April 2007

Golf in Southwest Florida:
Par Excellence by the Gulf

Alan B. Nichols

  A great blue heron was standing five yards in front of me as I prepared to tee off on #3 of the Osprey 9 on Raptor Bay in Bonita Springs. I took a practice swing, but it barely moved. I aimed a bit right to avoid hitting it and pulled the trigger. At the crack of the clubhead against the ball, the magnificent bird took wing and seemed to float to the other side of the pond. Never did it seem to be in a hurry.

Adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico is Raptor Bay golf course with Hyatt Coconut Point Resort hotel in the background.

  It's best not to be in a hurry when you play golf in southwest Florida. There's much to see, including the ubiquitous wildlife which you can almost reach out and touch. Birdies are aplenty, too, on dozens of courses in Lee and Collier counties, which encompass Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Naples and points south including Marco Island. Designed by the best architects in the business, many of these courses are private but are accessible through the area's golf resorts during the off season (May - September) when rates go down by a third or more.
  Southwest Florida is an attractive alternative to the more hurried, congested destinations in Florida. The atmosphere here is accented by the turquoise waters of the Gulf and the beaches of soft sand that is ideal for resting, strolling, shell collecting and watching pods of dolphins and manatees cavorting in the water. Protected by environmental regulations, nature preserves, including the lush coastal mangrove forests abound in the area and provide habitat for a wide assortment of wildlife. To see these areas up close try a boat tour or rent a kayak.
  Sailing and deep sea fishing for tarpon and snapper are among other activities travelers to southwest Florida can enjoy. Also, there are top restaurants, the symphony in Naples, botanical gardens, several zoos, tours of the Everglades, and shopping in boutiques or in the many strip malls that line route 41, one of two major north-south highways (the other is I-75) between Fort Myers and Naples.
  Speaking of Naples, this city was once just a quiet beachfront community of attractive homes with manicured lawns on clean quiet streets. Many of these homes in this historic part of Naples were owned by northerners, mostly retirees, who came down to escape the winter cold. Until the 1970s, there were few golf courses here.
  Today, Naples is a growing metropolis whose suburbs are spreading eastward in a wave of construction. Such construction has put pressure on the network of roads some of which are being widened to accommodate the dramatic influx of visitors and new residents. Historic Naples has, nevertheless, retained its small village charm, particularly on and around 5th Avenue, a tree-lined pedestrian-friendly boulevard of gift shops, cafes and other assorted boutiques.
  Once the secret got out that southwest Florida was a desirable place to live or vacation, its transformation into a golf and vacation Mecca was just a matter of time. The area is among the top golf vacation destinations in the US, boasting some of the best courses in the state. Some of these courses are connected to resorts with top hospitality brand names.
In March of this year, I stayed at three outstanding resorts all of which I can recommend: the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs and the Ritz Carlton Golf Resort and Greenlinks, both in Naples.

Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa

  The resort is located 12 miles south of Southwest Florida International Airport in Bonita Springs and just off busy highway 41 on 26 peaceful acres next to a mangrove forest and adjacent to Estero Bay. The 18-story high rise has 454 opulent guest rooms and suites, many of which have panoramic views of the Bay and the string of the bay's outlying islands. Also, the resort can accommodate guests with pets under 50 lbs.
  The resort includes a spa, salon and fitness center; a secluded beach island; some 73,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting space; three pools including an adult lap pool; six restaurants and lounges, and a camp for children. While some resorts, especially in high season, resemble an airport terminal, I never I was part of a crowd at Coconut Point, which I recommend particularly for families with young children, businessmen and, of course, golfers.
  Adjacent to the resort is Raptor Bay Golf Club, whose course was designed by Raymond Floyd and opened in 2001. Punctuated by lakes, wetlands and pine forests along its perimeter, Raptor Bay is certified as a Gold Signature Sanctuary by Audubon International.
Developed by WCI Communities in partnership with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Raptor Bay is a well-groomed layout that features wide fairways, sand and coquina-shell waste bunkers and raised greens with steep and tightly-shaved drop-offs similar to Pinehurst #4. The greens are large and fairly fast, and there are no greenside bunkers. Unlike some modern designs, Floyd eschewed mounds and other created features in favor of maintaining the land's natural contours.
  With a par of 71, Raptor Bay has six sets of tees ranging from 5030 yards to 6702 yards. The course's modest slope and rating assures a pleasurable round for all golfers while testing their short-game skills.
  The challenge off the course is to decide what to do among a host of choices. Guests can take a leisurely walk over the 500-yard wooden bridge that winds through the mangroves to the resort's marina where they can rent a kayak or sailboat, or take the 20-minute tender ride to the resort's secluded beach on Big Hickory Island. There are also shopping, museums, and visits to nearby nature preserves.
  The Hyatt Coconut Point resort boasts one of the best seafood restaurants in the area if not all of Florida. Located immediately adjacent the resort's main building is Tarpon Bay Restaurant, a casual 244-seat indoor/outdoor restaurant with a menu of fresh seafood fit for royalty. I and three friends dined there in March and we all agreed it was one of the finest meals we had ever had. Every item on sous chef Dominic Calla's menu is superb, but the specialty of the house is the whole snapper. It is the most tender, tasty fish you will ever eat, and at nearly 17 inches long, you will need plenty of appetite to finish it.

Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa
5001 Coconut Road,
Bonita Springs, Florida, USA 34134
Tel: +1 239 444 1234 Fax: +1 239 390 4344
www.coconutpoint.hyatt.com

Ritz Carlton Golf Resort Hotel, Naples, Fla., with 18th green in foreground

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples

  Were it not for the trees that obscure it from Airport Pulling Road about 10 miles northeast of Naples proper, the Ritz Carlton Golf Resort hotel might well qualify as a landmark. As you drive through the gate on Tiburón Drive and make your way up the slight hill to the entrance, 30-foot tall palms lining both sides of the drive stand tall and proud, like sentries paying tribute to this most impressive edifice.
  Opened in January 2002, the hotel stands immediately adjacent Tiburón Golf Club at the eastern end of Tiburón, a spectacular 900-acre forested and lake endowed development that also includes a gated community of some of the area's most elegant homes. When you stay at the golf resort, you get two for the price of one. Its sister resort is the Ritz Carlton Beach Resort, which is 15 minutes away on the Gulf, and guests at either venue have access to the amenities of both.
  WCI Communities developed Tiburón Golf Club's two Greg Norman-designed golf courses in partnership with Ritz Carlton, and resort guests share the courses with the club's members, playing the black and gold courses on alternate days. Much smaller than the hotel, the clubhouse is equally impressive with a comfortable and casual restaurant and bar, carpeted locker rooms, photos of famous golfers on the wall, and a golf shop with the best merchandise on the market.
  The huge practice area, including chipping greens, is first class. At the back of the range is the Rick Smith Golf Academy that offers private and class instruction that can be booked through the golf club. Smith, mentor to Phil Mickelson and several other Tour players, is widely regarded as one of the best instructors in the world.
  Less celebrated than the Gold Course, which hosts the Merrill Lynch Shootout in December, is the Black Course. This course which serpentines through tall stands of pines and meanders around lakes is somewhat tighter than the Gold and has a higher slope from the Championship and Back tees. Though it measures only 6323 yards from the designated Back tees, the slope is 138.
  The signature Gold Course, measuring 6523 yards from the Back tees and nearly 7300 yards from the tips, is noted for its mammoth coquina shell waste bunkers, myriad lakes, large fast greens and large fairway and greenside bunkers. Generous landing areas tease golfers into complacency until they face some very challenging approach shots to greens, some of which, like #18, sit right beside the ubiquitous lakes (water comes into play on 17 holes).
  Both layouts are a tribute to Norman's creativity and design restraint. Norman created few mounds and other artificial features, but instead let the natural roll of the land dictate his plan. The result is that when you play from the correct tee markers (each course has six sets of tees), you are in for a challenging but fair and very fun round of golf. Take your camera to record the stunning scenery.
  The exterior of the 295-room hotel, with its bright orange and yellow colors and barrel roof, has a distinct southern Mediterranean look to it, while the interior, with its prominent wood features and darker colors, has an English feel. Befitting its Mobil four-star rating, the hotel has every convenience and amenity that the sophisticated vacationer or business traveler needs.
  Exceptional dining in five restaurants is complemented by nearly 17,000 square feet of state-of-the-art communications-equipped meeting and conference space. There are also a massage and fitness center, a heated outdoor pool with poolside restaurant, and even pet-friendly rooms.
  Aside from golf, the Ritz Carlton is gaining a reputation for its involvement with the Naples Winter Wine Festival, which in a few short years has turned into one of the world's leading wine festivals. The 3-day event, held annually in January, is marked by many private dinners served by some of the world's greatest chefs, but the festival's crowning event is the auction held at the hotel.
  The auction raises millions of dollars for local children's charities and this year it raised some $18 million, topping last year's tally by over $3 million. In addition to the finest wines, auctioners, who pay $10,000 to attend, bid on such other items as a Rolls Royce and vacation packages to exotic destinations.

