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Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club

Hitting the links? Check these local golf courses

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As we flip the calendar to October and corresponding cooler outdoor temperatures, it makes make an ideal time to dust off those golf clubs, iron your polo shirts and hit the links again in the morning or afternoon. Another reason: it’s also one of the more socially distanced sports or recreation activities at the ready. (Just watch out for those incoming snowbirds.)

Locally, there’s more than 20 courses spanning Odessa, Lutz and New Tampa, and all the way through East Pasco. Each presents a unique quality, from Scottish links to Florida-style with wide open fairways and water hazards, to some with rolling hills reminiscent of North Carolina-esque layouts.

Some courses are longer than others, some more expensive and exclusive, but there’s seemingly something for anyone, whether a novice or scratch golfer.

With that, here’s a closer look at the local golf courses to check out in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

Pasco County golf courses

The Groves Golf and Country Club, in Land O’ Lakes (Courtesy of The Groves Golf and Country Club)

The Groves Golf and Country Club: 7924 Melogold Circle, Land O’ Lakes
18 holes, par 65

Skinny: The Groves promotes itself as “the longest short course in Florida” suited for golfers of all skills levels. Designed by professional golfer and sportscaster Gary Koch, the 4,019-yard course surrounding 200 acres of conservation wetlands features holes ranging from 105 yards to 375 yards. Greens are well-bunkered with winding fairways flanked by trees and water. Course also features an aqua range and full-sized putting green.

Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club, in Dade City (Courtesy of Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club)

Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club: 12900 Lake Jovita Blvd., Dade City
Two 18-hole courses, both par 72

Skinny: The semi-private Lake Jovita features two 18-hole championship courses, the North and South, which Golf Digest magazine once called, “one of the best kept secrets in Central Florida.” Unlike much of Florida, rolling hills and elevation changes provide for scenic views of the surrounding oaks, lakes and ponds. Both courses play a bit longer, tapping out at 7,226 yards and 7,153 yards, respectively. Lake Jovita also is home to the Saint Leo University men’s and women’s golf teams, and has played host to many college tournaments and charity scrambles.

Lexington Oaks Golf Club, in Wesley Chapel (Courtesy of Lexington Oaks)

Lexington Oaks Golf Club: 26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd., Wesley Chapel
18 holes, par 72

Skinny: The 6,646-yard course traverses through woods, marshland and waters, requiring players to avoid bunkers on elevated, massive greens — including a 62-yard wide surface on the 18th hole. Three of its par 3s are handicapped as the toughest holes on the course — including the 233-yard second hole, carryover water on a two-tiered green.

Links of Lake Bernadette: 5430 Links Lane, Zephyrhills
18 holes, par 71

Skinny: The semi-private club was designed, built and previously owned by former golf Dean Refram, who also designed the original Saddlebrook. The 6,400-yard course is regarded for rolling fairways, towering pines, and playable for golfers of all ages and skills levels. Golf Digest once rated it as the “Best Overall Value” in Tampa Bay.

Plantation Palms Golf Club, in Land O’ Lakes (Courtesy of Plantation Palms Golf Club)

Plantation Palms Golf Club: 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
18 holes, par 72

Skinny: The 6,831-yard course presents a difficult layout, with water hazards on all but one hole en route to rolling, elevated greens. Property also features a lighted driving range and 18-holf miniature golf course.

 

 

Saddlebrook Golf Club, in Wesley Chapel (Courtesy of Saddlebrook Resort & Spa)

Saddlebrook Resort: 5700 Saddlebrook Way, Wesley Chapel
Two 18-hole courses, par 70 and par 71

Skinny: The renowned Saddlebrook Resort features two 18-hole courses — Palmer Course, Saddlebrook Course — which incorporate rolling fairways and well-maintained greens, along wilderness areas full of cypress, pine and palm trees. Other frills also stand out — including a 16-acre golf training center and professional golf instruction utilizing state-of-the-art swing technology through Trackman, SAM Balance Lab ad SAMPuttLab. The facility is home to Saddlebrook Preparatory School, which has groomed many elite-level junior golfers, including Australian-born Karl Vilips, one of the world’s top-ranked amateurs now competing at Stanford University.

Saint Leo Abbey Golf Course: 33640 State Road 52 W., Saint Leo
18 holes, par 71

Skinny: The manageable 5,659-yard public course with a slope rating of 105 is convenient and affordable for Saint Leo University students and faculty, located directly across the road from the main campus.

