Sailfish Point Reconditions Its Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course

Sailfish Point, a secluded 532-acre island community at the southern tip of Hutchinson Island has updated its championship par-72 Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. After receiving several rejuvenating treatments due to Hurricane Wilma and additional priming due to normal wear and tear, the always-alluring course is now ready for its close-up.

According to Nicklaus Design, a team of the world's most accomplished experts in golf course construction and marketing, Sailfish Point's Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course is a classic due to its place in history. Noted as the ninth Signature Course ever composed by Nicklaus, now more than ever, the course showcases the golf legend's most intricately designed holes.

"The changes that were made to this course, though they focused heavily on aesthetics, have enhanced the beauty and the playability of this course tremendously," states Victor Tortorici, Director of Golf at Sailfish Point. "With every hole replaced and regreened, the course, built in 1981, looks refreshed. And by reestablishing the bunker sand with Pro/Angle sand, the angular grains have improved the conservation of sand on slopes."

Set between the Atlantic Ocean, Intracoastal Waterway and St. Lucie Inlet, it is easy to understand how mother nature can significantly affect play on this course. By recontouring all areas around the greens, as well as repaving cart paths with aggregate cement, the course will resist further weather damage.

The Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course is known throughout the Treasure Coast for its breathtaking fairway views as well as spectacular golf living. The 18th hole, referred to as the "Window on the Sea", offers a remarkable ocean view. This 443-yard, par-4 wonder, pays homage to the natural beauty of the pure grounds from which it was created. The 14th hole, equally as appealing, is a 575-yard, par-5 marvel that sits on the St. Lucie Inlet and offers a glimpse of paradise.

Sailfish Point offers luxury oceanfront condominiums, townhomes with river frontage, villas offering carefree single-family living and magnificent estate homes with ocean, river or golf course views from $800,000 to priceless. Many other resort-style amenities are offered, such as eight HarTru(R) world-class tennis courts, a full-service 77-slip protected deepwater marina and 60,000- square-foot oceanfront clubhouse. Call the Sailfish Point sales office at 772-225-6200 or visit their website at www.sailfishpoint.com.

Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open Brings LPGA Tour Stars To A Central Florida Golf Course

Reunion Resort & Club of Orlando, Central Florida's newest and most comprehensive golf destination, will soon be home to the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour's newest Tour stop beginning in 2006.

The inaugural Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open will be played April 27-30, 2006, at Reunion Resort & Club of Orlando on a composite layout of two of the resort's courses, the Legacy Course designed by Arnold Palmer and the Independence Course by Tom Watson. The Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open joins the ADT Championship as the LPGA's premier stops in Florida.

Destined to become one of the LPGA Tour's premier events, the Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open will offer $2.5 million in prize money and joins the Evian Masters as events on the LPGA Tour with the highest total prize money. Featuring weekend coverage on CBS Sports of the final two rounds, the Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open will be one of the Tour's elite events with a major television network broadcast package. A worldwide audience will also see the 72-hole championship TV coverage.

"We are thrilled to be the home of the LPGA's only full-field tournament in the state of Florida," said Bobby Ginn, president and CEO of Ginn Clubs & Resorts. "Our goal in hosting this tournament is to provide an exceptional experience for the players, their families and our guests."

Reunion is home to some of the greatest golf in Central Florida. The 7,147-yard Independence Course, Watson's first Florida design, has garnered many accolades since opening in February 2005. Equally beautiful and challenging is the 6,876-yard Legacy Course, designed by the legendary Palmer. Reunion's third course, the Tradition Course, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design, is scheduled to open in early 2006.

The four-year agreement between Ginn Clubs & Resorts, tournament organizer Pantheon International and the LPGA, ensures that women's professional championship golf will be prominently featured at a first-class Florida venue for years to come.

