There is a South Carolina atmosphere to this sunny Southern Florida golf vacation destination. The rolling hills, wetland layout of many, many water hazards and the overgrowth of tall, majestic pine trees makes it so. But the challenge and layout supremacy is distinct, making the PGA Golf Club – Ryder Course in Port St. Lucie a favorite host among some of the nation’s awaited tournaments.

Not surprising, though. The PGA Golf Club – Ryder Course has as much prestige in competitions as it is named after the founder of one of the biggest international golfing events, Samuel Ryder of the Ryder Cup fame. It took a legendary golf course architect to achieve a layout excellence such as this; and by no means should this “legendary” architect not be in the person of The Tom Fazio. The holes on this golf trip haven are well placed – a variety of par 5s and par 3s, that make the course so dynamic.

It is this dynamic quality and challenging placement of the holes and hazards that make it attractive to tournament organizers. The PGA Golf Club – Ryder Course has played host to a good number of competitions, the likes of the Callaway Golf Senior PGA Professional National Championship, the Taylor-made Adidas Golf PGA Assistant Professional Championship; the Special Olympics National Invitational Championship; and the National Minority Collegiate Championship. Quite a tournament favorite, its many world class amenities – with the elegant clubhouse and impeccable service on the front lines – make it a golf vacation favorite as well.

A paradise for wildlife as much as it is for golfers, the Cocoa Beach Country Club is a spectacle of excellent layout design meshing harmoniously with nature. The 27-hole golfing facility is located in a peninsula surrounded by the Banana River, and is dotted with about twenty or so stunning lakes. This makes it very attractive to and a perfect sanctuary for waterfowls, other birds, dolphins, alligators, turtles, and raccoons. The golf vacation destination brings out the nature lover in every golfer, and at the same time brings an entirely different experience to the usual Florida golfing.

The Cocoa Beach Country Club has three separate nines – The River, the Dolphin, and the Lakes, that can be played in a variety of combinations. Each pair will be totally different from the other, giving golfers a plethora of golfing experience in a single golf vacation. The most favorite pair of nines hereabouts is that of the Lakes and Dolphin. The holes on the course are named after the predominant species of waterfowls in the area, making each shot extra memorable.

An array of other world-class amenities, including state-of-the-art practice facilities and a gastronomic indulgence at the “19^th hole”, complement what is already unquestionably impressive at the Cocoa Beach Country Club. The tennis and clay courts and the Olympic-sized pool make extends the golf trip invite to non golfers as well. And if that is not fabulous an offer yet, the course is a mere 45-minute drive from downtown Orlando, and an even shorter distance from the famed Space Coast. This makes the Cocoa Beach a paradise for just about anybody ready for large doses of good time.

A marsh is a wetland that is composed of grasses and other plants. A golf course layout that winds through marshlands is without a doubt difficult because water is everywhere. Marsh Landing Country Club is one such course. This golf vacation destination has been testing the skills of players since 1986. Considered as one of Florida’s most demanding courses, many golfers visit the place to challenge themselves. Experts advice that visitors should have a good water negotiation skills in order to fully enjoy their rounds of golf.

 Marsh Landing Country Club is just minutes away from Downtown Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and the Jacksonville Beaches. It is situated within the Marsh Landing community gates. The course features 6,821 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. It winds along the towering pines that showcases wildlife that makes the place comparable to a nature preserve. Its fairways are not too wide yet not so narrow and the holes are all guarded by white sand traps that add more challenge to golfers aside from the plentiful water hazards. A golf trip to this course will make the visitors experience the beauty of nature as well as challenge their golfing skills.

 Marsh Landing Country Club was renovated in 2006 and is maintained by Marsh Landings Management under the management of Bruno Couturier. This club also features locker rooms, fitness center, golf shops, dining facilities, putting and chipping greens, and driving range. Spending a golf vacation at this club will not only test the skills of the golfers but will also let them enjoy a perfect golf getaway with its rich features and amenities.

