Designed by renowned golf course architect Mike Dasher, Dasher has an affection for European-style courses. This is evident in many of his unique, undulated greens at Providence Golf Club. In addition to the course design, it’s not unusual to catch a glimpse of Florida wildlife throughout your round. Providence is only 15 minutes from world-class theme parks such as Disney World, 45 minutes from Tampa, and only 20 minutes from Kissimmee.
Most would say Providence is more of a hybrid course, part prairie style (otherwise called heathland), part old Florida, and part parkland. The large swath of green area visible from the clubhouse constitutes each nine’s opening and closing holes and the practice fairway. This area’s wall-to-wall manicured turf and oak trees are evocative of classic parkland courses.
The front nine quickly morphs into a prairie setting during the third hole, with two expansive native sand areas on either side of the landing area. The third green, entire par-three fourth, and a tee shot on the short fifth are heavily framed with native wind-blown native grasses (cord and muhly), reinforcing this open, expansive, big sky feel.
Once leaving the park like a tenth, the back nine traverses along an old Florida layout on the eleventh and twelfth with expansive lakes and heavily wooded wetland backdrops. The thirteenth and fourteenth bridge the style from old Florida to prairie, culminating in the rolling fifteenth, a par five that is the only hole to occupy the sandy ridge portion of the site, a completely natural prairie setting but with a smattering of strategically located scrub live oaks.