Volusia
Par 28 - Level 2 - 75 Slope Rating
Plays from 953 – 1,514 yards
The first time I played Volusia I knew it was different. That first shot up the hill. That first impossible putt down that sloped green. It wasn’t golf. It was more like a game show.
Some golf courses are played. Others are experienced. Volusia firmly falls into the second category. From sloping greens to surprise hazards, Volusia feels more gamey than game. So instead of numbering the holes, let’s give them proper titles - game-show style. Contestants ready? Come on Down!
#1 Jeopardy
Answer: The most unique opening shot in The Villages.
Question: What is Volusia #1?
That’s exactly how this course would introduce itself on Jeopardy. When you step to the box you will see why. It’s straight uphill. Then the green slopes sharply back down to where you started. And nearly every cup placement sits on a slant. Any putt that breaks and travels farther than your original stroke feels less like golf and more like a game show.
After finally holing out after four putts, I half expect someone to shout, “Tell them what they’ve won!”
#2 Concentration
At just 112 yards, this may be the easiest-looking difficult shot in town. There are no hazards between you and the hole - but a crater lurking on the green’s right means putting becomes a true test of Concentration. You think you’ve got the answer… until the putt breaks, keeps breaking, and never stops.
#3 The Gong Show
The par-four third looks like sanity is returning: a straight 325-yard downhill drive. But don’t be fooled - this hole is pure Gong Show. Miss left and you’re in the dump. Literally. Miss right and you roll into a valley. In any case, the best part awaits you at the base of the hill. There’s a gong you ring to let the next contestant know it’s their turn to try.
#4 To Tell the Truth
After all that chaos, Volusia finally offers a “normal” shot. It’s true. The 4th is a truly classic Villages par three with an elevated green and great views all around. Enjoy this moment of normalcy.
#5 Hollywood Squares
This might be the simplest game show ever. Just guess if the celebrity’s answer to a question is true or false. Simple enough. Just like the 5th hole. It’s short and guarded by a single sand trap. Just hit it to the center, or better yet just take Paul Lynde in the center to block.
#6 Lip Service
This game show ran for a brief time on MTV in the 90s. Nothing special. Hardly worth remembering. But Volusia 6 is. All because of a lip. About 80 yards off the tee sits a bunker with an unusually large back lip. The good news is the trap is not right up to the green, so you have plenty of landing space behind. So, swing away and don’t give me any lip!
#7 Deal or No Deal
Howie Mandel would have loved the 7th, because here you actually get a choice. Take the risk and play it from the blacks or go with the safe option from the golds or greens. The riskier shot is the toughest drive of the day, played over water with strategically placed bunkers waiting in front. And once you’ve already abandoned keeping score after the first three holes, what do you really have to lose? Go big—or go home.
(Volusia #1 and #7 proudly belong to the mythical “18 Hardest Shortest Holes” in town.)
#8 What’s My Line?
A quadruple set of traps faces you on the 8th hole, forcing you to focus your drive on the right line – anything left or right is in a bunker. You need to feel for the wind, pick a club, keep your head down through the swing and hope you have the line.
#9 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
The 9th is certainly your final shot. Looking downhill to a fire station in the background is a fitting final tribute to this comical course – finally a place that can put out a fire. Ok, actually, it’s a very nice finishing hole. Lock it in. That’s your final answer.
I hope your Volusia game show experience included plenty of fun - and at least something that resembled golf. By the time the round winds down, you start to realize this course isn’t asking you to keep score so much as to keep playing along. It’s the kind of place that makes you consider simplifying things, maybe even grabbing just a 7-iron and a putter and seeing what happens.
When I sign up as a single, I sometimes imagine being paired with Monty Hall, Alex Trebek, and Wink Martindale, all of us shaking our heads at another unpredictable bounce or impossible putt. You hear the occasional groan drifting across the fairways: argggggggggg - but that’s just from someone who needs to buy a vowel. One thing is certain: The Price Is Right!
Toughest to Easiest
7, 1, 3, 8, 6, 4, 9, 2, 5 – toughest green 1
Game shows are really hyped-up quiz shows. So here's a quiz question for you:
Volusia #1 is the shortest hole on any Level 2, 3, or 4 course from the gold tees. What are the next four shortest holes? (Quiz Question 18.)
From the Blacks!
Might as well. The black tee boxes add just 266 yards to the golds. And the extra 40 yards on the par four #3 will be irrelevant as your tee shot will roll down the hill to the same gulley as it would from the golds. You will notice a far more difficult shot on the 7th hole as you’ll have to hit directly over water to that overly protected green from 184 yards out. And you’ll be on your own because you won’t be able to “phone a friend”!
Go Green!
Volusia is a good course from the forward green tees. The only par four plays downhill and the eight other holes average about 80 yards each. You’ll most appreciate the easier approach angle on the 7th toughest hole.
What’s nearby?
The Sarasota Golf Practice Center is a right across the street from Volusia. It’s one of three Golf Academies in The Villages, where you can get individualized lessons and a unique driving range where you hit balls into a lake – and the balls float! But the real game is to land your shot on this small island. Looks like many have!
Before playing Volusia, decide if you are going to play from the green, gold or black tees. Look at the Volusia Scorecard to determine the clubs you’ll likely use off the tee, then stop at the Driving Range to hit a small bucket of balls with just those clubs. Too often, golfers use a driving range to blast their driver. But practicing your irons will be far more valuable in our world of par threes, especially at Volusia where you hit a drive just once. As a bonus prep, there’s a practice sand trap on the same side of Meyer Loop as the Volusia Starter Shack – in fact, if you really launched a shot out of the sand it might land on Volusia’s first green – but don’t let that dissuade you from practicing golf’s most difficult shot!
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.
Volusia Views
The View from Volusia 2 is as good as it gets, one of the Tallest Tees in The Villages.
That's the Sarasota golf range lake - if you could zoom in on this picture you would see thousands of floating golf balls! That sounds like a game show itself!
Game shows are supposed to be funny. And this sign along Volusia 3 is all that. The course is alongside the town dump. Who would want to trespass into a dump? Guess only contestants trying to salvage a ball.
Create Your Own Website With Webador