Panther Run Golf Club is located in Ave Maria Florida approximately 35 miles of Naples. The course was designed by Gordon Lewis in 2006 and features some very beautiful vistas and abundance of wildlif... Continue »

Panther Run Golf Club is located in Ave Maria Florida approximately 35 miles of Naples. The course was designed by Gordon Lewis in 2006 and features some very beautiful vistas and abundance of wildlife. The course is 7,532 yards when played from its tips but still offers wider fairways and larger greens for players of all skill levels. The course is part of a Del Webb community. I am both a resident and a member here and of course that may lead some to believe that I am partial to my home course. As of this date the course is scheduled for major renovation and will be close to both public and private play beginning the first week of May of 2021 and hopefully will open again in November of 2021. Currently the fairways are in decent shape however, issues with the irrigation system and PH levels of the soil in recent years have led to a degradation in certain areas of the fairways and aprons to the greens. The greens themselves are in good shape at this however, the maintenance staff normally do not cut and roll the greens as often as other courses do. So traditionally, the greens at Panther Run tend to be slower then most you would find in the Naples Florida area. The bunkers throughout the entire course need work in my opinion. Sand is often compacted and is thinly layered in spots leaving hard, clay like surface under the golf ball. This leads to far to many thinly struck bunker shots. The staff at our club take very good care of the patrons and membership and from an insider point pf view who sees the daily operation I can tell you that they work extremely hard at keeping our club and our course running. The Rusty Putter restaurant offers a good variety of food and the bar is a very favorite place for members to gather. Over the last few years the menu at the restaurant has undergone some changes for the better and the restaurant is currently being managed by a new manager who has made positive changes in the waitstaff. Renovations to our club should include updates to our pro shop as well as the range and practice facilities along with the entire golf course itself. However, we are told that at this time Hampton golf will not be updating the restaurant facilities until a later date following the renovation. I play our home course 3 to 5 times a week throughout the entire calendar year. As mentioned earlier, the fairways are generous with regard to width and the greens for the most part are not as difficult or as fast as other courses that I have played. Water is visible throughout the course and can come in to play depending upon your swing or shot shape. Several hidden water danger areas that are not readily visible would be as follows: On #9 par 4, the player needs to be aware that there is water that comes into play from the tees to the left should he or she pull straight or hook the tee shot. Also, on #11 par 4, the same caution applies. On #13 par 5, your second shot if pulled left could find the pond on the left. And finally, on #14 par 4 the tee shot could fall into trouble again left if the player reaches the three little hills to the left of the fairway at approximately 200 yards from the #3 tees. The water hazards discussed are not readily visible to the player from the tees or on #13 during the second shot. Overall, Panther Run Golf Course was designed and plays to its intended purpose, as a retirement community course. I have played with a 2 handicap player who did play from the tips and shot an 80 even though he struck the ball very well, it did seem to challenge his game as a first time visitor. Please come visit our course after the renovation, we are proud of Panther Run G.C.