Grand Cypress Golf Club - The New Course

For our third course on my Orlando golf trip, my father and I headed to the new Course at Grand Cypress Golf Club.  Grand Cypress is a AAA four diamond golf resort featuring on-site villas, tennis, spas, fishing, rock climbing and 54 holes of golf designed by Jack Nicklaus.

The resort is behind a gated entrance.  A guard verified our name and tee time and we were allowed through into a meandering road that runs along several of the holes on the various North, South and East nines.  At the end of the road is the clubhouse, fronted by palms and flags.  The clubhouse/restaurant has a very posh atmosphere.

Aside from the 27 holes that make up the 3 nines, the star attraction of the resort is The New Course.
This is 18 holes of links golf designed by Jack as an homage to the Old Course at St. Andrews.  It is not a replica course, but it successfully portrays a lot of the sense of playing the more wide open links game.  Of course since it is not near the ocean a true experience can't be had but I found this course to be a really fun, and challenging experience.

We paid our green fees and then headed over to the range.  There is only one range at the facility.  Unfortunately it was irons only on the range.  I am not sure if that is a permanent rule, or only because the teeing ground was all the way to the front of the range.

 Despite the sunny skies our early morning tee time found us with a chilly start to the day.  The wind was also up and running.  Winds were in the 20-30 mph range- not a good thing on a wide open course like this.  We warmed up marginally on the tee, then hopped into the cart for a rather lengthy ride to The New Course.

 The range has a large putting green with bunkers to practice from.  This green  is another smaller one located near the first tee of The New Course. Behind the green is another smaller green with a pot bunker to practice a much used shot on the course.

At the first tee is a starters shack, and beyond that a massive fairway shared by the 1st and 18th holes, similar to St. Andrews.  Pretty clever Jack.

We were paired up with a couple from Pennsylvania Jan and Dan.

This course only offers 3 sets of tees: Blue, White, and Red.  The back tees are 6773 yards and play at a 71.5 rating and 122 slope.  The Whites are 6098 yards and 69.1/117, and the Reds are 5218 yards and 69.7/113.  I would have like to see one more option, perhaps a Blue/White mix.

Most of the holes feature shared greens.  The greens are shared between front and back nines so on the front you are aiming for yellow pins, and on the back you aim at the whites.  I usually found this OK though I did forgot one time and hit to the wrong half of a green when I aimed at the wrong pin!

With its links inspired layout, most of the trouble on the course will come in 3 distinct variety- the myriad of bunkers (there are over 150 bunkers), water (most water is found in burns crossing in front of the greens), and the native plant species designed to act like troublesome gorse.

Lets get onto the course overview.


Hole 1 Par 4
362 | 347 | 332 yards

The first hole shares a massive fairway with the 18th.  Down the right side, the hole is lined with trees.  The opening tee shot is a bit reminiscent on the old course with OB right and the 18th left.  The burn is a bit closer to the green on this hole and really doesn't come into play off the tee.   Unless you hit it right this is an almost impossible fairway to miss.  It is wide open until just before the green, so it's grip it and rip it time.  We teed off into a stiff headwind.  I hit a fairly good tee shot that ballooned up and only managed around 200 yards into the wind.

Almost certainly you've found the fairway on the second.  You now just need to hit into the green.  Very little hazards await- other than the water ahead.  Remember to aim at the yellow flag on this shared green.

 Your second shot must carry the burn running across the length of the hole.  The green is only one or 2 paces from the water.

The green is around 30 yards deep and slopes slightly towards the water.  The very front edge is a bit of a false front and a ball hit there could find the drink.

Hole 2 Par 5
514 | 456 | 383 yards

The second hole is a dogleg left par 5 with a tee shot that requires much more precision than the first hole.  The aiming point is at the monument stone which sits off to the left a bit from this picture, past the large clump of pine bushes (gorse).

Here you can see the aiming stone.  From the tips the stone is about 260 yards out.  A smattering of bunkers site to the right of the stone, hidden by the bushes.  Trying to cut the corner is made difficult by a pair of deep bunkers on the left side at the start of the dogleg.

