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Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
If you are in the Tampa Bay area of Florida you really owe it to yourself to check out Southern Hills Plantation Golf Course located in Brooksville, Florida. Some of the residents say that Southern Hills Plantation is the best golf course in Florida…  judge for yourself! This course is located about 45 minutes north of Tampa and is one of the highest rated courses in the area. Designed by Pete Dye, this course offers such beautiful scenery with its rolling hills that offer some 5-10 mile vistas that you never would expect to see in central Florida. The hills on the course make a dependable range finder a real necessity on the course. We recommend the Bushnell Wingman speaker as it can be used as a bluetooth speaker as well as your personal caddy on the course. It included app gives you distance to the front, back, and middle of the green in addition to distance to hazards. You are able to move a target around on the fairway to determine distance to specific locations and how long that would leave to the green. CLICK HERE to take a look at this very handy golf accessory.
This course also offers some of the most challenging greens that we have ever played. The undulations on the greens, often at opposition with the surrounding terrain, makes the reads on the greens really something. I couldn’t tell you how many times an entire foursome will agree a put is going to break 1.5′ right to left only to see it actually break left to right??? It makes for a very fun course to play and will always keep you on your toes. The placement of the holes will sometime make you scratch your head and maybe mumble a few choice words under your breath.
In this article we will explore the holes on this beautiful course. We will show a video driving down the cart path on each hole and try to point out some of the interesting design features. Bear in mind that we are not pros and are describing all of this through the eyes of amateur golfers. A pro may see it a little differently but I guess most of our readers will be amateurs like us.
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole # 1
- Par 4
- Blue Yardage = 373
- White Yardage = 344
- Red Yardage = 300
- Men's Handicap = 7
- Women's Handicap = 9
Hole 1 at Southern Hills Plantation Golf Course is the perfect hole to kick off a great round of golf. Pretty straight forward par 4 with bunkers down much of the left side of the fairway. Anything on the left side of the fairway will typically feed down the hill, right to left, into one of the bunkers or into a lower area in the rough. There is one fairway bunker on the right side. Miss the fairway to the right and you may end up in the fairway of hole 2. This is not a terrible place to be and you may still have a descent approach angle. On your second shot into the green keep and eye on the large sand trap protecting the front-left and the left of the green. The back of the green is a steep drop down into a pond. This can be a difficult green to stop the ball on but coming up a little short or a little right keep you in pretty good condition.
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole # 2
- Par 4
- Blue Yardage = 342
- White Yardage = 312
- Red Yardage = 283
- Men's Handicap = 9
- Women's Handicap = 7
Hole 2 at Southern Hills Plantation Golf Course keeps the fun going. It is a dogleg left with a water hazard within reach of most drives on the left side of the fairway. There are several well placed bunkers along the left and right sides of the fairway but all well visible from the tee box. Keep the ball down the middle or right of middle for the best approach shot to the green on your second shot. The green is protected by bunkers to the left of the green and a water hazard even farther left. It is a fairly large green with some very impressive undulations. If you have par’d the first two holes, keep the hammer down and let’s see if we can birdie #3! Help support our efforts, click the link to the right and pick up a box of Titleist Pro V1 golf balls for your next round of golf!
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole #3
- Par 3
- Blue Yardage = 171
- White Yardage = 149
- Red Yardage = 121
- Men's Handicap = 15
- Women's Handicap = 13
At 150 yards from the white, Hole 3 is a great chance to snag a birdie. The green is very deep but not super wide. It is protected by a bunker on the right. The hole seems to play longer than it looks. There is a creek crossing the fairway just below the tee box. You will cross the creek on a wooden bridge on the way from the tee box to the green. Depending on the pin placement, the undulations on this green can be a real challenge. Get your tee shot within 20 or 30 feet of the pin and you should be in good shape. Lily Pond just to the left of the green makes for a beautiful hole.
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole #4
- Par 4
- Blue Yardage = 372
- White Yardage = 358
- Red Yardage = 320
- Men's Handicap = 5
- Women's Handicap = 1
Ok, we are starting to ramp up the difficulty now. This is the most difficult par 4 you will you will face on the front nine (whites or blues). If fact, this is rated the hardest hole on the course from the Red Tees. You will need to keep your tee shot on the right side of the fairway on this hole. The left side, like hole number 1, is lined with pot bunkers and the fairway drops steeply down to the left into the rough. Keeping the hole up the right sided provides a nice approach into this very wide but shallow green. With a trap left front, center front, and right front, dropping your second shot on the green is pretty important here. Like many holes here, getting the ball to stop on the green can be a challenge. Fortunately, a little roll off the back with not hurt you too bad here. Take note at the beauty of the houses along the fairway and you will start to get a feel for why Southern Hills Plantation is one of the most desirable communities in the area.
