The AAA Four-Diamond Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club dates back to 1925, when its original Mediterranean Revival-style hotel was built. Part of the National Register of Historic Places, the resort blends old and new in its offerings to guests. The Vinoy Golf Club is no different. A private club to which only members and hotel…
Florida's hottest golf resort since it debuted in 2012, Streamsong blends chic, modern lodgings with an attractively rustic approach to golf, with three "big" courses by Tom Doak (Blue), Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (Red) and Gil Hanse (Black). Play all three in order to join the raging debate over which one is best. A grotto-like spa, plus fishing…
Part of Tampa's Carrollwood Country Club, Emerald Greens offers a stay-and-play experience that grants guests access to a wonderful area private club. Its two-bedroom units are well suited to visiting buddies groups or traveling couples.
Overlooking Sarasota Bay, this upscale resort is in the center of the action in Southwest Florida. Guests here can explore Downtown Sarasota right outside the hotel's front door, while beachgoers can venture just a few miles west to take advantage of The Beach Club on Lido Key. Golfers may head in the other direction to tee it up at the Tom…
Longboat Key is a sought-after destination for beachgoers and golfers alike, situated on the Gulf of Mexico just west of Sarasota. Two golf courses await. There's the 18-hole Links on Longboat course, originally designed by William Mitchell in 1961 and renovated by Ron Garl in 2014. The Harbourside Course has 27 holes, and was redesigned by Garl…
This historic boutique inn, originally built in 1897, has evolved and been reborn over the years, most recently enjoying new life in its current location when the hotel was moved in 2016. Visitors here have the opportunity to arrange golf at the private Belleair Country Club, one of the most historic sites in Florida golf. The Belleview Inn is…
With more than half a century of history hosting traveling golfers and, more recently, the PGA Tour, Innisbrook is a comprehensively enjoyable golf resort. The Valspar Championship-hosting Copperhead Course is the headliner here, but the Island, North and South layouts all bring something to the table, too. Condo-style accommodations in…
Tampa Bay's sports teams -- the NFL's Buccaneers, the NHL's Lightning and MLB's Rays -- aren't always worth cheering for, but Tampa's golf scene is a proven winner with its 100-plus courses. The nearby Gulf of Mexico provides a haven for fishermen, boaters and beachgoers. All the best golf lies north of the Latin-inspired Ybor City, a downtown tourist hotspot.
Just south of Tampa, Sarasota resides on the Florida Gulf Coast. If you’re visiting in February, go check out the Baltimore Orioles for a Spring Training game at Ed Smith Stadium. If you’re looking to make a delicious home-cooked meal, head over to the Central Sarasota Farmers Market. You’ll be surrounded by fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as different vendors, live music, and much more. Do you ever wish you could play more than 18 holes? Spend all day long at University Park Country Club. This 27-hole course is public, but offers memberships as well. If you’re looking for a unique golfing experience, head on over to the Bobby Jones Golf Course. The course has eight sets of tees, allowing for any player of any skill-set to take to this course. What makes this course extra special is the fact that it’s reversible! You can play 18 holes in one direction, and the next day play in the exact opposite direction. This experience is something to see.
Senior writer Mike Bailey played a preview round at the highly anticipated Black Course at Streamsong Resort and says Gil Hanse's new design meets all expectations.
Looking for a diverse mix of the best golf in the Tampa area? Well, Brandon Tucker played 36 holes a day for four days in the Tampa area. What did he find out? Whether you play a world-class venue or a tiny municipal, you can find a great bargain in Tampa compared to other destinations.
Spas and golf make up a great combination, and there's no shortage of them in the Tampa, Florida and Scottsdale, Arizona areas. Mike Bailey offers a few suggestions for a golf/spa getaway.
Towering pine trees that look more North Carolina than Florida and elevation changes that look more north Georgia than north Tampa are just a couple of elements that make some of Tampa's courses among the more unique in the Sunshine State. The combination of diverse topography and innovative course designers resulted in an engaging menu of special, one-of-a-kind layouts. The eclectic group of golf architects responsible for these courses include Tom Lehman, Bobby Weed, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Donald Ross, Tom Bendelow, Chip Powell, Larry Packard and John Sanford.
Blessed with natural features like marsh and wetlands, ancient oak trees dripping with Spanish moss, tall pine and palm trees, sometimes rolling terrain and pristine lakes, the Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida area is home to a sizeable menu of picturesque golf courses. You'll get some great shots with your clubs and your camera, Ed Schmidt writes.
If you play golf in the Tampa/St. Pete area, you're rewarded with amazing land diversity encompassing everything from abandoned rock quarries to pine-dotted, North Carolina-style terrain and quintessential palm and palmetto-studded terrain. For those who've never visited the area, however, it's sometimes befuddling to get around as you navigate long bridges over bays and state and county roads that lead to smaller towns with great golf courses.
