Willowbrook Golf Course

the course is in bad condition for $50 ,00 bad deal.

In beautiful part of Florida. Golf course has exquisite clubhouse restaurant area. Course very challenging. Greens mostly an excellent condition. Fairway needs a little work yet. All in all great experience.

We played Willow Brook (2 words if looked up on golf app for distances control) and were pleasantly surprised with the course condition. Fair to good condition.

Willowbrook, designed by David Wallace in 1967, offers good golf with challenging elevated greens and their subtle breaks, along with mostly wide fairways and well-placed water hazards. The course blends traditional design elements with natural landscapes. I found it accessible yet challenging, especially on those holes with tighter fairways and while playing its tough par-3s. The wind adds an extra layer of complexity. While Willowbrook does not look as stylish as the typical course built in the last thirty or so years (even though some will prefer this more natural, unfussy look), its strengths make it well worth playing.

Strengths of This Venue:

–Putting can be tricky, as greens feature undulations, crowns, and slopes that require good judgment for success. Often breaks in them are subtle.

–A number of raised, small greens make pitching especially difficult.

–Several water hazards and doglegs, along with a few tight fairways.

–Very good par-3s as a group; some long and tough par-4s, especially into the wind.

–The Florida wind itself makes long shots more demanding.

–Friendly service at the front desk and from an accommodating starter.

The Willowbrook layout follows traditional values of the era when it was designed: large (often “over-sized”) bunkering, many straight-line fairways punctuated by others with doglegs, and a relatively restrained use of hazards, placed on the sides of those tree-lined fairways. Wallace also emphasizes the elevated green, which is most frequently protected by a single and often gaping bunker. As such, green complexes have significant falloffs (typically) almost all the way around. Some of the greens, too, boast false fronts, such as those at the par-4 tenth and par-3 twelfth. The latter had a frontal upslope so steep that I was reminded of what I’ve seen when watching the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. As for this green, I chose to putt, not pitch, over its upslope after missing my approach on the short side.

As the architect did not manufacture overtly artificial-looking hazards, or, for that matter, did not add similar ground movement to the fairways, the course retains the pleasing appearance of the natural landscape.

One of the most challenging holes here is the longest of the par-3s, the 200-yard thirteenth, its raised green guarded jealously by a massive frontal bunker. I also found the short par-4 tenth surprisingly tough, given its narrow fairway and a shallow, table-top green with deep trouble lurking directly behind it.

This layout is not a penal type, however, making it accessible to a fairly wide range of handicaps. Still, higher handicap players may find pitching to these consistently elevated greens somewhat frustrating. Since it is so straightforward and tee-to-green, most of the course’s energy is derived from these smallish greens which prove formidable targets in the wind. I think it’s a mistake, though, to call this a course aimed mostly at mid-handicappers (as I’ve heard), mainly because of the size of these greens. Add to that some long par-4s and the often subtle roll and pitch of these putting surfaces, and even the scratch golfer or longer hitter will find ample challenges here.

Conditions:

Green conditions were good overall here, although the Bermuda on some of the front-side surfaces showed inconsistent grass growths in places. Also impressive were the well-raked and tended bunkers. Fairways and tees were mostly average, but roughs and greenside areas not as well cared-for. The wind, which is technically factored into slope ratings, must be a genuine part of the above-average slope assessment for Willowbrook GC.

Some Conclusions:

Willowbrook impresses for the challenges it puts forth and the course’s essential suitability for all handicap levels. It felt it was a bit too formulaic from tees to greens, but almost the opposite when on the putting surfaces. WGC is also a good value, particularly now with higher in-season rates at many area courses. Everyone in my foursome enjoyed the day. The course does need some improvement to its cart paths, along with a few cosmetic improvements. I found the natural Florida setting welcoming, the service very good, and the greens full of clever contours that make putting them interesting.

1. Layout per hole is good but some areas should put grasses.

2. Signboard should be shown for moving to next hole.

3. Cart paths are bad due to many pot holes.

Played this course in early January. The greens were mediocre and the fairways were not great either. Played it two months later and it has improved a lot. When this course is in good condition it is great value for the money. The driving range looks really dated. And some of the cart paths are in terrible shape. Need to be replaced with new gravel at least. But the layour makes it a lot of fun. Not a boring up and down course.

The greens where nice very thick and slow but it was a good challenge layout was nice. I’ll be going again

Generous fairways front 9 the greens were probably cut recently but the back was not

And they were slow. Around the front of the raised greens were mostly wet and some with roped off areas. First hole is dusty with the housing development. With Golfnow price it is worth playing. 45 minutes to Kissimmee/Celebration area.

Areas around the greens were saturated and not sure why there hasn’t been rain in weeks. Lots of dust on first few holes due to construction beside them.

My wife and I enjoyed our round at Willowbrook. It would be nice if there was a starter to ensure that people go off as foursomes or at their designated tee time. We played as a foursome but there were two twosomes in front of us, a single behind us and a twosome behind him. As a foursome we couldn't keep up but had the people behind us waiting for us.