Windsor Parke Golf Club

Reviews 3

DA

David Theoret

Windsor Parke Golf Club is a semi-private, 18-Hole championship golf course designed by Arthur Hills and has been recognized as one of Floridas top 100 courses. Over the years, Windsor Parke has hosted more USGA qualifying events than any other course in the city of Jacksonville; qualifiers for such tournaments as the US Open, US Amateur, US Publinks and US Senior Amateur. It’s also recognized by the NGCOA as a “Beginner Friendly” golf course. There are four sets of tees that play anywhere from 5206 yards for the ladies to 6765 yards for accomplished players. Average players will find the White Tees (6,003) yards a fitting challenge. In the clubhouse, you will find a well-stocked pro shop with a plethora of logoed apparel and a restaurant/lounge area that offers all your favorite clubhouse foods and adult beverages. Windsor Parke is also a good place to tune up your game with great practice facilities, including a targeted grass range that lets you hit every club in the bag as well as putting and chipping greens. This championship layout has Arthur Hills written all over it with its rolling fairways, elevation changes and strategically placed bunkers. Several holes feature forced carries over water, including 3 of the 4 par 3 holes and a couple of par 4s. That doesn’t include carries that macho golfers will encounter when they try to reach the par 5 greens in two. Off the tees, the fairways are fairly easy to find, however several approach shots leave little room for error. For the most part, greens are fairly level with subtle undulations. As always, greens in regulation often equate to good scores. Hills also had some fun with green complexes, as can be seen from the devilish little pot bunkers around the 8th green. Here are a few of the favorites: Pro’s Pick: Number 4: Par 4, 388 yards (Blue Tees). A dogleg left that plays 388 yards from the Blue Tees and features water all down the left side and strategically placed bunkers on the right in the landing area. If you’re not overly long off the tee, these bunkers are a great aiming point. A decent drive will leave you about 150 yards downhill to a green protected on the left by water. Member’s Favorite: Number 6: Par 5, 533 yards (Blue Tees). This long, straight par 5 has trees framing both sides of the fairway. The creek that crosses the fairway just in front of the green makes this a three-shot hole for most players. Par is a good score here. My Favorite(s): Three finishing that will really test your mettle. Number 16 (par 4, 426 yards) features a narrow fairway with water all down the left side and trees lining the right. The green is protected by a large bunker on the left. Number 17 (par 5, 531 yards) is a carbon copy of 16, only 100+ yards longer and has more bunkering around the green. Number 18 (Par 4, 351 yards) requires a tee shot over water to a wide-open fairway and then an approach shot over more water to an awaiting green protected on the left by water. Par or better on these last three holes usually means a good score. Windsor Parke is one of the best values I came across during my visit to the Jacksonville area, especially when you consider it’s an Arthur Hills layout. Members I spoke with had nothing but good things to say about what Brown Golf has done with the facility since acquiring it in 2015. They continue to make improvements to both the course and the clubhouse. Memberships are available at Windsor Parke and include unlimited golf and use of all practice facilities with a discounted range plan, reciprocal play at all other Brown Golf facilities and a reciprocal membership at Julington Creek Golf Club.

HO

Howard Spry

The first time I visited the course a coworker suggested going there. I had played golf in about 20 years and after having major back surgery I thought this would be a great chance to keep my muscles loose. The greens were in bad shape but overall okay. My friend told me it was once a private course and now open to the public. So about three weeks later we played a foursome. There were two light green players and two dark green player and I being one of the dark green players. Keep in mind we are all novices in playing this game. Im sure there are some of the old members that still think that they can ake up their own rules as they really dont want us on that course. They made a call to the club house to the Greens Manager Greg. Greg approached myself and the person I was paired with, the other dark green person and told us we were playing too slow. Prior to this we told the other party that was behind us to play through if they thought we were playing too slow. Instead they called Greg instead of playing through. Well one of the light green players that was with us told Greg he has p,ayed at different locations and that was un heard of. Greg left we finished and left. Upon our next visit there the same thing happened again. We were only going to play 9 holes but decided to play 18. Paid for the back nine and low and behold here comes Greg again with the same statement as before. I said to Greg why is that four of us are playing but you bring this to the attention of the two dark green players and not anyone else that was with us. His statement was are you calling me a racist. I simply said if the sheet fits wear it. Then he called the police to have us escorted of the property. What gets me is that we were going to buy memberships there, but not after that display of a person who is supposed to be a professional. No different than what we saw happened on that airline flight as they dragged that doctor off the airplane. My advice if you are dark green rethink about windsor park. Since then we have played at bent creek and could not be happier. I have become a member there. Thanks again windows park for taking me back to a dark time in Jacksonville history when there were some black p,ayers trying to qualify for the PGA Tour and a few places wouldnt let them golf, and also when the hotel Manger in St. Augustine brought pool acid to the pool because there were negros switch ming in the pool. It is 2017.

TH

Thomas Kypke

I have been playing Windsor Parke for right around 25 years. I have seen owners come and go throughout the years. Play the course around 100 times a year. I play other courses from time to time. The staff at Windsor are like family. They are the reason I pretty much only play there. Other courses dont come close. Every course except private course it is always about the bottom line. So the course from time to time get overused. I think it is the most played course in Jacksonville. I would also like to share that I was there on the day Howard Spry was there with his bad experience. He was making the turn and I was just getting ready to start. He was asked to please stay on pace of play. He was at a three hour pace for nine holes. I also witnessed the golf pro Greg try to discuss the idea of pace of play and holding up the rest of the course. He was very respectful. Mr. Spry didnt want to hear any of the conversation and inmediatley went to not wanting people of color at the course. Which is so not the case at Windsor. I also witnessed him push Greg on the 10th tee box. Greg had no choice but to call the police. The police came and spoke with Mr Spry. He was asked to leave and I am sure sign a trespass warning. After a long discussion with the police Mr Spry I guess was arrested. It is a shame because he could have just left and made a decision to not play at Windsor again. It was unfortunate that his co workers could not convince him to let it go. Windsor is a great track with very friendly staff. Enjoy the people and the course.

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