Southwest Florida

[Cliff Hamm]

Looks like winter has finally arrived in the northeast.  Can't complain about global warming when this has been the warmest and best golfing fall I can ever remember.  Anyway, time to think about heading south.  Going to Sanibel and Naples in February and looking for golf recommendations.  Will play up to 3 times and thinking of one round in the Bradenton/Sarasota area, one in the Ft Myers area, and one in Naples.  Would love recommendations for enjoyable courses in each area for less than $100.  Golf will be with spouse and courses need not be extraordinary.  Just decent conditions, funand not boring.  Look forward to input.  Thanks

Cliff

[Kyle Harris]

Looks like winter has finally arrived in the northeast.  Can't complain about global warming when this has been the warmest and best golfing fall I can ever remember.  Anyway, time to think about heading south.  Going to Sanibel and Naples in February and looking for golf recommendations.  Will play up to 3 times and thinking of one round in the Bradenton/Sarasota area, one in the Ft Myers area, and one in Naples.  Would love recommendations for enjoyable courses in each area for less than $100.  Golf will be with spouse and courses need not be extraordinary.  Just decent conditions, funand not boring.  Look forward to input.  Thanks

Cliff

Cliff,

Check out Dunedin Country Club in Dunedin, FL... it's about an hour north of Sarasota but worth a look.

[Bryan Izatt]

My wife and I have been going to that area for the last few years.  Prices are likely to be high in February.  My wife, a very short hitter, has played all the courses below.  They're all doable.  

Up around Sarasota, I'd recommend Venetian Golf and River Club - it has some nice architectural touches including one of the wildest Biarritz greens you'll see anywhere.  You could probably get it for under a $100.

Around Ft Myers you could try Miromar Lakes or Stoneybrook.  Both are just south of the airport.  Miromar will probably be over $100.  Stoneybrook will definitely be under - and, as a bonus it has 4700 yard front tees if that is helpful.

Not much in Naples that I care for or is affordable.  South of Naples on the way to Marco, there is Lely (Flamingo or Mustang); or The Rookery or Hammock Bay.  Not sure any of them will be under $100 at that time of the year.

You could look at ezlinks.com for good last minute prices.  They have some of the courses in the Naples area, and sometimes you can get a deal.  The local papers sometimes have coupons too.

[S. Huffstutler]

Twin Eagles is very good and there is a new Player course there that I haven't played yet that just opened. Miromar is a lot of fun and the courses at Shadowood are quite nice, not sure of the price in Feb, though, that's high season here. Try Valencia or Palmira, you will be pleasantly surprised, and if you don't mind poor conditioning, but know a great layout when you see it, play Golden Gate.....it's a Joe Lee design, public, the greens are good, but that's about it. I would not reccomend Dunedin, it was in very poor shape when I was there in October, if you are that far north, you are better off going to World Woods.

Steve
Naples

[Kyle Harris]

Twin Eagles is very good and there is a new Player course there that I haven't played yet that just opened. Miromar is a lot of fun and the courses at Shadowood are quite nice, not sure of the price in Feb, though, that's high season here. Try Valencia or Palmira, you will be pleasantly surprised, and if you don't mind poor conditioning, but know a great layout when you see it, play Golden Gate.....it's a Joe Lee design, public, the greens are good, but that's about it. I would not reccomend Dunedin, it was in very poor shape when I was there in October, if you are that far north, you are better off going to World Woods.

Steve
Naples

Dunedin was fine a week ago. You probably caught it either right before or right after the overseed.

And yes, World Woods is another half hour or so north in Brooksville.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I second Venetian Golf&River Club. See Ron Whitten's review:

www.golfdigest.com/courses/critic/index.ssf?/courses/critic/venetian.html

[Jesse Jones]

Speak for yourself on that Global Warming Sh**..
We've just endured the wettest month ever..in Seattle!!

[Cliff Hamm]

Didn't mention precipitation only temp

[Jesse Jones]

Oh, we've had record cold too sir..
See that Seattle snow on Monday Night Football last week?
Anyway, I'll be in Scottsdale in a few weeks, so I'll just quit my bithcin'.

[Andy Troeger]

I've played a few places around Fort Myers...none hold a candle to World Woods, but that's a decent drive from where you're looking at from what I know of Florida.

The best I played (by far) around Fort Myers is Eastwood (Devlin/Von Hagge). They had an afternoon rate that was very reasonable and the course was a nice change of pace to what you usually get in Florida (no houses!). There are a few forced carries over water...at least #6, 7, and 9, but its worth playing.

Anything else I played would be "ok"...nothing offensive but nothing you'd remember all that much about (at least I don't remember much about them...) They include Coral Oaks, GC at Cape Coral (called something else now I think after a re-do...Dick Wilson originally), Westminster, Pelican Sound, Olde Hickory. Two least favorites were Royal Tee and Alden Pines.

