Westchase Golf Club |
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20th Anniversary Season a Platinum Experience Platinum is the modern gift for someone’s 20th anniversary, but there’s no need to bring a fancy platinum bauble, or even a  platinum card, to Westchase Golf Club during their 20th anniversary season. Just bring your appetite for a golf experience that the National Golf Foundation has honored with its prestigious CLASP (Customer Loyalty and Satisfaction Program) award, ranking the course #1 in the golf-crazed state of Florida and in the Top 10 nationally, earned through the personal attention to every player, every group, every outing that graces the Lloyd Clifton design with its presence. That loyalty cuts both ways and comes from the top down. The course’s general manager, Clay Thomas, has spent nearly half his life at Westchase. And Superintendent Gene Roberts actually helped build the layout from the ground up, caring for it since its opening in late 1992. You’re not just visiting a golf course, you’re being hosted by the “family” of Westchase.
A Natural Experience  But there’s so much more to Westchase, located just northwest of downtown Tampa and within 10 minutes of Tampa International Airport. The first-class customer service and updated clubhouse wouldn’t mean nearly as much if the golf experience itself wasn’t top-notch. And it’s in the details that Westchase Golf Club separates itself from other upscale public courses. We’ve already mentioned the location (a great place for visitors to play their first and last rounds during a visit to the Tampa Bay area). There’s the maturing of the SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum greens that are headed into their fifth season—a grass that doesn’t have to be overseeded in the winter, providing consistent, and consistently gorgeous green color, no matter the season. And the nature-trail-like ride through the 213-acre Westchase layout will take you over 16 lakes (on vertically-planked bridges—you won’t believe what an improvement that is over the bumpy railroad-tie bridges at many courses), around 21 wetland areas and 14 upland conservation areas, and through forests of cypress, oak, maple and pine trees, a couple of which have hosted nesting pairs of bald eagles. The migratory birds are just one of the numerous species of wildlife you’ll encounter at Westchase, sharing the habitat with deer, turtles, bobcats, and of course, the occasional alligator.
A Challenge for All Players Like the customer service, Clifton’s design is understated, but terrifically challenging, and a whole lot of fun for players of all skill levels. The par-72 layout isn’t gimmicky and is only 6700 yards from the tips, but you’ll get all you want from four solid par-5s, four par-4s that can play at over 400 yards, and a set of par-3s that’ll send you to your bag for a different club off the tee on each one. Many of the greens, beginning with #1, encourage you to run the ball up, but a solid aerial game comes in handy with more than a dozen holes at Westchase featuring water in-play. If Westchase boasted a “signature” hole, it would likely be the par-3 third that challenges players to clear wetlands and a pond to reach a bulkheaded green that angles away from tee from left to right. A mixture of pines and palms border the fairways and separate the set-back homes on the three par-4s in the middle of the front nine, and the three finishing par-4s are quite a challenge for those trying to bring it home strong. A state-of-the-art GPS system on all carts will guide you along the way. The only two parallel holes at Westchase are the 9th and 18th, both with marshland carries to greens visible from the Westchase Grill, the clubhouse dining room and veranda. An Experience to Share With its reputation for personal attention, group outings are a specialty at Westchase, with many organizations coming back  year after year for fellowship, team-building, and charity fund-raising. Testimonials from loyal and satisfied (remember how they got that CLASP award) groups are featured on the course’s web site www.westchasegc.com . For nearly 20 years, groups from 4 to 144 have found out that one call to the Westchase family (813-854-2331) can unlock a stress-free experience that’ll please even the most particular planner.
For those who want to make Westchase their home-away-from-home, the Westchase Advantage Club now offers members the opportunity to play more, for less, seasonally, or year-round. For just $99/year ($25/year for Florida residents), players get preferred rates for themselves and up to three guests, complimentary use of the on-cart ProLink GPS system, discounts on range access, meals in the Clubhouse Grill and in the pro shop, discounts on USGA handicap fees, and can even book tee times up to a week in advance. And for the 20th anniversary season, monthly Advantage Club member-only events are planned. But even if you’re a visitor who can only play Westchase once or twice (that first round after arrival and last round before departure), you’ll be treated like a private club guest by the Westchase family that’s not content with just displaying its awards for customer satisfaction earned over the last 20 years, but is striving to earn the loyalty of its guests for the next 20 years, one round at a time. For more on how you or your group can sample the Westchase Experience, call 813-854-2331 or visit their Web site (where you can also book tee times directly) at www.westchasegc.com . |
