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Play this oh-so-challenging course and get set for a change in attitude
by Doug Kelly

Those out west know that copperhead snakes sport fangs of venom and punish one false move. While Florida is spared the reptilian version of a copperhead, its namesake – the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club – presents a lethal bite of a kinder sort.

This golf course, tucked away in Palm Harbor in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, is so beautiful and challenging that I didn’t even mind that most of my errant shots went chopping a swath around Copperhead recently. The fairways offer such juicy lies and the greens putt so dead-true that I would have kissed the hand of the golf superintendent if he’d been nearby.

After slipping by the 1st hole with a par, I faced the long 2nd hole with confidence despite the daunting specter of water to the right. My drive flirted with the edge of the lake and quite fortunately resisted a watery end, leaving a knock-down 9 iron that nestled 22 feet from the hole. After three-putting, I felt like tossing the ball into the water and jumping in right behind it.

I played reasonably well until the 9th, a straight par 4 with a rising fairway that presents an uphill wood shot even if you do manage to hit the fairway... which I didn’t. Looking in every direction from the tee on this hole is downright romantic, with

a montage of graceful nature: egrets, herons, fox squirrels, pine trees reminiscent of North Carolina, bright flowers and beautiful blankets of green. I barely realized my bogey here meant I didn’t break 40 on the front 9.

In my opinion, the backside is tougher. But I found a groove nailing drives off the tee boxes and most of my irons found the greens. Unfortunately, I might as well have had a broom handle for a putter. The ball wouldn’t drop below green level except for tap-ins, and that ineptness doesn’t make for a good score on huge, undulating greens like those of Copperhead.

Just take extra care not to be distracted by the beautiful fountain right of the 12th fairway on the sporty par 4; don’t be fearful as you face the gorgeous, water-guarded par 3 13th; stem the adrenaline flow surging through your veins from the daunting double-dogleg 14th. Get by these three back-to-back ripsnorters without your ball finding a watery grave and pay homage to the golf gods for granting you favor.

My 79 from the tips didn’t make me mad at all. Then again, I’m a mere golfing mortal, as scores like that definitely wouldn’t cut it – as in, “make the cut” – for any of the pros playing in the annual PGA events at Copperhead. Past winners include heavy

hitters such as Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen and K.J. Choi last year.

The upcoming PODS Championship, formerly the Chrysler Championship, takes place March 5-11, 2007, with the big boys doing their thing on the famed Copperhead Course. One deal I highly recommend: the Copperhead Pak, which provides two tickets to the tournament, a parking pass and two vouchers to play Copperhead – which means you’ll ultimately face the same fairways as the PGA Tour’s best players.

Believe me, once bitten by this Copperhead, you’ll want to come back for more.

For full details on the PODS Championship, visit www.podschampionship.com, www.pgatour.com or call 800-456-2000. For more information on golf and other activities around the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area call 877-352-3224.

A Closer Look at Innisbrook

The Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club offers four championship courses designed by Larry Packard. The Island Course has played host to numerous U.S. Open Qualifiers and one of Phil Mickelson’s NCAA Championships.

The famed Copperhead Course has ranked in the Top 100 nationwide, with a number of professionals such as Stewart Cink, Curtis Strange and Paul Azinger vowing that it’s one of their favorites.

Open to members and guests of Innisbrook, golfers will enjoy a long list of amenities one would expect from a first-class resort destination. I encountered an outstanding full-service clubhouse, a tasty steak restaurant, excellent practice facilities and the acclaimed Golf Institute.

For more information, contact the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club at 800-456-2000 or visit www.innisbrookgolfresort.com.

Doug Kelly is a member of the U.S. Golf Association and the Society of American Travel Writers.