[Andy Hughes]

Cliff, everyone always look at me like I've sprouted a second head when I say the River Club in Bradenton is a nice surprise.  It will make no top 100 lists, but it has a number of very interesting and unusual (for that area) holes.  Fourth hole is a terrific short par 4 that I have never heard anyway say a word about.  Nine has a scary approach shot to an awkward green, fourteen has a verrry hard approach to a pinnacle green.  
Yes, you will see some houses on River Club but a number of the holes are isolated. No, I can't promise the condition will be great as I haven't been there in quite some time.  It tends to be too soft--it would play better firmer.
But lots of good holes and not too may clunkers.

PS Have never played the Venetian, so can't compare.

[John_Conley]

Andy's right.  If your budget is a concern it has got to be Eastwood.

[Tom Roewer]

Cliff; I haven't been to Sara Bay in sarasota since the last work, but it is definitely worth the drive.  A wonderful Ross which Brian Silva did work in 1991.

[S. Huffstutler]

Cliff: If Dunedin is, in fact, ok now, then I would give it a shot, it's a Ross and a pretty interesting layout. However, if I were will to drive a little bit, I would rather play World Woods than anything in Dunedin.

Steve

[Tom Roewer]

Cliff:  If you are going to drive up to Tampa, Palma Ceia or Temple Terrace are much better than Dunedin.  Dunedin is fun, and probably easier to get on though.

[John_Cullum]

Check out Dunedin Country Club in Dunedin, FL... it's about an hour north of Sarasota but worth a look.

An hour? If you have a helicopter.

Its not worth the drive given the other options. In fact, if you walked into the golfshop at Dunedin and told them you drove up from Naples just to play their course, THEY would think you were insane.

Temple Terrace is not that hard to access. But I would try to get on Sara Bay, even though I haven't played it. I've seen Temple Terrace and Palma ceia, and they're fine, but nothing noteworthy. I have read very good things about Sara Bay. It shouldn't be very difficult either.

[Greg Tallman]

In the Fort Myers area...

Public: Eastwood or depnding on condition Fort Myers GC can be fun
Private: Fiddlesticks Long Mean

Sarasota: Sara Bay if you can get on is a good suggestion

Naples... Pelican Bay if you can get on is as good as any but I've been away for several years now so any of the 50 or so new courses could be better???

[Cliff Hamm]

Thanks for the responses.  I originally consulted GD Places to Play and surprise, surprise, the 4.5* courses were not the ones I will be playing.  Your travel advice is greatly appreciated.  We will likely play Venetian and Eastwood, which look like the best values.  Again, thanks......

Cliff

[John_Conley]

Cliff, GD "Places to Play" are more like facility rankings than focusing in on the quality of the golf design.  I don't think Eastwood will disappoint for the money.

Enjoy.

[Tim Pitner]

Not much in Naples that I care for or is affordable.  South of Naples on the way to Marco, there is Lely (Flamingo or Mustang); or The Rookery or Hammock Bay.  Not sure any of them will be under $100 at that time of the year.

Thumbs down on Lely Flamingo and The Rookery.  They're both decent courses, but for $150 or so, they qualify as rip-offs.  I've played them in March.  Golf is surprisingly poor in the Naples/Marco area.  

[Bryan Izatt]

Tim,

I played them just before New Years the last few years and Lely was around $90 and the Rookery was around $70.  Decent courses for a decent price.  Not a rip off.  Prices do go up after New Years though.  ezlinks.com and other such booking agencies do have better prices sometimes even in prime season if the demand isn't too high.

[Tim Pitner]

Bryan,

I agree that Lely Flamingo and The Rookery are okay at the prices you quote.  They were both right around $150 when I played them during the month of March, and coming off a trip to Bandon the previous September, those prices seemed like larceny for what they were providing.  My in-laws have a place in Marco so I'll check out the alternative pricing options you mentioned.  To date, I've been very disappointed in the value of the golf near Marco.  

[Andy Troeger]

Cliff,
   I hope that you enjoy Eastwood. I always use the Places to Play guide as a starter for trips along with other sources as I've found that sometimes it is more help than others. I can say though that Eastwood is the BEST 3.5 star course that I've played in that particular book, and it beats out 60-70% of the 4-stars too. Let us know what you think!

[Bryan Izatt]

Tim,

Generally I'd agree.  The courses in the area are pretty uninteresting and certainly not value for money in prime season.  But, they are warm for us freezing northerners.

[Mike McGuire]

as far as privates go...just played

Marco - Island CC - sporty Doak 4-5 - fairways not overseeded. Remodeled by Gene Sarazen

Near Marco I- Hammock Bay  - Doak 4-5  Renovated by Peter Jacobsen
               
Near Marco I -  Fiddlers Creek   -  Arthur Hills  most have been a tough site. First tee is 1 minute ride from clubhouse. Practice area is another 5 minutes ride from there.

as far as the course ....Cross huge concrete bridge to get to first green. Go under road thru tunnell to get to 2nd tee. Wooden bridge thru wetlands to 3rd tee, under road to 4th tee....FW.....18th green 3 minute ride back to clubhouse.

bar 5 minute walk from cart return...

Lots of mounding hiding green surfaces. Grasses in front of tee hiding fairways. Not sure how TD would rate it.