Heron Bay Golf Club - Soaring to New Heights

But this new attitude and willingness to upgrade the facility is not just “under new management” cosmetics. The local owners know the golf course is still the draw, and recognizing its fantastic conditioning, retained longtime superintendent Jeff Hippensteel to continue to oversee the 210-acre layout that was transformed by McCumber into a gently rolling challenge with a multitude of trees and a network of lakes and wetlands that became one of the first courses in Florida certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary course dedicated to serving, protecting and enhancing the native wildlife and natural resources.

The course itself does an amazing job of walking the fine line between challenging the pros and being fun for the rest of us. Though bunkers are the course’s primary defense (and there are about 100 of them at Heron Bay), none of the sand is hidden. McCumber also designed a little extra width in the landing areas to allow players to avoid some of the bunkers, and also to adjust to the capricious winds that kick up regularly. Though over 1,000 trees that were planted when the course was designed are now maturing, the winds make Heron Bay play differently every time you try it.

For all the water at Heron Bay Golf Club, there are only three holes where it seriously comes into play. The par-3 fifth hole has water down the entire left side, but if you respect the lake too much, the green has a pair of large bunkers protecting its right side. Land in one of those and you’ve got a tricky shot to a green that slopes, you guessed it, towards the water.

Two of the par-5s are tantalizingly reachable in two; the ninth a little bit longer with a bunker right in front of the green that must be carried, and the 16th with water down the right hand side near the green and a series of bunkers left offering the risk to the reward of a possible eagle putt. Finally, one last lake intrudes on play down the entire right side of the 18th hole, testing you one last time to thread the needle off the tee between sand and water before approaching a green with bunkers flanking either side.

The Golf Club at Heron Bay has been enjoyed by pros like Vijay Singh, Mark Calcavecchia, Stuart Appleby, Jesper Parnevik, Dudley Hart and Matt Kuchar who will always have fond memories of their Honda Classic wins here. But you don’t have to be a pro to create your own memories, with some shots that would get the big shots to stand up and take notice! And now that the course is locally owned, you’ll be doing it among friends.

For more information on the “new” Heron Bay Golf Club programs, happy hours and weekend brunches, or to book a tee time or set up a special event for 4 or 144, visit www.heronbaygolfclub.net  or call them at (954) 796-2000. Heron Bay Golf Club, soaring to new heights.