dchilds

All told, I've played several hundred golf courses in North America and Europe, yet I have never played one quite like Sanctuary Ridge. The architect's use of the land's elevation changes is extraordinary. Greens might be fifty or more feet above you or below you. The views of well-bunkered fairways from elevated tee boxes are always interesting, and even exciting (to say nothing of the great view of the surrounding countryside). The best holes offer golfers several ways of playing them, which invites a good deal of thinking before making strategic decisions. Are you willing to carry the ball across 200 or more yards of brush, pond, or 30-foot deep pit to shorten a hole, or would you prefer to direct your shot over terra firma -- just in case ...? Most holes are quite memorable. As others have mentioned, however, there are condition issues: some greens are pretty good, but some are sparse of grass, and some are bumpy. And then there's the question of the dozens and dozens of bunkers, large and small, that guard greens and complicate landing areas: it seems that in trying to improve tee boxes, fairways, and greens, management has not yet found the time or money to tend to the bunkers. And so what should be one of the greatest wonders of the golf course lies neglected.One hopes for restoration of this brilliant layout to its full glory. It is such great fun.

The staff here is unfailingly friendly and welcoming. Apart from two holes that run side-by-side, the layout defines a self-contained space for all other holes. Just four or five holes are bordered by houses. The rest are bordered by ponds, brush, and woods.The fairways are undulating from beginning to end, with hillocks, humps, and swales everywhere. Bunkers are placed appropriately to catch wayward tee shots and approach shots. The design is varied and challenging. Par five holes are not long, but narrow significantly 100-yards or so from the greens so to make long hitters think twice about trying to reach a green in two shots. One par three hole requires a shot across a pond; two others require shots to elevated greens. Many of the the par four holes gently dogleg left or right, rewarding drives that take a certain line and have a certain shape. The fairways and tee boxes are in decent shape. A majority of the greens are struggling in one area or another. On these, sand has been applied to cover areas where grass has failed to grow, So putts may not run true on parts of some greens. But when the hard work underway now to improve things pays off, this course will be a fun golfing experience for all levels of golfer. I really enjoyed it as things are now, while recognizing that its great potential has not yet been fulfilled.

I finally played a golf course that had long been on my GolfNow radar. Its famous elevation changes recall the best holes at Mount Dora GC and the old Pallisades course. Each hole is unique and presents at least one interesting golf challenge. On some holes, fairways narrow right where the big hitter might want to land a drive: water to the left might be the penalty where one fairway narrows; a deep gully to the right might be the penalty where another narrows. You approach some greens from a valley to an elevated plateau. Others are approached from a hill top to a valley bottom. The holes around the crater are well-designed counter-clockwise fun. Winter grass on fairways and greens has come in well. Green speeds were average. Putts rolled true. Trees bordering fairways are pruned high to allow careful recovery shots from the rough, which is fairly short dormant grass. I had such a good time that I regretted not having driven the extra distance to play this course years ago.

11 par 3s + 7 par 4s = a fun challenge. I played the back tees. The par 3s range from a couple at about 120 yards to a couple at almost 200 yards, with some subtle but important elevation changes between tee and green. There is LOTS of water to penalize shots wide, short, or long. And there are often bunkers or significant mounds where there is no water. Six of the par 4s are about 300 yards and let you pull out a big stick for a shot of about 230 to 250 yards before the fairway narrows and invites your long or wide shot into bordering woods, sand, ponds, or mounds of wiry grass. The greens are the best defense of par. They have elevation changes and significant slopes which, combined with moderately fast speeds, make for big breaks and tough downhill putts. The fairways and greens are in good early spring condition. My wife, who shoots just under 100 on full-length courses, parred about half the holes. My score was ruined by double-bogeys on the two longest par 3s. We both had a blast.

One of two executive courses (pars of 30 and 32) combine with a tough regulation 9 (par 35) for a fun and interesting 18 holes. The executive courses have a great variety of par 3s (long, short, uphill, downhill) with several potentially driveable par 4s (220 to 300 yards) that give you practice with all your clubs before you head out on a tougher 3000-yard (+) back nine (the first par 4 is a stout one, and so are the two par 5s, which are a bit longer than average). Fairways and greens are in good shape, and so are the carts. The modest clubhouse is well kept and has a great bell tower that rings out the hours and a carillon that follows up with a lovely tune. The man who runs the pro-shop on the weekends is a delight to deal with. My wife and I have really enjoyed our golf here, and feel that the hour-long drive to get to the course is well worth it.

The conditions are the best I've seen in 5 years. Over-seeding of tees, fairways, and greens has come in well. The greens are healthy and full and rolling true at a moderate speed. The course is typical of its 1940s origins: small greens and small bunkers requiring accurate target golf, fairly short 350-yard par 4s, and 470-yard par 5s. Don't expect a contemporary resort course. Enjoy a golf course and a small-town Florida ambiance from an earlier time. I have great fun every time I play here, and I've had even greater fun this year because of the improved course conditions.

