Timacuan Golf Club, Lake Mary, FL

[Pa Jayhawk]

Timacuan Golf Club
Golf Orlando, FL - Timacuan Golf Club - A Great Place to Play Golf, Orlando Golf Outings & Golf Lessons

We played here the last golf day, and fortunately it worked out to take the camera. It was supposed to rain, although the rain held off until we were done, although we did have overcast skys. This course is about 40 minutes north of the main attractions of Orlando, and in being so may be one of the better kept secrets for golf in Orlando.

We found out about this through the Superintendent at our course. It is cheaper in comparison to some of the sticker shock that you see in Orlando through our visits, and by playing during the week, it seemed almost as though we had the course to ourselves as a twosome. With exception to a couple singles we let play through. The course is in fantastic shape, and one of the very common traits is the amount of sand on the course as well as the amount of native waterfowl (I assume) to the area on almost every hole it seemed. It also struck me as having a few more hills than what I would expect from Orlando. The greens simply struck my wife and I as some of the truest rolling greens we have ever played on. Not sure if it is because we were used to off season up here, or holding them in comparison to Hawks Landing, but the greens were simply gorgeous. The course is not as stunning in scenery as Hawks Landing but is still naturally stunning in its own way.

It has it's own character in relation to its surroundings. From what I understand, I believe it also has a few professional members. We haven't played much golf in Orlando, and our last time out we played a course called Debary. Which I believe used to be or still is a Q-school course. It too was a cheaper in cost as well, although I think for a similar price and if you are looking for a place outside the Orlando area, this is a good option and one I would take over Debary. Actually, I would likely play here as opposed to Grande Pines, although it is about 40 minutes away from where we stayed, and is also located within a fairly nice development. For which they had some interesting things as well.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

Some Photos

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

More Photos

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

... and even more

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

and the rest

 

[Eracer]

Awesome wildlife shots. I especially like the heron coming in with the gear down.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

Awesome wildlife shots. I especially like the heron coming in with the gear down.

That was a pretty amazing course for the wildlife. While the course and greens were likely in the best shape of any we played, I have always been a golfer that more looks out for the scenic value. The wildlife and mainly the waterfowl on this course was simply a treat. I talked to the starter about the one bird you mentioned and asked "what is the anteater looking bird that you see on most of the holes". He said it was called an "Ibus". Kinda interesting, because he will sink that entire beak into the ground.

... and a few more shots. While I am a golfer, nature and being at one with the course is likely a bigger passion for what I enjoy. More shots of this course for the nature lovers in the audience...

Notice the first shot is the approach shot for the first green, if you can avoid the Ibus, see the flagstick to his right

 

[sandwedge]

I got a good deal there and bought 7 rounds for $200. That is really a nice course. The front nine has more elevation change and the back is a little more Carolina style course. That par 4 2nd hole is tough with all the water on both sides of the fairway and water guarding the green on one side.

Mike Bender who is one of golf digests top 100 teachers has his golf school there and I hear that Zach Johnson plays there a lot.

I actually had my best 9 ever on this course when I shot 42 on the back.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

The front nine has more elevation change and the back is a little more Carolina style course. That par 4 2nd hole is tough with all the water on both sides of the fairway and water guarding the green on one side.

That was what I noticed, and even commented on when we were playing. I had mentioned to my wife that the front nine actually had what seemed like alot of elevated greens and I never really noticed where when we seemed to be going up, you never seem to go back down. Although I believe that maybe 8 or 9? had a drop off, but not as substantial as you would have expect to be able to get back down to the clubhouse. That was I believe after the hole that has a cart path that runs through the bunker and is covered with sand. We had caught a group in front of us on that hole, that dropped off at nine. I saw the guy drive through the sand as we were walking up to the green on the prior hole, and my mouth dropped open and was just shaking my head, as I told my wife I was wondering if the guy gave any thought to how he planned on getting the cart out of the trap. You couldn't tell until you got up to the tee box that it was the path. I thought maybe they did things a little different around the sand in Florida.

If my memory serves me, the 2nd is the top picture. I believe I found water twice on that hole, as it was a windy day and my driver didn't quite carry as I expected on the second water bend, and also didn't push left like I expected. Then the approach pushed to the left more than I expected and found the left bend in front of the green

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

It was also kinda funny on the next hole (which is the second picture), my wife hit an errant shot to the left that managed to find that ground patch, with enough room to walk out. I believe she ended up paring the hole as opposed to having to re-tee had it found water

 

[sandwedge]

I know what you are saying about that par 3 with all the sand that you have to drive through, it is really weird. I left it way short once and ended up raking half the trap.

On the 2nd hole I usually just play for a bogey. I hit an iron off the tee and then 2 wedges. I bogey it more often that not like that and almost everyone else I have played with walks away with a double or higher. That hole is all about managing it and staying out of the water.

Depending on which tees you play from on that course there are a couple of pretty scary tee shots that make you carry the ball a long way over water just to get to the fairway.