hole descriptions)

The Concession, a collaborative design between Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin, was first opened in 2006 in the Sarasota area to be the centerpiece of  a high end exclusive residential golf development.  It gets it’s name from the fact that these two were the protagonists in a famous concession of a two-foot putt at the final match of 1969 Ryder Cup that resulted in the first tie in the match’s history.  In the annals of golf this goes down as one of the most gracious gestures of sportsmanship we have seen in our sport.  The golf course was designed with match play in mind in hope that some day a Ryder Cup will be contested there.

With the downturn in the economy right after the course opened the residential sales floundered and they only reached about half of the 200 members they had planned on.  Under this economic distress foreclosure loomed for the club and the surrounding residential real estate.  In 2009 Bruce Cassidy, the wealthy owner of a mining construction company, rode in on a white horse and put together an investment group to purchase the golf course and the 520 pristine acres of land it sits on.

He subsequently finished the construction of a planned $15 million dollar clubhouse and brought Nicklaus back in to make some course modifications to soften and make it a bit more playable for it’s members.  The only rooflines you will see are the clubhouse,  Mr. Cassidy’s home, and a couple of palatial guest houses for visiting dignitaries.  The result is an underutilized luxurious golf only facility with about 125 well heeled local, national, and international members.

Everything about the place is top shelf.  The clubhouse is appointed throughout with historical memorabilia to make you stop and stare.  Pro shop, locker room, bar, and dining facility are lavishly appointed and serviced with a casual air you would expect.  From the moment you hand your clubs to the young men at the bag drop to the time you pull away at the end of the day, they provide you with everything you want for a great day of golfing with friends.

The 23 acre practice facility alone is to die for.  Dual ended driving range sporting 10 target greens with full bunkering and Titlest Pro-V1s at every station.  A state of the art short game area where you can practice up to 80 yard shots and a 14,000 sq. ft. pitching green with bunkers and pitching areas that replicate what you will see on the course.  The practice putting green is 10,000 sq. ft. and has the same grasses, speed, and undulations as the course greens.  You could spend a whole day tooling around this practice area working on your game.

With so much ground to work with Jack and Tony designed a course that has unique character for this part of Florida.  The holes are framed with pines and oaks as well as low palmettos and pine straw.  Water comes into play on 15 holes and the bunkering throughout is generous.  Controlling your direction is key to avoiding the high numbers on your scorecard.  Fairways are Tiff Bermuda which can be maintained with minimal watering to keep them firm and fast.  The greens are also Bermuda and have the fancy sub-air system embedded in their understructure to manage ground moisture and temperature to optimize the grass condition and support lightening speeds.  Segmentation and tiering of these green complexes coupled with stimp readings of 12+ put this course in the championship caliber.

There are five sets of tees so it is incumbent upon you to listen carefully to the advice of your caddie and consider the day’s wind condition to pick a set that will allow you to be competitive and enjoy your afternoon.  They made the course eminently playable if you play with proper forethought.  Most holes have distinct challenges presented but, with careful planning,  there are alternative safer routes to play to avoid the dreaded stuff.  Take a page out of the Scottish/Irish playbook-play a match with your golf mates and make the medal score secondary to maximize your enjoyment.

The fairway bunker constellations are enormous and set opposed to most of the water hazards.  Generally the best line of play is close to those constellations but ending up in them can be as penal as the fish habitats.  Take a good look at the yardage book depiction on each tee and plod a route of play that makes the most sense. What is cool about the bunkers is that the sand is imported “Jack” sand which means it is firm, avoiding plug lies, and very playable from the fairway or greenside bunkers as well.  Most of the fairway bunkers have a foxhole character with a raised back edge so you can distinguish them clearly from the direction you are playing.  Once you walk past them they seem to disappear into the greenscape which gives for clean and majestic appearance when you look back down the fairway.

