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Duffer Dan at The Venetian Bay Golf Club
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Venetian Bay Golf Club
PO Box 1089
New Smyrna, Florida 32170
http://www.venetianbay.info |
For almost a year I have been watching a
new development on Highway 44, just
west of the I-95 intersection in New
Smyrna Beach. The folks at Kemper
Sports, based in Northbrook, Illinois and
managers of numerous upscale facilities
throughout the country, invited us over
to play Venetian Bay Golf Club. |
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The golf
course is the cornerstone of an 1800 home,
Mediterranean themed master planned
community being developed by The Johnson
group, one of Central Florida’s leading
custom home builders.
It was a long wait but worth it. The Venetian
Bay Clubhouse had just been completed
and houses a full service golf shop,
locker rooms, spacious meeting rooms
and private dining areas. The clubhouse is
fashioned after a Tuscan motif similar to
the sprawling entry and the surrounding
residential community. As we drove up, we
were greeted by some fine gentlemen, Ed,
Justin and Paul, who took care of our bags,
showed us the way to the well stocked pro
shop and gave us directions to the
practice facilities which include a
multiple green target range, practice
bunker, chipping area and
putting surface. In addition, David
Buth, a Class A PGA Professional,
the Venetian Bay General Manager and
his staff will be available to assist the low
handicapper as well as the new players to
the this great game that seems to parallel
life in so many ways.
It is always great to visit a new golf
course before all the homes are built
around it, but here no hole will have
homes built on both sides of the fairways
and some holes will not have any. So there
will always be open space to give you that
feeling of being one with nature. And for
those of you, and you know who you are,
that need a safe area to hit to because your
ball seems to attract houses, there will be
places to aim.
Our journey begins on #1, a great opening
par 5 at 528 yards from the tips, with a
nice wide fairway to give us that needed
feeling of accomplishment. George Clifton,
a member of the Florida based Clifton,
Ezell & Clifton Golf Design Group,
designed the 7072 yard private championship
golf course. CEC has designed more
Florida courses than anyone else in the
golf course design business and have been
together for over 21 years. Being local, the
CEC team has a-hands-on approach to the
‘grow in’ and dirt work, so they are there
to insure proper routings and a pleasurable
golf experience. Venetian Bay is a true
delight. The second hole is 447 yards and
keeping the shots in the fairway will keep
you from big numbers. Our first par 3 is #3
at 214 yards, with bunkers protecting the
front of the green. Can you say bogey all
around. We did. After another challenging
par 4 we happened to the #1 handicap
hole, a 533 yard par 5 that the Duffer
decided to take the short way around this
dogleg right. Flirting with some palm trees,
he showed his shot making ability by putting
his third shot on the green and making
par. Now that wasn’t hard at all. I could
already taste the cool victory libations.
There are 114 bunkers on this course, but
they are not as intimidating as the number.
Good shot selection will have you in
the short grass most of the time.
Now let’s talk # 9. This par 4, 358 yard is
the real teaser. If you care to, you can attempt
to take the corner on this left turn,
over the cypress trees with a fair landing
area, and a pitch to the green, or play it
safe and have a mid-iron in. Just remember,
everyone enjoying the fine fare at the clubhouse will be watching. They have a
perfect view of the happenings coming
into the ninth green. Well, the Duffer had
to at least try. Can you say SWEET- 90 yards
to the green! The rest of the Gang chose
the safe way. If you want to take pictures
of your game, this is the place. Johnson’s
Pond frames the right side with massive
oak trees overlooking an undulating green
that could be considered a 3 ½ par if you
take the Duffer’s short cut. I love Venetian
Bay. Best 9 hole round in a long time.
The front nine plays more through a
wooded section of the property while the
back nine has a more links look to it. After
a cool one at the clubhouse we were off to
#10, where again we had an easy
time of our beginning hole. The
number 2 handicap, 11th is a 556
yard par 5, and full of confidence,
the Duffer birdied it plus the 17th,
also a par 5. The fairways play side
by side on some of the back nine but the
mounding and layout keep the integrity of
the holes well defined. Our biggest challenge
of the round was the finishing hole
that has water all along the left side and a
green sitting out in a lake. There are bunkers
strategically placed near where your
drive should land and it gave the whole
Gang a fit. If you didn’t have enough sand
at the golf club, you can visit the Beach &
Swim Club with a lovely resort-style pool,
tiki bar and restaurant, located just up the
street. Venetian Bay is a private course,
but they have many different membership
plans including a non-resident package. To
find out more contact dmeyers@kempersports.
com and www.VenetianBayGolf.com
to learn more about this fabulous golf club
and community. |
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