And, of course, beautiful golf courses are frequently part of upscale major home development projects. Therefore, when we play a development
course, it's often a layout that is offered more as an amenity to homeowners than as a true example of challenging golf. This frequently results in flat, wide fairways with few sand traps and fairly easy greens.
Fortunately, there are some exceptions to that, such as at
Providence Golf and Country Club. Located in Davenport, between Orlando and Tampa, this 18-hole golf course breaks all pre-conceived notions and expectations of most Florida development golf sites.
Despite the expensive homes, we were not sure what to expect regarding the golf experience. As soon as we arrived at the golf club,
though, our expectations began to rise. We were immediately greeted with a cart, our clubs placed on it and we were directed to the pro shop while our clubs were taken to the practice
green. In addition to the Pro Shop, the one-year-old main club house building with beautiful modern décor, has a huge bar and restaurant area and an additional banquet room with indoor/outdoor space.
Outside, the practice green was large and could easily accommodate a dozen people on it simultaneously without getting in each others' way. The practice green was adjacent to the
clubhouse, which had a large swimming pool and a children's slide.
Our friendly starter gave us range balls in easy-to-carry bags (instead of the usual wire baskets
which allow the balls to easily fall out) and then gave us instructions on flag placement, 90-degree rules, hazard locations, etc.
We were playing during the week and loved having the chance to take our time without worrying about other groups behind us. After the first hole, a par-4 with a generous fairway and an easy
approach to the green, we thought we had this golf course beat. Oh boy!
With water around some part of 15 of the fairways, and strategic sand traps
that I nicknamed "jaws of sand" placed throughout the layout, this round was not without its challenge. One of the prettiest holes, the par-3 #8, was fringed by a natural creek running
alongside the fairway and in front of the green. It looked deceivingly easy, but we worked hard for a bogey.
Although the front nine bordered some beautiful, expensive home sites, the
back nine offered a different personality. With barely any sign of home sites, it was easy to enjoy the more natural surroundings. The par-3 #12 hole, which we are told will always
remain undeveloped, is one of the most scenic with water all around it. At least, that's what we kept telling ourselves as we went looking for a second ball in our bag.
Overall, Providence is worth the drive. Providence is located at 1518 Clubhouse Blvd, Davenport, Florida 33837 863-420-2652. Website is http://www.providence-golf.com.
