The Best Course in TV
 

Southern Oaks is the Best Course in the Villages. You can't find better greens or Tee boxes in better condition.

If they were giving out $100 bills on the 1st Tee, I wouldn't drive across the street to play it.

Everyone's entitled to an opinion.

A little harsh. It is what it is----a driving range that you eventually putt on.

I thought it was an airport runway....that you putt on to!:1rotfl: (I think I stole that one from Brian!)

The conditions very well might currently be the best in the Villages, but the conditions at most of the other Championship courses are very good this time of the year and have much better layouts. Shallow Creek aside (haven’t played it yet), I’d take the layout at all the other courses, including Orange Blossom, over Southern Oaks.

I love when people agree with me :mademyday:

Has anyone with some knowledge of golf, played Shallow Creek? I'll have to renew my Passport and book a flight to get that far south to play it, but if it's worthwhile, no obstacle is insurmountable.

My men’s golf group of some 15 players with good knowledge of golf played Shallow Creek. It’s not a complicated course. It’s easy to play, very open, not much trouble, zero shade, not very interesting from a technical playing standpoint. Honestly, the courses above 44 are much more interesting to play. If you want easy this is a good course. We noticed if you want a “target” to aim your next shot it was not easy to find one because the course is so open and lacks topography. That said, we play all Village champ courses and will keep it in our rotation.

That's exactly what I've heard. Thanks for the info.

I love the layout of Southern Oaks. The course has some challenging holes and easy holes. Trees and hazards with interesting placements. I particularly like the 3-3-3 configuration because it gives me more chances for birdie and par. However... One of the things I love about golf is the quiet of nature (other than the deleted expletives). That's something Southern Oaks does NOT have. The noise of the turnpike overrides everything. In places, it even makes normal conversation difficult.

Shady Creek and Southern Oaks are both in excellent condition. Played them both last week. I agree that they may not be challenging enough for some, but for us recreational golfers, they are a great choice.

Having not yet played Shallow Creek, I’m trying to interpret the above post. Is It another driving range where you eventually put out like Southern Oaks?

Can't really blame the course designer. The developer strips the land, maximizes the amount of houses, then leaves retention pond drainage for a golf course. The designer can't do much but lay out holes in the area, making for the same bland, boring design elements. Holes that are forgettable as soon as you play them (hopefully!). Overpriced, housing view courses that enable fast play and little thought. Same thing, over and over again as the developer marches south.

In the new TV business model (as opposed to the northern areas), golf courses really only have 2 functions. They're usually part of the drainage system and they provide an opportunity for the Developer to charge a premium, for residents to look at them.

Any real value as a "golf" course, disappeared, once they moved south of Palmer. Mallory Hills and Cane Garden seem to be in the "transitional zone".

That’s very dramatic. I’ve never encountered that issue.

I guess you were present at all the design and planning meetings?