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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Formerly known as Don Veller Seminole Golf Course, Florida State University’s home course and its facilities went through a major renovation in 2018. In partnership with Nicklaus Design, the club redesigned 17 of the 18 holes, whose original layout was designed by Bill Amick in 1962 and renovated by Robert Walker in 2004, and was reintroduced as Seminole Legacy Golf Club.
The Florida State Golf Association will make multiple stops at Semniole Legacy this summer as the club will host two FSGA majors: the 64th Girls’ Junior Championship in June and the 74th Four-Ball Championship in August. This will mark the second and third championship that the course has hosted, after the Boys’ Junior Championship in 2022.
Treating the project as a complete redesign, the Nicklaus Design team maintained corridors used for the start and finish of the course from the original design, but the rest of the property is completely unrecognizable from what previously existed.
“The new routing showcases the terrain in an interesting fashion with holes that traverse a large dome-like land feature that dominates the property," Jay Revell wrote for GolfPass. "A combination of tall pine trees and stately live oaks offer golfers a taste of the North Florida environment with holes that fit naturally among the hills there. Other than the addition of a man-made pond created for both irrigation needs and to guard a drivable par 4, the course blends seamlessly into the lay of the land.”
Players will find Seminole Legacy is not for the faint of heart. Now stretching back to over 7,800 yards from the tournament tees, the course can challenge the best of players. The added flexibility of additional tee options allow holes to be played completely different from day-to-day depending on the set up and hole locations. Rolling contours seldom found on many golf courses around the state, add an extra element to the test Seminole Legacy presents. Stunning visuals created by 100-year old live oaks and stately pine trees are part of the reason why Seminole Legacy now ranks as one of Florida’s best golf courses (No. 15 on GOLF.com’s 2022-2023 list of Florida’s ‘Top 30 Golf Courses’).
In addition to redesigning the majority of the golf course, Florida State University has added multiple amenities on site in an attempt to position itself as a premier destination for college golfers. Seminole Legacy now includes a practice facility for the Florida State University golf teams that rivals any in the country. Equipped with a 12-hole par-3 course, the expansive facility is completed by a two-story team clubhouse that includes hitting bays, team locker rooms, and lounge areas for the men and women who spend their time on property perfecting their game.
Not only have the renovations made Florida State a more desirable destination for college recruits, but Seminole Legacy and its updated amenities have allowed the university to host their own competitions and attract other high-level golf tournaments to Tallahassee as well. This includes both men’s and women’s collegiate tournaments, as well as Florida State Golf Association state championships and national championship qualifiers.
In 2022, Seminole Legacy hosted the FSGA’s 68th Boys’ Junior Championship, won by Wyatt Platner and Shawn Coultoff. This year the 64th Girls’ Junior Championship along with the 74th Four-Ball Championship will make their way to Tallahassee. While many junior players competing in these two championships may have some familiarity with the course, which has hosted a Florida Junior Tour major in January the past three years, the Four-Ball will be the first men’s amateur event conducted by the FSGA since the Nicklaus renovation. With some of the FSGA’s longest-hitting and best players preparing to test their game, Seminole Legacy is certainly up to the task of providing an incredible stage for championship golf.