At the stone, the hole turns left and plays between a series of ridges on the left and trees on the right.  Straight ahead a ridge is guarded by two large bunkers.  These bunkers are still around 70 yards from the green.

Playing from around 150 yards your view into the green will be semi-blind as shown here.  These two large bunkers should not come into play from here.

If you do find yourself in one of these bunkers. perhaps on your second shot, it will be a difficult shot to get to the green within their steep confines.

The green is around 40 yards deep.  It is protected short left by a trio of bunkers and is raised from the fairway.  This green is shared by the 16th hole.

Hole 3 Par 3
179 | 147 | 122 yards

The shortest hole on the course requires a carry all the way to the green, over marsh and large hump in front.

While getting ready to tee off we heard some tremendously loud honking bird sounds coming from the trees.  Turns out this course has a lot of these giant cranes?

Missing to the left is an option here.  There is a single bunker on that side of the green and plenty of grass.

 Again this green is shared with the 15th. It is deep but not very wide.  On the card it says it is 45 yards deep but since it continues for the 16th hole it is actually much longer.

Hole 4 Par 4
440 | 406 | 329 yards

Another demanding driving hole.  Down the right off the tee is OB and trees.  Lining the left side is an assortment of bushes and scrub.  A pair of bunkers can be seen at the corner of this dogleg left.

 Unfortunately my Dad found the scrub bushes down the left side.

Approaching the dogleg you can see there are actually three bunkers at the turn.  These furthest of there are 260 yards to clear off the tee.

Weaving your way through the bunkers, the fairway undulates as it approaches the green.  No other bunkers are present on the hole.

The final bunker is a deep pot bunker.  A true hazard, if you get into that one you will be laying up well short of the green.

The green is largely flat and is not really raised up from the fairway.  Running the ball into this green is a viable approach.  The green is shared with the 14th hole.

I hit a bomb here.  Not knowing where exactly to aim I cut off a little more on the left than I would advise.  I meant I missed all the bunkers sitting there at the turn.  I caught the slopes right and ended up having only around 90 yards in!

Hole 5 Par 4
393 | 368 | 304 yards

The 5th hole features a wide open fairway off the tee.  The tee ground is framed by evergreen bushes and wire grass I found to look very Scottish.  If it weren't for the trees framing the horizon you could almost feel you weren't in Florida.

The only danger on this hole are the bunkers.  There are 10 bunkers scattered around the fairway that can be found off the tee.

The best place to aim is right at the bunker just short of the green.

My ball rolled across the very tight fairway into the last bunker on the left.  Well, it didn't actually get into the bunker.  With me being left handed, this was an uncomfortable shot.

The green here is fairly undulating. A severe slope back to font, on the first half makes hitting into a back pin position difficult.  A large pot bunker guards the front left portion of this half of the green, which is again shared by 13.  There is plenty of room to miss around the green, provided you avoid that solitary bunker.

Hole 6 Par 5
496 | 465 | 427 yards

 The 6th hole offers 2 different ways to play it.  You can hit to the right half of the fairway.  This is an elevated shelf above the lower left half of the fairway.  in the lower left section 7 pot bunkers are scattered throughout the landing area.

To clear the bunkers on the left requires a carry of 316 yards from the tips, so the right approach is the easier proposition.  Hitting to this elevated position also clears a few of the pot bunkers short of the green with the angle into the green. Of course, me being me, I hit left.  Luckily I missed all of the bunkers.

From the left side your second shot must traverse 4 bunkers that cover the entire front side of the green.

Behind the green a bunker sits to the right.  Bushes can come into play on too long a shot .  A generous landing area is offered to the right of the green.  Left is the shared portion of the green for the 12th hole.

Hole 7 Par 3
182 | 132 | 113 yards

A slightly uphill par 3.  Your eye will be drawn to the two deep bunkers sitting short of the green.

This green has a wicked slope from left to right and back to front about where the pin was located.  I believe our foursome all got onto the green off the tee but I had the only par.

The green is shared with 11.

