New Greens And New Life For Florida Golf Course

It was not business as usual for director of golf Mike Aldridge at Miami Springs' historic Golf and Country Club on Friday afternoon. The newly renovated pro shop was abuzz as members and nonmembers dropped by to play the course's recently revamped 18 holes.

The course, located at 650 Curtiss Pkwy., was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina last year, resulting in rough greens and the loss of many canopy trees. Early in July, the greens were re-seeded with Tifdwarf Bermudagrass, a small-leafed grass that is highly recommended for courses with year-round play. After approval from the City Council, Champion Turf, a Texas-based company, re-seeded the greens at the cost of $150,000.

The course is open to the public and has a driving range and country club. The city started to redo the greens after Independence Day.

''It is a quiet opening because things are not quite what we anticipated. Time and growth will make the difference,'' Aldridge said. ``However, we will have a big grand opening sometime in October.''

Hurricane Katrina damaged almost 100 trees at the city-owned course, and uprooted about 12 ficus trees, exposing root plates 20 feet in diameter.

Ken Amendola, a member of the city of Miami Springs Golf and Country Club Advisory Board, said prior to the July renovations, golfers mainly complained about the grainy greens.

Amendola said now Miami Springs' turf is on par with neighboring courses.

''We'll have top-quality greens, as good as any other course around here. It's one of the oldest courses in the area and the layout is great,'' he said.

Paul ''Pauly'' Stieglitz is a regular at Miami Springs Golf and Country Club. And, although he lives in Broward County, Stieglitz still chooses to play at Miami Springs.

''It's a beautiful course that's been here since the 1920s,'' said Stieglitz, as he points to a plaque on the club house wall. ``Many great players have played here: Sam Sneed, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan.''

With the new improvements, Aldridge expects ''a 10 percent increase in people,'' resulting ``in a 40 percent increase in revenue.''

In December, once the golf season starts, Aldridge says the greens fees will increase between 5 percent and 10 percent. Open 6 a.m to 9 p.m., the current weekday rate for a nonmember is $35, plus tax for 18 holes. After 1 p.m., the rate drops to $26, plus tax. On weekends the fee is $45, not including tax.

Aldridge said the new season will feature some special events at the gold course. The Founder's Day golf tourney is scheduled for an 8 a.m. shotgun start Nov. 11. Sponsored by the Miami Springs Airport Chamber of Commerce, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Miami Springs' Hook a Kid on Golf program.

''We are very excited about the upcoming season. It's going to be absolutely one of the best greens in South Florida,'' Aldridge said.

For Sale: 18 Hole Florida Golf Course

The New York-based owner of the Serenoa Golf Club plans to put the 18-hole course up for sale beginning this fall.

United Golf LLC's decision to sell the 16-year-old Florida golf course comes amid rising taxes and maintenance costs for links' owners in Southwest Florida, a trend that has forced some courses to close or sell to residential developers.

At Serenoa, though, the sale stems more from United Golf's plan to liquidate its portfolio and reallocate resources.

The company, which at one time owned three dozen golf courses nationwide -- including Eagle Ridge in Illinois and the Cleghorn Plantation in North Carolina -- has sold all but the 233-acre Serenoa and a course in Wisconsin.

United Golf bought Serenoa in April 1997 for $7.02 million, Sarasota County property records show.

The company has not set a price for the club, which was designed by Mark Alden and includes a 7,000-square-foot clubhouse with a full-service restaurant.

"From my perspective, we've owned this asset for 10 years, and our operations were spread out all over the country. Because of the dynamic growth in the golf business, we determined it was a good time to sell," said Mark Mashburn, United Golf's chief executive and until March a top executive with the firm that owns the Longboat Key Club.

"We don't have a minimum price in mind," Mashburn said. "We paid $7 million back in 1997, and we hope and expect to get more than that. The market is so dynamic down there. Housing is cooling somewhat, but it's still very dynamic."

United Golf intends to sell Serenoa following a series of "open houses" beginning Sept. 20, Mashburn said.

The company hopes to complete Serenoa's sale by early next year.

Serenoa, off Clark Road east of Interstate 75, would become the latest in a series of Southwest Florida courses to trade hands in recent years.

Most recently, the Foxfire Golf Course sold in mid-July for $3.6 million. Buyer Foxfire Properties LLC said it has no immediate plans for the 188-acre course, but residential development is a likely option there.

"It's a wonderful Florida golf course that's been underutilized," Michael Saunders, president of giant real estate brokerage firm Michael Saunders & Co. Inc., said of Serenoa.

"But it needs somebody who's really going to focus on it," Saunders said. "The success of the Concession and Founders Club and the Ritz-Carlton courses show we have a demand here for golf. It'll be a great opportunity for someone."

Though Serenoa does have spare land that could be developed into as many as 10 lots -- for homes that would fetch roughly $1 million each -- its future will likely be centered around golf.

