Westchase Golf Club

Posted on by • Posted in Top Golf Destinations • Tagged , , • Leave a comment

Highly recognized, high ranking, and well praised – these are things that would perfectly describe the Westchase Golf Club in Tampa Bay, Florida. This Lloyd Clifton design is recognized by the National Golf Foundation and is a recipient of the CLASP (Customer Loyalty and Satisfaction) Award, raking in the Top Ten, nationally, and 1st in the state of Florida. As to why this is a favorite golf vacation destination, the reasons are quite obvious.

The Westchase Golf Club plays for a length of 6,710 yards from the longest tees, winding through a beautiful, scenic mess of wetlands, water hazards, lakes, and thick growth forests. Golfers have to meander through pines and wood bridges, and battle the tight fairways in theirquest for a low scoring game at the Westchase. The water hazards of this course – a combined natural and man-made spectacle – bring together both a picturesque and challenging layout. Regular customers and guests spending their golf vacations here sure find it very satisfying, that even big publications are recognizing it as well.

Golf Digest, for one, has given the Westchase Golf Club a high ranking and the Great Value award to boot. Very satisfied clients, too, have hailed this golf trip haven as “one of the most beautiful public access courses in Tampa Bay”. This is one golf course that has truly captured the hearts of the golfers from the player to the critic level – and that is standout in a state of over 2000 golf courses.

Juliette Falls Golf Club

Posted on by • Posted in Top Golf Courses • Tagged , , • Leave a comment

The Juliette Falls Golf Club is almost literally bursting in a spectacle of nature’s colors. The scenic golf vacation destination near Ocala in Florida is the result of man’s creativity in perfect synch with nature. Every part of this golf course is well thought of to blend in naturally with natural Florida scenery, giving the golfers a feast to the senses.

With four stunning man-made ponds and waterfalls, perfectly manicured greens and beautiful landscaping structures, there is reason to believe that the Juliette Falls Golf Club was created to be an aesthetic wonder. The picturesque quality of this John Sanford creation is a perfect compliment to the mature pine oaks and the palmettos lining the fairways. On top of that, the course is surrounded by a plethora of native vegetation and colorful wild flowers in its nature preserve. This is the closest any golf vacation can get to nature.

And it does not stop there. Just as excellent it is visually, the layout of the Juliette Falls Golf Club is as superb. The golf course features lush fairways and a rolling hill terrain – a game of significant elevation changes, playing 7,239 yards for a par of 72. Not only does it look good, it also plays good. Better even. No wonder it garnered recognitions. It was one of the Top 10 Best New Courses in January 2008 from Golf Magazine, and is 2011’s 6th best golfer in Florida according to GolfWeek. It is not only bursting in colors, it is also overflowing with the happiest of golf trips.

The Eagles Golf Club – Forest Course

Posted on by • Posted in Top Golf Courses • Tagged , , • Leave a comment

The Eagles Golf Club is Odessa, Florida, is one of the most highly recognized golf facilities in the Odessa and Tampa Bay area. What, with 36 fine holes – each with a promise of a most unforgettable golf outing, it should not be surprising. The Forest Course, and its sibling, The Lake, were made to have distinct features to make golf vacations hereabouts as dynamic and as challenging as any golfing enthusiast could ever ask for.

The Forest Course, for one, has two separate nines, made by three well-respected characters in the world of golf. Rick Robbins and the famous NBC-TV Commentator Gary Koch created the front nine of the course. It is most noted for the par 4 No. 3 and the signature hole, the par-4 No. 6. The third hole is known for being a challenging but enjoyable hole that would have the golfers thinking of going all the way or taking it the easy way – with water guarding the entire right side and the heavily bunkered greens. The No. 6 island hole is said to be comparable in beauty and difficulty with TPC at Sawgrass’ signature 17th. The back nine, on the other hand, is the handiwork of Rob Garl and is known to have some of the most picturesque holes. These holes are carved out of dense forests, giving golf trips here a distinctly “close-to-nature” feel.

Stretching to more than 6,700 yards from the championship tees, and playing for a par of 72, the Forest Course is meticulously maintained to be in impeccable, tournament condition all year round. That, and its many superb amenities, all make the Eagle Golf Club the ultimate golf vacation destination this side of the country.

Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club – Island Course

Posted on by • Posted in Top Golf Destinations • Tagged , , • Leave a comment

Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Tampa may be known for the Copperhead Course, but what most golfers do not know is that Copperhead is not the only thing there is about this golf vacation destination. There is an equally challenging golf course in the resort that many critics and golfers contend to be even more beautiful than its more famous sibling course: The Island Course.

