Golf - Public Course · 9 Holes · Par 72
Panama City Beach, Fl
How can you visit Panama City Beach and if you're from Texas (or any State for that matter) not play a course called The Hombre with 3 nines called The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - with a name like that you just have to check it out. We did and we were pleasantly surprised. We played The Bad and The Ugly nines and love it - great condition, scenic, lots of variety, challenging but fair, and very fun. The Hombre is the annual host to the PGA Tour Qualifying School and has earned a reputation for intimidation.
The Hombre Bad and Ugly nines opened in December 1989 and The Good nine opened in 2001. Each of the Hombre nines wanders through some homes, across and along wetlands, lakes, and marsh. The Hombre fairways are framed by a stunning assortment of palms, pines, and azaleas and are flat, like most Florida courses. Each of the nines has it's own character and challenges - The Good has a more traditional feel and is the easiest of the three; The Bad can live up to it's name and is the hardest of the three; and The Ugly is far from it with some scenic holes and fun holes and it seems much more open after playing The Bad.
The greens will also live up to the name - some are good, some are bad, and others are just plain ugly. They come in all shapes and sizes, with variety of slope and undulation, and some are turtle top with a fairly steep slope back to the fairway, bunkers, trees, or water. All are about average speed and were in good condition when we played.
We loved The Bad nine - very challenging, very pretty, and lots of variety made for a fun round. This nine offers a little bit of everything - doglegs, water on 8 of 9 nines, wide open to narrow fairways, plenty of tight approach shots, and even an island green! The first three holes are a tad intimidating - a straight and pretty 581 yard par 5, a 457 yard par 4 dog leg right with lots of water on the right side, and a 182 yard par three that is mostly carry over the lake - and then The Bad gets even more challenging and fun.
When we played, the fairways were in well above average condition and the rough (cut thin or covered with pine needles under the trees) was playable if you're able to dodge the pine and palms trees to get back to the fairway. The greens were also in excellent condition. Most of the 29 traps are protecting the greens, making your approach shots critical if you want to score well. The slope and rating are based on playing The Bad and The Ugly. This is a must play course if you're in the area.
Tee Box | Yardage | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|
Blue | 3,016 | 70.2 | 131 |
White | 2,684 | 66.8 | 125 |
Gold | 3,404 | 73.8 | 137 |
Red | 2,440 | 68.9 | 132 |
Approximate Weekend
Rates: $59.00 to $79.00
Service is good and there is a good practice facility.
Here's How Texas Outside Determines the Scorecard RatingThe Texas Outside rating scale ranges from 1 to 10 – a perfect 10 course would be something like this: links along a cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean and bordered by tall trees; lush fairways on rolling hills with lots of natural hazards; water (which is crystal clear) on most of the holes; immaculate greens (but they are undulating and tough); lots of variety and character (each hole is completely different and includes blind shots, elevation changes, doglegs, and significant challenges); perfectly manicured traps with the whitest and prettiest sand you’ve ever seen; a nice club house with great food and a 19th hole; a GPS; plenty of beverage carts or your own cooler and ice; and it only costs $40 bucks! What this means is that you probably won’t find any 10s in Texas – try Cabo San Lucas, Pebble Beach, or some of the Hawaii courses!
All of the above determines the overall score for the golf course. In other words, we like courses that are pretty, fun, very challenging with a lot of variety, and fairways and greens in excellent condition – all for $40. We also tend to play the courses that are affordable for the masses, which means in the $30 to $80 range. We rate hard and we haven’t found a 10 in Texas yet – don’t worry we haven’t given up and we’re still looking.
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