Old Corkscrew Golf Club is a top golf course in Southwest Florida, about thirty miles north of Naples. If you are heading down to that area to escape the cold, you need to add this course to your list of places to play.
Old Corkscrew is a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design that opened in 2007 and receives rave reviews. While memberships are available, it is open to the public and green fees range from about $166 to $176. That’s a relative bargain given some of the green fees over $200 at some courses closer to Naples.
From the back tees, Old Corkscrew reaches nearly 7,400 yards and is a par 72. With a slope rating of 153 and a course rating of 77.6 from these back tees, the course is typical of a Nicklaus design…difficult!
There are five sets of tees, so the course plays down to 5,161 yards from the most forward set.
One of the most appealing features of this facility according to some golfers is the fact that there is no residential development around the course. This is almost unheard of in the Naples area, if not all of Florida.
While the natural terrain is flat, Nicklaus designed the course with lots of undulations in the fairways and greens. The greens in particular have some severe slopes, so if you are a better player, you need to be on your A game with your irons to hold the appropriate level.
Some consider the 9th hole to be the signature hole of the golf course. Flanked by water along the right side, this is a 423 yard par 4. Bolder players who hug the right side with their tee shot will be rewarded with a shorter shot into the green.
The problem is, if you bail out left, you’ll be faced with a tough shot into the green where if you miss to the right, you’ll dunk it into the water.
The best par 3 is the 189 yard 12th, with water guarding the left side of the green and a steep slope toward the water away from the green. As you can see from the photo below, that steep slope begins at the front right portion of the green, so you need to carry your ball all the way to the green. Most golfers will likely bail out right on this tee shot, which then results in a perilous pitch or bunker shot if the pin is tucked left.
Old Corkscrew 12th Hole
The 11th hole, a par 5, is considered to be the best par 5 on the course by some, as it offers a variety of ways to play the hole from tee to green, presenting classic risk/reward decision making.
One of the popular comments in reviews of Old Corkscrew is the conditioning, which mostly lean excellent. At the same time, the difficulty of the course does not lend itself to a fast played round, so be prepared for a long round. However, that’s not such a bad thing on a course this good.
In another post I wrote more about where to stay and play golf in Naples. Ultimately, Old Corkscrew Golf Club should be near the top of your list of courses to play on any golf trip there. While it is a bit further away from Naples itself, it is definitely one of the top three or four courses in Southwest Florida, and among the top public courses in all of Florida.
Look for hotel deals below, and then get set up with your tee time! Old Corkscrew will likely be on your list of courses to play annually once you see it that first time.
Thanks for reading!
