Juliette Falls

The Juliette Falls Golf & Spa Community boasts 540 golf home sites on 546 acres; 136 acres of which are part of a nature preserve. The nature preserve offers residents some great recreational opportunities, with 5 miles of trails that are perfect for walkers, bikers, and hikers. Most homes are concrete block with stucco and floor plans that range from 3 to 6 bedrooms and 1,500 to over 7,000 square feet. Garbage collection, satellite TV, high-speed Internet, and lawn maintenance are all included in the monthly HOA fees.

I’ve always been amazed by how a golf course designer is able to stare at a massive piece of property and decide what goes where, but that’s exactly what John Sanford and his team did. Their overall focus was to be gentle on the environment and Sanford was able to take a portion of the 546 acres of equestrian land on the outskirts of Ocala and carve out a sensational parkland-style golf course with an abundance of pine and oak trees, palmetto forests, sand traps, and beautiful, lush fairways.

Many of the property’s large, mature oak trees remained and were used to frame holes. Sanford was able to use the gently rolling terrain and incorporate several appealing waste bunkers and dotted them with wire grasses and a variety of shrubbery. Shortly after Sanford created this golfing masterpiece in Dunnellon, FL, Golfing Magazine named it one of the “Top 10 New Courses You Can Play.” The course was also ranked #4 by WorldGolf.com in their "Best Under-Publicized Golf Courses in Florida" list In 2016.

From the back tees, Juliette Falls plays 7,236 yards with a course rating of 75.4 and a slope of 143. The White Tees will give most golfers all they can handle from 6,269 yards (70.4/130) and still allow them to leave with some dignity. Ladies will have an enjoyable time playing the Red Tees (5,071/69.3/123). Five sets of tee boxes make Juliette Falls fun and challenging for all golfers who choose to play from the set of tees that best suits their game.

As we made our way around the course, Deb saw some remarkable similarities to courses she’s played in North Carolina and California. For starters, as you pull into the golf course, the parking lot is surrounded by pine trees and the staff is quite welcoming; the bag drop area reminded her of Tobacco Road Golf Club in Sanford, NC, on the outskirts of the Village of Pinehurst, as did several holes on the back nine with their pine straw-lined cart paths that wind around the rustic mountain and Tudor cottage homes. The waterfalls, with their unique natural rock design and surrounding vegetation, reminded her of courses in Palm Springs.

There are several interesting holes on the golf course. The par 3, 147-yard 13th hole is aptly dubbed “The Falls,’ and is the course’s signature hole. According to the scorecard, it's the shortest - and easiest - hole on the course. Water guards the left side of the green and wraps all the way around the back. The green is long, narrow, and well-undulated. If you miss that par putt, look at the waterfall behind the green and you'll forget all about your score.

The par 5, 6th hole, "Reflection Lake,” plays 517 yards and is the first hole where water comes into play. For most, the water really isn’t an obstacle and requires only a short carry to get past it behind. Playing down the right side of the fairway off the tee takes the long waste bunker on the left out of play. Then, playing your layup shot across the fairway to the left side sets up the best angle for an approach into the green. Your approach shot is uphill to an elevated green that can be hard to hold. With all the roll in the green, a two-putt is good. Chipping back from over the green is rarely a good thing!

Your round at Juliette Falls concludes with Viking Challenge,” a 408-yard, par 4 that plays slightly downhill and takes two well-struck shots to reach the green in regulation. If the distance is a little more than you can handle in two shots, playing down the left side of the fairway will take the water on the right side of the green out of play. The sand on the left and water on the right make this the most challenging hole on the back nine.

In addition to one of Florida’s top public golf courses, Juliette Falls has some of the best practice facilities. Their 10-acre practice facility makes practice fun and you can stay from dawn until dusk. The practice facility includes a state-of-the-art turf range with multiple target greens and bunkers. Directly behind the driving range is a short game area complete with a practice bunker and a huge, undulating putting green that helps prepare you for what you’re about to encounter.

The clubhouse features a pro shop with logoed apparel from a variety of top-name manufacturers as well as some wild designs from up-and-coming apparel companies! If hunger gets the better of you, the kitchen serves up some great sandwiches and burgers, just don’t ask for a side of fries! Juliette Falls has gone the healthier route and deep-sixed their deep fryers. Healthier sides include potato salad, coleslaw, and kettle-cooked potato chips. Juliette Falls also offers specialty dinners twice a month: Prime Rib on the first Friday and a “Chef’s Specialty” Dinner Menu on the 3rd Friday of each month. The bar has several beers on tap and serves all of your favorite mixed drinks.

