Innisbrook Golf Resort (The Island)

Overview: The Island Course at Innisbrook is a Larry Packard design that makes unusually strong use of elevation for a Florida resort course. The official course page lists par 72 and 7,194 yards, while tight fairways, abundant bunkers, water hazards and changing levels give the layout a more rugged rhythm than its Palm Harbor setting might suggest. The finishing hole is one of the property’s most photographed moments, but the course’s broader appeal comes from how consistently Packard uses landform to shape the strategy. Cypress, pine and water create a sequence that rewards accurate positioning more than careless power.

History: The Island was the first of Innisbrook’s four 18-hole courses and is dated to 1970 in current course records. Larry Packard designed the course as part of the development of the Innisbrook resort, whose golf identity later expanded to include Copperhead, North and South. The Island has since hosted U.S. Open qualifying, NCAA championship play and the LPGA TOUR’s Legends Championship. Its continuing role in the resort’s golf program reflects a layout that predates the better-known Copperhead but remains a substantial test in its own right.

Did You Know? The Island is a reminder that Florida golf does not have to be flat. Innisbrook’s official description emphasizes elevation change that is unusual for the state, and the course uses those changes to alter both sightlines and landing areas. The finishing hole has become one of the resort’s most photographed scenes, but the more revealing design detail is the repeated combination of tight corridors, water and uphill or downhill decisions throughout the round.