Scotland Yards Golf Club, in Dade City (Courtesy of Scotland Yards Golf)

Scotland Yards: 9424 U.S. 301 S., Dade City
18 holes, par 72

Skinny: The 6,661-yard course plays into its namesake — a traditional links-style layout reminiscent of courses played in England and Scotland. Though relatively few water hazards, many pot bunkers are strategically located throughout.

 

 

Silverado Golf and Country Club, in Zephyrhills (Courtesy of Silverado Golf and Country Club)

Silverado Golf and Country Club: 36841 Clubhouse Drive, Zephyrhills
18 holes, par 72

Skinny: The semi-private 6,671-yard layout is accented by 100-year-old oaks shading the course’s clubhouse and fairways. It also is home to a variety of Florida wildlife like sandhill cranes, red-tail hawks, egrets, grey squirrels, ducks, geese and even foxes. The club features a full practice area including grass driving range, chipping and bunker areas, plus a 3,000-square-foot practice putting green.

Southport Springs: 3509 Southport Springs Parkway, Zephyrhills
18 holes, par 69

Skinny: The nearly 5,000-yard course prides itself on being a quick round and accommodating senior golfers, but still testing low handicappers because of narrow fairways and small greens.

Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club, in San Antonio (Courtesy of Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club)

Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club: 10641 Old Tampa Bay Dr., San Antonio
18 holes, par 71; 9-hole executive, par 27

Skinny: The 6,210-yard Scottish links-style courses requires golfers to steer narrow tree-lined fairways and water hazards on all 18 holes. It’s been labeled a “shot-maker’s course,” whereby accuracy and skilled iron play are a must for respectable scores. Fairways are made up of 419 Bermuda turf while putting surfaces are made of TifEagle Bermuda grass. Novices not quite up to the task are welcome to try the club’s 9-hole, par-3 executive course.

Zephyrhills City Golf Course: 39248 Ave. B, Zephyrhills
18 holes, par 68

Skinny: The 5,054-yard layout has a 70.0 course rating and a slope rating of 113. Since opening in the 1970s, it’s been a local favorite —approachable for beginners, yet offering advanced players an opportunity for a quick round. Lakes and streams play throughout the course, along with the occasional bunker strategically placed out.

Hillsborough County golf courses

The Club at Cheval, 4312 Cheval Blvd., Lutz
18 hole, par 71

Skinny: The semi-private, 7,005-yard layout is one of the area’s more ballyhooed courses, running through 860 acres of development property. Shot-making is critical, as the course features water hazards on every hole and 108 bunkers total. Its signature hole is a par-3 17th, where water short of the green wraps around the left side to the back of the landing surface.

The Eagles Golf Club, in Odessa (Courtesy of Eagles Golf Club)

The Eagles Golf Club: 16101 Nine Eagles Dr., Odessa
Two 18-hole courses, both par 72

Skinny: Features two 18-hole golf courses surrounded by more than 30 lakes, ponds and canals. The 6,604-yard Forest Course requires accuracy, thanks to contoured fairways and well-protected greens. Meanwhile, the lengthier 7,101-yard Lakes Course is aptly named, as water comes into play on nearly every hole, and plays more like a traditional Florida course with a generous driving area.

Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club, in Lutz (Courtesy of Heritage Golf and Country Club)

Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club: 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway, Lutz
18 holes, par 72

Skinny: The 6,900-yard public course offers its fair share of water and marshes to cross. One appreciative feature the club markets is homes don’t crowd fairways — as only five holes out of 18 have housing on both sides. During a round, you’re bound to spot hawks, ospreys, loons, ibis, herons and kingfishers. It’s also one of the newer courses locally, built in 1999.

Hunter’s Green Country Club, in New Tampa (Courtesy of Hunter’s Green Country Club)

Hunter’s Green Golf Club: 18101 Longwater Run Drive, Tampa
18 holes, par 72

Skinny: The 7,059-yard course — designed by Tom Fazio, one of the most well-known golf course architects of all time — is sculpted from existing pine flatwoods and wetlands, giving it a picturesque element. The course in 2017 was renovated with new TiFEagle Bermuda greens on all 18 holes and practice areas. Additional sand bunkers also were recently constructed throughout the entire course, bringing more of a challenge.

