Black Diamond Ranch

As you make the turn onto Rte. 491 on your way to Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, FL, you'll soon be questioning yourself about taking a wrong turn somewhere along the way. Stay the course my friend, where you are heading is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. You will pass many farmlands, some natural forests and quite a few medical buildings and doctors' offices. After all, this is Florida!

Not too far past the stoplight at Rte. 469, the beautiful stone entrance sign appears and you are ready to enter a community with 45 holes of top-notch golf. The Quarry Course is consistently recognized as one of America's greatest. Fellow Golf Writer Dan Jenkins has referred to "the Quarry Holes" as "the best five consecutive holes of golf anywhere in the world." More about these in a minute.

The Community

Black Diamond Ranch opened in 1987 and was the vision of real estate developer Stan Olsen. Olsen was attracted to the rolling hills of Lecanto, Florida by many things: the expansive sand hills, unspoiled coastline, large oak trees, spring-fed rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico nearby and the sunny, temperate climate of the sunshine state.

With 45 holes of Tom Fazio-designed golf, Black Diamond Ranch has become a world-renowned golf community. Homes, although typically very large, do not detract from the golf experience; you're not teeing off in anyone's back yard. The towering pines and rolling hills provide the perfect backdrop for an early morning round or an evening spent strolling around the neighborhood. The community itself is a nature preserve with an abundance of native Florida flora, and fauna.

There are countless gated golf communities in Florida, but none stand out like Black Diamond Ranch. It offers the best of both worlds - far enough from the urban jungles and sprawl of America, but close enough to all of the major attractions, entertainment and niceties of city life.

Fitness Center and Dining

A well-equipped fitness center complete with fitness instructors is located within the community. An emphasis is placed on golf fitness - making members aware of the importance of flexibility, stability and mobility in the golf swing. Dining is available in the main clubhouse in both formal and informal settings. Dinner is served seasonally; a great lunch or brunch can be had year-round. It is clear that both golf and real estate were given top priority in the planning of the community.

The Ranch Course - The Members' Favorite

I was invited to Black Diamond Ranch by Director of Golf Bryan Richard to experience their "Stay and Play" package. As a guest of the property, the stay and play package includes one night accommodations at one of the club-owned residences within the community and two rounds of golf on both The Ranch Course and The Quarry Course.

The Ranch Course was completed in 1997 and according to the golf shop staff, is clearly the members' favorite. Here you will find lush and rolling fairways and dramatic elevation changes in excess of 100 feet. This course requires a lot of strategy if you want to score well; there are a number of multilevel greens that require superior distance control. The course was carefully designed to quietly blend into its natural surroundings.

Memorable Holes (All Yardage is from the Men's "Diamond" Tees)

Number 1: Par 4, 378 yards. A well-placed tee shot down the left side sets up for a favorable approach shot on the dogleg right and takes the large waste bunker out of play. The tee shot is kind of blind - up and over a rise and the downhill. Your tee shot should get some extra roll. Avoid the lone bunker on the right with a mid to short approach shot and you should be set up for a great start.

Number 5: Par 3, 156 yards. Club selection off the tee is vital to scoring well on this par three. The green ha a depth of 32 yards and can easily be a two club swing depending on pin placement. Front bunkers on either side protect the elevated green which slopes from right to left.

Number 9: Par 5, 497 yards. Probably the most photographed hole on the Ranch Course, number 9 starts you off with a wide open landing area off the tee. The layup shot can make or break your score on this hole. Not only does the fairway narrow considerably in the landing area, but you need to favor the right side or face being blacked out by the large oak tree that resides greenside. Avoid the deep bunkers that guard the font of the green and you're on your way to a good score.

Number 10: Par 5, 480 yards. The second of back to back par fives, the green is reachable in with two of your best shots in a row. Favoring the right side off the tee will set up an unobstructed shot to the green that is guarded front left with deep bunkers. Definitely a scoring hole, even if you don't hit the ball a mile.

Number 12: Par 4, 435 yards. Even with its length, this is still only the fourth hardest hole on the golf course! The right side is protected by a group of trees so favor the left side. Even a good drive is going to leave a lengthy approach shot - most likely a long iron or hybrid. It's downhill so you can hit a little less. The large green is protected on both sides with a trio of bunkers - take a par and run.

Number 13: Par 4, 286 yards. When you look up the definition of risk/reward golf holes, there is a picture of number 13. But don't let the length (or lack thereof) fool you. Anything right off the tee stands a good chance of either being in the water, being in the sand, behind the large oak or a combination! A long iron or hybrid is all you need, leaving a short pitch shot to a fairly small green that is surrounded by trouble.

Number 18: Par 4, 370 yards. This hole will definitely test your mettle. The trick is to favor the right side but at the same time, avoid the three fairway bunkers in the landing area. If successful, you will be left with a shot to medium iron shot to a multi-level green protected on the right by a deep bunker. The player who finishes strongest on the last three holes has a great chance at winning the match.

Last Word

If you're visiting on one of Black Diamond Ranch's Stay and Play packages and you haven't played either course, my advice is to play The Ranch Course first. As Robin Williams says about the flag in his skit on golf "It will give you hope!" As the slope rating suggests (127 Ranch vs. 131 Quarry), the latter is a lot more demanding, both mentally and physically.

For the most part, holes on the Ranch Course are wide open and allow ample room off the tees. Waste areas and bunkers dot the peripheries of the fairways. The changes in elevation are a nice change from your typical Florida layout; Uphill and downhill approach shots and side hill lies, are not something you see every day when playing golf in the Sunshine State.

Par can sometime be a difficult score to achieve as greens are guarded by numerous sand traps, waste bunkers, and two pristine lakes. In fact, there is water on a mere three holes and it's really only in play on two of the three.

The front nine is straight forward golf - what you see is what you get. You don't see any of the wet stuff until number 8, a picturesque par-3. Something else you don't see too often is back-to-back par fives; one ends the front nine, the other begins the back. On these two holes alone, there is enough sand to start a private beach club! Lastly, Tom Fazio has referred to The Ranch's 16th, 17th and 18th holes as "the three best finishing holes I've ever designed." What more needs to be said?

Black Diamond Ranch's Stay and Play packages start at $399 per person (based on quadruple occupancy in an onsite home.) For more information on these packages, give them a call at 352.746.3446. You can also email Bryan Richard, Director of Golf at brichard@blackdiamondranch.com. And, be sure to visit their website, www.blackdiamondranch.com.