Bacall
Par 29 - Level 3 - 93 Slope Rating
Playing from 1,247 – 1,892 yards
One of the great Hollywood power couples, Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart, probably never imagined they’d someday inspire a pair of executive golf courses in The Villages. Yet here we are. And much like their films from the 1940s, neither the Bacall nor the Bogart course should be missed.
Bacall is the tougher of the two (sorry, Humphrey) and one of the longest executive courses in The Villages. It also boasts two consecutive holes on my Hardest Holes list, which is never a comforting sentence to read. Both are part of a grouping of holes from 5 through 8 that are one of the best stretches in town! Although officially rated a Level 3, Bacall plays more like a Level 4, right up there with Pelican, Gray Fox, and Roosevelt. In fact, Bacall and Gray Fox share the highest slope rating from the gold tees. Translation: warm up, tee up your favorite ball, and swing like you mean it — Bacall demands commitment.
It’s rare for an executive course to start with a par four. It’s even rarer to end with one. Bacall is the only course in The Villages that does both. Tucked between those bookends are two of the hardest consecutive par threes you’ll find anywhere around here. So when it comes to shooting par, playing Bacall feels a lot like the title of Bacall’s famous movie: “To Have and Have Not” as in, I have a chance to par them.
Hole #1 is a long, uphill par four, but it’s mercifully straight. 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 you should have a legit look at par.
Hole #2 begins a stretch of four holes that are similar in length - and none of them are short. Fun fact: 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 one? (Quiz Question #8)
Hole #3 plays the longest uphill and features a green with a gentle valley running down the middle. Hole #4 asks for nearly the same shot so no complaints there.
Then comes the “Have Not” section - as in, I have not much chance at par.
Holes 5 through 8 are not for the faint of heart, and each one gets progressively longer and tougher. Hole #5 is like Lauren herself - absolutely beautiful, but with a bite. A nasty bunker guards a narrow green that doesn’t offer much forgiveness.
If the pin on #6 is placed on the left, all I can say is: good luck. It’s water, water, and more water - and no graceful exit.
Next, you cross Canal. You have to watch for cars coming around the curve from the left because clearly you weren’t under enough pressure already.
Welcome to what may be the hardest stretch in town.
Both #7 and #8 live on my Hardest Holes list. Hole #7 is a long uphill par three that plays way longer than it looks, so club up. Two traps guard the right side, and if the pin is right, you may be forced to flirt with water. The left side slopes downhill, so what looks safe can quietly drain away. The green itself is huge and sneaky hard, angled upward at each corner. It plays differently every time. It’s a fabulous shot - hope you survive it.
Hole #8 somehow manages to be even tougher. It’s longer, with a green squeezed between water and sand on the front right and a road on the back left. You can play it safe to the left… but doing so is basically an admission of bogey.
Finally, the 9th has some welcome some relief and even a fun onlooker. Before you tee off look to your left across the street to see the life size Humphrey Bogart mannequin in a lanai! He's looking at you kid! So, get your driver out and smack it to Casablanca and close out Bacall with a par!
Much like Bacall’s movies, this course delivers plenty of drama and is hard to forget. I find myself wanting to return again and again even if my scorecard ends up looking mostly like a long list of “Have Nots.”
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.
He's Looking At You Kid!
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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