Northdale Golf & Tennis Club: 4417 Northdale Blvd., Tampa
18 hole, par 72

Skinny: The 6,824-yard course presents a Florida-style layout with wide-open fairways, and large, inviting greens. Natural surroundings are highlighted by cypress trees and spring-fed lakes.

Pebble Creek Golf Club, in New Tampa (Courtesy of Pebble Creek Golf Club)

Pebble Creek Golf Club: 10550 Regents Park Drive, Tampa
18 hole, par 71

Skinny: The 6,436-yard course is set on a secluded layout with moss-draped grandfather oaks and water on 16 holes. There’s all sorts of wildlife, from alligators to sandhill cranes. Elevated greens are another noted feature.

 

 

Silver Dollar Golf Club: 12711 Silver Dollar Drive, Odessa
Three 9-hole courses, par 35, par 36, and par 37

Skinny: Silver Dollar’s three 9-hole championship-length courses (Gator, Panther, Bobcat) can be played individually or consecutively, each featuring a wide variety of fairways, bunkers and water features flanked by stately trees. The course also boasts one of the better practice facilities, including a full driving range, two putting greens, pitching and chipping green with sand trap, and three practice holes. Measures a long of 6,489 yards when the Gator and Panther courses are paired together.

Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club, in New Tampa (Courtesy of Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club)

Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club: 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd., Tampa
18 hole, par 72

Skinny: The 7,004-yard private course sits on an Audubon sanctuary and claims to test golfers of all skill levels, as water hazards come into play on 10 holes and bunkers, strategically placed throughout. Its signature par-3 17th hole requires a tee shot over an expansive body of water to a green abutting two left side bunkers. The course is the former home of the Senior PGA Tour’s GTE Suncoast Classic Tournament.

TPC Tampa Bay, in Lutz (Courtesy of TPC Tampa Bay)

TPC Tampa Bay: 5300 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road, Lutz
18-hole, par 71

Skinny: Consistently ranking among the top-rated courses in all of Florida, the PGA Tour-built 6,898-yard course winds through natural wetlands, cypress heads and lagoons. The course presents its share of difficulties with a slew of uneven lies and water found on 15 holes. It’s played host of the PGA Tour Champions event for 21 years running.

Published October 07, 2020

Marine Corps celebrates birthday in style

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It’s not every day that a celebration is held for a 243rd birthday, but that’s exactly what the Marine Forever Detachment No. 1440 did recently to honor the history of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Bonnie Kessell, of Land O’ Lakes, baked a special birthday cake to commemorate the 243rd birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps. Her creation combined raspberry, amaretto and chocolate flavors and was artfully decorated. The cake maker’s husband, Danny Kessell, was in the Marines from 1967 to 1971. (Fred Bellet)

The detachment, also known as the Marine Corps League of Lutz/Land O’ Lakes, had its sixth annual Marine Corps Birthday Ball at the Harbor Terrace Restaurant in the Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club, in Lutz, on the evening of Nov. 6.

Active and veteran U.S. Marines, their wives and friends attended the formal affair, which began at 6 p.m., and included a military flag ceremony, a sit-down dinner, a birthday cake cutting ceremony, door prizes, dancing, and a chance to win money and prizes.

The ceremony also provided an opportunity to recognize six Marines who served in the Pacific in World War II and the Korean War. Those Marines received certificates of appreciation for their service.

The Marine veterans also received a letter of commendation from Gen. Robert B. Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps.

In another high point of the event, the detachment bestowed awards to the Marine of the Year and to the Associate of the Year.

