The Resort at Longboat Key Club: Harbourside Course - White Egret

Beauty on Sarasota Bay

Posted by Alistair Orr

The White Course was the back nine of the original 1982 Willard Bird 18 hole Harbourside design. The longest of the three sister nines at Harbourside, the White can be described as a traditional parkland layout with fairway corridors that are lined with oaks, palms and palmetto trees. Although there are numerous ponds scattered throughout the nine their positioning doesn't pose as significant a threat to your score on as many holes as the water hazards on the Blue. Accuracy and distance control are skills that will be tested here for strategically placed overhanging trees obstruct sightlines and create some very narrow chutes that need to be negotiated. The green complexes are well protected by greenside bunkers and the putting surfaces, while not overly sloping, contain enough undulation to warrant your full attention. As with the Red and the Blue the property is very flat and the distance between the holes is short making this course a walkers delight.

 

Course Stats:

White Egret: Par 36, 2803 - 3426 yards

 

Editor's Shot Maker's Picks on the White Egret Course

 

Featured Holes
Hole 2
Hole 6
Hole 9
Par
Par 4
Par 4
Par 4
Blue
430
380
437
White
384
365
405
Gold
353
353
362
Red
346
316
352
HCP-Men
4
5
1
HCP-Women
4
5
1

 

Feature Holes Descriptions:

The straight away par 4 second hole calls for a long tee ball down the middle of this fairly wide fairway that is bracketed by a massive waste bunker left and a cluster of bunkers right. Precise accuracy will be needed on the approach for stands of trees on either side pinch the flight path to the putting surface which is protected by deep greenside bunkers. The green slopes from back to front so keeping the ball below the hole is encouraged. The sixth hole is a medium length par four that drifts to the right ever so slightly. A pond runs down the left side and is a visual distraction while ensuring a farr left miss will meet with a watery grave. The landing area is crowded by trees and will interfere with the shot that finds the left or right rough. The wise player may leave the big stick in the bag here for the challenge is to find the fairway at the corner of the dogleg setting up a mid iron shot to the green.

 

The closing hole on the White Course is the sternest of the three finishing holes at Harbourside requiring precision shot making from tee to green and at 437 yards it is the longest par 4 on the property. The drive must find the left side as far down the fairway as possible for a clump of trees overhangs the right side and will become a factor for any approach shot taken from right of center cut. The approach shot must carry a large pond to reach a two tiered green that slopes right to left. The only bail out area is left for the short ball will find the water while the right and long misses will land you in deep bunkers.

 

 

Related Editorial:

The Resort at Longboat Key Club:: A Gulf Coast Golf Oasis

Blue Haron: A Watery Stretch


Contact:

The Resort at Longboat Key Club:

Harbourside Golf Course
3000 Harbourside Drive
Longboat Key, Florida 34228

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