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'Highway 18' Runs Through Placid Lakes

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By BRIAN GJURGEVICH

Highlands Today

Published: September 13, 2008

LAKE PLACID - When Placid Lakes Country Club head professional Shane Ward squeezed a pair of friendly golfers onto his course one busy February afternoon, he had no idea it'd lead to seeing the course's greens on the small screen.

The two golfers turned out to be Golf Channel producers, and a month later, they called Ward to ask for use of Placid Lakes as a backdrop for a primetime golf-themed reality show called "Highway 18."

Ward said producers were looking for a course that anyone could play, as most stops along Highway 18 were at private country clubs or high-end, $100+ courses.

"They said they wanted a course the average Joe could play," Ward said. "I said, 'Well, that's us.'"

Up until the first cameras started panning, Ward thought the entire thing might've been an elaborate April Fool's joke, especially since the show was filming its first season.

"They called in March and said they'd be here in April," Ward said. "I thought it was a big joke at first - even the day they were supposed to be here I wasn't sure, but at 1:15, the Golf Channel vans starting pulling in."

"Highway 18" pits five pairs of golfers on a golf-themed "Amazing Race," complete with golf-themed challenges at various courses and elimination when players performance is sub-par. In fact, the show's first-ever elimination took place at Placid Lakes, when a group got caught up attempting to make a birdie on No. 10 in a scramble format.

"It was straight downwind and the two guys were absolutely crushing the ball," Ward said. "It showed them playing it three times, but they played it nine times.

"The toughness of the golf course definitely stood out."

Placid Lakes' episode premiered Tuesday night, and a few dozen members joined Ward and his staff at the course for a viewing party. Over the course of the hour, they watched contestants wind their way down a map of Florida, including a stop at The Bluffs golf course in Arcadia.

"Every time they showed the map of Florida and mentioned Placid Lakes, it stood out a lot," Ward said. "And it was cool seeing the sign and how they shot the course."

Ward was initially worried about the course's appearance, since his maintenance crew had worked on a few specific holes in order to make them "camera-ready." But when producers and crew arrived, plans went out the window and different holes were chosen for the show.

"It was for camera angles, and I understand that," Ward said. "But all in all, I was impressed by how the golf course looked and very proud of the maintenance crew for all the hard work they put in."

With a big junior tournament planned for January and the idea of a future small-tour event being kicked around, Ward said it was great for Placid Lakes to feel the bright lights of fame.

"It was a unique experience and a good thing not only for Placid Lakes, but the entire county," he said. "It's nice to have exposure, and if they ever want to come back, we'd be more than willing to have them."

NOTE: "Highway 18" airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on the Golf Channel. Catch Placid Lake's episode on Tuesday at 9 p.m.

Brian Gjurgevich can be reached at 863-386-5841 or bgjurgevich@highlandstoday.com.

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