Destin Florida; Recommendations?

[David Neveux]

I know how much you'll love these threads about where to play, but I've been having some real trouble trying to identify which course(s) are worth playing.  I'm taking a short little trip this Saturday evening thru Wednesday morning.  Anybody know the area?  Thanks in advance

Nev

P.S.  Any other tips including restaurants, night life, fishing, ect. are welcomed!!!!!

[Adam_Messix]

David--

There are several nice courses in the Destin or nearby area.  The best course which is about a 45 minutes east is Shark's Tooth.  It's a Greg Norman design that I really enjoyed.  There is little to no tall grass on the course, just fairway and pinestraw/woods.  10-14 is a really nice stretch of holes that work their way down to a large lake.  The one hole that will really draw you attention is #6.  It's a shortish par 5 with a reasonably narrow fairway that is crossed by a rather large wetlands area that starts at about 225 yds out and crosses at an angle to 190 yards.  It's a difficult layup because the fairway on the other side is so narrow.  Most people I know do not like the hole. 

Camp Creek is a bit closer to Destin and is a Tom Fazio design.  My memory is a bit foggy as it's been a while since my only visit, but I remember it as having a little bit of elevation change to it and having a lot of sand.  The front nine is pretty open while the back nine having more trees.  Really nice Fazio course, you tend to get a 50-50 split from my friends as to whether Camp Creek or Shark's Tooth is better, it depends on taste I guess.  I prefer CC only because it doesn't have the 6th hole at ST. 

Windswept Dunes is more inland and is a pretty good course.  There are some threads on it in gca.com.  Very long course with some long drives between holes. 

Going the other direction, about 90 minutes west is Pensacola CC.  Jerry Pate did a great job with the renovation about 5 (?) years ago.  Fun and very sporty course that played very firm and fast when I visited.  I loved the short par 4 5th, the long punchbowl 17th and the finisher can be downright scary with any kind of wind blowing.  Bill McBride can give you a much more detailed description of the course.  Very underrated. 

As far as dining goes, the one place I think you need to go is Seagars which is in the Hilton Sandestin.  Some of the best steaks you'll find anywhere....great wine list, too. 

[Bill_McBride]

David, I live about 75 minutes due west in Pensacola, but don't get down that way too often.  Destin is pretty much a vacation spot but a nice one.

The best golf within say half an hour is Kelly Plantation, which I think is a Gene Bates design with Fred Couples out front.  At Sandestin there are side by side Jones brothers courses - The Raven is RTJ II, Burnt Pine is Rees.  I personally prefer The Raven.

There are a couple of courses, pretty typical resort fare, at the Sandestin Resort right on 98.

A bit farther away are Camp Creek (Fazio) and Shark's Tooth (Norman) over near Panama City.  I haven't played either one.

Just saw Adam beat me to the punch, good advice there.

My favorite thing about Destin is the town motto - "A wonderful drinking village with a major fishing problem."  Lots of restaurants and bars right there in Destin.  My personal favorite restaurant is half an hour east on 30-A, Criollo's, excellent Italian, but a long way to drive home after a bottle of chianti.

[Will Peterson]

I was there a couple of years ago and played Windswept Dunes and Regatta Bay.  

Windswept Dunes is a little ways (20-30 min) from Destin, but on the way if you are coming from the east.  It was a decent course with an attractive price.  Everything is very big there, big greens, big fairways, big dunes, and big drives between holes.  It was the longest course in FL at the time, and that and the 30 mph wind are what I remember about it.  I did play it soon after it opened, and remember thinking that I would like to see it in a couple of years.

Regatta Bay is right in the middle of Destin.  It is a typical FL course, and was a lot of fun.  Nothing spectacular, but I would play it again.

I have heard that Sandestin is very nice.  Didn't have a chance to play it (as students at FSU we were looking for a lower cost trip).

[Mike Hendren]

I too liked Sharks Tooth - excellent opening holes through the 5th, then an absolute train wreck at the par five sixth. 

Shalimar Pointe (Joe Finger / Ken Dye) north of Ft. Walton beach is a solid, affordable course that has some interesting architecture, including inverted sand bunkers on a couple of holes.  Okay conditioning but best bang for buck on the coast. 

I'd also recommend the Origins Course at Watercolor for any architectural enthusiast.  A flexible layout by Love Design that can be played as a conventional 6 holes course, 9 holes executive course or10 holes par 3 course.  Also a good opportunity to experience paspalum turf.

Bogey

[mike_beene]

I frequented Destin for years until my father-in-law sold the condo he used to rope me in to marrying Elizabeth.I recall the Fort Walton Beach muny being pretty fun.Also,is the par 3 course at the bridge from Ft walton still there?It was pretty and a fun way to spend an hour.The Back Porch and Capt Daves were favorites.World's whitest sand.

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