COURSE REVIEWS
Forest Lake
Golf Club of Ocoee
By Derek Duncan,
Senior Writer
OCOEE, Fla-In a city like Orlando, one of the best areas in the country for public golf, there is always a debate about where to play and what's the best course for the money. Seldom is there a definitive answer. Orlando easily has half a dozen tracks that could compete with any public courses in the country. Orange County National, Magnolia Plantation, Southern Dunes, Diamond Players Club Clermont-these are just a few of the great and fairly reasonable daily-fee courses that Orlando can boast of.
Most of these prestigious Orlando venues, however, reside outside the heart of the city. Convenience is not their strong suit. Other premier or resort courses such as ChampionsGate and the Disney courses are priced out of range for many players.
So where does one find a top tier course at reasonable rate?
One answer has got to be Forest Lake, a layout that would be worth
visiting even if it weren't so convenient. This preserved course
resides in Ocoee, a fairly rural hamlet just minutes northeast
of central Orlando, and has the distinction of being bisected
by a turnpike. The turnpike factor is not unusual for a golf course,
(Oakmont, divided by the Pennsylvania
Turnpike, comes immediately to mind), but it is always interesting
to see how a layout manages to either hide such an interruption
or play away from it.
Forest Lake does a better job at taking the disturbance out of the highway than most would. The entire 17th, for example, runs parallel to the elevated turnpike and yet the eye is pulled away from the concrete wall toward the centerline of the hole, to the sizable bunkers, to the wide fairway and the spill-off of natural vegetation on the left. Distraction is the key and somehow the intrusion is barely noticed.
The architectural firm of Clifton, Ezell, Clifton, the popular team who seemingly have their fingerprints on every other Orlando-area course, crafted this 1994 design in an impressive, stylish manner among the fields and woods of Ocoee. Without a doubt this is some of their very best work.
It's amazing how the absence of housing can improve the aura of a design. Several of Clifton, Ezell, Clifton's other staple Orlando courses (Stoneybrook East and Rock Springs Ridge, to name two) seem swarmed by their surrounding developments. Whether justified or not, many of these courses seem compromised by their surroundings. Forest Lake shows that, taken out of that domestic context, the firm is capable of manufacturing a stirring and even inventive golf course.
Part of its allure is that Forest Lake is a natural design devoid of much man-made artifice (if you can discount the highway). The routing flows easily around the property and takes advantage of its more interesting topography. Holes three through seven play on the far side of the turnpike but only seem mildly out of synch with the rest of the course. They don't benefit from any type of interesting terrain, yet they are solid and interesting holes.
Land alteration was kept to a minimum. Most of the earth movement occurs near the greens and definitely adds to the level of play. An uncommon style of fairway hazard is seen on several holes, a sort of steep rampart wall that rises above the fairway bunkers in a manner reminiscent of old New England courses. Waste areas border a handful of fairways only when they fit thematically and many large, curvaceous bunkers guard traditional hot spots.
Forest Lake can play as long as 7,113 yards or as short as 5,065
yards, with three sets of tees between. The course is a local
favorite, but still seems to be an insider's recommendation (although
any course in Orlando that isn't burdened by homes and condos
will eventually get noticed). Those "in the know" like
it because it isn't overrun by tourists. If visitors knew more
about it, they would come to Forest Lake instead of many of the
courses that comprise the regular rotation.
The unencumbered setting is an attractive aspect of Forest Lake, but the greens are the real feature. The drought that has affected so many Florida courses for the last two years has had no power against Forest Lake, which has steadily been tapping into the reclaimed water supply of the City of Ocoee. Head Golf Professional Jeff Moore says that, in effect, they've been forced to use this wealth of water.
Superintendent Joel Brownsberger and his crew have been fortunate to have the water they need, but they also know how to use it correctly. Forest Lake is as lush and green as you're likely to find a public course in this climate. When asked about his superintendent, Moore jokes, "Don't say too much about him or someone might hire him away."
