Wekiva Golf Club

golf history Almost As Much Fun As The Real Thing! Over 50 Years Of History in Seminole County

Wekiva Golf Club remains a favorite among local golfers and tournament players.

t was the late Lord Harold Samuel, a real estate tycoon from Britain, who coined that famous expression: “There are three things that matter in property: location, location, location.”

For that reason and many others, Wekiva Golf Club, which opened in 1972, has been one Central Florida’s most popular and well-established courses for more than 50 years.

Wekiva Golf Club sits in the center of the Wekiva Hunt Club residential community between State Road 436 and Wekiva Springs Road, in the western part of Seminole County. The 138-acre wooded setting lies within the Wekiva Protection Area, about a mile south of the Wekiva River, one of the two rivers in Florida federally designated as a National Wild and Scenic River for its scenery, recreation, geology, and diverse habitats.

Designed by Florida architects

IRon Garl and Ward Northrup, the 18hole, Par 72 layout plays 6640 yards from the tips. But don’t be misled by the yardage, Wekiva Golf Club’s solid course design and conditioning makes it a fair yet challenging course for players of all abilities. Known for its undulating and well-maintained greens, Wekiva features Champions Bermuda grass providing some of the smoothest and quickest putting conditions in the area. Another standout design feature, there are no parallel fairways at Wekiva Golf Club. Its numerous doglegs, bordered by large strands of mature pines, oak hammocks, and palm trees with more than 80 strategically placed bunkers, give Wekiva the look and feel of a

Wekiva plays host to a number of mini-tour events as well as charity events throughout the year.

more traditional golf course.

“Wekiva is a little different from most Florida golf courses, said General Manager and PGA Member, Tony Miller. “There are only two lakes and no forced carries which makes it very player friendly.”

In the summer of 2021, Seminole County, in a concerted effort to save its green space, purchased Wekiva Golf Club along with Deer Run Country Club (closed in 2019) from the late Bob Dello Russo, founder and President of DelAir Heating and Air Conditioning and the owner of the Golf Group, a golf management company.

With approved funding, the county is currently investing more than one million dollars in renovations to the course and its facilities which has lacked the proper upkeep in recent years.

Maintenance and management of the two-year project is being overseen by Down to Earth Golf, a facility services company based in Maitland that manages and maintains more than 30 golf courses across the United States. Leading the team on the agronomy side is Florida native and golf course superintendent, Don H. Johnson, who spent 27 years working internationally (Dubai, Costa Rica, Canouan, Anguilla, Mexico, Egypt) before moving to Longwood and accepting the position in 2021.

Many maintenance improvements have begun including cart path repairs and renovations along with tree trimming and general clean up. Future projects include complete replacement of the irrigation system, bunker redevelopment (reshaping, drainage, sand), driving range restoration, new signage, and upgrades to the clubhouse.

“Wekiva Golf Course has ‘good bones’,” Miller commented proudly. “It’s a work in progress; the course is in very good hands between Seminole County and Down to Earth. Everyone is excited about the future.”

One of Wekiva’s key assets is its practice facility given the lack of options in the surrounding area. The driving range includes two large practice greens for chipping and putting. The teaching staff boasts four PGA Professionals, who are members of the North Florida PGA Section, and led by Head Golf Instructor and Lifetime PGA Member Todd Saliba.

In addition, Wekiva is proud to be a

partner with the national award-winning non-profit organization, Little Linksters, that offers a wide variety of programs and clinics for children ages 3-18. Programs are offered yearround, and kids don’t need equipment or any experience to participate.

“Little Linksters is a great way to get a child started in golf,” said Miller. “They really put an emphasis on fun; it’s not about hard-core instruction as much as it is about getting kids interested in the game and making sure they have fun. You’d be surprised how

quickly their eyes light up.” Wekiva Golf Club hosts many local tournaments, mini-tour, and charity events annually with full banquet facilities on the second floor of the clubhouse and a dedicated staff to assist any organization with its goals and planning. While some public courses have struggled to turn a profit especially since the waning of the COVID boom, that’s not the case at Wekiva. The club currently generates about $1.4 million in annual revenue against $1.1 million in expenses. Based on those numbers and the significant financial investment being made into the property, the county appears committed to operating Wekiva as a golf course for years to come, and that’s good news for all Central Florida golfers.

For more information or to book a tee time, visit www.wekivagc.com.

Wekiva is a proud participant in the national award-winning junior golf program, Little Linksters.