Lost Key Golf Club in Pensacola a rare beauty

I have to admit I’m a sucker for island golf courses.

Even though I’m Florida born and bred, I’ve never spent much time in the Pensacola area. But, I’ve recently played a couple courses here that make me wonder what I’ve been missing.

Tiger Point Golf and Country Club is an excellent course, and today, when I played Lost Key Golf Club, was one of the better days I’ve had on a golf course.

Cool, sunny weather, an unhurried round on a great course, island setting, an affable pro pointing out the subtleties – this is why we play golf.

Lost Key is sometimes referred to “Lost Ball,” and for good reason. It has tight fairways and no rough – there’s just the fairway and the hazard, usually water. I helped it earn its nickname today, but played well enough to want to come back for more.

As assistant pro Roger Willoughby said: “It gets friendlier the more you play it.”

It’s one of Arnold Palmer’s better designs, a course where the cliché about using all your clubs holds true.

Look for the full reviews on both courses, as well as an overall story on Pensacola as a golf destination, coming soon.