2600 Tiburón Drive
Naples, FL 34109
239-593-2000
http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/NaplesGolf/Default.htm

The signature par 3 5th hole of Flamingo course, Lely Resort

GreenLinks at Lely Resort Golf and Country Club

  Greenlinks is a little known gem of a golf resort. It is right next to the Lely Golf and Country Club and it is perfect for golfing couples, families and small groups.
Lely is a sprawling golf and residential development about 10 miles southwest of historic Naples on state highway 41. Lely includes the private Classics Golf Club and the Lely Golf and Country Club. Clean and smartly laid out, the entire Lely development is almost a town unto itself.
  Greenlinks is a hotel condominium complex of 200 condominium suites of one, two and three bedrooms. The suites include a fully appointed kitchen with microwave, living room, dining area, two cable televisions, washer/dryer, iron and ironing board, private baths including hairdryer, and a private screened balcony. Most suites overlook the golf club's Flamingo course.
  The AAA 3-Diamond resort also has a fitness room, tennis courts, meeting space, and a heated outdoor pool and Jacuzzi. Furthermore, the resort lies within easy distance of the Publix supermarket, boutique galleries, a pharmacy, and restaurants. Fishing, chartered tours, and other entertainments are also nearby.
  Greenlinks is designed for vacationers who can't get enough of golf. At registration, you receive your room key in a small folder and on the back it reads, "Golf. Golf. Eat. Golf. Dream about golf. Golf." The golf club is literally a chip shot from your room. Reserving your tee times through the resort offers substantial discounts when you play the golf club's two courses, Flamingo and Mustang. Resort guests can use the driving range all day during the day of play at no extra charge.
  Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Flamingo is one of Naples' older courses and it is outstanding. It features terrific par 3's including the island 213-yard 5th hole. Equally good is the 204-yard 11th whose green is bordered on two sides by water. A consistently interesting mix of short and long holes, straight holes and doglegs, makes a round on Flamingo one of the most enjoyable you will have in Naples.
  Designed by Lee Trevino, Mustang is considered slightly easier than Flamingo with its very wide fairways and large, modestly guarded greens. There is plenty of water on this course, and if you aren't familiar with the target lines, your ball will easily get wet. Even so, Mustang is designed for the more casual golfer.

