Bonita Bay Club, within the Bonita Bay community, has five golf courses and is a renowned country club in Bonita Springs and Naples. On Bonita West, three Arthur Hills-designed courses within the 2,400-acre Bonita Bay community and two courses by Tom Fazio (Bonita East) at nearby Bonita Bay Club Naples. In total the club provides 90 holes of championship golf. The new 30,000-square-foot Golf Super Center houses the golf shop and has room to store more than 2,900 golf bags, as well as 240 golf carts underground.
Arthur Hills designed :
Marsh Course
Marsh weaves its way through wetland terrain with beautiful oaks and palmettos forming a backdrop for challenging golf. Natural wetlands and native vegetation provide both landscaping and water hazards.
Best hole for us on Marsh course : Hole 18th Par 4 – Truly an amazing finishing holes. Don’t let the beauty of the clubhouse in the background distract you. This long par-four will challenge even the most accomplished player. A well struck tee shot down the left-center of the fairway will put you in position to end the round on a high note. Be careful with your approach, the green slopes severely from left to right.
Creekside course at Bonita Bay Club
Creekside features broad fairways and limited carries, while changes in land elevations create a subtle feeling of rolling hills. Bunkering and moguls add challenge to the greens.
The opening hole of Creekside is a nice hole to start the day. Playing your tee shot to the right side of the fairway will give you an approach shot that will limit access to the greenside bunker. This is one of the smaller greens on the course and if you’re going to miss the green be sure to miss to the right side.
Signature hole on Creekside : Hole 8th Par 3 – The eighth hole might be considered by most the signature hole on creekside. your tee shot is 160 yards with all-carry over a large pond that guards the front and the entire right side of the hole. Greenside bunkers protect the left side of the green collecting any balls that are “bailed out” from the pond along the right side. The green is receptive to good shots but may leave you with a long putt as it is very large and very deep.
Bay Island course at Bonita Bay Club
Bay Island draws from the natural lay of the land to create the longest and most challenging of Bonita Bay Club West’s three courses. Water hazards, sand traps and thick stands of oak and cypress await errant shots on a course that plays to all four points of the compass.
Bay Island signature hole : The ninth hole is one of Bonita Bay Club’s signature holes. The longest of any on the course and the nearest to the bay with mangroves all the way up the right side. A fairway bunker guards the left with plenty of room on the right to land a tee shot. There are a few options to layup, but traditionally players will leave themselves a full swing to a blind elevated green with a severe false front. Depth perception when attacking the green can be especially difficult with high rise condominiums in the background.
Toma Fazio designed :
Cypress Course at Bonita Bay Club
Cypress is the longer of the two Naples courses; it leads off with wide fairways punctuated by strategically-placed bunkers on the front nine to tighter landing areas on the back with some holes cut through dense stands of trees. Generally, the Cypress is considered the course to play for those looking for the ultimate challenge. You’ll find more steep-faced bunkers along with plenty of wetlands and water. Among the big challenges on the Cypress are the slick-running greens.
Birdie time on Cypress course : Hole 14th Par 4 -The shortest par 4 on Cypress allows you to put the driver away. The smart play is hitting a fairway wood , hybrid or long iron to the right side of the fairway. Your second shot will be partially blind into a green that slopes from back to front. Play smart and you can leave this hole with a birdie.
Difficult hole for us on Cypress course : One of the toughest finishing holes in Southwest Florida! The par 4 18th is not only long but it has plenty of trouble in the form of several fairway bunkers and a water hazard on the right side that abuts the green. A good drive will leave you with a fairway wood to a long iron into a green with a large greenside bunker on the right. If you miss your second shot, MISS LEFT! If you miss right, you could finish with a big number.
Sabal Course at Bonita Bay Club
Sabal is just a little shorter and tighter than its sibling, the course borders a wildlife preserve. Long white sand bunkers flank undulating fairways and ponds cut in to provide challenge and interest, especially on holes 9 through 12 that play around a 35-acre lake. Named for its abundance of graceful sabal palms located throughout the landscape, the Sabal features steep bunkers, multi-tiered greens with false fronts and terraces and sloping bunkers.
Most difficult hole on Sabal : Hole 6th Par 4 – Ranked as the hardest hole on Sabal, this long par 4 can feel like a par 5. A lateral hazard stretches down the left side of the hole. There are a group of fairway bunkers on the right side that can bring a big number into play if you land in one of them. If you get on the green in regulation, you deserve a pat on the back. Par here is a great score and you’ll walk away feeling like you made a birdie.
The courses are complemented by two well-equipped pro shops, three driving ranges, comfortable locker rooms and a staff of golf professionals who will improve your golf, challenge your skills and increase your appreciation for the game.
