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My Trip Planner |
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| All Questions for Tim McDonald |
| Back to Tim McDonald page |
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| Fort Myers Golf |
| Asked by ron st pierre on November 11, 2009 |
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Q: names and prices to play public golf in ft myers area Jan2/2010-Mar31/2010
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A: Ron, for complete information on golf in Fort Myers, click here.
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| | Destin and Panama City Golf |
| Asked by Lisa on November 07, 2009 |
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Q: We are going to be in the Destin, Panama City area next summer and I was wondering what golf courses you would recommend in the area. We would prefer to keep the cost at $80-100 a person.
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A: Lisa, both Destin and Panama City have excellent golf courses with reasonable green fees, and rates are generally lower in the summer. Also, check for specials and packages which can lower green fees considerably.
In Destin, I would recommend Kelly Plantation, with its excellent service, superb conditioning and views of Choctawatchee Bay.
Also, consider Regatta Bay Golf and Country Club, one of the most scenic courses in northwest Florida, and Emerald Bay Golf Club, another good course with terrific views of the bay.
And of course the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is one of the top resorts in Florida, with four courses to choose from.
Cheaper Destin area courses I have also enjoyed include Shalimar Pointe Country Club and Indian Bayou Golf Club.
In Panama City, I would recommend Hombre Golf Club, with its undulating, challenging greens. It hosts a PGA Tour qualifying school.
I would also recommend the two golf courses at Bay Point Marriott, particularly the one re-designed several years ago by the Nicklaus design team – it is now much more playable than it once was. The other course, the Meadows, is a pleasant, old-time country club course with tree-lined fairways.
You might also want to check out this video of the Emerald Coast.
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| | Palm Coast or St. Augustine? |
| Asked by michael amoroso on October 28, 2009 |
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Q: TIM,TRYING TO PUT TRIP TOGETHER IN LATE MARCH ABOUT 12 GOLFERS WOULD LIKE TO PLAY 4-ROUNDS HAMMOCK BAY 2 COURSES AND 2 OTHERS ALSO LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO STAY CLOSE TO BARS AND RESTURANTS NOT DRIVING TO FAR, IS THE RESORT AT HMMOCK OUR BEST BET. THANKS MIKE
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A: Michael, here's what I would recommend. Stay in St. Augustine. It's about 20-30 minutes from PalmCoast.
Make the short drive south to Hammock Beach Resort to play those two courses - and by the way, you're in for a treat because the Ocean course at the resort just might be the most scenic course in the state, if you like ocean views.
Anyway, St. Augustine is chock full of good restaurants and excellent nightlife. Hammock Beach is a great resort, but more geared to families and Palm Coast isn't exactly jumping, as far as nightlife.
From St. Augustine, you're very close to the World Golf Village and its two good courses, the King and Bear, designed by Jack Nicklaus, and the Slammer and Squire. The Murray brothers' Caddyshack is also on the grounds.
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| | Lessons in Sarasota |
| Asked by Dick Trowsdale on October 24, 2009 |
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Q: I am visiting Sarasota form the 23rd of Feb. until April 3rd. Where in Sarasota can I arrange for golf lessons?
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A: Dick, there is plenty of golf instruction available in Sarasota. Be aware that golf lessons come in all shapes and sizes, individual or group, and the prices reflect that. Most golf courses usually have pros who offer lessons, like TPC Prestancia: Call 941-922-2800 for more information.
Then there are golf schools and golf academies.
This should at least get you started in the right direction.
Legacy Golf Club has an excellent golf school. Call 877-580-1500 for more information.
Tatum Ridge Golf Links has two-, three- and five-day golf schools. Click here for more information.
There is also the Schiavetta Golf Academy at 941-350-1653 or Suncoast Golf Center, a par-3 course, which has individual or group lessons. Call 941-351-2666.
Ben Sutton Golf School is about 25 miles from Sarasota, in Sun City. Click here.