Greenlinks Resort
7990 Mahogany Run Ln.
Naples, FL 34113
239-732-9920
888-992-2099
http://www.greenlinksnaples.com

The long par 3 second hole at Old Corkscrew

Old Corkscrew, Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club

  Do not pass up these two golf courses on your next trip to southwest Florida. One is a Jack Nicklaus signature course in Estero, Fla., and the other is a remodeled design of the first 18 hole golf course to be built in Naples. Each has its own distinct style, and both are terrific.
  Old Corkscrew is Nicklaus' first signature course in southwest Florida. The par 72 layout stretches from 5700 to 7400 yards from four sets of tees. Opened officially by Nicklaus in late February of this year, the course has already drawn raves from golfers who say that despite its challenge, it is a very fair test.
  "People come up to me after their round, saying, 'It beat me up, but I loved it and can't wait to come back,'" says the club's marketing director Mark Iwinski.
I had the same reaction when I played Old Corkscrew in late March. I did not score well but I was unfamiliar with the course's many subtleties, especially on and around the large greens which are slick and have some of the steepest contours and slopes you will ever see.
"There's not a straight 30 foot putt on the entire course," Nicklaus told the gathering at the official opening. Indeed, Nicklaus' shaper must have worked overtime to create these greens some of which have false fronts and all of which pitch and roll dramatically. The humps and slopes divide most greens into distinct quadrants. If you wind up in the wrong quadrant, you can easily three putt.
  The course has a fine ebb and flow to it marked by elevation changes and consistently outstanding hole designs. These include two great short par 4's including the 348-yard (380 from the whites) 4th hole. The fairway of this slight dogleg left hole is split in two by a large bunker complex which places a premium on placement off the tee. A palmetto grove lines the right side while the left side is bordered by one of the course's many lakes.
Leading an exceptional foursome of par 3's is #2, a 194-yard slightly uphill one-shotter with a mound that obscures the left side of the green. It is not a typical Nicklaus feature. Also, #15 is a majestic par 5 of 619 yards from the tips (529 from the whites) that doglegs left down to a well guarded green. A lake on the right and bunkers in the second-shot landing area help make this a spectacular par 5.
  Old Corkscrew was founded by a partnership of two Kansas businessmen and a local citrus grower. The partners gave Nicklaus complete freedom to craft a course of his choosing, and the Golden Bear took advantage of this privilege, putting an obvious care into this creation.

The gulf is right outside your door at the Naples Beach Hotel

  The course is on 275 unspoiled acres of pine and cypress, hardwoods and palmetto, all of which are enhanced by love grass and other plantings. Woodstorks, egrets and many other wading birds grace this beautiful layout which has a slough running through it and which has been designated a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Best of all, the course will stand alone with no development to spoil the experience.
  Old Corkscrew has various levels of membership and equity opportunities. Nonmembers can currently book tee times directly through the clubhouse or through their hotels.
The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club course was built in the late 1920s and redesigned in the 40's. Designer Ron Garl added his creative touches in the 90s and today the course stands out as one of the best traditional designs in all of Naples. The course stretches from 5142 to a modest 6488 yards from the tips. Voted in the Top 50 women friendly courses in the US by Golf for Women magazine, the course has some eight ponds and lakes, and a good balance of straight and dogleg holes.
  Located just off highway 41 just a few miles north of historic Naples, the course, which lies in front of the hotel, can be easily walked as the tee boxes and greens are close together. While it is a public course, club memberships are available. Guests of the hotel play at discounted rates.
  The family-owned hotel is one of the oldest in Naples. It sits directly on the beach. Between the back of the hotel and the beach is a lawn, site of many weddings. There is also a poolside bar where a favorite pastime is to sip drinks and watch the sunset. The 318-room hotel, rebuilt in the 80's, has that classic, old-style charm guaranteed to appeal to seasoned travelers.

Old Corkscrew Golf Club
239-949-4700
www.oldcorkscrew.com
Mark Iwinski, Marketing

The 7th hole of Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club course

Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club
851 Gulf Shore Boulevard North
Naples, Fl 34102
1-800-455-1546
www.naplesbeachbeachhotel.com

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