Reunion Resort — Watson Course

Tom Watson's design at Reunion Resort is the least visually dramatic of the property's three courses and, for a certain kind of golfer, the most satisfying to play. Watson built a course that emphasises strategic shot selection over spectacle, routing 7,154 yards across rolling terrain with firm, fast fairways and large greens that reward precision in approach play more than length off the tee.

The philosophy is Watson's own, drawn from a career spent competing on links courses in Scotland and Ireland. Fairways here are maintained to produce ground-game options. A low running approach that uses the contours of the green complex is often the smarter play than a high spinning wedge, which is unusual in Florida resort golf where soft, receptive conditions tend to dominate. The greens are large but internally contoured in ways that create distinct pin positions with meaningfully different challenges. Being on the green is not enough; being on the correct portion of the green is what separates a birdie look from a difficult two-putt.

At 7,154 yards from the tips with a slope of 141, the course has enough length to challenge accomplished players, but the real difficulty lies in the decisions it demands. Watson placed hazards to penalise specific misses rather than punish all misses equally. If you understand the preferred angle of approach to each green and position the tee shot accordingly, you will score well below what the yardage might suggest. If you simply hit it long and sort out the approach later, you will find the course frustrating.

The conditioning reflects Reunion's overall commitment to its three courses. Greens run true and at a pace that rewards confident putting. Fairways are firm enough to support Watson's intended ground game without bouncing approach shots uncontrollably.

Tom Watson's strategic test on rolling terrain. The most cerebral of Reunion's three designs, and the one that improves with familiarity.