--- title: Our Course - The Founders Golf Club description: Explore The Founders Golf Club's 18-hole Robert Trent Jones, Jr. course in Sarasota, FL — hole-by-hole, with caddies available and flexible tee times. --- [Skip to the main content.](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/our-course#main-content) - [Blog](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/blog) - [Member Login](http://members.thefoundersgolfclub.com/) [![Founders Club](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/branding/Founders-Club-Logo-350.png?width=350&height=110&name=Founders-Club-Logo-350.png "Founders Club")](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/?hsLang=en) [![Founders Club](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/branding/Founders-Club-Logo-350.png?width=350&height=110&name=Founders-Club-Logo-350.png "Founders Club")](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/?hsLang=en) - [GOLF](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/our-course) - [THE CLUB](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/club-experience/our-club) - [Our Story](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/our-history/j-hamilton-gillespie) - [Amenities & Wellness](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/club-experience/wellness) - [Guide to Sarasota](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/location) - [Policies & Guests](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/club-experience/dress-code) - CLUBHOUSE & DINING - [Golf Hall](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/dining/golf-hall) - [Dining & Social](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/dining/dining) - [MEMBERSHIP](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/membership) - [HOST AN EVENT](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/host-an-event/venue) - [CAREERS](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/careers) Search Toggle Menu Search Toggle Menu - [GOLF](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/our-course) - [THE CLUB](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/club-experience/our-club) - [Our Story](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/our-history/j-hamilton-gillespie) - [Amenities & Wellness](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/club-experience/wellness) - [Guide to Sarasota](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/location) - [Policies & Guests](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/club-experience/dress-code) - CLUBHOUSE & DINING - [Golf Hall](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/dining/golf-hall) - [Dining & Social](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/dining/dining) - [MEMBERSHIP](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/membership) - [HOST AN EVENT](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/host-an-event/venue) - [CAREERS](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/careers) --- ## Our Course ## A Course Reverently Carved from the Natural Landscape The Founders Golf Club's 18-hole championship course follows the natural, rolling terrain like a traditional Scottish links course. It's also a "core" design: no roads to cross, no homes crowding the field of play, so nothing interrupts your round. Centuries-old oaks, pines, and palms line a 7,094-yard, par-72 layout that winds through groomed fairways, tranquil lakes, and unspoiled wetlands. You may play the course traditionally by walking, either by carrying your bag or requesting a caddie. When you're ready to sharpen your game, a fully equipped teaching facility and golf shop are staffed by seasoned PGA professionals. See below for a hole-by-hole walk-through of Robert Trent Jones, Jr.'s design, from the opening carry over the wetland on Hole 1 to the closing lake on Hole 18. Every hole asks something different of you. ![Hole\_\_1](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__1.webp?width=320&height=337&name=Hole__1.webp) ### Hole 1 - Par 4 Optional back tees make for an interesting opening tee shot: from here, the hole plays shorter but far more demanding, forcing a carry over the wetland with a lone oak standing guard between the tee and safe ground. Thread the tree and the fairway bunker along the wetland's edge, then hit a short iron to the green to reward an aggressive line. Bail out right of the tree and a mid-to-long iron approach awaits, into a green tucked against the wetland. Alternate tee positions offer the mid-to-high handicap player a gentler route and reward distance off the tee. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_2](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__2.webp?width=320&height=355&name=Hole__2.webp) ### Hole 2 - Par 3 You'll cross the first of many water hazards here into a narrow, undulating green. The tees are staggered around the lake, so if you're playing forward, you'll get an easier angle in. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![3rd\_Hole](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/3rd_Hole.webp?width=328&height=400&name=3rd_Hole.webp) ### Hole 3 - Par 4 Take a fairway metal or long iron off the tee at 370 yards; you don't need a driver, and accuracy matters more than distance here. The tee shot has to carry a wetland, with water bracketing both sides of the fairway, so give yourself a club you can control. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![4th\_Hole](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/4th_Hole.webp?width=278&height=400&name=4th_Hole.webp) ### Hole 4 - Par 5 You'll be tempted to go for the green in two, but wetlands sitting 270 yards off the tee should give long hitters pause. The first landing area is wide, with room to play around the oak tree on the right. However you play your second shot, water guards the green. Get around it, and you're looking at birdie or better; find it, and you're looking at worse. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_5](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__5.webp?width=320&height=480&name=Hole__5.webp) ### Hole 5 - Par 4 There's little trouble off the tee, so swing away. This is a hole where you can play driver for maximum distance. If you can reach the upper fairway, you'll get the best angle in; come up short of it and you're left with an awkward uphill lie into a slightly elevated green. The fairway is generous, so if you're a higher handicapper, this is a real chance at birdie. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_6](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__6.webp?width=320&height=480&name=Hole__6.webp) ### Hole 6 - Par 4 This long par-4 rewards both accuracy and length off the tee. Water lines the landing area on the left and bunkers guard the right, where staggered fairway bunkers come into play for medium-to-long hitters. Higher handicappers will find the wide fairway short of those bunkers an inviting target. A long iron approach to a green set at the water's edge makes this the most demanding hole from tee to green. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_7](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__7.webp?width=320&height=440&name=Hole__7.webp) ### Hole 7 - Par 5 At 585 yards, plan on three shots to get home. Play left off the tee, carrying the bunker that guards that side of the landing area, and you'll take the wetland out of play and set up the best angle for your second shot. Water and wetlands guard the second landing area, so play for position short of them. That keeps birdie in play and bogey off your card. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_8](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__8.webp?width=320&height=467&name=Hole__8.webp) ### Hole 8 - Par 3 At 215 yards, this is the longest par-3 on the course, and you'll need a precise long iron to find a green guarded on the right by water. From the forward tees, it's a mid iron instead, and if you miss, you've got two places to bail out: the greenside bunker short right, or the fairway hollow to the left of the green. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_9](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__9.webp?width=320&height=366&name=Hole__9.webp) ### Hole 9 - Par 4 This is a good chance to make a birdie on the turn. At 395 yards with a generous fairway, you've got options off the tee: play as close as you can to the fairway bunkers on the left for the best angle into a green guarded on the right by an expansive bunker. Cut the dogleg, and you'll shorten the hole, but you'll still need to clear that greenside bunker to make it count. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_10](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__10.webp?width=320&height=449&name=Hole__10.webp) ### Hole 10 - Par 5 If you like to gamble, this is your hole. At 515 yards, this par-5 is a classic risk/reward tee shot. Play it safe to the left for a relaxing three-shot, or carry the trees and creek to reach the right fairway and set up a real shot at birdie. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_11](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__11.webp?width=320&height=317&name=Hole__11.webp) ### Hole 11 - Par 3 This demanding 200-yard par-3 crosses an expansive wetland and can make or break the best of rounds. The tee shot to an ample green must carry the full distance of the wetland; multiple tees shorten the hole for higher handicap players, but the carry remains non-negotiable. Shot values run high here, and so does your score if you come up short. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_12](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__12.webp?width=320&height=433&name=Hole__12.webp) ### Hole 12 - Par 4 At 440 yards, this is the longest par-4 on the course, and you'll need both length and accuracy to handle it. Play safe to the ample fairway on the left, or take the daring line over the bunker on the right, hugging the wetland edge, for the best approach angle into a deep green. Wherever you land, watch for the mound at the green's front-left edge—it complicates the approach from almost every other angle. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_13](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__13.webp?width=320&height=480&name=Hole__13.webp) ### Hole 13 - Par 4 A breather coming down the home stretch. At 365 yards, you'll want accuracy over power. The reverse-angle green gives you a real choice off the tee: play the aggressive line along the lake, with a clear view into the deep green, or play away from the lake to the right for a more open approach to this multilayered green. If the pin's up front, lay up carefully; you don't want to run it to the back. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_14](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__14.webp?width=288&height=432&name=Hole__14.webp) ### Hole 14 - Par 5 You're playing from a narrow chute of trees here, and your tee shot sets the tone for the rest of the hole. Water runs along this 570-yard par-5 for half its length. Miss off the tee, and getting home in three (or even four) gets harder. The green is large and contoured, so don't expect an easy par. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_15](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__15.webp?width=320&height=423&name=Hole__15.webp) ### Hole 15 - Par 3 This is the third long par-3 you'll face, and it calls for the same long, accurate iron play as the others. Bunkers guard the green on the front and right, and a stand of large oaks frames the hole. Find the green off the tee, or par gets difficult. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_16](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__16.webp?width=320&height=480&name=Hole__16.webp) ### Hole 16 - Par 4 You'll need both precision and length here. From the back tees, you're carrying a lake that runs the entire left side off the tee; the forward tees stagger around the lake's edge, leaving a clear path down the fairway. Play close to the water, and you'll get the best angle into a multi-tiered green guarded by bunkers front and back right; find one of those bunkers late in your round, and it'll cost you. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_17](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__17.webp?width=320&height=370&name=Hole__17.webp) ### Hole 17 - Par 3 Don't let the 140 yards fool you; you're threading the needle between a stand of large oaks here. The green is small and intricately contoured, guarded in front by an expansive bunker, so this requires a deft touch, not a full swing. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ![Hole\_\_18](https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/hole%20tour/Hole__18.webp?width=320&height=393&name=Hole__18.webp) ### Hole 18 - Par 5 Your last chance to close out the round strong. A large lake borders the left off the tee; bite off as much of it as you're comfortable with. From the forward tees around the lake's edge, you'll get a full view of the wide fairway. Carry the far end of the lake, and you'll shorten the hole considerably, with a real shot at the green in two; bail out right, and that's still possible, but your approach will need to clear both trees and bunkers. However you play it, the lay-up area is tight, so accuracy on your second shot pays off. *Hole Graphics Produced By Players' Book Publications, Copyright 2005* ### Play the Course Every hole here asks something different of you — length off the tee, precision through the wetlands, nerve coming down the stretch. Give it a shot. Schedule a Tour → 941-371-9720 The Founders Golf Club 3800 Golf Hall Drive, Sarasota, FL 34240 © 2026 Copyright © The Founders Golf Club [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/thefoundersgolfclub)[X](https://twitter.com/FoundersGolf) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "VideoObject", "contentUrl" : "https://244061362.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na2.net/hubfs/244061362/video_assets/390079302389/inherited/web_optimized.mp4", "dateModified" : "2026-09-02T06:19:24.717Z", "duration" : "PT6M41S", "height" : 720, "name" : "founders-club-overview", "thumbnailUrl" : "https://thefoundersgolfclub.com/hubfs/founders-club-overview.mp4/medium.jpg", "uploadDate" : "2026-09-02T06:19:24.715Z", "width" : 1280 } ```