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole #5
- Par 5
- Blue Yardage = 492
- White Yardage = 474
- Red Yardage = 423
- Men's Handicap = 3
- Women's Handicap = 3
The temperatures in Brooksville typically get about 10 degrees colder than Tampa on cold mornings. Keep your hands toasty and ready for your next swing with the handwarmers at the link to the left. Hole number 5 is a long one and you will definitely need your hands ready to go on this Par 5!  This hole is ranked the 3rd most difficult from both the Men’s and Women’s tees. It takes a nice drive, second shot, and approach shot to get on the green here. Try to play this hole up the right side as the whole fairway is sloped right to left down into some bunkers and a low rough area. To the right of the cart path, up the right side, is some fairy deep rough. Depending on how high the grass is it is easy to lose a ball here. Farther right is the fairway for hole 6. If you happen to hit a bad slice and end up over there it is not too bad to recover from. Long golf drivers may reach this green in 2, but for the rest of us the second shot is important here. Try to get you second shot in the center of the fairway so that you can avoid the pot bunkers protecting the left front and right front of this green. This green is large and fairly flat.
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole #6
- Par 4
- Blue Yardage = 419
- White Yardage = 356
- Red Yardage = 320
- Men's Handicap = 11
- Women's Handicap = 11
Hole 6, here at Southern Hills Plantation Country Club, is a fairly straight forward par 4. A great tee shot here is one up the right side of the fairway, which shortens up the hole a little for you. While playing this hole make sure to take in the view to the right of the fairway. You will see why Hills is in the name of this beautiful course. Many people think of Florida being flat but, to locals, areas of Brooksville are know for their rolling hills and scenic vistas. Landing your drive a little right of center on this fairway will give you a great approach shot. You will be hitting into the longest part of the green and avoiding the two traps protecting the left front and left sides of the fairway. A relatively flat green puts a birdie within reach if you can get your second shot close.
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole #7
- Par 5
- Blue Yardage = 531
- White Yardage = 476
- Red Yardage = 396
- Men's Handicap = 1
- Women's Handicap = 5
Tighten up your shoes and clean the grooves on your golf clubs. You are going to need it here on the Par 5 number 7 hole. This is ranked the most difficult from the men’s and 5th most difficult from the women’s tees. At 531 yards from the blues and having some of the most elevation change on the course, this hole can punish you for being too aggressive or reward you nicely if you pull it off! Keep your drive to the left edge of this fairway as you will be hitting up a steep hill and it slopes strongly to the right down to a long trap. If you can land your drive left of center you will have a beautiful look at the green which will be well below you. This makes it tempting to overhit the ball and try to reach the green in two. Long hitters can pull it off but I have learned I am not one of them. Consider using your second shot to cut the distance to the green in half and leave yourself a nice approach shot to the green. Just avoid the bunker protecting the right front and you are on the large green. If you pull off a par on this hole give yourself a golf clap as that was quite a feat.
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole #8
- Par 3
- Blue Yardage = 154
- White Yardage = 138
- Red Yardage = 121
- Men's Handicap = 17
- Women's Handicap = 17
Ok, take a deep breath and decompress a little from that tough par 5. On to the relatively easy par 3 number 8 hole here at Southern Hills Plantation. Only two bunkers in play. One front left of the green and one left of the green. Large green and some safe area to the front right and right of the green. Back right and back of the green can leave a tricky chip. Get your tee shot close and you make score a birdie on this beautiful golf hole. Get ready for the next par 4 with a bag of Martini unbreakable golf tees. These tees have been proven in independent lab tests to provide longer and straighter drives than traditional wooden tees. CLICK HERE or the link to the right to read about these stroke shaving tees!
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole #9
- Par 4
- Blue Yardage = 300
- White Yardage = 272
- Red Yardage = 204
- Men's Handicap = 13
- Women's Handicap = 15
Getting ready for the turn but we have one more par 4 before that beer and a snack. This is a short hole but it is uphill so it will play longer than the yardage suggests. Play to the left of center of the fairway to give you the best approach angle to this green. There are traps and pot bunkers protecting the left and right edges of the fairway as you near the green. There is also a nasty trap at the right front edge of the green. End up here and you will be testing your sand skills for sure. This is one of the easier par 4 holes at the Southern Hills golf club. Hit a second shot into this beautiful green that sticks close and you might be able to finish the front nine with a birdie.
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole #10
- Par 4
- Blue Yardage = 387
- White Yardage = 350
- Red Yardage = 387
- Men's Handicap = 12
- Women's Handicap = 16
Ok, hope you grabbed a “Turn Dog” or some other snack at Pete’s Grill and are ready to take on the back nine. Hole 10 will get your head right back into your golf game. This par 4 has a long bunker down the first half of the right side of the fairway. The fairway slopes from left to right so you are well advised to play your drive down the left side of this green. At about 220 yards (from the white tees) the fairway drops down a fairly large hill. If you can land your drive on this downslope you will pick up some extra distance. Bunkers protect the left front, left, and right side of this green. A good miss on your second shot would be a little short. This beautiful Pete Dye designed green has a pond behind it making it another spectacular view you are now beginning to expect here at Southern Hills Plantation.
