Review: Aileron Golf Club and brand-new Sunseeker Resort take off along Florida's Gulf Coast, but do they nail the landing?

LAKE SUZY, Fla. - Having played more than 600 in my life so far, there are not many upscale golf course amenities I have not seen, from choose-your-own-brand range balls (Omni PGA Frisco) to homemade energy bars (Whistling Straits) to taco-and-tequila shacks (Quivira).

But the big black fanny packs strapped across the front of the golf carts at Aileron Golf Club? They were a first.

I laughed out loud when I first noticed this super-sized, cliche tourist accessory, but that doesn't mean I didn't appreciate it. The fanny packs are not just for show. They're insulated, meant for keeping beverages cold on a typically toasty Florida afternoon. I wouldn't stuff too many sodas in them and then go careening over curbs, but for bottled water and sports drinks, it's a novel and clever cooler alternative.

But just as clothes don't make the man, golf carts - however snazzy - don't make the golf course. Aileron Golf Club fares nicely on its own and makes a solid addition to Florida's upscale resort golf roster.

Open less than a year, Aileron is one of many impressive amenities belonging to Sunseeker Resort, a huge new complex that sits 15 minutes south, overlooking Charlotte Harbor. The nearly half-billion-dollar project is the first and flagship resort to be developed by Allegiant Air, a popular airline that has been flying since 1997 and focuses on smaller American cities and destinations. Its Florida hub is the Punta Gorda Airport (PGD), just five miles from the resort. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed back Allegiant's timeline for development of both the resort and golf course by more than two years, but both finally opened in December 2023. More Sunseeker Resort locations are planned for the coming years, the common thread between them being proximity to major Allegiant destinations.

Water borders the right side all the way up the par-5 7th at Aileron Golf Club. Tim Gavrich/GolfPass

A tiny bunker complicates the approach to Aileron Golf Club's par-4 9th hole. Tim Gavrich/GolfPass

Aileron Golf Club's appealing hangar-like clubhouse overlooks the 18th green. Tim Gavrich/GolfPass

Prolific Florida golf course architect Kipp Schulties was brought in to overhaul the former Kingsway Country Club, a Ron Garl design that closed in 2020 after being bought by Allegiant in 2018. Schulties simplified the bunker scheme to mostly smooth-edged, low-maintenance circular and oval shapes, clearing the way for generous fairways and medium-large greens with broad but mostly gentle slopes. Many trees came down, too, enlarging the feel of the existing golf corridors Schulties used.

The first four holes of Aileron's core-golf front nine loop clockwise to the east and south with holes 5 through 9 weaving back and forth towards the coolly industrial-looking clubhouse that reminds of an airplane hangar. The outward par 5s provide some intrigue; from the back tee, the 3rd hole is said to be the longest in the state at 664 sea-level yards. The 7th plays in the opposite direction, to a wide fairway pinched by a tiny pot bunker and flanked by water up the right that meanders all the way to the green. Downwind, it can be a fun risk-reward hole.

Aileron's back nine stiffens the challenge with several holes that proceed alongside and through an existing residential neighborhood. The long par-4 11th is a particularly tough hole, as is the 14th, where homes along the right side oppose a lagoon down the left. The par-5 15thm something of a double-dogleg, is the only hole where homes are visible on both sides, but there is still room to play sensibly.

The course ends on a mild note with a short par 3 over water and two mid-length par 4s. The 18th green is perfectly sited in front of the clubhouse, with the distinctive aviation-inspired logo overlooking it. It's a terrific space - cool and bright, with several furnishings and touches that suggest Allegiant's deep sense of pride in their place in aviation history. The clubhouse restaurant, the Aviators Club, serves bar/pub fare and has indoor and outdoor seating that overlooks one of Florida's most well-appointed practice facilities.

(Note: an aileron is the trailing part of an airplane wing that helps stabilize it laterally. If only golf balls were similarly equipped...)

Aileron Golf Club green fees for resort guests (the club is otherwise private) top out at $289 in prime winter season.

The verdict: Aileron is a strong example of "resort golf" - an amenity attached to a resort, as opposed to the main reason for the resort's existence (most Sunseeker guests are not prioritizing golf). Design-wise it's not a world-beater, but the conditioning is near-perfect, the amenities are excellent and the hospitality is squarely on point. Relatively low flow of play also means sub-four-hour rounds are going to be commonplace, especially early or late in the day. Perfect for a parent being granted a few hours' leave while the rest of the fam lounges by the pool.

Speaking of Sunseeker, it is an impressive addition to Florida's increasingly competitive upscale family-oriented resort scene. Totaling 785 rooms, it is divided into two hotels-within-the-resort, all packed onto just 11 acres but never feeling cramped.

The 189-unit Sunsuites section, with its own check-in area and valet parking distinct from the main hotel, offers a club-level experience as well as apartment-like accommodations with their own kitchens, living rooms and multiple balconies offering sweet sunset views over Charlotte Harbor. During my late-March visit, I was hosted in a one-bedroom Sunsuite; two-and three-bedroom versions are also available. The second I walked in to my suite, I knew I had made a mistake in not bringing my wife and daughter along for the trip. As one would expect from a brand-new resort, the open-concept suite was immaculate with white interiors and furniture that practically sparkled in the afternoon sun. The living room has plenty of places from which to gaze out at the harbor as well as a large-screen TV for a change of scenery. A full kitchen with Wolf appliances means guests can cook in if they want.

That last point might be a tough sell, though, because Sunseeker has one of the most extensive rosters of dining options I have ever seen at a single property. One could stay for a week and eat at a different spot practically every meal. There are 20 total dining and drinking concepts, 11 of which are housed in Harbor Yards, a bustling central food hall of the sort being seen in numerous towns and cities. You can get tacos, sushi, pizza or charcuterie and enjoy it in an open, central indoor/outdoor seating area near the main hotel lobby. More formal dining options include an upscale steakhouse called Maury's and a Baja California/Mexican spot called Blue Lime.

I enjoyed my dinner at Stretto, Sunseeker's Italian restaurant, although the lone hiccup of my visit occurred when I was required to move my seat from the bar to a table six feet from the bar in order to order off of the main restaurant menu. Bizarre, but the main-menu charred octopus appetizer I had was excellent. I'll never understand why I wasn't allowed to enjoy it at the bar, though.

Activities-wise, Sunseeker's location places it within about 45 minutes of beaches at Boca Grande or Manasota Key. Other boating adventures are close at hand along Peace River or Charlotte Harbor. On-site, Sunseeker's pool complex is impressive, with adults-only and kids sections as well as cabanas available for private rental. Level Blue, the hotel's rooftop bar, also has a small pool.

The verdict: From the $100 million transformation of PGA National to the brand-new Evermore in Orlando, Florida resorts are continuing to blur the line between a golf resort and a resort-with-golf. Sunseeker is an upper-tier example of the latter category, but with hundreds of undeveloped acres close to Aileron Golf Club, I wonder whether the future might see a second golf course built (I have no inside knowledge; this is pure speculation on my part). That would flip the script somewhat and allow Sunseeker to be seen as a golf resort to some visitors and a resort-with-golf to others.

Aileron Golf Club

Lake Suzy, Florida

Private/Resort

0.0

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