Bonita Springs Recreation Center

Pros: This is one of the oldest courses in SW Florida and has seen a myriad of changes since its 1997 debut as a 9-holer, leaving the course very hard to navigate for a long time. Holes 1-8 and 17-18 ... show more ›

Pros: This is one of the oldest courses in SW Florida and has seen a myriad of changes since its 1997 debut as a 9-holer, leaving the course very hard to navigate for a long time. Holes 1-8 and 17-18 generally have two sets of tees marked by poles with color coding and hole #. These are lightly wooded and feature water holes and are fun to play.

Cons: After hole 8 the course takes a nose dive. You have to head through the baseball fields to find holes 9-16 with zero navigation aids to help you get there. Most of these holes have no # on the tees or the baskets and can be difficult to find. I strongly urge first timers and non-regulars to get the map! These holes mostly throw over roads and sidewalks and crisscross back and forth with each other.

Dogs not allowed. Seems silly to me, though.

Flow not good, especially after completing hole #7, although a few challenging shots out there over the 9 holes that I first played here. New signs are also needed here. Course does have some potent ... show more ›

Flow not good, especially after completing hole #7, although a few challenging shots out there over the 9 holes that I first played here. New signs are also needed here. Course does have some potential, and utilizes the area around the Rec Center and lake fairly well. I suggest playing 1-7, and 17,18 for a nice 9 with good flow.

Original 9 holes are all around a nice sized pond. The water comes into play on 4 of the 9 holes. Concrete tees and dual tee pads allow the original 9 to play like 18. Limited length, but the hol ... show more ›

Original 9 holes are all around a nice sized pond. The water comes into play on 4 of the 9 holes. Concrete tees and dual tee pads allow the original 9 to play like 18. Limited length, but the holes are tight and require skilled placement and accurate drives. Course is entirely flat and very righty backhand friendly, especially as it relates to the water. Decent signage the but the holes are fairly close together in some areas so the first time through I had to go double check which basket I was throwing at. I would definitely play it again if I was in the area, but not a destination course. I would grade these holes a B

The course has 9 new baskets and has just installed them in another area of the park. Concrete tees are not yet in the ground, but the natural tees are fine (dry, solid, a little sandy). These holes are fairly short and very compact (would not work for tournament play unless significant use of mandos to keep holes from overlapping was put into place). As new holes, the signage is minimal and not all of the nature tees are marked, so it was sort of a guessing game. One whole 400+ feet and plays along the road, rest of the holes in this area are probably 250 or less. This part of the course will be improved with tee pads and signage, but will always be pretty cramped unless OB / mandos are used. I would grade these holes D+.

Average overall is a C.