Everything You Need to Know About Playing Golf in Florida

Hammock Bay Golf Club--Marco Island Marriott

Ya gotta play Florida.

There are nearly 1,400 reasons (golf courses) to tee up in the Sunshine State and more than 50 resorts with golf as their centerpiece amenity.

I've walked the fairways of hundreds of courses in the state, lost golf balls in lakes, wetlands, swamps and palmetto fields and had a great time along the way.

Check out the Guru's numerous articles for the best places to enjoy golf in Florida:

Play Golf on Marco Island, Florida 

Golf in Tampa-St. Petersburg: A Beginner's Guide

Play Golf on Florida's Nature Coast

Play Golf in South Florida

Play Golf in the Florida Panhandle in Bubba and Boo Country 

Play Golf at Streamsong Resort and Other Polk County Courses 

Play Golf in Port St. Lucie, Florida

Great Places to Tee up with Nearby Casino Gaming in Florida 

Play Golf Near Florida's Historic Towns

Play Golf Near Florida's Best Beaches 

10 Reasons for a Golf Vacation to the Space Coast in Florida 

10 Reasons for a Golf Vacation to Lake County in Florida 

Play Golf and Take a Cruise from a Florida Port 

Sarasota: Where Golf and Culture Combine for a Great Vacation 

Where to Find Great Golf and Fishing in Florida 

Play Florida's Top Resorts

Everything You Need to Know About Playing Golf in Orlando, Florida

10th Hole at Waldorf-Astoria Golf Club

Overshadowed by a mouse named Mickey and a whale named Shamu, Orlando is nonetheless a bonafide golf destination with major resorts like Grand Cypress, Renuion, ChampionsGate, Shingle Creek and Mission Inn and more than 125 courses within a 45 mile radius of downtown.

Check out the Guru's various articles and course reviews to discover the best places to tee it up in O-Town:

Top 10 Golf Courses to Play in Central Florida

Top 5 Golf Courses I Recommend in Central Florida 

Which Orlando Golf Resort is Right For You?

Diversity of Land and Design Dominates Orlando Golf Scene 

10 Reasons for a Golf Trip to Kissimmee

10 Reasons for a Golf Trip to Lake County

Review: Orange County Golf Center and Lodge

Review: Bella Collina Golf Club

Review: MetroWest Golf Club 

Review: Ritz-Carlton Golf Club/Grande Lakes Orlando 

Review: Mission Inn Resort

Review: Alaqua Country Club

Review: Sweetwater Country Club

Review: Eagle Dunes Golf Club 

Review: Rio Pinar Golf Club 

Review: Ventura Country Club 

Review: Providence Golf Club

On Location: TPC Sawgrass/Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa

Do you want to know the status of your golf game?

Seriously, are you ready for a thorough test of your golf skills?

If so, I highly suggest you play THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

It's a green grass SAT exam without the number two pencils and timer clocks. The Stadium Course provides a four-hour test that will expose any and all deficiencies in your game. This Pete Dye masterpiece challenges and confounds everyone from pros who play here every year to the once-a-month hacker who boldly believes he can break 90 and par or birdie the famous No. 17 island hole. 

Unlike college entrance exams, this test is fun and memorable, even though you might return to the clubhouse after a round with some high numbers on your scorecard.

Enhancing the experience is one of the world's most amazing clubhouses and the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, a multi-amenity resort designed for golfers.

GOLF

THE PLAYERS Stadium Course 
Its narrow fairways with tiny target areas, immense waste bunkers, railroad tie barriers, grassy mounds and knolls and pool table-fast greens make it a supreme challenge.

Designed by Pete Dye and built in 1980, the 7,215-yard, par-72 layout is referred to as “The Stadium Course” because of its unique “built in” spectator bleachers. To accommodate spectators, many fairways are framed by high, banked slopes upon which crowds can sit. There are also bowl-shaped natural grass amphitheaters around many greens for the spectators.

An in-your-face challenge in which every shot requires patience, daring and skill, the Stadium Course has trouble with subtle and eerie regularity on almost every hole. From bunkers to lakes and undulating mounding, Dye strategically placed hazards that will gobble up errant shots faster than one of those tractor driven machines at a driving range. 

Undoubtedly, the most recognizable hole and one of the most publicized in the world, is the par-3, No. 17 island hole, which makes golfers hit 132 yards over a lagoon often into a stiff Atlantic Ocean breeze. It looks like a nice, easy pitching wedge or 9-iron shot. Forget that. 

Each year, more than 120,000 balls are hit in the water, an average of just less than three balls per players based on approximately 44,000 rounds played per year on the TPC Sawgrass course. The number is somewhat skewed because some players hit as many as a dozen balls into the water in an attempt to reach the green.

