Don't be misled by the 6,641 yardage on this par 71 Arnold Palmer golf course. While many of the holes provide generous driving areas, level ground is rare and the firm green fairways are contoured to resemble a rolling New England course. Facing the green from the slanting fairways, the small elevated emerald islands are framed by white-faced bunkers, azure ponds and gently swaying palm trees. Hilly lies and sweeping Florida breezes make it challenging to attain the accuracy needed to find these targets. The Tif-eagle greens are firm, fast and undulating, allowing only a crisply struck shot to hold their surface. Surrounding the greens, the thick, gnarly Bermuda rough tangles around the club and complicates the soft touch needed to play short pitch shots. Miss the green, and you face a difficult par. Several holes require length, all reward finesse.

As you travel the green fairways set in a hammock of cypress and oak, the natural beauty of the par 70 Saddlebrook Course will transport you back in time to the Florida of the Conquistadors. The signature hole, the 425-yard 18th, magnifies this sensation. The drive must be sent down an emerald ribbon between stands of towering cypress, whose branches are adorned with Spanish moss, swaying gently in the breeze. Three white-faced bunkers in the landing area are framed by the lush green of the fairway. The soft afternoon sunlight glints softly off the deep pond fronting the green, where gators and turtles rest on the bank. Blue herons stand in the water waiting for lunch to swim by, while white egrets and wood storks nest noisily in the trees. Two solid, aggressive shots will reach the green and award the player with par. Whatever the score, this Arnold Palmer golf course will provide a relaxing and satisfying experience that will keeping you coming back to tee off.