After work on Tuesday I headed out for nine holes. The nice thing about this time of year is that the sun doesn’t set until late! I got a late start and still ended up finishing with plenty of daylight left.

Turtle Mound is one of the many executive courses in The Villages and I’ve driven past it probably a hundred times. It is located right around the corner from where my parents live and it is usually packed with golfers. I think the course’s busy nature is why I’ve skipped it for so long. After playing here I wish I would have played it sooner!

What I liked so much is that the course is shorter and that the greens don’t have as much undulation as the normal course in The Villages. Plus, for those who do not carry the ball far in the air, there are ways to run the ball onto the green. The main difficulty is likely going to be a handful of bunkers guarding the greens.

Turtle Mound has nine par-3’s and only plays 1,323 yards from the back tees. From where I played it was 1,166 yards and all the holes were between 112 and 156 yards. My favorite hole was the 4th which is 120 yards. From the back tees the hole plays across water to a green that falls off on the left side. From the forward tees the angle completely changes, allowing higher handicaps the same chance to make a par as an experienced player from the back tees.

Normally the conditions on the executive courses in The Villages are solid so I’ll give Turtle Mound a pass. I think the course just came out of its summer maintenance. Most of the turf had fresh aeration holes which hopefully will help the ground get softer. The greens were a bit sandy, slower and it took some luck to make a putt over gimme range.

Overall, I’d recommend Turtle Mound and I’d put it towards the top of the executive courses that I’ve played in The Villages. I certainly would like to try it again when the course is in peak-season shape.

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