Pretty much anyone can play one of the most respected golf courses on the PGA Tour schedule.
The Copperhead Course, a Larry Packard gem that’s been renovated in recent years, year in and year out challenges the best in the game. And if you book a package at Innisbrook Golf Resort near Tampa, Florida, you can see how you stack up as well on this course that’s part of the Florida Swing on the PGA Tour.
Paul Azinger once called the Copperhead Course the best on tour, and Curtis Strange talked about how much character it had. The PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship — which will be played right after THE PLAYERS Championship this year — gives the Tour players all they can handle, especially down the stretch.
But don’t let its difficulty scare you. These guys play this par-71 layout with water coming into play on nearly half the holes from the tips at around 7,340 yards — the rest of us can find the proper set of tees (there are four other sets starting around 4,800 yards) and enjoy this wonderful design that includes a stretch of holes toward the end called the “Snake Pit.”
Besides, if you book a package at this wonderful resort just northwest of Tampa, Fla. and just a few miles from the beaches north of Clearwater, there are three other terrific golf courses to play as well, plus great restaurants, a world-class spa and plenty of other things to do.
A family resort
Located in Palm Harbor northwest of Tampa, Innisbrook isn’t your typical resort in the fact that you won’t find a large hotel tower onsite. Instead there are large condos, one bedroom and up, which can accommodate couples, groups or whole families. Each condo, many of which have been renovated in recent years, has a full kitchen, dining room and many come with great golf views from their balconies or patios. It’s all part of a larger community, where you can enjoy pools and other amenities, including restaurants, led by the excellent Packard’s Steakhouse, which is named for the golf courses’ architect.
Owned by Sheila Johnson and Virginia-based Salamander Resorts, there have been many improvements at this 900-acre property. Besides a terrific renovation of the Copperhead Course a few years ago, the other courses have been undergoing modifications as well.
The Salamander Spa also received a makeover not too long ago. And the check-in and lobby area at the Osprey Clubhouse, where newly arriving guests pick up their welcome packages, has also been updated.
Besides the championship golf courses, there are plenty of other things to do here. For example, Innisbrook offers 11 clay tennis courts as well as an extensive instruction and drill program. There are also six swimming pools, including the Loch Ness Pool that has two water slides.
Innisbrook Golf Resort also offers a convenient market for anyone who wants to cook some of their own meals or pick up other supplies. And besides the robust steaks at Packard’s, other culinary options include grabbing a quick bite at the Market Salamander Grille, poolside dining at The Grill at Loch Ness. During evenings, or the Osprey Bar, which overlooks the golf course and features live music every Saturday night.
Innisbrook North
Meanwhile back on course
If you love golf, however, testing your skills on the Copperhead Course is a must. Playing it in the spring right after the Valspar is one of the best times. Because it’s overseeded with Rye, that’s when it’s most beautiful, and probably at its most difficult due to the thick rough. Catching it in the summertime or early fall as a Bermudagrass golf course is also a good option.
The Copperhead is as interesting as it is lethal. There are lots of treacherous but beautiful white sand bunkers and water features throughout, which is evident from the beginning. The fifth is the course’s no. 1 handicap hole, a beautifully adorned and tree-lined par-5 that features a small well-bunkered green. The front nine ends with a long par-4 that plays to an elevated green, a characteristic that’s also present for the course’s finishing hole.
As for the aforementioned “Snakepit,” that starts with the difficult par-4 16th, which plays 475 yards from the back tees. This dogleg right “Moccasin” hole, as it’s called, works around a lake, requiring a precise tee shot and an even more exacting approach. It’s followed by the “Rattler,” a long par-3 to a small green, and the “Copperhead,” a long uphill par-4 to another difficult and well-protected green.
Like the Copperhead, the other courses were also designed by Packard, who lived at this resort community for 40 years and died in 2015 at the age of 101.
The nearly 7,200-yard Island Course has lots of water on it and even some elevation change. For example, the 10th hole plays over a pond and straight uphill. And the dogleg-left, par-4 18th is as tough a finishing hole as you’ll find anywhere. It has water all along the left side, which you must carry on the approach.
The North Course is known as “Baby Copperhead.” At just 6,300 yards from the back tees, it’s still pretty daunting with its difficult par-3 holes, tight fairways, abundance of trees and well-bunkered greens. There’s water on 11 holes. Accuracy is the name of the game.
The South Course, which might be the most player-friendly of the four layouts, is 6,400 yards from the tips, but it isn’t a total pushover. The interior holes are fairly open, though, giving the course great variety and plenty of room to hit the ball.
Innisbrook North
Recommendation
If you’re planning a trip to Innisbrook, stay a few days and plan on multiple rounds of golf. In fact, if you get the chance — and especially if you’ve never played the Copperhead Course before — play it twice, because you’ll probably want to see if you can do better the second time around.
There’s also plenty to do in the area with the beautiful beaches of Clearwater to the south and the wonderful village of Tarpon Springs just a few miles. Tarpon Springs is billed as the sponge capital of the world and features plenty of wonderful shops and great Greek restaurant dining.