TPC Treviso Bay a water-laden wonder in Naples, Florida
NAPLES, Fla. – At times, TPC Treviso Bay looks like Jurassic Park.
Architect Arthur Hills and player consultant Hal Sutton were handed a virtual jungle five miles east of Naples bordering the 110,000-acre Rookery Bay National Estuarine Reserve. Thick scrub vegetation and tree cover and wetlands make up this stunning 7,367-yard course.
The host of the Champions Tour's 2009 ACE Group Classic was built to be a millionaire's private-club playground, opening in 2008. That much is obvious when golfers pull in the gates and see all the fountains, fancy homes and Mediterranean architecture along the two-mile drive to the golf course. Financial troubles derailed those plans, opening the club to the public last June under new owner Lennar Homes.
Water steals the show throughout the round, especially on the Cape hole at no. 11 and the long par 5s at nos. 12 and 18. High-handicappers have a reason to fear TPC Treviso Bay. Director of Golf Mark Wilhelmi said the course plays in "tournament condition" during the high season when the grass is dormant, which allows balls to roll into trouble spots.
I personally witnessed a foursome of players -- all with handicaps of less than 12 -- lose more than 20 balls. Yet we all walked off the course with smiles on our faces raving about the place. While stomping your pride, the TPC Treviso Bay somehow manages to steal your heart, too.
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Photo Gallery: TPC Treviso Bay a water-laden wonder in Naples, Florida