Short Par 4 8th has trouble lurking in the lagoon

There is an equal balance right and left challenges, which for Jack is unusual, so you are required to pick a line of approach and try to shape your shot accordingly.  Fortunately they were generous in the design and provide bail out areas if the shot required is not comfortable and even some collaring bunkers and grassy areas to take some of the harshness off the forced carries required.  Short and long hitters will both find what they like through the day-some of the most challenging holes are the ones where distance is of no advantage and articulate shot execution returns a premium.

Green setting at Par 5 15th requires pure precision

As a collection of holes, the five pars are the coolest holes you play all day.  Every one is a visual delight with protracted segmentation to give you many tactical approaches to playing them.   In most cases your second shot choices  are determined by your first shot result and often the best choice is not the obvious one.  This is not a simple I can go for it in two or I better lay up.  There are good lay ups and better lay ups and you may be abandoning your standard lay up distances depending on circumstance.

The par threes are the least memorable holes but in no way are they without interest.  Fact is the tactical approach to every one of them will change dramatically based on the daily pin position and the prevailing wind.  This is where you have to be careful of how much risk you take because missing on the wrong side will leave you very difficult recovery shots and an opportunity to waste valuable strokes.

Green at the 5th hangs precariously over the water

Many of the par fours are double breakers for me-holes that change direction twice-once on the tee shot and in opposition on the approach to the green.  Proper positioning off the tee makes the second shot considerably more manageable but getting to those spots can entail greater risk.  In match play this really puts pressure on you to play smart based on what your opponent has done.

Great look from the tee on the finishing Par 4 18th

Since you are unlikely to see more than a handful of groups out there taking the time to appreciate the scenery and the wildlife therein makes sense.  Beautiful birds can be seen throughout that compliment the flora and natural vegetation but there are alligators in the water hazards so don’t go mindlessly plodding about if you hit a wayward wet one.

To play here you will have to make an arrangement through your pro or know a member who can host you appearance.  This place is expensive so the beauty comes at a price.  But the value is in the full experience-atmosphere, scenery, and an afternoon of memorable golf.

Lakewood Ranch, Florida

Architect:  Jack Nicklaus & Tony Jacklin (2005)

Tee             Par    Yardage    Rating     Slope
Blue            72      6440        72.7        146
White          72      5909        69.6        137

(Click here to review The Concession hole-by-hole descriptions)

Oakmarsh was created at Amelia Island by Pete Dye in 1972, around the same time his more famous Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head came on line.  This wonderful layout weaves it’s way through winding salt marshes and old oak trees draped with hanging moss has many of the design features as it’s more famous cousin so be prepared for a day of the full Dye challenge.  Built in the beginning of his “railroad tie period” many of the water hazards you experience on 14 of the 18 holes are framed with this accent.  The native flora and the marsh grasses around the preserved natural wildlife habitats just make this a spectacular visual as well as golfing experience.

Looking for gondoliers on 6 thru 8 (Tom Spousta/Worldgolf.com)

The outward nine is set among the heritage oak trees that frame almost every shot you play.  Anything off line seems to get swatted by their limbs so you have to play position golf off the tee to have any chance to score well.  It begins easily enough with a few routine challenges but when you get to the short par four third you will feel your heartbeat start to pick up rapidly.   It is something out of Merion demanding focused execution on both a position tee ball and the approach into a undulating tight green complex.  Starting at the sixth you enter the Venician part of the course-holes tightly framed by a series of canals that define the playing lines.  Beware on this side that if the wind is blowing the trees may mask it’s effect-so you need to concentrate on your club selection to avoid disappointments.

The inward half is an entirely different tale-the oaks back off but you get the full force of marsh golf and all of it’s exigencies.  Ten is a short hole that will have you shaking your head walking off the green if you do not play carefully.  When you step on the 12^th tee and feel the wind off the marsh on your left you will understand what the rest of the day is all about-trajectory control and proper club selection. It is really from fifteen to the end that will define your day because here you can play well or simply toss the scorecard into the rubbish bin if you are careless.

