Ridgewood Lakes Golf Club: Florida Golf Journal Review

Subtleties rarely define a golf course. Typically, dramatic slopes and menacing hazards grab your attention and hold it long after you’ve packed up the clubs and headed home. Ridgewood Lakes Golf & Country Club has a few of those, but it’s the subtleties that will shape your scorecard here, even if you don’t know it.

The seemingly innocuous 10th hole exemplifies how significantly a few yards can alter your shot at birdie. Only 336 yards from the Blue tees (361 from the Gold), with a generous landing area and only a couple of relatively harmless bunkers directing traffic, it’s one of Ridgewood’s easiest holes. Yet this book has more than merely a cover.

Ridgewood Lakes Golf Yardage Book Out

The green is mostly level with the fairway. If you place your drive on the left side of the fairway, a direct attack on the pin beckons. But should you hit a seemingly perfect drive that leans toward the right side of the fairway, your approach has changed ever so slightly to make birdie near impossible. A ridge only a foot or two tall in front of the green means a one-bounce-and-onto-the-green wedge won’t work. And if you fly it all the way on, that soft slope will force your ball past the pin toward the back portion of the green.

Play the course once or twice and you’ll never even realize such slight differences, but Florida Golf Journal had the benefit of a Ridgewood veteran along the way.

The fourth hole is another example. Lengthy at 414 yards, the drive seems rather open. Yes, there’s water right and trees left, but nothing daunting. It’s the second shot that gets you. Drift left off the tee and your approach will be blocked by trees. Slide right and you’ll either be wet or sandy … neither of which bodes well for the 180-yarder over water that remains from this side. This green is not so subtle though, with two major troughs on the left side.

You will not leave in awe of this 1994 Ted McAnlis design, but you will leave respecting it and having enjoyed it, and anxious to play again to discover more of its secrets.

Ridgewood Lakes Golf Yardage Book In

No review of Ridgewood Lakes would be complete without homage to the ghastly 11th, a 384-yard par four with a fairway only slightly thicker than a No. 2 pencil. Park your chaise lounge alongside either of the adjacent ponds, and you can probably see the water level rise as each passing group adds half a dozen balls to the murky depths.

This track gets quite a bit of play (48,000 rounds per year). In the face of stiff competition in the Central Florida market, Director of Golf Brian Boeling attributes his course’s popularity to solid conditioning and a staff that “goes out of its way to please.”

Following the trio of hurricanes that passed over Ridgewood Lakes in 2004, Boeling installed coquina waste bunkers in many areas previously overrun with rough or pine needles. The difference, both in beauty and playability, were immediate.

“It blended in with our course, which has a tropical flair to it with all the canary and queen palms,” says Boeling.

Ridgewood Lakes is a semi-private club and is currently accepting new Orlando Golf memberships.

Reprinted from the Florida Golf Journal Summer 2006 issue.

For a review of each hole, please continue scrolling down the page.

hole 1

Hole 1 Par-4 – Keep it straight and maybe a birdie.

A surprisingly tough opening hole and though a short dogleg the ideal tee shot may not be a driver since there are bunkers and out-of-bounds to the right, a pond and wetlands to the left and more water through the fairway.

The position of the tee shot is everything and ideally you will have only a short iron to the green which is guarded on both sides by bunkers.

Note: Though it may be tempting, trying to carry the hazard from the tee is an extremely risky shot. The fairway is very narrow from that angle and the carry is farther than it looks.

hole 2

Hole 2 – A “Man Sized” Par-5.

The three rear sets of tees include a unique island tee in the middle of a large lake which dictates the play on the second at Ridgewood Lakes. Seldom reached in two there is plenty of room off the tee but the hole narrows in the second shot landing area where the fairway slopes towards the pond.

The enormous bunker through the fairway is a handy aiming point for your second shot that should leave a wedge to the green.

If the pin location is at the rear of the green don’t be long, the green slope feeds the ball to a collection area and it can be difficult to get up and down for your par. Lots of birdies here if you can hit it close with a wedge.

hole 3

Hole 3 Par-3 – Interesting and challenging.

Scoring on the third depends a lot on the wind direction. Hole three most often plays downwind in the winter months and into the wind the rest of the year.

The tee shot is over water and paspalum grass to a large putting surface with subtle contours.

There aren’t too many birdies on three and many times par is a winner.

hole 4

Hole 4 Par-4 – One of the best in the Orlando area.

