If you are experiencing a severe bout of “cabin fever” and your golf clubs are calling to you from exile in your garage. Florida has numerous resorts and opportunities to escape from the harsh winter conditions in the northern U.S.
Sandestin on the Florida panhandle has four 18-hole championship golf courses. Baytowne, The Raven, Burnt Pine and the Links offer various tee options to create an enjoyable experience for every golfer.
In addition to world-class golf, Sandestin’s sugar-white beaches on the Emerald Coast offer a distraction from the rigors of the golf course. Spa facilities, a variety of retail shops and a plethora of fabulous restaurants complete the total vacation exp
erience at Sandestin.
The Orlando area not only has Disney World for kids of all ages, it also offers a wide variety of golfing opportunities. Disney World Resort alone has four golf courses with the Magnolia, Palm, Osprey Ridge and Lake Buena Vista. Celebration Golf Club and Orange County are only two of the daily fee public courses that can provide northerners a respite from shoveling snow and cold weather.
If your game is a little rusty and needs some fine tuning, the Annika Sorenstam Golf Academy is located in Orlando at the Reunion Resort. It offers a variety of golf packages and the resort has every amenity to fill any golfer’s dreams.
Fort Myers, Naples and Marco Island in southwestern Florida have great beaches, the best sunsets in Florida and provide great golfing opportunities. The upscale Ritz Carlton has two hotels in the area. One is located on Vanderbilt Beach and the other at the Ritz Carlton Golf Resort just a few miles inland. Both offer world class service, warm breezes off the Gulf of Mexico and palm trees swaying.
Man does not live by golf alone, fabulous shopping, invigorating night life and fine dining abound in downtown Naples on Fifth Avenue and complete the total vacation experience.
Just east across the state in Port St. Lucie is the PGA Golf Club at the PGA Village. It offers 54 holes of championship golf designed by award-winning architects, Tom Fazio and Pete Dye.
Golfers can begin their visit to the PGA Golf Club with a visit to the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance Center to knock the rust off those golf clubs. 18 holes on one of three courses can be followed by a visit to the PGA Museum of Golf.
The museum is one of the world’s top golf exhibits, tracing the history of the game with a showcase of rare artifacts from icons of the game like, Bobby Jones and Donald Ross.
Temperatures in southern Florida average in the 70’s in January and February making the area perfect for winter getaways.
These are just a few of wonderful golf destinations available in sunny Florida. Get your mind off the snow and cold. It just takes a short airplane ride or cross-country drive to find some of the best beaches in the world and great golfing.