Moreover, the Florida golf course already has a residential community surrounding it, a 192-home neighborhood developed by Cy Bispham. The course has 35 homes surrounding it.

Though Serenoa has averaged 40,000 public rounds a year since 2002, the club has operated as "semi-private," meaning it both has members and is open to transient players. The club's 100-plus members pay annual dues of $2,340 and $6,890, plus a $750 initiation fee.

Mashburn believes Serenoa's value has increased as other area courses -- including Heather Mills, Venice East and the Sunrise Golf Club -- have closed.

"One would think that as three other places have gone away, one of those remaining would absorb some of that."

New Palm Beach Gardens B&B Is A Tribute To Great Course Designer

One good Palm Beach Gardens B&B certainly deserves another -- as the Great Bard never said -- and the 2-month-old Donald Ross Inn is special enough to share the sun with the town's Heron Cay B&B.

Named for this country's premier golf course designer who was responsible for no fewer than 413 layouts in the United States -- 34 of them in Florida -- the Donald Ross Inn opened in July after months of modernization and makeover by owners Cindy and Charlie Herbst.

Newcomers to the innkeeping business but not to Florida, where they've spent some 60 years combined, the Ohio natives played their first golf at the Donald Ross-designed Inverness Club in Toledo and are familiar with many of Ross' other achievements including his masterpiece, the Pinehurst in North Carolina. It's where Ross introduced many of his innovations, including grassy greens, and it's where he died in l948.

What better tribute to the tireless talent than an eponymous inn, conveniently located close to Florida's Turnpike and Interstate 95 on a road bearing his name, in the heart of golfing country? There are more than 30 challenging courses in the area, and the Herbsts can make arrangements for golf packages, scheduling tee times for guests staying two or more nights in one of four accommodations named for famous Ross courses.

The Oakland Hills suite is the honeymoon retreat with king-size bed, and the Seminole has a queen, each with private bath. The Pinehurst and Inverness rooms accommodate foursomes and are being finished with French doors leading to the poolside patio, where a full complimentary breakfast is served to guests. There's always fresh fruit and fresh-baked breads, muffins and such plus something special, like Charlie's Hole-in-One eggs, made with a round loaf of sourdough bread which, when it's sliced, looks like an aerial view of a putting green. It's a variation of French toast with cooked, domed eggs in the center, with a small flag by the egg and fruit garnish, bacon or sausage on the side.

There is also a grill near the pool, and guests are invited to grill their own meals. It's a great place to relax after a day on the fairways. Or a day in conferences. The inn is an appealing oasis for small business conferences, which can use the huge cathedral-ceiling living and dining rooms. In the future there will be a separate meeting room, created from the pair of garages out back.

Also on the Herbst's priority list of projects is a Bermuda grass putting green, to be planted in a corner of their 11/4 acres.

Charlie Herbst should be turning his attention to putting his design talents to use, perhaps painting wall murals of the suite courses or adding other thematic touches. Maybe something similar to the painted chest of drawers he brought back to life with splashy, bright marine-life colors.

The former college professor taught theatrical set design, and for the past decade he's had his own design firm. Cindy Herbst's background is in sales -- everything from bikinis to big-rig trucks -- and she's currently working in marine insurance out of Fort Lauderdale.

Combining their talents in creating this tribute to the game they both love while striking out in new directions is a joy to experience, and it will be a pleasure to see them grow in their new endeavor.

Kennedy Funding Loans $2.1 Million to Florida Developer for Purchase of Championship Golf Course & Country Club In Florida

Picture a golf course in Plant City, Hillsborough County, Florida. It's not just a golf course, but a 400- acre tract consisting of a clubhouse with restaurant and full-service kitchen, meeting rooms, pro shop and offices, six outside fully lit tennis courts, an Olympic-sized outdoor pool, fitness center, and two 18-hole, 72-par golf courses designed by Ron Garl. It's even rumored that the championship courses were actually designed (although not signed) by the legendary Jack Nicklaus. The two courses, the 6,530-yard Lakes Course, and the 6,561-yard Hill Course are interlaced among the Walden Lake residential subdivision consisting of more than a dozen neighborhoods. All in all, it's an idyllic setting. There's even a potential for a hotel to go up next to the clubhouse, which could further add to the property's value and income-producing ability. Small wonder that Steve Mercer of Vision Golf, LLC wanted to buy it.

In order to do that, he needed a loan. He was offering the property as collateral, and didn't foresee any great difficulty, and he wanted to close as quickly as possible. But when he couldn't find the needed loan after several attempts, he was faced with the possibility of having to revise his timeline. It's a good thing he discovered Kennedy Funding, because this is the kind of deal that's right up Kennedy's alley.

