Florida Guide > Golf
Diamondback Golf Club
Situated at 6501 State Road 544 East, Haines City, Florida 33844 the course was designed by the world-renowned golf course architect Joe Lee. A par 72 championship course built in an area of Virgin Florida Forest covering 240 acres. The course is very picturesque and many old trees survive with much wetland retained as hazard.
A friend had recently returned from a packaged golf holiday where all the venues had been organised for him. The one course his group really enjoyed was Diamondback and on my recent trip I wanted to see what this course had to offer.
Satellite Navigation set we left Davenport and headed for Haines City. The Sat Nav told us we had arrived and we noticed a small white sign and a dirt track, which we took. A strange entrance but we eventually arrived at the car park where we were warmly welcomed by the starter and fitted in a little earlier than the tee time we had booked.
From the very first hole it is clear you need to play straight, as there is little room for error. The only guaranteed route to the greens is generally an aerial one but the greens although undulating and often tough to read are very receptive to a pitch shot and the ball holds up on the green rather than scampering through. Bunkers are well prepared and the sand is soft with no nasty hard spots so a well-aimed bunker shot tends to go where directed.
The front nine are a variety of tree lined fairway holes with bunkers strategically placed to catch anything that is not directed at the hole. Wayward shots in to wasteland require a new ball as a number of these areas prohibit entry. The first time water really comes in to play is the par 5, 10th hole with an expanse most of the way up the left side of the fairway with anything close being swept into the wet stuff by the sloped banks. An array of bunkers adorns the right side of the fairway so again straight is the best policy.
Holes 11 to 15 run through more tree lined fairways with several greens surrounded by bunkers. The 16th to 18th were my favourite holes as they skirt round the main lake. They were very picturesque. A sandy beach area on the left of the 16th looked wonderful in the Florida sun and several turtles were basking in the open until I had to venture close to retrieve a sliced tee shot.
All had a very enjoyable afternoon in the Florida sun. Despite the name of the course we did not see a single snake but we didn’t go looking for one. This is a course I will visit again.
Round complete we headed back the way we had arrived only to find the gate locked. We drove back to the car park and tried leaving in the opposite direction. We now discovered the real entrance and exit to the course. A hundred and fifty yards down the road we saw the entrance we had initially used and yes you’ve guessed it we had used the tradesman’s entrance.
Author: Mike and Michelle Walden
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