Sailfish Sands (Stuart, FL)

After writing about The Park, America’s newest super muni, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss what I believe municipal golf should really be; an opportunity for everyone to learn, enjoy, and play golf at an affordable price. Sailfish Sands does that but with a cool twist that every golf aficionado would love. John Sanford took an eighteen hole course, and trimmed it into a nine hole reversible course. Every other week, they change the direction of play, so the course consistently alters it’s characteristics. This concept allows the county to shrink the environmental footprint of the course, helping them maintain a smaller acreage of land while distributing the divot pattern to allow the grass to heal. 

As you look at the diagram, you will notice eleven greens. The two that finish the round are only approached from one direction. Every other green accepts play two different ways. The eighth hole plays as a par five both on the black and red routing. While there’s plenty of water, notice how both routings avoid carrying it into the green. One quirk I noticed is how much shorter the Red loop is (2868) compared to the Black (3368). Granted, the Red has three par 3s compared to the Black’s two, which coincidentally, are both over 220 yards. 

I didn’t play Sailfish but did stop by during our annual Ryder Cup week. The novel concept had me chopping on the bit to see this unique course. Ever since Tom Doak designed The Loop up in Michigan, it seems more architects are looking at this possibility. Combined with their TopTracer driving range, a tip of the cap to TopGolf’s business model, Sailfish is positioning itself as a next generation golf course. Although it’s foreign to me and many in my generation, this may very well be the best way to grow the game, a catchphrase that seems to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue nowadays. (No rating since I didn’t play it, but felt it deserved to be spotlighted)