You're on the right track; it's always a good idea to get lessons.
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| | Florida Golf Guides |
| Asked by Elliot Cohen on October 18, 2009 |
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Q: Last year at the golf show in Toronto, the Florida tourism office displayed and gave a brochure on the golf courses in the State of Florida mostly important was the southern part of Florida. Well, my wife "misplaced" the brochure. How can I get another one?
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A: No problem. Order your free Florida golf guide here.
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| | June course conditions |
| Asked by Bruce Mitchell on September 08, 2009 |
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Q: Me and the wife to be are getting married next year and planning our honeymoon for Florida.I am a golf nut so I am being allowed to take my clubs and play four rounds of golf.We come from Scotland and I am a scratch golfer.I have played quite a bit of golf in las Vegas and the West coast of California in summer months and found the conditions of some of the courses especially in vegas quite poor.The four courses I have earmarked for playing are , Copperhead at Insbruck , Stadium Course at Sawgrass , MetroWest in Orlando and TPC at Tampa Bay are these courses likley to be in good condition in June or is there other courses you would reccommend condition wise more?.I will definatly be playing Sawgrass regardless.
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A: You've picked some pretty good courses there, Bruce. Actually, some of the best in the state.
As far as conditions, June is a good month in Florida. It's early summer and fairways and greens all over the state should be in good shape.
Florida courses use warm-weather grass -- Bermuda, in most cases -- and it handles sun and heat well.
Florida gets quite a bit more rainfall than the West, and is much more humid in general. Besides, all those courses you mentioned are high-end and have invested in expensive irrigation systems, in case of spring drought.
You won't have to worry about the annoying overseeding season, which takes place in the fall.
I wouldn't worry about June conditions in Florida. Those courses should be in great shape at that time, barring unforeseen weather events.
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| | Affordable courses |
| Asked by Paul Connell on September 02, 2009 |
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Q: Have you done any articles on more affordable golf courses such as municipal golf courses. For visitors looking for an affordable staycation these offer great value.
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A: Yes we have, Paul. Read it on the home page of the Golf Insider (scroll down and look to the left) or click here.
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| | Golf in the Keys |
| Asked by Andrew Bell on August 29, 2009 |
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Q: Tim I am planning a holiday for December 2009 and willl be the Keys because of the Scuba diving but would like to play golf as well, I have read that Hurrican Ivan has done a lot of damage to some areas and I would like to play any decent course available (H'cap 9) in the keys but don't want to waste my money. I would appreciate your advice. Thank you
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A: Andrew, Ivan was a very intense hurricane, but did comparatively little damage to the Keys compared with places like Grand Cayman and Jamaica in the Caribbean and other parts of the U.S. Besides, it was five years ago.
No, you won't find any hurricane damage to golf courses on the Keys, though hurricane season isn't over yet. What you might have trouble finding are golf courses; there aren't very many of them. The Florida Keys are a long, thin strip of fossilized coral, so land is precious.
However, there are some:
Key West Golf Club is the best public option. It's 6,500 yards and was designed by Rees Jones. Be prepared to pay green fees upwards of $80. It sits just outside the entrance to Key West.
There are a few private courses, like the Sombrero County Club in Marathon, Card Sound Golf Club and Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo. They offer reciprocal agreements with other country clubs in the U.S.
Then there are a couple of nine-holers: Key Colony Beach at mile marker 53.5 and Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada at mile marker 82.
If you want to drive north to the Miami area, Crandon Park on Key Biscayne is one of the best municipal courses anywhere.
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| | Florida golf resorts and nightlife |
| Asked by Jason on August 21, 2009 |
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Q: I am planning a trip over to Florida from the UK during November or December for a week in the sun playing golf. I'm 37, single and with a handicap of 5 but have no idea which area to start looking as there is so much choice over there. So ideally I would like to play as much golf and practice during the day, with some proximity to night life in the evening. I'm travelling on my own so it would be good to stay in a resort where I can meet like minded people to join up for games and possibly get some tuition as well. Could you give me some guidance on where to start looking and recommend some suitable resorts?
