Diamonds in the rough: Five public golf gems within an hour of downtown Jacksonville
There's no shortage of quality public golf on the First Coast.
But two of the more popular courses are currently undergoing renovation projects (St. Johns Golf Club and the Julington Creek Golf Club) and others are taking on the added load.
Despite the heat, the summer has been relatively dry and tee sheets are crowded. And maybe, just maybe, you and your golf buddies want some new experiences.
They're out there, beyond the geographic footprint of the First Coast but still within an hour's drive. The five examples of quality and affordable public golf range from South Georgia south to Flagler County, southwest to Putnam County and west to Columbia Country.
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There's the chance to play in some spectacular scenery, on historical tracks and walk the same fairways and greens as major champions.
More importantly, it's a chance to have fun on courses that are playable for high-handicappers, juniors and beginners. and still offer a stern challenge from the back tees for the accomplished golfers.
Five on the tee:
Country Club at Lake City
Location: 717 NW Fairway Drive, Lake City
Owner: Spring and Joe Khan
Opened: 1971
Architect: Willard Byrd
Online tee times: Yes (thecountryclubatlakecity.com)
Phone: (386) 752-2266
Drive time/miles (from downtown Jacksonville): 65 miles, 1 hour, 12 minutes
Yardage: 6,894, par-72
Price points (including carts): $43 Monday-Thursday, $33 after 4 p.m.; $49 Friday-Sunday (plus holidays), $36 after 3 p.m.)
Scouting report: The best endorsements the course ever got were the frequent times the late Bobby Bowden called it his favorite. The CC at Lake City also was good enough to have hosted Korn Ferry Tour events in the early years when it was called the Ben Hogan Tour.
The course has some elevation changes not usually seen on North Florida courses, and the change from the tee of the par-5 16th hole is the most dramatic. There also is a scenic stretch of holes wrapped around the biggest lake on the property, the short par-4 fourth, the long par-3 fifth and the long par-4 sixth.
Like many public courses, it has undergone several ownership changes since it was built under the name “Southern Oaks.” The current owners have renovated the clubhouse (the pro shop is next on deck). For what it’s worth, one online review after another praised the courtesy and hospitality of the clubhouse and food service staff.
Folkston Golf Club
Location: 186 Country Club Road, Folkston, Ga.
Owner: A private group that includes general manager Sang Lee
Opened: The course opened as a nine-hole facility in 1954 with another nine added in 2010
Architect: Ed Matson
Online tee times: The course does not take tee times. Just show up and play golf.
Phone: (912) 496-3598
Drive time/miles (from downtown Jacksonville): 44.2 miles, 58 minutes
Yardage: 6,106, par-72
Price points (including carts): $30 Monday-Friday, $36 Saturday-Sunday (all day). Walking permitted Monday-Friday, $21
Scouting report: Don’t let the modest clubhouse fool you. The ownership group apparently is of a mind to put the money on the golf course and Folkston’s conditioning is as good if not better than almost any public course at its price point within a 100-mile radius of downtown Jacksonville.
The clubhouse has one card table and a few chairs, with one TV a limited stock of balls, etc. There’s a drink locker with soda, water, sports drinks and beer – but remember that Charlton County is dry on Sundays so your post-round drinks will have to wait until you get back to Florida.
The practice facility is small and don’t judge the greens on the course by the condition of the putting green. They will be better.
Once you tee off, it’s all about the golf. The course is fun for all ability levels, with the back nine longer and more difficult. There’s plenty of room on most of the fairways and there is a minimum of forced carries required off tees and into greens.
Grand Reserve Golf Club
Location: 400 Grand Reserve Drive, Bunnell
Owner: Capstone Golf
Opened: 2007
Architect: Mike Beebe
Online tee times: Yes (capstonegolf.net)
Phone: (386) 313-2966
Drive time/miles (from downtown Jacksonville): 66.2 miles, 1 hour, 1 minute
Yardage: 6,401, par-71
Price points (including carts): $48 until 2:30 p.m., $38 until 4 p.m., $27 after 4 p.m. until closing, seven days a week.
