Candler Hills Golf Club |
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Palm Springs-Style Golf in Ocala
Candler Hills Golf Club is an intriguing Gordon Lewis designed course. Only in its third year, this course has already received the accolades of pros that have played the North Florida PGA Senior Open, the Ocala Open, and the Florida State Women's Golf Association Tournament. If it's good enough for them, it'll likely be good enough for you or your own groups' championship as well. Located just 6 1/2 miles west of I-75, on a small portion of Circle Square Ranch, in the heart of Ocala's horse country, Candler Hills has a western feel to it from the moment you drive up to the ranch-style golf shop and full service restaurant. What has drawn you here is a different style of golf than you'll see just about anywhere in central Florida.
One of Lewis's design features is the wide variety of views, and shot-making opportunities, from the various tee markers. Rarely are all the tees lined up one right behind the other. You'll often either drive your cart around, or have to search for the back tees while trying to find your own markers; but stop every so often and take in the views from the tips on some of the holes, and you'll appreciate how differently the holes set up to the eye for varying levels of players.
All of Candler Hills' holes are named, none more appropriately than the par-5 fourth, "The Monster", the #1 handicapped hole, and is distinguished as "Florida's longest" par-5. Take a look from the tips as you drive by'669 yards, usually into the westerly wind, always a bit uphill, with larger waste areas left and right in the landing area and a 75-yard waste area protect-ing the green front-right. It's still 560-yards from the Blue tees. The pro's prescription here? Take three great swings and maybe you'll be close enough for an uphill approach to a gigantic green measuring over 40 yards from front to back.
After the monstrous fourth, the par-5 sixth seems almost tame, even at 595-yards from the tips. "The Big Banana" keeps you aiming left, even as the hole slopes down and to the right. After that "long" stretch, one well-timed swing to the right of the pin at the par-4 seventh, known as "Let the Fun Begin", and you might just drive the green, just 250 yards off the Blue tees. The tee shot at the par-3 eighth, called "The Beach" is selfexplanatory, as is the one at the par-4 ninth, "The Roller Coaster." If Candler Hills is beginning to sound like an arcade, wait until you take your shot at "The Wishing Well," the shortest par-5, and a birdie hole if you don't get greedy and find one of the four angry bunkers within the last 100-yards of the green. The par-3 13th actually has a fairway in front of the tabletop green, in case you hit the diabolical back bunker and have to chip back toward the pin. The long par-5 15th puts everything from eagle to "snowman" in play with its strategically placed bunkers and OB on both sides. And if you're getting a stroke at the grand finale, take heart in the generous fairway, but remember you can only see half of the one final, colossal green at Candler Hills. The great variety of holes at Candler Hills is only surpassed by the fact that any difference in wind is magnified, giving you as many different ways to play as there are directions and intensities of the breezes. One well-known area pro shot a 63 in the Winter Series tourney, only to shoot 75 two days later because the wind changed.
Candler Hill Golf Course is just one of the "choices" that differentiates On Top of the World from other active-adult communities. With distinctive gated neighborhoods, 17 new and beautifully-furnished model homes and a pair of well-established private courses - the southern style Links Course, and the shot-makers delight Tortoise and the Hare Course, all with no initiation fees. Also available to residents are full pool, spa and fitness facilities with classes going on all the time, over 200 active clubs and organizations, and even educational opportunities in many different areas of interest. The newest "choice" for residents, and visitors, is the retail and entertainment complex, Circle Square Commons, featuring The Ranch Fitness Center & Spa, Master the Possibilities Education Center that offers dozens of lifelong-learning classes for all-comers, and the Circle Square Cultural Center that hosts movies, concerts, and dinners theatre productions for audiences up to 900. Once you sample Candler's enticing golf adventure, you might be tempted to try the entire way of life, On Top of the World, where you'll feel like you can see all the way to Palm Springs.
For more information visit www.CandlerHillsGolfClub.com, or to book a tee time at Candler Hills Golf Club, call the friendly staff at |
Expansive view of horse country from scenic par 5s; open landing areas lined by wild grasses, rock formations, and sandy waste areas. The warm breezes play a factor in every shot decision. This may sound like Palm Springs, however, this course is as close as Ocala's On Top of the World Communities.
The first thing you'll notice is the expansiveness of the course and the prevalence of native grasses and large coquina boulders lending atmosphere to the challenge ahead. Candler Hills can stretch out to 7,333 yards from the tips, and is also a stout 6,725 from the Green tees. Many mid-handicappers find their most enjoyment from the 6,110-yard Blue tees; there are also 5,622-yard Whites, and 4,877-yard Red tees to accommodate anyone's skill level, while still offering them all the test they can handle.
A feature of Candler Hills will become evident on the very first hole, bunkers! Ten bunkers on the first hole alone, 148 in all (yes, someone counted), are strategically placed to snag errant shots. These bunkers aren't the shallow ones you can almost ignore if you happen to stray, but deep-faced "traps" in the truest sense of the word. Then once you get to the green, you'll quickly develop an appreciation for the guys who have to mow them, they're ENOURMOUS! Most greens are in the 4-6,000 square-foot range. Candler Hills' greens range from 7,000 to 11,000 square-feet, and also offer considerable undulations, if you four-putt the first green, or a few of them early in the round, don't start beating yourself up. It has been done before, and often.
The very next hole, "Come and Get It", is the longest par-3 on the course, with nearly a blind shot over a large mound and waster area from the Black and Green tees, a much more open-looking shot from the Blues on up.
The double-ended practice facility with an excellent sand-game area is first-class and with PGA Golf Professional Jeff McDonald and LPGA Golf Professional Sally Collins on the instructional team, it is no doubt a great place to work on your game. When you're done practicing, or playing, a welcoming restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner awaits. That same catering crew can also handle groups of all sizes in a gorgeous, western-style indoor facility.
