Innisbrook - Island Course

The Island Course opened at Innisbrook in 1970 as the first of Larry Packard's four layouts on the Palm Harbor property, older than the famous Copperhead sibling and built tighter, with more water, more elevation change, and fairways that squeeze against Lake Innisbrook. The trademark Packard double-dogleg, a par-5 that bends twice before reaching the green, shows up on #7 Island, the course's signature hole, playing 570 yards from the tips with the lake skirting the right side and thick pine on the left. The Island has served as tournament venue more often than Florida public courses are asked to: U.S. Open qualifying, the Florida Open (four times), the Southern Amateur, the LPGA Legends Championship, and the 1992 NCAA Championship (won by Phil Mickelson). That history has kept it on Travel & Leisure's Fifty Finest in Florida list (#14 most recently) despite playing second-billing to Copperhead in the resort's marketing. For a Tampa Bay trip, the Island is the price-sensitive sibling at a lower peak rate than Copperhead but with comparable difficulty, many locals prefer it. Innisbrook's four courses (Island, Copperhead, North, South) mean a two-round day is easy and a full week on property is viable.