Tampa doesn't have the weather and wealth of Naples, the theme parks and resorts of Orlando or the glitzy appeal of Miami and famed South Beach. But it's still one of Florida's biggest and best cities, and golfers will appreciate its 100-plus golf courses. Jason Scott Deegan offers up his top 10 reasons to tee it up in greater Tampa Bay.
Tampa has an impressive line-up of stay-and-play options with golf courses sporting designer labels such as Arnold Palmer, Tom Fazio and Tom Lehman. Veteran Florida golf writer Ed Schmidt offers up some of his favorites.
No matter the level of your golf game, you'll enjoy testing your skills on the excellent lineup of golf courses in the Tampa, Fla. area that serve as sites for professional tournaments, U.S. Open qualifiers and collegiate matches. Ed Schmidt looks at Tampa's finest, which are superb designs with multiple tee placements and consistent maintenance standards.
So you're facing that familiar travel dilemma: You're on a strict budget, but you still want to play some of Tampa's best golf courses, right? Fact is, the area has a great line-up of courses with green fees less than $45, and several are cheaper than that even during the busy winter.
The Tampa area has several golf-oriented communities and resorts that are perfect for a vacation. Renting a home or condo -- or even adjacent suites with kitchens in a resort -- makes sense, not only because of the comfort factor, but also because it's economical. But which ones make the "A" list? Katharine Dyson breaks it down.
Tampa stacks up with just about any city in the Sunshine State -- especially when you include courses within an hour's drive. Here are the top courses.
Fall, of course, is for football. But it's also terrific for golf. So with that in mind, here's a look at the NFC South and where our readers are recommending that you play.
Architect Gil Hanse recently sat down with Mike Bailey to discuss his new Black Course at Streamsong Resort in Florida and the recently completed Olympic Course in Brazil.
After a renovation, the golf courses at Resort at Longboat Key Club near Sarasota, Fla. are just as amazing as the rest of the resort. Mike Bailey has more after his recent visit.
There's no place quite like the Copperhead at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla. That's according to our expert raters at GolfAdvisor. Host of the Valspar Championship on the PGA Tour, the Copperhead, has earned a place among the tour's most well received venues.
With water on nearly every hole, Waterlefe Golf & River Club in Bradenton, Fla. is a course that requires precision and solid ball striking. Architect Ted McAnlis figured out how to preserve the natural environment with a collection of memorable holes that run along a scenic section of the Manatee River.
A couple of miles away from the Renaissance Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, Fla. is the Renaissance Vinoy Golf Club, a private course open to resort guests. Originally designed by Donald Ross, Ron Garl redesigned it in 1992 and improvements have been ongoing in recent years. Befitting a resort like the Vinoy, the course is always in pristine condition.
There's only one championship-level course in the St. Petersburg municipal golf department, and it's very popular. Busy seven days a week, not only do locals and visitors flock to play Mangrove Bay Golf Course, but they love to take advantage of the extensive practice facilities as well. The course winds around natural mangroves just a few hundred yards from the bay.
Ritz-Carlton Members Club-Sarasota is a high-end private club in most every respect except one: there is limited outside play. Guests at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota won't want to miss one of Tom Fazio's best and most playable designs.
Tom Doak, who designed Pacific Dunes at Bandon Dunes, brought his minimalist philosophy to central Florida in the form of the Blue Course at Streamsong Resort. Here you'll find landforms that resemble Pacific Dunes without the ocean.
Located just south of Tampa, Seminole Lake C.C. is a semi-private facility set near the popular vacation communities of Reddington Beach. The golf course sits on a peninsula beside Long Bayou and is surrounded with water on three sides. Gentle breezes and a wealth of bird life is a hint that the Gulf of Mexico is just a short distance off. The course even has its own family of bald eagles that live on site.
As part of a muti-million dollar 2015 renovation directed by Ron Garl, the Links Course at The Resort at Longboat Key Club near Sarasota, Florida has been vastly improved.
Opened in 1925, Belleview Biltmore Golf Club is one of the few Donald Ross designs in Florida open to the public. In true fashion, these Ross greens are difficult to read. Better yet, though, the course flows well through natural Florida coastal land where waterfowl -- including ospreys -- reside. At 6,614 yards, this par 71 plays tougher than its yardage with a good variety of holes, including a tough finishing stretch.
At the Innisbrook resort in Palm Harbor, Florida, the PGA Tour host Copperhead gets most of the love. But the Island Course is also a worthy championship examination.
One of four 18-hole golf courses at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida, the South Course may be somewhat on the short side, but it has plenty of bite.
Innisbrook Resort is known for its PGA Tour-hosting Copperhead Course. But the Copperhead is just one of four layouts on property. The sporty North Course has just reopened with brand-new TifEagle Bermuda greens.
The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook near Tampa, Fla. -- host of the PGA Tour's Valspar Championship -- was recently restored to its original design. Will it remains one of the pros' favorite courses?