Southern Dunes GC | Player’s Golf Club Near Orlando

David Bolton

About half-hour west of Orlando, Florida lies Southern Dunes Golf Membership. Southern Dunes is a participant’s golf membership which means it’s a problem for the perfect golfers. But, it’s nonetheless a enjoyable and honest course for all ranges of golfers. Southern Dunes is semi-private and open for out of doors play as tee occasions can be found.

Historical past of Southern Dunes Golf Course

Southern Dunes Golf Course lies on what was initially prime orange grove land in Central Florida. Nevertheless, the grove was misplaced throughout the freeze of 1989 that killed most of the Central Florida orange groves. In reality, possession initially deliberate on naming the course Misplaced Grove. Curiously, the property was owned by a neighborhood household named the Donley brothers and three traders from Las Vegas. These well-known traders had been Dewey Tomas, Doyle Brunson and Jack Binion.

Southern Dunes is on what was a 350-acre orange grove

As an alternative of re-planting oranges, the traders determined to get into the golf course and growth enterprise. In 1993, golf course architect Steve Smyers was employed and took on the design. Smyers took what was wide-open grove land and reduce deeply into the land.

Southern Dunes Golf Course Right this moment

Undulating fairways had been created and huge bunkers had been positioned strategically all through the design. The holes had been created providing difficult pin positions over the bunkers that problem high gamers. But, the design permits open secure routes for gamers of all ranges to avoid the dunes of Southern Dunes. The design was properly acquired and the course opened to a lot acclaim on this planet of golf.

Right this moment, the course nonetheless has its chew if you end up in one of many huge, high-lipped bunkers peppering the design. As soon as golfers arrive on the greens, there’s nonetheless work to be executed. Most of the greens have sloping and tiers that may make two-putting difficult for those who’re on the flawed tier.

One signal of a very good golf course is that it has memorable holes. Southern Dunes is a course with standout holes. For me, the Par-5’s are all nice. Quantity 4 is the primary par-5. It welcomes you with a large fairway. Longer drivers can attain in two however they have to navigate a excessive lipped waste bunker that’s about 50 yards deep defending the method.

Quantity 9 is the second par-5. It performs 533 yards from the again. Your method shot have to be exact. The course offers you straight and quick. But, for those who tackle again pin positions, misses can simply lead to bogey or worse because of bunkering and an elevated inexperienced that can repel sloppy chips.

Southern Dunes Golf
The seventh is a canine leg left as much as an elevated inexperienced

Quantity 12 might be the perfect of the par 5’s. Off the tee, the golf green seems to be tight with bunkering proper and water left. Nevertheless, there’s truly loads of room on the market. Enjoying 555 yards, most gamers will probably be laying as much as a good touchdown zone. Water is left and bunkers nonetheless proper. The inexperienced is extraordinarily broad, undulating and never that deep in locations.

Quantity 16 is the final of the Par 5’s. It’s pretty lengthy and straight. As soon as once more, it’s the inexperienced advanced that makes this gap nice. That would truly be stated about the complete golf course. Great creativeness was utilized by Smyers across the greens. On most holes, there’s sometimes a facet the place you don’t need to miss. On the sixteenth, you don’t need to miss on both facet. It’s a gap the place you may presumably attain in two or have a brief method and nonetheless make bogey or worse.

The Par-5 ninth presents a small inexperienced that’s properly protected by bunkers

As a golfer, you may inform possession makes course conditioning a precedence. It’s at all times in fine condition and generally in premium form. On my latest go to, I used to be speaking to one of many employees about conditioning earlier than going out. He made some extent to speak me by way of the latest third get together aeration. He defined how they invested more money to get it executed with out taking conditioning down for a lot of weeks like a number of the opposite programs round Orlando. It confirmed out on the course because the greens nonetheless rolled true.

Saying all of that, the course performs honest. There may be water on solely a pair holes which is uncommon in Florida. A lot of the houses on the course are pushed again and away from the course typically. Southern Dunes might truly be a one ball golf course for a lot of which makes it extra enjoyable. The course offers golfers of all ranges a method to play good and keep away from bother. But, that solely applies for those who hit it straight in your approaches. That stated, Southern Dunes is a enjoyable play.

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