Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club Golf Course

Heritage Harbor is a par-72, 6,900-yard course with four sets of tees and loads of water and marshes to cross. Along the way, you’re likely to spot hawks, ospreys, loons, ibis, herons and kingfishers; you name it. It’s a paradise for birds as well as for golfers.

The intention here was to create a playable public course, but also one that can get golfers to think and rise to new levels of play on some holes.

As you tee off at the start, you face a par-4 slight dogleg right that’s  yards from the back tees. There’s a pond to your right fairly easy to avoid but the real obstacles to making par are the bunker just past the pond and the fact that you can't be long on your approcah.

The 13th hole is a favorite because of the forced carry over a natural wetlands area needed on your second shot in order to reach the green. This is a par-4, 415-yard hole from the tips, 284 yards from the forward tees. It’s typical of the type of rhythm you need to get into in order to play Heritage Harbor successfully.  A good first shot to get into position to cross a band of marsh.

But the par-3 14th hole is probably the one that amazes most players – in terms of the golfing skills that it demands. From the back tees, it’s 263 yards across a natural area that’s 100 yards wide and over a pond as well.

In all, from the championship tees, it takes a 225-yard tee shot, probably with a driver, just to carry onto dry land in front of the green. Then you still have to cross a bunker to get to the putting surface. It’s the most memorable hole on the course, and has been conquered.  But not often....