Drive under the canopy on 15th (Tom Spousta/Worldgolf.com)

Standing on back tee on the par three 16^th is worth the entire green’s fee.  You will swear there are Sirens calling your name across the marsh.  The last two holes put a premium on sense over bravery but I must admit the approach shots present a risk reward challenge that may be hard to resist.

Listening for voices on the 16th tee (aipfl.com)

These nines are extremely tight-demanding accuracy from the tees and to the greens, but are extremely fair in what he demands of you to score well. You will find each of distinctly different in flavor and trappings.    As is the case with most Dye creations there are real obstacles to deal with and a whole lot of deceptions woven in between.  He is a master of either suckering you into a gamble that is much more stacked against you than it appears or a bit of bravado that is really more intimidation than real threat.  You have to look at each hole carefully for the best line to take for the achievable result-you score will depend on your ability to sort out the strategic choices and consistently make the right one.

On most days play from the Gold tees-the course need that for it’s teeth.  If the wind is howling then pocket your manhood and a step up to the blue tees so you will have a chance to enjoy your day.  If you are a fan of Pete Dye then this is a course you must add to your scrapbook.

Amelia Island Plantation, Florida

Architect: Pete Dye (1972)

Tees     Par      Yardage    Rating    Slope

Gold     72          6580        72.2       136

Blue     72          6019         69.6      122

(Click here to review Oakmarsh hole-by-hole descriptions)

This golf course is a quiet jewel in the middle of the east coast “strip” of Florida it stands out as one of the best tracks I have played in this region.   They spared no expense in presenting first class practice facilities, superb design esthetics, wonderful conditioning, and great support features.  It took guts and vision to put this much into a public course and my hat is off to the developer.

Stunning views begin on the first tee

The practice facilities are top shelf-as good as you will find anywhere.  The double sided driving range has over 8 acres of grass hitting surface in the same 419 Bermuda Grass found on the course.  There are five target greens flanked with bunkers as well as a practice fairway bunker adjacent to the main teeing ground. Fazio developed a separate short game area adjacent to the clubhouse.  It has a 9500 practice putting green as well as bunkered practice pitching greens with Ultradwarf Bermuda built to full USGA spec just like the course.  There is even a 19th hole par three that can be played from 85 to 135 yards.  This area alone is worth the price of admission.

Par 3 4th is a bouquet of visual elements

As with most Florida courses Tom Fazio has generously appointed this one with water-it is in play on 15 out of 18 holes- and sand-there are over 100 bunkers- but it is not so punitive as to be unplayable.  As Tom is apt to do he often buffers the water with long sand hazards to keep you in play-though not out of trouble-and keep up the pace of play.  The strategy required on every hole is not evident at first blush.  There is plenty of visual misdirection going on so you need to take in the information in the yardage book or the deluxe on board computer and think your way around this course.

Short Par 5 11th requires serious tactical consideration

An enormous amount of attention, and money, was spent on the presentation of the holes.  Earth was moved to create visual and tactical interest and the plumes of sage grass, floral plantings, and stonework throughout enhance the beauty of the holes creating holes that will grab your attention.  This is not your typical Florida experience it has a very natural dunes style felling about it.

Approach shot to 17 green can be precarious

The conditioning of the course is superb-lush fairways and some of the best rolling firm greens I have played in Florida.  They even paint the top inside edge of the hole cut to match the cup itself-very professional.  You will have to really pay attention to speed on these greens or you will end up with lots of eight and ten footers coming back.

View from atop the 18th tee is as mesmerizing as the first

This course is worth going out of your way to play if you can arrange it.  A great test of golf and a wonderful visual experience as well.  Fazio was at his best when he did the design work here.

