A Great Ocala Day Trip: Golf at Baseline and Lunch at Flying Boat

A group of us recently made the short trip to Ocala for a round at Baseline Golf Course before stopping at Flying Boat Tap Room for lunch. If you’re looking for an easy Ocala golf and lunch day trip from The Villages, this combination makes for a relaxed afternoon away from the usual routine.

For Villagers looking for a change of pace, Baseline Golf Course offers something a little different from the courses closer to home. It’s also the kind of outing that fits well among our favorite day trips from The Villages. The course sits somewhere between a Villages executive course and a traditional championship layout, playing shorter than many championship courses while offering more variety than a typical executive course.

Baseline Golf Course provides a day-trip golf option north of The Villages.

One of its most recognizable features is the “Lucky 13,” an island-green par 3 that serves as the course’s signature hole. During our visit, several areas of the course showed the effects of recent dry conditions, although the landscaping, flower beds, and mature trees still contributed to an enjoyable setting.

The Lucky 13 island-green par 3 remains one of the course’s most memorable holes.

After our round, we headed to Flying Boat Tap Room, a restaurant we’ve visited several times over the years.

The restaurant occupies a casual space that works well for groups, whether you’re stopping in after golf or meeting friends for lunch.

Flying Boat Tap Room offers a relaxed setting with indoor and outdoor seating.

One thing that stands out at Flying Boat is the beer selection. The tap list includes a wide range of craft options, giving beer drinkers plenty to choose from. For those who aren’t interested in beer, the food menu is broad enough that the restaurant doesn’t feel centered solely around its taps.

Flying Boat is perhaps best known for its wood-fired pizzas and smoked wings, so our table decided to try both.

The smoked wings arrived with a noticeable smoke flavor and a well-seasoned exterior.

The wings were meaty and well cooked, with enough smoke to stand out without overpowering the seasoning. They were one of the more popular items at our table.

Wood-fired pizzas remain one of the restaurant’s signature menu items.

The pizza featured a crisp crust, generous toppings, and the slightly charred flavor that comes from a wood-fired oven. It was easy to see why pizza remains a frequent order among regular customers.

Our group also shared an order of nachos that arrived piled high with toppings and large enough for several people.

The nachos were substantial enough to share among a group.

Not everyone ordered traditional pub fare. A couple of diners chose salads, which arrived fresh and generously portioned.

Salads provide a lighter option alongside pizzas, sandwiches, and wings.

One consistent theme across the table was portion size. Most dishes were large enough that sharing made sense, particularly for groups stopping in after a round of golf.

An Ocala Golf and Lunch Combination Worth Remembering

Flying Boat Tap Room probably isn’t a place most Villagers visit every week, but it fits naturally into a day spent in the Ocala area. Whether you’re there for golf, shopping, medical appointments, or simply a change of scenery, it’s an easy place to add to the itinerary.

Based on our visit, the combination of a relaxed atmosphere, broad beer selection, wood-fired pizza, and smoked wings continues to make Flying Boat a reliable stop when we’re in the area.

If you’re planning a day around Baseline Golf Course, Flying Boat Tap Room is an easy lunch stop afterward and one we’ve returned to more than once.

If this helped you decide whether to stop by, feel free to share it with someone planning a trip to Ocala.

Author: Dave