North Florida Haunts for the Golf Set

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TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach offers championship golf and great fishing opportunities.

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Ocean Course at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club

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World Golf Hall of Fame

Photo Credit: World Golf Hall of Fame

If you're in the Jacksonville area for the PLAYERS Championship PGA TOUR, make it an upscale outing with these luxury hotels and restaurants.

Every year in May, when The PLAYERS Championship PGA TOUR golf tournament returns to the crème de la creme PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, golf’s greatest players converge at one of the planet’s top venues for playing the game—and of course, it’s all much to the delight of the fans who arrive from around the world to soak up the spectacle.

If you find yourself in the Jacksonville area this time of year, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of your golf getaway. From boutique-chic Atlantic Beach to historic St. Augustine, North Florida luxury awaits for the golf set.   

Best Hotels that Cater to Golfers 

The luxurious Sawgrass Marriott is ground zero for the TPC golf tournament, which takes place here every year. Designed by Pete Dye, the resort’s golf courses are consistently ranked among the best in the world.

The hotel’s golf packages include such perks as two days of unlimited play on Dye’s Valley, complimentary sleeves of Sawgrass monogrammed golf balls and choose-your-course golf rounds at several of the area’s top private clubs. When you’re not golfing, enjoy the spa or stretch out in the sand at the resort’s private Cabana Beach Club.

Another idyllic luxury golf resort is the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, a few miles from the TPC at Sawgrass. The resort’s golf package grants you access to two 18-hole courses and includes unlimited golf, range balls, cart use, guaranteed advanced starting times, daily clinics and more. Some rooms here have ocean views, private terraces and decadent perks such as granite and Italian marble bathrooms with garden tubs.

In St. Augustine, the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort is a pilgrimage destination for golf lovers looking to stay close to the World Golf Hall of Fame. There are stay-and-play packages on offer that include a round of golf at the championship, hall-of-famer designed Slammer & Squire or King & Bear.

Laterra Resort in St. Augustine is an excellent pick when you’re looking to settle in for an extended stay. Here, Mediterranean-style condominiums (fully furnished with kitchens and living areas) are ideal for group gatherings. The resort sits inside the World Golf Village on the King & Bear course, designed by Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

Best Tables for Mingling with the Golf Set

It’s worth the drive about 20 minutes north of Ponte Vedra Beach to Atlantic Beach, where Azurea—the signature restaurant at One Ocean Resort—serves Florida seafood in upscale, oceanfront surrounds. Or you can choose to dine al fresco.

Consistently in the upper echelon of Jacksonville’s very best restaurants, Aqua Grill in Ponte Vedra specializes in gourmet seafood, steaks and lobster. The restaurant is located in Sawgrass Village Shopping Center, right across from the Sawgrass Marriott. During the tournament, famous faces of the golf world abound.

Marker 32 is a favorite special occasion restaurant among Jacksonville locals. You’ll find grilled local shrimp, cracked conch and roasted grouper on the seafood-centric menu. Most tables have views of the Intracoastal Waterway, and you can watch boats coming and going as the sun sinks into the sea – divine!

With so many members of the international golf community staying at the Sawgrass Marriott, 619 Ocean View Restaurant, inside the hotel, is a swinging scene during the tournament. Try their signature appetizer, Parma Scallops with garlic, shallots, sun dried tomatoes and parma procuitto; their ever-popular Grouper Roasted with olives, tomatoes and capers; and don’t miss the Lemon Blueberry Basil Cake, drizzled with a light strawberry sauce, to complete your meal.

If You Go

Azurea: 904-249-7402, www.oneoceanresort.com
Aqua Grill: 904-285-3017, www.aquagrill.net
Marker 32: 904-223-1534, www.marker32.com
619 Ocean View Restaurant: 904-285-7777, www.sawgrassmarriott.com
Sawgrass Marriott: 904-285-7777, www.sawgrassmarriott.com
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club: 904-285-1111, www.pvresorts.com
Renaissance World Golf Village Resort: 904-940-8000, www.worldgolfrenaissance.com
World Golf Hall of Fame: 904-940-4123, www.worldgolfhalloffame.org
Laterra Resort: 904-940-9912 www.laterraresort.net