Southern Hills Plantation

Southern Hills Plantation is a Pete Dye design located in Brooksville, Florida, in the rolling terrain of Hernando County north of Tampa. Opened in the late 1980s, the course reflects Dye's characteristic approach to working with natural topography, incorporating the property's elevation changes—unusual for Florida—into a routing that moves through pine forest and open corridors. The land's hilly character provides more dramatic contours than most courses in the state, allowing Dye to create holes with downhill tee shots and uphill approaches that test distance judgment and club selection.

The design features many of Dye's signature elements, including railroad ties in bunker construction, strategic bunkering that demands precise positioning, and greens with pronounced slopes and false fronts. The routing takes advantage of natural wetlands and native vegetation, framing holes with stands of pine and oak. Several holes play along or across lower-lying areas, requiring carries that vary with wind conditions. The course measures over 7,000 yards from the back tees, though multiple tee boxes accommodate different skill levels.

Southern Hills Plantation operates as a semi-private facility, offering both member and public play. The course serves the Brooksville area as a notable example of Dye's work in Florida during a period when he was designing courses throughout the state. The combination of elevation change and strategic design gives the layout a different character than the flatter parkland courses common to much of central Florida.