Silver Lake

Par 29 - Level 2 - 79 Slope Rating

Plays from 1,432 – 1,613 yards

Silver Lake is our original executive course, completed in 1987 and tucked away in the northeast corner of The Villages. That alone puts it a bit off the beaten path for most golfers. But it’s well worth the trip. Every time I play here, I’m paired with locals who are genuinely happy - and proudly loyal - to their home course. That’s the real silver lining in making the effort to get there.

Here’s a geography challenge while we’re at it: Silver Lake is one of the four executive courses that sit in each corner of The Villages? Can you name the other three?  Click here for the answer.  

 

Geography aside, Silver Lake deserves a different kind of review. Instead of the usual hole-by-hole breakdown, this course calls for something special. After all, it’s the only course in town with a color in its name - an Olympic color, no less. So in that spirit, I’m awarding the holes Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals.

These are the three toughest and best shots of the day.

Silver Lake is unusual in that it has no sand traps at all. That speeds up play but removes a layer of strategy you find on newer courses. The greens are also flatter and more straightforward than what we’re used to today. And yet, despite all that, these three holes stand among the most challenging in town.

Hole #3 (pictured here) is a 169-yard par three playing uphill. Depending on the wind, you may need to reach for a driver - always a humbling moment on an executive course.

 

Hole #8 is pure postcard material. Massive oaks frame the shot from above and behind, making it both the most beautiful and the longest par three on the course. It’s the rare hole that’s equally stunning and intimidating - the beauty and the beast of Silver Lake.

 

The final Gold medal belongs to the closing 9th hole, a par four dogleg left that gives you options. The bold play is to cut the corner over the oak guarding the bend. The wiser choice is to aim toward the house flying the American flag and let things unfold. 

The next three best holes are the “Silvers”: #2, 5 & 6

 

Hole #2 is the most memorable drive of the day. It’s a par four that requires threading the needle through the tightest opening on the course - about 40 yards of clearance (see picture). If you have a reliable power fade, this is the time to trust it.

 

Hole #5 asks you to carry some water, and hole #6 earns its medal for having the coolest tee box in town - an amoeba-shaped platform that feels more like modern art than golf architecture.

No one loves a bronze medal. The famous photo of McKayla Maroney tells that story perfectly. It’s the worst of the best. But even bronze has value—after all, she turned it into a White House visit and a presidential photo op.

 

At Silver Lake, the Bronze holes aren’t bad at all. Holes #1, #4, and #7 are straight, flat, and refreshingly uncomplicated. They’re the kind of holes that quietly hand you a par and move things along. Nothing wrong with that!

When you tap in on the ninth green, you’ll have completed a full medal round on one of The Villages’ most esteemed courses.

 

Silver Lake may not have the dramatic shaping or modern flair of newer layouts, but that’s not why you come here. You play it for the experience - and to appreciate the role it played in making this place what it is today.

 

That kind of legacy deserves Olympic-sized respect.
And so do the locals who call Silver Lake home—they’re truly some of the best ambassadors in The Villages.

 

Toughest to Easiest

8, 3, 9, 6, 2, 5, 1, 4, 7

From the blacks!   

Silver Lake is one of a handful of courses that has no black tees, just gold and green.  But even from gold it plays over 1,600 yards. 

Go Green!

The advantage in playing from the forward green tees is most notable on #2 & 6.  The tee box on the 2nd hole (pictured in the Silver medal section), has a much more favorable angle so you won't have to shoot through that tight window like from yellows.  And at the 6th you won't have to hit over water!  All the rest of the shots are just shorter.  

What's Nearby?

The Sharon Morse Theatre, fondly known as “The Sharon” is a 1000+ seat theatre in the heart of the Spanish Spring Square.  She and her husband Gary are the original developers of The Villages.  The Theatre hosts musicals, dance and other entertainment performances.  Even The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra! Here’s the website with pictures and schedule. 

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.