A great artist is never happier than having the finest materials to give birth to the works of his creation. This must have been how Arthur Hills exactly felt when he was given a magnificent piece of land in Port Orange, Florida, just a little outside Daytona. The ‘piece of land’ was transformed into one of today’s most celebrated Floridan golf vacation destination, and is in fact considered the best in its locality: the Cypress Head Golf Club.

The twist in the story comes when Hills was asked to work with another architect, Mike Dasher, to complete the Cypress Head Golf Club. Now, in situations such as this, more often than not, the differences of the two course designers are the most prevalent picture. But not on this one. The collaboration proved to be anything but divided. Their collaboration worked well enough to create a most fascinating golf course that makes use of whatever nature has given Florida best. The golf vacation favorite stuns with natural wetlands, thick forests and exciting topography. It is further enhanced by its impeccably manicured, medium sized greens and rather generous fairways that keep the challenge fair but firm.

But what brings the best challenges in the Cypress Head Golf Club are the water features. Since this course is a natural wetland, water is pretty much a staple. And by staple, it means water plays on all of its holes save four. All these attributes contributed to the success of this course’s being named as among Golf Digest’s Places to Play and a favorite for locals and guests alike. Now, with a course like this, no one could be any happier on a golf trip here than an enthused golfer.

Sometimes, things just are too good to be true. One cannot simply imagine the possibility and reality of something good, nice, and excellent. It’s as if the really, really good and perfect things can only exist in books and in some other people’s really wild imaginations. When magazines and brochures talk about the Rancho Las Palmas Golf and Country Club, one would easily assume that this is all the result of hyped up advertising. For those who took the risk and went on a golf trip hereabouts, enlightenment was granted in full.

The Rancho Las Palmas Golf and Country Club is beautiful and excellent beyond words. Though three are many others topping it, when this golf vacation destination says it is good and fun and memorable, it sure was not lying. The Ted Robinson design has been wowing golfers left and right with its honest to goodness Palm Springs golf experience. Its three nines, North, South and West courses all share the same features of gently rolling terrain, abundant palm trees in many varieties lining the fairways, and the sweeping and unmatched views of the snowcapped Jacinto Mountain. Surprisingly, though these short-courses have pretty much the same features, the character is totally different. There is a distinct flavor to each nine that when played with another will be a different experience altogether.

All three nines also share six lakes, and have their own helping of the notorious Ted Robinson style of bunkering. Nothing too daunting about this golf vacation favorite; just notorious, infamous. But just as everything in Palm Springs are good and wonderful, the Rancho Las Palmas Golf and Country Club is good and very wonderful. This is the best proof that something real can be something beautiful as well.