Sunday found me with some free time in the afternoon and that called for another nine holes in The Villages! Volusia is Sarasota’s sister course, so I thought playing Volusia next made the most sense – as I played Sarasota a couple days ago.

Like Sarasota, Volusia is a fairly short nine. Volusia mixes in a par-4 and therefore plays as a par-28 (1,514 yards). From the back tees most of the par-3’s are mid-length, besides a short one and a long one.

The highlight of the round on Volusia will be the elevation change! The course makes a short loop up a hill, down it and then around the side of it. So, you’ll have to get the elevation change just right in order to get a shot tight.

The par-4 3rd is the hole that shows off the elevation change the best. It is 361 yards and the tee shot plays severely downhill (at least for Florida!). The fairway drops off to the right and a water hazard is hidden down there. That same hazard can gobble up approach shots hung out to the right.

The par-3 7th was my favorite hole on Volusia. I found it to be one of a handful of good-looking holes here. It plays over water with two bunkers, which were glistening in the sunlight. The green sits in the hillside and a large oak tree also adds to the look.

I enjoyed playing Volusia and would slot it among my favorite executive courses in The Villages. Finally, conditions were solid as you’d hope.

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