"We are very excited to welcome Ginn Clubs & Resorts to the LPGA sponsor family as title sponsor of our newest addition to the 2006 LPGA Tour schedule," said LPGA Commissioner Ty M. Votaw. "LPGA players are excited to return to Central Florida with a full-field event and with Ginn Clubs & Resorts reputation for attention to detail I am confident that players, sponsors, fans and media will have a great week at Reunion."

What LPGA Tour players and fans will discover at the event is the type of getaway destination that has prompted Reunion Resort & Club to be called "America's new breed of family resort towns." The Resort's extraordinary clubhouse and championship practice facility will provide the special qualities tour players will appreciate and visitors will notice

"Bobby Ginn has established an impressive track record in developing prestigious resort properties and providing the highest quality of service," said Kent Atherton, president & CEO of Pantheon International. "It is the same vision we share for the Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open, in producing a first class experience that establishes the highest event standards available on the LPGA Tour."

There are several other unique and exciting event activities that will be announced by the organizers over the next few months. More information about the Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open can be found on the official event Web site at www.ginnopen.com.

Florida Golf Course Suffers Shortage Of Green

As a sport, golf can be a lifetime challenge, a source of joy but also a source of frustration and even heartbreak.

Lee Duxstad has found out the same is true for golf as a business venture, even in a state where golf is one of the premier attractions.

The 68-year-old Spring Hill Florida man is the designer and former owner of Rivard Golf & Country Club, a public course off U.S. 41 south of Brooksville Florida that fell into such financial struggles that it was finally foreclosed on in September, leaving Duxstad with nearly $1-million in unpaid loans and civil suits against him. Another hit came last week, when Duxstad was arrested on felony charges of failing to pay more than $30,000 in sales tax.

"It's been a nightmare," Duxstad said Thursday. "I've lost every dime that I had, and every dime I could borrow."

St. Petersburg-based Republic Bank now owns the course and is working to find a buyer, managing the property through a court-appointed receiver for the past seven months. Receiver Peter Bursik's records show financial struggles beyond Florida's normal slow summer season: from Aug. 1 to Oct. 16, the course generated just $19,275 in golf income, not even enough to cover payroll.

Rivard's very existence has been marked by adversity -- its opening was delayed two years by a right-of-way conflict with a railroad company, and it has endured droughts that damaged greens and flooding that temporarily closed seven holes one winter. Months after the course's clubhouse opened in 1999, it suffered $250,000 in damage from a fire the week before Christmas. Duxstad cited all as factors leading to the course's downward spiral.

The real estate around the course has not fared any better. Originally approved for nearly 800 homes, the development has sold about 20 homes in eight years. Although Duxstad was not involved in the development -- the foreclosure was limited to the course itself -- the lack of regular customers didn't help his business.

Duxstad's financial problems start with Republic, which granted the original $850,000 mortgage in 1995 to two companies he headed: Rivard Golf & Country Club and Glen Ayers Inc. The former shares Duxstad's middle name, while the latter refers to the estate of John Harvey Ayers, the original owner of the land and a co-defendant in civil actions because the estate remains on the mortgage for a small amount still owed to it by Duxstad.

Another $250,000 was loaned to the course in 1997 to finance construction of a clubhouse. Republic began foreclosure proceedings in 1998 after three consecutive mortgage payments were not made. But the foreclosure case was dismissed in 1999, and later that year another $110,000 was added to the loan.

Not only did the course default last year by missing multiple payments, but according to the bank, another concern was 'failure to maintain the golf course in a standard required by the industry," thus failing to maintain the property as adequate collateral on the loan.

The Florida golf course was identified by the county as being delinquent on tangible real estate taxes for each of the past two years: $2,809 is owed for 1999 and $1,234 for last year.

Cutting corners to save money took other tolls at Rivard. According to documents filed by Bursik, the course had not insured its fleet of 70 golf carts, which are leased from Yamaha through March 2004, so when 13 were stolen, the course had to cover the loss. Other carts have been found on nearby railroad tracks. And as another sign of financial troubles, the course opted not to take out casualty insurance for the golf carts.