Kennedy Funding is a direct private lender headquartered in Hackensack, New Jersey specializing in unconventional financing where speed and attention to special circumstances are critical. And this unique lending program has made them one of the largest, most successful lenders in the country -- as Steve Mercer fortunately found out. "I'm glad we found them," said Mercer. "This deal was complex, involving a large, irregularly shaped piece of land, and there were, frankly, some problems. We had a few hiccups on our end. But Jeff and his staff worked through everything, and ended up finalizing the deal extraordinarily quickly. In fact, my advisor told me that deals like this normally take three to six months to close, and Kennedy closed in about five weeks."

Man Denied $10,000 Prize After Nailing Hole-In-One On Florida Golf Course

It was a one-in-a-million shot. A Central Florida golfer made a hole-in-one in a local tournament and he was supposed to get a $10,000 prize, but the company responsible for the payout is only offering half.

Matt Santangelo will freely admit he has an addiction.

"It's a hate-love relationship," he said. "You get hooked on it."

Matt loves Florida golf and, back in May, he was playing in a charity tournament at Victoria Hills Golf Club in DeLand and any player who made a hole-in-one on the 12th hole would win $10,000.

"I selected a 3-iron. I was gonna go with a 9-wood, and I says, 'Ahhh, I hit a perfect shot,'" Matt said.

It was long and straight and right in the cup, the first ace of Matt's golfing life and he was $10,000 richer, or so he thought.

"Yeah, at this point I do [think they're ripping me off]," he said.

The tournament was sponsored by the Main Street DeLand Association, which took out an insurance policy with an outfit called U.S. Hole In One. If somebody made an ace, U.S. Hole In One would have to pay, but the insurance company has only offered to give Matt half of the $10,000 prize.

The company claims the contest rules called for a shot of 212 yards, but the spot where Matt and the other 150 players teed off from was 177 yards.

Main Street DeLand fired off a letter to the insurance carrier urging them to pay Matt the full $10,000, but so far U.S. Hole In One won't budge.

"And fortunately, or unfortunately, I won it. We're gonna see. But at least I got the hole-in-one on a Florida golf course. They can't take that away from me," Matt said.

U.S. Hole In One is based near Philadelphia. A company spokesman did not return a phone call from Eyewitness News on Monday. Main Street DeLand's director said he will never use the company again for future charity tournaments.

New Florida Golf Course Highlights Miller's Career

The 30-year-old PGA Class A professional was captain of the Carson-Newman College team, played on the NGA Hooters Tour, won several mini-tour events and was head professional at Heritage Isles in Tampa and Bardmoor Golf & Tennis Club in Largo.

"I would say getting the head professional job at River Strand (Golf and Country Club) is a pretty big accomplishment," Miller said. "I'm pretty excited about that."

Miller, who lives in St. Petersburg, has been working primarily out of Stoneybrook Golf Club in Florida in anticipation of the opening of River Strand's first 18 holes in late September or early October.

Another nine holes of the Florida golf course will open early next year. The Arthur Hills-designed course will be open to the public until Lennar Homes sells a sufficient number of residences for River Strand to operate as a private club.

Miller - a graduate of the PGA of America's Professional Golf Management Program - said his main objective is getting the golf course staff "functioning as a unit to make sure the members and guests are getting an outstanding experience that is not available at every Florida golf course.

"I definitely enjoyed being at Bardmoor, but this is an opportunity to be at a new facility that is 27 holes," Miller said. "The fact it is designed by Arthur Hills lends instant credibility, and it's a chance to be in an attractive, upscale environment."

Away from the Florida golf course, Miller was a three-time national racquetball champion, rising to a No. 1 world ranking as a junior.

Ryan Wells Memorial Played On Florida Golf Course

At Innisbrook a Florida golf course last weekend, Matt Cooney, of Gaither High, asserted himself in the second round with 6-under 65 on the Highlands South course for a 137 total and first place in the high school division of the Ryan Wells Memorial.

Zach Sobel, a sophomore at Palm Harbor University finished fifth 71-73--144, followed by teammate Mark Fazzini, tying for ninth (71-78-149).

Taylor Hancock improved the second day with a 70 after opening with a 1-under 71 to win the middle school division over Skycrest teammate Lee McCoy (75-68-143).

Shorecrest School brothers M.J. and Jack Maguire finished third and fourth with 36-hole totals of 144 and 147, respectively.

In the girls' division, encompassing both high school and middle school, Dakoda Dowd, of Palm Harbor, and Cypress Run took a giant step forward winning at age 13 by coming back from an opening round of 77 with a 68 on Sunday for 146.

Dowd, who is homeschooled, defeated last year's co-champions Evan Jensen (148) and Andrea Messer (152), who play for Largo High. They finished third and fourth behind runner-up Whitney Wenglasz (73-74-147) of Oldsmar, who will plays for East Lake High.

Meghan Chapman, of Seminole, was fifth with 155 (78-77).

Fazzini and Dunedin High's Justine Knox were given special Sportsman Awards by Mike Wells, the father of the late Ryan Wells.

Ryan would have been co-captain of the Tarpon golf team this fall.