Scenic Hills Country Club

Scenic Hills Country Club: The only Florida golf course to have staged a U.S. Open Championship to date (see Did You Know section below), Scenic Hills is still capable of giving your game a thorough workout - although some of its grandeur may have waned over time, you'll find more elevation change here than on most courses in the Sunshine State - three tricky and relatively tight holes start your round, with a straight, downhill par-4 to lead the way, a testing and doglegging short par-5 to follow, and the gently climbing, straight par-4 3rd closely attended by housing on your rightside - although bunkering is limited along the uncontoured fairways, it's a different matter when you arrive at the small and subtly sloping putting greens - on this scenic and pleasantly undulating, though not excessively hilly layout, the green surrounds are nicely mounded and home to solid bunker defences - water plays a limited part in proceedings, although has its moments courtesy of a creek that meanders north-south through the course - the creek dangerously slices across the fairway on the par-4 6th and par-5 11th, and will need to be crossed from the tee at the 2nd, and par-4 13th and 15th - the pick of the par-3s is the good-length 16th, a deep bunker awaiting anything hit slightly left of target - the course threads its way through a mix of housing and occasional stretches of woodland, with several sharply doglegging holes on the front-nine and arguably the most attractive holes saved for the close of the back-nine.