Hole 8 Par 4
440 | 374 | 340 yards

A dogleg right awaits off the tee.  The best line here is to split the bunkers on the right.  A finger of scrub juts in from the right side and is in play off the tee.  Hitting left of the right two bunkers offers a safer tee shot however, it means a longer second shot into the green.

On your second shot in the fairway the green is protected by a burn running across the hole.

This is the right most bunker at the corner of the dogleg.  Certainly not large, but big enough to cause trouble if you find yourself there.

Similar to the first hole, the water is just a pace or two of the green.  The hill and bushes behind the green can also come into play for those needing a longer shot into this green.

Hole 9 Par 4
382 | 322 | 266 yards

The Tee shot on 9 requires carrying the burn just in front of the tee.  The fairway here is wide open, save for the 25!! bunkers in play.  A sentry line of 5 bunkers transects the fairway around 150 yards from the hole.  Past these hazards another clump of bunkers sits around 75 yards from the green.

The approach into the small green requires avoiding another gaggle of bunkers.

This is the only green on the front that stands alone and is not shared by another hole.

Hole 10 Par 4
330 | 275 | 218 yards

A short par 4 that is designed to have the player lay up somewhere short of the burn crossing in front of the green.  Down the left side are 8 bunkers scattered the length of the hole.  A single larger bunker sits down the right side around 100 yards from the green.

The shot into the green must carry the burn in front.  The green slopes from back to front.  There is no room to miss short and this green that is laid out diagonally from the fairway.  A single bunker sits to the back left of the green.

Hole 11 Par 4
430 | 387 | 301 yards

A longer par 4, this hole is fairly open off the tee.  The only real hazard comes from the island of scrub bushes to the tucked into the corner of this dogleg left hole. The best line of attack is just to the left of the bunker that appears behind the small hill with bushes atop it.  That bunker is 330 from the tips.

A view from about 200 yards out where the fairway turns left towards the green.  While the tee shot is mostly open, the second shot into the hole will require carrying a pair of fairway bunkers short of the green some 20 yards.

The green is a reverse S shape and has a fair amount of undulation.  Aside from the two bunkers that lay short of the green, there are two more to the left and another to the right.

A look back down the fairway from near the green.

And a view of the green from the right side showing the room between the front bunkers and the gentle slope in front of the green.  In general this green runs from the front back. It is shared with number 7 on the front.

Hole 12 Par 3
207 | 189 | 158 yards

A mid length par 3.  A pair of pot bunkers sit front and center but well short of the green.

More in play is the bunker on the left edge of the green.  This pot bunker is fairly deep and is a tough proposition, likely being short sided.

The green is shared by hole 6 directly behind it.  This share is divided into 2 distinct levels, the front elevated above the back portion of the green.

Hole 13 Par 4
431 | 389 | 296 yards

A slight dogleg right on this par 4.  This hole is wide open, save for the smattering of 10 bunkers off the tee.  Most of these bunkers really should not come into play.  Four line the right edge of the fairway, and one solitary on sits in the mid-left of the fairway.  That is your aiming point.

There is a generous landing area just to the right of/past the aiming bunker on the left.  That bunker is 260 yards to clear from the tips.

If you clear the intended aiming bunker you will likely have under 150 yards in on your second shot.  A good thing as this is probably the hardest approach shot to hit close.

The green is shared by the 5th hole.  Your portion is to the left and this area slopes from right to left and severely from front to back.  The green is unguarded by bunkers.  The one shown in this picture is 60 yards short of the green.

The greens primary defense is its design.  A small ridge in front of the green repels shots back.

And anything hit to the front half of the green will run off the back.  Like I said a tremendously tough green to hold.

Hole 14 Par 4
371 | 323 | 291 yards

A pretty shorter par 4 offers up another chance to use strategy on this hole. Off the tee, two bunkers sit in the fairway at around 120 yards from the green.  The player can either lay up short of these for a mid-iron into the green, or take them on and try to split them with driver.

Beyond the two fairway bunkers there is only a single isolated pot bunker about 50 yards from the green.  A bump and run approach is possible here.

The green is shared by 4.  This hole uses the right portion and features a false back as shown here from the back right corner of the hole.

