Once
you get to The Westin Innisbrook Golf
Resort in Tampa Bay, you'll never want
to leave. That's because everything is
here at this 900-acre resort: superlative
golf on four top-ranked courses; fine
dining in a host of restaurants; tennis
on 11 beautifully maintained courts; six
swimming pools including the multi-million-dollar
Loch Ness Monster Pool; and 60 acres of
lakes, jogging and cycling trails. This
is the perfect golf vacation getaway.
Of course, one of the main reasons why
visitors come here is to play golf. It's
because as a guest at the resort, you
can play a different course everyday and
never run out of new challenges. You can
wake up each morning and face new fairways
to conquer.
You're in your own luxurious world here,
and you're unlikely to want to go somewhere
else. Conveniently located to Tampa International
Airport, served by a host of airlines.
And you will be close to many of the most
exciting recreation areas and amusement
parks in Florida.
The
Copperhead Course undoubtedly is The golf
course that most lovers of golf are familiar
with. After all, they've seen America's
greatest golf stars taking on its pine tree-lined
fairways and rolling terrain during the
Chrysler Championship each fall. So you,
like many other visitors to Innisbrook,
will want to make the Copperhead one of
your must-places to play.
With
its unusual elevation changes, the natural
setting of the Copperhead course will
probably remind you of a Carolina layout
rather than Florida's West Coast. The
Copperhead, of course, is ranked in "America's
Top Resort Courses" by Golf Digest
and No. 4 in the state by Travel &
Leisure Golf's Florida's 50 Finest.
From
the tournament tees Copperhead presents
a stern test of golf. At 7,300+ yards,
this par-71 layout is designed to challenge
the players of all ability levels. The
Copperhead Practice Facility is located
adjacent to the first hole and is complimentary
to those with a tee time on the course.
"The
course is a daunting layout," says
Chris Card, Director of Golf. "Larry
Packard put together a stunning design...he
combines narrow, tree-lined fairways with
elevation change and very firm, fast greens.
It's absolutely breath-taking from tee
to green."
The
course opens with a par-5 (560 yards from
the back tees and 450 from the forward)
that is a sweeping dogleg right with a
tee box perched some 50 feet above the
fairway. The placement of the second shot
must be accurate to set up a birdie chance
here.
The
Island Course has ample water, tight fairways,
intimidating hazards, and abundant bunkers
-- all designed to test the skills of
the most accomplished golfer have won
much acclaim for the Island Course at
Westin Innisbrook. The Island, often considered
to be just as challenging as the Copperhead,
is ranked among the country's top 50 resort
courses by Golf Digest and No. 14 in Travel
& Leisure Golf's "Fifty Finest
in Florida."
The
varying terrain, coupled with a variety
of tee placements, can challenge both
the professional player as well as the
weekend golfer. The course has been a
regional qualifier for the U.S. Open and
is remembered as well for the NCAA championship
that Phil Mickelson won here in 1990.
One
of Innisbrook's four championship courses,
the Island Course, was the first to open
for play in December of 1970. There are
18 truly unique holes here. "This
is a long par-72 course with water in
play on at least half the holes,"
says Brock Nicholas.
The
Island offers enchanting, picture-postcard
scenery. "You'll find tall pines
draped with Spanish moss," Nicholas
says, "and lots of serene views.
I love the Island Course. It's tighter
off the tees and just as tough as the
Copperhead. You need to be straight here."
The
Island's first six holes are dominated
by lateral water hazards and fairly level
terrain which require pinpoint accuracy
on both tee shots and approaches. The
middle six holes feature rolling hills
dominated by cypress and pine trees. The
final third of this course boasts a mixture
of holes designed to reward the bold yet
penalize the errant golf shot. The golf
course winds down to a finishing hole
that will test the nerves of even the
most steady player.
This
beautiful 18-hole layout features tight
fairways and well-bunkered greens, placing
a costly premium on accuracy from tee to
green. Recent course improvements include
longer, more challenging par-4s and -5s
with added bunkers and waste areas to create
greater penalties throughout for those errant
approach shots. This course is known for
its daunting par-3s. "This is known
as a shotmaker's course," says Tony
Arielly. "There's definitely a premium
on accuracy and not so much on distance."
Also
designed by Lawrence Packard, the Highlands
North at Westin Innisbrook is similar
in terrain to the Copperhead Course, but
not in length. Rolling fairways and water
throughout make club selection your most
important strategy on this course. About
6,600 yards from the back tees, this course
is known for its long par-3s and small
greens. Ball placement becomes critical.
Although
it's our shortest course, it's one of
our most challenging. In fact, 11 of the
18 holes here have water on them. The
other seven have narrow fairways with
lots of trees and bunkers.
The
signature hole here, says Brock Nicholas,
is No. 3, a 470-yard par-4 that is a tight
driving hole (345 yards from the front).
"It's straightaway, but there's water
on the right and left and rough farther
down on the right. Then you have a long
carry to a partial island green."
You will need a long and accurate drive
to get started on this hole.
The
Highlands South Course stretches almost
6,800 from the back tees, this course features
the longest Par 5 in the state. Highlands
South promises undulating terrain and elevation
that brings the wind into factor when making
club selection. Ample waste bunkers and
10 water hazards offer a great challenge.
This
course is almost a links style, says Tony
Arielly, both in its set-up and the way
it plays with its fairway bunkers and
rolling terrain. You'll get off to a moderately
easy start with a straightaway par-4 that
plays at 335 yards from the back tees
and 250 from the forward. You do have
to avoid a large bunker on the left and
trees on the right.
