STONEGATE GOLF CLUB - Oaks Course (407-622-6660)
Florida Golf Course Review
Stonegate Golf Club is a centerpiece of the Solivita community, which features upscale residential properties
and amenities including Waterfront Galleries, the Starlight Ballroom, Riviera Spa & Fitness, TheGrill & Café at
Stonegate plus Mosaics Restaurant. Breakfast and lunch are available daily with dinner served 3 to 4 days a
week. The clubhouse features a pro shop, locker rooms with showers and banquet/outing facilities that can
accommodate up to 310 people. Practice facilities include a targeted grass range, short game area with sand bunker and a large putting green.
The golf course is a wonderfully conditioned Ron Garl layout featuring gently rolling fairways that are often
bordered by dense natural areas and water hazards. Sixty six sand bunkers and waste areas come into play
near the landing zones and greenside, and ponds and lakes come into play on 11 holes. Cranes, heron, gators
and abundant waterfowl and wildlife call this environment home. Palms, pampas other native trees and brush provide aesthetics to make this a truly beautiful golf experience.
The slightly raised green complexes are large and undulating, with Tif Eagle surfaces providing true-rolling
putting surfaces. Color coded flags indicate the day's pin placements, and yardage markers are posted on the
fairways and along the cart paths at 100, 150 and 200 yards. Some sprinkler heads are also measured to the
center of the green. Weather covers are mounted on the back of each cart, providing golf clubs with protection on rainy days.
The four sets of tee boxes are interspersed fairly evenly, providing players with options of playing to distances
and slopes measuring 7011 yards/127 slope, 6594 yards/125 slope, 5937 yards/118 slope for men and 129 for
women, and 5285 yards with a 115 slope for ladies playing from the forward sets. The par 72 design features 2
par fives and two par threes on each side. Ample fairways make this a player-friendly design, but there also is
abundant trouble in the form of natural areas and water, for those missing too far to either side. Many of the
fairway bunker complexes are oversized and built within mounding complexes, making recoveries for par a difficult proposition.
Stonegate provides an interesting and exceptional golf experience, and one that we highly recommend. 100
year old oak hammocks, lush greenery and peaceful waterways and streams highlight the topography. The
property is situated just 20 minutes south of the Disney area, and is always open to the public. A second course
at Solovita is scheduled for a December 2005 opening. For more info on this course, visit our page for Stonegate, with a direct link to their website by clicking here.
|
