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).