Summerglen was a local pick for me. After 12 hours in the car I didn't want to drive very far to golf my 1st day in Florida!

Like many Florida courses, Summerglen Golf Club is associated with its o... Continue »

Summerglen was a local pick for me. After 12 hours in the car I didn't want to drive very far to golf my 1st day in Florida!

Like many Florida courses, Summerglen Golf Club is associated with its own retirement community. The community sits between I-75 and Marion Oaks, to the west. The last couple miles of the drive are a bit odd, as you actually parallel the interstate on a frontage road to get to the community’s entrance.

The course layout at Summerglen is of the stereotypical Florida course, with homes surrounding it. Houses line every hole and you cross three or four roads, getting from the greens to the tees. If homes on courses aren’t your thing then you’ll want to stay away! The houses were closer than I prefer, but I’ve played much worse courses in that regards.

Even without the homes, most of the holes at Summerglen have a similar look, except the 11th. The 11th turned out to be the star of the show! Just about every hole here is flat and plays across (or along) one of those man-made drainage basins. There are a few interesting green complexes, long par-3’s and some uncomfortable dogleg left holes (for a fader!) which all add complexity to the round. However, the layout is fairly simple. The design varies the par-4 yardages nicely, as the par-4’s range from 311 to 430 yards! For $32, it was a good deal when you factor in the solid conditions.

The course was in good shape with the greens being the highlight of the maintenance! The greens were quick and rolled true, with just a few collars being sanded. The fairways were nice too, with good coverage while the ground had that firmer Florida feel to it. The way the edges of the fairways sloped, it was tough to keep an average tee shot in the short grass. The cart paths are only paved around the tees and greens, so I’m sure the turf can have some tough times from all the cart traffic when the course gets wet.

Summerglen isn’t a course that you’d build a golf trip around, but it offers a playable design that is good for the members. Even from the gold tees it only plays 70.1/122/6482. There should be enough birdie/par holes to keep you excited about the game.