Tag Archives: golf trips

Madison Green Golf Club

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A truly great golf course goes beyond having a legendary designer to its name or having merits and accolades from award-giving bodies, or being a preferred site for prestigious golf tournaments. The greatness of a golf course is mostly found in the ordinary, little golf vacations that it transforms into epic, truly memorable, truly happy ones. It is in the face of the simple golfer, made happy by a challenging and fun round of golf. But of course, the aforementioned merits do deserve credit. Such is one of Florida’s finest, The Madison Green Golf Club.

The golf vacation destination in West Palm Beach is characterized by more than a thousand palms, palmettos, and native vegetation that make the course both interesting and beautiful. The layout of the Madison Green Golf Club, which measures 7,051 yards from the longest tees and plays for a par of 72, also features unique sand traps and a whooping 42 acres of water hazards. If that is not challenging enough, let alone distinct to its character, then nothing would come close to being surprising AT ALL.

Its being an unexpected layout makes the Madison Green Golf Club a favored tournament site. It has seen itself as the home of the Florida State Championships, US Amateur Championship Qualifiers, and soon, the 2012 Florida Golf Association Men’s Senior Championship. It has also been awarded Best New Florida Public Course (Florida Golf Magazine, 2002), “Must Play” and one of the Top 20 Golf Courses in Florida (Golf LINKS Magazine, consistently), 4.9 out of 5 stars (Golf Digest). But more than all of that, this John Sanford creation is a favorite and well-known spot for the happiest golf trips – and that is what this place is all about: happy golfers.

Village Golf Club

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A renovation does not necessarily mean the old one is ugly. It sometimes means the old one was good but there is always room to make things better. And such was the case of the 1960s Mark Mahannah creation in Royal Palm Beach, Florida – the Village Golf Club. Golfers would not have imagined there could be a better version of the golf vacation destination, but there is.

The 6,900-yard, par-72 championship golfing facility was expanded on all sides, the greens upgraded, and the amenities overhauled. Golfers are treated on 175 acres of the most verdant of Southern Florida terrain, with holes that wind through many challenging sand traps, mature cypresses, and a lot of water hazard. And by a LOT, the Village Golf Club DOES mean A LOT. Water plays a major role in the course and golfers need to be extremely careful and smart in dealing with the water holes. Thankfully though, most of the landing areas of the course are generous to compensate for the difficulty. To make matters even better, the other facilities in the course have also seen total renovations, thereby completing the golf vacation package.

The clubhouse of the Village Golf Club now measures a whooping 15,000 square feet with the 19th hole a ready oasis for golfers to replenish in after the long game. Golfers would also love the expanded practice putting greens and the practice chipping greens. The whole renovation cost some huge figures for the developer, but warranted better – maybe even the BEST – golf trips hereabouts for countless golfers. And that makes it all worth it.

PGA National – Haig Course

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The PGA National Resort and Spa was built on high hopes and high dreams, founded on the PGA of America’s high standards. Proof to this is the quality of its first course – the PGA National – Haig Course. Built in 1980 by Tom and George Fazio, and surrounded by several other high caliber golf courses, the Haig has remained to be amongst the finest in the resort and in the Palm Beach area. And with scenery all too unique to the Sunshine State, no room is left for questions and doubts as to why this is a favorite golf vacation destination.

Along with four other courses, the PGA National – Haig Course makes up the five courses of the PGA National Resort and Spa. It measures 6,806 yards from the longest tees, the third largest in the resort, and plays for a par of 72. The Fazio duo created the golf vacation haven to be playable and relaxing for all golfers, regardless of skill levels. And so the designers played on with the location of the water hazards. The result is a course that never requires a cross over water shot, giving the golfers more options for their shots.

Apart from that, the PGA National – Haig Course is also very versatile. Its 9th and 18th holes both lead to the clubhouse, giving the golfers an easy option for a full game or a shorter afternoon game before lounging at the clubhouse. This makes for golf trips that are fun at the most, relaxing the least, and perfect at its best. And all that are standing on the PGA of America’s standards on quality and excellence in the sport.

Sawgrass Country Club

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The Sawgrass Country Club is not exactly the newest thing in the Northeast Coastal Florida golfing scene. In fact, there’s nothing new about it at all. It is still the 27-hole premier golf vacation destination that has long been serving Florida locals and tourists with a unique blend of beauty and thrill in its layout. It is still the good, old time favorite, well on its way to becoming a true classic.