With a length of 7,310 yards, the Island Course is one of the longer courses in the Innisbrook Resort and features the same beautifully challenging features there is everywhere in the facility. Tight fairways, difficult water hazards, numerous bunkers, and elevation changes not common to Florida topography. What makes this course extra special is the variety in its layout that whilst other courses are characterized by nines, this course has three notable and distinct features. The opening 6 holes has the Lake Innisbrook and several lateral water hazards bordering, the middle 6 is on a rolling hill terrain and some overgrowth of pines and cypresses, while the last set of holes are some of the most picturesque in the state, with the 18th being among Florida’s most photographed hole.This course makes it to the Favorites not only for golf vacations but for important golf tournaments as well.

The Island Course has been the host of such prestigious competitions as US Open Qualifiers, NCAA Championships, and has been the first site of the LPGA Legends Tour Open Championships. Likewise, this course is a favorite recipient of countless recognitions including being one of Golf Digest’s Top 50 courses in America, and 14th in Travel and Leisure Golf’s Top 50 in Florida. This sure is something to discover on the next golf trip to the Innisbrook.

Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club – Highlands South Course

Posted on by • Posted in Top Golf Courses • Tagged , , • Leave a comment

The Highlands South Course of the famed Innisbrook Resort in Tampa Bay is not exactly the odd one out in the golfing facility. True, it does have the “odd one” feel to it, but it definitely is not an outcast. If anything, it is the most unique of the four courses on site, and definitely still ranks according to the standards set by the other courses on this golf vacation destination.

Just like its sibling courses, the Highlands South Course is also a Lawrence Packard creation, measuring 6,620 yards from the championship tees, playing for a par of 71. What makes this rather different is the “links-like” atmosphere to it. This course opens with a traditional Florida layout of treelined fairways, but opens with a rather loud bang come the 5th hole. From the par 3 No. 5 all the way down the 13th, the holes stretch through a large open prairie gives golf vacations here a Scottish feel. But the presence of water on 10 of its 18 holes are enough a reminder that golfers are still in Florida.

The rolling terrain, numerous bunkers on the fairways and the return to treelined fairways from the 14th to the closing holes further tell that it is in fact a Florida course. The Highlands South course plays for a par of 71 and has four sets of tees to accommodate golfers of any skill level. With its perfect combination of Florida and Scots features, this course is surely the ‘odd one IN’ destination for memorable golf trips.

Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club – Copperhead Course

Posted on by • Posted in Top Golf Destinations • Tagged , , • Leave a comment

The Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club is one golf vacation destination that is not only big in size but on facilities as well. That much is known not only in Tampa area, but in all of the golfing nation as well. But there is one component of the resort that tops everything else off. The Copperhead Course is perhaps the most popular of the four championship courses on the resort. And no questions asked, its layout, scenery, and superstar player list will more than suffice a justification.

The Copperhead Course, being the host of the Transitions Championship of the PGA Tour fame, brings in golfing superstars year after year. This Larry Packard creation was made to be a daunting course, that even the world’s best golfers are fazed by its unconventionally dramatic elevation changes, and tight, tree-lined fairways. Not to mention, the surrounding lakes and ponds are not there merely for aesthetic purposes. They will make their presence felt in the game, and it is not going to be as tranquil as they look. Golfers who spend their golf vacations here are in for an unforgettable experience of stellar proportions.

Another thing that makes an appearance – rather frequently – on this golf trip haven is the wide variety of wildlife in the area. From fox squirrels to alligators to bald eagles to countless kinds of water fowls – they all make their presence known to the guests. The Copperhead Course is the perfect place for a round of golf closest to nature. There is no surprise in its being the No. 4 course in Travel and Leisure Golf’s list of Florida’s 50 Finest, and ranked among America’s Top Resort Courses by Golf Digest. A course of this caliber naturally deserves a superstar status.

Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club – Highlands North Course

Posted on by • Posted in Top Golf Courses • Tagged , , • Leave a comment

It would not be easy for any golf course to be in the position of the Highlands North Course of the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club. Not surprisingly so, the course stands in a 900-acre grand golf resort with world class facilities to boot, and three other 18-hole championship courses that do not come short of excellence. How it would fit in to the standards set by the rest of the golf vacation destination is no easy feat. But the course, manages. Even beyond that, it excels.

Even at a shorter yardage of 6,235 yards from the Championship tees, the Highlands North Course of the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club never lacks on fun, layout, and scenery. And no golfer would probably mind the length of this course. The series of par 3s alone would keep the players occupied. The water hazards all over the golf trip favorite are another thing too: 11 of its 18 holes have water guarding on one or both sides of the greens. The signature 3rd hole, for example, is the beginning of the 7-water hole stretch in the course, with water on both sides of the fairways. And it does not get any easier from there.

