Sun n Lake Golf & Country Club, Deer Run Golf Course

Guest (cart included), played on Saturday, July 2021 at 10:00 AM

I heard it said years ago that by the year 2016, the population of the state of Florida would surpass the population of the state of New York. Not only were they correct, but five years later, the margin continues to widen.

There are several reasons for this sudden influx of humanity, the climate is perhaps the biggest. Not having to pay state income tax has to rank up there as well. For golf enthusiasts, there’s no better place in the country to be, you can swing the sticks year-round if you don’t mind the heat and humidity of the summer. Take it from a golf lover who lived in Florida for 22 years, you can get used to it!

Now that you’ve decided to make the move and join the hordes that are heading to the Sunshine State, you’ll need to decide where to go, east coast or west coast. The further south you go – on either coast – the more expensive things get. The price goes up as you get closer to the water, too. Private golf communities are a great option if golf’s a key reason for your move; it’s like one-stop shopping.

There are some great values to be had inland on both real estate and recreation. Sebring is an area that’s often overlooked. The median home price is well below the national average and as far as golf goes, the area is referred to as “America’s Value Golf Capital.” It’s also home to The Citrus Golf Trail, a collection of five local courses.

One of the members of “The Trail” is Sun ‘N Lake, a golfing community. Sun ‘N Lake was once considered a retirement community but over the past few years, it has become a melting pot for both active adults and younger professionals. About 9,000 residents call Sun ‘N Lake home; many of them are snowbirds.

The community is home to two championship golf courses, which have been voted the number one golf course in Highlands County for four years running, Deer Run and Turtle Run.

Deer Run is considered the tougher of the two. The course was originally designed by Don Dyer in 1976; local golf course architect Ron Garl redesigned a couple of holes in 2003 and put his signature on it by converting the 18th hole to a par 3 with an island green. This championship layout plays host to qualifiers for the Web.com Tour, the Latin America Tour, and the Canadian Tour each year. Deer Run offers golfer 6 sets of tees with suitable yardages to fit every level of golfer. From the Black Tees, the course plays 7,202 yards with a slope of 134 and a course rating of 73.7. Ladies can play a manageable 5,046 yards; most members play from the White Tees which measures 6,170 yards (69.6/127). The greens are Champion Bermuda, and the fairways and roughs feature 419 Bermuda grass.

Deer Run’s final three holes can make or break a great round. Number 16 is a par 4, dogleg right that plays 352 yards from the white tees and requires you to at least hit your tee shot to the corner of the dogleg. If you favor the left side off the tees, you’ll take many of the trees out of play and have a good look into the green. Be wary of the water and sand that guard the green. Number 17 is the toughest hole on the back nine and certainly the most challenging. The hole plays 379 yards from the White tees with a large pond in the middle of the fairway. Most golfers will be able to hit driver off the tee and should favor the left side of the fairway or risk being blocked out by trees. A good drive is still going to leave a long to medium iron into an elevated green protected on either side by sand. As referenced earlier, Number 18 is truly a unique hole to end a round of golf; after all, not many courses end with a par 3! From the white tees, the hole plays 128 yards to an island green. Choose your club wisely, hit a good shot and success can be yours. Find the water and you’re just another statistic!

As I mentioned, Sun ‘N Lake Golf Club is a proud member of the Citrus Golf Trail, which has done a wonderful job of making the Sebring area a golf vacation destination. The Citrus Golf Trail offers a variety of stay and play golf packages that include rounds of golf at several local courses as well as accommodations at The Inn on the Lakes. Inn on the Lakes is a unique property; they have 155 spacious, beautifully decorated guest rooms and suites, and no two are the same. Their fine dining restaurant, Chicanes, offers delicious meals as well as a sumptuous breakfast menu. They are the preferred accommodations vendor of the Citrus Golf Trail.

Sun ‘N Lake is not what they call a bundled community, meaning that you don’t have to join the club if you buy a home there. It seems to me that if you live there and play golf a membership makes sense, especially at the ridiculously low prices they charge! They are offering an introductory membership at 50% off that includes unlimited play on both courses including a trail fee for your private cart, a $200 driving range credit discounts on merchandise in the pro shop, and many other benefits. The first year will set you back less than $2500 for a family! There are also special rates for seniors, super seniors, and seasonal golfers as well.

If you’re looking for an affordable golf vacation or somewhere in Florida that you can call home without breaking the bank, check out Sun ’N Lake in Sebring.

Guest (cart included), played on Wednesday, August 2018 at 10:00 AM

Sun ‘N Lake in Sebring FL has it all, especially if golf’s your game.

The Sun ‘N Lake of Sebring Improvement District was created by Highlands County in 1974. It occupies about 12 square miles in an area just north of Sebring on Route 27 and has grown from what was wilderness 30 years ago to around 5,000 residents. Although the development was once considered a retirement community, it has evolved into a melting pot of both older adults and younger families. And according to the master plan, there is still plenty of room for growth.

Sun ‘n Lake is home to two championship golf courses: Deer Run and Turtle Run. Deer Run is considered the tougher of the two. The par 72 Deer Run Golf Course at Sun 'N Lake Golf Club was designed by Don Dyer and opened for play in 1976; in 2003 architect Ron Garl redesigned the course, including the conversion of Number 18 to a par three with an island green.

