Red Fox

Par 28 - Level 3 - 83 Slope Rating

Plays from 982 - 1,566 yards

Map

 

There’s a fox in the henhouse! Red Fox Golf Course finishes with a big red barn behind the 9th green, and by the time you get there, it feels intentional - like the fox has spent eight holes just nudging you along. There’s plenty of mischief along the way in, but it’s all part of the setup. The fox isn’t chasing you. It’s just guiding you toward one last, very memorable barnyard moment.

Red Fox is a compact little figure-eight of a course, which already tells you something important: whoever designed it enjoys symmetry and also enjoys subtly steering golfers where they didn’t plan to go. Two of its holes made it onto my Hardest List, based entirely on repeated experiments involving me missing the green time after time.

The course skirts the Fenney Springs Wetlands, and while only the 3rd hole directly tangles with that ecosystem, the presence of nature is felt everywhere. Dense woodland frames nearly every tee box and green.

Red Fox shares a starter shack and putting green with its sister course, Gray Fox. Which brings us to a fun, mostly useless fact: the way to tell a Red Fox from a Gray Fox is the color at the tip of the tail. Red foxes have white. Gray foxes have black. Can you keep all of that straight? Probably not. It’s best to focus on just hitting your ball straight, especially on your first shot….

You begin on hole #1 by hitting over water, because nothing says “good morning” like immediate consequences. It’s only about 110 yards, but the wall guarding the green adds a little jolt of adrenaline. Think of this as the fox’s first nudge - short, manageable, and just enough to let you know you’re being watched. Keep your head down, take an easy swing, and whatever you do, don’t pull out your designated water ball yet. You’re going to need that later.

Hole #2 is the only time you’ll hit driver all day. At just over 300 yards, distance isn’t the problem.  Decision-making is. Water hugs the left side, and a creek cuts across the fairway about 250 yards out. The further left you go, the more that creek comes into play, as if the fox is closing a gate behind you. The elevated green on your second shot demands precision if you want to hold it.

Hole #3 is where Red Fox earns its first Hardest Hole designation. About 150 yards, no bailout, trees tight on the right, wetlands on the left. It’s a tightrope. If you’ve ever questioned the value of mulligans, this is the hole where you’ll become a believer.

^^^ The 3rd from the 2nd fairway

The 4th features the toughest green on the course. It slopes forward but includes a second tier, so a back pin turns your tee shot into a quiet test of geometry and restraint. Miss the tier, and you’re flirting with the dreaded three-putt.

After the “front four,” you pass the starter shack again and head into the “back five,” perhaps still unaware that the barn is waiting.

Hole #5 offers the best-looking sand trap on the course (is that even a category?) and a green with a subtle valley that makes putting far more interesting than it first appears. The 6th stretches things out a bit, playing longer to an elevated green that punishes anything less than total commitment. The fox has little patience for half-swingers.

And then there’s #7, the foxiest hole on the course and proof that the shortest holes are often the most psychologically demanding. Facing south into the wetlands, it’s tight, scenic, and mildly terrifying. Fear of going long can lead to swinging light, which brings the wetlands - and a pesky wall guarding the front - right into play. You need a perfect drop shot here. The green slopes front-left, almost guaranteeing a downhill putt. Yikes!

After surviving that, you make the final turn of the figure-eight and head southwest, with the woods now on your left. Hole #8 is refreshingly reasonable: mid-range, water right, but an open green. Take the par. It will be your last.

Because the 9th is waiting.

When I first started keeping a Hardest Holes List, Red Fox 9 was the original entry. After three rounds, I briefly considered hitting driver off the red barn behind the green just to avoid the marsh and sand. From about 150 yards out, the green looks less like a target and more like a suggestion.

If you still have your water ball, now’s the time. If your mulligan survived hole #3, congratulations - you’ve saved it for this moment.

By the time you walk off the 9th green and stand near that red barn, the story finally makes sense. The fox didn’t steal anything from you. You brought it all to the henhouse yourself. And next time you play your thoughts will be about that barn right from the start – and maybe you’ll start your own Hardest Holes list!

 

Toughest to Easiest

3, 9, 7, 1, 6, 2, 4, 5 - hardest green #4

From the blacks!

Ok, you remember #3 and 9?  The ones with no landing areas?  Well from the black tees they’re both over 180.  Fox!  The rest of the round is not that different.  #1, 4 & 7 require you to hit over more water, but you’ll actually use fewer clubs off the tees than from the golds.  And #4’s furthest back tee box is on the right side of the cart path, making it a very attractive approach (see picture).

Go Green!

Three times you avoid hitting directly over water from the green tees.  But you’ll still have to deal with it on the 2nd, 3rd 7th & 9th.  And even if playing from the forward tees shorten the course by 26% from the golds, many of the same hazards that challenge big hitters will still be looming for you from the greens.  But it still has beautiful sightlines to the Fenney Springs Wetlands, so you'll enjoy one of the most attractive courses in town.  And the Fenney Recreation Center is really close by to calm you down afterwards! 

What’s nearby?

The Fenney Rec Center is a beauty.  It’s just a short cart ride away.  It has one of the nicest resort style pools with plenty of shade and a bar just a few feet away – a perfect place to relax and contemplate your next attempt at #9!  Inside is billiards, darts, table shuffleboard and a fully stocked fitness center. To further you unwind, there’s a great nature trail and boardwalk behind the center sure to calm you down!  If you have guests visiting and you live near Fenney, I think this is the one of the best pools in The Villages – you’ll feel like you’re on vacation! 

There's no landing spot other than the green at Red Fox 3. Nearly all of this picture is Out-of-Bounds!    

 

And the Red Fox is not amused by your game! 

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.