THE SHACK GOLF CLUB at 1717 Chestnut Ave. in Glenview is open daily with seven simulators. Owner Nick Larkin with all-world caddie master Greg Kunkel welcome you to join them and Arnie at the bar. So book your tee time today, or come in to get a lesson or club fitting through the Shack’s professionals. See TheShackGolfClub.com
THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on X @GogBlogGuy or connect on LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram.
THE RECENT SOLETA GC MEDIA DAY saw Golf Travel Writers Executive Director Len Ziehm, with Nick Price.
SENSATIONAL SOLETA…
NICK PRICE who carded his fair share on wins on the PGA Tour (18), and three major championships. Is now being a major player in the world of golf course design.
Price’s latest design in Myakka City Florida, shows just how far the 68 year old Price has come in golf course architecture. because during his time on tour, Price played all over the world (41 wins) and saw courses in many countries.
Those experiences show in his design at Soleta, a course that members and their guests will enjoy for years. Currently Soleta has some limited outside play, as the club continues it’s search for new members.
WHEN SOLETA opened for play last November, 150 members had already signed up. that number is now closing in on 200. The membership will cap out at 275-with room for another 25 International members, says head golf professional Aaron Crooks. So if one is looking for a club to join in Florida, Soleta still has room for new memberships. Which is something that is getting harder to find these days in the sunshine state. But those remaining memberships are moving quickly, so if your interested, don’t wait too long.
The 435 yard par-4 first hole at Soleta Golf Club.
While Price’s name is on the club for his design work, another big name from the golf world has put his signature on the practice facilities.
That would be world renown instructor David Ledbetter. Crooks says the practice area is something Ledbetter calls the “Field of Dreams.” Ledbetter did the design work on the practice area, and was on-site through much of construction.
SOLETA HAS a style that looks like Florida, but has wide shaped sandy waste area’s with sweeping dunes that would fit in other places in the golfing world, such as South Africa or Australia. But what’s really amazing is how fast the property came together once construction started. Work was completed in less than one year, and would have been finished sooner, if not for a short hurricane delay.
CLICK HERE to hear the full interview on Soleta Golf Club with head golf professional Aaron Crooks.
The 186 yard par-3 third hole is surrounded by sand, but only requires a straight forward tee shot.
So while there is water on the course, a majority of it does not come into play. But in some cases it does, if you really hit a poor shot at least 40 yards off the fairway.
One thing that puts a damper on a great course design, is homes stacked on top of the course.
That will not be an issue at Soleta. There is only a couple of places that golfers will even see homes from the course, and it will take a solid mid-iron shot to reach the backyards of the houses.
The Schaumburg Golf Club at 401 North Roselle Road, is open daily with three simulators to choose from. Courses to pick from include the SGC design, renovated by Todd Quitno. Chandlers Chophouse is right upstairs in the clubhouse. Lessons and club fittings are available. So call the pro shop at (847)-885-9000 or Schaumburggolf.com.
Price did a nice job in creating ample wide fairways, so there is room to create shots. But those fairways will be nice on windy days, when the ball is moving to the left or to the right.
Another strong feature of Soleta, is the greens. They are plenty large enough to catch golfers approach shots. But Price did not go crazy with wild humps and bumps that one will need to put over.
What is amazing is how the golf course does not look like it just opened. It’s well grown in and looks to have been place for more than a few months.
When the Soleta membership continues to grow, work will start on the permanent clubhouse. Currently there are trailers, serving as locker rooms and the pro shop. Myakka City Florida is straight inland from the Sarasota/Bradenton area, on the east side of Interstate 75. So for more information see Soletagolf.com.