Florida Golf - Panning For Golf Gold in Florida's Panhandle

Much like an anchor needs a rope or a stadium needs a sponsor, sometimes I need to get my posterior to a warm weather destination when the weather in the Midwest refuses to cooperate. Last March I really lucked out, playing two of the finest properties that Florida's panhandle has to offer. While both courses may have elicited the same superb experience, they were completely opposite venues. To quote the famous Russian Comedian Yakov Smirnoff, "America, What a Country!" Where else can you find two stunningly different golf and lodging experiences only 2.5 hours away from each other in the same state.

The connection between the two is the developer - The St. Joe Company based in Jacksonville, Fl. The company is publicly held and is one of Florida's foremost real estate operating companies. Based upon what I saw on my five day excursion, these guys know land development and first-class accommodations like Tiger Woods knows winning a major after a 54 hole lead. Below is a summary of my stay with a rundown of places you need to visit when traveling to the Florida Panhandle.

SouthWood Golf Club - Tallahassee

Home to the Florida St. Men's and Women's Golf Teams, SouthWood Golf Club is a Fred Couples/Gene Bates design that opened for play in 2003. A year later the course was named one of Golf Digest's "America's Best New Courses." SouthWood is a planned golf community with numerous membership options, but thankfully the public can play this gem as well as it is also a daily fee course.

The property is in immaculate condition, as it's the attention to detail that sets SouthWood apart from the competition. "Undoubtedly it's the golf course condition, the quality of our greens, and our attentive staff that set us apart in this area," stated Beth Murphy, General Manager of SouthWood. "Golfers also appreciate our practice facilities along with GPS system on our carts. Golfer and non-golfers alike enjoy our resort-style, open clubhouse and dining room as well."

Southwood offers six sets of tees making this course extremely family-friendly. The back tees stretch the course to a challenging 7172 yards, while a youngster just learning the game can play the entire course at a mere 2696 yards from the "Wee Tees." No matter which tee you play from, you will thoroughly enjoy the layout from start to finish. The 197 yard par-3 3rd is the first dynamic hole at SouthWood, and requires a pinpoint accurate approach to a green that's guarded by multiples hazards right, left, short, and long. Once on the putting surface, it took a Midwestern boy like me a few holes to get used to the Tifeagle Greens and their slick, multiple breaking nature.

The back nine is where the property really shows off its splendor, and it starts at the awesome par-5 10th. An uphill tee shot to a wide fairway begins the excursion, followed by a stunning approach down the hill to a sunken green. At 530 yards from the second back tees, the 10th is reachable in two thanks to the potential runway effect near the green. General Manager Beth Murphy discusses the subtle design elements that make SouthWood enjoyable yet challenging at the same time. "The Fred Couples/Gene Bates design team effectively incorporated the grand live oaks and the rolling hills into the layout. Several holes feature massive oaks which impact shot selection. Also, the design and maintenance plan pays considerable respect to acres of naturalized areas."

The 423 yard 12th is a cool par-4 that offers excitement and deception wrapped up in a tidy little package. The tee box and bunkering makes you think left is the prudent play, when in actuality, a drive hammered down the right side will present the best look into the green. With Spanish Moss and 300 year-old Live Oak trees draping both sides of the fairway, it's hard to concentrate on the shot at hand. Speaking of which, I thought I knew what to expect of a golf course so majestically rooted in the south, (I have seen Fletch Lives with Chevy Chase you know) but others and I were stunned by the idyllic scenery present at SouthWood. Jim Johnson of Carolina Golfing Magazine echos those thoughts. "Nothing is more serene and peaceful than looking at the beauty of live oaks meandering through the golf track at SouthWood Golf Club. Here you think and feel you have retreated back a hundred years to the antebellum south."

To complete the time warp, SouthWood has five single-family rustic cottages about a half mile from the course that include three spacious rooms and a porch view straight out of heaven. The adjacent SouthWood House serves is available for meetings and doubles as their very own historical society. Plus, the pillared front porch may just be my all-time favorite setting for a cook-out. Sorry, but I have tail-gated at Lambeau Field before, so it's a close call. For more information on this distinctive lodging option, call (850) 402-5000 or email their offices at
www.southwoodguestcottages.com.

I could finish by talking more about the course, but you'll be able to enjoy that for yourself upon arrival. What really needs to be said is that Southern hospitality is alive and well at Southwood. Whether it was the friendliness of the staff in the pro shop, the remarkable service at their on-course restaurant, or the work ethic employed by their outside staff, every need our group had was taken care of promptly, attentively, and done with a smile. For more information on Southwood, visit their website at
www.stjoegolf.com. or call (850) 942-4653.

Camp Creek Golf Club - WaterSound

A 2.5 hour drive southwest from Southwood revealed a totally different landscape for part two of our journey. Here we discovered the WaterColor Inn and Resort and Camp Creek Golf Club, an isolationist's dream in every sense of the phrase. Only a few blocks away from the backdrop for the Jim Carey hit "The Truman Show," both properties reminded me of a movie set the day before filming- nothing was out of place or looked even used for that matter. It is no wonder that the WaterColor Inn was recently rated as the 4th best hotel in North America according to Travel & Leisure Magazine. If this is number 4, I'd like to see the top three, because I don't know how a property can get any better!!

