PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida – December’s re-opening of the Ryder Course merited a celebration at PGA Golf Club – the winter home of the PGA of America’s 29,000 members. The first course to open at the premier resort on Florida’s east coast was the last of its three 18-holers to get a facelift during a…
Travel Destinations
Rich in history, Miami Springs has maintained its connections with the past
MIAMI SPRINGS, Florida – The first thing you notice are the trees. The Miami Springs Golf & Country Club has lots of great big ones, and there’s a reason. Trees played a big part in the design of this, arguably the most historic 18 holes in Florida – a state with over 1,300 courses, more…
A year later, and the Arnold Palmer spirit still lives on at Bay Hill
ORLANDO, Florida – It’s not unusual for a golf destination to lose its owner or – in Florida, at least – to be hit by a hurricane. That’s just part of life. When the owner, though, is the legendary Arnold Palmer and the hurricane is one of the most devastating in the history of the…
`Little Copperhead’ upgrade bolsters Packard influence at Innisbrook
PALM HARBOR, Florida – Sheila Johnson’s Salamander Hotels & Resorts company, had an extraordinary two days last week. On Thursday Salamander re-opened its Jack Nicklaus-designed Hammock Beach course in Palm Coast, Fla. It had been closed for a 13-month restoration. The next day Salamander put on a festive celebration to mark the re-opening of the…
Good golf is more than just another attraction in the buzzing Daytona Beach area
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – It might be difficult to look at Daytona Beach as a golf destination but — without question — you should. Admittedly the self-proclaimed “World’s Most Famous Beach’’ is the main attraction in the Volusia County area. Or maybe it’s the Daytona International Speedway, the recently renovated world’s largest motor sports stadium…
Hanse’s new Black Course adds to what has made Streamsong a special place
STREAMSONG, Florida – There are over 1,300 golf courses in Florida, more than any other state in the nation, but one facility stands head and shoulders above the rest. Streamsong Resort, located in the central portion of Florida, has three of the very best 18-holers – not only in the Sunshine State but in the…
Panhandle courses are providing a fresh twist for Florida golfers
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Florida – You would think, given all the years I’ve spent travelling through Florida and now residing there, that the state’s golf scene couldn’t provide much in the way of surprises. Then we visited two destinations in the Panhandle, the sometimes forgotten section in the northwest portion of the state. That was…
Florida courses amazingly recovered quickly from Hurricane Irma
From the standpoint of this hurricane rookie and new Florida resident the damage incurred from Hurricane Irma was devastating – and it was. The entire state was impacted by one of the biggest hurricanes ever to hit the Sunshine State in mid-September – and that’s saying a lot because hurricanes are an annual concern for…
Wisconsin’s Grand Geneva Resort is approaching two milestones
With the big tournaments held recently at Erin Hills and Whistling Straits and the opening of Sand Valley, it may seem that luster could be off the Wisconsin golf destination that started all those good things. Don’t you believe it, though. Grand Geneva is doing just fine, thank you. Dave Hallenbeck, director of golf at…
What’s going on at Pinehurst? Plenty, as usual
PINEHURST, North Carolina – There’s one thing that you can always be sure of when you visit this premier golf destination. There’s always something new and exciting in the works. This time that’s been taken to extremes. Always looking for something different, our visit this spring provided that in an unusual way. Our two rounds…