(3.240 Rating) This course will be extinct by the end of the year. Play it now, before its gone forever.
- BOMBER HOLES - Currently as of this review, the longest course in the State of Florida at 12,000 feet from the back (blue) tees. It allows the biggest throwers to really air them out. The par 3's here average over 350 feet and several of them are over 400 feet. Also two 800 foot par 5's and numerous par 4's.
- CHALLENGING - Above average due to the length but you are really not required to throw thru tight lines or to shape your shot. Most advanced players should be a couple under course par. Intermediate players should play from the whites and will likely finish a few down from those tees.
- TEES - Three sets of large concrete tees at a majority of the holes. I am a big fan of the multi tee format as it allows every type of player to have an opportunity to play at their appropriate skill level.
- CHARACTER - In addition to the 3 sets of tees, there are a bunch of other nice disc golf amenities. There's a course map and numerous picnic tables before tee (1). There's also a bunch of tee shading and just about all of the tee areas had nice hole signage. Great location for a restroom shelter building on the far side of the layout. There's a pro shop, where you can get a few disc golf items but the selection is limited to four feet of retail wall space. There's also a bar inside the club house and you can legally drink a beer on this course.
- CARTS - You can rent a golf cart, which I highly recommend for this very long course. Personally for me, it was my first experience using a cart for a disc golf round and it was everything I remembered it to be. (I'm a former ball golfer).
- NAVIGATION - Be sure and request a map when you pay at the club house. The course is very long and a few holes jog around a bit. Without a physical map, or one downloaded to your phone, you'll end up confused a few times on the first go around. The map is solid and it got me back on track every time I questioned my next move.
- EXTRA HOLES - 6 extra holes if 18 holes wasn't enough. (1,10,19) all start nearby the clubhouse and (9,18,24) all finish nearby as well.
- FORGIVENESS - The odds of losing a disc due to an errant shot is low with a few exceptions. Playing above you skill level can be hazardous. The back tees really bring the water into play on (3,7,15 and 23) but advanced players should have little issue avoiding it. Other than that, most players should be safe. In addition, the wide fairways and lack of overgrowth under the trees, makes for a round where most errant shots are not further punished.
- RAW BEAUTY - Although not an natural wonder, I'd still give The Preserve a 3.5 rating. The gentle slopes of the open fairways and a several large oak trees along the layout adds to some of the appeal. Also, three larger tranquil ponds along the layout. Missing however is that signature hole along the layout.

A solid course without shot imagination.
- LACK OF SHOT SHAPING - With the extent of the openness, you can expect a round with very little thought process on the tee. Most holes I just looked at the hole distance listed on my scorecard, and then quickly grabbed a disk and threw. Way too many holes can be attacked from every angle.
- UNIQUENESS - The overall hole variety was much less than I was expecting for a course rated this high. Tunnel shots are mostly not existent or loosely defined. No pocket shots and baskets are generally loosely guarded. No doglegs and the most any one hole veers is perhaps 10 degrees. As stated above however, par 4s and 5s and a few water shots. There is a hanging basket on finishing (24) but it makes little impact on the tee or putting thought process.
- ELEVATION - The Preserve is listed on DGCR as moderately hilly. I've played courses in other parts of the county that are listed as mostly flat and have twice as much elevation as The Preserve. No hole varies by more than 15 feet. Hole (16) is up that and (17) is down that. Only a couple other holes vary by more than 10 feet.
- MAINTENANCE - I read in several other reviews that fairway upkeep was an issue during their round, and it was for me too. Several holes had knee high grass. I probably spent a good quarter of my round searching for my disc in the middle of the supposed fairways. In addition a few areas had signage maintenance issues as well.
- TIME PLAY - This course is not a quick play. It took me 80 minutes solo with a cart. A group of 4 with carts, should plan to be here over 2 1/2 hours to complete 24 holes.
- PAY TO PLAY - Only $1 to walk, and $10 for a cart. You don't have to get a cart. However, getting a cart will help you avoid a least 3 miles of walking.
- WIND - A very open layout, so expect wind on most days. I personally was blessed with a somewhat light wind day.

I spoke with the manager regarding status of the course going forward. He told me that the course is being slated for demo and is to become a land recharge area. Or as he also described it, "a return to a natural landscaped area." Its ax is slated for the end of 2017.
Having played all three of the Ocala courses, I can definitely say that if you like the longer open courses this will be your favorite. Personally not my favorite, but if I lived in the area I'd work this one in several times a year. If you're in the area, be sure and check out both Sawmill and Greenway as well. Residents should be proud to have 3 solid course in the area.