Bursik repeatedly sought additional funds, citing "substantial reduction in rounds of play during the hot and rainy summer months." His initial report told of "little or no equipment sales" and "minimal" sales from food and the driving range. Insurance paid for most of the damage from the clubhouse fire, though enough still has not been renovated that Republic earmarked $38,392 for continued construction on the clubhouse.

Even after the completion of foreclosure, Republic remains in litigation with Duxstad for $596,892, the remaining balance on the mortgage. The two parties were scheduled to meet Nov. 6 for a case management conference with Circuit Judge Richard Tombrink Jr., but the notice mailed to Duxstad's New Port Richey home -- which he lost after foreclosure proceedings last year -- was returned to the sender.

Duxstad is not the only person who has lost money on the course. In addition to Republic Bank, four civil suits have been brought against Duxstad since 2000. Two are from friends who said he did not pay off personal loans in excess of $20,000 and $120,000. A third, filed this summer and seeking $15,000, came from Duxstad's son, Michael, who claimed he had not been paid in 11 months as the course's general manager. Another suit came two weeks ago, when Loan Participant Partners Ltd. filed a suit seeking $214,167 for the unpaid balance of a small-business loan given to the course in 1998.

The Ayers estate stands to lose about $100,000 in unpaid loans from Rivard as a result of the foreclosure. "It's something they basically have to eat," said Charlie Luckie, a Brooksville lawyer representing the estate. "It's money they can't collect, because that corporation is probably worthless now."

When business lagged, the Duxstads apparently sought other sources of revenue at Rivard. Three weeks before the property was put into receivership, Michael Duxstad was cited for selling alcoholic beverages on the premises without a license. Tammy Jo Wieland, 29, of Brooksville, who listed her occupation as a bartender on the citation, sold a beer to a police officer, who found Rivard to have not only cans for sale but also Budweiser on draft.

Charges against Wieland and Duxstad were dismissed after each served 20 hours of community service, with Wieland working two 10-hour shifts with the Hernando County Commission. Her work there was signed off by Barbara Dupre, the county's director of human resources, who shares a house with Michael Duxstad in Spring Hill.

Dupre was again involved with the course in September, when the property was put up for public auction following foreclosure. Republic opened the bidding at $100, but was bid up four times by Dupre, the only other bidder, before Republic finally won the auction for $500,000. The bank was effectively writing a check to itself in acquiring the property, but Dupre's actions forced it to pay $3,500 in additional document stamps because it was officially a sale of property. With Republic officially owning the course, Michael Duxstad was fired later that day.

Michael Johnson, who handled the property for Republic, classified Dupre as an "antagonistic borrower." Dupre declined to comment on the matter beyond saying that she was bidding on behalf of an outside party that was not the Duxstad family.

Michael Duxstad, who has since found employment with the county as a zoning inspector for the past six weeks, filed another lawsuit seeking lost wages Wednesday against the court-appointed receiver, Peter Bursik. The suit alleges that Duxstad received only half of his $600 weekly salary on two occasions in August and September. Bursik's records indicate that Duxstad was paid $3,600 in "travel compensation" in the six weeks before he was fired.

Lee Duxstad's other son, Steven, remains on the course's payroll as superintendent. A summons was sent to the course in January for Steven, seeking more than $10,000 in unpaid credit card bills, and Sears Roebuck and Co. took him to small-claims court in Port Richey in October over another outstanding balance.

With all the financial problems he faces and his only source of income eliminated, Lee Duxstad said many friends have suggested he file for bankruptcy. He said he will not seek shelter there.

"This wasn't just the state or banks," he said. "This is my friends, people who had faith in me. I feel terrible about it."

The economic losses have been far-reaching for Duxstad. After losing his home and the course, he is now living with Nancy DeFevers, a former director of the Pasco/Hernando chapter of the American Cancer Society and owner of a consignment store and boutique in Spring Hill. Since the foreclosure, he has tried to find parties willing to invest in the course so he can get it back, but to no avail.

