Cypress Knoll Golf & Country Club

The staff here is excellent! They make customers feel very welcome. I would highly recommend the nine and nine on Tuesdays. For a very good price you get to play nine rounds what's the best shot being counted in a 4 person team! If you choose to stay for the dining, it is a family style seating arrangement with a pre-planned meal that includes desserts and drinks.

- Elizabeth November Liston (Elizabeth-November)

Hadn't played here in about a year. Great turnaround of the course. Tee time green great shape. Greens could be a bit faster and the bunkers need work. Definitely will be playing here more frequently again.

- Jean-Pierre Dumas

What an amazing property, would be top tier if not for the awful attitude and treatment of the starter. Some starters are there to make sure the people paying for golf enjoy their time at the property. The starter on Mondays is more concerned with being the sheriff of the cart barn. What a shame. Was also told by starter to not come back to the property. Good to know he makes those decisions for the club. How many horrible reviews about the staff until you do something about it? Don't bother sending me your generic message of "sorry to hear that thanks for choosing cypress" DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

- jesse flammia

Just over a year ago, Doug Brown and his wife, Janice Reid purchased Cypress Knoll Golf Club in Palm Coast, Florida. Brown is a former college golfer whose family has owned property in the Cypress Knoll community for over 40 years. Since purchasing the course, he has been doing his best to make the course more attractive to all caliber of golfers. It’s one of the tightest courses in the area and Brown and his crew have been hard at work widening many of the fairways, improving tee boxes and just making the course a more enjoyable playing experience. So far, his hard work has not gone unnoticed. For those not familiar with this track, Cypress Knoll is Gary Player designed golf course. Player did a great job of blending Florida’s flora and fauna into the surroundings. As you make your way around the course, you’ll be exposed to strands of cypress, pine and other hardwood trees and other plants indigenous to these parts, plenty of Florida wetlands and the occasional alligator and osprey. But don’t let the natural surroundings get in the way of some great golf. Although the course plays through a residential neighborhood, what sets Cypress Knoll apart from other courses in the area are the tree-lined fairways; boundaries that urge you to hit a straight, controlled shot off the tee or pay the penalty; as in stroke and distance. Throw in the occasional clump of sea grass and the odd pot bunker and you’ve got a golf course that will challenge the best golfers around as well as providing less able golfers with a good time. Cypress Knoll has a combination of traditional concrete cart paths along with several natural paths, which adds a nice touch. There are also several long cart rides through the dense Florida brush which provide a welcome change of scenery from the surrounding homes. The first three holes are probably the most demanding on the golf course. Number 1 is a long dogleg that plays 406 yards from the white tees. Trees line both sides of the fairway off the tee, something you’ll need to get used to quickly. The fairway slopes right to left and can create some interesting lies. Your approach shot will be into a very large putting green guarded by a small pot bunker on the right side as well as a small pond. Number 18 is an interesting hole mainly because not many championship courses end with a par 3. There’s not a whole lot of trouble between the tee and the green as long as you avoid the small pond over on the right. The large green is receptive, and a par is always a good way to end the day. After your round, stop by the Player’s Club Restaurant in the clubhouse. Wednesday is Pasta Night where you can pick your own ingredients from a selection of meats, seafood, pastas and sauces. There’s also a Friday Fish Fry that includes all the trimmings and several other weekly specials. Guaranteed you won’t leave hungry. Last Word: If you can’t control your tee shots, you may want to consider trading in those Pro V1s for Pinnacles; many fairways and landing areas are narrow. Although the topography is flat in this part of the state, Player did a good job of moving dirt to create a little movement in the fairways. As you make your way around the course, you’ll encounter a number of lakes and ponds that need to be contended with. The 150-yard markers are usually a good aiming point off the tee or on the par 5 holes. Well undulated greens are surrounded by closely mown collection areas, which can provide an added challenge for high handicappers. Low Handicappers will welcome the opportunity to put some spin on the ball from these areas. Outside of golf, there’s a lot of natural beauty to the course. You may even spot the occasional gator or bobcat. Cypress Knoll is a course you should play if you’re in the area and want to test your game, both physically and mentally.

- David Theoret

I recently had the opportunity to play a round of golf at Cypress Knoll Golf & Country Club with three family members. While the course was well-maintained, our experience was negatively affected by one staff member’s conduct. Shortly after we began, we were approached by a staff member who informed us that we needed to speed up our play to keep up with the pace of other groups. We understood this initial feedback as a standard request and promptly adjusted our pace. Despite our efforts, the same staff member continued to stop us multiple times throughout our round. His tone became increasingly harsh and aggressive, to the point where it felt like harassment. We noticed that none of the other groups on the course were subjected to similar treatment. Despite speeding up and even skipping half a hole, we eventually found ourselves having to slow down as we caught up to the group ahead of us. In the final encounter with this staff member, it became apparent that we had been maintaining a reasonable pace all along. His final comments were contradictory, as we had gone too fast on the last hole. Given that our group consisted predominantly of Black men, it was difficult to ignore the feeling that this treatment may have been more about profiling than pace enforcement. This unfortunate experience overshadowed what could have been a great day of golf. Ultimately, their behavior is unacceptable and needless to say we will not be returning. We hope that Cypress Knoll Golf & Country Club will address this issue to ensure that all players are treated fairly and respectfully in the future.

- jacob greeno