COURSE REVIEWS
Overview: World Woods Golf Club
By Derek Duncan,
Senior Writer
BROOKSVILLE, FL—This is what players dream of, isn’t it?
Thirty-six holes, no homes, a 360° driving range with three practice holes, the largest (and most severe) practice putting green in the state, a nine-hole short course, a fascinatingly wooded terrain, affordability.
Did we mention no homes?
Did we mention 36 holes?
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World Woods is what hardcore golf is all about, a facility of pure purpose. Aside from an ocean, there is little more the serious player could ask for in a golf facility.
World Woods opened for play in 1993 on a remote 2,000+ acres of land off Highway 98, several miles north of the town of Brooksville. With its patches of exposed sandy soil and abrupt shifts in elevation that are surprisingly common in this section of western Florida, the property is an undoubtedly rich site for a golf course. The old forest atmosphere and the dense trees and scrub that line most fairways and isolate the holes on both courses add to the singular experience.
Since its inception there has been little argument that the two courses represent the finest level of golf in the state and are among the finest public access courses in the country.
The two courses, Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks, were designed and built by Tom Fazio and showcase some of his best work and some of his most typical. (It must be noted that to the majority of the paying public, Fazio’s “typical” work is among the most desirable in the country.) Pine Barrens is a visually dramatic course with moments of terrific strategic merit, surpassing in grandeur nearly every other course in Florida. Rolling Oaks is a prototype for pretty, mainstream American courses and is far less daring than its sister.
The following links leadto detailed looks at both courses:
Pine Barrens
Rolling Oaks
Location
World Woods is located north of Brooksville in western Florida, one hour north of Tampa. The town lies between Highway 19 to the west and I-75 to the east. From I-75 exit Highway 98 (exit 61) and follow it through Brooksville north. From Highway 19 take 98 south. The golf course is to the east of 98.
Rates
The warm months are definitely the best buys. A weekday fee of $70 for both courses in September or October is nearly too good to be true. There is also a criminally low twilight rate of $30 for 18 holes on either course, along with a variety of other pricing structures. Call the pro shop for exact rates.
Walkability
Walking is prohibited at World Woods, but the routing is very logical with the holes packed in economic fashion. Walking would be a pleasure here and might actually speed pace of play, particularly at Pine Barrens where great chunks of time can be wasted zigzagging across fairway’s to retrieve cart companions’ balls from waste areas. For a facility that symbolizes the best aspects of pure golf it isn’t right that walking isn’t permitted.
World Woods Golf Club
17590 Ponce DeLeon Blvd.
Brooksville, FL 34614
Phone: (352)796-5500
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