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Hole #1- Cormorant Cove
Par 4Handicap: 8
253
238
220
220
Description
Stepping onto the beautiful signature tee box of the
first hole at Key Royale Club, the player is offered a non-imposing straight
path to the green. Big hitters may be able to take a shot at the green from the
tee box. However, the fairway is bordered by opposing waste bunkers on each
side, requiring attention to the landing area. Going too far right will land you in the pond where many cormorants will be sunning themselves (and likely snickering at you). As are all the greens at Key
Royale, this one is elevated and protected by a steep front apron that likes to
stop balls on a dime. There is also a greenside
bunker on the left and dense trees to the rear. The putting surface is sized to
require good accuracy to hit. A
relatively flat green will be fun to putt on while still requiring attention to
the subtle breaks.
Hole #2 - Eagle Bend
Par 4Handicap: 6
282
265
215
215
Description
This left-to-right sweeping dogleg is protected
by a large pond on the right, which is bordered by trees at the far end, making
cutting the corner a challenge. Keep an eye out for one of the magnificent Bald Eagles that patrol this pond. Trees
along the left and rear of the fairway offer additional challenges. Big hitters
may elect to go for the green, but the landing zone appears to be the size of a
postage stamp as one must navigate the pond, the trees, the green aprons and
the greenside bunker, no easy task. Note – there is an optional drop area on
the left for those unfortunate to land in the hazard. More conservative players
will need to calibrate how far they plan to fly their tee shots and how much
they will turn them from left to right to avoids trees in the path of the next approach
shot. The green is protected on the left
by a greenside bunker running the entire length of the green. The right and rear side aprons are steep and
will swallow the ball into the rough.
Once on the green, the aggressive rear-to-front slope offers a
reasonable putting challenge to all players and sideways putts will require
good reading of the breaks.
Hole #3 - Crooked Palm
Par 3Handicap: 5
151
141
132
132
Description
On the tee box, the player views a less-than-ominous par
3. However, the green is protected by
out-of-bounds on the right, bunkers on the left and right, trees to the rear (don’t
be long) and steep aprons on all sides. Be wary of that crooked palm tree on the right side of the fairway that's just looking to spoil your tee shot. As with the previous hole, portions of
the green have an aggressive rear-to-front slope that can penalize the player
who is too aggressive on down-hill putts and require precise break-reading for
sideways putts.
Hole #4 - Crow's Nest
Par 3Handicap: 1
196
186
174
162
Description
The longest par 3 on the course and the #1 handicap
hole, this non-imposing looking hole can create lots of frustration to the
player. Protected on the right by trees and out-of-bounds, and a greenside
bunker, the player may tend to shy to the left. However, the player must be
focused to make sure the green is hit. A shot that is left of the green will be
in the trees, where at certain times of the year, Crows are hanging out and waiting to steal your ball to add to their collection. A long shot often finds the creek running behind the left side
of the green. Too far right, and the player will be in a grove of trees that
are near impossible to play out of. Note – there is an optional drop area in
front of the grove. For the player that
finds the green, some gentle breaks will require patience to navigate to the
hole.
Hole #5 - Dragon's Tail
Par 4Handicap: 2
298
288
277
265
Description
The player must negotiate a fairway corridor, bordered
by an out-of-bounds roadway on the right and a creek on the left on this second
hardest hole on the course. Further down the fairway, there is a waste bunker
on the right that seems to always attract golf balls. To the left, there are
large full bushes that can block the next approach shot. Big hitters must be
careful not to drive through the fairway and into the wooded area at the end of
the fairway. Negotiating this dog-leg left fairway is as difficult and dangerous as driving the Tail-of-the-Dragon roadway in the Great Smoky Mountains. Once the drive is safely negotiated, the player is confronted with
a small, turtle-back shaped green that is protected by a waste bunker and creek
on the left, a wooded area on the right that slopes downward to Bimini Bay, and
steep aprons at the front and right sides. The approach shot to this green is
one of the most challenging on the golf course.
Hole #6 - Temptation
Par 4Handicap: 9
242
235
210
190
Description
The easiest hole on the course (handicap #9) and
seemingly innocent straight away path to the green can be played conservatively
with little trouble. Big hitters, tempted to drive the green, are confronted by water and waste areas to the left, a
heavily landscaped area to the right, greenside bunkers on the left and right
of the green that wrap partially around the front, and a steep front
apron. Going long here brings the creek
in play that passes behind the green. Once on the green, the location of the
pin is critical in the difficulty of putts. The green has mild to aggressive
slopes, depending on pin position, that can cause the ball to roll off the
green if not careful.
Hole #7 - Bimini Trap
Par 3Handicap: 3
177
167
156
156
Description
The 3rd hardest hole on the course is arguably
considered the toughest by most members. Players are challenged to maintain a
precise, straight ball flight to land on the narrow green, navigating the
cavernous greenside bunkers on the left and right. Going long here likely ends
up in Bimini Bay. The tree on the right seems to always be in play and landing
in the roots of this tree will impact your score. A tee shot that comes up
short, in the center of the fairway offers the best approach versus being left
or right of the green. Once on the green, a few subtle breaks add to the fun
and challenge of the putt.
Hole #8 - Respite
Par 3Handicap: 7
136
128
115
115
Description
The shortest hole on the course, but what the hole lacks
in length is made up in difficulty of approach.
The green is surrounded on 3 sides by a horseshoe shaped bunker. The
left side of the green slopes drastically away and towards the bunker on the
left. A pin position in this area can be
extremely penalizing and dramatically different than other more gentle sloping
areas. Enjoy the short period of rest before taking on the final challenge.
Hole #9 - The Road Hole
Par 4Handicap: 4
315
302
275
263
Description
The longest hole on the course. The Out-of-Bounds Road runs the entire length from tee to green on the right side. The road, as well as the waste area to the left, have gobbled up many a ball and turned that blemish-free round to
frustration. Keep tee shots in the fairway to avoid approach-shot challenges. The right front of the green is protected by The Colonel*, the tree on the right, which can be
quite the ominous obstacle when approaching from that side. Landing in the
roots of this tree will certainly ruin your day. Missing the green left will likely cause the
ball to deflect into the bordering shrubs. Missing on the right and there is a
high risk of a deflection into the out-of-bounds roadway. Of course, this green
is protected in the front by a steep apron that stops balls like a professional
hockey goalie. A precise approach shot
is key to successfully navigate this hole and avoid a high number on the
scorecard. From here, head back to #1 to play 18 holes or to our beautiful
Patio for refreshments and camaraderie.
* The Colonel - Named after Colonel Bob Elliott, a fighter pilot shot down at the attack on Pearl Harbor, survived and served in the Pacific Theater for the rest of the war. He was awarded fifteen medals for valor and heroism. The Colonel was an active member of Key Royale Club for 48 years. He was the first one to arrive in the morning, raising the US flag and starting the coffee. He died in 2019 at the age of 102 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
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