Due to a golf course restoration, the members of The Wanderers Club have been waiting 7 months for all 18 holes on their golf course to reopen. Fortunately, I was hired as the photographer to capture the magic of the renovation before the membership is set loose on all 18 holes. The results were glorious. Not only is The Wanderers Club very photogenic, it is also exceptionally well conditioned and a lot of fun to play.
During my photography shoot at The Wanderers Club, I had 3 days of absolutely perfect weather which meant that I had an abundance of images to chose from. Here are my favorite ten images from a week of "wandering around” with my camera.
#10 - Waterway Par 3
When I think of Florida, I think of swamps, oceans and the glorious waterways that connect everything. The fifth hole at The Wanderers Club oozes heavy Florida vibes. I particularly enjoy the view from behind the green and above the waterway. At sunset, the fifth green lights up just perfectly enough to make the 10th spot on our list.
#9 - Palm Tree Party
The view from behind the 5th hole is so good that it actually occupies both the 10th and 9th spots on our list. This photograph is taken just moments after our 10th place photograph. A grove of waterway palms line the photograph as the sun sets over the horizon. Everyone loves a good Palm Tree Party.
#8 - Red Ti Party
I am certainly aware that most tea parties in America are hosted by little 5 year old girls with imaginary tea and princess guests, but the tea party on the 14th hole was hosted by the Red Ti Plant from the right hand side of the fairway. These plants offer a nice punch of color and provide a great framing to the very final moments of daylight.
#7 - Green Boxes and Ornamental Grass
I usually don’t get too fired up about a tee box. However, the 16th hole has exceptionally cool island vibes with the palm trees and pampas grass. With water surrounding the grounds, the tee shot on 16 isn’t just another tee box, it is a tee box experience. I feel like this photo captures that energy.
#6 - A Long Way Home
I had to bring out the long lens in order to capture our target on the 7th hole. At 550 yards away, there is plenty of golf in between the tee box and the pin flag and this photograph manages to bring all of the drama into one frame. If you can’t stand on #7 tee box at sunset and get excited about hitting your drive, there is something wrong with you.
#5 - A Portrait Controversy
As we begin to move into the heavy hitters, we encounter our first controversy. After the voting had concluded, both photographs from the 15th and the 12th holes below had received the exact same amount of votes. As typical with Florida elections, both sides cried “voter fraud” and filed an official lawsuit with the opposition in order to break the tie. As executor of this list and a promoter of truth and justice, I loudly proclaimed “The tie shall stand.”
#4 - Bunker Cape
The 8th and 9th holes at The Wanderers Club run parallel to each other and they feel like a team; some sort of golf duo. They are also two of the most fun golf holes on the entire course. Neither of them are very long which makes the strategy of finding the fairway and approaching the green that much more interesting. Our 4th place photograph comes from the tee box on the 9th hole. Bunkers and some bountiful clouds frame this photograph to near perfection.
#3 - Sunrise Delight
From above and behind the 7th green, the morning sun casts some glorious colors across the fairway. Most importantly, two abundantly tall palm trees frame the pin for our viewing pleasure. This glorious combination of colors and composition is enough to propel the image below onto the podium with the bronze medal.
#2 - Dawn on the 15th
There are several good par 3’s at The Wanderers Club, but the most prominent of the bunch is the 15th hole. At 218 yards from the back tee, this is one serious golf shot. Surrounding by clumps and plumes of ornamental grasses, this golf hole stuns in the early morning sun.
#1 - A Trio at The Top
Out of all the magnificent spots to take in a view at The Wanderers Club, my favorite spot is the right hand side of the 13th hole. Since all of the cart paths are made out of sand, they blend beautifully with the sandy waste areas and the ornamental grasses. The result is a composition of sand and grass that will make most golfers salivate at the chance for a tee time at The Wanderers Club. I had several photographs from sunrises and sunsets on the 13th and after an official vote, all three of the photographs were in a dead locked tie for first place.
Most subjective lists are going to have a certain degree of inaccuracy, but the only true injustice committed by this list is the fact that it is only 10 images long. If justice would have been rightly served, this list would have been well over 100 images in length. The only effective remedy is to visit The Wanderers Club in person to experience the true glory of the golf club.