(All photos from Emerald Dunes website http://www.edgclub.com)

West Palm Beach, Florida

Architect: Tom Fazio, 1989

Tees       Par   Rating    Slope    Yardage
Green     72     72          132         6507
White      72     70.1       125         6062

(Click here to review Emerald Dunes hole-by-hole descriptions)

Donald Ross only built two golf courses in this region of Florida and this one is a real gem worth seeking out.  Donald Ross once said, “A course that continually offers problems – one with fight in it, if you please – is the one that keeps players keen for the game.” Like a tough little terrier Sara Bay has some fight in her.  The original course was restored and updated over the last two decades by Brian Silva an expert on Ross designs who gave it a lovely new polish with full respect for the original design.

Created in 1926 as the centerpiece of  the Whitfield Estates one of Florida’s first golf course communities, Ross gave it all the design features that Ross courses are known for.  The greens throughout have the full measure of the distinctive precipice design that we know from Pinehurst #2.  The fall offs on most greens are on at least three sides which puts an enormous premium on a player’s decisive intent when pitching and chipping.

Signature Crowned Greens Ross Is Known For

Mature growth trees give the holes tactical framing throughout.  Fairway bunkers are done in constellations-but always on one side of the fairway-generally the premium drive location is just off the bunkers.  Greenside bunkering is very selective but severe-the long holes have free access in front-the shorter ones have hurdles, but in all cases there is a tactical way to play around them if you choose.  The greens are very difficult by virtue of the crowning, but what makes it even more challenging is that the surfaces are awesome pure-probably 11 on the stimpmeter on a daily basis.  Grain direction on every green is crucial because it will determine the relative speed and direction of every putt.  One thing to note is that the two par fives on both sides are in the last three holes so your best scoring opportunities are late in each side.

Driving Areas Well Defined By Creative Bunkering

The club itself has a quiet humility about it.  There is no glitz here at all.  The clubhouse is understated except for the extraordinary vintage pictures in the lobby of Jones, Hagan, Zaharias, Tommy Armour, and others.  The course itself is very simple in it’s presentation.  Short yardage driving range-nothing more than a 160 club-makes for lots of finesse practice time.  Pitching area is a cart ride away off the first hole.  No hole identification markers other than the yardage plate on each tee-so you have to pay attention to the course map to know where you are going.  Everyone from the pro to the starter is a low key understated type who just has a confidence in the quality of this place and why people ought to play it.

Rich History Of The Club On Display In The Clubhouse

This is a private club so you will need to arrange to play it through your club professional.  If you are in the Sarasota areas it is well worth the effort to seek this out-it is a great walk and a distinctive Ross experience.  Playing these greens will be an afternoon to remember all to itself.

(All images from http://www.sarabaycc.org)

Sarasota, Florida

Architect:  Donald Ross (1926)
Brian Silva (restored 1991/2006)

Tees          Par    Yardage    Rating    Slope
Blue          72       7021        73.8        136
White        72       6414        71.0        125

(Click here to review Sara Bay hole-by-hole descriptions)

Isleworth is a 600 acre private gated community surrounded by picturesque lakes and about 10 miles of private waterways.  It is ten minutes from the center of booming Orlando and provides these pros everything they are looking for in a residence community.  Except for one infamous middle-of-the-night fire hydrant incident back in November of 2009, there is rarely anything that disrupts the solitude of this place.

The schools are good, income taxes non-existent, major airport a drive and a five iron away,  tolerable weather ten months of the year, and a golf facility fine tuned to their every want and desire.  As a result, it is the home of a plethora of PGA and LPGA pros including John Cook, Stewart Appleby, Darren Clarke, J. B. Holmes, Paula Creamer, Annika Sorenstam, and Yani Tseng.  Other sports and entertainment stars and high worth individuals have purchased homes here as well so there is a real who’s who atmosphere on the property every day.

