Santa Maria Golf & Country Club

The Santa Maria course and Santa Maria hotel, which celebrated its official grand opening in April 2018, are the centerpieces of a sprawling urban development sprouting up east of downtown.

Although the course has been open since 2012, its finishing touches are finally coming together. A new clubhouse with a high-class steakhouse restaurant should be ready by June. The front nine will eventually be landscaped like the back nine to provide a clean look throughout the layout. The Jack Nicklaus design is kept in fantastic shape.

Numerous ponds and difficult undulating greens defend the course's honor. I like how Nicklaus balanced every tough hole with a shorter, more favorable one for higher handicaps. The surrounding high rises of the city and the development accent the scene nicely, making you feel more like you're playing in Dubai than Florida.