The Villages, FL
Down To Earth took over Saddlebrook Executive Golf Facility contracts on December 1, 2017.
The facility consists of 36 holes of executive golf divide among four Par 3 courses: Saddlebrook, Hawkes Bay, El Diablo and El Santiago. These player-friendly attractions have proven to be consistently popular with residents of The Villages.
Over the last four years, each course has undergone extensive renovations and now feature new greens and tees. Down To Earth was fortunate enough to be involved in the last two renovations, which took place at Hawkes Bay and Saddlebrook.
EL DIABLO Executive Golf Trail
You came to play golf, not learn Spanish. But you’ll soon understand why we named this track EI Diablo (or, The Devil). It is one of the difficult courses on the Villages Executive Golf Trail. On almost every hole you will hit up towards elevated and very uneven greens. Good luck. Par is an accomplishment and birdies a rare species not seen too often on El Diablo. The last three holes here are among the most respected on the entire Executive Golf Trail. Yardages vary from 811 yards to 1486 yards on this par 27, Level 3 course.
EL SANTIAGO Executive Golf Trail
Sister-course to El Diablo, El Santiago (The Saint) is as good and mild as El Diablo is tough and tricky. Designed to be fun for the novice, El Santiago features large, relatively flat greens, few sand bunkers and absolutely no water hazards. This is the course to play simply to have a good time. The beautifully manicured El Santiago ranges in length from 817 to 1207 yards of easy-going golf fun.
HAWKES BAY Executive Golf Trail
Hawkes Bay is a beautiful and fair test of golf skills. While the first five holes are relatively straight-forward, the last four turn up the heat and may have you wishing you’d taken advantage of the easier scoring opportunities that holes 1-5 provided you. Birdies are notoriously hard to snag on the second half of Hawkes Bay. Taking its name from the wildlife preserve that runs alongside several fairways, Hawkes Bay is known for its undulating greens, large bunkers and the moguls that can transform a good shot into a tricky uphill or downhill lie without warning. Whether you play 849 from the forward tees or 1336 from the rear tees, you’ll be glad you gave Hawkes Bay a try.
Saddlebrook Executive Golf Trail
Easy-going Saddlebrook is a favorite among Villager golfers on the Executive Golf Trail. It’s “southern-style” golf with gently rolling fairways rimmed by large oaks draped with hanging Spanish Moss. Golfers who aren’t new to the game can enjoy this track from whichever tee boxes they choose. Novices will likely enjoy their round much more if they wisely select the forward tees. Saddlebrook’s distance will range from 952 yards to 1371 yards. This mild-mannered golf course is located at the corner of Buena Vista Boulevard and State Road 466.