The Club at Emerald Hills, located just a few miles from the Fort Lauderdale Airport in Hollywood, Florida, has long been one of South Florida s toughest and most acclaimed championship golf courses. This formerly?private club still has a devoted membership but it extends tee time privileges to public golfers. Regulars at The Club at Emerald Hills laud its meticulous maintenance, its fast, smooth greens, its excellent practice facility, its tasty food, and its welcoming hospitality.?Bruce Devlin and Robert von Hagge laid out the course in 1969 on rolling terrain with some noticeable hills and contours. Houses and condos ring the perimeter of the playing field. The Club at Emerald Hills is a long test (topping out at a whopping 7,827 yards), but eight different teeing options ensure that everyone can play from an appropriate distance. You ll find an appealing variety of holes at The Club at Emerald Hills. The par-4 4th hole features one of the most elevated greens in all of Florida. The 18th enjoys a fearsome reputation at one of the hardest finishing holes in the state. It s a gargantuan par 5 with water all up the left side, out of bounds to the right and a creek crossing in front of a bulkheaded green.?Water plays a big role at The Club at Emerald Hills, entering the fray on no fewer than 10 holes. Things tend to get really tough when the wind picks up, so make sure you bring a few extra balls when you have a tee time here. Much of the praise for the course is lavished on its greens. They are typically fast and true, to the delight of the players who use The Club at Emerald Hills as a measuring stick for their game. Over the years, the club has hosted many big South Florida tournaments as well as U.S. Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur, U.S. Public Links, and various PGA Tour event qualifiers. Good players gravitate to this very challenging test of golf, but with teeing options as short as 4,939 yards, it can be an enjoyable (though tough) test for all ability levels. The Club at Emerald Hills calls itself a hidden gem but it is safe to say it s been discovered by many players who consider it one of South Florida s premier layouts.