Even if you have a ball or two left to play the finishing hole (pictured below), it presents its own shake-in-your-golf-shoes view from the tee. A lake frames the entire left side from tee to green on the 462-yard par 4. Even if you keep your tee shot right, there’s not much space for a safe landing.

Dye's Valley Course
When you get done with Stadium Course, or it gets done with you, this 6,938-yard, par-72 layout is another legitmate Pete Dye golf test with winding fairways, large greens and lots of undulation.

Sawgrass Country Club
The Scuba guy that retrieves balls from the water on 17 at the Stadium Course probably does pretty well here as well. Water comes into play on 24 of the 27 holes at this Ed Seay design. 

Marsh Landing Country Club
Tall pines, intracoastal marshes and lagoons dominate the terrain at this layout, which is often described as "a nature preserve with golf holes."

Ponte Vedra Golf & Country Club
A par-70, Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay design with tight fairways and water on every hole.

TourAcademy TPC Sawgrass 
If you need a tune up or want to elevate your game, this 2,800 square-foot instructional facility with indoor hitting bays, private practice areas, chipping greens and bunkers is located adjacent to the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse. 

CLUBHOUSE

Don't leave TPC Sawgrass without spending some time at the clubhouse, a spectacular 77,000 square-foot Mediterranean-style structure open to the public that looks like an Italian mansion air-dropped in from Tuscany. Dripping with the opulent appointments, it's an experience not to be missed.

I thoroughly enjoyed viewing the paintings on display in the lobby that depict famous happenings in TPC Sawgrass history.

A nice touch are the storyteller docents who conduct tours and weave stories about past tournaments and key moments in the history of the club.

There are two dining options:

Nineteen serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. If the weather is good, dine on the outdoor veranda, which affords fantastic views of the presentation lawn, 9th and 18th holes. For dinner, I suggest the Pan Seared Red Snapper or Pesto Roasted Chicken Breast topped off with a signature dessert, the Double Chocolate Chip Brownie S'mores (pictured).

Traditions is a fine-dining room open to the public for lunch and exclusively to club members for dinner.


ACCOMMODATIONS/AMENITIES

The Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa has 510 guest rooms, including 21 suites. Earth tone fabrics, wood furnishings and wall art featuring beautiful color photographs of the golf settings highlight the room decor. In addition, there are 80 villa suites, each with two bedrooms, which are ideal for golfers and small groups up to eight guests.

In-room amenity highlights:

* Internet browser/Web TV
* Down/feather/foam pillows
* Wet bar
* Luxury bedding
* High-speed Internet Access

Villa Accommodations

Resort amenity and services highlights:

* Full-service business center
* Concierge desk
* Access to Cabana Beach Club, a private, oceanfront club
* Complimentary resort shuttle to golf courses and Cabana Beach
* Nine restaurants, lounges, cafes and coffee shops
* 25,000 square-foot spa
* Sawgrass Kids Klub
* 56,000 square-feet of meeting and event space with 36 meeting rooms      
* Jogging/fitness trail
* Two fitness centers
* Miniature golf
* 3 swimming pools 

10 Little Things I Like

1. The huge, expansive, comfortable lobby of the hotel where you can stretch out and check your smart phone or work on your laptop in a relaxing environment.

2. The amazing wall art at the clubhouse in the front lobby.

3. The shuffleboard table, darts and pool table at Alice & Pete's Pub.

4. The large (I guess about 5 inches wide) shower head in my shower in my room.

5. The plush, Euro style bedding.

6. The large work desk in my room.

7. The locally brewed Killer Whale cream ale on tap at Alice & Pete's Pub.

8. The Starbucks near the front lobby where you can grab a cup of coffee on the way to the golf course.

9. The roasted chicken served on a bed of garlic mash potatoes at Alice & Pete's Pub.

10. The lobby bar with views of a waterfall and the par-3, 13th hole of THE PLAYERS Stadium Course.

LOCATION

TPC Sawgrass/Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa are located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, 18 miles from downtown Jacksonville and 22 miles from the historic city of St. Augustine. Jacksonville International Airport is located 35 miles from the resort.

GET THE SCOOP

Click for more information on Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa

Click to research TPC Sawgrass

Click for more information on other TPC courses and resorts The TPC Network

Great golf course designers -- and their styles -- on display in Florida

If you like to play exceptional golf courses designed by some of the best architects like Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Donald Ross, Florida has an enviable menu. Check out my latest post at worldgolf.com:

Great golf course designers -- and their styles -- on display in Florida

Streamsong Resort Review

Step onto the back terrace of the Streamsong clubhouse, and  the scene in front of you doesn't look like Florida.

The wild, exotic sand mounds-- some as high as 75 feet-- conjure up images of Ballybunion in Ireland or the somewhat bizarre Tobacco Road in Pinehurst. The unusual terrain looks ominous, but it's definitely an inviting setting for golfers.

You're in Florida, alright. Smack in the middle of nowhere.