The Isleworth Golf and Country Club is the centerpiece of the community that was started by a group of investors in the mid 1980s.  The Tavistock Group subsequently took over the development in 1993 and worked to bring it up to a standard that would attract the golf professionals and high worth individuals for their permanent residences.  They built an exquisitely appointed 82,000 square foot club house that blends classic design with casual elegance.   From the locker room to the wellness center everything about this place speaks to daily needs of their members in an informal atmosphere of comfort.  Tavistock even appointed the property with distinguished pieces of lawn sculpture from artists like Henry Moore, Phillip Jackson, Eric Goulder, and Arturo Dimodica.

Charging Bull Greets You At The First Tee

To most guys the Champions Grill is the centerpiece of the Isleworth experience.  This grillroom is something to behold.  You walk down a spiral staircase from men’s locker room surrounded by the golf bags bearing names of the pros who are members at the club.  This leads you to an area with a manly wood appointed  bar and restaurant outfitted with comfortable seating and a flat screen TV everywhere you look.  The walls are covered with captivating memorabilia including plaques for each Major Championship with winners listed who are Isleworth members. Adjacent is a large recreation room with a putting green and a half court basketball court as it’s centerpiece.  Additionally you will see every boy toy ever invented including a pool table, ping pong table, video games, table top shuffleboard, dart boards, air hockey, and a golf swing simulator.  There are cushy spectator chairs horseshoeing each of those so there are lots of ways to settle a push bet on the back nine with your buddies.

The golf facility leaves no pebble unturned.  It includes a massive practice facility with reclusive areas where the pros can practice without disruption.  Tiger Woods got his own secluded pad on the driving range with an extra 50 yards of carry room so he doesn’t bomb any of the other patrons while practicing his stinger.  They have a two-acre short game area with replica bunkering from Augusta National and TPC Sawgrass and an 11,000 square foot putting green.  Plenty of room for the pro, the caddy, and a couple of hundred of their brand of shag balls for the daily practice grind.

The golf course was originally designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay and was subsequently modified extensively under the direction of the very capable architect Steve Smyers.    The course has a distinct Florida target-golf character to it-this was probably intentional to give the professionals a way to simulate the challenges they see during their regular work day.  It is a testing golf course with six sets of tees that can be stretched to as much as 7500 yards for those with masochistic proclivity.  At 6400 yards it is all most amateurs can handle so pick your teeing ground with proper forethought.

The most distinctive characteristic of this course is the very demanding driving areas.  Throughout you see harrowing bunkers hugging the corner of the doglegs adjacent to which is the most advantageous approach angle to the green.  But unlike other courses, the other side of the fairway provides little respite-there is no safe way to play off the tee on most of the holes.  You have to take on the challenge through the day if you want any chance of hitting these greens in regulation.

The course does not have very many stunning holes you will not forget but there are quite a number that will get your competitive attention.  Once you get over the greeting of the Charging Bull on the first tee you have a relatively routine opening hole.  But your heart beat will be prompted by the harrowing challenge of the “Cypress Chute” you have to negotiate on the par 3 second.  Two through four are the three lowest handicap holes on the front so reaching the fifth tee with a scorecard still in tact is your biggest challenge. A little bit of a breather over the next few holes brings you to Champions Point and a view of some really nice boat slips with their matching bungalows.   “Best of Bessie” is a very challenging par four at the eight and you close the opening nine plotting your way “Around the Lake” with another technical par four.

Three Monks Overlook The Front Drive

A bit of a ethereal moment as you leave the cart park next to nine and drive by the Three Monks on the front lawn of the clubhouse driveway.   Seems appropriate to mutter a little deferential prayer on your own behalf before heading to the back nine.

The back nine starts routinely enough but, like the front, you get a sizeable challenge on the next two holes.  The 11th  with its beautiful flower beds behind the green is the Kodak moment of the day.  But this is a full metal challenge with a 150 yard club-especially if the wind is influencing.  The 12th provides another daunting approach with the green wedged between a pond and a side hills on the right.  The par five 13th is a bit of a breather-more lakeside residential eye candy…..these people must have large families or extensive wait staffs.

