On Friday March 16th, I had the pleasure of spending a couple hours riding around the brand new Park Ridge Golf Course in Lake Worth, Florida. My friend and former employer Roy Case is the architect and he was kind enough to show me around the site, along with his design partner Jeff Grossman.
I have played close to 50 courses in south Florida and I can honestly say there is nothing in the area like it. It is scheduled to open in the next week or so and the rates are supposed to be very reasonable (at $49 with cart I believe).
The course is on the site of a former landfill which was closed about 17 years ago. Since the majority of the golf course is built on top of the landfill, most holes have 360-degree views and are exposed to the ever-present winds in the area. There are virtually no trees on the site (except the obligatory plantings by the city
), and there is more elevation change on this site than Hawk's Nest in Vero Beach or Jupiter Hills.
The routing flows around the site very naturally and even with the elevation changes, the course is very walkable with tees relatively close to greens. (walking will be allowed)
There are only about 30 bunkers on the entire course, but I never felt like there should have been more. If there is one thing that GCA'ers may criticize, it's that the bunkers are fairly benign and they don't have the rough, natural look that is favored by many on this website. There are only a couple of forced carries, but the rest of the holes allow for shots to be bounced or rolled into the green. The course is fairly green right now, but they're starting to brown things up a bit and it will be playing firm and fast very soon.
There is this great expansive feel about the place. Just golf course and a lot of sky. This makes for some terrific blind shots, as well as many shots that you have to just trust the distance. This is not an easy proposition with the amount of wind on the site. The only water on the property is a large irrigation lake which runs along the par 5 12th, but it barely comes into play on 2 other holes
The course plays to a par 72 (35-37) with 6 par 3's, 6 par 4's, and 6 par 5's. It has a nice balance of short, medium, and long par 3's and par 4's. The yardage from the tips is 6919 with a course rating and slope of 73.2 and 134.
It's easy to get to as well. Take I-95 to the Lantana Road exit and head west past the Florida Turnpike until you reach the intersection of Lyons Road. The entrance to the course is just ahead on the right.
If you're in south Florida, it's definitely worth checking out.