Bacall
Par 29 - Level 3 - 93 Slope Rating
Playing from 1,247 – 1,892 yards
Lauren Bacall was one of Hollywood’s original leading ladies - smart, cool under pressure, and never swayed by bravado alone. She didn’t need to raise her voice or steal the scene. She simply let you know, often with a look, whether you measured up. It turns out that’s a pretty good way to describe the Bacall golf course as well.
Bacall sits right next to Bogart, which feels appropriate given their shared history. But while Bogart’s course invites you in with confidence and charm, Bacall expects something more. This is the tougher of the two (sorry, Humphrey) and one of the longest executive courses in The Villages. It features two holes on my Hardest Holes list - never a comforting phrase - and a stretch from five through eight that ranks among the best, and most demanding, in town.
Although officially rated a Level 3, Bacall plays much harder, right up there with Pelican, Gray Fox, and Roosevelt. In fact, Bacall and Gray Fox share the highest slope rating from the gold tees. So don’t sell her short.
It’s rare for an executive course to open with a par four. It’s even rarer to close with one. Bacall is the only course in The Villages that does both. Between those bookends sit two of the hardest consecutive par threes you’ll find anywhere around here. When it comes to scoring, playing Bacall often feels like the title of her most famous film, To Have and Have Not - as in, I have a chance at par… and then again, maybe not.
The opening hole is a long, uphill par four, but it’s mercifully straightforward. There are no fairway hazards and just one bunker guarding the front-left of a gently sloping green. Aim your drive down the right side, hit a clean approach, and Bacall will allow you a look at par.
The second hole begins a stretch of four holes that are similar in length, and none of them are short.
The third plays the longest uphill and features a green with a subtle valley running down the middle. The fourth asks for nearly the same shot, which at this point feels less like repetition and more like Bacall checking to see if you learned anything the first time.
Bacall is one of only two executive courses in The Villages with no hole shorter than 125 yards from the gold tees. Can you name the other? (Quiz Question #8.)
Have Not Holes
Holes five through eight is where Bacall’s standards become very clear.
Hole five is like Lauren herself: absolutely beautiful, but with a bite - one of the Hardest 18 holes in town. A front bunker stares back at you almost defiantly, as if asking whether you’re worthy of taking the shot. It takes a perfectly lofted drop shot to hold this green and earn her approval.
The sixth continues the pressure. If the pin is located on the left, all I can say is good luck. It’s water, water, and more water, and Bacall offers no graceful exit.
Seven is hard. It's a long uphill par three that plays far longer than it looks. Two traps guard the right side, and if the pin is tucked there, you may find yourself flirting with water. The left side slopes away, so what appears safe can quietly disappear. The green is large, angled, and sneaky, playing differently almost every time. I’ve learned to club up. It’s a fabulous shot.
And somehow, eight offers little let-up. It’s longer, with a green squeezed between water and sand on the front right and a road tight on the back left. You can play it safely to the left, but doing so feels like an admission. You feel inclined to just go for it. Afterall, that's exactly what defined Lauren Bacall's career.
Finally, the ninth offers a bit of relief - and the arrival of the real love of her life. Before you tee off, glance to your left across the street and you’ll spot a life-size Humphrey Bogart mannequin standing quietly in a lanai. After everything Bacall has demanded, it feels exactly right that Humphrey finally steps into the story. Theirs was a romance that began instantly when they met on the set of To Have and Have Not in 1944. Despite a 25-year age gap, they married in 1945, had two children, and remained devoted to each other until his death from cancer in 1957.
He’s not "looking at you, kid", he's looking at her. Chanel all that emotion within you, grab your driver, and swing confidently down the left side for the best approach shot to the open green - it's an ending scene made for the movies!
Much like Bacall’s films, this course delivers drama without exaggeration. It's as classy as Bogart but with far more challenges to overcome. I find myself wanting to return again and again, even when my scorecard reads mostly like a long list of Have Nots! Because courses with standards tend to linger. And Bacall most certainly does that!
Toughest to Easiest:
8, 7, 6, 5, 1, 9, 4, 3, 2 – toughest green 7
The "beauties" of Bacall
The 5th is a Hardest Hit wannabe and starts the magnificent stretch through the 8th.
The 7th plays longer than it looks!
There's a flag out there somewhere on Bacall 8.
From the blacks!
No. Nope. No way! Not if I want to sleep that night. Bacall’s length from the black tees is 1,892 yards with 4 par threes over 170 yards each. #6-8 become monsters with extra distance plus more water to broach. And add the uphill #3 to the list of incredible challenging holes at 176 yards. Even #5 at a paltry 160 becomes far more difficult from the blacks because a high drop shot over the front sand is harder with a longer iron. You’ve been warned!
Go Green!
Playing Bacall from the Green tees will still present plenty of drama. It’s one of the longest green tee courses at 1,247 yards. But the par threes are on average 65 yards closer to the cup! You’ll especially see the advantage on the 7th and 8th holes which are two of the hardest holes in town!
What’s nearby?
You might think the funniest thing in The Villages is your golf swing, but not so fast – just 2 miles north of the Bogart and Bacall courses is the Old Mill Theatre at Sumter Landing where you can see a comedy on the big screen. Or maybe you need some more drama - they have those types too. And how perfect would it be to see a Bogie and Bacal movie after golfing on their namesake courses! Plus, all the dining options you can imagine are just feet away around the square! Make a full day of it. Here's their website. It will be Epic!
My impressions are based on playing from the Gold tee boxes. The Black and the Green tee boxes pose different challenges or benefits described as well. The rankings of the toughest to easiest holes are just my opinions - yours will be far different, as will your favorite courses and most difficult and attractive holes. I welcome your opinions or thoughts on any of this - click to leave a comment.
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