"I was there virtually every day for 10 years, but we just couldn't hang on long enough," said Duxstad, who has a court date in February on the sales tax charge, which as a second-degree felony could carry a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, a $10,000 fine and restitution.

"I can't pay the sales tax, so I don't know what I can do," he said. "I don't have the money. I have nothing."

Florida Golf Course Dog Gets Eviction Notice

A black labrador mix had found a home at the Ironwood Golf Course in Gainesville, Florida, or so it thought. Officials at the golf course have decided to call animal control to have the dog removed if no one steps up to adopt her.

No one knows where the dog came from, but it decided to take residence at the golf course three years ago. Since then, regular golfers have built up a fondness for her. Employees at the golf course named her "Puppy" and bought her a collar with a pet identification tag, along with a dog dish. Golfers always brought her food and snacks.

Even the manager of the Florida golf course paid to have a veterinarian come in to give her a check up and booster shots.

But recently, she snarled at some children, and struck a cause for alarm with owners of the golf course. They didn't want any one getting hurt, so they made the decision to have her taken away.

"She's part of this course," golfer Al Nazworth said of the dog he has come to know as "Blackie." Others call her "Black Dog."

"That's the worst thing they could do for public relations at this course," he said shaking his head in disbelief.
So far, no one has come forth to adopt her.

Army Engineers Block Florida Golf Course

Despite some high-powered political help, a controversial golf course development near the Everglades that would have destroyed thousands of acres of wetlands has been rejected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The corps, which rarely denies wetland permits in Florida, concluded the Mirasol development near Bonita Springs would cause "significant adverse impacts" to the state's dwindling wetlands as well to water quality and Everglades wildlife habitat.

Wednesday's decision comes after a string of legal setbacks for the corps: Three federal judges this year overturned permits to destroy Florida wetlands for development and mining.

"The corps has been losing in the courts, and they can't afford to take another hit," said Ann Hauck, a Bonita Springs activist who founded the Council of Civic Associations.

But Col. Robert Carpenter, who oversees the corps in Florida, said the court rulings had nothing to do with the decision. "I deny every permit that should be denied," he said.

The corps issues more permits in Florida for wetlands destruction than in any other state. Between 1999 and 2003, the corps approved more than 12,000 wetlands permits.

It rejected one.

But this year, the corps has been more aggressive, rejecting six since May, the most since 1994.

State and federal law requires wetlands to be protected because they provide flood protection, clean pollution, recharge drinking water and provide wildlife habitat. Federal officials have vowed for 15 years that there would be no net loss of wetlands.

But between 1990 and 2003, about 84,000 acres of Florida wetlands were lost to development, according to a St. Petersburg Times analysis of satellite imagery.

Although the corps almost always says yes, developers say it takes the agency too long to make a decision. The Mirasol permit was under review for three years, Carpenter said.

Usually the corps allows developers to destroys wetlands that are a few acres or less. Mirasol would have destroyed far more than most.

Mirasol was supposed to be built on 1,766 acres near Bonita Springs, 1,500 acres of which was wetlands. The developer, Virginia coal-mining company owner J.D. Nicewonder, proposed two 18-hole golf courses and nearly 800 homes there, wiping out 587 acres of swamps.

A key part of the development was a 3-mile-long, 200-foot-wide ditch to funnel stormwater around Mirasol's houses and three other Collier County developments, dumping into a canal.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials warned that the ditch was likely to drain an additional 2,000 acres nearby, opening it up for development. Two months ago they said the corps' handling of the project "raised fundamental concerns" with the way it issues permits.

Nicewonder can appeal the denial to Carpenter's superiors, or resubmit plans without the ditch. Neither he nor his attorney, Stephen Walker, returned calls seeking comment.