Published November 14, 2018

As Commandant L. David Kirk bestows the award of Marine of the Year, the medallion ribbon slides over the nose of Marine Corps veteran Corporal (E3) Lester M. Osteen, of Lutz. Osteen served in the Marine Corps from 1953 to 1956, during the Korean War. Other awards received by Osteen were: the National Defense award, Good Conduct, Korean Service and the United Nations Ribbon. He was honorably discharged after serving 14 months and 13 days in Korea.
Six Marines who served in the Pacific during World War II and the Korean War were recognized, and received certificates and letters of commendation from Marine Corp Gen. Robert B. Neller. The veterans from left are: Capt. Jack B. Shaffer, of Clearwater; Capt. Walter R. ‘Bob’ Seitz, of Land O’ Lakes; Cpl. (E3) Lester M. Osteen, of Lutz; Cpl. (E3) Harold H. Howard Jr., of Wesley Chapel; Sgt. (E4) Donald L. Clough, of Wesley Chapel; and, Cpl. (E3) Henry ‘Frank’ Tillis, of Temple Terrace.
In making a toast, Marine Forever Detachment No. 1440’s Commandant L. David Kirk yells the traditional, ‘Oorah’ to the attendees of the 243rd Birthday of the United States Marine Corps.
Eighty-seven-year-old Sgt. (E4) Donald L. Clough, of Wesley Chapel — the oldest Marine in the detachment — couldn’t wait to taste the birthday cake, while the youngest Marine in the detachment, 30-year-old Eric Templeton, right, of Tampa, is introduced during the cake-eating tradition.
Commandant L. David Kirk presents a certificate to his wife, Gloria Sue Kirk after being named, the group’s Associate of the Year. The two have been married for 41 years.
Norman McAleney was a guest at the Marines’ 243rd Birthday Party at the Harbor Terrace Restaurant. McAleney, a newcomer to Hudson, is a member of the Glen Cove, New York Dan Daly Globe & Anchor Detachment of the Marines.
After arriving at the Harbor Terrace Restaurant, Harold H. Howard Jr., of Wesley Chapel, left, gets some assistance with his tie from fellow veteran Bill Montgomery, of New Port Richey. Howard served as a corporal in the Korean war, from 1950 to 1952. Montgomery served as a lance corporal in Vietnam. Sonia Pinciotti, of Tampa, offers her assistance.

 

Tourism continues to rise in Pasco

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Pasco County’s tourism figures continue to rise, and the prospects are bright for even more growth, according to Ed Caum, the county’s tourism manager.

Ed Caum, tourism manager for Pasco County, likes to remind people that tourists provide an important source of tax revenues in Pasco County and across Florida. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Ed Caum, tourism manager for Pasco County, likes to remind people that tourists provide an important source of tax revenues in Pasco County and across Florida.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Caum has been making the rounds to share the county’s news about another year of positive growth — following record numbers posted last year. He recently shared the county’s tourism story with members of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce during their luncheon meeting at the Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club.

The county is on track to break its record in tourist tax collections.

It has collected $593,712 in tourist tax collections since October 2015, a 13.5 percent increase over last year, when it set its all-time record.

Caum said the county expects to exceed last year’s total, which exceeded $968,000.

Pasco isn’t known for gigantic theme parks and miles of pristine coastline, but it offers plenty of wide open spaces and lots of “quirky and eclectic attractions,” Caum said.

Just last year, Tampa Premium Outlets, off State Road 54 and Interstate 75, opened a 441,000-square-foot mall, featuring 110 retailers.

Cyclists from across the country made the trek to Pasco County in March to ride in the Gran Fondo Florida racing event. It is one of eight events across the country that are held as part of the Gran Fondo National Championship Series. (FIle Photos)
Cyclists from across the country made the trek to Pasco County in March to ride in the Gran Fondo Florida racing event. It is one of eight events across the country that are held as part of the Gran Fondo National Championship Series.
(File Photo)

Later this year, Florida Hospital Center Ice is set to open off State Road 56, parallel to Interstate 75, and that’s expected to draw scores of regional tournaments, and vie for national tournaments, too.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions presented by Pasco County draws competitors from the U.S. and Canada to Wesley Chapel every year. And, Gran Fondo Florida draws cyclists from all over the country to East Pasco’s rolling hills.

There’s an assortment of other events and attractions for people who enjoy a bit of adventure. There’s Tree Hoppers, in Dade City, a zip line course designed for aerial adventurers of all ability levels, and there’s SunWest Park, which is expected to attract worldwide attention for its beach volleyball courts and its wakeboard course.

And, there are fun events, such as the annual Kumquat Festival and the Florida Bug Jam in Dade City.

Besides all that, Pasco County has an international reputation for its nudist resorts, which account for about 20 percent of the county’s tourist tax revenues, Caum said.

Giraffe Ranch, in Dade City, gives visitors a chance to witness the lives of giraffes, living under huge live oaks and in open grasslands. (Courtesy of Pasco County)
Giraffe Ranch, in Dade City, gives visitors a chance to witness the lives of giraffes, living under huge live oaks and in open grasslands.
(Courtesy of Pasco County)

Plus, the county likes to promote its microbreweries and its Farm to Table restaurants, Caum said.

