West at Laurel Oak Golf Club

Laurel Oak Golf Club's West Course is a Gary Player design located in Sarasota, Florida. Player, the South African champion who became one of golf's most prolific course architects, brought his design philosophy to this layout in a region known for its flat terrain and subtropical climate. The course reflects Player's characteristic emphasis on strategic bunkering and green complexes that reward precise approach play.

The routing works through native Florida vegetation and incorporates water features that come into play on multiple holes, typical of southwest Florida golf. The course sits in an area where residential development often frames the playing corridors, though the design maintains distinct separation between holes. Player's work here includes the elevation changes created through shaping, as the natural topography offers minimal relief.

The West Course operates alongside Laurel Oak's East Course, giving the facility thirty-six holes of golf. The club serves both members and outside play, functioning as a semi-private facility in the Sarasota golf market. The courses provide year-round golf in a climate that attracts seasonal residents and visitors during Florida's winter months.

Player's design approach at Laurel Oak emphasizes playability for a range of skill levels while maintaining strategic interest through hole variety and hazard placement. The West Course represents one of several Player designs in Florida, where his international design practice has left numerous layouts across the state's golf-rich landscape.