Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club - Copperhead Course

I always find it a treat to play courses that host big-time golf tournaments, and for putting oneself in the shoes of the best golfers in the world, there are few more fitting venues than the Copperhead. It is the consummate "ball-striker's paradise," where a significant mix of power and accuracy are essential for survival. If you can hit fairways and greens here, you can score a little bit, but with the narrow landing areas and tough rough, any looks at birdie will have been hard earned. It's a great diagnostic for any golfer's game.

Our group of 8 guys play the Copperhead Course each fall as part of a week of golf. Copperhead remains on our list of "must play" courses.

The day before we played Copperhead, we played the Island Course at Innisbrook. People say the two courses are comparable.

They are alike in difficulty. Neither course is easy. The Island Course is the more difficult of the two.

Conditions between the two courses varies greatly. Copperhead is in exceptional condition. From tees to the greens, we were not disappointed. The bunkers were raked, the greens were fast, and the fairways were wonderful. The ball sat up nicely in the fairways.

Conditions at the Island Course were much different. The greens were just as nice as Copperhead's. After that, the changes were quite appearant. The grass on the tees was more sparse. The fairways were brown and had barren areas. The bunkers were not raked.

If you're going to spend big dollars to play Innisbrook, play Copperhead.

really simple folks...if its good enough for the guys on tour its definitely good enough for the rest of us! lol
of course innisbrook cant keep tournament conditions on this course for the entire year...but it was in really good shape. layout extremely challenging yet fair..good shots are rewarded..wayward shots are penalized..plain and simple. you couple the layout of this course with the amenities of innisbrook and its a no brainer. PLAY IT!! but play the proper tees

Darrell in the pro shop and Fred the starter were extremely accommodating. They provided excellent customer service. I really had a great experience and look forward to returning in the future. Keep up the good work.

First of all let me say right up front, we had a great time and the service was over the top. Our room was perfect, quiet, and overlooked the Island Course.

However the conditions of the Copperhead Course was far less than I expected. The greens were hard, and the green surrounds were bare in areas and overgrown on others. The rough was deep in com areas and others not as much. Many weeds and the bunkers were very bad, maybe not as bad as the Island Course, but bad. I thought the course conditions would be pristine, but not so, just the average course. Certainly nothing special.

As they say, "play where the pros play." If it wasn't for its place in the schedule they would probably get all the best players as this is and excellent challenging course. Often forget that you are in south FLA with the pines, lakes and elevation changes.
This course challenges every part of your game. You need all the shots as well some strategy.
Conditioning has been an issue the last few years as the reseeded to whole course and had some bad breaks with the weather. But things should be much improved this season and going forward. Can't wait to get back there.

Having never played this course before a recent restoration that included new greens, new irrigation and bunker renovations, I really can't compare it to the old. But I can certainly understand why the PGA Tour players list this among their favorite courses. It rewards good shot-making, plain and simple. And the design, though it's less than 50 years old, is certainly classic. The finishing stretch -- the Snakepit -- is certainly memorable and challenging. And with a a few hills, bends and strategically placed water hazards, it never gets boring.

Copperhead recently re-opened after a full restoration of the course and it did not disappoint. The course layout is almost exactly the same but the course is in pristine condition right now. The greens are a bit slow on some holes but thats normal as they are new and its hard to cut down as they come in. The course itself is challenging but very fair. The greens are fairly large so GIR isn't as relative. The scenery surrounding the course is pretty amazing as its surprisingly hilly and the elevation changes/tall pines can make it feel like the carolinas which is nice in a very flat area of florida. The practice area and driving range has plenty of space to fine-tune your game. The copperhead course is the best course of the Innisbrook resort and is a must-play when in the Tampa/Palm Harbor area especially considering its an annual PGA Tour stop. The other courses here are nice but this is the one you should look forward to playing!

This is a great golf course. Be ready for deep rough and an excellent layout. Just make sure you check the weather.....We didn't have rain for 4 days prior to our round and the course was still we and mushy in many areas. It does not drain well!!!

This is a tough course,especially for a mid-to-high handicapper that isn't on top of his/her game. The pros play from the tips with less problems than someone that can not split the fairways or is intimidated by water or extremely penal rough. You should play this course if you have the chance, but be prepared to swallow your pride when you walk off it.

Spectacular course for a Pinellas County Golf Association event. Flawless condition. Staff was well prepared for the event. Not nearly as difficult as other courses at Innisbrook.

The main feature that stands about Copperhead is that you forget you are in Florida. The elevation changes and the pines make you feel like you are in North Carolina. If you like North Carolina as I do then that's a good thing. This is a big time golf course that tests every part of your game. And the only style of play that it favors is good play. Distance helps but you gotta have control. My favorite hole is the par 4 16th. Challenge the pond up the right side off the tee and you are well rewarded with a shorter approach and a better angle. Bail out to the left in the rough and you may have a play but the green slopes away so you likely won't hold the green. If you have a bucket list of the top courses to play in Florida then the Copperhead should be on it.

Reviewing the Copperhead was one of my first assignments as a golf writer back in 1999. I played the course a week after the tournament. I still remember how difficult the ankle-high rough and super-slick greens were to manage. It was a big-boy course, and I brought a beginner's game. I can't vouch for certain that the Copperhead is the best of the four Florida venues that host the PGA Tour. I haven't seen the new Doral or PGA National. But most surveys and comments show that the pros love and respect the course. You will, too.

I'm a huge fan of Copperhead at Innisbrook, if only because it's so different from your garden variety Florida golf course. There is so much elevation change here, which lends itself to great hole variety, that it feels like something more Midwestern than a property minutes from the Gulf of Mexico. This is a design dating back to the 1960s, so prepare for a traditional course design, lots of water, well-guarded greens and a good dose of length. Between here and World Woods, the Tampa area has two real knockouts for bucket list golfers to play.