Old Corkscrew, Ft. Myers FL

Brandon, thanks for posting this..  I"m actually heading down there in a few weeks to visit my parents in Bonita Springs.  I'm always playing Raptor Bay but looking for something different.  Someone on here mentioned Old Corkscrew so i'm definitely checking that place out..  

Also heading up to Streamsong.  From what i hear it's well worth the 2 hour drive, so i'm looking forward to that.

Any other suggestions? 

Cheers

I played Raptor Bay for the first time this December. It was a nice course although I did find the greens to be almost unplayable because of how slow they were. Not sure if they had put sand down or what but at one point we just took 2 putts on each green and that was enough. Old Corkscrew has some of the fastest and true greens I have played. I have also played at Tiburón in Naples being a GN course. Also a great course but very, very expensive this time of year. 

Nothing I have played there compares to Old Corkscrew. When I head back down around April-May I'm going to look into a few other courses that compare or come close to the Corkscrew challenge. The staff there is great and they aren't afraid to tell you just how hard it is. I am a 6 handicap and the course is an absolute blast to play if you go in understanding the challenge ahead. I normally play 5-6 rounds a week here and one round at the Corkscrew has me mentally and physically just beat. 

My family was down there from Nebraska for my mother's birthday last February. The Old Corkscrew was recommended to us by a buddy that was a hospital administrator in the area a few years back. I thought the course was amazing and the staff was very friendly as well. When we pulled up to the first tee, I asked the starter which tees to play form. I told him that I was a scratch golfer, but hadn't swung a club since the previous October. He recommended the tees one up from the back. I am so glad he did, it would have been a long day had I tried those back tees. The course was very challenging, but fair. I played with my Dad, brother and brother-in-law, and we all agreed it will definitely be a part of our next trip to the area. They were running a membership special at the time that made me wish I lived there. I would have signed up that day.

I love Old Corkscrew! It is my favorite in that area. I go on a buddies trip every year there. We try to play our favorites and get to new ones too. I always lobby for a trip back there. I do get a little resistance due to the difficulty. Just remember when you get on the green, you're not done, Jack loves to defend all the way to the cup.

I have also enjoyed, Naples Grande, Wildcat Run, Talis Park, and Twin Eagles. Talis is also special, but hard to get onto. We go in May at the beginning of off season.

Enjoy the trips...

Try TPC Treviso Bay.  It's about a 15 drive south from Old Corkscrew and isn't so much of the carnival greens you have and more of a PGA style course.  VERY TUFF TRACK!  Hs one of the highest course ratings in the country.

OC was a qualifier for the US Open at Bethpage in 2002 so if you ask the shop they'll give you the tee box locations and you can take a crack at it.  I think they still have the qualifier scores posted in the dining area.

Old Corkscrew was great! One of my favorites in that area, along with Raptor Bay and TPC Treviso Bay.

I played TPC Treviso Bay in December and it completely blew me away how amazing it was. I love every shot of it!  Beware of gators along the water though! 

I highly recommend playing it sooner rather than later because I have heard that it will not be renewing its TPC contract in 2 years and therefore will not be able to keep the TPC name.  This is both sad and a blessing because currently their is only a trailer for a club house and a huge unfinished cement structure that would have been the clubhouse next to it.  Now that they are not renewing the TPC contract, the course is able to build a new clubhouse and should be done by 2016 (or so they say).

All in all, TPC is a must play.  I have never seen a course in better shape.

Have a great trip...

Greens & Fairways,

Mike