timber creek golf course

@BR Boxtext bold lede colon:LOCATION: 4550 Timber Lane, Bradenton.

PHONE: 794-8381.

WHO PLAYS HERE?: Public par-3 course geared mostly toward locals: seniors, juniors and high-handicappers looking for a quick, inexpensive round of golf.

RATES: $10-$14 depending on season; electric carts $6, pull carts $2, club rental $5.

YEAR BUILT/ARCHITECT: 1968/Roy Albert Anderson.

HOLES: 9.

PRACTICE FACILITIES: Putting green.

PAR/YARDAGE: 27/1,043.

MANAGER: Bob Wilkins.

DIRECTIONS: Located on 6200 block of Cortez Road.

HOLE TO REMEMBER: The fifth hole is a 100-yard test with a large pond in front of the green.

UNFORGETTABLE: Obstacles abound on No. 3, a par-3 that plays just 117 yards but has towering oak trees on either side of the green and a pond that swallows shots hit too far.

INSIDE INFO: Out of bounds lurks on both sides of No. 6, a 150-yard hole that demands a smooth, unhurried swing. Hit it short and you’re in a sand trap in front of the green.

DID YOU KNOW?: The course, part of which lies against the Manatee County Golf Course, was once an 18-hole layout called Santa Rosa. Over the years, Santa Rosa slowly shrunk in size, from 18 holes to 14 to 11 to the current nine-hole layout, which was renamed Timber Creek in the late 1970s. The course is owned and operated by owners of its condominium association.

This story was originally published December 18, 2009 at 12:00 AM with the headline "timber creek golf course."