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A: Jason, you're right about golf in Florida: choices, choices, choices. Fortunately, you can't really go wrong with any of the following.
If you want legendary night life, you might start looking at Miami. Miami has South Beach as well as some excellent golf courses starting with, of course, the Blue Monster at the Doral Resort (doralresort.com). Doral has four other courses, so you'll never lack for variety. From the city of Doral, it's a short drive to Miami nightlife.
You couldn't go wrong with Orlando, either. There are a number of excellent resorts in central Florida, including Bay Hill (bayhill.com), owned by Arnold Palmer, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress (grandcypress.hyatt.com) and its four Jack Nicklaus-designed courses, the Ginn Reunion Resort (reunionresort.com) with Nicklaus, Palmer and Tom Watson designs and the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate (omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/OrlandoChampionsGate) with two Greg Norman tracks. You're never far from downtown nightlife at any of these resorts.
Tampa, of course, has a thriving nightlife and the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club (innisbrookgolfresort.com) in nearby Palm Harbor has four beautiful courses, anchored by the Copperhead, a must-play if you're in the area. Saddlebrook (saddlebrook.com) is a very good option with two Palmer-designed courses.
Further north is Jacksonville, an underrated destination, with nightlife both downtown and at area beaches. The Marriott Sawgrass Resort and Spa (sawgrassmarriott.com) in Ponte Vedra, at the beach, is home to the Players, hosted by the exceptional Stadium course. The resort also gives you access to seven area courses.
The Amelia Island Plantation (aipfl.com) is a little more serene in a beautiful part of the state and Ginn Hammock Beach Resort (hammockbeach.com) in Palm Coast is roughly halfway between Jacksonville and raucous Daytona Beach. It has one of the prettiest oceanfront courses anywhere, a Nicklaus design, as well as another Watson design.
Any of these would be good choices, with some of the best golf resorts in the state with proximity to nighttime revelry.
Also, you might want to check out britishflorida.com, a Web site for the British in Florida.
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| | Seasonal golf memberships |
| Asked by wendy reed on August 18, 2009 |
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Q: we would love to spend our winters in florida, have been going to texas up to now. the reason for texas has been the price of the golf. we like to play almost every day and there we can get a three month membership at a par 72 course for the two of us for seven hundred dollars. we would really like to try florida this year but have not been able to find a course that offers a three month membership. is there such a thing in florida. we are open to trying any area that has affordable accomodation and golf. is there such a thing down there, or are they all just pay per round. i don't know where to find this out. thanks.
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A: Wendy, yes there are golf clubs in Florida that offer winter memberships. There are also other ways to enjoy Florida golf in the winter at discounts, even though it is the peak season.
Snowbirds are important to Florida's tourist economy. For example, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Destin just announced a "snowbird program" that offers, among other things, discounts for golf including rounds as low as $20 and free weekly clinics.
As far as golf clubs, some of the higher end clubs that have winter memberships include Hernando Oaks in Brooksville, with initiation fees in the $5,000 range and monthly dues starting at $350, and the private Hamlet Country Club in Delray Beach with initiation fees of $1,000 and $5,000 for a three-month membership.
Another private club, Misty Creek Country Club in Sarasota has seasonal memberships from one to five months, for non-Florida residents.
Southern Dunes in Haines City, one of the more critically acclaimed courses in Florida and certainly worthy of repeat play, does not have seasonal memberships per se, but it does have monthly memberships as well as a Dunes Club card.
The monthly memberships are priced depending on the month, and allow play from Monday through Thursday. The card costs $129 and it's good for a year, but it offers discounts off rack rates up to 50 percent.
At the other end of the financial scale are RV parks. Don't laugh, the Great Outdoors Resort has a Ron Garl-designed 18-holer. Shady Brook Golf and RV resort also has an 18-holer. There are perhaps a dozen or more with nine-holers.