Juliette Falls draws players from a couple of large markets; it’s about an hour north of Orlando and less than 2 hours from Tampa. As a resident, you’ll find that Juliette Falls is more about a lifestyle than about a place to live or a place to play golf. And, while the community and clubhouse suggest a more laid-back feel, the course is anything but. Pick the tees that best suit your handicap and you're guaranteed a fun - and challenging - round. The course is well-manicured, and the greens roll true. Most holes have plenty of room off the tee, setting up what Juliette Falls is all about - the second shot.

Great layout, course ingreat shape, just played during airation special. 2 more weeks, putting will be true. Gr

eat staff and great food , hats off to the chef, had pesto shrimp flatbread..

Will be back for sure

Bob H!

I live within an hour of this course so I try to play it once a month

It is playing well right now

Greens great

Fairways great

Love this layout

It is a must play

The course is in fantastic condition

Greens are very quick and true.

Generally the fairways and rough are in good shape considering the dry weather.

We plan to play several times this coming year.

We play this course when we visit relatives nearby and we always enjoy it, great condition, greens a bit slow for our liking but we are used to playing our clubs which are usually rolling at 10 to 12

Generous fairways but sand traps guarding the greens, fairways and greens in great conditiion! Would give a 5 star except carts could be upgraded

Have played a number of course recently in Orlando area In similar price range, Juliette Falls is by far at the top of the list.

Can’t wait to go back there!

The course has a great layout. The area's around the ruff were pretty browned out due to lack of rain. Very fast greens with lots of movement. I will be playing the course again.

I like this course and recommend it. However, if you’re a PGA or LPGA professional do not expect a courtesy discount. The course does not provide such. I was shocked by this and have never been to a course that doesn’t offer a golf professional discount.

Play JF a lot. Getting tired of slow play. 51/2 hr rounds is horrible. Course is not that hard except for the greens. Wide open fairways and no rough to speak of. The pace of play is so bad. Marshal's will ride around course however they never tell slow players to pick up the pace.

When asked why, they said that if they tell people to speed it up and they complain to the management, They do not stick up for the Marshal's. If they had full authority to warn players to speed it up, and if they don't, remove they from the course, play would not be a problem. No one should take longer than 4 hrs and 20 minutes to play a round.

First I love this course. Book it and play here. Front nine was OK. When we made the turn everything came to a stop. It took 4:05 to play 15 holes. We had to quit and drive in because of an appointment we had. Driving back every hole had multiple groups on it. Not sure what happened but it we waited to hit every shot on the back. That said book and play this course. Just make sure you have the time if it is going slow.

I have been playing this course for 2 years and I have never seen so many inconsiderate players paying good money to play and not take care of the course. I feel bad for the owner and his staff. It seems that today's golfer is not interested in maintaining the beauty of the course. They take really huge divots on tees, fairways and never use the sand supplied to fill in the blemishes. Also those same golfers never repair the pitch marks on the greens.

The staff works their butts off to make this course the best in Fl. Too bad the golfers don't do the same.

Course was in the best shape we've played in past. Only complaint is the pace of play. We teed off at 12:30 and stopped at hole 16 as it was so slow we couldn't have finished by dark.

Juliette is always a great course, I've been visiting the course for over 10 years. Awesome course, better than even Golden Ocala.

Great track and always in great shape. Fairly wide fairways greens can be tricky lots of slope to the greens. Nice practice area – be sure to purchase a bucket of balls. Restrooms and water on the course. Friendly staff, nice golf shop and nice restaurant. Worth the trip we always pair it with another course nearby and spend the night. It is a 2 Hour Drive for us

We have always enjoyed playing Juliette Falls, and have played it many times. It is one of my favorite tracks when playing north of Tampa. Booked a 12:30 pm time for 3 players for a Sunday afternoon, and made the 1 1/2 drive up to play.

Went off on time at 12:30, and finished at 6:00 pm. Never once saw anyone on the golf course (marshal, ranger, whatever) to address the pace of play problem.

Then made the 1 1/2 drive back.

A 5 1/2 hour round is NEVER fun, no matter how nice the course is or how beautiful the weather.

I may play here again if I am passing close by on my way to or from home, but I will never again make a special trip up to play it.

Any golf course, especially one proclaiming to be "one of the best" in Florida, should shoulder the responsibility of making sure their patrons have a good experience when they spend the time and money to come and play.

Second time playing this course and nicer than I remembered. Driving range is all grass, very nice. . The course was in very good condition. Was not wet the day after hurricane came through. Granted they were on the fringe. Greens were nice, a little slower than expected but rolled smooth. Mixed drinks from beverage cart were expensive. I’m sharing my pictures from 9th, 18th and one other.