Schalamar Creek Golf Club

Not a flashy golf course—the kind that leaps from a magazine cover—Schalamar Creek still impresses in its understated way. I have long been an advocate of this kind of “sneaky good” golf course, but Schalamar ultimately deserves a better description: its layout is excellent. Carefully placed hazards, varied hole design, and clear strategic intent—all combine to produce a course that consistently rewards thoughtful play.

Conditioning:

Overall: B-, though improved from my last visit.

A few factors explain the grade. The bunkers were outstanding—well maintained and consistent. The greens looked good and rolled smoothly, though several showed slight unevenness from sparse turf. Tee surfaces were level and playable. But the fairways were underwhelming, and the rough lagged behind the rest of the course.

The tighter lies in these relatively thin fairways—clearly the result of persistent drought—may frustrate some players. Golfers who tend to pick the ball cleanly could struggle somewhat with their irons. On the other hand, those who naturally produce more shaft lean should encounter few problems.

The Layout:

Schalamar Creek is a short course, and, like any solid design, it will reward controlled play from tee to green. Architect Ron Garl clearly intended the course to resist the modern urge of so many big hitters who love to overpower their prey. While there is no doubt power is a help in general and fits certain courses, Schalamar emphasizes deliberate golf instead. Its holes rely less on dramatic risk-reward decisions and much more on positioning and angles—as well as canny, strategic thinking.

Although narrow fairways define many of the short par-4s, Garl does what strong architects always do: he places hazards not just to punish mistakes but to define choices. He makes unusually clear landing zones in the fairways. His greens accept a variety of approaches, including running shots. Bunkers, water, and trees—especially near green entrances—continually influence the line of play. Greenside bunkering is thoughtful and effective, with traps that vary in size, shape, and placement. Those who find themselves in enough of them will find that they’ll need more than plain-vanilla recovery shots to get close to the pins.

Subtle fairway contouring contributes further to the course’s strategic character. Drives that appear safe in flight can kick toward bunkers, water, or trees; as such, they reinforce the course’s demand for precision. The effect becomes especially noticeable on the par-5s. Angles into the greens matter greatly, and fairways often tighten in the landing zones for second shots.

The greens are well contoured: slopes may be bold, yet some of them are subtle and hard to read (still, you won’t have to be Jordan Spieth). Many are round, and some are oval-shaped; what varies, though, are their sizes.

Water hazards are common, yet they don’t impose the way they often do on a Dye or Nicklaus design. Instead of overwhelming holes, they tend to penalize a specific type of missed shot, whether from the tee or into the green.

The seventeenth offers a representative example. Sitting left off the tee is a water hazard; to the right, a tree-lined rough. The water, edging slightly into the landing zone, will not pose a major threat for every player. Closer to the green, the trees narrow the final 70 yards, keeping longer hitters honest. A large bunker protects the right side of the putting surface. The ideal angle comes from the left—bringing the water into play on the drive. In the end, it may only be a drive-and-pitch hole, but a strategically placed drive is essential.

Another less-than-obvious strength is the way this golf course fits players with different skill sets. Shorter but accurate hitters, for example, may benefit from smart positioning and can gain an advantage over bombers who place drives poorly—and I have often seen the latter throttle back from the tee. With repeated play, Schalamar reveals its key angles and preferred lines. Here, a little finesse outweighs a ton of brawn.

If the course has a weakness, it may be the front nine’s overreliant use of very narrow fairways, with a couple of short par-4s playing too tight. The back nine opens up somewhat, offering wider landing areas and, with them, more strategic options from the tee.

Conclusion:

Schalamar Creek offers something that has become a near rarity: a sensible and balanced golf course, minus the flash and devoid of any emphasis on superficial appearances. The design is thoughtful, the strategic emphasis consistent. It’s also a good value and will be an even better one when the drought lets up.

Course was a cool one to play for the first time. Definitely a shorter course however made up for it with tighter fairways and trees and water.

Appeared to be feeling affects up water restrictions but was hanging in there overall

Staff were there for any questions you might have. Very professional. The community of players were very friendly and respectful. I would recommend this course to friends and family. Had an awesome time.

Dana Oswalt,

Charleston SC

I only play here when I can get a decent rate and the layout is challenging. It's not worth the published rate because of course condition. Beware of the Par 5 Hole 12. They cut down some trees that were severely blocking any approach shot to the green. The area is wet and now layered with shredded trees. Without warning it has been marked as a hazard rather than ground under repair. At least you could see the trees. Now you easily enter a messy hazard without warning.

Course was in good shape, greens a little dry, but we're in a drought. Friendly starter, friendly shop. 3-4 drivable greens.

This was the first time playing this course and I was impressed with the overall condition and layout of the course

The tee boxes were were in good shape compared to some other courses in the same price range and the fairways and greens were in good shape although the greens were a bit slow

Overall a great course!

Went to play as a single,starter said i should pair up with another single.i said that’s fine.was told we hide to ride together,i told him I’ve been sick and didn’t feel like i should be in cart with someone else,he said we would have to play separately.we both were playing behind a slow foursome .so we started to play together on second hole,the starter met us on second green and rudely told us we would have to split up cause members would complain.this made no sense,other than your starter being a jerk and the slow play,everything else was. fine

Very nice day. Paired with 2 seniors. Good experience. First time playing course. Nice layout course conditions 3 out of 10. Thats what you get for $30

The course was in pretty good shape given the drought and cold weather this winter. It is a fairly tight layout, so bring your straight ball. A good value in the golf market in this area. I would recommend especially for senior golfers.

A solid short course, Schalamar has been experiencing the Lakeland/central Florida area drought for quite a while now. Mostly, this has affected fairway lies, which were very tight, and those in the rough, which were the same. Grass is almost nonexistent in areas. The greens and fringes were better, and putts roll smoothly and predictably on most greens. Tees could use further work. Generally, though, the course lags—a bit—two other area courses I’ve played over the stretch of a week.

The pace of play was slow, with today’s round taking over an hour longer than I had expected—waiting was prevalent on the tees. Fortunately, I was part of an excellent foursome, grouped with three interesting playing partners; our conversation was always stimulating and humorous.

As I’ve detailed in previous reviews, Schalamar is a strong layout. The course offers challenges but does not overwhelm. Your driver (or three-wood, on several holes) will need to be in good working order, and short irons must be on target into modestly scaled greens. Watery holes are common, but only a few forced carries turn up. Here, strategic golf and intelligent hazard placement go hand in hand. I found myself watching carefully how those hazards are placed, or else…

I especially like the way the putting surfaces are contoured, some of them subtly, others (such as the ninth) more boldly, as they tested my full range of putting and chipping skills.

I plan to play here a few more times, at least, in my winter visit to Florida.

We average senior players. We enjoyed playing this course for is well maintained Some T boxes could use a little more grass but this didn’t effect you play. Will return

Well maintained course. Greens are good, rolls true. Fairways are somewhat tight with water and housing complexes.

A really nice track. Good fairways and beautiful greens. I played from the blue tees, appx 5300 yds. Fun and challenging at the same time. If you are on the west side of Orlando, I highly recommend it.