April 2025 – Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club – as the name suggests – is a Ron Garl-designed private club in the beautiful Ocala horse country. The club features 27 holes (for now), 11 of which are replicas of some of golf’s most iconic holes. The replicas are really spot on as you see from the 11th above (obviously a replica of Augusta’s famed 12th hole). We played through my buddy Rob’s Epic account with our host Tyler (awesome guy, awesome golfer) and buddy Scott.
I talk about replica courses in my Old MacDonald review. There I discuss the two types of replica courses: the first are odes to architects like Old MacDonald and Arcadia South that are usually highly regarded and ranked and the second are direct replica courses like the Tour 18 courses, the Golden Bear courses and Royal Links (replica holes of the British Open courses in Vegas) which are usually panned and considered gimmicky. While Golden Ocala’s holes are direct replica holes, the course still gets some state ranking love from GD. Here’s why: Golden Ocala is different in that it is a private club and weaves replica holes into the routing with originals.
Generally the replica courses are public affairs – an opportunity to give Joe and Jill Golfer the opportunity to play golf holes that they generally would never have the opportunity to play, Here they give member’s a variety of holes and styles to keep the course fresh play after play. Secondly, Golden Ocala is not 27 holes of replica after replica hole. The original holes are great and bridge the replicas nicely so the whole thing doesn’t seem forced.
I’ll try and walk through the holes below but we played the second and third nines. So the labels on the golf map below are 1 to 18 of those two nines but should actually be 10 – 27. On the first nine, we missed the eighth at Troon (Postage Stamp), the 9th at Muirfield and the 16th at Augusta.
I can’t tell you much about the area as we drove right in from Orlando and out to Cabot Citrus Farm in Brooksville after the round. The clubhouse here was great and served frozen transfusions – which is a thing now as it’s the third course this year that featured them. We didn’t do the dining room but did hit the men’s grill. Members and staff seemed awesome. Ocala is north of the Villages and is the place for folks who love horses (and have the money to own them) go to retire. To date in 2025, Golden Ocala is my highest rated course and fits just outside my personal top 100. By all means, get on if you can.
Again, we played the 10th through 27th hole so what I have labeled as 1 above is actually 10 and so on. According to Tyler, as they add new housing divisions, they will add new nines. According to the site plan I found online, there was originally going to be a Davis Love III 18-hole course and the third nine was not mapped there so I am not sure what the future plans are. The holes that do feature homes on them are not your typical Florida affair where an errant shot is playing from someone’s breakfast bowl of Wheaties – houses are well placed and not a detriment to the view nor setting.
The 10th from my drive. 395 yards from the medal tees which measure about 6,400 yards and rate/slope to 71.8/130 so not brutal but not a push over. Again, my play is so off right now and here was no exception. The good news on my five-day golf smorgasbord was I played better culminating in a front nine 40 at St. Pete’s CC on the fifth day – but alas my back nine 50 meant still no rounds in the 80s so far in 2025.
So we played Golden Ocala on Master’s week and sent the first photo below to the cousins who asked how the hell I got on to Augusta. If the azaleas were in bloom here, you would never have known. I yanked it way left but had an awesome Lovett wedge shot that just hung on the collar. 142 from the medals.
I love that Golden Ocala didn’t try and force Amen’s corner into the routing. However, 12 was Augusta 13 and again from what I know from TV, this was pretty spot on.
From the approach. I fucking put it into the creek on the left. I heard Garl got access to topographic maps et al to recreate the holes and unlike some of the public replicas, the courses were very willing to share.
Thirteen is the replica Road Hole 17th at St. Andrews. While accurate design-wise, you need the barn wall to truly replicate the hole. Not sure they should’ve tried this one but a fun hole because you can bite off the wall versus going over the barn wall. Below is my side-by-side with original St. Andrews 17th photo. I’ll give you this though, the day was so much nicer in central Florida.
I missed the 14th which was a replica of the first at St. Andrews and a pretty good one and here is the 15th (which is Baltusrol’s 4th). Parred the real one and the replica.
I missed 16 and here is 17. No replica just a solid 400-yard par four.
The approach on the 502-yard par five 18th. Throw out the novelty of the replica holes and this is still a super solid top 200 course.
Nineteen is a replica of Oakmont’s third with the church pew bunkers on the left. I played some Army golf on this hole, Left, right, left. The church pews are the obvious replica and like on the real thing, I was in them.
Twenty is Bethpage’s 4th which I talk about in my review of Bethpage. This seemed like a fitting tribute to the original.
Twelve is an original – 164 yards, par three.
I really liked the originals on the third-nine. Here is the tough 22nd. I ended up right in what would result in a double in a day full of them. This is a 412-yard par four,
I believe this is my approach on the 22nd. Note the water right.
The 23rd is another 400+/- yard par four. A bogey here which considering the doubles I had been getting, is a cause for celebration.
I believe this is 23 from my drive but don’t quote me – you can see the new nine lacks the same lushness as the existing holes – as the grass still needs to mature a little. Overall though this was in great shape.
If this is 24 (which I am 99% certain it is) then it is the 10th at Winged Foot which i have side-by-side below.
I love that the last two holes are not forced into being famous replicas. Love the 26th – a 397-yard par four original.
And the 27th. In all I give Golden Ocala high, high grades. Love the replica holes. Love the originals. Great club and members who seemed very laid back. Top 200 in my mind and a nice intersection of private-course poshness, replica holes with a nice clubhouse.
Golf Scrapbook 