Tourist attractions do more than just offer people a chance to have fun, Caum said.

“Tourism is economic development,” he said.

Attracting people to the area gives them a chance to see what it has to offer.

Many visitors decide to become permanent residents, and some of their companies come with them, Caum said.

That leads to job growth, which helps propel the economy, he said.

Plus, taxes paid by tourists reduce the tax burden for Florida residents, which benefits everyone who lives here, Caum said.

So, when it comes to promoting the county, that’s everybody’s job, the tourism manager said.

He likes to tell a story about overhearing a young waiter being asked by a visitor what there was to do around Pasco County.

The waiter replied: “I’ve lived here forever. There’s nothing to do in Pasco County.”

That, the tourism manager said, is a missed opportunity.

Published May 18, 2016

In Print: Something funny happening at Beef’s?

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Football and hockey might be the first thing that comes to people’s minds when they think of Beef O’Brady’s. But comedy? That might be something new.

Yet, the Beef’s at 7040 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., is welcoming comedians to the sports-themed restaurant once a month. And coming up Nov. 21 is a teacher-turned-jokester from Pinellas County, Mike Rivera.

Rivera’s comedy fits with Beef O’Brady’s desire to put on a show that is adult-oriented, but not vulgar. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Rivera’s comedy fits with Beef O’Brady’s desire to put on a show that is adult-oriented, but not vulgar. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“There’s nobody else who has a comedy show in the area,” Beef’s general manager Mike Connor told reporter Michael Murillo. “We just thought this was something different.”

The show begins at 9 p.m., to allow a more adult audience to enjoy Rivera’s humor. But if anyone is expecting to hear material that would make many people blush, it’s not part of what Connor is trying to do at Beef’s.

“Dropping the f-bomb every other word is not funny,” Connor added.

Get all the details about how Beef O’Brady’s is turning to comedy in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available on newsstands and driveways right now, or for free in our online e-edition by clicking here.

Getting to Beef’s might be a little easier for residents living in the Silver Lakes community after learning a developer wanting to build more than 100 homes near the shores of Curve Lake is changing that community’s main entrance.

Southern Crafted Homes had originally looked to use the small and quite rural Fletch Road as the main entrance to Pristine Lakes, forcing residents there to travel through a small community to Barcellona Road to finally get to Land O’ Lakes Boulevard. This was not a popular idea by residents who lived along those roads, including Bobbi Smith, who had pushed for developers to acquire enough land to move the entrance to Ehren Cutoff.

That wish appears to be granted, with developers proposing to do just that.

“All we wanted was for the traffic to go a different way,” Smith told reporter Michael Hinman. “That’s the answer to everybody’s concern.”

Yet, Smith might not be ready to take a breath quite yet. Pristine Lakes wants to still use Fletch Road as an emergency entrance. What does she think of that? Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker, available right now. Or read it right here online for free in our e-edition by clicking here.

Wiregrass Ranch High School students might be looking at a bit of a longer day soon. School officials need to deal with some overcrowding issues on campus, and one way to do that is through a 10-period school day.

“While that seems to be the most feasible and logical solution right now, we have stayed open to other possibilities,” school principal Robyn White told reporter B.C. Manion. “We have looked at every suggestion that anybody has given. So far, we haven’t come up with anything better.”

Wiregrass Ranch was built for an enrollment of 1,633, but currently has 2,333 students in the hallways and in 30 portable classrooms. It is expected to have as many as 2,500 students by the time next fall rolls around.

How would the 10-period day work? Find out in this week’s Wesley Chapel print edition of The Laker. Or read it online right now in our free e-edition by clicking here.

And finally, photojournalist Fred Bellet has some great pictures to share from the U.S. Marine Corps birthday celebration at Harbor Terrace Restaurant at Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club. See it online by clicking here.

All of these stories and more can be found in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, available in newsstands throughout east and central Pasco County as well as northern Hillsborough County. Find out what has your community talking this week by getting your local news straight from the only source you need.

If The Laker/Lutz News is not coming to your door, call us to see where you can get your copy at (813) 909-2800, or read our free e-edition by clicking here.

Dwindling ranks of golfers handicap golf courses

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Golf courses are in trouble, and Florida — which boasts more golf courses than any other state in the nation — could be hit the hardest.

