Champions Club at Summerfield (Stuart, FL)

Summerfield is a welcoming club with several statues sprinkled around the clubhouse. Like most courses in Florida, it’s part of a residential community, however, it’s such a spatial piece of property that the golf interacts just minimally with the homes. Instead, much of the holes are bordered on both sides with foliage or natural sensitive areas. Its certified as an Audubon Sanctuary and is a delightful round of golf. 

Tom Fazio designed Summerfield in 2010. He invested a lot of thought in making this a playable layout for a wide variety of skill levels. The fairways are expansive and most of the greens have open entrances to them. However, bunkers and rolling putting surfaces add challenge to the more advanced player trying to better par. 

(The 149/116 yard par three sixth has an angled green with a false front that will spin balls back into the hazard. The rear left and front right pin positions demand exacting shots to get close. It’s a fun little one shotter.) 

Summerfield does have a few forced carries although the forward tees limits those. From the blue, some of theses carries are a bit intimidating. Most of the trouble is parallel to the line of play. There are opportunities to be aggressive when the hole doglegs. 

(The tee shot of the 432/401 yard par four third. The line of charm is to the right but that direction is a longer carry. Straightaway is partially hidden by the shrubs, confusing the player on his target. Thankfully it’s the only significant forced carry of the day.) 

The A player has a chance to shoot a good score here. When the pin is in the open part of the green, birdie is on the table. When the pin starts getting tucked away, the player will have to take more risk. Most of the bogeys in our group were from three putting from the open spots to the corner. 

(This pin requires an aggressive line to be close. Note the background and the natural environment.) 

Being a certified Audubon Sanctuary, Summerfield has moments that make the round special. Birds of all sorts come here for the winter, and you’ll see many of them throughout the day. Fazio’s architecture is solid and it doesn’t take center stage over the sanctuary. I like that. I give Summerfield a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

(The 562/532 yard finishing hole is a true three shotter.)

Boca Country Club (Boca Raton, FL)

“Golf is an air game. If you want to roll it, sign up for the bowling team.”

                                      -Joe Lee

(This is the view from the clubhouse of the island green eighteenth hole.) 

Boca hosted the final round of our South Florida Ryder Cup. Twelve singles matches were played over this watery Joe Lee course. As the above quote states, there is only one way to play it, and that is through the air. Joe Lee went out of his way to emphasize that, and between the bunkers and water, the player best be able to get it airborne. 

(The 385/362 yard par four fourth doglegs around the water. There’s plenty of fairway to play conservatively but that benefit is not given on the approach. Note the option to play short left and pitch on in three is there for weaker players.)

Boca is a flat course with water in play on fourteen holes including nine approach shots.  Pin position and wind strength are deciding factors when hitting into the greens. The putting surfaces have a lot of internal contour in them with different levels separated by a large slope. Bailing out leaves testy chips and putts over these contours and will test your short game ability. 

(The 184/160 yard par three fifth is hit to a peninsula type green jutting into the water. While a right pin placement catches a lot of glares, it’s the rear left that might prove to be the more difficult.) 

(The 561/523 yard par five sixth is reachable with a good drive, but the second is all carry over water. Most players will keep right and let a mid to short iron third  shot secure their birdie.) 

We have a variety of skill levels playing in the SFRC and it’s no surprise that many of the A players handled Boca reasonably well. [The one gentleman playing off scratch had seven birdies for a 68.] The higher handicaps had a much more difficult time. The water scares them into playing to safer positions and those areas are not easy up n downs. 

(This is the 388/364 yard par four fifteenth. Today’s pin is staring directly at the player, but does he have the nerve to shape his ball into the front right pin?) 

If I had to pick a spot where one had to be careful, the ninth and tenth are the make or break holes in the round. Nine is set hard against the boundary, making a ninety degree left turn with water hawking the drive and approach. In my foursome, I was the only one to avoid the water. It was the same thing at the tenth. The tenth has water all along the right and the green is set hard against the water. Bailing away from the hazard leaves a very difficult pitch over the bunker. It was a shot my opponent had, and his pitch skipped hard off the shoulder and into the drink. 

