GolfNewsRI

For fellow history buffs, 1897 was the year that the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley, took office, the Klondike gold rush began, electrons were discovered, the first Boston Marathon was run, and the Boston subway opened – the first rapid transit in North America. 

As for golf, 1897 was the year that the Belleair Country Club was established, the first golf course in Florida.

My wife Amy and I played Belleair Country Club of Florida in mid-January. I really love golf, but I try not to take my myself and my relationship with the game too seriously and do not know as much about the game as I would like. 

That lack of knowledge was on full display as I was unaware of this historic and outstanding course.  When we received the invitation to play, Amy knew everything about the area and was well aware of the course.  I had zero idea how special this invitation was.

Our great friend Jules has a lifelong friend named Mark who is a member of this course – which was the very first golf course in Florida in 1897. The 1897 establishment is a signnificant fact as Florida now has over 1,300 golf courses ~ the most of any state in the country.

Belleair CC has been voted the fourth Best Private Course in Florida. I believe this distinction is well deserved.

Jules, Mark and I all happened to be in Florida at the same time and went back and forth if we would play together in greater Sarasota or Belleair.  We agreed on Belleair CC.  

Belleair is about hour from our home in greater Sarasota and the ride calls for a trip over the 4.14-mile St. Petersburg Sunshine Skyway Bridge.  This was my first time over the bridge and in the Clearwater area.

My Google Maps had a digital fight with my wife’s Apple Maps. We fortunately went with her directions and found the gulf side course.

We arrived at the gates at 9:00 AM for our 9:50 AM tee time.  The day was forecasted to be “Florida Cold” but ended up sunny and quite pleasant. 

We checked in at the bag drop and were given a cart.  The range is ample and very close to the bag drop. We found the entire staff exceptionally welcoming and friendly. We checked in and our host had taken care of everything.   

Amy and I both purchased Belleair CC winter hats, understanding that we wouldn’t need them for long in the round.

We went to the range and met our hosts.  The range was matts only due to the previous day’s hard rain.  

I had a decent warm up while Amy was on her 5^th round in two weeks and was in mid-season form. There was a father and son on the range and since they were only a twosome, in was clearly agreed that they would tee off first ahead of us.

Belleaire consists of two courses, East and West, for a total of 36 holes. The West Course is the more difficult one with a slope rating of 137 from the black tees.  We played the East Course, as the West was closed in the morning for maintenance.

I absolutely had my C swing with me and tried to just keep the ball in play on the first few holes.   I kept it together but not well.  The wind and unfamiliarly with the course wreaked havoc on some of my game.

The course is the first time I have experienced a Donald Ross design in the deep south.  BCC has the some of the best aspects of a north course and a Florida course.

One thing I was warned about by our host but did not fully appreciate is drastic change between up-grain and down-grain putts.   The difference between the up-grain and down-grain putts was striking. The grain reads, coupled with undulation, made the greens uniquely challenging to read.

BCC is very well laid out and, unlike many Florida courses, the water is very much in play on many holes and not just aesthetics.  

One thing I noticed was how well the fairways played. I never had an imperfect lie in a fairway.

The East Course finishes strong with the 16^th tee shot straight towards the Clearwater city skyline and the Gulf of Mexico/America and the 17^th tee box right on the water.

The course was not busy that day, which allowed us to stop and take a moment from golf and watch the swearing in of our 47^th President of the United States on an iPhone. It was a memorable moment.

The 18^th hole frustrated me the most as I hit a good tee shot but was blocked out on the right-hand side of the fairway too close to the trees. 

I could not make up for my poor ball striking with a good short game and faded into the low 90’s. 

Amy drove the ball very well, but too, had issues reading these greens.  The greens are undulating, quick and very fair.  The local knowledge of the grain changes is an absolute must to score well.

After the round, we had drinks and lunch in the clubhouse and replayed the round. The food was fabulous and service was terrific.

Although I played poorly, we enjoyed every moment at this historic course. I would welcome another opportunity to work on my green-reading at BCC!