Hitting the Links at Shingle Creek
Alright, so I decided to check out Shingle Creek Golf the other day. Heard some things, figured I’d see for myself. Got up pretty early, wanted to beat the worst of the heat, you know how Florida gets.
Drove over there, wasn’t too hard to find. Pulled into the parking lot, plenty of space. Walked over to the clubhouse, which looked pretty nice, gotta say. Went inside to the pro shop to check in. The folks behind the counter were alright, got me sorted out pretty quick. Paid my greens fee, grabbed a cart key.
Didn’t have a ton of time to warm up, but I headed over to the driving range anyway. Needed to loosen up a bit. Hit maybe half a bucket. The range was decent, nothing too fancy, but it did the job. Balls were okay. Then I rolled a few putts on the practice green. It seemed pretty true, maybe a little quick.
Got to the first tee right on time. Paired up with a couple of guys, seemed like regulars. We introduced ourselves, usual golf talk. Teed off, and the round began.
Out on the Course
The course itself? Yeah, it was in pretty good shape. The fairways were nice and green, mostly well-kept. The rough wasn’t too punishing, which was good for my game today, let me tell ya. The greens were rolling nicely, consistent with the practice green.
Played through the front nine. Had some decent shots, had some terrible ones. That’s golf, right?
- Managed a par on that tricky par 3 over the water. Felt good about that one.
- Lost a ball on number 7, sliced it right into some trees. Story of my life.
- The bunkers had actual sand in them, which is always a plus. Escaped one pretty cleanly.
Made the turn, grabbed a quick drink. The back nine felt a little different, maybe a bit more open on some holes. The other guys I played with were good company, kept the pace moving. We chatted a bit between shots, mostly about golf and the weather.
The layout was interesting. Not crazy difficult, but it made you think a little on certain tee shots. Some nice views here and there, especially around the creek that runs through it. Water comes into play quite a bit, so had to be careful.
Finished up on 18. Shook hands with the guys, wished them well. Dropped the cart off, cleaned out my stuff. Headed back to the car feeling pretty satisfied. It wasn’t my best round ever, but it was a solid day out on a decent course.
Overall, Shingle Creek was a good experience. The course was maintained well, staff was fine, pace of play was okay for a weekend morning. Just a straightforward day of golf, which is sometimes exactly what you need. Would I go back? Yeah, probably. It was a decent spot to swing the clubs.