Though the 2004 hurricanes pruned and toppled some of the pines bordering the fairway, number four still requires two very good shots to wind up on the narrow green. On the tee the right side fairway bunker attracts your attention so the left side may seem the safe route but playing to the left is hindered by trees running the last 150-yards to the green. Playing the right means not only must you avoid the fairway bunker but then keep it out of the pond bordering the right margin of the fairway. And the fun doesn’t stop when you get to the putting surface. This deep green is steeply pitched in the front meaning a chip shot from short of the green will be a lot easier than putting from above a front pin. Note: If the pin location is in the middle or back a birdie putt is a possibility; assuming your second shot finds the green. Four on four is always a good score.

hole 5

Hole 5 Par-4 – Could be a breather.

A medium yardage two-shoter that simply requires placing your tee ball between the bunkers straddling the fairway and an approach that finds the green.

You may be tempted to keep you second to the left away from the waste area swooping around the right side of the putting surface but greenside mounds left, deep rough and the pitch of the green will make you work for your four.

Note: If the pin is in the back be aware of the sharp slope of the green to the right running into a chipping area. Par here will usually get you a half.

hole 6

Hole 6 – A “thinking man’s” par-3.

Most of the putting surface is hidden on this uphill par-3 so judging the correct distance to the flag requires some thought.

The green is very wide and if you happen to land in the right or left bunker your sand shot will be to a pin above your head.

Note: Take a half to full club more than the yardage calls for; players are very seldom over this green. A par on number 6 certainly gets you a tie and probably a win.

hole 7

Hole 7 Par-4 – Tree-lined dogleg.

The tee shot should be a slight fade down the alley of oaks or if you’re in your John-Daly-mode, a towering draw over the trees.

In either case your ball needs to be in the fairway so as to not be blocked out for your second. Number seven green is pitched towards the fairway, bunkered on either side and the correct approach should leave you an uphill putt.

Note: When the pin is placed in the back left the smart play is to the center of the green since over or left are both difficult up-and-downs. Make a par and you’ll have a half.

hole 8

Hole 8 Par-4 – Looks can be deceiving.

From the tee the eighth looks simple but making a par from any of the fairway bunkers is questionable and when the wind’s from the left the large right side bunker seems to contain a “ball magnet.”

The fairway past the bunkers has a slight bend to the right and the water hazard through the fairway captures a lot of drives that are trying to avoid the right bunker. Eight’s green is much deeper than it appears so taking an extra club usually is rewarded.

Note: As more than one player has found out, the creek runs close to the green on the left. Maybe a birdie if you selected the correct club for the second shot.

hole 9

Hole 9 Par-5 – Risk-reward.

One of Ridgewood’s many ponds is the dominant factor on this dogleg left. Choose as much carry over the water as you dare but don’t bail-out too far right…a series of bunkers waits.

For most, the green can’t be reached in two and the smart play is to use the club for your second shot that will leave you a comfortable yardage for the third to the two-tiered putting surface. The ninth green is the hardest to read on the course and if putting from one tier to the other a three-putt is always tough to avoid.

Note: Like most good par-5s the key to scoring is the second shot plus knowing the fairway slopes towards the water hazard the closer you get to the green. Could be a birdie four if you play intelligently and that’s often a winning score.

hole 10

Hole 10 Par-4 – Short hole … tiny green.

A drive into the generous landing area leaves a short iron to the smallest green at Ridgewood Lakes. Getting a feel for the length of the second shot is difficult, the green surface is flush with the fairway, so be sure to check the yardage and pick the right club.

There’s a bail out area to the right of the putting surface but left you’ll have to negotiate a bunker 20-yards short of the green and a slope into the wetland hazard

Note: The bunker left in front of the green is something of an optical illusion as it’s much further from the green than it looks. Birdies are common on number ten.

hole 11

Hole 11 Par-4 – Double Trouble.

“Long and tough” is an apt description of the eleventh. Though the fairway is very wide 200-yards from the tee it begins to narrow quickly so long hitters may want to consider not using a driver.

Looking from the tee the right bunker hides a pond that runs all the way to the green and definitely is in play for drives. To the left are mounds and beyond a waste area and more water, again running the entire distance to the putting surface.

Experienced players will play left from the tee even though their ball may be in the waste area. If you miss the green, right is alright, left is either in the bunker or hazard and if your second does land safely you may face a severely breaking putt since the rear half of the green is elevated several feet.

Note: The long second shot is very challenging but don’t get carried away and knock it over the green, there’s thick rough and more water back there. A four here is an excellent score and often will win the hole.

hole 12

Hole 12 Par-4 – Chance for a birdie.

