Tampa Bay Golf Scene

The Premier Semi-Private Facility in the Tampa

Fox Hollow Golf Club holds the enviable distinction of being the very last golf course in a long line of world famous golf courses to be built and designed by Robert Trent Jones, Senior.

Everywhere you turn, from the player-friendly five sets of tees, to the rolling, undulating fairways, it’s vintage Robert Trent Jones Senior. But what really makes a Trent Jones Senior golf course is the way it looks and feels-as though the piece of earth it occupies was always meant for the course he designed. Fox Hollow Golf Club is no exception. Although it was necessary to move thousands of tons of dirt to create the gentle undulations and subtle elevation changes, it looks as though every blade of grass, every tree, every drop of water has been there since time immemorial. 

You’ve Got to Experience The “New” Cheval

Cheval Golf & Country Club is a private club dedicated to providing a quality experience for its members and their guests. Located in Tampa, just 20 minutes north of Tampa International Airport, Cheval is a premier facility offering extraordinary golf and world-class tennis.

Under new ownership, the Cheval Golf Course has been completely renovated including new Champions Bermuda greens, re-built bunkers with all-new sand, an updated irrigation system and bridge and cart path repair. Designed by renowned architect Steve Smyers, this meticulously maintained course meanders through the Cheval gated community where cypress trees abound along with native Florida wildlife including deer, alligators, otters, eagles, wading birds and more.

Hidden away among the sand hills of north Hernando County is a gem of a golf course that continues to get better. Located on U.S. Highway 19, ten miles north of Weeki Wachee and SR 50, The Dunes Golf Club offers an extraordinary golfing experience well worth the trip from anywhere in the Tampa Bay area.

Renowned golf course architect Arthur Hills designed the Course - which originally opened in 1988. Other area courses designed by Hills include Tampa Palms (Tampa), Stoneybrook (Sarasota) and River Strand (Bradenton). The Dunes remains his favorite design to this day. In 2007, Hills was given free reign to transform the award-winning Dunes layout into a new and improved spectacular golf setting.

During the summer of 2007 Seminole Lake Country Club began a multi-year renovation project that included:

• Resurfacing all 20 greens with Sea Dwarf Paspalum
• Creation of a complete practice facility
• Changing the fist hole to a par 4 as a result of the practice facility renovation
• Adding a new back tee station to hole number four
• Switching the par and length of No. 13 and No. 14

The Most Innovative Membership Concept in Golf Today

In these challenging economic times, it seems we’re all becoming used to getting less for more. Isn’t it time you got more for less? Now you can belong to four exclusive clubs for the price of one with a Cross Bay Club Membership.

ClubCorp, the world leader in private clubs, boasts four fabulous clubs in the Tampa Bay area – Countryside Country Club, East Lake Woodlands, Hunter’s Green Country Club and Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club. Membership at any one of these exceptional clubs is coveted by discerning golfers. Now, with a Cross Bay Club Membership, you can have full privileges at all four of these exclusive private clubs!

At the 2008 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, Tom Watson successfully defended his title making him the first back-to-back champion in tournament history. This also marked the first time Watson has defended a title in his Champions Tour career.

After being 0-for-93 in the Sunshine State, Tom Watson’s losing streak has seen a change. A year after ending his drought, Watson won the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am for the second time. The defending champion won the 2008 tournament at nine-under with a one-stroke victory over Jay Haas and Scott Hoch. “I’m on a streak,” Watson said. “I need to buy a house down here.”

This year the “Best of the Best” on the Champions Tour have set their sites on the back-to-back champion, Watson. With a stellar professional field and high profile celebrities, 2009 looks to be the biggest year yet.

The Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club, surrounded by rolling hills, is a “must play” course in Florida. It’s an easy 30 minute drive north of Tampa, and only 70 miles from Orlando attractions. The golf course is rated as one of the “Top 10 New Upscale Courses” in the United States by Golf Digest; Voted Best Overall Course in Florida by Florida Golf Central; and a consistent host of Q-School for the PGA TOUR.

The par-5 11th hole of the South Course features a 94-foot elevation drop from the tee to the green 559 yards away, the largest natural elevation change on any course in the state. The North Course boasts even more elevation changes than its sister course. Players standing on the second tee box can see for five miles. Lake Jovita offers several Stay & Play packages, as well as daily tee times to the public.

The folks at Westchase Golf Club are far too low-key to create a brassy slogan like “It’s Not Private, You’ll Just Think It Is”. That line has actually come from more than one visitor to this quiet, upscale, but very public corse located in the masterplanned development of Westchase in Hillsborough County just north of downtown Tampa.

The visitors who coined that moniker aren’t the only ones impressed by the dayin-day-out excellence of this 15-year-old Lloyd Clifton design. The National Golf Foundation surveyed players at hundreds of courses for their prestigious CLASP (Customer Loyalty and Satisfaction) awards and ranked Westchase Golf Club in the Top 10 nationally, and #1 in the state of Florida. 

Nestled in the heart of Pinellas County awaits Mainlands Golf Club, a favorite of both local and visiting golfers for almost 40 years. Dotted with pines and palms, Mainlands sits just back from bustling U.S. Highway 19 in Pinellas Park, one mile north of Park Boulevard. Tucked away inside the Mainlands residential community, this is one of the few family owned and operated courses in the Tampa Bay Area. It’s comforting to know that in this day and age of constant change some things remain the same.

Since Bill Blair purchased Mainlands Golf Club in 1971, this par 67 course has carved out its niche by offering affordable rates and quality conditions in a relaxed and easy going atmosphere. At 4,803 yards from the tips Mainlands’ length makes it a favorite with mature and ‘more experienced’ golfers, as well as newcomers to the sport.

Hidden away among the sand hills of north Hernando County is a gem of a golf course that just became much better. Located on U.S. Highway 19, ten miles north of SR 50, The Dunes Golf Club offers an extraordinary golfing experience well worth the trip from anywhere in the Tampa Bay area.

Renowned golf course architect Arthur Hills designed the course – which originally opened in 1988. Other area courses designed by Hills include Tampa Palms (Tampa), Stoneybrook (Sarasota) and River Strand (Bradenton). The Dunes remains his favorite design to this day. Last year, Hills was given free reign to transform the award-winning Dunes layout into a new and improved spectacular golf setting.

The terrain is dominated by sand dunes, giving the golf course a very natural look. In fact, other than greenside bunkers, sand is considered a “waste area” where players are permitted to ground their clubs. The golf course is a blend of modern day and old Scottish design with the addition of trees. All vegetation is indigenous to the area. You’ll find no palm trees at the Dunes.