[Bryan Izatt]

Bella Collina is a dormant real estate development northwest of Orlando, not too far from Sugarloaf Mountain, another failed real estate development.

Apparently all the lots were sold a few years ago, but only one single person has built on the property.  The golf course and clubhouse were completed before things dried up.  The property is located on and around a fairly large hill.  The entrance to the property and the clubhouse evole an Italian village.  It really reminded me of Tuscany, complete with columnar pines.  We were told that the clubhouse cost $40M to build.  It is one of the most lavish, yet nice clubhouses that I have seen.  The clubhouse looks more like a Tuscan village from afar.




And looks even more like one in and around it. 




The golf course was credited to Nick Faldo.  There are a number of interesting holes. There are also a few negative things that stand out about it.  The most obvious are the enormous number of huge bunkers everywhere on the course.  The second is that many of the holes, particularly on the front nine, are routed across the side of the hill.  Although they look wide, they effectively play narrow because of the severe side to side cant of the fairways.   A lasting impression is made by the closing holes on each nine.  They are just plain stupid holes.  There is nowhere to drive the ball without getting it into the gunch because of the cant of the farways (and beware of poisonous snakes in the gunch).  The 9th is so bad that they've put up a green fence to trap balls to the left of the fairway they disappear.  Hard to say how they expected the prospective members to play the course.




More pictures to come when the posting screen stops jumping around.

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole 1 is severely downhill.  Keep it left.  Dormant model home in the distance.








Hole 2 is a par 5 with a blind tee shot, and no pictures.


Hole 3 is a longish par 4 with another blind drive.  There is a very narrow driving target.

[Alex Miller]

Looking forward to the rest, Bryan.

That clubhouse really does give off the Tuscan vibe like you said! The picture of the courtyard truly resembles one you might find in a hill-town in Tuscany.

As for the course, I'm getting a very Schmidt-Curley vibe so far in the scale and to a slightly lesser extent shape of the bunkers. Intrigued for what's to come.

[Bill_McBride]

Looking forward to the rest, Bryan.

That clubhouse really does give off the Tuscan vibe like you said! The picture of the courtyard truly resembles one you might find in a hill-town in Tuscany.

Just a whole lot newer looking!

[Bryan Izatt]

Bill,

It is newer, but it is not fake.  They used real stones and bricks.  All it needs is a few hundred years to age nicely.   

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole 4 is a Redan-like longish par 3.




Hole 5 is a long dogleg left par 4








Hole 6 is a drivable, uphill par 4 with a split fairway.  Looking back from behind the green

[Mike Sweeney]

Keep posting. Have only driven by it a few times and from the road, it looks very sidehill. So far it looks pretty good to me.

Thanks

[Greg Tallman]

Looks kinda interesting for central florida... minus the blood sucking clubhouse

[Buck Wolter]

I'm heading to Orlando next week and there is a reasonable  'Member for a Day' tee time available here -- looks like it might be a good pick.

I can't even find Sugarloaf on the web, is it a NLE?

Buck

[Steve_ Shaffer]

It was Mark Lye, the former PGAT player and now a Golf Channel commentator, who built the only house in Bella Colina:

http://sworlandoblog.com/2009/08/05/the-golf-channel-and-new-york-times-comment-on-ginn/


http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?action=printpage;topic=40868.0

[Bryan Izatt]

Buck,

Bella Collina is on golfnow.com  Not sure if that is the member for a day you are seeing.

Sugarloaf Mountain still exists.  I was there today.  They are managed by Hampton golf.  Try their web site at www.hamptongolfclubs.com  You'll still have to call the club if you want a tee time.  If you sign up there you'll get promo offers for Sugarloaf.  Enter the tee guessing contest and get a free foursome at Sugarloaf.  The course is good and very hilly for Florida.  The greens are now in good shape although the tees and fairways are a little ratty.  Still worth a visit.

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole 7 is a medium par 3 that plays more up hill and blind, the sorter the tees are that you use.  A small funky green that is further left than it looks.






Around the other side of the driving range (very nice) Hole 8 is dogleg left long par 4 that plays downhill, and thus shorter than its stated length.






Hole 9 is a goofy par 5 dogleg right, uphill and blind off the tee with a fairway that cants severely to the left.  You can only play up the right, higher side.  Anywhere else will kick left into the gunch if it's not caught by the fence.






Saving fence on left side of fairway

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole 10 is a short downhill par 4 with a sharp dogleg at the end and a robust nest of bunkers on the inside.






The 11th is a medium length par 3 that looks longer and more uphill than it is.  A neat green site.






Hole 12 is a short par 5 with a lot of bunkers dictating the line of play.  The green is pretty severe befitting a short par 5.

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole 13 is a mid length dogleg right par 4. 






Hole 14 is the short par 4 on the back nine.  If tees are moved up, may be drivable, but very small target.  Second picture is from behind green looking back.






Hole 15 is a shortish par 5 slightly uphill at first.  Four or five foot embankment in front of green to make it difficult to run in a second shot.

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole 16 is a mid length par 3.






Hole 17 may be the best hole on the course, or at least the toughest.  It;s a long uphill par 4 dogleg left.  The fairway tilts right as the hole turns left.  The second shot is uphill and is made blind by a bunker that is 40 to 70 yards short of the green.  The bank behind the green helps contain overly long second shots.








Hole 18 is another goofy hole with a blind tee shot, an impossibly narrow driving slot and a fairway that tilts precipitously right and runs off into gunch.  I have a picture of the tee shot, but nothing further.  I was po'd that I lost my ball on what looked like a good hit on a good line, but apparently wasn't.