Three nines of the Sawgrass Country Club – The South Course, The East Course, and The West Course – combine for a total of 10,340 yards, and plays for a par of 72. This Ed Seay creation has long been the frontrunner in Florida’s premier of the premier. It was the original “home” of the Players Championship (the East-West combination), playing host to this top-gun tournament from 1977 through 1981, and is easily among the top golf vacation spots, having been ranked among Golf Digest’s Top 28 Best Courses in the Country.

And not surprisingly so. The Sawgrass Country Club of today is still characterized by heavily-guarded greens, tight galleries with a good helping of pines and palms, and a lot of water in the holes. And by a LOT, it actually means water play on all but three of the 27 holes. And that comes with wind consistently blowing – a treacherous kiss to challenge any good golfer’s game and resolve. Everything that the golfing world enjoyed several decades ago in their golf trips hereabouts are the very same timeless features that continue to wow the golfers old and new.

Champions Club at Julington Creek

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Julington Creek Plantation is a scenic private resort community in Jacksonville, Florida. To many, it is “just among the many”. Jacksonville, after all, is a golfing city. But to the avid golfers, Julington Creek is actually the home of one of Jacksonville’s most unique golf vacation destinations: the Champions Club at Julington Creek.

Designed and owned by PGA Tour Player Steve Melvyk, the Champions Club at Julington Creek first opened in 1988 as a 9-hole facility. In 1992, it was expanded to become a full 18-hole golf vacation paradise, measuring 6,908 yards from the gold tees, playing for a par of 72. Like most other golf courses in Northern Florida, it meanders through natural wetlands and an outgrowth of trees native to the Florida landscape. The presence of these natural hazards and several stunning lakes on course along with bunkers all make the course visually appealing and challenging for golfers of all skill levels.

The best features of this course are its perfectly manicured tees and greens, and the elegant Spanish Colonial clubhouse. Because of its excellence in layout quality and scenery, the Champions Club at Julington Creek is a favorite not only for golf trips but for golf tournaments as well. It has been the host of the Hooters Tour Jacksonville Open three years in a row (’96,’97, ’98) and the venue for the World Junior Championship Finals in 1997. With an in-house golf course as excellent as this, Julington Creek Plantation can now be easily singled out from the many golfing communities in Jacksonville; it simply stands out.

Oak Marsh Course

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The Oak Marsh Course finds its way among the many beautiful courses of Florida, and it never fails to stand out. Not surprisingly so, the golf vacation destination is an original Pete Dye design. It is among his first few designs that initially raised the eyebrows of many of the conservatives of that era, but is currently ranked among the finest in the world. Since its opening in 1972, the course has never failed to make an impact on its spectators and players.

Small greens, tight fairways, and holes that wind through salt marsh creeks characterize the Oak Marsh Course. Along with two other courses, the Ocean Links and the Long Point courses, they make up the Amelia Island Plantation in Florida’s Amelia Island. What makes this golf vacation favorite excellent is Dye’s unique way of putting together each of its elements to make for a challenging and stunning course. The water hazards on 14 of its holes and the bulkhead greens, not to mention the beautiful bunkering are all made to be lookers, but at the same time, heart breakers. Leave it to the rest of the course and its many wonderful amenities to make up for these heartbreaks.

This course made its way into the hearts of the countless golfers who have spent their most memorable golf trips here. This fact was made known to the rest of the golfing world when Golf Digest ranked The Oak Mash Course as among the “Top 75 Resort Courses in the US”, and Travel and Leisure Golf’s “Florida’s 50 Finest Courses”.

Golf Club at South Hampton

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Mark McCumber is a celebrated golfer at the PGA Tour. Mark McCumber is a more celebrated golf course designer at the Golf Club at South Hampton in St Augustine, Florida. And he is rightfully so. The golf vacation destination that he designed is one of the best, most unique in this side of the Sunshine State because of McCumber’s distinct take on the usual elements of a Florida golf course.

Perhaps the best feature of McCumber’s design is not in the hole placement, the beautifully done landscaping, the natural Florida woodland scenery, or the even more stunning water hazards, natural and otherwise. Although these factors are, without a doubt, excellent on their own and greatly contribute to the overall beauty of the course. The most noteworthy part of the golf vacation favorite is in the bunkers. The white, soft sugar sand bunkers at the Golf Club at South Hampton were not just strategically placed, but are contoured and are made to fit the shape and style of the holes. And they come in numbers, having a total of 60. By far these are the best bunkering that has come to the Florida golfing scene.

