Luxurious Florida golf resorts and spas: From Destin to Palm Beach Gardens, the Sunshine State has it all
Start in the Florida panhandle town of Destin. Head across the Sunshine State to Amelia Island. Make a beeline for Orlando, and then head toward the swanky digs of Palm Beach Gardens.
Talk about an all-star sampler platter for Florida resort golf. Whether it's finally making that much talked-about tee time or logging numerous spa hours, you'll get a true taste by hitting these distinctive North, Central and Southern parts of the Sunshine State.
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort fronts seven miles of pristine white sand beaches and features four courses, including Raven Golf Club and Baytowne Golf Club, which Golf Digest magazine has honored with 4½-star rankings.
Amelia Island Plantation, located in the coastal nook where Florida meets Georgia, earned a Silver Medal designation from Golf magazine and boasts 72 holes, with signature layouts by renown architects Pete Dye and Tom Fazio. Dye collaborated with Bobby Weed on the Oak Marsh and Ocean Links courses. Fazio's stunning creation, Long Point, winds through the sand dunes and marshes along the Atlantic Ocean.
At the Ginn Reunion Resort, you can re-live the rivalries of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. The famed triumvirate held legendary battles on the golf course - and carried that competition into their architecture careers for this resort situated southwest of Orlando along Interstate 4. Each made his mark on signature designs named Independence (Watson), Legacy (Palmer) and Tradition (Nicklaus). Need to hone your skills before tackling these three challenges? Then sign up for a lesson at the Annika Academy, a golf school founded by LPGA Tour great Annika Sorenstam.
A fitting final stop awaits at the PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Home to five golf courses, holder of the prestigious American Automobile Association four-diamond golf resort designation, PGA National has captured the luxurious standard its name implies. You'll experience every aspect of Florida resort golf as you play the same layouts that have hosted the 1983 Ryder Cup, 1987 PGA Championship and Honda Classic on the PGA Tour.
With Florida golf, you can't cover the state any better.
