Short Game Practice
 

Where can I practice putting, chipping and pitching? Can I just go on to the practice putting greens at any of the golf courses? Do any of the executives have practice areas?

To my knowledge yes. I do all over the close by courses I live.

Practice putting
 

Yes, you can practice at all of the championships and executive courses. Although the practice greens at many of the executive courses leave much to be desired. Typically they are small and bumpy and generally don't permit chipping practice. If you want to practice putting with breaks and slopes, give the "Himalayas" at Palmer CC a try.

Depends what you mean by pitching...
 

Yes you can use the championship practice areas, remember you are a member :). Pitching is frowned upon unless the shot remains below knee height on most greens. I am not sure what is 'up your end' if you needed to hit a higher pitch.

Ones I use that have chipping areas separate from putting green and allow higher shots (there may be others):

Bonifay (best for a variety IMO), Cane, Evans Prarie and Lopez

Lopez is not at the club house, it is at the gate where you enter the village of Chatham.

make sure to wear a collared shirt

I know you're on the historic side and I have never played Orange Blossom or Hacienda Hills, which are probably your closest. Tierra Del Sol I've played twice, as a course it's only 18 holes, just like the two previously mentioned. I don't remember anything more than just a putting green.

To find some nice facilites you'll have to drive a little ways. The driving ranges will allow you to hit off the grass but only on certain days, call ahead to find out.

Lopez has a driving range but your hitting special balls into the water or across the water depending the club you're using. The putting green was very big but I don't remember a chipping area, but I've only played there 3 times and it's very big so I could of missed it. The 3 starter shacks are all very far apart.

Glenview has a a nice driving range with regular balls and a small putting green by Foxrun starter shack and a small chipping green behind Stirrup Cup starter shack. The two greens are separated by a 150 yards or more. I imagine you'll be taking you're cart, so then that won't be a problem.

Palmer has a nice driving range with regular balls and small putting green and chipping green that are co-located by Cherry Hill nine and a large putting green about 200 yards away by Riley starter shack and that green has a lot of undulation.

Mallory has no driving range and just a medium size putting green, I don't remember a chipping green and I've played there about 40 times. There is a hitting cage just past the golf cart parking lot.

Cane Garden has no driving range but a large putting green and a chipping green co-located by Jacaranda starter shack. There is a hitting cage in the car parking lot by the swimming pool.

Havana has a putting green, I don't remember a chipping green, and they have no driving range. They have a hitting cage on the cart path just off Odell near the Club House.

To drive any further, it wouldn't be worth your while unless it has something special. Bonifay has a good size putting green and a very large chipping green, probably the largest in TV. The driving range is about a 1/2 mile east by the fire station at the Sarasota Golf Shop. However, you're hitting water balls in a lake and you'll have to call to find out which days you can hit off the grass.

Belle Glade is just south of Sarasota but only offers a couple of putting greens. Evans Prairie likewise, just a couple of putting greens. Neither has a driving range or chipping that I can remember.

Palmetto Executive has one of the best chipping areas, it's between the first and second hole. I believe originally they were going to make #2 a par 4, but that would given them three par 4's, so they made a large chipping area instead.

Turtle Mound Executive has a very large putting green, that's because Sand Hill Executive next door doesn't have one. That's all I remember seeing there is the one large putting green.

The Villages driving ranges at the courses I mentioned above charge about double the normal rate for balls. It's like $5 for a small bucket. My favorite Driving Range was on Rolling Acres Rd. behind the VFW, but about 2 years ago that was turned into a storage facility.

The other driving range on Rolling Acres Rd. between 466 and 441 by the wood shop only allows hitting off mats, but it is golf cart accessible.

The best deal for driving ranges would be across town for you. Behind the Walmart on 466 next to the new Goodwill is a decent driving range and you hit good balls off the ground any time. Continue east on 466 past Walmart and then turn left on 301 and about a mile down on the left side is another driving range. Both of these ranges will give you a large bucket for $5 or a very big bucket for $7, and you can hit off the ground at this range as well.

FYI Evans
 

The chipping area at Evans is not behind the pro shop. It is at the north end of the parking lot where the hitting cages are.

Thanks for all the great responses.

I'm hoping that I might be able to play nine holes on the executives once in a while.

Never waste a moment.
 

And, then there's.............

That kills me!:1rotfl:

With all due respect, there are many that use the executive courses as their practice facility. I have observed this many times (they are just having fun) and one more "golfer" would make little or no difference in pace of play or the fun golfers have on the executive courses in TV.

On second thought, OP, knowing that you would not violate "golf etiquette" you can best practice the short game by using the facilities others have posted on this Thread. Fore!

Play the ladies tee's on the executive courses and hit off the ground. It's the best short game practice with changing scenery you could get.

LOL Carl. Potty putting at it's best!

Sarasota has a fantastic area for not only pitching and putting, but an area to practice bunker shots. I don't know of any other area that has sand traps in which to practice.

The driving range is also great. Just remember you are hitting floaters out over the water, not regular balls. So the performance may not be exactly the same. But it is a beautiful place to practice.