Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Destin
With seven-and-a-half miles of beach and bayfront on the Gulf, four highly-awarded golf courses inside the resort, and free drinks every night, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is tailor-made for buddy trips. The 2,400-acre resort located between ?>Pensacola and Panama City has so much more than golf to offer: 15 tennis courts, a 98-slip marina, sailing, zip lines, just to name some. But with a $99 per person, per night golf special being offered from December 1 to February 1, golf may be all you’ll have on your mind.

Sandestin might be one of the undiscovered gems of the golfing world, but with everything it has to offer it should be on every golfer’s list. The only place you can find Rees and Robert Trent Jones Jr. courses side-by-side (along with two Tom Jackson layouts), the golf is all on-site. In fact, with complimentary tram service anywhere in the resort, you won’t use your car at all while vacationing here. The 24-acre pedestrian Village of Baytowne Wharf has 14 bars and 24 restaurants. Golfing groups get to enjoy free draft beer and well drinks from 8 until 9:30 p.m. every night during their stay at the Village Door in Baytowne Wharf.

TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach
It’s the most photographed—and perhaps most feared—golf hole in the world. The 17th island green at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course has been home to both heroics and heartbreak on the PGA Tour, but what golfer worth his or her salt wouldn’t like to take a shot at placing one close to the pin? Now through February 2009 you can have that opportunity at TPC Sawgrass, home of THE PLAYERS Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach. 

The package, dubbed Dye’s Duo, features two nights at the nearby Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, recently voted among America’s top-10 golf resorts by Travel + Leisure Golf, and rounds at both the Stadium Course and Dye’s Valley Course, along with a personal forecaddie and a one-hour lesson at the TOUR Academy. Packages start at $663 per person.

While Dye’s THE PLAYERS Stadium course is well known because of the annual broadcast of THE PLAYERS Championship, Dye’s Valley Course offers just as compelling a challenge, albeit a shorter one at just over 6,000 yards. In addition to the challenge of these two courses, golfers can look forward to tournament conditions. Even extreme weather won’t thwart play thanks to the sub-air units that irrigate the course.

If you have ever enjoyed a caddy who entertained you with the local lore along with his knowledge of the course, you can look forward to the storyteller forecaddies at both TPC Sawgrass courses. They bring the history of the place alive with their tales while helping you navigate Dye’s layouts.

While at the courses you can also enjoy the new 77,000-square-foot clubhouse that serves as an elegant backdrop to THE PLAYERS Championship. You’ll stay nearby at the Sawgrass Golf Resort and Spa, just a shuttle ride away. This Marriott Resort, with 508 guest rooms, suites and villas, sits along the Atlantic Coast between Jacksonville and St. Augustine. Among its many amenities are the 25,000- square-foot Spa at Sawgrass, four swimming pools and access to miles of beach.

The Villas of Grand Cypress, Orlando
The double greens, stone bridges and walls, gorse mounds, burns, and pot bunkers as deep as 12 feet might make you feel like you are playing ?>St. Andrews. But the beautiful weather will let you know you haven’t traveled any farther than Orlando. This year is the 20th anniversary of the New Course at The Villas of Grand Cypress, Jack Nicklaus’ tribute to the Old Course.

There are 45 holes in all at this AAA Four-Diamond luxury golf resort, all of them designed by Nicklaus (over the past two years he was back to renovate both the South and North courses). Located next door to Disney World, Grand Cypress’ elegantly appointed villas provide spectacular golf course views and offer private terraces, large-screen flat-panel televisions, a wet bar, and daily housekeeping with available turndown.

You can get your fill of the three Nicklaus courses with their current golf package that offers unlimited play for $195 per person, per night. The special includes all accommodations, taxes and fees, and is available until December 31, 2008.

Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, Palm Harbor
Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club is renowned for its four championship golf courses, including the famed Copperhead course, home of the PGA Tour’s Transitions Championship each March. U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Paul Azinger calls Copperhead “the best course we play on Tour.”

In honor of their four courses, Innisbrook has created the “Perfect Foursome” golf package. From now until January 14th golfers will enjoy a three-night package that includes five rounds of golf including a round on Copperhead, spacious suite accommodations, full golfers’ breakfast daily and a golf gift pack. All for only $269 per person, per night. If you have a group of nine or more golfers, Innisbrook provides a personal golf concierge to handle all the details for your group.

For the big football fans out there, Tampa is hosting Super Bowl XLIII and Innisbrook has created a very special VIP Super Bowl Package. The four-night package includes seven rounds of golf, spacious suite accommodations, breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, and either transportation to and from the game or a Super Bowl Party at Innisbrook. The stars of professional football will also be playing at Innisbrook that week as the resort has been selected to host the official NFL Charities Golf Tournament and the Franco Harris Grid Iron Tournament.

Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Ponte Vedra Beach
Located in the tony seaside community of Ponte Vedra Beach, 20 miles southeast of Jacksonville, the historic Ponte Vedra Inn & Club  has graciously welcomed three generations of resort guests. The Atlantic coastline serves as a dramatic backdrop for the AAA Five-Diamond resort's 250 luxurious rooms and suites, the vast majority of which enjoy breathtaking ocean views.

When it opened in 1928, The Inn & Club introduced the first golf course to the area. In December 2007, Bobby Weed fully restored and enhanced the Lagoon Course layout, adding both character and challenge. The $5 million restoration branded the Lagoon Course with its own unique identity while nicely complementing the Ocean Course.

Beyond the two championship golf courses, guests enjoy the beach, tennis, pools and oceanfront gym. Ponte Vedra’s spa, the region’s largest, features more than 100 pampering services. A variety of resort packages are offered year-round.

GOLF MEMBERSHIPS

Jonathan’s Landing, Jupiter
From its full service marina to its signature  hole, water comes into play in a big way at Jonathan’s Landing. The northern ?>Palm Beach County community on the Intracoastal Waterway offers a private golf club and the yacht community’s deep-water marina gives boaters access to the Atlantic Ocean and all it has to offer. Back on dry land, the signature  17th hole on the “In Town” course requires two shots over water. A ferry built  to hold two golf carts transports golfers over the second stretch of water.

With a new fitness center scheduled to open next summer and three championship golf courses (two Fazio and one Arthur Hills) to enjoy, and very active mens’ and ladies’ golf associations, this may be a good time to check equity golf club memberships at one of Florida’s premier golf communities. The member-owned club has some great values on both inside and outside equity memberships right now. For those looking to preview real estate in  Jonathan’s Landing, single-family homes, townhomes and condos are available.

Mariner Sands Country Club, Stuart
Starting January 1, Mariner Sands Country Club is offering guests the opportunity to stay in one of the private community’s golf cottages, use all the amenities and play as much golf as you can for $399 per couple. The three-day, two-night package includes two dinners and three lunches.

Located in Stuart on the Treasure Coast, 45 minutes north of Palm Beach International Airport, Mariner Sands is a relaxed country club community with courses by Tom Fazio and Frank Duane. Both courses were recently renovated and 27 of the holes have just had coquina rock put down on the cart paths (the final nine will be done next summer). New covered outdoor seating at the clubhouse is a big hit with members.                  

This is Palm Beach territory, so croquet is as big as it gets anywhere in the world. Marina Sands, which prides itself in being the Treasure Coast’s preeminent croquet center, has just laser-leveled and resodded their five tournament courses.