One of my favorite Minnesota Twins players was Willians Astudillo, affectionately nicknamed La Tortuga -the Turtle. One look at him and the name makes perfect sense. He didn’t have a prototype baseball body, yet he played nearly every position on the field—even pitching a few times. Wherever he showed up, he worked hard, played the game hard and had a joyous approach. I loved that about him.
The Turtle Mound course shares those same traits. It looks different. It plays hard. And instead of being long and sculpted, it’s round and rolly. You sense that immediately on the cart ride to the starter shack from the south. Yes—those really are palm trees planted inside a bunker near the second tee (pictured above). Turtle Mound isn’t trying to be normal.
It’s also a course that has historically tormented me. My friend Mike once watched me double-bogey every hole here. On one particularly memorable green, he saw me knock the ball back and forth between surrounding bunkers - four times. I needed to find shell-ter after that. La Tortuga the Tormenter. Here’s the breakdown…..
The first hole feels like an afterthought - something I think the designer added after realizing there was only room for eight holes on the regular course.
Hole #2 is where things get interesting. Pull out your phone and snap a quick photo of the bunker with palms. Then refocus. This is a tricky shot, and you’d better stick the green. It’s one of the hardest putting surfaces on the course, slanting sharply downhill - like putting on the turtle’s shell.
Hole #3 isn’t very long, but the green funnels toward a pond behind it, so don’t go long.
Hole #4 is Turtle Mound’s signature shot, especially from the black tees. In honor of Crush - the beloved sea turtle from Finding Nemo - you really should play this one from the blacks at least once, regardless of your usual tee. You need to crush it just to experience one of the 18 best-looking golf shots in The Villages. Land the green and you’ll face a wildly slanted putting surface. It’s one of the hardest “short” holes you’ll ever play.
The fifth brings you back to the sand - and this time, you get to drive through it. First, hit your 127-yard club to the green. Then buckle up, because we’re going beaching. I make it sound like an expedition, but it’s really about twenty yards of sand that you traverse in a couple of seconds. A lucky turtle could spend all day there. There’s another course where you actually drive your cart through sand - can you name it? Click here for the answer.
Hole #6 is straightforward by comparison, with two bunkers that usually stay out of play. Hole #7 heads downhill again. Miss left and the ball will run like the Turtle’s ancient nemesis - the Hare. The green features four distinct mounds (turtle mounds, no doubt), so aim for the center.
Hole #8 is up next, and it’s oddly familiar. In fact, it’s nearly identical to Sandhill’s eighth hole. Go play Sandhill and tell me I’m wrong. It’s like Déjà Turtle. It requires a full club up to reach the top.
The closing ninth is Turtle Mound’s hardest hole. It plays longer than its 153-yard gold marker because of a steady uphill climb. It’s hard to imagine a turtle scaling the final two holes - must take days. Fortunately, you can do it in just a couple of solid swings. Keep your head down, stay steady, and finish strong.
La Tortuga is fun. It’s unconventional. So was Willians Astudillo. With all the rolls, slopes, and mounds, Turtle Mound can be distracting—but that’s part of the charm. My rounds here have been filled with ridiculous shots, questionable scores, and a lot of laughter. And between the palm-planted bunkers and the ones you can actually drive through, it’s a course you won’t forget.
Come for the traps. Stay for the laughs.
Toughest to Easiest
9, 7, 4, 3, 2, 5, 8, 6, 1 – toughest greens 2 & 4
^^^ Willians Astudillo, La Tortuga (the Turtle), Minnesota Twins 2018-2022
From the blacks
Yes please. Only two holes are longer than 170 yards and #4 is really fun to fly.
Go Green!
Aren’t all turtles green? Cartoon and movie ones for sure! So, Turtle Mound could have been designated a Green-Only zone. But it’s not the shortest course from the green tees – can you name that course? Click here for the answer. The hole with the biggest yardage differential from blacks to green is #3. And you’ll also like the setup on #4 & 5 that avoids the water. Don't go in your shell - be green and play the Turtle!
What’s Nearby?
The Sumter Senior Living facility is Golf Cart Accessible from Turtle Mound heading east on the path along 466. It’s also viewable as a beautiful backdrop from the Truman 2 tee box. It offers Independent and Assisted Living and Memory Care for seniors. Before Covid, it was easy and common to visit and share some golf stories with your favorite veterans. You should call before you visit now, but well worth it. You can find more information here.
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.
A clever Villager who lives near the 1st green has this Turtle sculpture in their backyard. See if you can find it.
It looks unamused at my silly puns about its home course.
Now play the Match Game. I've given you one answer right here.
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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