DIAMONDBACK GOLF CLUB (863-421-0437)
Florida Golf Course Review 10/24/04
Diamondback Golf Club in Haines City, 30 minutes south of the Disney resort complex, is a Joe Lee par 72
championship layout that has earned 4 stars from Golf Digest Places to Play! After reviewing several wide open
courses in the Orlando area, we found the beautiful Diamondback layout to be a wonderful contrast. Each hole of
this layout is lined with trees and tropical foliage, making accuracy off the tee a useful commodity. The lush
environment created by the dense vegetation reminds one that he/she is not in Kansas anymore. Even after the brutal hurricane season in the fall of 2004, Diamondback is a lush environ.
The course is sculpted from 240 acres of virgin forest, with considerable wetlands providing habitats for
abundant wildlife. The fact that the course is built in a non-residential development adds to its allure. There are
very few homes on property. Golfers at Diamondback are paying for golf - not for an upscale clubhouse with
comp amenities. A pro shop and restaurant/lounge are situated in unassuming building, which also features a
small outdoor patio. Breakfast is served daily and hot lunch items are available til 4 PM. The practice facilities
include a grass range, short game area and putting green. On course players will find yardage blocks at 100,
150 and 200 yards, with 150 yard stakes also doubling as directional devices. Small markers on the flagsticks
indicate front, middle and back pin placements. Weather covers on the back of all carts are there to protect golf clubs on rainy days - providing a much appreciated amenity.
Five sets of tee areas at Diamondback are interspersed to provide adequate choices for various levels of
abilities. The gold tees measure 6903 yards with a challenging slope of 138; the blue tees play to 6410
yards/132 slope; the white's 6027 yards/126 slope, and the grey and forward tees measure 5061 yards while
playing to a slope of 122. One can classify this as a more challenging than average golf experience.
The front side begins with some fairly tight tee shots and picks up steam on number three, which features carries
over wetlands off the tee and on the approach. After a pretty par three, the snaking par five 5th winds its way
between dense bush and sand bunkers, with a pond in play on the right side about 150 yards away. The next
three holes are also quite memorable. Number six is a mid range three par from an elevated tee and is followed
by a dogleg right par four, with fairway bunkers near the landing areas on both side. Number eight demands a
short carry over a natural area, and another on the approach to a green defined by a rock retaining wall past the
pond situated short left. The greens on these four holes are well bunkered, as is the putting surface on the dogleg right finishing hole.
The back side begins with a par five that plays to a tight, tree lined fairway, with a pond in play along the left for
225 yards in. Number eleven is also tightly sculpted, but the course opens up a bit on the next few holes, before
closing with a flourish. The par four 15th is Diamondback's # 2 handicapped hole - a dogleg right that is open off
the tee, but demands an accurate approach that must negotiate a natural area short left along with greenside
bunkers. Sixteen presents a sweeping fairway with wide landing zones that slope right to left., and seventeen is a
pretty par three with huge bunkers situated short right and long left. The long par four 18th is a challenging
closing hole as the tee shot heads uphill to begin, then fades downwards towards the water hazard that is
encircled by a sand waste bunker. For long hitters, it is possible to reach this hazard off the tee. From here the hole turns sharply left and plays towards a well bunkered green complex.
Diamondback is a great golf course that is a simple drive from the prime tourist areas of Orlando. We
recommend it without reservation! For more information, visit our page for the course, with direct link to their website by clicking here.
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