Saddlebrook Resort:

Thirty-Six Skillfully Crafted Palmer Creations

Posted by Alistair Orr

The Saddlebrook Resort, located a mere 30 minutes north of Tampa, is a luxury retreat which can satisfy just about all your business, recreational and pleasure get-away needs. On property you will find a full service conference center, replete with 5-acre team building site, two 18 hole Arnold Palmer designed layouts, 45 tennis courts in every Grand Slam surface, a European style spa, sports & fitness village, a 500,000 gallon superpool and several fine and casual dining options.  The resort is also home to BannLynch Golf at the Saddlebrook Golf Academy, the Hopman Tennis Program at the Saddlebrook Tennis Academy and the Saddlebrook Prepatory School.

Saddlebrook's two picturesque Arnold Palmer designed golf courses are suitable for players of all abilities. Although the Palmer and Saddlebrook Courses are similar in length, at 6641 and 6664 yards respectively, and characterized with lagoons, wetlands and fairways lined with pines, palms and cypress trees the comparisons end there. On the Palmer Course the driving areas are relatively open with the trees sparser and there are some fairly significant elevation changes and slants to the fairways that are not so commonly experienced on a Florida golf course. The small elevated green sites are framed with bunkers and slope harshly in places. Although you can let the shaft out at times off the tee, the key to success on the Palmer course is though utilizing strong iron play on the approach shots keeping it below the hole at all times.

In contrast, the Saddlebrook Course is much flatter and narrower with many of the fairways lined with heavily treed wilderness and there seems to be a lagoon in your sightline at every corner. The greens also present much less undulation than the Palmer Course and are much larger and more forgiving on the approach. A successful campaign on the Saddlebrook Course will require much more control off the tee and if you employ a grip-it and rip-it attitude here you might find your ball scoop the go to club for the day.

Course Stats:

Palmer Course: Par 71, 5187 - 6641 yards, rated 67.8 - 72.69 slope rating 114 -138

Saddlebrook Course: Par 70, 4941 - 6664 yards, rated 66.7 - 72.6, slope rating 121 -137

Public

Location:

Wesley, Florida. Minutes north of Tampa. One mile east off the I75 on State Road 54 (exit 279)

The Palmer Course:

Editor's Shot Makers Picks:

Feature Holes Descriptions:

Holes 12, 13 and 16 exemplify the importance of precise distance control on the Palmer. A drive long down the centre right on hole #12 will run out nicely leaving you with a short iron to a well protected dance floor. Special attention must be taken on the approach for anything above or left of the pin will have you shaking over a nasty downhill slider. There is little room for error on the tee shot to the 13th green. This narrow sloping green is defended by a fronting buttrussed lagoon and siding bunkers and with the prevailing winds in your face proper club selection is paramount. A front pin is frightening for past the pin is scary fast and short will have you flirting with the alligators. At 347 yrds the 16th may be short in measurement but it is long on intimidation. The tee ball must find a narrow strip of fairway pinched by lagoons on either side and a strategically place bunker left. The approach may only be a pitch but the false fronted elevated green falls off sharply to deep bunkers and is of the three tier variety. Faulty distance control will make thoughts of a birdie a distance memory in a hurry.

#12 & 13 Palmer Course

The Saddlebrook Course:

Editor's Shot Makers Picks:

Feature Holes Descriptions:

There are two wonderful closing hole dogleg right par 4’s on the Saddlebrook that will have your knees knocking if a good score is being protected. The approach shots on holes 9 and 18 must successfully negotiate fronting lagoons and side bunkering to reach their large two tiered putting surfaces. At 425 yards the back nine home hole is the longer of the two and may be the sternest challenge on the entire property. Accuracy is demanded off the tee with the inside of the dogleg protected by a stand of large trees, the lagoon and a lone bunker at the corner. The dreaded straight ball will find a sandy resting place through the fairway. A back right sucker pin position is vicious and nothing but a purely struck mid or long iron will come close to the target. The 406 yards, the front nine closer offers a more forgiving landing area and a shorter iron will be the weapon of choice on the approach, however, the lagoon wraps around the front of the green and two gaping bunkers protect each side of the huge putting surface. Pencilling in a 4 on both holes will put a spring in your step and your head held high.

Related Editorial: Saddlebrook: A complete Resort Experience

Contact:

Saddlebrook Resort
5700 Saddlebrook Way
Wesley Chapel, Florida 33543

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