From here to the end the holes a not bulky in length but they will challenge you constantly to execute well planned shots.  After an interesting short hole on sixteen, the last two are the hardest handicap holes on this side and they well deserve that distinction.  Both green settings are diabolical so the real challenge on each of them is at the end.  The final hole is a bear-this is two booming shots or a deft up and down if you need a par to wrestle away the back nine Nassau.

Challenging Green Arrangement At Par 5 17th

Isleworth, when taken in total,  is quite the golf experience.  If it presents itself as an opportunity just throw caution to the wind,  pay the ticket, and indulge yourself for the day in the life of the rich and famous.

Windermere, Florida

Architect: Arnold Palmer/Ed Seay (1986)
Steve Smyers (renovation)

Tees            Par    Yardage      Rating     Slope
Lewis          72       6765           72.9        139
Chase         72       6409          70.8         134

(Click here to review Isleworth hole-by-hole descriptions)

Tom Fazio has built a real gem in a very off beat location in Southwest Florida.  Part of a 48-hole extrazaganza with the most elaborate practice and teaching area you have ever seen, this place is golfing nirvana.  The driving range is a full 360 degree spoke facility.  The practice green is about five acres of the most imaginative putting environs on the planet-even has a full terrarium in the center.  Three hole practice/warm-up course.  9 hole par three.  Two full championship caliber eighteens.

Course character estalished on the opening hole (www.tampagolf.com)

The Pine Barrens is clearly the better of the two-though I must say that Rolling Oaks is a fair complement.  Pine Valley-esque without the 165 slope.  Much like Pine Valley there are huge waste areas surrounding the holes in all directions, but the landing areas and greens are much less forboding.  The course has a wonderfully consistent character with plenty of up and down to make it interesting.  Cut out of the pines but plenty of room to move and maneuver.

Devilish Par 3 Third Hole-Trouble Lurks Left (www.floridagolf.com)

The driving areas on most holes are very generous but do not be fooled there is an advantage place to drive on every hole so pay attention.  The bunkers are all treated as waste areas-the advantage there is not so much that you can ground your club but that you can actually take a practice swipe and test out the sand-strongly advise you to keep that in mind.  The greens are really what sets this apart from most of the top quality tracks you play-they are not just undulating they are severely sloped-I mean serious swerve with 10+ stimpy speed.  This makes for real separation between your ball and the hole on pitches, chips, and long putts if you do not carefully consider the slope all the way to the hole.  The complementing difficulty is that many of the greens have sharp shoulders so if they put a cup close to an edge like this rolling five feet past means you are chipping back.  You cannot get this out of your mind when you are pitching at an edged pin location-makes you very defensive.  If the pin location is 3 today it is a house of horrors so put your ego into storage if that is the case.

Harrowing 16th-205 carry over a sand quarry (www.golfatlas.com)

There are so many unusual and interesting holes on this course it would take a photo scrapbook to recount them properly.  Just be extremely open minded when you plot your strategy on an individual hole or an individual shot because creativity will be rewarded and defensive thinking will be punished.  The end result is that this is a round to savor over and over staring at your ceiling in the middle of the night.

If the meatball sub is on the menu for the daily special I highly recommend it-has the Atkins seal of approval.  Chicken Fajita Wrap gets kudos as well.

Brooksfield, Florida

Architect: Tom Fazio (1993)

Tee          Par    Rating    Slope    Yardage
Mens        71     71.4       123        6458

(Click to see complete Pine Barrens hole-by-hole descriptions)

Of the two Tom Fazio courses designed by at the World Woods golf destination in Southwest Florida, Rolling Oaks is the less celebrated of the pair.  It is part of a 48-hole complex with an elaborate practice and teaching area and a practice green from Mars-about five acres of the most imaginative putting array you can imagine.  The facility includes a  three hole practice/warm-up course,   a nine-hole par three, and two championship eighteens.  In spite of the lack of critical acclaim Rolling Oaks is a very enjoyable and distinctive course that needs to be played.

