Public
4
8 Reviews

Deer Island Country Club

Designed by Joseph L. Lee and opened in 1994
Deer Island - Deer Island, Florida

Course Details

Holes:
18
Par:
72
Length:
6661 yards
Slope:
137
Rating:
73.1
Driving Ranges:
Yes

The 18-hole "Deer Island" course at the Deer Island Country Club facility in Deer Island, Florida features 6661 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. The course rating is 73.1 and it has a slope rating of 137. The estimated green fees for 18 holes is $61. Deer Island Country Club Golf Club has an onsite driving range with 6 practice tees. Designed by Joseph L. Lee, the Deer Island golf course opened in 1994.

Estimated Green Fees
$61
These rates are an estimate of what you might expect to pay at Deer Island with a cart. Actual rates may vary.
Fees are typically lowest Monday through Thursday and during twilight (late afternoon and evenings). Expect to pay the highest rates on weekends.

Scorecard for Deer Island

HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 OUT 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 IN TOT
Black73.80/133 422 536 196 424 350 221 434 574 411 3568 405 428 571 203 349 139 496 420 450 3461 7029
Blue71.80/132 376 513 189 417 336 211 381 552 406 3381 377 413 559 184 332 136 470 390 428 3289 6670
White70.40/129 344 493 169 401 315 166 369 527 386 3170 365 395 532 163 304 125 460 367 403 3114 6284
Green67.40/118 326 426 135 344 235 143 360 527 379 2875 355 380 461 141 240 110 450 343 390 2870 5745
Green (L)74.20/145 326 426 135 344 235 143 360 527 379 2875 355 380 461 141 240 110 450 343 390 2870 5745
Gold (L)71.40/134 287 414 97 334 228 95 292 435 345 2527 278 335 430 85 234 100 367 343 311 2483 5010
Par 4 5 3 4 4 3 4 5 4 36 4 4 5 3 4 3 5 4 4 36 72
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Deer Island Flyover

Experience the course like never before with our Flyover feature. Get a bird's-eye view of each hole, helping you strategize your round and navigate the course with precision.

Deer Island Yardage Maps

Plan your shots effectively with our Yardage Maps. Click on the yardage maps for detailed measurements on every hole, including distances to hazards and key landmarks, ensuring you make the right decisions on every swing.

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What Golfers are Saying

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Deer Island Country Club sits on 400 secluded acres of prime, Florida waterfront real estate, nestled amidst the Harris Chain of Lakes in Tavares, Florida. This semi-private, 18-hole championship golf course was designed by renowned golf architect Joe Lee and opened for play in 1994.

Deer Island Country Club is the only island golf course in Central Florida and offers breathtaking views of Lake Dora and Lake Beauclair. With Florida’s largest chain of natural lakes as the backdrop, this is truly a paradise for golfers, boaters, and nature lovers. Homeowners and guests live an Island lifestyle, and the focus is on both the water and golf. That said, the golf course is the island’s main attraction!

In building the course, Lee felt that a day on the golf course should be enjoyable with no need to terrorize everyday golfers. Lee has often referred to Deer Island Country Club as the most unique design of his career. His courses typically feature undulating greens, strategically located hazards that are visible to the naked eye, and uniquely designed bunkers. Deer Island has all of these and then some!

Shortly after Deer Island Country Club opened, it received a 4-star rating from Golf Magazine, and the tee sheets were full regularly. Unfortunately, the community never really took off and has struggled financially since it was built. A few years later, the original developer went bankrupt, and the subsequent owners lost the property to foreclosure. But all was not lost. Deer Island Country Club was recently acquired by local Three Volcanoes nursery owner Wally Owens who lives in the community. “There was some talk that the entire club was going to be shut down, and we were able to purchase it ourselves.” Included in the purchase price were all of the undeveloped residential lots at the Deer Island Country Club along with the golf course. Owens plans on reinvigorating and developing this lakefront development. “We live there, and we really like it. Our goal is to get some houses built and to support the golf course." Driving around the island, the potential is without limits. The nursery may be his day job, but Deer Island Country Club has become his true passion!

There is a lot of rolling terrain in the fairways, and many can lead to trouble. The greens are small by Florida standards, and many are surrounded by large bunkers. There is water on all 18 holes although it comes into play – or at least should - on 16 of them. For those who wish to avoid forced carries over the hazards, Lee’s design offers a less penalizing way around most of them.

Deer Island is home to an abundance of wildlife. The wetlands that surround Deer Island are home to over two dozen bird species including osprey, hawks, blue herons, and sandhill cranes. You may even come across some soft shell and snapping turtles, alligators, or the occasional bobcat. And be sure to keep your eyes open for the family of bald eagles that call Deer Island home. The club is close to acquiring its Audubon Society accreditation and has the potential to become one of the top five courses in central Florida.

From the back (Golf) tees, Deer Island measures 6,885 yards with a course rating of 74.0 and a slope of 144. Move up two tee boxes to the White Tees and the yardage drops to 6,285 (71.3/139). It still provides a good challenge and may let you leave with a little dignity still intact. Deer Island offers 6 sets of tees with yardages from 4,215 yards to 6,885. Pick the tees that fit your game and you’re sure to have a good time.

As you would expect with a golf course with this much water, Deer Island Country has some very memorable holes. Number two is a 493-yard par 5 dogleg right that plays around a lake which can be an ominous site for golfers who slice the ball off the tee. If possible, play your tee shot towards the bunkers on the left with the fade. Find one of those bunkers and par gets a whole lot tougher! Water and sand protect the right side of the green as well as a bunker behind it.