You could always opt for a condo or villa rental with golf memberships available. PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Rotonda West and Tiburon in Naples are examples. They are likely to be on the high side.
Other ways include the Florida Golf Trail; check to see if your home club has a reciprocal agreement.
Paradise Golf has winter memberships that allow you to play Tampa Bay area courses for as low as $99 for groups of four or more.
If the financial aspect is a concern – and when is it not? -- it might be a wise idea to choose an affordable place for your winter stay, then check into area courses to see if they have seasonal memberships. I can guarantee you that wherever you choose, there will be nearby golf courses.
An excellent resource for you would be to check with other Florida snowbirds at http://www.snowbirdsfla.com/. Also, all of the above clubs and organizations have Web sites.
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| | High and low golf seasons |
| Asked by Mark Yule on August 11, 2009 |
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Q: Hi, I'm looking to play golf in Florida in October 09, can you please tell me what is classed as peak and low seasons? Thanks
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A: Mark, peak golf season in Florida for the vast majority of courses is January through March, the winter months. That's when most tourists visit the state, when it is still comparatively warm compared to the rest of the country. Winter days are almost always warm enough to get in 18 holes. A "secondary" peak season is October and November.
The low season is usually from the end of May through early or mid-September, the summer months.
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| | How many courses are there in Florida? |
| Asked by diane tierney on July 29, 2009 |
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Q: How many public, private and resort golf courses are there in all of Florida?Which is the most expensive green fees course?Which is the least expensive green fees course?Thanks
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A: Diane, you've asked a good, but rather complex question.
The total number of golf courses in Florida is a slithering figure, literally changing day to day, because golf courses are always opening and closing.
Still, here are some numbers that should give you a pretty good idea.
A Web site called publiccourses.com puts the total number of golf courses in Florida at 1,067. Golflink.com has the number at 1,470.
The yellow pages/superpages says there are 837 public courses and 888 private courses, with 116 golf resorts, though many golf resorts have multiple courses.
If you're asking the question for business reasons, you might want to consider joining the National Golf Foundation and gain access to its databases.
Now, the question on green fees is another slippery slope. Green fees also change regularly, but it's a safe bet that the Stadium course at the TPC Sawgrass has some of the highest green fees in the state, at $375 per person in the two peak seasons of August 1 through November 16 and March 1 through May 31.
Other than that, green fees are $275, though you can get on the course now for $175 because maintenance crews have recently aerated the course.
That's pretty high – compare that to the green fees at another famous Florida course, the Blue Monster at Doral, which are in the $225 range.
As for the cheapest, that's in flux as well. Small, rural courses normally have the cheapest rates. The Suwannee Country Club in Live Oak, for example, charges $11 to walk nine holes and $22 for 18.
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| | Family-friendly Orlando golf |
| Asked by rob pippen on July 26, 2009 |
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Q: I'm wanting to play golf during my vacation with my teenage son. As we're flying from the UK we won't have our clubs. Can you recommend any family friendly courses in the Orlando area that welcome players without a handicap?
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A: Rob, good news for you on all counts. There are scads of family-friendly courses in the Orlando area, and all of them welcome players without handicaps.
In point of fact, you will find it nearly impossible to find a golf course anywhere in the U.S. that requires players to hold handicaps in order to get on. That's one of the big differences between golf here and in Europe.
Here are some of the family-friendly courses in the Orlando area I would recommend, all of which have rental clubs available.
-- Mystic Dunes Golf Club is one of the top Orlando golf courses and a joy to play, especially when you reach the greens, which are large and wildly undulating. You and your son will have a ball on these greens.
The conditioning here is almost always excellent. The course rolls through the hills of a former orange grove. The fairways have excellent movement and some interesting visuals, including railroad-tie bunkers, some of them in the middle of the fairways.
