Okeechobee

Par 27 - Level 4 - 75 Slope Rating

Plays from 805 – 1,439 yards

 

Okeechobee is… ok. Just ok.  
It doesn’t quite hold up against other Level Four courses, many of which land comfortably in my Top Five. The good news is that it finishes strong. The ninth hole is excellent - one of the better closing shots in The Villages. The only downside is that you have to wait eight holes to get there.

 

The course can be summed up pretty simply: Okeechobee plays down and back under a power line.  It's a wonderfully rhythmic name attached to a very straightforward layout. All par threes. Every shot either north or south. No surprises. No flourishes. So in that sense, it's the essence of efficiency.

 

The first two holes set the tone, playing to elevated greens where a slight mishit doesn’t just miss - it leaves the area. Both are challenging greens with a lot of movement.  The 3rd hole looks like Frankenstein - long and unattractive with a few bolts showing. It’s 182 yards long, a bit downhill, with nothing much else going on.  It qualifies for my Hardest Holes list simply on length. 

After that monster, you move on to #4, where avoiding the sand magnet on the right is your best path to par. Then the course quite literally turns around. Holes #4 and #5 are the exact same yardage from the gold tees, but because they play in opposite directions, the wind dictates everything - from club selection to ball flight. Plus the 5th shoots over water which just makes it look longer! 

 

The ride between them also takes you back under the power lines for the second time. Some find them distracting. I don’t mind. It’s a better use of land than scrub brush. Besides, a handful of other executive courses in The Villages play under power lines. Can you name any?  Click here for the answer.

 

 

Hear that buzzing sound?  Look up!  The sink at the restroom near the 5th tee box even vibrates! 

Hole #6 continues north and finally introduces some fun. The green feels like one of those giant state-fair slides where you ride a burlap sack over a series of bumps. Putt carefully or risk leaving the midway completely. 

 

Hole #7 offers a shorter version of the same experience.

 

Hole #8 changes things up by heading uphill - the first time all day. Expect to club up and aim dead center between the traps.

Finally, to the ninth.  Is there any way we could play this hole twice?  I’d skip a couple others if necessary. 

 

The 9th is the best hole on the course. One of my favorites in town.  Water stretches across the entire approach for all but the closest tees. Sand guards the left side of a long, subtly sloped green that’s tougher to read than it appears. It’s clean, demanding, and memorable - everything the rest of the course wishes it could be but doesn’t quite deliver.  

And in the end, maybe that’s Okeechobee’s charm because being “just ok” is fine when you finish this well.

 

Toughest to easiest

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

There appears to be an old tee box on the 3rd hole that measures about 240 yards from the green.  Perhaps this was a par 4 back in the day?  Either that or the Frankenstein hole really does wear those platform shoes!

From the Blacks! 

The monster shot on 3 is 205 from the black tees.  The good news is there’s no hazards around the green, so just hit a wood and hope it's straight! It might just roll up.  Many other shots have more challenging angles from the black tees.  #2 and 5 require hitting over sand or water.  And #9 has a simply stunning expanse of both to cross.  It’s by far the shortest Level 4 course from the blacks, playing at just 1,439 yards. There are only two other Level courses that are shorter - can you name them?  Click here for the answer.

Go Green!

Yes – can it get any simpler than that?  At just 805 yards from the forward green tees, it’s the shortest Level 4 course in town.  The longest hole is just 120 yards and you’ll completely rid yourself of water and sand, especially on the 9th hole!  There’s no reason to add complexity upon difficulty upon exertion when you can play with this much ease and enjoyment! Sold!

What's Nearby?

The Sharon Rose Wiechens Preserve is a bird-watcher and camera fanatic paradise.  It's the largest of 11 nature preserves in The Villages - over 600 acres.  It’s just short of 2 miles away from Okeechobee. To get there, turn right coming out of the Moyer Rec Center parking lot and follow Moyer Loop until you see the signs on the left.  So, pack your binoculars in your golf bag.  (assuming you're not such a bad hitter that you routinely bring binoculars in your golf bag!)  Here’s a nice little blurb about it.

 

And while not geographically nearby, the Okahumpka Rec Center is certainly nearby phonetically.  It's one of the newest recreation sites sitting on a spectacular piece of shoreline.  Bring a book because the chairs on the deck overlooking the lake are the perfect place to relax with a good read! And the new Harry and the Natives restaurant is a winner!  Plus, it's just fun to say these places fast in a sentence:  Okeechobee-Okahumpka-Okeechobee-Okahumpka-Okeechobee-Okahumpka-Okey Dokey?

While you're working on that rhythmic phrasing, look across Meggison Road for the new Richmond Pitch and Putt course.  Playing a shorter course with your shorter irons is a good way to work on your swing rhythm.  

The Wiechens Preserve (above) and the Okahumpka Rec Center (right) are both visual upgrades over Okeechobee, so in the case of this course, the "what's nearby" are simply better on the eyes!

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.