I’ll admit I’m not as crazy about golf these days as I used to be. But, I had some time off on a Florida trip and couldn’t pass up a couple new short courses in The Villages. After today, I’ve now played 25 of the 40 executive courses here. So, I’m making progress towards playing every course in The Villages!

The first course I played today was Hawkes Bay. It was a chilly afternoon – at least for Florida this time of year – but the lighting at least made for good pictures. I joined a group of three and we played in about an hour and a half.

Overall, I enjoyed Hawkes Bay and thought it was an above average executive course in The Villages. Certainly worth checking out if you haven’t played it yet. The course felt easier than the average course here, something I liked. From the black tees the course is only 1,336 yards (all par-3’s) with six shorter holes to open. The last three holes are longer and tougher. There are a number of forced carries which could make it tougher for a higher handicap player.

I thought the best holes at Hawkes Bay were the shortest ones. The 3rd through the 5th were my favorites. Both holes are 127 yards and the 5th is probably the signature hole. The 3rd plays slightly downhill to a large green and has water in the background. That same pond cuts in front of and behind the 5th green, meaning that if the pin is on the right half of the green you’ll need to pick the right club and hit it solid.

As you’d expect from a course in The Villages, the conditions were solid. The turf was lush for this time of year and the greens were a medium pace. Just a few sanded spots on the greens.

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