Number 4 is a challenging par 4 that plays 393 yards and is Deer Island’s #1 handicap. The hole plays along the shores of Lake Dora and has at least three bodies of water that need to be dealt with; four if you count the lake! You may want to consider hitting something less than a driver off the tee, just to keep it in play. Your approach shot plays slightly uphill into a green that slopes left to right.

Number 7 is a challenging par 4 that plays 369 yards and slightly uphill from the White Tees. You’ll need to carry a lake off the tee and thread your tee shot between fairway bunkers on either side in the landing area. Be sure to take a close look at your second shot; the water in front of the green is fronted by a large bulkhead and is surrounded by a large bunker in the back. The green is angled and is a lot wider than it is deep. A right-side pin placement may be tempting but tricky!

The back nine features two par 3s that are the toughest and easiest hole on the golf course. The 163-yard par 4, 13th hole is rated the toughest, and no matter which tees you play from, it’s all carry over water into a small green with two bunkers behind it. Take your par and run! Number 15 is a 125-yard par three that has its fair share of trouble. Thankfully, it’s all on the left side. Choose the right club, hit it solid and you’re sure to have good results.

The 18th hole is a great finishing hole. This par 4 plays 390 yards from the White Tees with a fairway bunker in the landing area on the right and water on the left that you cannot see from the tee. Anything that finds the left side of the fairway off the tee is going to require you to play an approach shot over the lake on your approach shot into another small green protected on the left side by sand.
Every round deserves a proper warm-up and Deer Island Country Club’s six-acre driving range features two large tee areas at opposite ends of the range. There’s a practice bunker adjacent to the West tee as well as a practice putting green. The staff at Deer Island CC can be booked for personal and group lessons by appointment. They offer learning programs for everyone, from beginners to aspiring Tour-level players.

The best way to enjoy everything Deer Island Country Club has to offer is to become a member. As a member, you can take full advantage of all of the club’s amenities including the lakeside pool, Wi-Fi internet, and the tennis and pickleball courts. And all the golf and range balls you can handle!

Deer Island CC offers a variety of memberships including single and family, resident, and non-resident annual memberships. Some of the benefits include preferred tee times, unlimited use of the driving range and practice area, swimming pool privileges, and discounts on golf shop merchandise. You’ll find that the club is a great place to “show off” for friends, family, and business associates. After all, there’s no better place to close a deal than on the golf course.

For more information on everything Deer Island Country Club has to offer, give them a call to arrange a visit at (352) 343-7550 or go to their website.

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Last played 1/9/2013. Everything is green, green with the Greens in tournament condition. The fairways are short and quick so the ball gets lots of roll off the tee.
When they say water on every hole they are not kidding. Depending on your tee of choice you may have to carry the water two or three times. A bad tee shot means a lay up shot is the smart choice. The fairways have intentional slope to take a miss placed hit to the water or reward the good shot with roll-up to the green. All the big water carries are off the tee so carry should not be a problem. Hole 13 is an all water carry par 3 to an elevated semi island green. Very intimidating but an area is available on the right for a layup shot for the weak of heart. Bring a "water ball" and give it a shot. You might just impress yourself and your buddies.
As far as wildlife. There is a lot! Expect to see Aligators, Bald Eagles, Herons, Storks, Sandhill Cranes, Egrets, Racoons, Ducks, and the elusive Bob Cat. I've actully witnessed a Bald Eagle swoop down, catch a fish and land on the tee box to finish it off before flying off to it's nest high in a pine tree.
Confident players, play your normal tees.
Not so confident, move up one tee and enjoy your day on the Island and all it has to offer.
I enjoyed it so much I bought a home on the Island. You just might too!

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Played on 1/23/2011. A real jewel. The greens were quick and true. Very interesting layout with lots to see.Bring a few extra balls and listen to the starter...he tells you to spend some time and scope out your landing area on certain holes. I loved playing here and will be back.

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Played 5/29/11. Bring your mask & snorkel. No really, there's water everywhere or somewhere lurking. It's an excellent course with some uniqueness to it. The scenery, houses, water views are pretty nice, I must say. You can sometimes get aggressive on your drives, but unless you take a ride ahead to see what's really beyond that bunker, I suggest that you hit the ball as far as you can see land. Overall, we enjoyed the course & it made for a fun day, but without GPS on your cart......bring a few extra balls. It's a tough course.....but very fair. It's like a girlfriend....you'll love her once you get to know her. 1st visit....but we'll be back.

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Excellent course, played on 22nd May 2010. The scenery is superb with lot's of wildlife to see. The course is a tough test of golf, but well worth it. Friendly staff and plenty water available to drink and even more to land your balls in. Play and enjoy.

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Great place to test your skills!! Flat but very tough. Very friendly staff. Excellent conditions each time I've played here. The course is reasonably "young" compared to others around. The normal price is reasonable but you can find deals if you search. BEAUTIFUL homes winding around the course. I've seen at least one Bald Eagle each time I play here!! A Must Play when you're in the area!!

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We played the course on 02/03/10. Very difficult layout, with water in play on most every hole and a handful of forced carries (bring extra balls). All aspects of conditioning were good. Wonderful views of the lake and assorted wildlife (especially the gators). Nice clubhouse and adequate pro-shop. Staff were friendly and welcoming. Carts were electric and in great condition. A course I'll return to....

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Frienly staff & what a nice course. Watch for gators they're everywhere.
Really enjoyed this round, will play it again.

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Deer Island Country Club Course Layout & Flyover
18000 Eagles Way, Deer Island, FL
32778-9023
(352) 343-7550
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