When designer Clyde Johnston was given the piece of land between St Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida, he was given an empty, clean piece of canvass. It would have worked too easily if he were a painter. The thing is, he’s a golf course architect and a little bump on the terrain every here and there would have been helpful; an outright flat and plain piece of Florida lot seemed more a liability. But his genius was tested, and he has successfully turned the handicap into a full asset. And the result is a premier golf vacation destination, and what most golfers consider as Johnston’s best creation yet: St John’s Golf and Country Club.

Sitting next to tons of other golf courses in the area, the St John’s Golf and Country Club could easily be ignored, considering they share the same South Florida natural wetlands and wildlife. What sets this golf vacation haven apart is what Johnston do and did not do. Instead of putting in too much intervention into the apparently flat land, Johnston made use of what is already there, thus bringing out the best that nature can offer. He complimented it with a good helping of water hazards and sand traps, adding up to the challenge that the natural wetlands provide.

In totality, it is as similar to its neighbors as it is as different. These golf trip favorites share the same Florida goodness, but Clyde Johnston’s balanced mix of beauty and challenge, nature and his own creativity, make the St John’s Golf and Country Club outstanding. The course stretches to a good 7,236 yards from the back tees, and plays at a par of 72. A masterpiece by all means, it is rewarded by consistently being ranked among the nation’s best.

More often than not, an artist’s creation are reflections of his thoughts, emotions, and experiences. They are likewise an indicator of the creator’s level of expertise. This same philosophy holds true in golf course design. One perfect example is Tom Watson’s Conservatory at Hammock Beach in Jacksonville, Florida. The golf vacation destination holds the stories of Tom Watson’s prestigious life as a golfer, and the genius that he is in golf course design.

The 5-time British Open Champion, and the multi-awarded, well-celebrated golf legend that is Tom Watson has not only brought excellence into the Hammock Beach Resort with the Conservatory at Hammock Beach. He brought his own brand of excellence and it tells the champion that he is, with so much attention to every detail of the course. The inland layout is laden with 76 acres of lakes, waterfalls, brooks, and field stonework that make for a stunning golf trip experience. And stunning it is, both in scenery, and challenge that is best for golfers of ANY level. Watson also added 140 bunkers of white sand and coquina shell to the course, just the right mix of challenge and signature Florida golfing. If that isn’t enough yet, there are 3 sod-faced bunkers in the course too; Watson’s way of paying homage to British links style golfing that he has almost mastered.

The 18-hole Conservatory at Hammock Beach stretches to 7,776 yards from the longest tees and plays for a par of 72. And just as the golfing world has raved about Tom Watson’s skills in playing the sport, it has given the golf vacation haven a similar acceptance with its many accolades since opening in 2006, including 3^rd in Golf Digest’s list of America’s Best New Public Courses (January 2008 issue).

Two is better than one. Cliché. Two working as one. Romance. Two opposites working as one. Extraordinary. And this is exactly what the King and Bear Golf Course is. The course has two legendary rivals in golf working together – Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. More than designate each other with their respective nines, Palmer and Nicklaus ACTUALLY worked together to bring about one of the two championship courses in the renowned World Golf Village in Jacksonville, Florida. The result is one of the most talked-about, most visited golf vacation destinations this side of the country.

The King and Bear Golf Course carries with it the burden of representing the Hall of Famers, and who else could better carry out a course worthy of a world Hall of Fame but Nicklaus and Palmer no less. It measures more than 7,200 yards from the back tees, playing for a par of 72, featuring bunkers, water hazards, and hole placement that are neither Palmer nor Nicklaus, but both. The natural beauty of the area perfectly compliment the handiwork of the geniuses; the front nine is laden with loblolly pines and open meadows while the back nine is backdropped by a good helping of 200-year old oaks. These features of the golf vacation favorite are an epitome of what is obvious: the layout meshes perfectly with nature, creating a very astounding golf facility.

Along with its sibling course, the Slammer and Squire, the King and Bear Golf Course carry with it a prestige, challenge, and love for golf worth a world Hall of Fame. It delivers a golf trip that best carries out a one of a kind romantic affair with the sport – and makes every golfer realize two (or more) rounds are better than one.