Streamsong is an 80 minute drive from Orlando and about an hour from Tampa. Set in Polk County near Fort Meade, the resort is still a 40 minute drive from the nearest possible hotel options in Lakeland.

That said, there's a phenomenal clubhouse on site, which sleeps 16, and an upscale bar and steak restaurant.

The Golf



Streamsong has 36 holes of golf set on terrain that was previously used as a phosphate strip mine. While the miners have packed up and left the site, what they left behind is soaring sand mounds, lakes and vegetation that are a something to behold.

Developed by Mosaic, the company that has owned the land for more than five decades, Streamsong has been called by some writers as Bandon Dunes South. From a golf standpoint, I'd say it's right up there with Bandon, but I'll reserve judgement on the overall experience till its open for a couple of years and we see if the service level on and off the course stays consistent.

Two of the most respected design teams in the world were recruited to fashion the land into world-class golf courses.

Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw's team built the Red Course and Tom Doak's Renaissance Golf Design group did the Blue Course.

On my visit, I played the Red Course, but did not have time to play the Blue. However, I took an extensive cart tour of the layout.

A couple of things I really like about both courses are the wide, very generous landing areas off the tees. It makes them more playable and helps speed of play.

If you play the correct set of tees for your game, you can score well on both layouts when playing well.

The Red Course has several large green complexes for roll-offs, which I like, and Coore and Crenshaw offer numerous opportunities for bump and run shots. They also limit the carries over water to par 3's. With few large trees, the wind comes into play often and you'll need a good ground game to do well.

On the Blue, the first thing you'll notice is the gargantuan elevated first tee, the highest point on the property. The greens are large on the Blue and it appears to have deeper bunkers than the Red. There are also more forced carries over water.

Favorite Holes

One of the great things about the Red Course is that no two holes are even remotely alike. It's difficult to single out some holes as being better than others and my choices are very subjective.

First, let me say, I'm a sucker for short par 4's and Crenshaw and Coore have provided a couple of doozies on the front nine.

My absolute favorite is the 312 yard (from back tees) no. 9. With a good poke off the tee you can find the green. From the black tees it's 271 yards and from the silver it's 257 yards. The green is gigantic so even if you reach it, the chances of a three putt are high. The 330 yard (from back tees) no. 4 is another superb short par 4.

For a par 3, you won't find a better one, in my opinion, than no. 16, a 208-yard (from back tees), 184-yards (Black) and 160 yards (silver). A stunning view from an elevated tee and undulating green complex with a bailout area to the left dominate this great golf experience.

Clubhouse

The sleek, minamalist design clubhouse has the avant-garde appearance of something you might see in L.A., not the wilds of Central Florida.

 It has 12 private guest rooms, a veranda overlooking a lake, a golf shop, bar and three meal/steak restaurant named Fifty-Nine.

Appointed with plush leather chairs, design carpeting and rich wood fixtures, the ambiance of the clubhouse is decidedly upscale.

10 Little Things I Like About Streamsong

1. The bye hole, designed by Tom Doak, near the clubhouse, which is great for settling bets.

2. Small chunks of railroad track used as tee markers.

3. The fast greens are among the best I've played in Florida.

4. The frosted beer glasses in the bar.

5. The great selection of quality beers on tap like Goose Island 312 and Smithwick's.

6. The minimalist design of the clubhouse and the elegant, sophisticated furnishings.

7. The emphasis on using a caddie and walking.

8. The phenomenal practice putting green.

9. No home anywhere on or within miles of the golf courses.

10. The spectacular views from the elevated tee boxes on no. 7 and no. 16 on the Red Course

It Remains to Be Seen

Streamsong Resort had been open only a few weeks before my visit in late January (2013).

You have to be very careful on evaluating a golf course facility in its embryonic stages. Who knows if the eager beaver, overly friendly staff of the first few months will lose their enthusiasm and the service level drops. We'll have to wait and see at Streamsong.

One of my concerns is what the experience will be like playing in the torturously hot months of June, July and August. With virtually no shade on the courses, it might be somewhat of a death march, especially if you're walking.

In conversation with staff members, several said they had to travel more than 30 minutes from their homes to Streamsong. Hopefully, they won't tire of the commute and the service level will stay up.

Slated to open in late 2013, the 216-room lodge looks like a luxurious gem if the developers follow through on their promises.  It will include a spa, guided bass fishing and sporting clays range.

Presently, the best hotel options are a Residence Inn and Courtyard by Marriott in Lakeland, about a 40 minute drive.

Important Information if You Go

* When you drive out to Streamsong, be aware, there is very little signage for the resort. To be sure, don't look for any large billboards because there aren't any. There are a couple of little road signs (see below), but beyond that, not much.

* I found the cell phone service in the area to be hit and miss, so you can't always rely on your GPS, which is annoying.

