Tailgating at the Links

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The Fred Griffin Academy of Golf at Grand Cypress is a 21-acre facility with three practice holes to help you learn about the various conditions of a golf course.

Photo Credit: Contributed Photo

Headed to one of the many Florida college football games? Why not squeeze in a day or two on the greens to make your visit a true sports vacation.

I can't think of a better way to begin a football Saturday than to secure a tee time in the town your team is playing in before heading over to the stadium.

The Florida Gators play in Gainesville. Tailgating there is great, but why not get in a bit of exercise rather than stuffing your face with hot wings?

Here are a couple of choices for public golf in Gainesville:

• Meadowbrook Golf Club is the first course designed by noted architect Steve Smyers: www.playmeadowbrook.com
• Ironwood Golf Course is a city-owned course in a pretty parkland setting: www.ironwoodgolfcourse.org

If you are going to Tallahassee to watch the Seminoles, here are some good choices for golf in the state's capital:

• Don Veller Seminole Golf Course & Club is where the FSU Men's and Women's programs fine tune their games. Both of FSU's golf programs have shown great improvement in the last couple of years: www.seminolegolfcourse.com
• Southwood Golf Club is my favorite public course in Tallahassee. It is a Gene Bates and Fred Couples design on a beautiful piece of land just south of the stadium: www.southwoodgolf.com
• The Golf Club at SummerBrooke is a rolling Dean Refram design located in the northern part of town: www.summerbrookegolf.com
• Hilaman Golf Course is a city-owned course named after a former Tallahassee City Commissioner Shad Hilaman, who also happened to be my principal in elementary school. It is a fun layout with rolling hills that is right in the center of town: www.hilamangolfcourse.com

Orlando, home of the UCF Knights, has many golf options but here are a few of my favorites.

• MetroWest Golf Club is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design that plays host to PGA TOUR Champions Tour qualifier: www.metrowestgolf.com
• Grand Cypress Golf Club is a resort with 45 Nicklaus designed holes that are quite varied: www.grandcypress.com
• Shingle Creek Golf Club is a David Harman design that is surrounded by a new and beautiful resort: www.shinglecreekgolf.com/
• Orange County National Golf Center & Lodge is the biennial host to the PGA TOUR qualifying school finals and has 45 holes of golf with no homes! www.ocngolf.com
• Falcon's Fire Golf Club is a Rees Jones design that is very challenging and yet fair. They do a great job of keeping the course in tournament condition year 'round: www.falconsfire.com
• For more Orlando golf options use this link: www.golfersguide.com

Good luck to your respective teams!