For what I am told is a new course this is off to an excellent start. A huge park with a great varied distances and both reasonable red tees and quite long and challenging blue tees.

I really appreciated the front 9 having a lot of longer open holes in the field - yet somehow with mandos and very nice use of the few sporadic copses of trees the green complexes require strategic planning.

The back 9 is a bit different. A few open holes but others with a more wooded feel. Still sightlines from the reds are available and good shots rewarded. Much more risk and reward involved

Nice amenities on site and baskets show direction to the next tee boxes

Take some of this with a grain of salt as I know this is a new course...but it practically begs for tee signage and concrete pads. For a course with a somewhat advanced layout these two upgrades would go a long way. Navigation was iffy in a few places and a course map or kiosk would really help.

The mando on one was a little unusual. Looks like it was designed to keep discs away from the shelter and playground...but I think that one hole could be reinvisoned just a bit. It plays as a bit of an unusual v shape.

This could be a difficult trek for novice golfers - even from the reds - from a distance and disc loss potential.

Lots of fire ants! Watch your feet!

Compared to the other 9 hole loops in the immediate surrounding area this is an upgrade in challenge. Holes sometimes appeared quite open but actually asked for thoughtful shots.

With a few quality of life upgrades this course could really shine.

Tom Bennett is in a well maintained and easy to find public park just off Interstate 75. The front nine is a bomber course and the back nine a little more technical. There are the typical Florida trees such as slash pine, palms, oak and with cabbage or sabal palms which can be disc eaters.

As mentioned in the other reviews this is a long course so those who want to swing for the fences will have plenty of safe room to do so particularly on holes #1 through #9 since they are wide open. UDisc shows a dogleg to the right for the pin to hole #1 which directs the player through the palm tree patches in front of the tee. This is a good idea because it moves the throw away from the playground which was busy. Hopefully this will be a mando to prevent the shortcut route directly to the pin which I saw the players behind me take. The rough wasn't too bad on the front nine but there are surrounding patches of water in the forms of ponds and ditches. Hole #10 has a tee shot emerging out of the wooded area to a landing which doglegs to the right through a picturesque, young pine grove where the pin is located. Hole #11 is a short walk along the lake and the hole is also amongst young pines near another parking lot. This area is in a slight depression and might hold water in the rainy season. Hole #12 is a tunnel shot running along a little traveled park road. Hole #13 is long and there is a fair-sized lake along the left to which I donated a disc to. Hole #14 is guarded by palms and it starts to lead you back to the main parking lot. As mentioned in another review, hole #15 blue (long) is treacherous and you can easily send a disc into the water. The red (short) tee offers a safer way to the pin, but still not easy. Hole #16 shares the fairway with #9 but it is pretty wide open there. From #16 cut through the wooded area past the maintenance shack to hole #17 which runs along the road that takes you out of the park. Hole #18 is a bit of a walk back across the parking lot to the far left of the volley ball court where you started. The #18 pin is surrounded by water out on a peninsula.

You will need UDisc or other course app to be able to navigate since there is not a map available to my knowledge. Since holes #1 through #9 are essentially open field holes they can lead to disc searches since there are few reference points to help mark your landing. Also, during the rainy season the grass grows fast and it will be even harder to find when the disc can nestle into high grass or pot holes. There are also drainage ditches lurking in the fairways which will be a water hazard during those months as well. As mentioned by another reviewer the Interstate is noisy and the heat and humidity will be harsh during the summer with sparse trees on the front nine and plenty of ponds so that it will get steamy.

As of this writing we are still waiting for tee pads and signs, garbage cans, benches, etc. The current designated grass tee areas are wearing thin and even trying to throw alongside of them can be tricky since the ground is uneven. There are very well-maintained bathrooms and a little covered picnic table area before the course with a new playground for kids. There is a large, open practice field with white practice baskets over between holes #12, #13, #14, and the back park road with a small parking lot located there which is convenient. There is also a gated soccer field to the left of the volley ball courts which could be a nice warm up area if it isn't locked.


I'm anxious to play this again after the tee pads and signs are installed. I'm thinking the summer will be very hot and muggy from early morning until the afternoon rains. I'll come back around October or November when it is drier and a little cooler.

(3.102 Rating) A sprawling park style course with some nice length.
- HOLE VARIETY AND DESIGN - This is not the greatest piece of land that I've seen in Florida. It's a big chunk of property, but it's got extensive open flat areas, it has the noisy interstate in view on several holes and it likely has drainage issues. The reason I'm scoring this one as high as I am, is that the layout delivers all the dynamics that were achievable. I liked several of the multi-play holes, especially blue tee (10) which requires a well placed upshot before making a tricky approach. There were only a couple minor things I didn't like, such as the basket location on (11) which I think is too close to the parking area. I thought (12) was perhaps a better tee (1) start location, but I'm sure there is a reason for this that I am not aware of. Considering all the factors, I think the designer did a fantastic job laying out the course.
- DUAL TEES - I love it when I have options to play. Two sets of tees on 13 holes by my count. This really opens up the target audience to a wider range of skill levels. Novices, Recs, and even Intermediates will enjoy the red layout. The blue layout is perfect for Advanced players and Intermediates that can bomb.
- CHALLENGING - I shot 5 down from the Red tees as an Intermediate level player. The even longer Blue tees are going to test Advanced players no doubt. There is quite a bit of length here, well above average for the Florida scene. Seven holes are over 500 feet long and a couple are over 700 feet. But its not all length. For example, Blue tee 15 is only 232 feet, but the green is well protected with water in front and thicket in back. Players that want to go low here are going to need to be accurate as well as be able to bomb. I'll take a blind guess and say that even par from the Blues would draw a 940 rated round without arbitrary OB. Even par from the Reds would likely draw around an 870ish rated round.
- CHAINS - Patriotic red, white and blue Dynamic Veteran baskets with solid chains. Pretty little things.

