An Honest Review of Cabot Citrus Farms (Karoo)

First of all, I want to thank Gorecki for setting up a trip to Cabot Citrus Farms. I give him a lot of crap for taking more things off the table than he brings... so it was great to see him come through on a published plan.

 

On to my thoughts!

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Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw are credited with the return to "Golden Age" architecture. Their designs emphasize strategic golf — using width and angles — while maintaining the playability of Scottish links. 

 

Basically:

- Wide fairway corridors

- Green orientations that create a "line of charm," where approaching from one side is clearly preferable

- Never using trees as a main defense

- "Natural" looking blown-out bunkers that aren't overly penal except in rare, deliberate circumstances

- A final product that doesn't look like a bunch of dirt was moved by man

If this sounds like the nonsense I ramble on about after a few crisp, cold Coors Lights... you're correct!

In my opinion, Coore & Crenshaw philosophies create the most enjoyable golf courses... a contrast to the Jack Nicklaus "Signature Era" of the 90s and early 2000s.

Here's a sample of C&C courses we've played — mostly on our annual golf trips:

- Streamsong (Red)

- Talking Stick

- We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro)

- Pinehurst #2 *restoration*

- Ozarks National

- Bandon Trails

- Sheep Ranch

 

Every single one of those is top notch — and more importantly — a shit ton of fun (except Pinehurst #2, which isn't their design).

 

Naturally, the success of C&C led to many imitations, as a lot of guys who worked on C&C's team went off to start their own firms. The "width & angles / firm & fast" ethos of Golden Era revivalism is all the rage!

 

So while I was sad to see World Woods turned into a destination golf resort... I was optimistic when they tapped Kyle Franz to fully renovate Pine Barrens.

 

Franz worked on C&C's restoration of Pinehurst. He also restored all three courses at Southern Pines (SP, Mid-Pines, and Pine Needles), which some of us will visit in 2025. The acclaim of those restorations was universal.

But at Cabot Citrus Farms — a chance for Franz to showcase his own design concepts — he completely missed the mark.

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Let me be on record for the millionth time... I hate the idea of trees on golf courses. The hatred isn’t for the trees themselves, but rather the inability of managers/supers to maintain the trees and their intended functionality. Almost every bad course in America could be improved if they removed trees that hinder the original design, and destroy turf conditions with shade and water absorption.

But World Woods only had a handful of oak trees that I would have removed. Trees that had clearly overgrown since the course opened in 1993. The rest of the property was dominated by pine trees, which are excellent for framing holes and providing a natural looking aesthetic. Pines good, oaks bad!

JW on #1 at Pine Barrens in the 2015 Rapture. Wide corridors despite trees.

I fully expected the Cabot renovation to remove a bunch of trees, especially if they were going to blow-up the layout. But to my surprise, Franz only changed a few holes at the start and finish to "flow" better (which he accomplished). The 2nd & 17th, and 3rd & 16th, were all swapped and play in opposite directions. Everything else is the same routing!

Holes even you people should still recognize:

#4 - difficult split fairway, uphill par 5 with an elevated green and multiple forced carries

#10 - long par 3 with a big false front

#12 - long par 4 with two different greens (they only kept the elevated green to the right)

#15 - driveable downhill par 4 (Pine Barren's signature hole)

#18 - very difficult dogleg left par 4, uphill and over bunkers

Karoo still has the bones of Pine Barrens... but they Streamsong'd it:

The old 5th and 18th holes were the only holes that felt claustrophobic on the tee. So nuking everything else provides zero strategic value. It's like they're just trying to force a vibe. 

 

New first hole. Longer but plays similar to previous version.

 

None of it looks natural on the ground, and the new fairway and greens contours are laughably man-made. For instance:

 

Mounding in front of #13 green.

 

A lot of the greens don't even feel like they were designed by the same architect. Some have subtle movement that blend into the surrounds. Others look like they'd be better suited for a putting course (like the Himalayas at St. Andrews, or Thistle Dhu at Pinehurst), with large mounds and depressions throughout.

 

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So does Karoo suck?

Not at all! If this course was built from scratch I'd give it a 7 out of 10. It's a wild design that attempts to blend minimalist and maximalist styles together. The result is honestly jarring. But you're able to slap the ball around and have shots you can't find anywhere else in Florida... assuming we all suddenly forget Streamsong exists.

However, I give it a 4 out of 10 knowing what it replaced. Cabot spent millions of dollars for a course that is less appealing than Pine Barrens... all while keeping the same damn routing!

 

And while Karoo is fun... it isn't 7x the World Woods' greens fees fun!

I'm sure I'll play it again when the economy tanks and they're begging for Hillsborough County residents to come visit. And I'll check out the Rolling Oaks renovation (now called "Roost") next summer.

But I just played six world class courses in Ireland — in peak season — which had cheaper greens fees. For the value, Cabot Citrus Farms is not a must-play.