PedroUK

If you like your golf on a course without houses flanking each fairway then you will enjoy Myakka Pines. We played blue & red. There were plenty of gators, turtles and wild birds to be seen. This isn’t a perfectly manicured course, but it was reasonably well maintained and the layout was interesting. At only $40 for the afternoon green fee, it represents good value. Pace of play was good.

A shout out to the pro, who was very helpful in lending us a golf bag for the round, as the club would not let us play with two sets of clubs out of one bag (a saving on extra trans-Atlantic baggage costs!)

OK course, spoiled by playing on a construction site. With many great courses in the Venice area, this won’t be one that I’ll be rushing back to. Riverview, Jac West, Sarasota National and Myakka Pines are all much better layouts. At a similar price.

IMG was good value at under $40 for an afternoon round. Good layout and well maintained. Greens ran true ans were medium paced. I’d play it again.

Still the best course available to the public in this area. If you can only play one course, play this one.

Having played Waterlefe several times over the past 10 years and most other courses open to the public in the Sarasota/ Bradenton area, I still rate this as the best. The layout is good on the front nine and gets better as you progress through the back nine

I hope Waterlefe is open to the public for many years to come.

One of the better courses in the Sarasota area. Well maintained and a decent layout.

Beautifully laid out and well maintained course. We played it the day after a deluge and the fairways were very wet, but the greens were still fast and in great condition. If you like playing a track with lots of nature and the properties well back from the course, then this is one for you.

One of the top 5 courses accessible to the public in the Sarasota/North Port area

We come to Sarasota every October and play the better public courses. Each year Waterlefe is the best and this year is no exception. The course starts with 2 strong holes and 13 to 18 are exceptional. If you are in the area, don't miss Waterlefe.

This is an old style course with some tight driving holes. Good layout, but spoilt by the condition. The greens were slow and bumpy, the tees were scruffy and the course was in need of some TLC. There are many better maintained courses of a similar age and challenge in the $25 to $30 bracket in the Sarasota area. Misty Creek and Rosedale immediatly spring to mind.

I can't understand how so many golfers have rated the Highlands 5*. By no stretch of he imagination is it excellent.

Forgiving course with wide fairways and not too much water in play. One of the better courses in the area, but doesn't rival Waterlefe or UPCC.

Course was in great shape. The greens were true, but have a lot of slope and are a challenge to putt well on. The blue tees at 6500yds are a good test.. Round time was 3 1/2 hours (4-ball), teeing off at 1:45. The price was a snip at $25pp. Would definitely play again.

A wonderful golf course in great shape as usual. Don't be distracted by the beauty of the surroundings, this course has teeth.... A must play if you are in the Sarasota/Bradenton area.

Esplanade was a good new course in decent shape, considering it's only been open 9 months. Greens ran true. My only criticism is that the yardage difference between the back tees (6750) and the gold tees (6150) is too great. They could do with a set of tees between 6400yds and 6500yds)

Played Sanctuary and Tributary. Sanctuary at 3300yds off the blues is a good challenge. Tributary at under 3000yds much shorter and easier, with wide fairways. Overall, the course was in good nick. The greens had recently been hollow tined, but ran fairly true. What spoilt the round was a tediously slow 4-ball in front. We got to know the group behind well, as we met them on most tees! A course ranger would be a good idea at weekends, to keep things moving at an acceptable pace

Played mid morning weekday and course was empty. Completed a 3-ball in 3 hours 15 minutes. Layout challenging, but fairways generous. Can see why Golf Digest gave this 4 1/2 stars. Only criticism was that the course looked in average condition. Bunkers were shabby and tee boxes needed tiding up. Will play it again.

This is the second time I've played Bobcat (Played it first in 2011) and on both occasions I thought it was a good course (not sure it's quite 4*), but lacking some attention. Bunkers were in poor condition and greens were average. However, given the low green fee, it represented reasonable value for money. Played it on a cloudy Saturday lunchtime and had the course to ourselves. 2-Ball in 3hrs 15.

Played Misty Creek at 2:40 on a weekday afternoon. Cost was sub $25 and the course was great. A challenging layout with narrow fairways and plenty of trees to catch an errant drive. Well maintained throughout. Will play again.

I've played most of the top ranked courses in the Sarasota/Bradenton area and each time I play Waterlefe, I'm left with the feeling that this is the best. The setting alongside the Manatee River is beautiful and the design is a through, but fair test of golf. Waterlefe has many memorable holes; the Par3 15th with the Manatee meandering past being the pick of them.

I hope that Waterlefe remains open to the public, so I can continue to enjoy it during my holidays to Sarasota for many years to come.

Excellent layout with wide fairways and true, fast greens. A joy to play