(The 394/375 yard par four tenth offers little respite on the approach shot. Note the mounding that contains the left bunker. One must be aware of the ball repelling off it.) 

The one hole that everyone remembers is the finisher and it’s island green. For the longer player, it’s a reachable par five. For those laying up, it’s not that intimidating since the green is surrounded by fairway and is actually a very expansive target. I thought the tee shot was the key as two gnarly trees on the right needed to be carried. 

(The 516/502 yard par five ending hole is more receptive than one thinks. Anything can happen here as eagle to double bogey is in play. The ginormous clubhouse is beautiful sight.) 

Boca Country Club is owned by the Waldorf Astoria resort. For whatever reason, starting next fall, Boca Country Club will become a municipal golf course. The resort deeded the property to the city. It’s going to be a big win for local golfers. I must admit I didn’t like it as much as Deer Creek, but it’s a solid track. I give Boca a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

Abacoa review

http://golfingwithshawn.blogspot.com/2019/01/abacoa-golf-club-jupiter-fl.html?m=1

Deer Creek Golf Club (Deerfield, FL)

Deer Creek hosted the first round of our annual South Florida Ryder Cup. It’s an Art Hills design that plays alongside one of the main canals that filters water to the ocean. It’s a typical Florida residential course, but it is considered one of the best conditioned in Broward county. 

Deer Creek is one of the greenest course I’ve seen since coming down here the past five years. The ball sits up like I’m accustomed to, and is more like the golf we play back here. Considering dormant Bermuda is so tight to hit from, it’s easy to understand why everyone holds Deer Creek in such high regards. The course and driving range were full when we played it, and all the local guys rave about how much they love playing here. 

(The 215/177 yard par three eighth plays through an avenue of gnarly trees. A bunker covers the front left corner.) 

I’ve seen more of Art Hills work than any other architect and it’s always solid. I feel he excels at sites like this because he doesn’t try to get too fancy. He puts together a sensible routing and strings together holes with sound and credible architecture. His style does very well with everyday players and management is left with reasonable maintenance requirements. 

(My favorite hole is the short par four tenth. It’s only 339/313 yards and laying up off the tee is the prudent play but the farther one hits the ball, the more open the angle to the green is. The putting surface is very long. The front plays just over the water but the rear half extends beyond the shadow in the picture. It’s a four club green.) 

I was very impressed with the pin positions at Deer Creek. Several required a high quality shot to get close. And they used these locations on a Saturday no less! How many times do you play your local course on the weekend and they place the flag in generic spots to keep pace of play moving? It was refreshing to see a club keep the excitement level up and use some riveting hole locations. Another reason why serious players love this place. 

(The 191/147 yard par three eleventh has a green fronted by a water. Today’s pin is far right just over the hazard.) 

(The 377/335 yard par four seventeenth has a fortress green with a yawning bunker directly in the front right. The elevated putting surface is mostly hidden. This pin position is just behind the bunker, making twenty feet a great approach.) 

Architecturally Deer Creek is on par with most other Florida courses, but the playing conditions and course setup make it a desired tee time. In my group, out of the five courses we played, Deer Creek was the unanimously  chosen as the best one we played. A round here is very enjoyable. I give it a resounding 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

(The 451/388 yard par four eighteenth finishes off the round in style with a slight dogleg left. Right is the preferred side off the tee so one can navigate the large bunker front left. The water comes into play if you hit a poor drive. Then a decision will be needed to layup or hit it over. A four is a fine score.) 

 

 

Eastwood Golf Course ( Fort Myers, FL)

Eastwood is the other muni owned by the city of Fort Myers. It doesn’t have the pedigree of Fort Myers Country Club nor is it on Florida’s Historical Golf Trail, but it stands alone as one of the few courses in the state that is without housing. That fact alone makes it worth seeking out, especially on the west coast of Florida where affordable golf is hard to find. 

Designed in 1977 by Robert Von Hagge and Bruce Devlin, Eastwood is a stout 7129 yards from the back tees. It’s protected by 87 sand traps, several water hazards, and doglegs that work both left and right. A wide variety of greens set the demand for the approach shots. 

(The 510/405 yard third is a long par four that weaves its way between marsh and pine straw rough. Look at all the little ridges and dips found in the green. A four is a terrific score.)  

