The Florida Guide: Central Florida & The Villages

Drive from the Clubhouse: 1–1.5 hours.

Point the truck north on I-75 and in 60 to 90 minutes you trade Wesley Chapel's flat pine scrub for genuine topography — the Ocala and Citrus County uplands are some of the only golf terrain in Florida with real elevation change, and Lake County's hills around Howey-in-the-Hills roll harder still. This is horse country and retiree country, which means an unusual density of well-kept, honestly priced courses ringing The Villages (whose own championship courses are resident-and-guest only — don't bother, the ring around them is better anyway). November through April is snowbird season: rates peak and morning tee sheets fill days ahead, so book early or embrace the afternoon. May through October the same courses drop 30 to 50 percent and you'll have the back nine to yourself, provided you're off before the 2 p.m. thunderheads. Play it in the sim first, then go see what a Florida golf hill actually feels like under your feet.

Mission Resort + Club (El Campeón) — Howey-in-the-Hills

resort · $90–180 (resort), lower in summer

Opened in 1917 and refined in 1926 by Scotsman Charles E. Clarke, El Campeón is one of Florida's oldest courses and plays like nothing else in the state — 85 feet of elevation change over genuine hills, with water threatening on most holes. The double-dogleg par-5 17th, Devil's Delight, is a century-old closer that still wrecks scorecards. Resort play is open to everyone, and stay-and-play packages make a weekend of it.

For newer players: A stern, hilly test with forced carries — beautiful for a first golf trip, punishing for a first score, so play the forward tees without shame.

Juliette Falls Golf Club — Dunnellon

public · $55–105 by season

Regularly cited among Florida's best public-access courses, Juliette Falls carves through sandhills near Rainbow Springs with brilliant white waste bunkering, sculpted water features, and conditioning that embarrasses courses at twice the price. It is target golf with room to breathe — generous landing zones, then demanding approach shots into well-defended greens. The kind of course sim members will recognize hole-for-hole after playing it.

For newer players: Visually intimidating but playable from the forward tees, since most of the sand is carry trouble rather than fairway-pinching trouble.

In the encyclopedia: Juliette Falls Golf Club — read the full write-up, and play it in the sim if it's in the catalog.

Ocala Golf Club — Ocala

public · $20–45

"The Muni" dates to the 1920s Ocala Highlands development, was bought by the city in 1944, and holds a proud spot on the Florida Historic Golf Trail. Massive live oaks, old-Florida push-up greens, and a walkable routing deliver the kind of unpretentious golden-age golf that has mostly vanished from the state. At municipal prices it may be the best value inside the 90-minute band.

For newer players: One of the friendliest full-length courses in the region — short-ish, forgiving, cheap, and nobody rushes you.

Candler Hills Golf Club — Ocala

public · $60–130 by season

The championship course at On Top of the World is the tournament venue of Marion County — it hosts the Ocala Open, a legitimate professional mini-tour stop, and stretches well past 7,000 yards over rolling horse-country terrain. Fairways and greens are kept to a standard most Tampa publics can't touch, and non-residents are welcome on the tee sheet. This is where you go to test a new driver fitting against real yardage.

For newer players: Big, open, and fair with multiple tee sets, but the tournament length means beginners should ride, not walk, and play well forward.

Stone Creek Golf Club — Ocala

semi-private · $45–90

Terry Doss laid out 7,200 yards through the Del Webb Stone Creek community, and the course has quietly built one of Ocala's best conditioning reputations — smooth, quick greens and defined turf lines year-round. Water and wetlands frame the scoring holes without suffocating them. Public players book seven days out; do it, because the snowbirds know about this one.

For newer players: Wide resident-friendly fairways and five tee sets make it a comfortable step up from a muni.

Broad Stripes Golf & Social Club (at Stonecrest) — Summerfield

semi-private · $25–60

Formerly Stonecrest Golf Club and freshly rebranded, this links-style par 72 sits literally across the county line from The Villages — it is the easiest way for an outsider to play the rolling Villages-country terrain the residents hoard. Wide fairways, water on eight holes, and 6,850 yards from the tips give it more teeth than the price suggests. Pair it with lunch at the on-site restaurant and you've had the full Villages-adjacent experience for under $75.

For newer players: The broad fairways the new name brags about are real — one of the gentlest championship-length courses in the region.

Arlington Ridge Golf Club — Leesburg

public · $45–75

Gary Koch — Tampa's own six-time PGA Tour winner and NBC voice — built Arlington Ridge in 2005 on the ridgeline south of Leesburg, and it reflects his stated philosophy: fair, fun, and honest. Elevation changes you can feel, greens that reward a properly flighted approach, and a maintenance standard that outperforms the rate card. It slots neatly into a 36-hole day with Mission Resort fifteen minutes down the road.

For newer players: Genuinely one of the friendlier designs in the guide — trouble is visible, carries are optional, and the staff welcomes newcomers.

Harbor Hills Country Club — Lady Lake

semi-private · $40–75

Perched on some of the highest ground in Lake County above Lake Griffin, Harbor Hills has been a semi-private staple since 1989 — 6,910 yards, a 128 slope, and fairways that tumble downhill toward lake views you don't associate with Florida golf. It sits minutes from The Villages, making it the area's go-to for visitors locked out of the resident courses. Conditioning is country-club tidy without country-club pricing.

For newer players: Length and slope make it a real test from the back, but four tee sets and open corridors keep it survivable up front.

Citrus Hills Golf & Country Club (Oaks & Meadows) — Hernando

semi-private · $30–75

Two 18s over the most dramatic hills in Citrus County: the Oaks winds tight through hardwood corridors with serious elevation swings, while the Meadows plays shorter and more open. Both are par 70s that reward shot-making over bombing, and the uphill-downhill lies are a genuine skills test no Tampa flatland course provides. Public play is welcome on both, and combo rates make a 36-hole day cheap.

For newer players: Play the Meadows first — it is the shorter, friendlier sibling — and save the tree-lined Oaks for round two.

Twisted Oaks Golf Club — Beverly Hills

public · $25–55

Opened in 1991 across rolling, live-oak-studded Citrus County terrain, Twisted Oaks is the region's canonical value play — near-7,000 yards of proper routing, elevation change on almost every hole, and green fees that regularly dip into the $20s. Locals guard it jealously; visiting Tampa golfers leave wondering why they've been paying double at home. Conditioning is honest rather than manicured, which at this price is the right trade.

For newer players: Forgiving off the tee and cheap enough that a blow-up nine costs you nothing but pride.

Continental Country Club — Wildwood

public · $30–60

This 1972 layout was the very first design by Ron Garl, who went on to build over 200 courses across Florida — playing it is a piece of state golf-architecture history five minutes off the I-75/Turnpike interchange. The par-72 routing through mature trees is short by modern standards but shrewd, and it makes an ideal first or last stop on any trip up the corridor. Public tee times are easy to come by even in season.

For newer players: Around 6,300 yards from the tips and much less up front, this is a confidence-builder, not a beating.