Honeysuckle

Par 28 - Level 3 

Plays from 997 - 1638 yards

Hardest Hole - # 3

Map

 

At its core, golf is a game of hope.  Every time we step onto the first tee, we believe something good might happen. We may be realistic about our games, but none of us arrives expecting to play badly.  Golf always invites us to begin again, and that's what makes the new Honeysuckle course so appealing.

 

This new executive golf course feels, above all else, like a course full of promise. Because it’s so new, the setting is still taking shape. The landscaping is young, the surroundings are open, and the views can feel a little stark for now. But that newness also gives the course an unmistakable energy. The greens are already rolling beautifully, the bunkers are filled with soft, bright sand, and the ponds still seem fresh and waiting to be filled with balls!  Everything about Honeysuckle suggests not what it is lacking, but what it is becoming. It will get better every time we play it.

 

One of best qualities the designers instilled is its constant change in direction. Only twice do you play the same direction on consecutive holes. Unlike a course such as Okeechobee, with its straightforward out-and-back design, Honeysuckle requires you to adjust. The wind matters. The shape of the tee shot matters. Without the typical landscaping present on more mature courses, this directional variable makes every hole feel and play different.

 

Its flat topography means the designers did not have dramatic elevation changes to work with, but they found other ways to create interest. The greens and bunkering do much of that work, and several holes offer decisions that make the round memorable.  The most interesting shot of the day comes on the only par four, Honeysuckle 2, which plays about 300 yards. Two bunkers, one on either side, force a choice. You can lay up short of the right-side trap for a clean longer angle into the green, or take the aggressive line left and have a shorter shot over the other bunker to the putting surface. It is exactly the kind of hole that sparks optimism: before you swing, both outcomes feel possible.

 

Honeysuckle 3 may be the toughest hole on the course, thanks to the bunker guarding the entire front of the green. But even there, the design gives you something extra. A small mogul on the green's back can, with the right strike, send the ball feeding back toward the cup. It's a difficult hole but also one that rewards imagination. Go ahead, aim long and see what happens!

 

The most challenging stretch are holes 2 through 5, where the length and the changing directions force you to think carefully about club selection and ball flight on every tee. 

 

The 5th and 7th offer their own shared challenge. On both holes, the green tilts away from a front bunker, providing a chance to use the contour. Aim toward the trap, drop the ball on the right spot, and let the slope work in your favor. Those are the kinds of shots golfers remember because they make you feel clever, hopeful, and eager to try it again.

 

The 6th is the most enjoyable greens on the course. A ridge and dip through the middle will influence putts no matter where the hole is cut – it’s the green with the most personality.

 

And the 9th is a fun finish - the first playing fully over water. The picture above shows the wall and the ominous clouds in the back - but good news - I carried the water and we made it home before the rain, so neither me or the ball got wet! 

 

Golf is full of variables, but one thing feels certain - over the next few years, Honeysuckle is only going to get better. It will soften, mature, and be surrounded by homes filled with fellow Villagers hoping to play it often. and unlike me, it most certainly will get better looking every day!

 

There are many things about living in The Villages that make me feel hopeful. Seeing young families at the squares, with children running across the dance floor. Going to a Villages high school basketball game. Watching a SpaceX launch from my driveway. Moments like those reconnect me to the future and to the next generation - to the feeling that good things are still unfolding. Honeysuckle creates that same feeling. It is a course that reminds you some things are beautiful not only for what they are, but for what they will be. In that way, Honeysuckle does more than offer a good round of golf. It leaves you with the feeling that the best is still to come.

 

Toughest to Easiest:  

3, 8, 9, 4, 2, 5, 6, 7, 1 – toughest green - 6