Hole 15 Par 5
570 | 544 | 491 yards

The less dangerous route takes the water completely out of play.  To the extreme left is a lower portion of fairway.  This path will require a longer total distance but eliminates the water trouble.

Alternatively, the player can choose the upper portion of the hole which threads between the stone wall and the bunkers sitting at the edge of the upper shelf on the left.

 The most memorable hole on the course (and not for a good reason).  I put 3 balls in the lake to the right off the tee.  Ouch.  This hole offers 2 different routes.

 The stone wall is one of the more unusual features.  Perhaps a nod to the ancient stone walls found on Scottish courses like North Berwick, or the Road Hole of the Old Course

From the lower portion of the fairway, your approach must carry a large bunker crossing the fairway around 130 yards out.  The shot into the green will be uphill from the fairway beyond this bunker. This green is shared with number 3 from the front.

Hole 16 Par 3
190 | 171 | 136 yards

A straight forward par 3.  You must avoid the small pot bunker short right, and the grass swale short left.

This green is shared by number 2.  Our portion is relatively deep at 45 yards at its widest.

Hole 17 Par 5
485 | 453 | 410 yards

 A dogleg right, this tee shot requires much more accuracy that most holes here.  A bunker not shown on the card sits in the middle of the fairway landing area around 230 yards from the green.

 The best play off the tee is to aim just to the left edge of the mound on the right.  This mound is under 200 yards to carry and keeps you safely away from the bunker.

As you turn the dogleg, a pair of trees come into play down the right middle of the fairway on your second shot.  These trees are around 160 yards from the hole.  Beyond them, a pair of bunkers sit in the middle of the fairway short of the green.

Playing up the left side of the hole opens up the length of the green and takes the sand nearly out of play.  From here you can run the ball up to the hole.

Played more down the middle you must carry the bunkers (and the cranes) to reach the green.  Just behind the green is the cart path and a stone wall.  Both of which can come into play and cause your ball to bound off into the woods beyond.

Hole 18 Par 4
371 | 350 | 307 yards

The final hole is a straight forward par 4.  Mounding down the right side, along with bushes and an OB fence make the left side of this shared fairway with number 1 the better option.

There are no bunkers at all in play on this hole and unless you hit right, missing the fairway is impossible.

I striped a drive right down the middle here, finally.  It had been somewhat of a rough day for the driver.  With the wind at my back I had only 80 yards in.  The green here is a large square, and runs off to the left.

If you play up the left side of the hole you will have to carry a deep hollow (a "valley of sin" inspired feature).  Played from the center of the fairway this hollow is not in play.

I got a little too cute with my approach to the front pin and left my ball on the fringe.  Two putts later I had an easy par.  A look back down the hole from behind the fence that wraps around the right and rear of the final green.

The New Course was a fun experience.  Having never played the real Scottish links courses I can't really compare it but it seemed to me a good representation of that style of golf.  There are no need for lob shots on the course.  Almost all approaches can be run in on the ground.  Most of the dangers lie in the bunkering on the course.  Most are very penal, requiring an extra shot just to get out with no chance to go for it from within their depths.

The course was in great shape.  The fairways were fast and very shortly cropped.  The greens were smooth and fairly fast.  No Streamsong speeds, but still well maintained.  The only complaint I would have would be all of the double greens.  While I understand this may be homage to The Old Course's 7 double greens it is not something I am used to.  It was a bit disconcerting to see people on the other hole shared by your green.  Sometimes they were not all that far away.  Certainly a wayward shot could cause an injury relatively easy.  That didn't happen, but it gets in your head a bit when you are hitting shots in.

I ended up carding the worst round of the trip here, but would rank it as #2 behind Streamsong in my enjoyment.  It was such an unique experience to play this style of course.  The variety of shots you could make was something I have not had much experience with.  Unfortunately the wind was up and my game was not.  A bad combination together.  Still I shot an ESC total of 89.  I say that because my actual score on 15 was somewhere north of 10.

After the round we sat out on the deck of the clubhouse (which was packed).  We enjoyed the sunshine on this beautiful day.  The deck of the clubhouse overlooks a couple of the other holes from the non New Course nines.  That course looks considerably tighter.