Sugarloaf Mountain, Now and Then

[BCowan]

There have been many opinions voiced about the course and overall project, but the view from the range and 1st tee over Lake Opopka was incredible, especially on a Florida site.

Ken

I'm curious what the land would go for?  I am curious how much to clear and re seed would cost, not that much is my guess?  If irrigation is intact that is big plus.  Building new lodging would be highest cost and imperative to success.  Not many Florida destination clubs that are affordable, so under supply IMO.  The remoteness is so cool.  Curious if those in the know could give guesstimates.   

[Quinn Thompson]

...Ol' Sugarloaf Mountain is still alive and well in the world of Fiction, for it shows up in Omar El Akkad's apocalyptic novel "American War", a tale about a family from the Bayou and how America's second Civil War, set around the year of 2075, takes it's toll and seals it's fate on this American family of 5, the Chestnuts.


Anyways, the story dabs with rising temperatures and sea levels (along with drones, suicide bombers, and arms being shipped from the Middle Eastern Empires aid the "Free Southern States)...and so, most of the coastal states have lost ground to the encroaching sea...the town of Augusta is seen as a shipping dock for "The Free Southern States", and the state of Florida is all but gone, except that is, for Sugarloaf ( Mountain ), which I believe is the highest point in the Sunshine State, thus it hypothetically survives the rising ocean and is known as "Sugarloaf Detention Facility", a Guantanamo Bay of sorts, a rock out in the "Florida Sea", used by the "Blues" to make captives of the Southern Rebellion "sing"...dark story, I know.


Not really too golf related, far from it, but, interesting that the site still survives when the country does not...so yes, perhaps their is hope...MAGA.


...here's a map that is shown on the opening pages, and an excerpt from the book, describing Sugarloaf in it's future state.

[Bill Crane]

Sugarloaf, at 312 feet is the highest point on Peninsular Florida.  The fifth highest in the state.


Britton Hill on the panhandle is the highest at 345 feet.


Per Wikipedia.

[Tom_Doak]

I thought Mountain Lake claimed to be the highest point in Florida?

[Jonathan Webb]

Tom,

I believe you are referencing Iron Mountain which is next door at Bok Tower Gardens.

"Iron Mountain is one of the highest points in peninsular Florida, United States and a prominent point of the Lake Wales Ridge. Rising 295 feet (90 m) above sea level,[1] The mountain contains citronelle, a hematite-containing rock that oxidizes when exposed to air and is responsible for the red-brown color of the earth.[1] The ridge is located just north of the city of Lake Wales. The tower of the famous tourist attraction Bok Tower Gardens is built on the summit.[2]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Florida%27s_highest_points

[Rees Milikin]

I thought Mountain Lake claimed to be the highest point in Florida?

Bok Tower sits on one of the highest points in the state, but in peninsular FL, it's somewhere in the 5th to 6th highest point range.  Sugarloaf Mtn is indeed the highest point in the peninsular part of the state.


As for bringing the course back, they just finished an exit off of the turnpike that takes you almost directly to the course.  Whether or not that ends up being a good thing for the course revival remains to be seen...[size=78%]http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/lake/os-minneola-turnpike-interchange-20160513-story.html[/size]

[Brad Tufts]

2 (I assume these are the two near the clubhouse) out of 2555???

You would think if you sell/build even half of those, you'd have enough interest to revive the course.

I played it in 2012 in March...it was a cool place, I was sad to see it go, but you could see the writing on the wall as conditioning had already taken a hit before closing.