Village Golf Club (Royal Palm Beach, FL)

Village has a cool vibe to it. It’s a solid course, but the added texture from the cypress trees, the blooming flowers, and the cactus make the round more enjoyable than it otherwise would be. It reminds me of Jacaranda which coincidentally is designed by the same architect, Mark Mahannah.  This has me wondering if the floral and fauna enhancements are part of his philosophy. Jan Bel Jan, who I wrote about in my last blog, stated that the overall beauty of a course is one way to entice new members into joining a club. It’s possible Mahannah had that same opinion. 

Village is what I’d call a Florida parkland course. It has a lot of trees and requires accurate tee shots to narrow fairways. Water is present throughout the round, although it’s more the product of the terrain than an architectural feature. The locals have a bigger fear than visitors since they know all the places not to hit it. The cypress trees are the real stars. These beautiful trees highlight every shot that needs to challenge them. They also give it a different feel from other Florida courses. 

(The 421/400 yard par four fourth has a lake in the driving zone that makes players think twice before bombing away. The approach is to an open green with mounding on the sides.) 

(The 375/348 yard par four fifth has a single bunker guarding it. Note the slope on the left. Missing it on that side is more problematic then finding yourself in the trap.) 

(The 379/365 yard par four seventh defines the parkland experience Village gives golfers. Shaping the ball is a prerequisite to getting at pins located in the corners. The trees aren’t very tall but the ball sits down lower in Bermuda rough and is difficult to elevate.) 

There are three things that I like about Village Golf Club. First, the course is in great shape. The greens are quick, and downhill putts can be quite scary. Good putters have a real advantage. Second, the landscaping is very nice. Most of the tee boxes have a shade tree which in this climate is a huge bonus. The trees have this flower that give off a beautiful aroma, and I really enjoyed the scent. I kept asking what it was, but I never got an answer. Third, the practice facility is awesome. The driving range was okay, but the short game green with the bunkers and slopes had me working for forty five minutes after the round. It was this practice time that helped me play as good as I did on my trip. 

(The 510/483 yard par five ninth hole plays between two giant cypress trees on either side of the fairway. Most will advance it past these trees, but the longer hitter will be challenged to hit it high enough to reach the green in two.) 

(The 194/161 yard par three fourteenth is a defining moment in every round at Village. Any pin position on the right is a dangerous shot. This is one of the few times where water is used to impact the emotion and strategy of the round. Three is a good score.) 

Pace of play was an issue when I played it. It attracts a lot of senior players, and I’m guessing that since it’s not close to the highway, it has a core group of guys that probably play here daily. They overrun the place and it’s like their own club. In fact, we started on the twelth hole, which I’ve never seen except in a shotgun, and the starter talked to us like we should have known this. (They are installing new irrigation lines, so the starting hole changes, and you play that hole twice since one hole is being updated.) Obviously we knew nothing about this, but the same people are here, and I think they assume everyone knows the procedure. It is not new to have a core group of guys at a course, but Village is a tough place. Like I stated already, it’s narrow so the older players who’s handicaps are rising with age, are getting the snot beat out of them. 

(The short 367/346 yard par four sixteenth has an undefended green that provides the best chance for a birdie. The water is well short and mainly prevents the long hitter from pulling driver.) 

From the back tees, this is a really tough course. They place sectionals here and the course rating is actually over par. (72.7)  Even the next tee up (blue) is very challenging with long par fours. This is one of the few times where the white tees (5945) with its sub six thousand yards was the perfect choice. With all the trees, the course plays soft. There’s too many small and shorter trees here. I think if they trimmed it out, it’d be a much better course. It reminded me of Jacaranda, but it’s not quite as good. I give Village Golf Club a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play).

(The 567/545 yard par five eighteenth hole is lined by these beautiful flowering trees. Into the wind, it takes three solid shots to reach in regulation.)