Postcard Perfect #8 (forelinksters.com)

As it’s name would suggest, this country club style course is built a rolling piece of property that wends it’s way among the oak trees.  The course has a very natural flow to it and all the holes seem to fit into the topography-nothing seems forced or contrived.  The driving areas are generous but there are plenty of fairway bunkers to give direction and constraint to the driving tactics.  The greens have sweeping undulations but no where near the steep slopes of the Pine Barrens-much less disarming for mere mortals.  The bunkering is severe-deep bunkers set into the side hills around the greens are very intimidating in character.  The good news in most green arrangements are only bunkered on one side so there are safe passages to the target if a player plans accordingly.

Lovely Finishing Hole (worldgolf.com)

The course is full of memorable holes-some very unique arrangements that leave plenty of room for creative tactics.  None of the challenges presented here are unfair but you do have to think your way around to be successful.  There is not much water to be concerned about it only comes into play on two holes as a forced carry but the woods and the bramble do make for some places you do not want to visit so control of your line and distance is at a premium.

It is a fun afternoon-real complement to the Pine Barrens-my suggestion you try to play both courses the same day-playing Rolling Oaks as a warm up.

Brooksfield, Florida

Architect: Tom Fazio (1993)

Tees        Par    Rating    Slope    Yardage
Mens        72    71.5    125    6520

(Click to see complete Rolling Oaks hole-by-hole descriptions)

This place is a real golf factory facility with two championship golf courses, a 360 degree grass driving area the size of Nebraska, and a golf shop that will make you feel like you are in Nordstroms.  The place has hosted the final stage of the PGA Qualifying School a number of times.  Coupled with how many pros and wanna-be pros living in the Orlando area you are going to see lots of sticks out there practicing and honing their games.

The fare is reasonable for a facility of this quality and the golf and related accommodations are very much what you would expect.  The golf shop is humongous with every major line of apparel represented-if you cannot find something memorable to add to your wardrobe you are either blind or too picky.

This course is one of two that were designed by the team of Phil Ritson, Dave Harman, and Isao Aoki.  They moved a lot of dirt to get the sculpting and landscaping they were after but the result is a course that is very challenging but totally playable.  The variety of the holes is it’s strong suit.  There are the typical Florida holes with adjacent water or environmental areas but there are even a few with an Irish lilt thrown in.  The handicapping of the holes is very realistic-three of the five pars are the 16th, 17th, and 18^th handicap holes and two of the par threes are the 4^th and 5^th handicap holes.  They put real thought into which holes needed the handicap assistance rather than just looking at length to determine it.

If you look carefully at the GPS images of the holes the lines of play are fairly obvious.  Most of the sculpted areas of the fairways are still fairway it is just that hitting from them is a less advantageous place to play from relative to the green.  As with most good courses, driving the ball on the proper line and in the short grass is the best way to get aggressive places to play from.  The greens are plenty large but segmentation and tiering require proper planning on the approach shots to avoid three putts.

The yardage book in the shop is major old school-hand drawn with lots of particulars.  Problem is that it is virtually unreadable to a non-tour mortal so you are better off saving the $7 and just go with the provided GPS in the cart.

This is a very enjoyable afternoon of golf.  As always, play from a tee length with hole distances that are comfortable for you.  The challenge you seek is here at whatever length you choose to play at.

Winter Garden, Florida

Architect: Phil Ritson/Dave Harman/Isao Aoki (1997)

Tees                  Par         Rating        Slope        Yardage

Green               72            73.7            132            6927

Blue                 72            71.4            126            6432

White               72            68.8            122            6020

(Click to see complete Crooked Cat hole-by-hole descriptions)