 The Highlands North Course of the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club is made up of tight fairways, dramatic bunkering , the abundance of pine and oak trees, and a set of some of the most difficult par 3s Florida has ever seen. This may not exactly be the easiest answer for golfers who want their golf vacations to be made of no-brainer rounds of golf. But this golf course in Palm Harbor in Tampa Bay may be the best retreat for those who are looking for truly challenging games.

Lake Jovita Golf Club – South Course

Posted on by • Posted in Top Golf Destinations • Tagged , , • Leave a comment

Visitors should expect something BIG from a masterpiece of two of the best names in the field of golf. Course designer Kurt Sandness is the President and principle owner of Sandness Design Group, an organization that is known for taking any size project from concept to successful completion. While Co-designer Tom Lehman, an award-winning golfer, has brought his experience of playing in countless golf courses to his design. The team up of these two talented course designers resulted to one of the finest golf vacation destinations in Florida, the Lake Jovita Golf Club – South Course.

Lake Jovita Golf Club – South Course is designed to create a golf course of professional quality tour. It is interwoven through valleys, lakes, ponds, hills, and lush vegetation that make it a premier golf destination. It has many strategically placed bunkers on most of its holes while water elements will test the patience as well as the skills of the players. Proper tactics and good course management skills are required to win over its tough holes. To take full advantage of the uniquely hilly terrain is also a key element to overcome the holes. A golf trip to this Sandness-Lehman-design course is indeed challenging but a rewarding feeling awaits them when they finish each hole.

Despite the difficulty and challenge, a golf vacation at Lake Jovita Golf Club – South Course also offers amusement to the guests through its amenities. Aside from its scenic environment, it also features a world-class practice facility and separate teaching tees for beginners. Visitors can stay at the owned three-bedroom, two-bath club villas that overlook the eighteenth green after a round of golf. May it be a professional golfer, or a beginner, the experience of playing in this course that is created by two of the biggest names in golf designing is one to remember.

Fox Hollow Golf Club

Posted on by • Posted in Top Golf Courses • Tagged , , • Leave a comment

Renovations do not mean that a golf vacation destination needs a lot of changes and developments. Sometimes, it just needs to be redesigned just to fit the modern golf fashion. Fox Hollow Golf Club is a golf course that was redesigned in 2000 to attract 21st-century golfers. The course will fascinate them with its newly added bunkers, improved holes, enhanced course design, and brand new dining rooms and facilities.

Fox Hollow Golf Club is an 18-hole championship course that offers challenge and fun to different types of golfers with its multiple tee boxes. The landing areas allow them to choose the course they want to play. This 7,077-yard course provides the ambiance of one of the must play golf destinations in Tampa from its high-quality greens, rolling fairways, white-sand traps, to its lethal water hazards. A golf vacation at this course provides the magnificent views of Rocky Mountain and sparkling streams from holes 1, 2, 10, and 18. Fox Hollow was one of the first golf courses in America that was designed to provide complete accessibility to golfers with disabilities.

A golf trip to Fox Hollow Golf Club offers the ideal getaway for every guest with its state-of-the-art driving range, practice facilities, casual restaurant and bar. Professional golf lessons are also available for visitors who are new to the game. With so much to offer and the renovations made, this golf destination is quickly becoming Tampa’s number one semi-private golf and country club.

Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club – North Course

Posted on by • Posted in Top Golf Destinations • Tagged , , • Leave a comment

The North Course of the Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club, along with its sibling South Course, slightly deviate from the norm in Florida golfing. While others are flatter, with only the slightest of elevation changes, this golf vacation destination in Dade, Florida, goes a little more contemporary with rather dramatic elevation and a lot of movement on the greens.

This Kurt Sandness creation opened in 2002 on 253 whooping acres of Florida goodness. Though the North Course of the Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club is a more contemporary design by Florida golf standards, this course still holds some of the best features that make Florida an ideal golf vacation spot. It has the signature wetlands and a good helping of lakes, ponds, valleys, hills, and native Florida vegetation that all contribute to the natural hazards of the course. They also accentuate the impeccably maintained golf facility.

All the goodness in layout and scenery of the North Course of the Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club is complemented by the world class amenities in the club. There’s the top-ranking Pro Shop (listed by Golf Business World as among America’s Top 100), the 15-acre putting green, and another practice facility made specifically for private lessons. That being said, maybe this golf course is not exactly being “deviant”. It simply upped the ante of Florida golf trips, with a layout so dynamic, and a surrounding facility that does not overshadow, but rather, highlight what already makes the Sunshine State the best, most ideal golf haven in America.