Until Wednesday, the project appeared one step away from breaking ground. Gov. Jeb Bush's environmental regulators approved the project. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and former U.S. Rep. Porter Goss, R-Sanibel, helped push it along with letters and meetings involving federal agencies. A federal biologist who raised questions was removed from the project and fired.

The head of the South Florida Water Management District urged the corps to approve the development because the ditch would protect the region from flooding caused by other development that destroyed wetlands.

As the area around Bonita Springs boomed in the 1990s, the corps issued permits to erase nearly 4,000 acres of wetlands in the western Everglades. It ordered the creation of less than 500 acres, resulting in huge net losses of wetlands, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials say.

The new roads and subdivisions choked off wetland sloughs that carried away excess water. In 1995, heavy rains led to flooding that forced more than 1,000 people to evacuate.

One of the remaining sloughs runs along the Mirasol site. So Nicewonder proposed the ditch to funnel floodwater away. The ditch alone would wipe out 97 acres of wetlands - including 30 acres of cypress swamp preserved as compensation for wetlands destroyed by another development.

Water district officials counted the ditch as mitigation for wiping out nearly 500 acres of wetlands for the houses and golf courses.

But EPA officials said flooding could be controlled without destroying wetlands. Meanwhile, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Andy Eller warned that the ditch could drain nearby Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, an 11,000-acre Audubon preserve and crucial habitat to the endangered wood stork.

Faced with such tough questions, the developer called in some powerful help. Records show staffers for Nelson and Goss, now the CIA director, called the EPA's southeast administrator about the project and offered to set up a meeting with the developers.

Nelson's staff also arranged a meeting between the developer and top South Florida wildlife officials. Eller was not invited. He said he was chastised by his bosses for objecting to the project.

"They said I needed to be sensitive to the politics of the office," Eller said. He was taken off the project and later fired after going public with his complaints. He sued and was reinstated, but now works at a national wildlife refuge in Kentucky.

Nelson spokesman Dan McLaughlin said his boss welcomed the corps decision, no matter what it was, and denied political pressure was used.

Norman Softens Up His Course In Florida

Greg Norman must be mellowing.

At 50, he's still intensely competitive and fiercely opinionated, but, if you want to see his compassionate side, tee it up at the first hole of the Great White Course at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami.

Norman, 50, took his design team back to the Great White Course to tame its ornery edges. Call it an act of mercy.

Norman was back Tuesday for the official opening of a gentler, kinder version of his original Florida desert design that opened five years ago. That's not to say this course has turned into a pushover. On the contrary, with small greens and lots of water, it's a stern test -- just not as stern as before.

"We came back here and took a good, long, hard look at it, and we saw we needed to do some work on the bunkers," Norman said. "They were a little too penal. We also recognized the prudence of putting more grass on the golf course."

Outside Doral's famed Blue Monster, the Great White is the resort's highest-profile test. CNL Hotel & Resorts, Doral's owners, invested about $1 million in the refurbishing of the white course. While there's still a desert-style philosophy with crushed coquina framing all the holes, Norman added more grass. He also took the penal depth out of the pot bunkers, making them considerably shallower. The sixth and 15th holes were softened.

Eric von Hofen, Doral's director of grounds, says about 17 acres of new sod were planted. There's more fairway to hit now. The course originally included 220 bunkers; 93 remain.

City Plans Golf Course Upgrade In Largo Florida

The city is planning a $1.8-million overhaul of the Largo Golf Course, redesigning tees, fairways and greens to improve play and make the course safer.

New sand bunkers and berms will create fresh challenges. And buffers such as trees will help prevent wayward balls, which are all too common, striking golfers on adjacent holes.

During the winter season, an average of two to three people a month get hit by balls, said golf manager Don Brannon. One reason is that 18 holes are crammed onto 46 acres, he said.

City Commissioner Andrew Guyette said he had a close call of his own a while back, almost hitting a team of golfers on a nearby green there.

"My shot landed right in the middle of them," Guyette said.

