Local and visiting golfers alike favor East golf course at Jacaranda Country Club in Plantation, Florida
PLANTATION, Fla. -- Here's a tip when it comes to find anything good when you travel: Go where the locals go.
In the case of Jacaranda Country Club, and particularly the East Course, play golf where the locals like to play.
Named for the flowering tree that you'll notice on the perimeter of the course, this Joe Lee design located just west of Fort Lauderdale plays host to a number of professional and amateur events throughout the year.
After a $5 million renovation in 2005, though, the course got even better. Architect Bobby Weed directed the work, which included new turf, irrigation, drainage and cart paths. The biggest change is the paspalum fairways and tee boxes, which really make the course pop against a variety or ornamentals and trees and white sand bunkers.
The 36 holes at Jacaranda C.C. are really a tale of two courses. The West Course is shorter and much tighter, while the championship East, though it can play as long as 7,246 yards, is more forgiving because of its wide fairways. In fact, if you miss a fairway badly enough on this parkland style golf course, you might even have a shot from another fairway.
There are definitely places you don't want to miss it, though. While the homes are set back, an errant enough shot can find out of bounds. And there are plenty of lakes, ponds and streams to catch wayward shots as well. Those water hazards also add to the beauty of this well maintained golf course, which can be played at very reasonable rates.
John and Judy Zilm, who come to south Florida regularly from New York, said it was one of the better values in the area, especially if you book the course through GolfNow.com.
"This is much better than (a more famous course) we played yesterday," Judy Zilm said. "It was twice as good for less than half the price."
There's really not a boring hole on the golf course, but the signature hole, perhaps, is the 12th, a 465-yard par-4 dogleg right with water along the left and trees and a waste area on the right.
"There's nowhere to miss off the tee," said Danny Howard, the director of golf/GM at Jacaranda. "Then you have a second shot to a very tucked green."
Jacaranda Country Club's 15th hole is a par 4 that plays 483 yards from the tips. It's followed by a good risk-reward short par 4 and a short par 3 over a pond. The finishing hole is a 463-yard par 4 that often plays into the wind with large fairway and greenside bunkers.
In addition to the two golf courses, Jacaranda C.C. also has an excellent 19th hole and terrific practice facilities with a large grass range, short game area and putting greens. The golf courses are also very well marshaled.
April 9, 2012
Mike Bailey, Senior Staff Writer
Mike Bailey is a senior staff writer based in Houston. Focusing primarily on golf in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America with an occasional trip to Europe and beyond, he contributes course reviews, travel stories and features as well as the occasional equipment review. An award-winning writer and past president of Texas Golf Writers Association, he has more than 25 years in the golf industry. Before accepting his current position in 2008, he was on staff at PGA Magazine, The Golfweek Group and AvidGolfer Magazine. Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeBaileyGA and Instagram at @MikeStefanBailey.