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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

Big changes coming to The Grove

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The Grove at Wesley Chapel shopping center is in store for a major makeover — something being hyped as a future downtown entertainment district for the growing Pasco County community.

Owner and developer Mark Gold unveiled his vision for the property during a North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce luncheon last month.

He has sweeping plans for the large, but rather traditional strip mall, which is situated west of I-75 and north of State Road 54 .

New renderings for The Grove at Wesley Chapel show the addition of KRATE, a new plaza that will feature an 87-space container boutique shopping and restaurant park, plus an adjacent amphitheater and stage, trampoline park, miniature sports and more. KRATE is expected to be up and running within the next three months to six months, Gold said. (Courtesy of The Grove at Wesley Chapel)

The Grove is already  home to a 16-screen theater and more than a dozen national retail chains, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Old Navy and others.

Gold purchased The Grove for $62.7 million in September, through parent company Mishorim USA Real Estate Investments.

While many of those major retail spaces will remain in place, it’s what Gold has in mind for the property’s surrounding 114 acres of vacant land that’s been generating buzz.

“I’m going to build a downtown Wesley Chapel,” he told a packed room of chamber members at New Tampa’s Pebble Creek Golf Club on Jan. 23.

To do that, the developer is bringing an 87-space container park to the plaza, predicting it could open within the next three months to six months.

Called KRATE, it will feature renovated shipping containers filled mainly by mom and pop boutique shops and unique eateries. The containers will be grouped together by walkways with options for indoor and outdoor seating. Curbside parking will be available, too.

Gold said he’s already leased 96% of the container park, which includes as many as 35 eateries, all with “different tastes, different feeling.”

That many food options in one spot alone will be a major draw, he said.

“If you put 35 restaurants in one place, it brings a lot of people, because people want the variety — the kids want to eat something, mother wants to eat something else,” Gold said.

The Grove’s KRATE area will be surrounded by an entertainment complex, with a large amphitheater and stage, and family friendly activities, such as a trampoline park and various miniature sports, Gold added.

Gold also announced that he has secured a permit from the Pasco Commission to allow alcohol to be consumed throughout KRATE — news greeted by loud cheers and applause from chamber members.

The developer’s concept is somewhat similar to Sparkman Wharf in downtown Tampa’s Channelside District, perhaps on an even grander scale.

He predicted that The Grove, over time, will become “a place to be,” as a one-of-a-kind destination attracting people from all over Tampa Bay.

He think it fills a need in Wesley Chapel, particularly for families.

He put it like this: “There’s lots of kids in this area with nothing to do. If you want to do something, you need to drive to South Tampa and suffer through the traffic. I want South Tampa to come to us.”

Weekly and monthly community and cultural events also are planned for The Grove and KRATE, Gold said.

For instance, there will be a nationwide graffiti contest for KRATE, where each container park will be able to get its own unique design. For example, the outside of a pizza eatery could be decorated up with Italian-style food images. “Graffiti alone is an event,” he said.

The developer also envisions a local-based singing competition, modeled somewhat after NBC’s TV program, “The Voice,” with winners receiving cash prizes upward of $10,000.

“Everything is on the table,” he said.

While he has loads of ideas, he’s also seeking input from business leaders and residents.

“Please be involved, it’s important,” he told chamber members. “If there’s something that’s not good, or there’s something you really like, let us know. I’m not from here, so I really don’t know, I can only guess.”

In addition to The Grove, Gold operates more than a dozen commercial properties, mainly throughout the southeastern United States, including Florida locations in Jacksonville and Orlando. Many of those properties include attractions, such as indoor roller rinks, zip lines in parking lots, haunted houses, obstacle courses, trampoline parks, climbing walls and arcades.

He decided to purchase The Grove after hearing about the massive growth happening in Wesley Chapel and surrounding communities, he said.

With reports of another 50,000 homes coming online in the next 24 months, Wesley Chapel has been labeled the fastest-growing community in the Tampa Bay area, and one of the fastest in all of the southeastern U.S.

Gold sees the potential.

Published February 05, 2020

Local golfer headed to regional championships

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He’s only been golfing competitively for about two years, but Fab Laude has picked up the sport with relative ease.