The redesign of the course will come before the City Commission at tonight's meeting. If the commission approves the design, construction could begin in April. A new course could be ready for play by next November.

As proposed, the course would be tweaked with some of the holes realigned. The front nine holes would be exchanged with the back nine holes. And the holes would have larger tee boxes to accommodate junior, women and senior tees.

Putting greens, which would be larger and more visible from the fairway, would be designed to act as "catcher's mitts" to control the ball on approach shots.

Currently, one of the course's biggest problems is the poor condition of the greens.

"During the summer months, it's like putting on dirt," Brannon said.

Golf course architect Ward W. Northrup and Applied Sciences Consulting Inc. developed the proposed design.

Brannon said patches of dirt and weeds would be rare after the renovation because the course would be built according to United States Golf Association Standards.

The USGA has special standards for drainage and layering of materials that help keep courses in top shape.

The city also would replace the irrigation system so it serves the entire 46-acre course. Installed in 1982, the current system hits just 25 acres.

Golfers on the course Monday said they enjoy the course, but look forward to renovations.

"To know that they're going to put money in it instead of selling it for condos is a real plus," said Judy Shafer, who lives at the nearby Villas de Golf condominiums and golfs on the course twice a week.

The par-62, 3,254-yard course also would be extended by a total of about 100 yards.

The course, at 12500 Vonn Road, was built in the late 1960s and purchased by Largo in 1979 for about $1.25-million, Brannon said.

Golfers played 51,292 rounds on the course, generating $780,000 in revenues during the city's last fiscal year. But the course hasn't turned a profit for the past few years. A report presented in June 2004 concluded the city needed to invest in the course to make money.

"Let's give it one more shot to see if we can't make this thing profitable again," Guyette said.

New Features:

Largo city commissioners will consider $1.8-million in improvements to the Largo Golf Course when they meet at 6 tonight at City Hall, 201 Highland Ave. Proposed improvements include:

Berms, sand bunkers and landscaping
A new irrigation system to span the entire site
Extended paved cart paths
Two new shelters
Clubhouse improvements
Restroom renovations

Fight Against Cancer Twists On Web Site

A Largo businessman is seeking payment for the rights to a domain name the family of Palm Harbor Florida golf prodigy Dakoda Dowd had hoped to use for breast cancer research.

Shawn Jackman acquired the rights to DakodaDowd.com several weeks ago and was asking for $5,000 to relinquish it, according to Mike Dowd, Dakoda's father, and Ryan Julison, an executive with the Ginn Co. in Orlando that has granted the 12-year-old a sponsor exemption to an LPGA Tour event on a Florida golf course in April.

Jackman did not return several phone calls and an e-mail requesting comment over the weekend.

Dakoda's mother, Kelly Jo, is battling breast cancer. When real estate developer Bobby Ginn heard about it, he wanted to help by inviting Dakoda to play in the inaugural Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open at Reunion Golf Club near Orlando. She was offered one of two sponsor exemptions, along with Michelle Wie. The tournament hopes Kelly Jo can realize her dream of watching Dakoda play with professionals.

Recently, the Ginn Co. sought to set up a Web site for Dakoda so people could donate to cancer research, while also sending cards and well wishes to the family.

Problem was, DakodaDowd.com had been registered by Jackman, who on Thursday, according to Julison, asked for $5,000 to return the domain name.

This came on the same day that, according to Mike Dowd, Jackman had agreed to return the domain name for free. Such domain names can typically be purchased for less than $50.

"I just think it's sad," said Julison, senior vice president of corporate communications for the Ginn Co. "From our perspective, all we want to do is help further the cause that Mike and Kelly Jo and Dakoda are putting forth: hopefully raise some money, give people an opportunity to send good wishes and letters. There are lots of (Web) addresses out there. That's not an issue. The thing is it's a little girl's name. She is living through a tragedy."

