Southern Dunes Golf & Country Club

Southern Dunes Golf & Country Club – Played October 2015

• Rankings: None of the four lists
• Location: 2888 Southern Dunes Boulevard, Haines City, Florida
• Year: 1993
• Architect: Steve Smyers
• Course Access: Public
• Walking Rules: Carts Available

Score Card Information:

• Black: 7,227 yards, Par 72, 75.5 Rating/138 Slope
• Blue: 6,803 yards, Par 72, 73.3 Rating/126 Slope
• White: 6,298 yards, Par 72, 70.9 Rating/129 Slope (Men), 76.5 Rating/140 Slope (Women)
• Gold: 5,633 yards, Par 72, 68.0 Rating/120 Slope (Men), 72.5 Rating/126 Slope (Women)
• Red: 4,987 yards, Par 72, 68.5 Rating/118 Slope

As I mentioned in the Florida trip report, I had a good reason to head down to Florida in late October.  The wife had a conference for work and we had both gotten past a big deadline for our jobs!  So we headed down to the Sunshine State.  The first course I would play was Southern Dunes Golf & Country Club.  You can see all the particulars of the course above.

The course is interesting for Florida.  It features 100 feet of elevation change, which I was not expecting.  Per their website, they have received some acclaim from the golf media.  A good chunk of this seems to be related to the bunkering.  Other than that I couldn’t get a ton of information on the course so let’s just get into it!

One thing I enjoyed at Southern Dunes was the USB port in the cart.  This was a nice feature I haven’t see before.  I didn’t test it though, so I hope it worked!

We played the white tees so all distances will be from there.

Hole 1 – 350 yards – Par 4

The first hole is a normal par 4.  Anything 200 or more down the middle works just fine here.

The approach shot is a little more interesting.  The bunkering is great and I quickly understood the praise for it.  The putting surface is slightly elevated.

The green has a spine running down the middle as you can see below.

Hole 2 – 333 yards – Par 4

The second hole provides a real birdie opportunity.  The bunkers are all on the outside of the fairway.  A straight drive is needed here.

The approach shot plays to a large green that is guarded on the right by equally large sand traps.  You don’t want to go long as the slope runs away from the green.

Here is the view from behind the green.

Hole 3 – 197 yards – Par 3

While the last hole was a birdie opportunity, this one will challenge you to make par.  It plays slightly downhill, but that doesn’t really help on the yardage.  You can see all the massive bunkers that need to be avoided.  I really enjoyed the look of this hole.

The green is not wildly undulating.

Hole 4 – 474 yards – Par 5

This one can be reached in two with a good drive.  We weren’t getting a ton of roll, but on a drier day I can see many people getting home.  A good line is up the left side of the cart path.

From this distance the view of the green is obscured by vegetation.  There are no hazards there so you can go straight at the green from here.

I couldn’t get it all the way there and was left with the shot below.  This is from about 60 yards.  The green slopes back toward you so go flag hunting.

Here is another look showing the whole green.  There is a good bit of slope on this one.

Hole 5 – 314 yards – Par 4

This is a shorter hole, but some trouble lurks up near the green.  There is plenty of room out there and you can clear the bunkers.

This is probably the most interesting approach shot so far on the course.  The water definitely commands your attention.  This is a shorter shot though and the H2O shouldn’t be too much of a concern.

This green is on the smaller side and features some wicked undulation.  Just take a look at the left side of the putting surface.

Hole 6 – 167 yards – Par 3

Another well laid out hole.  The bunkers on the right are the main obstacle.  If you can work a fade into this green you will be in great position.

The green is deep and will necessitate different clubs off the tee depending on pin position.  The overall slope of the green is back to front.

Hole 7 – 409 yards – Par 4

This is a brute of a hole.  It plays uphill most of the way.  This one sets up well for my draw so I enjoyed it.  The further left you can get it the closer you will be on the second shot.

The approach is seen below.

The green is very large.  I couldn’t even fit the whole thing in the picture.

Hole 8 – 364 yards – Par 4

This is one of the tighter tee shots to this point.  The bunkers on the right are all in play and there are trees up the left.

The approach plays uphill.  The front of the green is open.  You really want to limit your miss to distance and not direction.

You can see the slope of the green below.

Hole 9 – 498 yards – Par 5

The close of the front side allows for a birdie with some well-struck shots.  The landing area is blind, but a good line is up the middle from this view.

The approach will require a long shot.

If you choose to lay up the shot below is what you will face.  There is a lot of slope in the front of the green.  Anything a little short will come back off the front.

You can see the slope of the front of the green on the left.  The Tiger Golf Travelerette is heading toward the green to sink another putt.

Hole 10 – 420 yards – Par 4

This hole bends to the left and favors a draw.

The approach features more of the beautiful bunkering.  The green is very wide and is framed by the trees and hill behind.

Here is another angle of the green.

Hole 11 – 166 yards – Par 3

The third in a line of great par threes.  This one plays downhill.  You don’t want to go long.

Hole 12 – 481 yards – Par 5

The drive here is a little tougher than it looks.  The pond on the left can come into play.  A good line is up the left edge of the cart path.

The second shot can definitely reach the green if you hit a good drive.  The hazard is only in play if you really smother one left.

The green has a runoff area on the front right side that you can see in the picture below.  If you avoid that a birdie will be within reach.

Hole 13 – 401 yards – Par 4

This hole is uphill all the way making it play longer than the listed yardage.  Focus here and hit one solid.

You can see that the approach is still uphill and will probably require an extra club.

Hole 14 – 134 yards – Par 3

They didn’t leave a grain of sand out on this one.  You can see the tiny sliver of the flag in the middle of the photo.  Luckily it is a shorter shot and the sand probably won’t be trouble.

Here is a zoomed-in version to give you a better perspective.

As you would expect for a shorter hole, the green is quite small.  It only has some mild sloping.

Hole 15 – 326 yards – Par 4

This hole gives you options.  You can lay up with a long iron down the left side or you can go over the bunker with a fade to try and reach the green.  The choice is yours.

The approach is partially blind if you layup.  Below shows the green and you can see the substantial undulation.

Hole 16 – 499 yards – Par 5

While it is listed at less than 500 yards, it doesn’t play that short due to the uphill slope.  The fairway is pretty wide so you can take a rip at the drive.

Here is a view of the second shot.

The third shot is blocked by dunes.  You will want to make sure you carry it far enough to avoid difficult chips around the dunes.

Below is another angle of the green that highlights the bunkering and slopes.

Hole 17 – 384 yards – Par 4

This is the last of the blind tee shots at Southern Dunes.  Thankfully it is a pretty wide-open fairway.  As long as you keep it away from the left side you will be fine.

Once you get up to your approach shot the entire hole opens up.  The green is open on the left side.  The bunkers on the right are very difficult and should be avoided.

Here is a closer look at the green.

Hole 18 – 381 yards – Par 4

The final hole is not overly taxing.  As long as you hit one solid you should have a good look at the green.

The green is fronted by a large bunker although it isn’t as close as it may look.  If you avoid that and don’t spray one you will be in good shape.

A wide view of the green shows that it is quite big.  You may have to use your lag putting skills.

Southern Dunes was the first course on our trip to Florida.  It was a good warm-up for what I would be facing over the next two days.  I would say that I really liked certain holes and others weren’t quite as memorable.  I would have to agree with the praise showered on the bunkers.  They were well designed throughout.  Southern Dunes provided a fun round and for the Orlando area was a good bargain.