Highlands North Course

This beautiful 18-hole layout features tight fairways and well-bunkered greens, placing a costly premium on accuracy from tee to green. Recent course improvements include longer, more challenging par-4s and -5s with added bunkers and waste areas to create greater penalties throughout for those errant approach shots. This course is known for its daunting par-3s. "This is known as a shotmaker's course," says Tony Arielly. "There's definitely a premium on accuracy and not so much on distance."

Also designed by Lawrence Packard, the Highlands North at Westin Innisbrook is similar in terrain to the Copperhead Course, but not in length. Rolling fairways and water throughout make club selection your most important strategy on this course. About 6,600 yards from the back tees, this course is known for its long par-3s and small greens. Ball placement becomes critical.

Although it's our shortest course, it's one of our most challenging. In fact, 11 of the 18 holes here have water on them. The other seven have narrow fairways with lots of trees and bunkers.

The signature hole here, says Brock Nicholas, is No. 3, a 470-yard par-4 that is a tight driving hole (345 yards from the front). "It's straightaway, but there's water on the right and left and rough farther down on the right. Then you have a long carry to a partial island green." You will need a long and accurate drive to get started on this hole.

One of the most scenic holes here is No. 5, a dogleg-right par-4 (410 yards from the back tees and 300 from the forward) that curves around the water. Your second shot has to take you onto an island green. "Whenever you say the words 'island green,' it puts fear into the heart of golfers," says Arielly. "On top of it all, you can't see the island green from the tee because this is a pretty sharp dogleg. You have to hit down a chute of trees off the tee. If you go too far right, you're in the water."

No. 8 is an excellent par-5 (510 yards from the back tees and 425 from the forward). It's a 90-degree dogleg right uphill with a river running across the fairway. Golfers who like to gamble will love this hole, especially if they can hit the ball well. "The brave will use their driver off the tee to try to go over the river," says Arielly. "But most golfers will lay up in front of the water and then go uphill. On the second shot, you start all over again by trying to hit a cut shot over 50-foot trees."

No. 14 is one of Arielly's favorites. It's a par-4 dogleg left that measures 400 yards from the back tees and 320 from the forward. You hit off the tee to the landing area through a tunnel of trees. Your approach shot requires hitting over a river and lake combination that goes all the way across the fairway. "If you hit a bad drive, you may have to lay up short of the water and take a third shot over the water," he says.