By Chris Wilson

It’s been billed as the “World’s largest fully-lighted 18-hole golf course” and West End Golf Club general manager and head golf pro Scott Dombek says as far as he knows, it is exactly that. The Jonesville-area golf course, which is located directly across the street from the Tioga Town Center, has a lot more to offer the golfing public than just night swings.

The course, which was built in 1968 as a nine-hole lighted facility, was designed by John O’Connor. The rest of the 18 holes were added to the facility a year-and-a-half later. O’Connor designed the course to look similar to Colonial Palms, another executive course that he designed in the Miami area.

The “ironic” part of the story is that Dombek, who grew up in the Florida Keys, enjoyed his first employment in the golf industry at Colonial Palms. Dombek started working part time at West End in 1971. “I basically took the job to get free range balls and to work on my golf game,”?he says. He has been the head pro and general manager at the facility since 1975.

“I really like meeting people and getting kids involved in golf,”?says Dombek.

As far as the actual course goes, West End is a true “executive course,”?which means it is a par 60. It has three par-four holes on the front nine, three par-four holes on the back nine and the rest of the holes are par threes. “A lot of people think we just have par threes, but that’s not true,” says Dombek. “A true executive course has some par fours and adds up to a par 60. Our holes range in length from 125 to 425 yards.” West End actually adds up to 3,940 yards. The course also has a lighted driving range.

In terms of playing under the lights, it’s the perfect escape for golfers during Gainesville’s hottest months. “As it gets hotter, you can play at night,”?Dombek explains. “It might be 88 degrees when you tee off at night in the summer, as opposed to however hot it gets during the day.”

West End also offers individual private lessons and classes. “We started the classes for Santa Fe Community College in 1975,”?explains Dombek. “We started with just one or two classes and now we offer up to 19 classes. I’ve taught more than 10,000 people in the area.”

The classes begin with the junior lessons for ages four and older on Saturday mornings. Dombek says he tries to get parents involved with the teaching. “When they take their children to the range or golf course, they know what to look for and how to instruct their kids,” says Dombek.

The youngest students learn the basics of golf, including the proper grip, stance and setup for the shot. “I tell them to emulate a golfer on television and watch how they swing,”?Dombek explains. “I like them to see the fluidness that the pro golfers have in their swing. Once they get the posture down, it’s just a matter of adding a backswing and follow-through.”

As the students become more skilled, the lessons become more intense. “We talk about swing planes, club positioning and some of the more advanced concepts,”?says Dombek.

West End also is the home course for a number of leagues, most of which will begin during March and the spring months. On Tuesdays, West End offers a better-ball twosome team tournament. A men’s association, which is open to the public, plays rounds on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. There is a nine-hole ladies league and an 18-hole league for ladies.

West End also features a full-service pro shop, which offers club repair, regripping and top-of-the-line equipment.

West End Golf Club is located at