HARMONY GOLF PRESERVE (407-891-8525)
Florida Golf Course Review
10/24/04
Harmony Golf Preserve, proudly managed by Troon Golf, the leader in upscale golf course management!
Harmony Golf Preserve in Harmony - just southeast of the Disney Resort area is the centerpiece of a planned
residential community. A short drive from Orlando and Melbourne, this Johnny Miller Signature design features
impeccable conditioning on 7,428 yards of landscaped terrain, with generous fairways that are often bordered
by water hazards and sand waste areas. In fact, water is featured on every hole in some way, shape or form, on
the 21 ponds that can be found on property. Including the waste areas, 88 sand bunkers are in play along the manicured fairways or greenside.
Art is in vogue at Harmony - and evidence is all around as paintings can be found throughout the clubhouse, and
sculptures are also located on the golf course. Each table in the clubhouse restaurant has a diagram of one of
the holes on course. Many of the art exhibitions within the clubhouse and restaurant facilities are for sale, and artists are invited to submit their work for possible viewing.
Greenside's Restaurant serves a light breakfast menu from 7 AM, with lunch items beginning at 11 and dinner
served from 4 PM. Sunday Brunch is also popular. The food here is said be excellent! A pro shop is part of the
clubhouse facility, which also includes locker rooms with showers for men and women. There is a spacious
grass range stacked with complimentary balls, and a large putting green for practice. The course is well marked
with sprinkler heads measured to the center of the green plus 100, 150 and 200 yardage blocks posted on the
fairways. Each tee area provides measurements, and pin placement sheets indicate the days hole locations.
Five sets of tee areas are fairly evenly interspersed, with the tips playing to a whopping 7,428 yards with a 136
slope, followed by the blues at 6955/130, the whites at 6394/126, the golds at 5955/123 for men and 126 for
women, and the reds at 5410 yards with a slope of 119. The fairways throughout this layout usually provide
ample landing areas, but golfers will have to avoid the plentiful sand bunkers and waste areas if they hope to
score well. Though water abounds, there are few forced carries, especially from the three front sets of tees. The
risk/reward factor comes into play often, and players will be tempted to cut off as much as they can on some of the course's challenging doglegs.
The par four 2nd presents the first of these risk/reward situations. A safe play is to the left center of the fairway,
taking the bunkers that front the dogleg out of play and leaving a 150-170 yard approach. Those with distance off
the tee may attempt to carry the three traps, which may result in a short iron or wedge approach. The third is a
beautiful par three that precedes a par four dogleg left - a hole that also allows golfers the choice of cutting off as
much as their distance will allow, or playing it safely to the wide side of the fairway. On seven the obstruction is a
waste area and a deep fairway bunker that is situated in the center of the dogleg. Those who can carry to the 140 area off the tee can cut off considerable distance here.
The back side opens with some wide fairways, though number 10 narrows considerably about 120 out with
fairway bunkers on either side. Twelve is a long par three, with water that comes into play sooner than one might
expect to the left and past the green. A huge waste bunker defines the dogleg on the par four 13th, creating
another situation where a long drive turning left to right may cut off considerable distance - or spell trouble..
.Water is prominent on 14, especially greenside, as ithe pond juts its way towards the fairway about 50 yards
away. The dogleg right 16th is one of the most beautiful and challenging holes on the course. Waste bunkers line
the right, conventional traps are situated all along the left, and the putting complex features a raised green
situated behind a lone bunker with dense bush all along the right side. Seventeen is the most memorable of the
par threes - as it demands a carry over water, with bail out room short left. As with many of the green complexes, mounding and bunkers flank the hole
This is a very nice golf experience, with great service and a friendly staff. But beware of GATORS. For more info, visit our page for Harmony, with a direct link to their website by clicking here.
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