Southern Hills Plantation

Southern Hills Plantation is built on some very unique terrain and features elevation changes from 50 to 250 feet. Pete Dye designed this wonderful masterpiece with opened in 2006. The course offers six sets of tees and plays anywhere between 6,455 yards - 7, 557 yards for the men. The 71.3 rating and 128 slope gives me all I can handle from the blue tees. Members usually get a break from their selected tee boxes however here at Southern Hills Plantation, the member tees play 6,664 yards.

Southern Hills Plantation is rated by Golf Week as one of the top 100 residential courses in the United States.. The course is carved out of native oak and magnolias trees that were part of a former nursery. Throughout the layout, you will play around scenic conservation areas, ravines and lakes. You will also encounter expansive landing areas while natural buffers such as waste bunkers, wetlands and majestic trees frame many holes. Residential homes are only in play on a few holes unless you hit some particularly wild shots.

You will also find an incredible practice facility here, complete a 6-hole par three course. The driving range is full length and allows you to hit every club in the bag. There is also a large practice putting green and chipping area adjacent to the first tee. Also on property is the Spa and Fitness Center, a 7,850 square-foot facility featuring state-of-the-art exercise equipment as well as private steam and massage rooms. The spectacular antebellum-style Golf Clubhouse features men's and women's locker rooms, the golf shop and four separate dining areas.

Memorable Holes

Number 7: Par 5, 567 yards. Your tee shot is pretty much straight uphill; the fairway rises 40 feet from to the tee box to the landing area. Second shots are blind with a large waste bunker and trees to keep you from hitting it right. A good second shot will leave an approach shot of about 110 - 130 yards from typically a downhill lie to a green that sits 40 feet below the top of the fairway. Deep bunkers in the front right and front left guard this elevated green.

Number 9: Par 4, 321 yards. Although not the longest hole on the course (far from it), A good drive will leave you a second shot straight uphill form about 90 - 110 yards. Make sure to select the right wedge and be sure to not the pin placement. A front or back pin placement could be as much as a two club difference. Although you may think an approach shot that is hit short will roll back, the landing area flattens out up near the green.

Number 10: Par 4, 410 yards. Right off the bat you are faced with a blind tee shot up a hill. The long waste bunker on the right side is a lot longer than it looks so plan on playing your shot out to the left. Then you will have a downhill approach shot to a fairly large, well undulated green.

Number 14: Par 4, 419 yards. Interesting double dogleg; long ball hitters can take their tee shots over the group of bunkers on left side of fairway and still have a long second shot to the green.

Number 18: Par 4, 423 yards. This is just what you need after 17 holes of golf, a fantastic finishing hole. At 423 yards, this is the longest par 4 on the course. A relatively straight hole with a lot of swales and undulation in the fairway. Keep tee shot left to simplify approach shot. The green is well elevated; any shot hit a little bit short will roll back down to collection area. Also with a front pin it is not hard to put a putt past the hole and have it roll down into collection area. Take a par here and head to the 19th hole!

Last Word

If it weren't for the palm trees, palmettos and other vegetation that are indigenous to Florida, you might think you are in another part of the country. When you encounter all of the deep, evil pot bunkers that seem to dot each hole on this Pete Dye creation, you could easily picture yourself in Scotland or Ireland. Of course the torrid heat in the dead of summer gives away the fact that you are indeed in Florida!

Seeing all of these pot bunkers makes me wonder if Pete Dye was in a bad mood when he designed this layout. Tee shots, layup shots and approach shots stand are all subject to finding a bunker if you stray even a little bit of course. Many of the bunkers are precisely very penal and more than likely you will not be able to advance it very far out of the sand.

Most tee shots have generous landing area which can lull you into a false sense of security. Approach shots in to the green complexes require a certain degree of accuracy lest you find the sand. The greens are always in great condition and tend to roll a little faster than what I'm used to which is a nice change

To set up a tee time or book one of their experience packages, visit their website at www.sohilly.com or give them a call at (352) 799-9898.