1- The wide open distance. On most of the holes you can just let it rip & not pay for it to bad if you threw a not so perfect shot.
2- Golf Carts. It's a real long walk.
3- Well maintained
4- Nice lanscaping
5- Multiple tees. Blue tees are concrete. Well marked.
6- Bathrooms on the course.

1- Terrible markings if any for white or red tees. However the blue tees had nice marker posts showing where the other tees are supposed to be. We played the red tees & just agreed on a start spot based on the sign at the blue tee.
2- Next tee markings could be better.

If you walk the course you pay $1. $5 extra to get a cart. I would recommend getting a course map when you pay, that's the only way we stayed on course. Played mid-day during the week, we were the only ones on the course. Lost a disk on hole #7, my fault bad shot, a little to far left but man did it have some distance. Proud of that fact even though I lost the disc.

Wow... At 12,125 from the Blues tees this course is long averaging 505 per hole. Concrete pads for the white tees start you off, manicured fairways allows for rollers and great skips. With long holes people tend to try to crank out their long drives possible, however unless you take in to consideration the wind you can find your self in the water. The ponds are lined so getting in them will get you kicked out however they do offer use of their pole to help retrieve your disc, which you will need to ask for at the pro shop.

At 855 this course has one of the longest hole I have played here in FL. With no elevation change, and water that you need to circumnavigate, this hole will make you work for that 5.

CARTS..... How many times do you get to drive around and play...

While there is distances listed on the tees for both the red and the white tees they are not there. We tried to find them and it is not likely that you can find 50% of them. The ones that you do find are mostly under tree cover which leads to slipping on the dead leaves on the ground.

Pro shop sells disc and accessories. There is also food available at certain times.

[Updated 4/25/09]
I played this course again since my first go around and for starters the layout has changed for the better! In the updated layout there are still multiple tees per hole, the overall length of the holes has been shortened yet still retains some lengthy shots for those that love to throw for distance!! Throwing over other holes doesn't exist, only once do you find yourself walking across someone's tee but that's easily walked around if someone were playing. Trees are present but not in abundance.

[Old Review]
The most obvious pro of this course is the length of the holes. More than one hole on the course is over 1,000 feet. I personally can launch a disc (Xcaliber) close to 500 feet and enjoy working on getting it further. This course provides wide open lengthy shots. My daily course, the Greenway here in Ocala is much more technical but doesn't have the open distance Pine Oaks does. This course is built on 9 holes of a ball golf course and offers ball golf type mounds on a generally flat state's terrain. A couple times water makes your shot slightly technical (One of the workers mentioned if you lose your disc in the water, they have some people that periodically retrieve the discs and if your name and # are on them they will call you), especially to a new thrower. The course again is built on a golf course and there are still 18 playable ball golf holes available to play so that means there's a shop, bathrooms, drinks, even golf carts for rent. I went with a group of 4 and next time we'll rent a cart.

[Updated 4/25/09]
Once again, the layout has changed on this course for the better. I would like to add to the Cons that although there are bathrooms about halfway through the course, locals tell me and I found out the hard way, they are always LOCKED. Not good times! Also, finding the next hole is still a challenge.

[Old Review]
Again, this category is very obvious. The layout. Horrible! Downright Horrible! There are times when you are throwing your disc and reading a sign warning you of flying discs. This is because someone's potentially going to be throwing over your head to get to their hole. In addition to wearing a helmet to this course, you might want to bring your GPS. Finding the next tee can be difficult. At one point our group of 4 split up just to find the next tee. Another time one of our players was within putting range of the wrong hole and only shot at the right one because another scattered group had made the same mistake and were waving their arms frantically to get our attention.

[Updated 4/25/09]
This is a new course and is still "growing" Hopefully you will take the time not only to read this post and others but also post your own thoughts!! This course is a lot of fun and the things that would now bring it past a 3 in my mind are minor like signs for the next tee, signs at the tee for par and distance on shots, perhaps physical launching pads and yes, UNLOCKED BATHROOMS.

[Old Review]
I must note my girlfriend who came only to play with me stopped throwing after the 8th hole because they were too long. Also, we had to retrieve two discs from the water from inexperienced players. So length and water hazards could be Cons in some players' books. I don't layout disc golf courses nor do I ever see myself doing so. With that said, someone truly needs to help whoever laid this course out. [Done, THANK YOU] Hopefully in the future, the near future... the course will become what it has in potential.

Great property, lovely trees and very little interaction with non-disc golfers. Has the potential to be developed into a solid course.

Over-lapping fairways, under utilizes the three lakes present on the property and it is way too long for the casual player to ever appreciate.

I love long shots, but let's be real. The addition of dogleg shots would be good; straight to the hole is boring. I look to the future and hope this course can be developed with more input from local players.