A couple of times a year my fellow Sunday morning Dewsweeper Beef and I are lucky enough to grab a couple of airline tickets and head on down to Florida for some winter golf.
We meet up with our friends Ray and Tim who live there, and spend 4 days playing some of the best courses you can imagine. As when we play golf up here every Sunday morning with Tex, and Joe Red during the warm weather months as The Dewsweepers. We call this the Dewsweepers "Southern Division" with Ray and Tim.
We get together, have a few beers, smoke a few cigars and play some golf. One of the great places we played this time is a course you can play if you head to Central Florida. In fact, you should make it a point to play Southern Dunes in Haines City. About 15 minutes west of Disney off I-4 on U.S.27. Southern Dunes is nothing short of spectacular. And lucky for us, we have played this course a number of times before, as did I when I lived in nearby Lakeland for 10 years 30 minutes to the west. Every time we play it, it gets better.
Southern Dunes is amazingly beautiful, and extremely challenging. We played this gorgeous track at about 6,400 yards, but you can tip this thing out at about 7,300. But I will warn you the back tees are incredibly difficult. This course also boasts about 200 sand traps in assorted shapes and sizes on all areas of the course. Some of these are absolutely brutal. Like Ray says, "One bad shot and Southern Dunes, turns to Sudden Doom!" And he's right on. With green, lush fairways, tens of thousands of all kinds of trees, and incredibly fast PGA quality greens, Southern Dunes is championship caliber golf. Read their website that I will link up here, and see how honored this course really is. You won't believe it.
Tim is the best player of our group, and on this day he showed it. Tim has a great stroke that generally keeps him in play, and gives him chances to score all day long. Tim got off to a great start by parring the first, a brutal 360 yard heavily protected par 4. After a stumble on the par 5 4th, with a double, he birdied number 5, and went on a real nice streak finishing the front at 43. Good score on this course. Only outdoing himself on the back with a real nice 39 for a total of 82. Breaking 40 on either 9 is a great score, especially for us amateur players.
This was not Ray's best day. Ray had a few holes that really tore him up. But being fair, that is not hard to do out there. Ray had his share of pars and decent scores, but a few really tough numbers prevented him from getting on track. Ray didn't putt well either and that reflected in the score. These greens are lighting fast, and good play can not always be seen as 3 putting is not hard to do. The putts have to be in the cup. - Period. On this day, the greens were rolling about 11.5. Ray's 95 was not really a 95. But on a tough course, you've got to get it in the hole. Ray would rebound later in the weekend and show the kind of player he really is. This is tough golf.
Beef came around the front in 47, as it took a while for him, (and all of us) to get our feet on the ground, especially on the greens and bunkers. But Beef got it together on the back and shot 43 there, for a 90 that I think he was happy with. A great rebound after a tough start. Beef had a nice string after the 5th hole. We all staggered out of the box, But Beef did what you have to do, he kept it in play, out of the sand for the most part and got it in the hole. Bogey golf here is no crime. Play this course and see for yourself.
I stumbled early as well with a 46 on the front taking 6's on 4 of the first 5 holes. I have never played the opening holes on this course well at all, but I generally finish strong, and that happened this time. As I put up a 41 on the back for an 87 on the day, including a birdie on the par 3 14th hole. I stopped 3-putting and got the greens under control. Only two sand shots all day long was the key as I went to great lengths to keep it on the grass.
Course highlights? Well, the whole thing, but if you must...number 3, par 3, 195 yards down hill simply beautiful. Number 7 par 4, downhill, then uphill 425 yards, doggie left, number one handicap. Number 10 thin par 4, 429 yards, and number 18 par 4, 400 yards simply beautiful. All holes sand trap laden. Very little water. Southern Dunes is a position golf course. If you play it conservatively, you can be rewarded. Gamble and you're done. Not worth the risks.
Southern Dunes also has remarkable facilities in every way. The people and service are amazing. This is golf at its best. If you are making a run to Florida now, or anytime, make Southern Dunes a priority.
Simply amazing. First class golf and experience in every single way that a golfer would love. Few public courses anywhere at anytime can match Southern Dunes.
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