Eastwood blends in nicely with the transition areas off the tee. It’s got a classic look that entices players to swing freely. The bunkering is visible both off the tee and into the green, presenting the shots that need to be hit. 

(I love the look and feel of the flat bottom bunkers covering most of the putting surfaces. They’re at a depth that makes good players take a chance at shooting at tucked pins. A miscalculation can still be salvaged for par.) 

(The 185/161 yard par three sixth has a green that’s bigger than it looks. Von Hagge/Devlin hide a lot of their putting surfaces by angling them and tucking them behind low mounded bunkers. Beautiful hole!) 

(The 518/502 yard par five eighth green has a false front. Note the ball in the rough. I hit the green and it spun fifteen feet off.) 

(The 573/538!yard par five twelfth is a big hole that plays alongside a marsh. The green is fronted by the hazard so players must focus on hitting three quality shots.) 

The strength of Eastwood is undoubtedly its par threes. Demanding length and precision, they will make par a good score. The second says 225 yards but a new tee extends another thirty yards back. It is an absolute monster. The two on the back nine also cover over two hundred yards. Even the up tee on those holes is pushing wood status. Only on the short sixth is the player hitting an iron shot.  

Public golf has come a long way. On the wall at Eastwood is a list of Golf Digest’s top 75 public courses from 1988. Eastwood was in the top 50.  Difficulty was one of the main criteria back then in the rankings. 

(The 206/165 yard par three thirteenth plays over a corner of the marsh to a green angled behind a sand trap.) 

The people of Fort Myers have two good municipal courses to choose to play. I’m a bit surprised that Eastwood is so overlooked. It can hold its own against any quality of player. In fact, it has one of the best nicknames I’ve heard “Beastwood”! I give it a solid 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

Sanibel Island Golf Club (Sanibel Island, FL)

Sanibel is a barrier island off the west coast of Florida. It is known for its wildlife sanctuaries and beautiful beaches along with the best shelling in the country. Bird watchers can spend the entire day at Ding Darling peering through their binoculars at the hundreds of species that make their way to San Marcos Bay. The Island prides itself on being in harmony with nature. The long and short is one doesn’t come to Sanibel for the golf. 

(152 yard par three third hole) 

The Island Club is a relatively short golf course playing just over 6000 yards but to a par of 70. Water is in play on fifteen holes and is the primary defense. The small greens keep you on your toes and require well struck iron shots to score. In a modest breeze, the player will fight to keep it close to his handicap. 

(The 371 yard par four second doglegs left to this small target. Water guards left and behind the green making the approach a very precise shot.) 

(The 285 yard par four tenth is a driveable length but you’ll have to carry the tree in the picture. The hole doglegs about 200 yards off the tee and the prudent play is to hit it down the right for a short shot in.) 

The Island Club has a tropical feel to it. Tall pineapple trees and plenty of banyan trees are found throughout the course. More impressive is the wide variety of wildlife. There’s so many different types of birds flying overhead or in and out of the water. It’s a great distraction and will help lighten the mood when you hit a poor shot. 

(The 325 yard par four eleventh doglegs around the water. There’s no reason to challenge the hazard and a wide fairway is incentive to hit it straightaway.) 

While the Island Club provides an opportunity to golf, it should be noted that there’s not any meaningful architecture. It’s average in its design but  does fulfill its requirement as another activity to enjoy on Sanibel. If the price tag was $50 or $75 then that would be fine, but they charge a hefty $120 dollars. Considering you can play some of the best courses in the country for that amount, I’m stating emphatically that it lacks value. 

(The 165 yard par three sixteenth) 

Condition wise, the course played fine. The greens were top dressed when I played it, but they putted well. It should be pointed out that the island is basically a collection of seashells. The crushed shells give the turf a firm foundation to play on. Some of the looks from the tee boxes reaffirms this. 

(The view from the 433 yard par four fifteenth tee box.) 

The last four holes play beside the Sanibel River and along with 2,3,10,11 are the highlight of the round. There’s moments where the river is visible but overall the vegetation stiffles the views. The par threes are a nice set of holes. 