Scouting report: Owner Mike Pullen described this slice of Flagler County heaven as a course where the par-4s offer birdie chances with straight drives, the par-5s can be had but the par-3s “have some real teeth.” There are five of them, stretching out to 233 yards from the tips at No. 6 and as short as 157 at No. 10.
The middle and forward tees won't beat up high-handicap players but those who want to get tested will find the stretch between Nos. 5 (a dogleg left par-5) and No. 11 (a 455-yard dogleg right par-4) everything they want from the back tees.
Nos. 8 and 9 are two memorable holes: the eighth is a short par-4 where the drive has to be placed accurately to set up a wedge at a 90-degree angle left into the green; and the ninth is a picturesque par-4 with a pond on the left and trees down the right side, wrapping around the back of the green.
The course’s practice range is a man-made pond – that's right, with floating targets. Beebe said the course needed fill dirt during construction and took it from the area of the range.
The cozy bar and grill is a delight.
Palatka Golf Course
Location: 1715 Moseley Avenue, Palatka
Owner: City of Palatka
Opened: 1925
Architect: Donald Ross
Online tee times: Yes (palatkagolfclub.com)
Phone: (386) 329-0141
Drive time/miles (from downtown Jacksonville): 63.9 miles, 1 hour, 5 minutes
Yardage: 5,862, par-70
Price points (including carts): $34 before noon, $29 after noon, seven days per week. Walkers get $5 discount.
Scouting report: If you want a dose of history with your golf, this is the place. The course will celebrate its 100th birthday in three years and is one of a batch of courses on North Florida that the Hall of Fame architect designed in the 1920s. The Ross influence can be seen in the “turtle-shell” greens that slope off in every direction and can call for every short-game shot imaginable if you miss the greens.
The course also winds through majestic Florida oaks and pines, dripping with Spanish Moss.
Most players with a middling handicap or better can leave their drive in the bag or even in the car trunk. Accuracy is the key off the tee.
Speaking of history, the course has produced a slew of good players, such as two-time U.S. Public Links champion Billy Tuten and 18-time professional mini-tour winner Sean Pacetti. Major champions John Daly and Tom Lehman are two of the notable players to have competed at Palatka in the past.
The course also has hosted the Azalea Amateur, one of the top events of its kind in the country, for the last 65 years. The roll call of winners includes Masters champion Tommy Aaron, six-time PGA Tour winner Dan Sikes, two other Tour winners in Bob Murphy and Ryuji Imada and Korn Ferry Tour winner Jeff Klauk.
Trident Lakes Golf Club
Location: 1010 USS Proteus Blvd. Naval Submarine Base, King’s Bay, Ga.
Owner: U.S. Navy
Opened: 1989
Architect: Arthur Hills
Online tee times: Yes (https://myffr.navyaims.com/navyeast/wbwsc/navyeast.wsc/splash.html)
Phone: (912) 573-8475
Drive time/miles (from downtown Jacksonville): 41.1 miles, 45 minutes
Yardage: 6,575, par-72
Price points (including carts): Civilians, $30 weekdays, $34 Saturday and Sunday (all day); Active-duty Navy and retirees, E5 and below, $22 weekdays, $24 weekends; E6 and above, $25 weekdays, $27 weekends.
Scouting report: Trident Lakes is unique among the area’s three golf courses on military bases in that civilians don’t need an MWR card or to play with an active-duty or retired member of the military. The course is accessible through the public Jackson Gate and far from any sensitive areas such as the sub pens.
The course is similar to Hills’ designs at Palencia and Windsor Park with one key difference: there is no development sharing space, and unlike NAS Jacksonville and Windy Harbor at Mayport, the golf also isn’t sharing air space with helicopter squadrons, P-8s or jets. In other words, it’s quiet. There are no structures on the course other than the pro shop and it’s you, your playing partners and nature. Trident Lakes lives up to its name, with lakes, ponds and other water hazards coming into play on 14 of the 18 holes. But it’s playable for high-handicap golfers, women and juniors.
Contact Garry Smits at gsmits@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Five public golf courses to try outside the First Coast footprint
