Fore Florida Staff Spends
a Day at the Club...The Florida
Club
By Daniel Shube
Recently, Dr. Gary
Wiren, Randy Myers, Ed Holbook and I had the opportunity to play a
round at one of the area's newest semi-private golf clubs, The
Florida Club. The course was designed by Dick Gray, who previously
worked with Pete Dye at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana
and P.B. Dye at Loblolly Pines Golf Club in Hobe Sound. Gray designed
the course, maintaining a natural, old Florida look and feel, set
among oaks and wetland surroundings. The 5 sets of tees play from
5,000 to over 7,000 yards, presenting an enjoyable challenge to
golfers of all levels.
Now that you know a little more about the
course basics...here's a perspective from the writers of FORE
FLORIDA. Each contributor has a different way of looking at a day of
golf based upon their area of expertise. This outing combined experts
in golf instruction, fitness, travel and communications.
According to Ed Holbrook, FORE FLORIDA Travel Editor, "A good
golf course should open with a reasonable par 4, not terribly long,
not too much trouble. The first hole at The Florida Club presents
some problems, but nothing too bad. It's a good opening hole."
Dr. Gary Wiren, another globetrotter and master
instructor added that, "the opening hole is not extremely long.
Longer hitters can use a 3-wood...you can lay back and still have a
wedge to the green." He noticed on the second hole "the yardage
marker sticks in the fairway are a good idea for easy distance
information.. After playing a few holes Gary observed, "The greens go
away from you at the back side of the hole. There's a lot of double
level and undulations. They are very firm. Great putting surfaces.
Those who play a hard ball will have a difficult time holding the
greens. They slope down at the edges. They are true, but you better
be good up and down."
On the 4th hole, par 5-496 yards, Gary noted, "The island of
trees in the middle of the fairway force the long hitter to play to
the left side to go for the green in two. On the right side, the
trees are too high to hit a long iron or wood into the green. It's
not a long hole...you almost want to lay back. The huge green,
especially with a back pin placement, would be very difficult. These
greens make for a lot of tough pin placements. Trying to get the ball
close is a challenge!"
Stretching between
holes.
Randy Myers, FORE FLORIDA Fitness Editor noted, "Even with the use
of carts, you have to walk from where you park the carts. This
provides exercise as well as time to think."
Gary added, "The unpaved cart paths add to the natural
aesthetics."
Randy continued, "As a 15-handicapper, this course forced me to
hit many shots I might not usually play. I had to putt from off the
green. Hitting into the green often required using a little more club
and a lower trajectory....shots that I'm not accustomed to hitting."
Ed agreed that "shots are required that are not often used on
courses that we normally play. You can run the ball on to the front
of these greens. Most Florida golf courses require high, soft shots
to the greens. These are quite hard and fast, very much like the kind
you'll find in Europe, where you have to have the short game for the
bump-and-run shot."
Gary reflected, "The greens provide a great putting surface.
The speed is really good...quick.
The fairways offer ample driving space, which on a public course
keeps people moving around at a fast pace. Just make sure you bring
your best chipping and putting game. There's a lot of opportunity
around the green... many tricky little shots! This round was a very
enjoyable experience."
And as for me (the publisher), as the most "challenged" golfer
in the foursome, I experienced one of my best days ever on the
greens. Playing the front nine from the back tees was especially
difficult; however we moved up to the blue tees for the back nine
which relieved some of the stress from the teebox. The extensive use
of waste bunkers combined with the unique greens made this course
enjoyable. The experience was heightened by the knowledge and
camaraderie of my playing partners.
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