[Anthony Gray]

  The bunkering does stand out. Maybe overdone.  I like the interest on the greens. I think I could break 100. Does not look like the Florida I'm familiar with.

  Anthony

[Bill_McBride]

Both front nine par 3s are very Redan-esque.   Unusual to see two on one course, but they both take good advantage of that sidehill terrain.

[Bruce Katona]

I really enjoyed the pictures.....lots of moving land contours, especially for a Florida course....touch up a few holes (9&18 to get back to the clubhouse) and the place would be outstanding.

[Frank Sullivan]

I've only played Bella Collina 4 times.  Generally, it is enjoyable although quirky mostly in a good way.  However, I must say that #8 and #9 are terrible, with #9 being one of the most poorly designed holes I have played.

#8 is a Par 4...yardages are 521, 505, 485, 460 (Member), 429, 392...the hole is SLIGHTLY downhill.  If you play the Championship Tees at 6920 yds total, then this Par 4 is at 485.  Just a ridiculous yardage out of character with the overall length of the course...especially in a residential community.  

#9 is a Par 5...The tee shot is tricky and slopes to the left...you can hit driver but risk hitting through the fairway and down into the hazard on the left.  What makes the design of this hole terrible?  Your 2nd shot is brutal.  You can't land the ball in the fairway with a long club as it will roll into the "fence" that lines the hazard on the left.  You literally have to land the ball in the right rough and hope it stays in the rough...and not behind any of the trees.  Absolutely terrible design.  Not really sure how to explain it further without sounding like I am bashing the course.  

Besides #8 and #9, the course is fun...lots of elevation for FL, and a good set of greens.  It is only a few miles from Sugarloaf Mountain, so it makes a good day of golf to do 18 at SM and 18 at BC.

[Ed Brzezowski]

Fun? Really?  I would rather endure " it's a small world " with snotty kids.  Staff nice but believe you are playing a gem. All in all Reunion was much better.

[RJ_Daley]

Bella Collina is a dormant real estate development northwest of Orlando, not too far from Sugarloaf Mountain, another failed real estate development.

Apparently all the lots were sold a few years ago, but only one single person has built on the property.  The golf course and clubhouse were completed before things dried up.  The property is located on and around a fairly large hill.  The entrance to the property and the clubhouse evole an Italian village.  It really reminded me of Tuscany, complete with columnar pines.  We were told that the clubhouse cost $40M to build.  It is one of the most lavish, yet nice clubhouses that I have seen.  The clubhouse looks more like a Tuscan village from afar.




And looks even more like one in and around it. 

Wow, that really looks authentic.  It looks like just about every hill top village in Tuscany.  It makes you wonder if the stone is real and where they brought in that kind of rock.  They must have kept the same folk who built the Italian village at Epcot busy doing these copies. 

[Rob_Waldron]

Anyone who has played a Steve Smyers design can instantly recognize his influence in the design of Bella Colina. When the winds howl as they often do here the course provides an extreme challenge. I really enjoyed the course and look forward to returnimg. Yes there are some blind and confusing shots which should be eliminated after an intial round. Well worth the trip north from Orlando!

[Ed Brzezowski]

Well Sir you are a better man than me. We had 20 guys, 6 current and former club champs, none of whom could hold the fairway on 9 nor 18. We even went back to re tee and found the fairway impossible to hold. A short trip into the right ditch yielded 17 golf balls. I guess if you play enough you would know to hit a 6 iron and pray, however I believe it needs a few hours with a big freakin earth mover.

However I love Merion and that makes me weird. Will not be doing a retun visit next year to BC, besides I HATE SNAKES!

[Mike Sweeney]

I played the course today and there are new owners. I was told the key investor is a minority owner of the Red Sox:

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2012/07/bella-collinas-new-owner-seeks-to.html?page=all

They are building an addition to the clubhouse ( !! ) with a new banquet facility, pool, and tennis courts. Here is a report on the re-sale of a lakefront home:

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2013/05/bella-collinas-big-home-sale-27.html

I enjoyed the course, but some of the comments above are true. It is a huge course and not walkable. I played well from the 6500 yard tees and had 3 birdies, but still shot 85 as there is lots of big number potential on a few holes. It calls for some very fun, heroic shots, but they will need to make some adjustments on some of the driving areas if they want a membership someday or a regular group of repeat players.

Neat course for Florida, back to Streamsong tomorrow for comparison. Bella Collina was $53 via GolfNow....

[John Percival]

As it was meant as a private course, in time, the funky tee shots would become 'comfortable', even a novelty, for members. As a public venue , however, those same tee shots become an irritant. Unless players return with some course knowledge/recollection. If the funkiness is too severe or recurring, the likelihood of return visits diminishes and the problems would need fixing for a course to attract repeat rounds.
Regarding the sloping fairways...playing a curved shot into the slope vastly increases the usable width. Imagine that slope as a sort of backstop. And when trying to draw tee balls, it is easier to shut down and control a 3 wood vs a driver.
Also, and this will help almost 90% of players....STOP hitting driver on 5 pars. Do so only if:
   you can reasonably reach the green in two shots,
   the second must carry a hazard or feature of some distance (i.e. #2 at the Ocean Course)
   there is a significant benefit of being closer to the green on your second shot (level lie or attack angle on the third)
Most players swing driver and put themselves in a poor position off the tee that reverberates for the rest of the hole. Play 5 wood twice and you'll often find yourself in a very aggressive position for your approach. Funny how much easier the game is from the fairway. And, no snakes!

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