A simple medium length par-4 requiring a drive to left of the bunkers and accurate approach. The twelfth’s danger is on the putting surface which has a false front, slopes both left and right and a sharp rise to the rear.

Few shots are long on twelve but when the pin is located in the back of the green, over is an improbable up-and-down. Fewer threes are scored on twelve than you might expect considering the length but a birdie is a definite possibility for smart players who leave their second shot below the flag.

hole 13

Hole 13 Par-5 – “Decisions, Decisions.”
This is an excellent par-5 that offers several ways to make a good score. Off the tee most golfers will favor the left because of the pond on the right but the two fairway bunkers opposite the water capture a lot of drives.

The second shot for most is a lay up short of the creek that runs in front of the green. Choose the club that will give you a good short iron yardage. Long drives offer the opportunity to “go for it” in two, but it’s all carry and few make it.

The thirteenth green is mounded in the rear, slopes to the front and is receptive to a well struck shot. There’s a real chance to knock your approach close and make the birdie putt.

Note: If the pin is in the back avoid being left of the green or even on the left side of the putting surface. The big mound protects those pin locations and getting a chip or putt close is all but impossible. Thirteen is a straight forward par with a good possibility of birdie

hole 14

Hole 14 Par-4 – Hidden trouble.

As you stand on the tee this medium length two-shoter looks harmless but beyond the right side bunker the fairway slopes into a hazard which takes up almost the entire width of the landing area. Aim at the 150-yard marker in the center of the fairway and this isn’t the time to set a world’s record for length of tee shot.

Be prudent and use the club from the tee that will leave no less than 140-yards to the green. On the putting surface experienced Ridgewood players note the pin location and leave the second shot so they have an up hill putt. This pitched green is very fast and tough to read…it’s not unusual for downhill putts to roll back into the fairway.

Note: If you miss the green, miss it right. You’ll see why when you play the hole. Four is very often a winner and a three is for sure.

hole 15

Hole 15 Par-3 – “Signature Hole.”

The most often photographed hole at Ridgewood Lakes, the classic par-3 fifteenth offers a pleasant view over the pond to the green. The down hill tee shot will be affected by any wind that happens to be blowing and the flanking bunkers get a lot of play by those who haven’t taken sufficient club. Running the ball up on to the large green is also unlikely because of the front slope.

Note: It’s not really obvious from the tee but the green is strongly sloped. A tee shot left of the flag will give you a much easier putt for your two. Lots of pars on the fifteenth so to win the hole you’ll probably have to make birdie.

hole 16

Hole 16 – Trouble All The Way.

Sixteen is another of Ridgewood Lakes’ strong par-5s. The tee shot has to carry a pond and a creek and don’t forget about the out-of-bounds lurking on the right. Simply put, a straight drive is a must. The out-of-bounds and the bunker on the right of the fairway may tempt you to aim to the extreme left but in one word, don’t. The hazard is in play for both tee shots and second shots.

Sixteen requires two straight shots but long hitters do have the possibility of being on in two. The green is narrow, pitched to the front and when the pin is in the rear of the green few get their approaches all the way back to the flag.

Note: Should you contemplate trying for the green with your second take into account the hazard left of the green and the right side mounds that have the nasty characteristic of bouncing balls towards the out-of-bounds. Play it straight and birdie is a possibility.

hole 17

Hole 17 – Short and Sweet.

Many well designed courses have a par-3 next to last giving everyone a chance to make a good score and finish the round on a positive note. The seventeenth at Ridgewood Lakes offers you that opportunity after your tee shot carries over the free-form bunker meandering the last half of the distance to the very large green.

Note: There is a false front to the green that can fool your depth perception and if your ball is above the pin caution with your first putt is called for since the green tends to be very fast. You’ll see lots of pars and birdies on this hole.

hole 18

Hole 18 – Sand and Water

Often playing into the wind the finishing hole calls for a drive up the gentle rise between the left bunker and the series of bunkers down the right which prevent balls from bouncing into the creek running the entire length of the hole. If you should carry your drive past the 150-yard stake beware of the wetland hazard on the left and that the fairway is tilted towards the hazard.

The bunkers front and right around the green along with the rough prevent most shots from running onto the putting surface and the front bunker especially gets a lot of play. The rear of the green rises above the center and combined with the left side mound several tough pin locations are available.

Note: “Over the green” is not good. The long rough and slope of the green make for an unlikely up-and-down. Four is a good score on eighteen and probably enough for a half.