Quail Hollow Golf Club

Quail Hollow Golf Club in Wesley Chapel, FL has been around a while. Originally designed by architect Charles E. Griffin in 1965, the course - and clubhouse - underwent a major renovation in 2011. After being closed for the previous three, years, the new owners have put a lot of money into the property and the course. They are looking to turn things around and make Quail Hollow one of the "must play" courses in the area.

Quail Hollow is a traditional parkland design. During your round you will encounter - and need to avoid - some very mature oak trees. There are a few holes where accuracy off the tee is a necessity if you want to score well. Other holes allow you to swing away as hard as you can and not find much trouble. Most of the greens are elevated, forcing an accurate pitch shot rather than the Florida-favorite bump-and-run.

During the renovation process all of the bunkers and greens were reconstructed, necessary drainage was added and new cart paths installed. Quail Hollow now stretches 6,811 yards from the back tees with a USGA course rating of 71.8 & a slope of 131. Five sets of tees make Quail Hollow Golf Club enjoyable and challenging for golfers of all skill levels.

Quail Hollow features a good mix of risk/reward holes and "play it smart' holes. For example, the par 5, number 18, plays a mere 425 yards from the white tees. A good drive past the corner of the dogleg will leave a second shot of slightly more than 200 yards. Number 2 is a hole where smart golf comes into play, primarily when thinking about placement of your shot off the tee. Successfully driving the ball over the trees on the left will leave a much shorter approach shot however too far left and you run the risk of finding the water on the other side of the trees; water that is not visible off the tee. It's one of the holes where a little course knowledge goes a long way.

I used to play Quail Hollow regularly with a group of friends; probably 2 - 3 times a month. Our main reason for playing was the price; the course wasn't the greatest, a rather boring layout with some pretty shaky greens, but the price was right. On my recent visit, it was good to see how things have changed.

The layout is still the same; after all there is only so much you can do in flat old Florida with sand, water and palm trees. The conditioning of the course is dramatically different. Very few greens had bare spots (18 perfect greens even in Florida is a rarity) and they rolled pretty well. Tee boxes were remarkably better than I remember them and the fairways were in great shape. Cart paths had all been redone and installed where none were previously; no more avoiding potholes and jolting yourself senseless. When we teed off, I had some concerns about the group in front of us but they kept up the pace and we were done in a little less than 4 hours.

A quick look at the website gives you the impression that golf is not the only attraction here. The new owners are making Quail Hollow much more of a "country club" atmosphere with two Vegas-style pools complete with luxurious cabanas. They even offer VIP experiences that include bottle service. The clubhouse and especially the pool area are a complete transformation than what they were previously. And talk about friendly service - from the time your bags are loaded up on a cart to the pro shop to the staff at the BBQ grill outside! Everywhere you turn someone is there to answer your question or greet you with a smile.

The same can be said for the bar and restaurant. What I remember as a "paper plate and napkin" venue is now a first-class operation. A huge marble bar, fully-stocked with top-shelf liquor greets patrons as well as a friendly wait staff. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as an impressive Sunday brunch.

The pro shop is a premium upgrade as well. No more Kmart quality equipment and golf balls. Now golfers can choose from brand name equipment such as Titleist, Bridgestone and FootJoy.

For more information on Quail Hollow you can visit their website, www.QuailHollowNow.com. On here, you can book your next round online and schedule tee times up to seven days in advance.