Recently, I spent some time in Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday. The first round of my trip was at Summerglen Golf Club, a local pick for me. After a long day on the road getting to Florida I wanted to minimize time in the car. Summerglen is about 30 minutes from The Villages and therefore pretty convenient.

I got to the course and was able to head out a little early. I trailed a foursome for the front nine before they headed to the clubhouse. That created some open space for me before I caught up again with some groups, towards the end of my round. The pace turned out to be quick, as it took only 3 hours 15 minutes to play!

Like many Florida courses, Summerglen Golf Club is associated with its own retirement community. The community sits between I-75 and Marion Oaks, to the west. The last couple miles of the drive are a bit odd, as you actually parallel the interstate on a frontage road to get to the community’s entrance.

The course layout at Summerglen is pretty typical for a course in Florida, with many homes surrounding it. Houses line every hole and you cross three or four roads, getting from the greens to the tees. If homes on courses aren’t your thing then you’ll want to stay away. The houses were closer than I prefer, but I’ve played much worse courses in that regards.

Even without the homes, most of the holes at Summerglen have a similar look, except the 11th. Just about every hole here is flat and plays across (or along) one of those man-made drainage basins. There are a few interesting green complexes, long par-3’s and some uncomfortable dogleg left holes which all add complexity to the round. However, the layout is fairly simple. For $32, it was a good deal when you factor in the solid conditions.

The course was in good shape with the greens being the highlight of the maintenance. The greens were quick and rolled true, with just a few collars being sanded. The fairways were nice too, with good coverage while the ground had that firmer Florida feel to it. The way the edges of the fairways sloped, it was tough to keep an average tee shot in the short grass. The cart paths are only paved around the tees and greens, so I’m sure the turf can have some tough times from all the cart traffic when the course gets wet.

I mentioned the 11th, and that is certainly the best hole at Summerglen. The 11th is a short par-4, playing only 313 yards from the tips. Even though the 11th is one of the shortest par-4’s at Summerglen, I think it is one of the tougher holes. Water lurks to the left and forces you to hit it solid and straight to find the fairway. Or, you can bail right, into the oak trees – like me. From under those oaks there isn’t much of a chance to hit the green and you’ll have to scramble for a par, around a handful of bunkers.

Summerglen isn’t a course that you’d build a golf trip around, but it offers a playable design that is good for the members. Even from the gold tees it only plays 70.1/122/6482. There should be enough birdie/par holes to keep you excited about the game.

If you live in the area and are looking for a new course to play then Summerglen is a nice value option. For everyone else, there are plenty of more memorable choices in the area. I was out to enjoy the beautiful day and the course allowed that to happen.

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