If you ever cross into Florida down I-75, play here: Lake City Country Club

We took a little trip last weekend to this immensely fun and challenging little course in Lake City, FL, The Country Club at Lake City.

Anyone who has ever been down I-75 in N. FL area has probably seen this sign before:

That sign sits on #16, a reachable par 5( only one on the course for sub 340 yard hitters )

This course features surprisingly numerous changes in elevation, curves, split fairways, and VERY strategically places bunkers and hazards.  You will not overpower this course.  It forces you to think on every tee shot, and I love that.

While you may not overpower the shorter holes, there are some that will test your distance.  #3 is such an animal.

415 yards from the blues, 430 from the tips, to a small elevated green.  It's pretty open, but trust me when I say that the small green is pretty darned hard to hit with a 5 iron.

Next comes a stretch I call Reload Alley, 4-6, that wrap around a lake.  4 and 6 are Narrow par 4's, 5 is a 170 yard par 3.  5 especially, is nasty.  Short is wet, right is wet, way left is trees, left is in a pot bunker that you have to blast out of with water in your face.  The green is smaller than my living room, elevated, and slopes down to wooden bulkheads on three sides.  Missing it in pretty much any way is dead unless you are a GREAT bunker shotmaker.

This is from the green on 4, starring my playing partner:

After all these water holes is #7. It is only a 145 yard par 3 as the crow flies, but has a 30 foot increase in elevation from tee to green.  It's severe enough I played this hole 175 yards and put it in the center of the green with a light wind.

#10 ( and I am sorry I didn't get pics ) is a monster.  It's a split fairway dogleg left and 25 feet uphill.  at the turn of the dogleg is a large water hazard.  Playing up short of the hazard demands a 200+ yard approach 25 feet uphill, getting past the hazard off the tee requires a carry of over 260 yards with a perfectly timed draw.  Most amateurs will land in the water if they pull driver.  I played a 3 wood and damn near splashed it.

#14 is a really pretty par 3, but uphill as all hell and has water in front of the tee.  From the blue tees, it measured 190 yards and played more like 210.  The happiest part of my day there was hitting this green.

16 is a reachable par 5 down hill with a sharp dogleg right, however there is water right in the center of the fairway past the turn that keeps you from trying to cut the corner.  A perfect tee shot will leave 220-ish and about 10 feet uphill to reach in two.  It's probably the easiest hole on the course if you lay up to the 100.

17 is a medium length par 3 ( 170 yards)  and mostly tame, depending on pin position.

18 is also tame till you get on the green.  There's some serious undulation here and my 3 foot second putt broke at least 2 feet going downhill.

This is a great course, and I recommend it to anyone who happens to be in the area.  Weekends with cart run 48 bucks, but they will let you walk if you prefer.  42 bucks for weekdays.  It is in AWESOME shape right now, even with the rye.

It's challenging from the blues, mostly tame from the whites, and downright evil from the tips.

Oh wow! Looks great. Thanks... By far Your favorite?