back to Jupiter Hills

[archie_struthers]

 


Had the pleasure of playing Jupiter Hills today with one of my friends who is a member. Had a great time though my golf wasn't so great and remembered most of the shots but not how tricky the greens can be. We played the championship course of the two which is the Hills. The other course the Village is good in it's own right Hills tougher.. They have held many events and a national amateur , college championships and more.


So , here we go.  They have kept a special feel there. Though it's obviously family oriented in it's membership and certainly not a "mens" club , it remains a golf club first. You get the feeling seeing the pictures throughout the clubhouse and the practice facilities are spectacular. That ridge no doubt created by the ocean receding runs right down A1A north south and has spawned quite a few good to great golf courses in the immediate vicinity.


I got to play there a lots in my early twenties , as my good buddy was an assistant there. We played many night as the sun was fading back in the early 80's. But again just was super impressed with how many fun shots around the greens I had today , particularly as my iron shots were quite lacking. For anyone who hasn't played there and gets an invite don't miss it!

[Tim Gavrich]

My one round was at Media Day for the U.S. Four-Ball they hosted, so I haven't played it since the most recent work, which sounds like it may have opened things up and helped several holes to breathe a little bit. Is that accurate, Archie?


I liked the golf course a lot but found it very demanding - almost relentlessly so. The 9th might be the hardest par 3 in Florida.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I really liked the course on my one play. As Tim mentioned, nine is intimidating, although I hit it close that day. I did think that the course was a bit overrated simply because it was hilly. If the course were in the northeast, it wouldn't garner as much praise.

[Steve Lapper]

I was fortunate to play the "restored-renovated" version of Jupiter Hills last year and very much enjoyed it despite 20+mph winds.


Unquestionably, this property has the most elevation in all of South Florida. Greens and their surrounds are very well designed and are regularly maintained, I'm told, at lofty stimps. They rolled 11+ the day of my round. Add plenty of slope and the demand on a tidy short game is magnified. Fairway and approach turf was fast and firm and allowed for shots to bounce on accordingly.


The biggest negative was the preponderance of unkept sand and shrub at the edges of so many fairways. There was little or no rough and otherwise decent tee shots (especially with blustery winds) found themselves bouncing multiple times on grass before the last bounce or trickle into a depression, footprint, or shrub root 1-2ft off the fairway's edge. Pars turn into automatic bogeys or worse, making scoring frustratingly difficult. That, IMO, was a little too penal for my taste. That said, I loved the club's vibe, it's stern ask for good shots and challenging greens.


Apples to apples, it deserves its rating. It's abundant elevation, in a region with next-to-none, makes it unique and attractive. It's not in the Northeast and thus doesn't earn any knock.