I couldn’t resist the urge to check out one more course on my way back to Texas. In the past I’ve used the long drive as an excuse to stretch my legs. Today was no different, even if that added more time to my trip. After 16+ hours of driving and a round of golf I finally made it back to Dallas around 3:30 A.M. Whew.

On my last Florida trip I also stopped in Pensacola to golf and unfortunately that experience – at Scenic Hills Country Club – was underwhelming. However, today at Cypress Lakes Golf Club was quite the contrast. The courses are only about 10 minutes apart, but I much preferred Cypress Lakes between the two.

The thing I liked the most about the course was the land it occupies. As you can see in the pictures there is a good amount of elevation change, not many homes nearby and many holes are separated by pine trees. The up and down throughout the course adds some interest to approach shots, thanks to uneven lies. The sun disappeared after the front nine, but I thought Cypress Lakes had plenty of visual appeal – even with clouds on the back nine.

I played the #1 tees (the blue tees) and from there Cypress Lakes is only 6,396 yards. The rating is 70.7 and the slope is 123. So, nothing too difficult, at least on the scorecard. It was cool and windy during my round which always has the strokes adding up quickly for my game. The most difficult part of the round will probably be navigating the greens, the course’s main defense. Most greens are small and slope off on all sides. That means an iron shot needs to be exact for a birdie putt. Putts can have severe breaks and you need to be careful not to keep chipping it across the green.

Even though the distance at Cypress Lakes isn’t significant, I never felt it played too short. The 1st, 9th, 10th, 12th and 18th are all uphill at least one club, maybe two. For a shorter course, it would have been nice to have a driveable par-4. There are three par-5s (par-71) and while none are longer than 525 yards they are all tricky. The 2nd has a hidden pond at the bottom of a hill near the green, the 5th has pine trees guarding the dogleg and the 11th is a double dogleg with trouble if you get out of position.

The signature hole is probably the 13th, one of the downhill holes. It is a 382 yard par-4 with three lakes that need to be avoided. I thought the 6th was the most difficult hole. It is a 400+ yard par-4 that turns hard left around a group of trees. The fairway slopes to the right and the wind was blowing hard from the left. As a left to right player that tee shot had me nervous.

Cypress Lakes is strong on the value. I paid $35 on a weekend and the conditions were solid for the price. Spots were scruffy and still coming out of winter dormancy, but no complaints for the price. The fairways were mostly full with many tight lies. The greens were a medium pace and mostly smooth. The tees were decent. The rough was a mix of grasses and could use some work.

Overall, I was impressed with Cypress Lakes. I played with three locals who said it is their favorite course in town and I can see why. It isn’t your typical Florida course and gives off vibes of Blackstone Golf Course and Capital City Country Club, courses to the east that I’ve also enjoyed. If you are in Pensacola and looking to golf close to town, I’d recommend a round here.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):