New Bobby Weed-designed course opens in North Florida

Bobby Weed Golf Design and the Northeast Florida division of Lennar Corporation announced the grand opening of Stillwater Golf and Country Club, the first new 18-hole layout in North Florida in 20 years. The golf course debuts as the hallmark of Lennar’s active adult gated community in St. Johns County.

“This incredible Bobby Weed-designed course sets Stillwater apart from any other active adult community in the region,” said Matt Figlesthaler, vice president of sales and marketing for Lennar Jacksonville. “With bundled golf club memberships, beautifully-designed new homes, world-class amenities and weekly events, residents at Stillwater will experience the ultimate active lifestyle at a tremendous value.”

Within Stillwater’s 18-hole routing, BWGD has creatively designed “loops” of three, six, nine and 12 holes that start and finish near the clubhouse. Members are given the freedom to play as their time allows.

Stillwater was designed with an eye toward environmental stewardship. The course includes 70 acres of irrigated turf on its 148-acre site. Other environmentally motivated efforts include:

• Up to 25 million gallons of water to be saved annually from non-irrigated areas
• TifTuf Bermudagrass fairways, tees and approaches use 38 percent less water than similar varieties
• No rough; all fairways are efficiently mowed using a single height of cut
• Non-irrigated centipedegrass native areas offer contrasting swaths of texture and color

BWGD has installed sod wall EcoBunkers throughout the course. Unique to North Florida, layers of artificial sod are stacked at 55 to 60-degree angles to fortify the bunker edges and create the visual appeal of Scottish-style pot bunkers.

Also distinct to Florida’s First Coast, lay-down walls are used in lieu of traditional vertical bulkheads. Planks of treated timber are seamlessly tied together, then stylishly angled from the water to the playing surface. Stillwater’s inspiration came from Weed and Pete Dye’s similarly styled walls at Long Cove Club.

Stillwater’s 16-acre practice facility will be a rain or shine, year-round destination. The lighted driving range has covered hitting bays equipped with Toptracer Range. The practice facility also includes three putting and chipping greens, highlighted by a 16,041-square-foot Himalayan-style putting course.

“Stillwater delivers terrific shot values with ample playing areas that encourage the old-style game of low, running approach shots,” said Weed, a longtime Jacksonville-area resident. “It is incumbent upon us as architects to be good stewards of the environment, while simultaneously designing courses that create interest, flexibility and fun. We accomplished these goals at Stillwater.”