He made the Wiregrass Ranch boys varsity golf team as a freshman last year, developing into one of the Bulls’ top players — and is now one of the better players in the county.

Wiregrass Ranch High School sophomore Fab Laude will compete in the Drive, Chip & Putt regional championships on Sept. 29 at TPC (Tournament Players Club) Sawgrass, in Ponte Vedra Beach. He qualified for the event after finishing runner-up in the boys 14-15 division at the Drive, Chip & Putt sub-regional qualifier last month at Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs. (Courtesy of Cliff Laude)

But, before the 15-year-old gets too deep into his sophomore campaign, there’s another golf competition he’s got on his mind.

On Sept. 29, Laude will compete in the Drive, Chip & Putt regional championships at TPC (Tournament Players Club) Sawgrass, in Ponte Vedra Beach.

He qualified for the event after finishing runner-up in the boys 14-15 division at the Drive, Chip & Putt sub-regional qualifier last month at Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs.

There, he and Tampa’s Suraj Kollegal (who placed first in the boys 14-15 division) outperformed numerous competitors from Miami, Naples, Sarasota and other areas.

Outdueling other top golfers in his age group from the southern half of the state was “very humbling,” Laude said.

At the same time, he noted, “it gave me a lot of confidence, like, ‘Yeah, I can hang with these guys,’” he said.

Unlike traditional golf, a higher score is better in the Drive, Chip & Putt event, where points are accumulated from the three fundamental skills of golf.

Driving points are calculated on yardage distance and accuracy — where a shot must finish within a 40-yard-wide fairway.

For chipping and putting, points are awarded based on how close a ball is to the hole from a series of different distances (chips from 10 to 15 yards; putts from 6 feet, 15 feet and 30 feet, respectively).

The short game is where Laude particularly excelled — something he also takes pride in his regular golf game.

“My game inside 100 yards is just on point for me,” said Laude, who grew up in Wesley Chapel. “What I believe is, you get your scoring from your short game, so I try and work on that a lot, because you can hit the ball long, but if you’re not good at your short game, you’re not going to really get anywhere.

“Even if I hit a bad shot and I know I’m 160, 170 yards out, I know that I’ll make par or at least bogey,” he said.

In between high school practices and early season matches this year, Laude has taken extra time to prepare for the upcoming Drive, Chip & Putt competition. He’s also spending his weekends honing skills and working on the different shots at his home course at Pebble Creek Golf Club, in Tampa.

Drive, Chip & Putt is a free nationwide junior golf development competition for ages 7 to 15 aimed at growing the game by focusing on the three fundamental skills employed in golf. The competition is a joint initiative founded in 2013 by the Masters Tournament, United States Golf Association and The PGA of America. (Courtesy of United States Golf Association)

Laude’s personal motto: “Train like no one else, so you can play like no one else.”

“I’m out there working every day,” Laude said. “Even if I’m doing good or bad, it just gives me momentum for me to play even better. My main goal is to play college golf, so when I see these college players and stuff I’m like, ‘I want to get to their level,’ so I try to work as hard as them.”

The regional skills tournament is the last step before the 2019 Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club on April 7, the Sunday before the Masters Tournament.

Result notwithstanding, Laude plans to soak in stepping foot on TPC Sawgrass, which is home to the PGA Tour headquarters and hosts The Players Championship, the PGA Tour’s signature event. It is also widely viewed as one of the top golf courses in the United States and the world, ranking No. 10 in Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.”

Said Laude: “I’d have to say that this is probably like my best career moment, going to a professional course that a lot of pros play at every single year. …It’s going to be a very nice first time, putting on really fast greens, with pretty good rolling fairways, too.”

Growing up, Laude’s first love was basketball, with golf always on the backburner.

It wasn’t until a couple years ago that he realized his potential for golf, getting lessons from his godfather and other instructors in the Tampa Bay area.

Laude was always told he had “a natural swing,” as he’s since worked to fine-tune his alignment and more advanced mechanics.

It’s something longtime Wiregrass Ranch boys golf coach Mike Horrigan has noticed, when he observes Laude, who averages in the low 40s per nine holes.

“His swing is gorgeous, and he’s very polished on the course,” Horrigan said. “He just goes through the process of a pre-shot routine, and he’s very deliberate in everything that he does, and I suspect he’ll be shooting in the upper 30s before the end of this season.”

