Our family Christmas was low-key with an early lunch. That left the afternoon open and allowed me to golf. I’ve mentioned it in other posts before, but The Villages has a nice Christmas tradition of free golf for the residents and visitors. I’ve been able to take advantage of this the last two years and did so again today.
Mallory Hill Country Club is one of the courses close to where my parents live, and like most of the championship courses in The Villages, there are 27 holes here. The nines are called Caroline, Virginia and Amelia. I played Caroline as my front nine and then Virginia as my back nine. I lived in Virginia for seven years, so it just seemed fitting that I worked in the “Virginia” nine during my round.
Between the Caroline and Virginia nines, I preferred Caroline. Caroline has a wetlands feel to it with interesting angles, quality golf holes and manageable green complexes. I didn’t think there was anything too unique about Virginia. It is a pretty typical for golf in The Villages – a lot of bunkers and mounding along with undulating greens. Borderline too much undulation for my tastes.
I played the gold tees which are 70.5/125/6566. The design at Mallory Hill is in line with the other Villages championship courses, also designed by the Clifton, Ezell & Clifton group. The driving areas are wide with main challenges being some forced carries over water and large bunkers. I’m always surprised that the rating and slope aren’t higher at The Villages courses because I rarely seem to score well.
As I mentioned earlier, the Caroline nine has some good holes. The 2nd is a mid-length par-4 (378 yards) that slides right along a lake. The back tees require a carry over the water and then there is a semi-blind approach. The 3rd is a 165 yard par-3 that is all carry over a marshy area. The green isn’t very deep and requires a well-judged iron for a birdie putt.
The 4th and 5th holes are probably the best ones on the Virginia nine. The 4th is a 364 yard par-4 with a narrow fairway. A couple large oak trees guard the right side of the undulating fairway while the green angles from front left to back right, around the edge of a lake. The par-3 5th plays over the same hazard and is another tricky hole.
One of the best things about golf in The Villages is the condition of the courses. Mallory Hill was in great shape. The turf had some spring to it and the tees and fairways were excellent. The greens were smooth and sneaky fast. The greens on Virginia felt quicker than Caroline. The sand in the bunkers was some of the best I’ve seen my travels this year.
I played in about three hours because of the cold weather, so I didn’t spend a ton of time taking in the course. However, based on my experience, I’d put Mallory Hill somewhere in the middle of the pack when it comes to championship courses in The Villages. The design won’t move the needle too much, but it is functional, challenging and aesthetically pleasing.
Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):