TPC at Heron Bay (and TPCs in general)

[Tim Gavrich]

I'm looking, first of all, for opinions about TPC at Heron Bay.  My father and I may play there when we go to the Miami area in a few weeks, if there isn't a better option.  Any further suggestions about golf between and including Miami and Palm Beach?  Thanks.

And more generally, what is everyone's opinion about TPC courses.  Does the necessity of "Stadium golf" take away from the design?  What is the best TPC course there is?  I really like TPC at River Highlands, but I don't really like TPC at Myrtle Beach.

[PThomas]

Tim -- avoid the TPC at HB at almost all costs!!!

the best, consensus, seems to be, is the original TPC ...I think I posted a similar thread awhile ago and cannot remember any other TPC course getting above average reviews

[DTaylor18]

Tim, i just played TPC Heron Bay in October when in Ft. Lauderdale for a convention.  It was the worst TPC I have palyed by far.  Uninteresting course with ugly housing everyhwere.  It was nowhere as fun as TPC Scottsdale which has a pretty unique set of finishing holes or TPC at THe Canyons which did have too much housing but also had some unique holes.  However, if you are in the Miami to Palm Beach area, there are not a lot of greatp ublic options. I played Heron Bay because I knew it would at least be in good shape and have a nice facility, which it did.  

There are a number of options on the private side, but access isn't always so easy.  Far and away my favorite in Miami is Indian Creek which is a great Flynn course that doesn't feel like Florida.  Palm Beach has a lot of good private clubs too including all of the usual suspects.
 

[Steve_ Shaffer]

How about trying Miami Beach GC and giving us a report:

www.miamibeachgolfclub.com

Also, how about the Ross course at The Biltmore in Coral Gables ?

[DTaylor18]

Steve, I did not play the Ross course at the Biltmore, but I stayed at the hotel and the course did not look very exciting, and I am a big Ross fan.

[David_Madison]

Absolutely stay away from Heron Bay. Bland, boring, blech, blah nothing course. Maybe interesting in a 50 mph wind, but otherwise will put you to sleep by the turn. I almost feel sorry for the alligators and mosquitoes who lost their homes.

Colony West (in Tamarac about 10 miles west of Fort Lauderdale) is a super semi-private course that once upon a time was listed by one of the major magazines as having one of the highest course ratings in the country. The course is an older (30 or so years) Devlin/Von Hagge design with a lot of very strong and well-designed holes. Lots of PGA Tour players would go out there and battle the thing back in the 1970's and early 80's when the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic was played nearby. Gave'm fits.

[Don Dinkmeyer]

Let me join the chorus on TPC HB. My mom lives in csprings so i've been out there too many times. There are some others in the area far far more interesting, i think one is deer creek?

greg norman has just built a course in parkland, the town to the north. haven't played it but think it might be "interesting".

[Mitch Hantman]

Don,

It is possibly Norman's best course to date.

[Jerry Kluger]

Tim: Sometimes we get a bit spoiled and overly critical and I would say there are some good public venues in the area although the TPC courses are not part of that group.  I have enjoyed Emerald Hills in Hollywood, Emerald Dunes in West Palm, Polo Trace in Delray, and Links at Madison Green in West Palm.  They may not be the best in the area but the private courses are simply private and if you play them before Dec. 15 the price is not outrageous.  

[Doug Wright]

I played TPC at Heron Bay (McCumber) in a pro am back in 2001 when they still had the Honda Classic there, and I was shocked that a PGA Tour would hold a tournament on such a lame, uninteresting course. Tee to green boring--even in the wind. No surprise they abandoned that course for Mirabel--too boring even for the pros who want to post a low number. I played nearby TPC at Eagle Trace (Art Hills) as well. This was a former Honda venue too but was too tough for the Tour so they abandoned it. I found Eagle Trace to be tricked up and very penal especially in the very windy S Fla spring conditions--sort of the polar opposite of Heron Bay. We also played Weston Hills (RTJ Jr.), yet another former Honda venue. I liked this course quite a lot--more traditional, really solid bunkering and decent variety. I'd play there again. The two TPCs--fuhgedaboudit.

[Matt_Ward]

Tim:

Just to second what David M said about Colony West in Tamarac. The layout is one of the best Devlin / Von Hagge layouts that I've ever played. And, unlike plenty of the nondescript / boring Florida layouts there is plenty of strategic challenges when playing there.

Unfortunately, because so much of the awareness of Florida golf is tied to ad dollars / marketing, etc, etc, you get little discussion on some of the lesser known layouts.

Colony West suffers no fools and I would still rate the par-4 12th as being one of the best long par-4's in all of the Sunshine State.

P.S. If you want to save a few bucks and don't mind muni golf play the Pine Course at Pompano Beach GC. You'll be asking what's the big deal for the first two holes -- after that things become rather interesting.