Innisbrook Resort - Island Course Review

Innisbrook Resort - Island Course Review

Innisbrook Resort is home to some great golf stay and play accommodations, excellent dining options, and lots of fun amenities (like tennis courts, pools, racquetball, a Spa, fitness center, and more), but best of all it has four outstanding golf courses.  

Each of the four courses is very different from the others and each has it’s own unique personality and characteristics, for example:

• the Copperhead Course is probably the best known thanks to the PGA Tour’s Transitions Championship Tournament that attracts some of the best golfers each year – but it also has excellent conditions, some very fun holes, and a few holes that are very challenging – here is a link to our review of the Copperhead Course
• the Island Course is regarded as the toughest of the four courses thanks to some narrow fairways, strategically placed bunkers, and lots of water on the front nine
• the North Course is a short but a real shot makers course that requires good course management skills, favors accuracy over distance, and requires some precision shots to score well - here is a link to the North Course
• the South Course is the easiest of the nines but it’s no walk in the park thanks to 10 holes and lots of bunkers – read our review of the South Course to learn more

If you ask anyone who has played all four courses at Innisbrook, the typical response is the Island and Copperhead Courses are the favorites.  Part of what makes playing the Island Course at Innisbrook fun is that each nine is very different and gives you lots of variety and shot making opportunities.  The front is very scenic and has water on 6 holes, tree lined fairways, and requires accuracy from tee to green – you can’t get away with an errant shot on this nine.  The back seems a little more open, plays through some beautiful homes, and has several holes with elevation changes. 

The Island Course is long from each of the tee boxes and has some very long par fours that can be challenging for us short hitters – so don’t bite off more than you can chew.  And in several cases you may want to leave the big dog in the bag and play strategically.

Each of the holes on the Island Course is appropriately named and the name will give you an idea of what to expect, for example:

• Right Turn - #1 is a 405 yard par four that takes a 90 degree turn right along a narrow fairway lined with water on both sides plus a couple bunkers – you best be accurate off the tee to not overshoot the fairway, stay out of the water on the right, and get  past the big trees blocking the approach
• Lone Cypress – on this 205 yard par 3 you need to be deadly accurate to carry the lake, miss the trees and two bunkers on the backside of the green, and fly or miss the tall cypress tree growing in the middle of a huge bunker in front of the green
• Cypress Tunnel – as you might expect, this is a 430 yard straight ahead shot through a narrow tree lined fairway with that eerie gray Spanish moss hanging from the trees 
• Double Cross – a fantastic hole with an elevated tee shot requiring a precise drive (leave the driver in the bag) to a tad tight landing zone that slopes toward and ends in a lake which you need carry to a big green guarded by three bunkers and trees 
• Uphill Intimidation (club up to make it up this long climb to the green), High Anxiety (a 230 carry over water to the green), and  Long and Lean (a 450 yard par 4)  are good descriptions of these three holes

The fairways on the front are all tree lined and range from grip it and rip it to tight and if you miss you’re in the water, trees, or sand.  The back seemed more open and forgiving and some huge beautiful homes line several of the holes and they can come into play if you spray the ball – I know, I ricocheted off two roofs in one shot and was expecting to get cursed out by an angry home owner. 

Innisbrook Resort’s Island fairways were in near perfect condition as were the roughs which are wide were cut just right and were very playable. 

The greens were all shapes and sizes and ranged from good sized to a little small.  They ran smooth and true and at a good speed.  Some are raised and most are well guarded. 

The bunkers varied from small to some huge monsters and most are strategically placed.  Some are steep and deep and the sand ranged from soft and fluffy to a little firm. 

Bottom line – the Island Course at Innisbrook Resort is a fantastic layout that is fair but demanding and a blast to play with excellent conditions and some fun, unique, and memorable holes.

You’ll want to play the Island Course a couple times and you should also play the other three courses, so why not stay a few days in one of the excellent lodging options at Innisbrook Resort. They have a great stay and play package, excellent restaurants, 6 pools, 3 bars, a spa, and lots of other recreational activities. Read our review of Innisbrook Golf Resort & Spa