Rotonda Golf & Country Club Long Marsh

During my 10 years of living in SW Florida, I was always under the impression that Rotonda Golf & Country Club was a private club. It wasn’t until my sister moved there that I discovered that the public was welcome to play it, too. In the few times I’ve played it since then, I’ve always had a great time. The courses are always in good condition, they are challenging, and priced right, and the staff is friendly and helpful.

The Rotonda West community is located in southwest Charlotte County, Florida, less than a mile from the Gulf of Mexico, and Englewood Beach. It is a deed-restricted community that is home to over 15,000 residents. The community has an interesting shape to it when looked at from an aerial view; it’s perfectly round, with 7 pie-shaped wedges cut into it. Each wedge is a separate community - Oakland Hills, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Long Meadow, White Marsh, and Pine Valley. The eighth wedge is wetlands and preserves which is helpful for irrigation of all the courses. Each community has a golf course running through it, so if you live there, you’re never too far from the golf course! All of the homes and home sites front either a golf course, greenbelt, or body of water.

The Rotonda Golf & Country Club features 99 holes of golf across its five courses, designed by 5 renowned architects: Pete Dye, Ted McAnlis, John LaFoy, D.J. DeVictor, and Jim Petrides. Long Marsh has 27 holes and is considered Rotonda’s premier course; it’s also rated its toughest. Long Marsh was designed by Ted McAnlis. Rotonda Golf & Country Club has been awarded a “Beginner Friendly Certification” from the National Golf Course Owners Association and numerous accolades from the Charlotte Sun Herald.

The Long Marsh Golf Course is the centerpiece of all five golf courses at Rotonda Golf & Country Club. It was designed by Ted McAnlis and the original 18 holes – Long Meadow and White Marsh - opened for play in 1999. The 9 holes at Pine Valley were added in 2007. The course winds through 450 acres of natural Florida scrub and each of Long Marsh’s 27 holes has a distinctive character, making it unlike any other course in the area. Gently rolling fairways are framed by native pine, oak, and palm trees with natural waste bunkers, lakes, and marshes that add to the intrigue. What you see is what you get; there are no blind shots or hidden hazards. Four sets of tee boxes provide distances ranging from 5,257 from the forward tee yards to 7,120 yards from the back tees.

Number 6 on the Pine Valley nine is probably the most interesting hole of all 99. From the White Tees it plays 350 yards and doglegs around a small lake; fairway bunkers dot the landscape in the landing area. Longball hitters can take their tee shot over the water straight at the green. Anything left of the green will most likely not be seen again. Bunkers front both sides of the green which slopes gently from back to front. It’s a good risk-reward hole.

Golfers and residents alike flock to the Rotonda Hills Restaurant; the public is invited on Wednesdays and Fridays for dinner and on Sundays for breakfast. Their specialty is made-from-scratch dishes with new food and drink specials each week, You can see their menu online.

Should you find yourself playing at Rotonda more and more because of the great golf and friendly staff, you may want to consider becoming a member. A membership at Rotonda gives you access to all 99 holes of golf, free range balls, advanced tee time booking, and a 10% discount on pro shop merchandise. There are never any assessments or food and beverage minimums, and they even throw in handicap indexing through the USGA at no charge! Memberships are available for singles and families and can be purchased for one or two years. Each membership plan requires a small initiation fee. Best of all, you don’t have to live in the community to become a member!