If there’s one word that best describes this golf club, it would be PERFECTION. A popular semi-private golf area in Jacksonville, Eagle Landing Golf Club has all the characteristics of an ideal golf vacation destination. It incorporates classic design elements and combines great conditioning, unforgettable challenge, and stunning beauty. Designer Clyde Johnston used the best of his skills to make this club technically and aesthetically complete.

 Johnston crafted this open links course that takes the guests on a visual parade through its conservation areas and natural wetlands, all the while providing a stern yet fair golf test. The rolling fairways, undulating greens, and classic bunkers of Eagle Landing Golf Club give more interest to the players especially to those who seek for a challenging golf trip. The six sets of tees makes it playable. However, it doesn’t mean it’s easy, as the course is an enjoyable challenge from any tee, whether close or far.

 Guests who want to learn more than the basics of the game can improve their knowledge and skills at the instruction facility that features a full acre of teeing area. Practice bunkers, target greens, and a lake are included in the practice area to help them tackle the hazards of the game. Eagle Landing Golf Club also boasts one of its finest clubhouses that is perfect for groups – it features a pro shop, restaurant, and sports bar. All the things that visitors look for in a golf vacation is all here – from its perfect layout, challengingly vintage holes, and its other features. These things only show why this golf club is synonymous to perfection.

It may be too easily overshadowed by its more famous and fancier sibling course, but the TPC Valley Course at Sawgrass is well deserving of its own merits. This golf vacation destination has its own brand of excellence in golfing play that could only be best described as laidback in the Stadium Course’s standards. But this should not be at all taken lightly. It may be an easier, more relaxed counterpart of the other Sawgrass course, but it is still a Pete Dye handiwork. And not just Dye – Bobby Weed worked on it too, with the Jerry Pate as its player consultant. There is nothing mediocre in that combination of geniuses.

The TPC Valley Course measures some several hundred yards shorter than Stadium at 6,864 yards, playing for a par of 72. But its features are never short of fun and yes, challenging. The golf vacation favorite is characterized by water playing on each of its 18 holes, and deep bunkering, on top of impeccably manicured greens. Golfers would have to battle the many palmettos, pines, and palm trees dotted all over the course.

And while the Stadium Course hosts the famous THE PLAYERS Tournament, the TPC Valley Course has its own roster of championship tournaments in its name. It is the Home of the Nationwide Tour’s Winn Dixie Jacksonville Open, and has in the past played host to such memorable tournaments as the Seniir Players Championship, NFL Golf Classic, and the final stage of the Senior Qualifying School. It could also boast of its own merits, including being listed as the #9 Course in the State of Florida by Golfweek Magazine, on top of being a favorite golf trip destination by countless golfers who want to experience one of Pete Dye’s best creations.

Things aren’t always what they seem to be. Yardage numbers say the Ocean Links Course of the Amelia Island Plantation is short. First look at the golf vacation destination says it’s easy. Actually playing it says otherwise. This prized jewel in Florida’s Amelia Island does not know anything that closely resembles plain and mediocre, be it in beauty, fun or challenge.

Designed by Robert Weed and opened in 1975, The Ocean Links Course is an 18-hole, par-72 spectacle that features sweeping vistas of the surrounding Atlantic Ocean, a good 6 meters of natural sand dunes and seaside terrain, and holes that wind through natural marsh wetlands and lagoons. The golf vacation haven measures just 6,108 yards from the longest tees but the narrow fairways and the small greens make it seem longer and relatively more challenging. On top of it all, 5 of its holes (4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 15^th, 16^th) play on the oceanfront, thus perfectly combining beauty with challenge. The course ends with a bang – a par-3 18^th that is directly on the Red Maple Lake. The seemingly short course ends up leaving golfers short of breath but definitely satisfied.

The Ocean Links Course is laden with oaks, pines, and palmettos, thereby perfectly complementing the natural splendor of Florida’s Amelia Island. This golf trip paradise has earned a good number of loyal patrons, and it wouldn’t be surprising if most of them are women since this has been among Golf for Women Magazine’s list of the “50 Best Courses for Women”. To say that it’s excellent is saying the least. There is definitely more to this course than meets a golfer’s eye, or club.