* The county roads are not well marked, either, especially County Road-630, which is the main arterial to Fort Green Road, which leads to Streamsong.

To Play

The main number at Streamsong Resort for tee times is 863-354-6980.

Premier Golf, a highly respected golf travel company, has a special "Streamsong Red and Streamsong Blue Package" starting at $495 per person that includes one night of accommodations off site, breakfast off site, 2 rounds of golf with cart, all taxes and special golf and lodging benefits for PGA Professionals. Call 888-258-4653 or click www.premiergolf.com

Florida's Next Great Golf Resort

 It's Florida's answer to Oregon's Bandon Dunes Resort, Nebraska's Sand Hills Golf Club and Nova Scotia's Cabot Links.

(Click Here to check out an amazing video of Streamsong.)

The new Streamsong Resort in Central Florida will feature two world-class 18-hole championship golf courses at a, shall we say, off-the-beaten path location between Orlando and Tampa in Polk County. It's a 60 minute drive from Tampa International Airport and 90 minutes from Orlando International Airport.

Streamsong is not exactly in the middle of nowhere, but very close. Upon completion, it'll definitely be worth the drive.

The courses, designed in a unique collaboration agreement by Coore & Crenshaw (Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw) and Renaissance Golf Design (Tom Doak) are scheduled to debut in mid December (2012).

Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw

Among Coore and Crenshaw's more notable designs are Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas, Sand Hills in Mullen, Nebraska, Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona and Bandon Trails and Bandon Preserve at Bandon Dunes Resort in Bandon, Oregon. 

Topping Doak's impressive portfolio are Cape Kidnappers Golf Resort in New Zealand, Pacific Dunes and Old Macdonald Golf Links at Bandon Dunes Resort and Ballyneal Golf Club in Holyoke, Colorado.

The courses are built on spectacular terrain that legend has Hernando Desoto and his army camped on in 1539. Massive sand dunes, dramatic, undulating landforms and lakes dominate the golf experience. Interestingly, the land was formerly mined for phosphate, which is a key ingredient in fertilizer.

Doak's "Blue Course" will measure 7,200 yards from the back tees, while the shorter Coore/Crenshaw "Red Course" will play about 7,000 yards from the tips. 

While both courses take full advantage of the impressive terrain, the most noticeable differences between the courses will be the contours of the greens and bunker design styles. 


The clubhouse, which will also open in mid December, will have 12 guest rooms, a restaurant with a steakhouse theme and 4,000 square feet of conference space.

 

Things to know

Location: Approximately 5 miles west of the town of Ft. Meade, near the Polk-Hardee County line on the south.

Hotel: Overlooking a large lake, the 216-room hotel, slated to open in the fall of 2013, will be comparable in ambiance, class and style to resorts like Keswick Hall in Virginia and Blackberry Farm in Tennessee.

Hotel architecture: Highlighted by stone, wood and glass, the hotel will seamlessly blend with the surrounding landscape with lakes on its sunrise and sunset sides. Without city lights to hinder the starlight views, guests can use the rooftop veranda for a superb scenic observation area.

Hotel Amenities: Three-meal/steak restaurant, lounge/bar, rooftop veranda, 18,500 square-feet of meeting space, full-service spa with private treatment rooms, fitness center, indoor spa pool, shooting range, fishing facilities and personal enrichment classes and programs.

Must Play in Tallahassee, Florida

I make several treks to north Florida every year from my home in Orlando. Some of my favorite courses in the panhandle near the beaches include Camp Creek near WaterColor, The Hombre in Panama City Beach and Burnt Pine and Raven at Sandestin Resort in Destin.

Inland, I recommend the SouthWood Golf Club in Tallahassee, an upscale, public-access course designed by PGA Tour player Fred Couples and architect and design partner Gene Bates.

Set on rolling hills framed by large stands of moss-draped oaks, SouthWood has a decidedly Old South flavor. You’ll have to go further south if you want a palm-laden experience. At SouthWood the holes are routed around a wetland area, through thickets of pine and oak and stretches of open meadow.

The golf experience is a pleasurable four-hour walk in the park, so to speak. SouthWood is enrolled in Aubdubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses to ensure that the course helps protect the local environment, conserve natural resources and provide wildlife habitat.

I’m not the only one that thinks SouthWood is a great place to play. A host of top-notch college programs are teeing off Friday through Sunday (March 12-14) for the 2010 Florida State University Seminole Intercollegiate tournament. The teams playing are Arkansas, Baylor, Cincinnati, George Mason, Georgia State, Mercer, Mississippi State, North Carolina, North Texas, South Carolina, Troy, Western Carolina and Vanderbilt. Both Florida State and South Carolina are ranked in the top-10 in the nation by Golfweek/Sagarin.

If you get to Tallahassee either on business or pleasure, make sure you play SouthWood. You’ll love it.