The Cypress Labyrinth
Many holes at Cheval weave through dense, towering cypress, giving the course both a distinct look and strategic bite. The tree corridors force precision off the tee and edge many landing zones with water.
Golf Course Review & Scouting Report
The Club at Cheval
Lutz, Florida
Established
1986
Architect
Steve Smyers
Access
Private
Par
Par 71
Length
5,071 – 7,021 yds
The verdict
Demanding, Wooded Steve Smyers Test
The Club at Cheval serves up a true shot-maker's challenge with tight corridors, penal water hazards, and cypress-lined fairways. Recent renovations have elevated both conditions and playability, making this a Tampa-area standout for members and their guests.
Course DNA
Difficulty
84
Scenery78
Conditioning87
Shot Variety74
Walkability59
Green Complexity77
Wow Factor68
Design Quality75
Don't miss
Check out the reimagined short game area behind the clubhouse, designed for members to test every wedge shot in the book.
At a glance
Quick facts
Acres
860-acre master-planned site
Greens
Champion Bermuda turf
Water Hazards
Water in play on 12+ holes
Recent Upgrades
Full-course renovation in 2025
Club Atmosphere
Upscale, private member’s club
Tree Species
Towering Florida cypress dominates
Practice Facilities
Reimagined short game area
The design
The architecture
Steve Smyers’s Cheval is a modern Florida test built for precision and discipline. Routed through a vast wooded property, it uses water hazards and mature cypress corridors as natural defenses. The 2025 renovation elevated the look and playability, restoring edges and expanding the shot variety while preserving the fundamental character that locals respect—a course that makes you shape and place every shot. Fast Champion Bermuda greens, strategic bunkering, and a strong par 3 lineup challenge both the scratch and the high handicapper in equal measure.
Steve Smyers describes the course as a study in strategic angles—rewarding placement and control over brute force.
Defining features
- Cypress-lined fairways and natural water features
- Renovated Champion Bermuda greens
- Expanded teeing areas and reshaped fairways
- Strategically placed and consolidated bunkers
- Multiple long par 3s over water
- Spacious, modern short-game practice area
Hole by hole
Signature holes
Hole 6
The Demanding Gauntlet
PAR
4
YARDAGE
483
A brutally long par 4 demanding two big, disciplined shots—many treat it as a par 5. The fairway is pinched by water and trees, while the approach asks for a pure strike to a well-defended green.
Play it smart
Play for position off the tee, avoid the narrowest part of the landing zone, and favor the safe side for approaches.
Where it bites
Pushes or overdraws risk wetland trouble; missing short leaves a difficult up-and-down.
Course management
Shots to think about
Opening drive on Hole 1
Favor position over distance—club down for accuracy off the tee.
Approach on Hole 6
Don’t chase a back pin; take your medicine and play to the fat of the green.
Tee shot on Hole 7
Stay left for best angle into the layup and avoid water right.
Long iron on Hole 13
Focus on the center of the green, not the flag; four is fine here.
Tee shot on Hole 17
Account for any wind, club up, and swing confidently—par is heroic this late in the round.
Final approach on 18
Don’t short-side yourself; missing left provides a run-up but brings bunkers into play.
On the day
What to expect
Conditions
Fast Bermuda fairways, firm greens, and well-presented bunkers following a full-course renovation.
Pace
Efficient and steady; member play keeps the round moving.
Vibe
Private, relaxed club atmosphere—expect southern hospitality and a focus on the golf experience.
Dress code
Traditional club attire; collared shirts and soft spikes required.
Before you tee off
Your game plan
01
Bring Your Best Iron Game
Long par 3s and contoured greens make precision iron play essential for scoring.
02
Think Placement Off the Tee
Many tee shots reward discipline over distance—consider leaving driver in the bag.
03
Brush Up on Short Game
Renovated greens and short-game facilities will test your touch from awkward lies and run-offs.
The lore
How it came to be
- 1986
Steve Smyers designs and opens The Club at Cheval.
- 1986
Cheval establishes itself as a Tampa-area destination with its modern, challenging routing.
- 2017
Champion Bermuda turf greens are installed.
- 2025
Club completes major course-wide renovation, including greens, bunkers, tees, and practice areas.
- 2025
Heritage Golf Group acquires Cheval, launching new capital improvements.
Stories & legends
What makes it special
Renovation Resurgence
After nearly 40 years, the course underwent an ambitious full renovation in 2025 that consolidated bunkers, restored green edges, and expanded teeing areas, without erasing Steve Smyers’s original vision.
Legendary Long Par 3s
Cheval is legendary among Tampa players for its beastly set of long par 3s—none more so than the 239-yard 13th and 230-yard 17th—demanding full carries whether you like it or not.
A Strategic Opening
From the very first tee, you’re told to think, not muscle up—locally, it’s said that even big hitters learn to keep driver in the bag on many starts.
For the group chat
Fun facts
1
Set on a sprawling 860 acres with natural wildlife corridors.
2
Rare in Florida for its consecutive long par 3s late in the round.
3
Bermuda Champion greens deliver tour-caliber speed and firmness.
4
Steve Smyers began work here just two years after founding his own design firm.
5
Post-renovation short game area is popular among members for practice matches.
Build the trip
If you're making a Tampa-area golf trip out of it
CourseAccessWhy it's on the listTrip
Innisbrook Resort – Copperhead Course
Resort
Frequent PGA Tour stop and the region’s best-known public challenge.
TPC Tampa Bay
Semi-Private
Tour-style conditioning and championship layout just minutes away.
Streamsong Red
Resort
Destination golf—world-class architecture and landscape, worth the drive.
Southern Hills Plantation Club
Semi-Private
Top-tier, lesser-known option with standout holes and conditioning.
Stay in Northwest Tampa or Westchase for the best access to Cheval, TPC Tampa Bay, and dining.
Course DNA
If You Like The Club at Cheval
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Strong DNA Match8.0
Grayhawk Golf Club (Raptor)
Scottsdale, ArizonaConditioning
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. Grayhawk Golf Club (Raptor) offers similarly polished playing surfaces, making it a compelling counterpart to The Club at Cheval.
Strong DNA Match8.7
Congaree Golf Club
Ridgeland, South CarolinaConditioning
Why it matches: If The Club at Cheval is your kind of course, Congaree Golf Club is worth a look because it puts the same premium on presentation.
Strong DNA Match7.7
Grande Dunes Resort Course
Myrtle Beach, South CarolinaConditioning
Why it matches: What links these two? Puts the same premium on presentation — a familiar feeling, expressed in Grande Dunes Resort Course's own setting.
Community Sentiment
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