Course Designer

I would characterize Providence as a hybrid course, part prairie style (otherwise referred to as heathland), part old Florida, and part parkland. The large swath of green area visible from the clubhouse constitutes the opening and closing holes of each nine as well as the practice fairway. The wall-to-wall manicured turf and oak trees throughout this area are evocative of classic parkland courses. 

The front nine quickly morphs into a prairie setting during the third hole with two expansive native sand areas on either side of the landing area. The third green, entire par three fourth and tee shot on the short fifth are heavily framed with native wind blown native grasses (cord and muhley) reinforcing this open, expansive, big sky feel. 

The sixth combines elements of prairie with the cord grass fringed waste area on the right side of the tee shot and an old Florida wetland guarding the left side of the approach into the green. The seventh with it’s strategic bite off what you can chew lake bank up the right side and waste bunkers through the fairway bordering the left side, continue the combo prairie/old Florida look. The short tree lined eighth with its’ bulk-headed creek serves as a bridge in styles between the open heath of the previous holes and the return to the park on the ninth. 

Once leaving the park like tenth, the back nine traverses along as an old Florida layout on the eleventh and twelfth with expansive lakes and heavily wooded wetland backdrops. The thirteenth, and fourteenth bridge the style from old Florida to prairie, culminating in the rolling fifteenth, a par five that is the only hole to occupy the sandy ridge portion of the site, a completely natural prairie setting but with a smattering of strategically located scrub live oaks. 

Sixteen plays off of the ridge, around a strategically placed lake to a green perched between the lake and the large wooded wetland backdrop. Seventeen, a moderately length par three is as eight on the front, framed by large trees and allows for a cool shady respite before emerging back into the park like setting on the home hole eighteenth. 

All in all, the variety of style and tree canopy throughout the course creates an ever-changing pallet that will provide for memorable holes as well as strategic golf. 

Mike Dasher