Four Itchy Feet

May 1, 2025. Jacksonville, Florida.

Today, we played at Hidden Hills Country Club. We had played this course a few years ago and remembered it as a tough, rewarding, and intriguing course. It was just as we remembered it. Hidden Hills challenged us, and our standard handicaps weren’t enough to achieve net par on this course. It truly is a challenging course where every shot requires careful consideration.

Hidden Hills Country Club was previously the site of the Greater Jacksonville Open, a tournament that eventually evolved into what is now the TPC Sawgrass. Winners the course included Gary Player, Tony Jacklin, and Don January. It’s now an Arnold Palmer Signature layout, known for its intriguing curves, contours, and rolling fairways—a setting not often found in Florida.

Standing on the first tee, you could easily imagine yourself anywhere but Florida. Carved into a hilly area, the highest point in the Greater Jacksonville area, Hidden Hills boasts elevation changes and rolling fairways rarely seen in the Sunshine State. The course features a mix of one-third very long holes, one-third medium-length holes, and one-third short holes. Unique features include sharp doglegs, strategically placed ponds, and elevated greens, all contributing to the course’s challenging nature. Russ Libby, PGA Director of Golf, says, “The course sometimes tempts you to use a driver, but the better play is to keep it simple and just put the ball in position.” On their website, Hidden Hills provides a great hole-by-hole detailed description offering advice and tips.

Hidden Hills was a great course to play. While the fairways were in good condition, several of the greens needed attention and were in disrepair. We had to skip one of the holes as they were actively aerating the green. Overall, Hidden Hills provided a great experience and stands as a true example of the challenges presented by a championship golf course.