(Looking backward on the par three sixteenth hole.) 

Sanibel is a beautiful place and it’s low key character makes it a perfect getaway to relax. The Sanibel Island Club fully embodies the island’s motto of harmonizing with nature. I guess for golf fanatics like myself just the fact that you can play is a win. I give Sanibel Island Golf Club a 3 (average)(worth driving 15-30 minutes to play). 

(Walking down the beach or wading into the water is the best way to find some very cool shells. We saw starfish, blue crab, and dolphins during our stroll.)

Fort Myers Country Club (Fort Myers, FL)

Back to the basics is what I was thinking on my annual January Florida trip. The only positive thing I saw in 2020 was the growth of golf’s popularity. It was really amazing to see, and municipal courses have a great opportunity to retain and grow the amount of people who have taken  up the game. One of my favorite reads this past year was Golf.com’s Muni Monday articles. So in homage, my first blog in 2021 is a Donald Ross muni called Fort Myers Country Club. 

(The 523 yard par five eighth asks golfers to determine if they can carry the canal off the tee. Since it crosses the fairway diagonally, one must know his line and abilities. Laying back is an option but that translates into a much longer third shot.) 

Fort Myers was designed in 1917. It has been hosting local tournaments for over a 100 years and many sports personalities have walked its fairways. Spring training brought many of the best baseball players to the first tee. Down the street is the winter homes of Gerald Ford and Thomas Edison. Legend has it that Edison was the one who suggested city council hire Donald Ross to design the course. 

(The first green quickly introduces the false fronts and crowned greens one must navigate during their round.) 

The spacious property has a canal that crosses it and at the western end is a levy that the superintendent controlled when the water got too high. The Army Corp of Engineers ended that practice to protect the Caloosahatchee River from the canal runoff, and in the process of installing filtering ponds, gave money to the city to renovate the course. Steve Smyers was chosen to do the work and his interpretation of Ross’ design philosophy translates into elevated crowned greens. 

(This is the 173 yard par three fourth green. Note the depth of the falloff on the right. A wide variety of shots is on the menu to recover a par.) 

Looking at the scorecard, one might scoff at the numbers, but the elevated greens are more than enough to provide the challenge good golfers are seeking. Pin placement is often the difference between a birdie and a bogey. There’s so many slopes on the edges of the greens that players must be leery when hitting approaches. Obviously, chipping, pitching, even putting, are options when trying to save par. Each one requires deft touch and judgement. 

(The .372 yard par four third has the canal crossing diagonally in the driving zone. The line of charm drags your eye towards the green but it’s a long carry to the fairway...

...the green is deceptive and much bigger than one sees from the fairway. It’s a birdie opportunity if one hits the proper shot. ) 

The Fort, as it is affectionately called by the locals, is a nice place for beginners. There’s plenty of grass to keep the ball in play and short game options to encourage fun around the greens. Being in the middle of the city also makes it the perfect place to get together with friends. In fact, I think it was one of the livelier clubhouses I’ve been to, and the Edison’s restaurant seemed to be a popular hangout. 

(The 202 yard par three tenth plays just outside Edison’s patio. All eyes are on you as you make a swing.) 

Smyers did a good job renovating the course. The greens are beautifully shaped. I like that being short leaves the best chance to save par. I thought that the sides and especially the rear are best avoided. I know Ross is known for having crowned, turrleback greens, but this is the first course that I’ve seen where the slopes were as abruptly as they were. The canal was used several times but on 3,8,18 players had to pick the line they are comfortable carrying. On the eighth, I actually laid back because I couldn’t take the canal on into the wind. On the final hole, it’ll challenge the second shot of the par five. 

(The canal is not a shallow or narrow hazard.) 

In winter months, one can fly into either Tampa, Sarasota, or Fort Myers. If going into Fort Myers, the Fort is a perfect place to start a golf vacation. It’s welcoming and has a spirited atmosphere that you’ll find enthralling. I give Fort Myers a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

(Look at that clubhouse. Hard to imagine this is a municipal course.)

(Looking from ten tee to eighteen green through the trees.)

(This picture really makes excites me. Look at the wonderful green surrounds. A good short game is a must to score well.)