Lakewood Ranch, Florida
Lakewood National’s Commander Course is a polished Arnold Palmer design built for strong players and ambitious resort golfers alike. With tour-caliber conditions and a flexible, playable layout, it’s the Sarasota-Bradenton area’s best test for those chasing a taste of tournament golf. Not a national pilgrimage, but a course any traveling serious golfer will be glad to discover.
Hit the Sunday pins from the Korn Ferry event if you can—members say the tournament setups totally transform shot values on holes like 11, 12, and 18.
Commander is a modern Palmer resort course that blends championship-scale shot values with everyday playability, emphasizing strategic risk-reward, dramatic green complexes, and conditioning that echoes its pro tournament pedigree. While routed amidst residential development, the design cleverly masks much of the housing with clever angles, bold bunkering, and varied green sites. Wide fairways invite aggressive play, yet subtle deflections and intimidating bunkers force golfers to pick the right line and yardage. New in 2024: every bunker fully restored to its designer intent, delivering visual pop and tighter shot margins for tournament fields and ambitious amateurs alike.
Brandon Johnson of Arnold Palmer Design Company was praised by GolfPass as “one of the most creative architects working today,” crafting a course that rewards brains over brawn.
A behemoth par 4 that plays straight but asks for two heroic shots: a fearless tee ball chased by a demanding long-iron or fairway wood into a well-protected green. It's where Korn Ferry dreams can be dashed by a misstep.
Favor the left side off the tee to open up the approach, then land your second softly—greed will be punished by sleek tournament greens and well-placed sand.
Miss short or right and you're tangled with bunkers or tough run-offs; par is a tour-standard prize.
Tournament-ready, polished fairways, crisp bunkers, and greens that reward solid strikes.
Busy during peak season with rounds exceeding four hours; early tee times move quicker.
Upscale resort feel with an undercurrent of pro-tour excitement.
Standard golf attire—collared shirts, tailored shorts or pants required.
Book early, especially for winter months—peak slots go fast due to public and resort demand.
After the 2024 restoration, bunkers are sharp-edged and bright—practice high, soft shots and be ready for new penalty areas.
Open Florida exposures mean club selection matters, especially on long par 3s—bring your flighted iron game.
Commander Course opens as Lakewood National’s anchor layout
First LECOM Suncoast Classic Korn Ferry Tour played at Commander
Scottie Scheffler competes in inaugural Korn Ferry event
Commander ranked No. 1 in GolfPass Golfer’s Choice Top 50
Major bunker restoration following hurricane/flood damage
All 18 holes reopen after renovations (December 6)
Before he was world No. 1, Scottie Scheffler teed it up at the Commander’s first Korn Ferry event—a fact that adds pro-tour cachet to every round. Many ask if they can spot the line he played on the challenging closing stretch.
After a series of storms ravaged Commander’s bunkers in 2024, the course bounced back quickly—all white sand, sharp-edged forms, and tournament polish, ready in time for the LECOM Suncoast Classic. The new bunker lining technology helps prevent future washouts.
Not just another real-estate course: GolfPass called Commander 'a cure for the common development course'—creative, sophisticated, and full of thoughtful shots that challenge all who play it.
Players circle the short, gamble-heavy 13th and the reachable par 5s as prime scoring holes, but aggressive lines can be punished by cunning bunkering and slick tournament greens.
LECOM Suncoast Classic on the Commander has elevated multiple Korn Ferry champs to PGA TOUR status.
Course record of 62 has been shot in competitive play—but the back-nine can flip scores in a heartbeat.
Bunker restoration post-2024 floods used new lining technology to help resist Florida storms.
The Commander’s name honors the B-17 Flying Fortress, a nod to the Palmer family’s aviation ties.
Bucket-list modern layouts roughly 1.5–2 hours away; public tee times.
Convenient, well-kept add-on 25 minutes from Lakewood; easy to book and play.
Locals’ favorite with strong shot values 25 minutes west.
Accessible nearby option for twilight or warm-up rounds.
Elite championship test if you can wrangle an invite.
Lakewood Ranch or UTC (University Town Center) — close to Lakewood National, Sarasota’s restaurants, and other public clubs.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: The Landings Golf & Athletic Club – Oakridge Course is a natural next stop after Lakewood National Golf Club (Commander): it offers similarly polished playing surfaces.
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. Old Memorial Golf Club offers similarly polished playing surfaces, making it a compelling counterpart to Lakewood National Golf Club (Commander).
Why it matches: What links these two? Puts the same premium on presentation — a familiar feeling, expressed in The Reserve Club at Woodside's own setting.
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