With ocean side views at nearly every turn, the WaterColor Inn is family-fun personified. Whether it's taking advantage of their complimentary bike service, or just hanging out on your porch in an Adirondack chair watching the waves crash, the WaterColor Inn is akin to traveling to the Carribean without having to wait four months for a passport. The facility features five unique restaurants and consists of 60 rooms, plus 150 House rentals with many of them facing the Gulf of Mexico. Everything points to the ocean, as even the showers are complete with bay windows so you won't miss a heavenly view while completing that mundane task.

Stephen Hilliard, Vice President of Resort and Club Operations for the St. Joe Company, understands the axioms of qaulity and quantity when it comes to the WaterColor Inn's amenities. "The WaterColor Inn is the only AAA-Four Diamond hotel and resort in Northwest Florida. Other hotels and resorts cannot match the number of amenities and services we offer. Our staff's passion is to ensure your time at WaterColor is carefree and memorable. You can enjoy anything from Pilates and fly fishing to championship golf and tennis here," stated Hilliard. "WaterColor is unique because guests have so many accommodation choices ranging from the upscale gulf front guestrooms at the 60-room WaterColor Inn to graciously decorated condos and homes of varying sizes."

For more information on an experience you won't soon forget at the WaterColor Inn, visit their website at
www.watercolorinn.com. or call (866) 426-2656.

Tom Fazio does good work. That's an understatement along the lines of Lindsey Lohan gets into trouble every once in a while. The famed golf architect has created another masterpiece roughly 15 minutes from the WaterColor Inn called Camp Creek Golf Club. Opened in May 2001, Camp Creek is a semi-private course that is available to guests of the WaterColor Inn. Just how remarkable is this property- after finishing the 2nd hole, our group decided to play 36 holes and skip our previous engagements.

Will Hopkins, Camp Creek's General Manager, offers these thoughts on the power of the property. "Our guests love the fact Camp Creek is rarely crowded since we do not allow those other than our resort guests, home owners, and members to play. They also love our layout," stated Hopkins. "Tom Fazio and his team did an outstanding job creating a great course with very interesting contours in both the greens and the fairways. Mr. Fazio calls what he created a "dunescape" which ties the course in very closely to the Gulf of Mexico which is only a few hundred yard away."

The key hallmarks of Camp Creek is its gloriously sculpted mounds and white sand-filled bunkers around every dogleg, slope, and subtle bend. There is plenty of landing area off the tee, but near the greens is where Fazio is a sadomasochist. Nearly every putting surface has a run-off collection area that makes chipping back up the slope a dicey proposition. Throw in some of the truest, yet slickest greens I've ever played on, and it's a safe bet you'll need more than one round to feel good about your score. But again, the score you post is irrelevant at Camp Creek; remember the good shots, disregard the bad and enjoy being at this epic layout.

The best of the best at Camp Creek include the incomparable stretch of holes 7-10, one par-3, one par-5, and two par-4's in that order. The ninth requires two mighty blows to reach the uphill cavernous putting surface. Every hole in this foursome is expertly framed by Fazio's purposeful design of bunkers and mounds. He may show you where to go, but executing a shot a get there is a completely different story. I also love Camp Creek's "Signature Hole," (an oxymoron along the lines of 10-day forecast to say the least) the 179 yard par-3 14th. The green juts out to form an island where right is a lost ball and a safe bail out shot is still a slippery 30 footer. You are only minutes from the Gulf Coast, so wind will play a huge factor in club selection and trust. Thank goodness Camp Creek mantains a wonderful caddie program, so not having enough information will never be an excuse.

Camp Creek has all the trappings of the poshest country club you've ever played. Yet the property portrays a casual, laid back atmosphere than doesn't allow for stuffiness or nervousness. The time we spent there went way too fast and I'm sure every member of our group is counting the days until we walk the fairways of Camp Creek again. For more information on Camp Creek , visit
www.stjoegolf.com. or call (850) 231-7600.

"Camp Creek was laid out with no home sites on the golf course now or in the future. One of our PR agencies came up with the line "the only homes you will see lining the fairways at Camp Creek are those of the natural habitat". That not only sounds great but it is true!" -- Will Hopkins, Head Golf Professional at Camp Creek.

Near the end of the trip we also enjoyed the Emerald Coast's newest course, The Origins. The Davis Love III design is a concept course, meaning it was laid out with a premise in mind. The idea, create a course that can be played three different ways, depending upon your skill level or mind set. If you're in the mood the bomb the driver and work on your long game, the course plays as a six-hole regulation course. If your all-around game needs work, then play it as a nine-hole executive layout, measuring in at 1,852 yards. Or finally, if your short game is in peril, then play it as a ten-hole par-3 course between 1,600 and 1,800 yards. The option is yours, or because it's so player friendly I suggest you take a day and play all three ways.

The other great part besides the design is the price. For only $25 per person you can walk the course. Add another $10 for the cart and you've still got a reasonable golf experience. Juniors under 15 are FREE when accompanied by an adult. For more information on The Origins, go to
www.stjoegolf.com. or call (850) 231-7600.

Finally, as of August 16th, St. Joe has another considerable weapon of mass seduction within their arsenal. By purchasing the Greg Norman designed Shark's Tooth Golf Club, guests of the Water Color Inn will now have a myraid of stellar golf options. Clearly, they're no ordinary Joe.