Pelican
Par 29 - Level 4 - 86 Slope Rating
Plays from 1,171 – 1,777 yards
The Big Bird is back. After a long hiatus - migration feels more accurate - the Pelican executive course is once again open for play, and the wait was worth it.
Pelican had been down for refurbishment for a long time, but it returns in peak form. The greens are the best in town, and a lot of unnecessary brush has been cleared, opening up clean sightlines around every hole. It’s back in my Top Five (sorry, Longleaf - and thanks for holding the perch while the Bird was down).
Pelican has always been one of the more feared courses among Villagers, and for good reason. Playing it feels like earning a badge of honor - something akin to your wilderness Boy Scout badge. And if you have the fortitude to take it on from the black tees, congratulations: you’re an automatic Eagle Scout.
Some say Pelican is simply too hard. Three of its holes appear on my 18 Hardest Holes list, and Pelican #3 has a legitimate case for being the best hole in The Villages - it’s on both the Hardest list and the Postcard list, a rare and impressive double feature.
But unlike the real bird, this Pelican doesn’t come with a big bill. Just pay your monthly amenity fee and the experience is entirely free! Small consolation, I'm sure.
Ok, let's get this bird ready for takeoff. As you make your final approach to the 1st tee box, make sure your golf cart seat is in the locked and in the upright position and your tray tables are stowed – prepare for some turbulence at liftoff cuz the 1st hole is the hardest opening shot in The Villages.
151 from the golds with limited actual visual to the cup. There's about 15 feet of landing zone once you make it past the marsh, but a large bunker on the left and a huge knoll on the back punish shots in either of those directions. My best piece of advice is keep your head down and don’t look up – just let your friends tell you where you went! Ready? Ok, you are go for launch!
The 2nd hole is nearly the same, except for just a slightly better view to the cup. The green craters in the middle so be thankful if the cup is there and not placed up on the edge.
Best of the Best - Pelican 3
Ok, this is it - the best hole in The Villages. Get your camera and a bigger club out for the 3rd (pictured above). It's the only shot that's on both the Hardest and the Postcard lists. Amazing! Hope your camera has a zoom lens because there’s a large sand trap left of the green that can be unseen from the tee box when the marsh foliage is tall. Enjoy the beauty and the beast that Pelican 3 is!
The hits keep coming - Pelican 4 will require a big flight off your driver. It’s all water, or it looks like that. Regardless of where you land, your second shot will be most likely over sand to a tight elevated green.
#5 is another looker with a huge American Flag flying over the Lake Miona Rec Center in the background - another worthy picture to take.
The 6th hole is the second par four and the third entrees to my 18 Hardest Holes, mostly because of the marsh you need to cover from the tee box and the fact that the fairway in the distance looks like complete chaos. It's the epitome of blind and will cause even the best Pelicans to scream Fowl! What a stretch of great golf holes! This Pelican wingspan from #1 thru 6 includes two blind shots, a sand surprise, two fours with hazards galore, a tribute to the color green and Old Glory waving at you. Can it get any better than that?
Pelican 7 is a nice break from the difficulty you've faced so far. It's a beautiful setting - enclosed by oaks and palms with an upward sloping green that reflects the afternoon sun.
The 8th is equally attractive and secluded - similar to the closing holes at Gray Fox.
The 9th is as good a look as you'll find on a closing hole. It's long and tight and a perfect landing strip for this flight.
After dropping your final putt, take a deep breath and revel in your accomplishment. You earned your badge of honor and have a story to tell the Grandkids - tell them that Sesame Street isn’t the only show with a Big Bird – The Village has one too and Pelican is its name!
Toughest to Easiest
1, 6, 3, 4, 2, 9, 5, 8, 7 – toughest green 1
From the Blacks!
Yikes. Off you go, into the wild blue yonder, climbing high into the sky! A Pelican probably doesn’t fly that high, but you'll have to. 1,777 yards of flight from the blacks. But get this - the longest most difficult par three awaits you on the closing 9th drive - it's over 200 yards! #3 will get your attention too at 186. But first you must start from the start - this picture is Pelican 1 from the black tees. Time for liftoff!
Although every Pelican was once a birdie, your chances of getting one of those from black is as likely as you achieving flight by flapping your own wings! But, you will have earned your Eagle Scout award!
Go Greens!
Yes! You’ll actually be able to see the green on the 1st and 2nd holes! But the length to each is still long. And you’ll still have to hit over water on the par four 4th. The forward tees will give you the most advantage on the 5th and closing 9th hole. And #6 will be a mystery – there are so many tee box options you won’t know until you arrive what fun is in store for you. Bottom Line: Pelican is the hardest course in The Villages and playing from green tees reduces some but not all the challenge - but you can't earn badge of honor if you're chicken!
How about an easy test following the hardest course? Pelican is one of 4 Villages executive golf courses named after an animal – can you name the other three? (Quiz Question 2)
What's Nearby?
What's nearby Pelican? Pelicans, of course! Each winter central Florida experiences the arrival of White Pelicans. These are the real Snowbirds! With a 9-foot wingspan (two feet longer than LeBron James!), these massive creatures fly into town and take up residence in our largest ponds. I’ve seen them primarily on the northern side. Their migratory pattern brings them here from December through March from as far away as the Great Plains and even northern Saskatchewan! Here's a good easy read on the real Villages snowbirds!
The scene from the 5th green looking back towards the 4th tees is picture perfect!
Pelican 6 is complete chaos - the good news is it's a par four, so you get an extra stroke trying to figure it out!
The 8th is a peaceful respite from the Pelican stretch you just played. Soak it in because you'll need your head back in the game for the 9th!
We lost a friend of ours a few years back. Jim was a good guy with a sweet swing and equally sweet persona. Our last round together was at Pelican - that's fitting as its top-of-the-line. Just like him. RIP Jim.
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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