The 18-hole, par-72 layout of the Golf Club at South Hampton wind through 17 stunning and large lakes and natural Florida woodlands. McCumber designed the holes to test every golfer’s shotmaking skills and their better judgment on which club to use at a most appropriate hole. The course measures 6,952 yards from the back tees, and has several sets of tees to make golf trips hereabouts as enjoyable as it possibly can to as many golfers as possible. Mark McCumber has clearly given guests a reason to celebrate the sport at this creation.

Windsor Parke Golf Club

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There is an undeniably royal quality to the Windsor Parke Golf Club. And it’s not just the name! This golf vacation destination has quite a reputation amongst its Jacksonville, Florida counterparts that makes it worthy of its regal namesake. To start off, its designer is pretty much a royalty in the golfing scene, both as a player and a designer. It’s no less than the Arthur Hills himself. And his creation, naturally, reflects his excellence in the sport.

The Windsor Parke Golf Club is one of the most recognized and most well-remembered golf courses in Jacksonville area, both by enthusiastic golfers of golf vacations and pros and amateurs who have had their tournaments here. As is known all over the city, this course has hosted more USGA qualifying tournaments than any other course in Jacksonville, including the US Open. Its numerous beautiful features give tournament organizers every reason to hold their events here. It has rolling fairways, dramatic bunkering, and an even more dramatic elevation changes. All that in true Arthur Hills brand, backdropped by the beautiful Florida scenery.

Its beauty and challenge are well applauded and recognized locally and nationally. Amongst the accolades that the Windsor Parke Golf Club are a 4-star rating from Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play” and is the only National Golf Course Owner’s Association-certified “Beginner Friendly Club” in Jacksonville area. The service does not come short of regal as well, making golf trips here one for the royals.

Ocean Course of the Hammock Beach

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Good opening. Good middle. Good ending. There is nothing about this golf vacation destination that could not be listed as “good”. That should not be surprising though, the Ocean Course of the Hammock Beach is a creation of no less than the living legend, Jack Nicklaus himself. His creation is in contention for being Florida’s best with its sibling course, The Conservatory, a Tom Watson creation. But there is actually no contest. The Conservatory is inland, this one is oceanfront. The first oceanfront course in Florida in the last seven decades.

Six of its holes are directly playing on the Atlantic Ocean, and the rest are winding through the natural wetlands and lakes on site. The most notable feature of the Ocean Course of the Hammock Beach, as if anything else here could easily be ignored, are the final four holes collectively called “The Bear Claw”.These holes are edging the coastline, and have been designed to close any golfer’s game rather unforgettably. And there’s no such thing as “easy” in this course’s definition of unforgettable. Guests should expect no less than the same for their golf trips.

With 7,201 yards of golf from the longest tees, and multiple tee options, there is no reason for any golfer to forget their golf vacation at the Ocean Course of the Hammock Beach. And since its opening in 2000, it has not stopped earning rave reviews from pros and amateurs alike, and has rightfully been ranked as amongst America’s top 100 courses. There’s too much goodness here, it might as well be called the ‘best’.

Slammer and Squire Golf Course

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The World Golf Village in Jacksonville, Fl. is one of the most – if not the most – prestigious golf vacation destinations in North America not only in concept, but in everything. It is home to the World Golf Hall of Fame, and a 36-hole golfing facility bearing the names of no less than certified Hall of Famers. One of its two championship courses, the Slammer and Squire Golf Course was designed by Bobby Weed with Hall of Famers Sam “the Slammer” Snead and Gene “the Squire” Sarazen as consultants after whom the course was named.

The Slammer and Squire Golf Course debuted in May of 1998 and features generous fairways, contoured greens, some heart-wrenching water hazards and the most impressive views of the Golf Hall of Fame, backed by a most golf-perfect weather courtesy of Florida’s climate. The front nine of this 18-hole championship spectacle features a more treelined fairway, while the back nine is water-defined. The golf vacation favorite plays 6,939 yards from the longest tees, for a par of 72.

To say that the Slammer and Squire Golf Course is superb is saying the least. It is a hotspot not only for golf trips but for some of the biggest golfing events in Florida as well, including the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (A Senior PGA Tour Event) and the Handa Cup. Well put together, this course and its sibling course, the King and Bear (a Palmer/Nicklaus creation), and everything else on site spell PRESTIGE like a perfect golf swing for the World Golf Village.