-- The Marriott Orlando World Center has two courses that are poles apart in terms of challenge. Hawk’s Landing is a very player-friendly resort course with immaculate grooming, wide fairways with gentle mounding. Sister course Grande Pines is longer, with narrower fairways, and a higher degree of difficulty.
-- Eagle Creek Golf Club, laid out nicely in the community of the same name, might make you feel at home in a foreign land; it's a mix of American and British golf architecture that blends very nicely.
The course combines the wide fairways characteristic of many American courses and the bunkering of European courses, among other characteristics.
Be aware, the layout features five par-5s, making Eagle Creek an unusual par-73.
-- Falcon's Fire Golf Club is an upscale, semi-private course that appeals especially to Europeans who enjoy those American-style pristine conditions. You can also see elegant Florida wading birds here.
It's another open course with wide fairways. There is a lot of water, but most of it can be easily avoided, though bolder players will often challenge it to get to the green quicker. It can get quite windy here.
-- Ridgewood Lakes is a short drive away, in Davenport. It's a course to save some money on, as well as strokes. Ridgewood Lakes is a popular layout enjoyed by all golfers, including women, seniors and juniors.
As with the above mentioned courses, there are multiple tees to choose from.
Two more suggestions:
-- Southern Dunes is a beautiful, critically acclaimed course with 180, striking, red-sand bunkers, worth the short drive to Haines City.
-- The Bay Hill Club and Lodge is Arnold Palmer's showcase. You have to stay at the lodge to play on the course, but you'll trod the same grounds where stars like Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite and Payne Stewart have won tournaments.
You also get your own forecaddie.
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| | Christmas golf |
| Asked by Andy on July 21, 2009 |
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Q: Do golf courses open on Xmas day?
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A: Andy, there is no hard and fast policy for the state's roughly 1,300 golf courses regarding opening or closing on Christmas day.
Most of the big golf resorts that attract tourists seeking warm weather will stay open, like Doral in Miami, Grand Cypress in Orlando and the Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa in Destin.
Municipal courses may or may not stay open, depending on the policies of the municipalities that own and operate them. Private courses are, of course, subject to the whim of their members and semi-private courses have differing policies as well. Some stay open, others do not.
Your best bet would be to pick several courses you're thinking of playing on Christmas and contact them beforehand.
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| | Golf and Cigars in Miami and Orlando |
| Asked by Rachel Nichols on July 18, 2009 |
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Q: Hello! So I think golf and cigars kind of go hand in hand, so it only seemed logical to ask you where you think the best place to take my husband (a huge cigar fan!) would be in Orlando or Miami? Thanks!!
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A: You're right as rain, Rachel. Too bad you aren't going to Tampa. Ybor City was once known as Cigar City, USA, though Orlando and Miami both have their share of fine cigar bars.Here are some of the best.
These are cigar bars, but you can also stop by and buy them to go. In Orlando, try the Corona Cigar Bar in downtown Orlando (127 South Orange Ave.; 407-404-5344) as well as the Corona Cigar Company and Diamond Crown Lounge at the same address.
Cigarz is near Universal Studios (6000 Universal Blvd.; 470-370 2999) and has, of course, an on-premises humidor. It's a little more casual than the above cigar bars. Also, Harry's Cigar and Brew (1954 W.State Rd. 425, Oveido; 407-365-6665) is a good, casual choice.
In Miami, Macabi's Cigar Bar (1221 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-764 8566) is a good bet, as are the Havana Cigar Emporium and Lounge (18833 Biscayne Blvd.; 305-466-0220) and Cuban Pete's Cigar Lounge (The Shoppes at Mayfair in Coconut Grove; 305-476-8584). For something different, try the Cigar Bar at Area 31 (270 Biscayne Blvd. Way; 305-424-5226). It's an open-air club with a great view, on the 16th floor of the Epic Hotel.
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| Tim's picks |
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Golf KissimmeeFamilies can be families for a stay in Kissimmee, whether everyone tees up or not. ... More |
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