The shaping around the greens and their wide collars create interesting
chipping opportunities, while the internal contours of the putting
surfaces are probably the most ambitious that Clifton, Ezell,
Clifton have created. Some of the undulation seems extreme for
such an accessible course, which is definitely a good thing, and
the architecture team deserves credit for their boldness. These
greens certainly prove what Clifton, Ezell, Clifton can do when
given the opportunity.
Holes
Fourth Hole: Like many holes at Forest Lake, there is little to think about off the tee at the 429-yard fourth. Driver can be used without risk on virtually every hole, and while this is something of a weakness, the size and angle of these greens influences what side of the fairway approach shot should best be played from. The fourth green is beautifully designed, nearly two greens separated by a narrow swale-a shallow back left segment and a small, round front right section guarded by a bunker. Its contours are not severe but getting the ball close depends greatly upon where the approach shot is coming from and the position of the pin. Pins cut front-right are protected by a bunker, and those cut to the left offer little room for distance miscalculation. Anything that comes up short will filter into the shaved hollow that fronts the entire green and makes for touchy chips back up the slope. This is a lovely, simple green complex defended by natural concepts.
Sixth Hole: The second par three at Forest Lake (204 yards) is the first of three long and challenging one-shotters that all play 200+ yards over water hazards. The hazard threatens on the right on this one, but the real test is the putting surface of this curved green. The contours are some of the most striking on the course with everything sliding off the front right into a large bunker that fades into the drink.
Thirteenth
Hole: A
prodigious double
breaking par
five of 566
yards. The waste
area on the
right forces
drives to the
left toward
another large,
squiggly bunker
(giant hitters
might be able
to chew off
some of the
right hazard).
A grove of trees
juts into the
fairway at the
125-yard marker,
blocking the
green that is
bent back behind
them. Second
shots must be
played far to
the right to
yield an open
third, or hit
over with daring
shots. The green
is open to approaches
from the right
and equally
difficult to
access from
over the trees.
Each shot here
requires a clear
premonition
of the next.
Fifteenth Hole: Fifteen is an awkward hole from the tee. It doesn't set up well or feel right-the tees seem forced, wedged into their location to the left of the 14th green, which is slightly on the line of the drive. A creek cuts across the fairway at the ideal landing area, forcing players to lay back slightly on this long par four (413 yards), an uncomfortable feeling given the length of the hole (powerful hitters can clear the creek with carries of about 230 yards or greater). The second is then a long iron into a heavily shaped, narrow green.
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Eighteenth
Hole: The
brochure says
that Forest
Lake has "The
6 Best Finishing
Holes in Central
Florida."
The statement
is surely an
exaggeration,
but it would
be truer if
it stated it
had five out
of the six best
finishing holes
in Central Florida,
because the
18th is fairly
average. It
is difficult
at 457 yards
and a par of
four, but there
is nothing noteworthy
about it. In
fact it is very
similar to the
9th, which sits
parallel to
it on the same
ground. Both
are long doglegs
to the left
around bunkers
with second
shots into bunkered
greens. Neither
are stimulating
ends to the
side nor impress
in the way of
the 16 holes.
Location
Forest Lake is located just off Clarcona-Ocoee Road on the west side, where it bends into Bluford Ave. There are some motels in the area of Ocoee, and just south off of Highway 50, but most of the attractive, nearby lodging will be in downtown Orlando, about 15 minutes to the southeast.
Rates
Green fees through October are $42 for non-residents and $32 for residents Monday through Thursday. Friday rates rise to $45 and $35, and Saturday and Sunday they are $52 and $42, respectively. Each rate is valid until 2 pm, after which they drop in $7 increments every two hours.
Walkability
Forest Lake would be a wonderful course to walk. Only two stretches between holes would be considered long, but they're nothing unusual to walkers. Currently they say they don't allow walking, but it seems they might be willing at certain times of the day. It's worth checking into.
Forest Lake
Golf Club of
Ocoee
10521 Clarcona-Ocoee
Road
Ocoee, FL 34761
Phone (407)654-4653
www.forestlakegolf.com
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