The coach added: “What impresses me about Fab is he has a very well-rounded game. When you watch him play, he’s improved in all facets of his game.”

Horrigan undoubtedly will be rooting for Laude at the Drive, Chip & Putt regional, describing him “as one of the most respectful, nicest kids I’ve ever coached.”

“I think the competition he’s gone through is just tremendous, to qualify to go (to TPC Sawgrass), so I’m really happy for him,” Horrigan said. “He loves golf, and he’s worked awful hard to become a very, very good player.”

Published September 12, 2018

Plantation Palms Golf Club is in the swing of things

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Golf is teeing off again at Plantation Palms Golf Club.

After two years of uncertainty over the fate of the golf course and adjoining restaurant, owners of Ace Golf are ready to reopen the four-star Golf Digest golf course to club members on Nov. 30, and to the public on Dec. 5.

An 18-hole miniature golf course is open to the public at Plantation Palms Golf Club, off Collier Parkway. (Photos courtesy of Ace Golf)
An 18-hole miniature golf course is open to the public at Plantation Palms Golf Club, off Collier Parkway.
(Photos courtesy of Ace Golf)

The on-site restaurant, Mulligans Irish Pub, opened to the public in October, according to a news release from Ace Golf.

It is similar to two other pubs operated by Ace Golf at golf courses in New Tampa and Tarpon Springs.

The interior is Irish-themed with beamed ceilings and murals. The menu includes salads, burgers, sandwiches and dinner entrees, as well as pub fare such as fish n’ chips and Shepherd’s pie.

Plantation Palms Golf Club is located at 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd., off Collier Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes.

Golf operators also are adding a couple of firsts with an 18-hole miniature golf course and a lighted driving range.

The miniature golf course – designed by Miniature Golf Solutions – is next to the clubhouse and features tropical landscaping, waterfalls, fountains, trick shots and special lighting for night play, according to a press release from Ace Golf.

Friends get together at Irish Mulligans Pub at Plantation Palms Golf Club. From left: Mike Henning, Nanette Henning, Deborah Scotch, Ron Scotch, Bill Lane, Rose Parnell and Joe Parnell.
Friends get together at Irish Mulligans Pub at Plantation Palms Golf Club. From left: Mike Henning, Nanette Henning, Deborah Scotch, Ron Scotch, Bill Lane, Rose Parnell and Joe Parnell.

It opened to the public the second week in November. The lighted driving range will open on Nov. 30.

The miniature golf course is family friendly, but owners also hope it will boost play on the renovated Plantation Palms golf course.

“Some golf operators complain that fewer people are playing golf,” Ace Golf co-owner Bill Place said, in a written statement. “But, this does something about it. Lots of kids and families will come out to play miniature golf, see the big golf course and maybe work their way up to it.”

Renovations at the course began in May. Work included new greens, restored fairways, a repainted clubhouse and renovations to create Mulligans Irish Pub.

A new banquet room will open in 2017 to host weddings and events.

While the golf course is playable, it will take time for the course to be at peak condition, according to General Manager Kevin Dietsch.

But, in a written statement he said, “The layout remains one of the more challenging and well-loved with rolling hills, ponds, and sculpted terrain.”

Ace Golf owners Bill Place and Su Lee renovated Plantation Palms Golf course and opened Irish Mulligans Pub to the public. The golf course also will open to the public on Dec. 5
Ace Golf owners Bill Place and Su Lee renovated Plantation Palms Golf course and opened Irish Mulligans Pub to the public. The golf course also will open to the public on Dec. 5

Plantation Palms closed in 2014 as MJS Golf Group – the previous owner – struggled to survive recurring financial losses and debts. The company bought the course in 2011.

In the past two years, a “Bring Back Our Course” campaign, led by Homeowners Association President Jim Hammond, sought to save the course, but struggled to find a potential buyer with a viable financial plan.

Place, and his wife Su Lee, bought the course in May 2016 in a short sale approved by the federal government.

They opened Ace Golf Ranges more than 20 years ago in Brandon and Riverview. The couple also own Pebble Creek Golf Club, Wentworth Golf Club and Crescent Oaks Country Club.

Hours for the pub and miniature golf course are Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For information, call (813) 996-4653.

Published November 16, 2016