The 9th green is in poor shape, and perhaps half of the other greens have blemishes on some portion of them (and those blemished portions were recently spiked), but the flags are all placed where the good grass is found on the greens (and these parts of the greens were not spiked). I played the course the last three days in a row, and found it to be as enjoyable as in years past. There are lots of tee-box choices, and the fairways are generous. Bunkering is strategically intelligent. The majority of wholes present at least one significant challenge. Everyone I talk to there -- from the people in the Pro Shop to the people riding the various machines -- is polite and pretty happy. You can tell I like the course and appreciate the work that is underway to get grass growing again where it is needed.

George Cobb designed this course, the man who Bobby Jones asked to design the Par 3 course at Augusta in 1960. Cobb was also called in to tweak the Masters' course once in the 1960s and once in the 1970s. He did a par 3 course at Indian Lake Estates around its central lake, too, but it is out of commission these days. The 18-hole course is very well designed. Greens are well-protected by bunkers, which catch shots that fall short of drift right or left. Rye grass has grown in well for the winter on tees and greens, which are rather long and shaggy at the moment. Fairway grass is not in good shape, but if you're content to move your ball a yard or two, you'll find grass to hit from. It's fun to work out where to aim the drives. There are dog-legs here and there, and bunkers and ponds require consideration on drives and approach shots. The course is not in top shape, but you can still tell that it was once a first-rate track. Teamster Jimmy Hoffa, whose remains have never been found, once played here, apparently. Really deep divots that I took on holes 3, 9, 15, and 16 proved that he was not buried there!

Know that the fairways have been let go for years. But the greens, fringes, and aprons were seeded for winter growth and the results show. Tees were also seeded, with mixed results. Golfers who hit just one shot from the fairway per par 4 will be OK with the very poor fairways, I suspect. People who take several shots per fairway, maybe not so much. Everyone will be able to find a spot to hit their shot from, but it can require moving the ball quite a few feet. The design of the course is interesting; 12 open links-style holes and six tight holes through the woods and carp-filled ponds (a couple of which holes have interesting water carries and/or elevation changes). 1 and 10 are (almost) driveable par 4s, and there are a couple of 200-yd plus par 3s. There are not a lot of bunkers, but they are well-placed to catch a poor drive and to force proper approaches into greens. You may want to rake a bit of the compacted sand and then re-place your ball here for sand shots. The greens are healthy, but a bit slow. All in all, you can have fun here with the right attitude going in. But you won't want to take a grumpy friend with you.

This is a relatively short par 70 course that effectively plays a par of 67 for longer hitters who can reach the three shortish par 5s in two shots. 8 holes are on level land, but the other 10 play up and down and around the huge bowl of a valley that the course descends into after the fourth hole. Greens are small and most are elevated, so proper approach shots are required for good scoring. The greens are slow, but puttable. Bunkers are well-placed, but the sand varies in quality and consistency. The fairways are not perfect, but you can always find good grass to hit from. Mature oak-trees line most fairways, knocking balls down into a sparsely grassy, sandy soil under the tree canopy that requires a precise strike of the ball if you're to get back into position.This 1940s course is packed into a small space, so wild golfers will make acquaintances in parallel fairways. But the atmosphere is friendly and laid-back, so good etiquette will see you through. I have played this course half a dozen times this winter and enjoyed every hole every time.

Palisades deserves encouragement and support. The golf architecture is excellent. The holes are all well-designed. Each one is different and presents good challenges for good golfers. The landscape is perfect for golf, and it is very scenic, with good views in every direction from the top of this relatively hilly course. The course is being revived after a decline, it seems. The greens are coming back well: perhaps four are still in poor condition, but the rest show lush growth. They are not cut short at this time, so they are VERY slow. They have interesting shapes and some have significant slopes and so they will be quite exciting to putt in due course. I found every single hole to be quite fun. Be patient and tolerant, for good work is afoot at Palisades. I say "thanks" for bringing it back to life!

This wonderful old course dating from the 19th c is full of character, charm, and challenge. Not long on the scorecard, the course is still a good test for any golfer. I think that the course rating and the slope factor are significantly lower than they should be. I doubt that many will play to their handicap on this course. I don't. Significant hills and valleys in the fairways and significant slopes and level changes on the greens mean that picking the right landing spot on each is important. Holding the greens in regulation requires a good shot with the right club. The greens roll true and they are very fast; they must stimp at 10+ in the summer. Balls above the hole can easily end up twice as far from the hole if you miss the putt. On several holes, missing the green on the wrong side with your approach shot almost guarantees bogey. Good golf earns good scores; bad golf earns the world of hurt that is peculiar to it. This 9-hole course has ten holes, and significantly different tee-box locations for the second-time round make for a good 18-hole feel. I love this venerable old course with its mature trees and interesting history. The atmosphere in the pro shop and clubhouse is relaxed and friendly.

There are condition issues, as noted by others, but tees and greens are OK. The architect Ron Garl has created a wonderful links-style par 70 course that actually looks and feels and even (with its humps and hollows) plays like Irish and British links courses. Every hole presents interesting challenges. It takes some thinking to pick the right lines off tees and into greens. Up-and-downs are not easy. I arrived with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.

Credit where credit is due! I got my golf architects mixed up in my original review: Steve Smyers is responsible for this impressive design. At fire-sale prices, it is excellent value.