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole # 11
- Par 4
- Blue Yardage = 399
- White Yardage = 356
- Red Yardage = 304
- Men's Handicap = 8
- Women's Handicap = 14
Hole 11 here at Southern Hills Plantation Golf Course is the first of three holes that run from north to south along the east edge of the Southern Hills Plantation Community. This hole is best played up the right side of the fairway. There is one bunker on the right side that will be carried by most golfers. A ball played up the right will tend to roll slightly towards the center of the fairway. A second shot from the right side gives you the best approach shot into this green. There is a tough bunker extending down the whole left side of the green. A miss short or slightly right of the green will keep you in the hunt for par on this hole.
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Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole # 12
- Par 5
- Blue Yardage = 490
- White Yardage = 477
- Red Yardage = 433
- Men's Handicap = 4
- Women's Handicap = 2
As you can see from the handicap rankings shown above, Hole #12 at Southern Hills Plantation Golf Course is a very difficult par 5. Water runs the entire length of the fairway down the left. A good tee shot here will be up the right side to avoid the water and pot bunkers. Check your distance from the location of your tee shot. If you cannot reach the green with your second shot then you need to play this shot to the left side of the fairway. This will get you around a bunch of bunkers and give you the best approach angle for this green. The green has one bunker in the front and one on the right front. Once on the green you should be in good shape here.
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole # 13
- Par 3
- Blue Yardage = 136
- White Yardage = 125
- Red Yardage = 114
- Men's Handicap = 18
- Women's Handicap = 18
Take a breath. You just made it through a couple of tough and long holes. Now we are at the easiest hole of the round… the par 2 number 13 is a fun little hole that gives you a real chance to score a birdie. The green is a little lower than the tee box. Two bunkers protect the front right portion of the green. Other than that, this hole is very straight forward and fun.
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Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole # 14
- Par 4
- Blue Yardage = 419
- White Yardage = 381
- Red Yardage = 341
- Men's Handicap = 6
- Women's Handicap = 12
Hole 14 is a par 4 with most of the trouble occurring down the left side of the fairway. There are numerous bunkers over on the left but keep your tee shot down the middle or right of middle and you are in a great spot. From here your approach shot will be the best it can be. One bunker on the right front can cause so concern but, other than that, getting to the green here is fairly straightforward. Putting on this green can be a real challenge depending on the pin placement. Some areas of this green are sloped enough to make for some difficult puts. Keep your nerves about you and finish this hole on a high note!
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole # 15
- Par 4
- Blue Yardage = 358
- White Yardage = 346
- Red Yardage = 327
- Men's Handicap = 14
- Women's Handicap = 8
This is a fairly short par 4 here at Southern Hills. When you look down the fairway you will see numerous little knolls with bunkers in them. If you can hit your drive just left or just right of the knoll in the center/right center of the fairway, this will put you the closest to the green. The green has a pretty nasty bunker on the left side. Go too far right and you will be in some nasty rough with gravel and roots. This is another challenging green so try to get your second shot close to the pin to try to keep from 3 putting here.
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Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole # 16
- Par 5
- Blue Yardage = 533
- White Yardage = 498
- Red Yardage = 437
- Men's Handicap = 2
- Women's Handicap = 4
Hole 16 is a tough par 5. The left side of the fairway is paralleled by a long sand trap out to about 200 yards. Keep your drive center or right center to stay safe. If you are not long enough to reach the green on the second shot you will want to play over to the right side of the fairway. After the dogleg left, the right side of the fairway will give you the best approach to the longest portion of this green. A beautiful pond off to the left makes for a beautiful setting for this hole and green. The green has two very tough bunkers on the left and left front. Approaching from the right should help you avoid the bunkers and allow you to finish out this hole with a smile on your face.
Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole # 17
- Par 3
- Blue Yardage = 156
- White Yardage = 138
- Red Yardage = 115
- Men's Handicap = 16
- Women's Handicap = 10
As you can see from the tee box on hole 17 here at Southern Hills, the green is way below you. Keep this in mind as it plays shorter than the yardage suggests. A miss to the right or short is not a major problem but watch out for the bunkers and the pond on the left and front left of the green. This is another long green with some challenging undulation. Take your time reading your put an see if you can put a 2 on the scorecard for this beautiful hole.
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Southern Hills Planation Golf Course
Hole # 18
- Par 4
- Blue Yardage = 423
- White Yardage = 376
- Red Yardage = 331
- Men's Handicap = 10
- Women's Handicap = 6
You made it… hole 18 is a great way to finish up your round here at Southern Hills Plantation Golf Course. Keep your tee shot center or right of center to avoid a sand trap on the left. The green on this hole is elevated and can be very tough to stick your second shot on. There is a pot bunker on the left side of the green. Once your ball is on the green you are in good shape as the green is pretty level. Take a look to the right when you make that impressive put and you may receive a round of applause from those sitting on the balcony of the restaurant / bar area upstairs of the pro shop. Birdie… Par… or Bogie… ??? Put that behind you and go enjoy a cold one on the balcony and watch the next group finishing up.
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