VERO BEACH, Florida – Willie Nelson’s “On the road again” has become my favorite song as I travel throughout Central Florida visiting, playing, and writing about golf courses along the way. It is difficult to comprehend the number of private, semi-private, and public courses there are just in this one area of the Sunshine State. This morning I headed out to The Course at Pointe West which is a private golf course located about two hours southeast of Orlando just off Interstate 95 in the beautiful city of Vero Beach.
Pointe West offers golfers over ten acres of practice facilities which include an extensive practice area, realistic target greens, numerous sand traps, chipping areas, pitching areas, three practice putting greens and a wedge tee dedicated to working on those all-important scoring shots. A visit to the Pro Shop was met with a smile and a warm greeting along with a chance to spend some time browsing through a well-stocked inventory of golfer’s equipment and clothing.
Rising from an old citrus grove, Pointe West was developed in 1999. Golf course architect John Sanford had a vision for a uniquely sculpted course, elevated tees, elevated landing areas, undulating fairways and elevated greens. Unique bunker complexes were created to highlight subtle mounding while water plays a significant role on a number of holes which requires an increased level of accuracy off most tees.
A testament to the variety of holes created by Sanford is Pointe West’s par 5s. Both the second and the ninth holes are reachable in two solid shots; the tenth hole requires two long strategically placed strikes to get home and the mammoth 598 yard 16th is a true three shot test. Multiple tees throughout the course ensure an enjoyable yet challenging game for golfers at all levels.
Playing in a foursome with two friends who are members of Pointe West played a key role in my ability to negotiate a challenging golf course. The first order of business was to spend some valuable time on the putting green trying to manage the “Lightening Fast” Bermuda greens. This was my first inclination that it could be a long day.
COURSE
Playing from the White Tees (68.5/127 5826 Yards), the first couple of holes played straight with fairway bunkers waiting for a wayward shot. The well-cut fairways contributed to some longer than usual drives but also took some off-center shots quickly into hazard areas and bunkers. The greens were exact replicas of the practice green but included subtle breaks that sent your perfect putt sliding painfully passed the hole.
The front nine holes are strategically located around and between the houses and includes numerous bodies of water found on a number of holes. The 3rd hole par 4/364 yards was my first introduction into the art of ball placement on this course. A bunker in the middle of the fairway almost teases you to hit the ball to the spacious left side of the fairway. Unfortunately, this leaves you with a second shot along the water that leads to a wellplaced bunker guarding the entire left side of the green. The 8th hole par 3 was the most interesting hole on the front nine. This 167-yard hole seemed to play much longer. Water along the left side and a bunker guarding the left front of the green made this hole a bogey in waiting!
The back nine was an entirely different golfing experience. The 10th hole par 5/486 yards is a long dogleg left with water stretching around the entire front of the green. A well-placed shot down the left side of the fairway would give you your best shot at reaching the green in 2. Unfortunately, that would also include a 280 yard shot over water. Your 1st shot should be place as far down the middle as possible. It is the 2nd shot that will require some thought. A shot over a large mound on the left side will get you the closes to the hole but will require a 160 yard 3rd shot mostly over water. A shot further down will leave you with a little more distance but less water to cover.
The 12th hole par 4/386 yards is a “Monster” hole. This dogleg left hole will challenge every level of golfer that steps up to the tee. With water running the entire left side of the fairway, it beckons you to pick your confidence distance and “let it rip.” Cutting the corner over the water for most golfers will still leave a close to 200 yards 2nd shot.
The 18th hole par 4 is a beautiful signature hole with a small waterfall located just to the lower left side of the green. This 260 yard hole will challenge the long hitters but water down the left side and a small meandering stream just below the green’s fringe area will make a layup shot more feasible.
Pointe West is a course that will give you a better understanding of just what it takes to give a community of golfers the best course possible. It is a golf course that was designed to bring your game to its highest level on every hole. There are no easy holes but choosing the right Tee Box is the first step to bringing each hole closer to your ability level.
The best thing about playing this course is that you need to be accompanied by a member. Listen closely to them because they hold the “secrets” you will need to make your round at Pointe West an enjoyable experience.
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