The latest to experience trouble is Scotland Yards Golf Club on U.S. 301 in Dade City. The bank that holds the mortgage on the course, First National Bank of Pasco, started foreclosure proceedings against the 100-acre course last month. However, course owner David Rinaldo says those problems look worse than they actually are.

Golf courses are a favorite pastime of many older players, but have not really attracted the younger generation. For golfers like Richard Buddy of Wesley Chapel, it might be harder to find golf courses in the future. (Courtesy of Ron Ludwin)
Golf courses are a favorite pastime of many older players, but have not really attracted the younger generation. For golfers like Richard Buddy of Wesley Chapel, it might be harder to find golf courses in the future.
(Courtesy of Ron Ludwin)

“The course has financial issues like every golf course in America,” Rinaldo told The Laker/Lutz News in an email. “But it is not shutting down.”

Golf courses are suffering financially in different parts of the country, especially Florida, as interest in the sport wanes from its peak over the last few decades. Last year, 160 golf courses shut down in the nation, and 300 have closed in the last few years, the National Golf Foundation reported, according to published reports.

Florida has more than 1,200 courses, enough to have one course for every 16,000 people. That’s just too many for the market to sustain, one golf pro says, especially with other recreational activities that may be less time consuming and less expensive competing against the game.

“Golf was in its heyday 20 or 30 years ago, when that was the thing to do, both socially and sports wise,” said Laura Sanderson, a pro at Meadow Oaks Golf & Country Club in Hudson. “Everyone built a bunch of golf courses because, back then, we could keep them full. But now people’s interests have changed, especially the younger generation. People just have better things to do with their time and money.”

The summer season hasn’t helped, when many seasonal residents are in their northern homes, and those remaining finding it too hot to hit the links. Even Meadow Oaks, which averages 275 golfers a day during the peak season, is seeing just a little more than 100 during the summer months.

But getting through those times means knowing that it’s coming, and being ready for it. Quail Hollow Golf Course in Wesley Chapel, for example, has focused on attracting a lot of non-golf events like motorcycle shows and big band performances, Sanderson said.

“You just have to take care of where you’re at,” said Nic Kalojiannis, one of the people in the ownership group that leases and manages Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club in Lutz. “We do a lot of weddings, sweet 16s, and golf tournaments. It’s a process as a whole that you need to have, just to try and get you through tough seasonal times. Like this year, it’s rained pretty much all day every day, it seems like.”

These events give exposure to the golf course, which is owned by the Heritage Harbor Community Development District.

“We’re out here on Lutz Lake Fern Road off of North Dale Mabry, and we have a beautiful sign and the upkeep is really nice,” Kalojiannis said. “But the clubhouse was built in the back, kind of off the beaten path. We always have people coming in to our events telling us they didn’t even know we were back here.”

Other courses, however, would likely struggle no matter what they tried to do. And all of that goes back to how golf courses were originally financed.

Mortgages — typically in the millions of dollars — were structured in a way that a course could pay its note and still make a profit by charging $70 a round, for example.

“People don’t have that kind of excess money anymore, or if they do, they are not really willing to put it toward golf,” Sanderson said.

Instead, many have to cut fees, and then find ways to save expenses. More often than not, golf courses choose to skimp on maintenance — which could drive away even more golfers, and make their financial situation worse.

Even after Plantation Palms Golf Club in Land O’ Lakes shut down in May, maintenance crews kept the course in mostly good shape. However, when the workers stopped coming, the course fell into disrepair.

“After a matter of a couple months of that, it becomes completely unplayable,” Sanderson said. “You’ll lose the greens, and it’s not that you can just go back and mow it. You’ll have to replace it, and that could cost you $1 million right there.”

Plantation Palms was put up for sale last month for $1.2 million, considerably down from the $2.2 million MJS Golf Club LLC paid for it in 2011.

Plantation Palms was one of many communities in the region, and in the country, anchored by golf courses. But that’s not happening anymore. Some homeowners in Plantation Palms complained about the loss of home value, and many golf course designers have turned to Europe and Asia to build new courses, not finding any market in the United States.

But is golf fighting for its life? Sanderson doesn’t think so. It’s more about “righting the ship.”

“Golf is still strong, we just have too much product out there, too many courses out there,” she said. “We definitely need to grow the industry from the standpoint of the younger generation, but we’re just shaking out some of the excess courses. The ones that survive are going to end up being good in the long run.”

Published September 3, 2014

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