The Deer Run Course has 6 sets of tees with yardages to fit every level of golfer. From the Black Tees, the course plays 6,919 yards with slope 134 and a course rating of 73.7. Ladies can play a manageable 4,446 yards or challenge themselves at 4,992 yards. Most members play from the White Tees which measure 6,170 yards with a slope of 128 and a course rating of 70. A seventh set of tees adorns the scorecard and combines the White and Gold Tees for a distance of 5,847 yards (68.5/118). Out here, there’s something for every golfer.

At 364 yards, Number 1 is a fairly easy driving hole; hit a decent shot off the tee and none of the trees on either side should come into play. The green is elevated and holds well hit approach shots nicely. Finding the bunker that sits on the front left could prove to be a costly start. Number 2 is a medium length par 3 with another elevated green. Miss the green on either side and you’ll be facing a tough up and down. Number 3 is another straight forward par 4 that plays 385 yards from the White Tees. The water on the right shouldn’t come into play off the tee, however the bunker that guards the left side of the green seems to attract errant approach shots.

Number 4 is a dogleg left par 5 that is reachable in two if you can hit your tee shot past the large oak tree that juts out into the fairway on the left side. If you need to lay up, try and set up so your approach shot is from the right side of the fairway. This takes most of the large bunker on the front left out of play. The 5th is all about accuracy and distance control off the tee. Many will choose to hit less than driver as a large lake comes into play at about 240 yards off the tee. Water and a bunker guard another elevated green. Favor the right side off the tee. Keeping right seems to be the theme thus far as water guards the left side of the fairway on Number 6 as well. The fairway is fairly narrow, so accuracy is a must if you want to hit an approach shot from the short grass. The green is elevated and smaller than usual and guarded on both sides by bunkers.

The 7th hole is a short par 4 that plays 333 from the White Tees. Keep right to avoid the large waste bunker. The green is long and narrow and guarded on the right by sand. Number 8 is a straightforward par 3 that plays 183 from the Whites with no trouble to speak of. Number 9 is a long par 5 dogleg right, 554 from the White Tees, over 600 yards from the back. Large oak trees protect the right side with one in particular that keeps you honest right at the bend of the dogleg. Favoring the left side off the tee and on your layup shot will go a long way in scoring well on this hole. The green is one of the smallest on the course and guarded by a small pot bunker on the left.

The back nine starts off with an innocent looking short par 4 that plays 316 yards from the White Tees. You may need to hit something less than driver to stay short of the pond straight away. Approach shots can be tricky into this small, elevated green. Miss your tee shot wild left and you may be surprised that you still have a shot into the green. Number 11 is a par 5 dogleg left with a large oak tree sitting on the left side of the landing area and sand to the right, so you’ll need to decide to hit short or go over. Getting past the tree and sand gives you a chance to go for the green in two. The green is well protected on either side and for most, risk outweighs reward. Number 12 is a 377-yard par 4 dogleg left that is best played down the right side and takes many of the hazards out of play.

Thirteen is a medium length par 3 at 148 yards with sand guarding the front left of this elevated green. A well struck tee shot can help you quickly make up a shot or two on your partners. Number 14 is one of the prettiest golf holes out here. It’s a long sweeping dogleg to the right with trees dotting both sides of the wide fairway. At only 496 yards from the White Tees, it’s tempting to go for in two, however water and four bunkers guard the green. Best to layup and take your chance with a short pitch shot. Number 15 is a narrow par 4 with trees infringing on the fairway on either side. This hole is all about control. The green is small with a little bit of room on the left to bail out if need be.

That bring us to the make or break part of the course; the last three holes. Number 16 is a dogleg right that plays 348 yards from the white tees and requires you to at least make it to the corner. Favoring the left side takes many of the trees out of play and gives you a good look into the green. Be careful of the water and sand that guard the green. Number 17 is the toughest hole on the inward nine and with good reason. From the White tees it plays 389 yards with a pond in the middle of the fairway. Most golfers can hit driver off the tee and should favor the left side off the tee or risk being blocked out by trees. A good drive is still going to leave a long to medium iron into an elevated green protected on either side by sand.

Number 18 is truly a unique hole to end your round; after all, how many courses end with a par 3? From the white tees, the hole plays 145 yards to an island green. Choose your club wisely, hit a good shot and success can be yours. Or else, you’re just another statistic!

Last Word: The Deer Run Course at Sun ‘N Lake in Sebring FL will challenge golfers of all abilities. For the weekend, casual golfer, there is a lot of room off the tees on many holes. For the skilled golfer, it takes accuracy and precision to hit and hold the elevated greens. Many of them are small and have a good deal of undulation. Finishing the round with an island par 3 is truly a memorable event.

Sun n Lake Golf Club is a proud member of the Citrus Golf Trail, who have done a wonderful job of making the Sebring area a golf vacation destination. The Citrus Golf Trail offers stay and play golf packages that include rounds at a number of local courses and accommodations at The Inn on the Lakes. For more information on any of the members of the Citrus Golf Trail or to book your next stay and play package, visit their website at www.visitsebring.com/citrus-golf-trail/.

$26 (cart included), played on Monday, July 2014 at 6am

First time to play the Deer Run course, having played the Turtle Run earlier this season, and first impressions are just great. Tall gnarly Bermuda rough is a killer if you miss the fairway even a little bit. Missing will likely cost you a stroke because of the difficulty of advancing the ball out of the rough. Greens were firm but holding well, with very subtle breaks that are likely to cause a nervous breakdown. Grass both greens and fairways was in excellent condition. Definitely a Winner. Kay in the Pro Shop made the day even more enjoyable with her up-beat attitude and easy problem solving manner.