Pine Ridge Golf Club

Big changes will soon be coming to The Pine Ridge Golf Club in Beverly Hills, Florida. As you will see when you visit, Pine Rudge is still a work in process. This Citrus County golf course is situated in the middle of the 4800-acre Pine Ridge Equestrian and Golf community, in Citrus County, Florida. The course sits 161-feet above sea level, which explains the elevation changes and gently rolling hills, a welcome change from the flat, mundane terrain of most Florida golf courses. Pine Ridge was designed by Brian Almony and originally opened for play in 1982. In the early days, Pine Ridge offered its members an all-encompassing golf facility with a full-length driving range, a short game area, and a practice putting green. In addition to the par 72 championship layout, there was a par 3 executive course, Little Pines.

Pine Ridge still has some fair practice facilities. There's a generous sized putting green, a driving range, and a short game area. The chipping and putting areas are the perfect place to improve your short game. The driving range at Pine Ridge is only about 200 yards long and is the perfect place to warm up your iron game. The practice green is great for getting to know the speed of the greens before heading to the first tee.

As you make your way around the layout, you'll encounter a variety of hole styles; woodland framed holes with rolling fairways, wide-open holes that let you bomb away off the tee, blind tee shots, and challenging greens. Although the course winds its way through a golf community, the course is not crowded with home sites; in fact, the houses that you do see sit well back from the fairways.

While the current conditioning of the course is nothing to write home about, Pine Ridge Golf Club is a great place to tune up your game. Narrow fairways require accuracy to keep your tee shot in play. The greens are small - probably from the years of neglected maintenance - which can test your accuracy and shot-making ability. Many greenside bunkers sit about 10 yards back from the green, meaning you'll need to be able to hit longer bunker shots with some spin.

For me, the par 5, 8th hole is the most memorable on the course and at only 464 yards from the White tees, it's not going to overpower anybody. A good drive to the top of the hill sets up a risk/reward opportunity if you want to go for the green in two. Once you get to the top of the hill, you'll find that the hole plays downhill and doglegs to the right. Fronting the right side of the green is the only water hazard on the course and the small, narrow green only adds to the difficulty of the hole and requires a very accurate approach shot to score well.

Number 1 is my favorite par 4. The first hole at Pine Ridge Golf Club plays 383 yards from the White tees and starts with a blind, slightly uphill tee shot. Once you get to the top of the hill and can see your approach shot, you'll realize just how picturesque the hole is. A good drive will leave a short approach shot into a small green fronted by a bunker on the left and another on the right.

The course's best par 4 is followed by my favorite par 3. The 161-yard second hole requires a well-struck, accurate tee shot into a long, narrow green protected in front by bunkers on either side and another on the right side.

After your round, grab a bite to eat or your favorite adult beverage at The Pub at Pine Ridge. They offer a fully stocked bar and a casual atmosphere where you can relax and enjoy the natural surroundings. The food is great, from tasty buffalo chicken wings to mouth-watering burgers to some of the best flatbread pizza I've ever had. The bar & grill is open daily.

Pine Ridge offers a variety of memberships. All memberships include unlimited greens fees and cart fees, range balls, and preferred tee times. Single and family memberships are available and are payable on a monthly basis. Check out the website for more information.

In addition to having an active membership, Pine Ridge is a great place to host family get-togethers, prom nights, anniversaries, or other special occasions. Whatever you have in mind, the professional staff at Pine Ridge is committed to helping you make your event a success. They offer a variety of hassle-free event packages to choose from or they can customize one to fit your specific needs.

Tournament hosting is another thing Pine Ridge does well. They will work with you to customize your event based on the size and menu you want. Their 'Standard Outing Package' includes green fees, carts, and range balls. For more information visit their website at www.prgcfl.com or give them a call at (352) 746-6177.