Young course blues, but otherwise a solid course.
- YOUTH - I played this course before a couple of the big ticket items were completed. The tees at my play were marked with flags and were natural ground. I fully expect this seemingly well-funded park to install concrete pads before year's end. Tee signage was also not in place yet. Yes, there were numbered and colored stakes, but I also fully expect this to get upgraded in a year's time as well. Had the course been in the ground for several years and these important aspects were not in yet, I surely would have detracted rating points. Considering all this and the fact that I'm unsure I'll ever be back, I gave the course credit for the omissions. The credited concrete tees and proper tee signs are worth about a quarter point in my rating method.
- NAVIGATION AND SIGNAGE - As noted above, it's a young course without proper signage yet. Players better have a navigational app or guide, cause it'll be a struggle to figure out blind.
- LAYOUT FLOW - Several large gaps along the layout. Which is another reason why this one will be hard to follow first time through. (17) to (18) is about a 700-foot walk. I think four other transitions are over 300 feet.
- WATER HAZARDS - My two-some lost one disc and retrieved another one from the edge during the round. Plastic is going to get lost here on bad throws. There is some modest fairway bailout available, but a few plays will require solid focus and execution to stay dry. (18) is likely going to be the biggest risk, but (13) and (15) are going to claim many as well. Overall I enjoyed the thrill of having to play around the water and I think it makes the course better, but be cognizant of the hazard and bring a few discs that float or a couple throwaways.
- FLAT - Typical Florida flat. I don't recall any hole changing by more than 10 feet in grade. The course was mostly dry when I played, but I'm sure there are some soggy and/or muddy areas after a good soaking.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Despite the two tee layouts, I don't think this one is beginner friendly. It's a bit too long and there are water hazards. I'm sure beginners get brought here. Hopefully their guide makes them skip a few holes to avoid losing discs.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I scored the beauty aspect roughly average among the 530 courses I've played as of this review. The beginning 8 holes or so really don't have much pop to them. The noise pollution from the highway is bad on a half dozen holes. (18) for example, neat in premise, but was kind of an ending letdown considering the walk to get there and the eyesore of I75 traffic buzzing along in the background. On the flipside, I really enjoyed the beauty starting on (9), punctuated by stand-out holes such as (10) and (13).
- TIME PLAY - It took my two-sum 127 minutes to complete, so plan accordingly. This is not a quickie.

Tom Bennett, imo, is going to quickly become one of the better courses in the Bradenton/Sarasota area. Once the pads and signage are respectfully finished off, I think it eclipses Lakeview and challenges North Water tower as the top regional dog. If I re-evaluated Lakeview and NWT per my revised method, Lakeview is more like a 2.9 and NWT is more like a 3.1. If more money and energy is dumped in, I could see Tom Bennett becoming a low 3.5 on my scales. I don't think the course is in the same caliber as the top Tampa Bay area or Orlando area courses, as the land here has too many dull areas compared to a course like Picnic Island or Champions Pointe. Regardless, solid course overall. Great for Recreational players through Advanced level players. If you find yourself in this general area, I recommend checking it out.
- THANK YOU - I got to enjoy this one with my friend Thrembo. Always a blast to throw with and to talk about past and future disc golf adventures. Great times sir, hope we can do it again!

This course is brand new and not finished yet but is playable and is seeing a lot of play already. Two sets of grass tees (for the most part) are marked by a white stake with blue and or red bands with hole # and par info for now, but concrete tees and proper signage are surely coming. The course is set in a mostly open larger park style setting with some trees to navigate through and around and utilizes the many lakes, ponds, and waterways for fair hazards and risk/reward type shots. The park is fairly scenic and exudes a nice chill vibe. The course has a wide variety of lengths ranging from a 141' ace run from the red tees which also features a 700'+ par 5. The big guns will probably like the extra distance from the blue tees. Most of the local courses don't offer an open-ish distance course experience. This one does. Nice baskets with built-in next tee arrows. The course is fun to play and although a little on the long side it never felt overwhelming.

New course blues. Grass tees and no tee signage. The only navigation aids are the next tee arrows on the baskets. There are some tricky transitions. I strongly recommend using a map or guide. The course is seeing a lot of play and we used a map and followed some other groups around.

The course could be brutal in the summertime. There is a lot of open areas and it's a long walk around.

There is a high probability that you might encounter fishermen, dog walkers, hikers, drone flyers, etc during your round as this is a popular large multi-use park.

Part of the course plays near a very busy road and has continuous loud road noises.

This course is already looking pretty nice and everyone seems to like it. I've played it twice now and the grass tees are wearing out. Hopefully the concrete tees are coming soon.