Experts tell us that guilt is a useless emotion. Try telling that to your carful of kids when, after getting them all excited about VACATION, you inform them: "Sorry, gang, but Mom and I are leaving you to play on this course we've been dreaming of all year."
There's nothing better for the banishment of golf guilt than returning after a day on the links to find happy, healthy and slightly tired kids.

Instant guilt from the crestfallen looks on their parentally deprived faces.

Which is why most golf resorts have installed dawn-to-dusk children's programs. Banishing golf guilt may not be the prime reason, but certainly everyone can agree that an active resort day results in satisfied customers' of all ages.

These days, resorts operate far more sophisticated programs for kids than putting them in a room to watch videos all day. In Florida, kids from grade school on up are more likely to be taken on an environmental walk through the ecosystems that surround the resort and golf courses. Other programs feature cooking classes, beach combing, sports instruction (so today's kids can take their kids to golf resorts!) and fishing expeditions.

There's nothing better for the banishment of golf guilt than returning after a day on the links to find happy, healthy and slightly tired kids.

Here are a handful of Florida golf resorts that offer plenty of family activities and programs.


Westin Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor

 Most people think Loch Ness is in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, not far from St. Andrews or Royal Dornoch. But at the Westin Innisbrook Resort, Loch Ness is in sunny Florida and it's the main draw for kids at this serious golf destination.

Although the resort has six swimming pools scattered over its 1,100 acres, kids gravitate to Loch Ness, with its 15-foot waterfall, two winding water slides, two sandy beach areas and a bubbling jet fountain area.

If all that wet and wonderful stuff isn't enough, the resort's Camp Innisbrook offers all kinds of year-round programs designed to keep kids ages 5-12 entertained. The camp's trained counselors offer nature hikes, golf and tennis lessons, arts and crafts, bike expeditions and more.

Grownups might be tempted to skip golf and play with the kids, but that would be a serious mistake. Innisbrook's Copperhead course is rated one of the toughest in Florida, and has hosted numerous professional tournaments. With rolling terrain, plenty of water hazards and fast-running greens, it's a gem of a course that every Florida golfer ought to try at least once.

The resort's Island course is a favorite with those who return to Innisbrook year after year. While not quite as daunting as Copperhead, these fairways wind through forests and over numerous lakes, but always provide a place to bail out. There are two other fine courses for resort guests, as well as the renowned Innisbrook Golf Institute, which has been fixing broken swings for decades.

From the casual Grill at Loch Ness to the prime rib at DY's Steak House, families love the dining options on resort property.


Bay Point Marriott Resort, Panama City Beach

 Located on the shore of St. Andrews Bay, not far from sparkling Gulf beaches, this friendly family resort offers something for everyone.

For golfers, there is the Lagoon Legend course, which annually ranks among the most difficult in Florida. Designers Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin were ordered to create a long and tough championship test, and they did. The course features long carries over marsh and water on many holes, and greens are often tucked behind one kind of hazard or another. It sounds scary, but there are plenty of tee boxes on each hole, and the ranger usually helps golfers find the most comfortable yardage to play.

There's also the Club Meadows course which, while certainly not a pushover, is usually a few lost balls easier than its toothsome cousin.

While the courses are not owned by Marriott, guests at Bay Point have easy access.

The resort offers all kinds of other diversions, with a huge swimming pool and a sandy beach on the calm shores of the bay: perfect for splashing with the kids.

Miles of bike paths, a full-service marina and a fishing dock make Bay Point well worth a visit for any active family.


Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista

 It's hard - if not impossible - for anyone to be bored at Walt Disney World. Between the theme parks, the shopping and the nightlife, there is something for everyone at virtually every turn.

And that includes golf. The Disney complex contains five 18-hole courses and annually hosts a PGA Tour event. The original three courses, the Palm, the Magnolia and the Buena Vista, offer stereotypical Florida golf: the terrain is mostly flat, but the wetlands intercede at almost every turn, along with bunkers galore, plenty of water hazards and rolling putting greens. Buena Vista may be short, but it calls for precise shot-making. Palm and Magnolia are long and tough, especially if the wind picks up.

The newer Bonnet Creek Club features two different styles, with a rolling design from Tom Fazio at the Osprey Ridge course and a Pete Dye-abolical course at Eagle Pines. The Fazio course utilizes some rolling terrain and an actual ridge line to introduce unusual (for Florida) elevation changes. The Dye course is visually intimidating from the tee, a favorite Pete Dye trick, and while the fairways are usually wider than they look, the greens are small, tightly guarded and wonderfully bumpy.

To help Mom and Dad sneak off for a round, all Disney hotels offer supervised children's programs filled with activities, games, arts and crafts. At the Swan and Dolphin hotels, for instance, Camp Swan and Camp Dolphin will entertain kids from 4 to 12 years, and even give them dinner if the parents desire.