Florida – the land of sunshine, wealth, tourists, and retirees. It’s a heady concoction that adds up to one thing – golf courses and lots of them. The Sunshine State boasts some of the best golf courses in the world – coupled with world-class facilities. So here are five you need to play as soon as you can.
Bay Hill
Arnold Palmer called this the best course in Florida so who are we to argue? He loved it so much that he bought the place making it the home of the prestigious Arnold Palmer invitational. The course runs along a beautiful chain of lakes winding its way through the trees to create a truly spectacular golf venue.
The Sawgrass Stadium Course
The stadium course at Sawgrass is one of the most iconic courses in the world. As the home to the Players Championship, you’ll be walking in the footsteps of the greats. As befitting a world-class venue, the course is not for the faint-hearted. Some of the world best have come to grief here, so if you’re struggling, you’ll be in good company. The short par three with its tricky island green is one of the most famous holes in the world. It can be a nightmare to play but you’ll always remember it.
Copperhead Course Innisbrook
Like water? Good. You’ll get plenty of it at this place. The most beautiful feature of this course is also the most challenging as the greens are heavily guarded by water or dramatic elevation changes. If that’s not enough of the challenge, watch out for the swamps which surround the course. These can be home to all sorts of nasty beasties such as snakes and alligators which have been known to bask in the sun on the fairways. Although the tree-lined fairways make this a good place for the big hitters, wayward tee shots could be a bit hazardous.
Watson Course at Reunion Resort
Tom Watson – a great golfer and a prolific course designer. Anything with his name on it is going to be worth a hit. True to form, this classic course will make you use every club at your disposal. It’s a pretty short course, but don’t let that fool you. Its clever design will test the very best. Everywhere you look the course has its creator’s personality rubber stamped on it. The fairways are pristinely lined with wispy rough which calls back to his well-known love of links golf, making this a slightly different challenge than you’ll experience elsewhere in Florida.
Champion Course – PGA National
Having hosted the Ryder Cup and the PGA Championship course, this will set one of the toughest challenges in the state. It was originally designed by Tom Fazio but got a facelift from the great Jack Nicklaus and features some of the world’s toughest and best-known holes such as the so-called Bear Trap. This has ruined some of the game’s greats and could well do the same to you.
Get in touch today for more information on real estate opportunities in Florida and have the chance to experience one of these exceptional courses.