Julison said the company initially offered $1,000 for the name. Jackman, Julison said, declined, saying in an e-mail he did not like the fact the bid was made anonymously. He did offer to "set up a meeting to discuss the grayareas," according to the e-mail he sent Julison.

Jackman told Julison he secured the name to aid the family. He wanted to help them design a Web site. But while he has had the rights to the site for several weeks, Jackman never contacted the Dowds until Mike Dowd tried last week to reach him.

"When he made contact with me, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt," Dowd said. "I took him at his word. He said he would release the site back to me at no cost. Then I heard later he wanted $5,000 for the site. So he is nothing but an opportunist."

According to public records, Jackman owns a Florida golf course website in Indian Rocks Beach.

It is common for people to take what they believe could be a popular domain name and later sell it.

"When I tried to secure the site, I realized it was taken," Julison said. "We put $1,000 in. But he wouldn't sell it for that price. He initially said it would be a gift for Dakoda. But he never did it, and (that's) when the craziness started "

Mike Dowd said he was initially resistant to the idea of a Web site for his daughter. But he came around to the idea when he realized it could help breast cancer research and prolong the legacy of his wife.

"I wanted this to be a part of my daughter's healing process," he said. "I just want him to do the right thing. It's my daughter's name and she should have access to that. I think it's rude and wrong what he is doing."

Florida Golf Course Web Site Holder Playing Game With Family's Grim Time

Mike Dowd is a computer illiterate.

Until recently, about all he knew about Web sites is that he didn't want one for his daughter. So what if she is one of the best junior golfers in America?

"I always thought it was pretentious to build a Web site for a 12-year-old," Dowd said.

Then things changed. Maybe you're familiar with the story of Dakoda Dowd. The girl from Palm Harbor could be the next Michelle Wie, though that's a lot of expectation to lay on any seventh-grader.

What's generating attention now is her mother's grim battle against breast cancer. Kelly Jo Dowd wants to hold on until April, when her daughter will play in the LPGA's inaugural Ginn Open at Reunion Resort Golf Course In Orlando Florida.

You'd need a heart the size of a ball mark to not feel anything but sympathy.

Meet Ebenezer Jackman.

I take that back. His real name is Shawn Jackman, and the Pinellas County Florida businessman could just be terribly misunderstood. Though you can see why the Dowds might be confused.

Ginn tournament officials wanted to set up a Web site for Dakoda. People could donate to cancer research. Money would also go to other children who need help chasing their dreams of becoming a golfer or pianist or whatever. Mike is a social worker, and knows what that could mean to his daughter.

"She would know her mother's loss is not in vain," he said. "She could help somebody else. How good would that be for the healing process?"

People have been speculatively grabbing domain names for years. It's one thing to grab Beer.com to get a big check from Anheuser-Busch. It's another to register DakodaDowd.com in hopes of shaking down a 12-year-old whose mother is dying of cancer.

Not that we're certain that is Jackman's plan. He did not return a call Wednesday, so all we can do is go by his conversations with tournament officials.

They offered him $1,000 for the name. No dice.

Jackman said he didn't like the fact the bid was made anonymously, but that he wouldn't have sold it even if he'd known it came from Bobby Ginn. A billionaire's check could always bounce, you know.

He said he wants to help the family by designing a Web site. If so, you'd think he'd solicit their input.

"He's made no attempt at all," Mike said.

Jackman also said he plans to give the Dowds the site. But he's held it for at least a couple of weeks, if not much longer. You'd think he would want to do it while Kelly Jo could appreciate the gesture.

"She's just really struggling," Mike said. "If it wasn't for the fact she can look in those little blue eyes of Dakoda's, she'd probably already have started to let go."

The Dowds are hurting financially, but Mike doesn't want charity. He had to come up with $12,500 for a burial plot this week. This story didn't come from him, but he turned down offers of help, saying it was his responsibility.

Dakoda could always use another domain name. But in the jungle that is the World Wide Web, name confusion can torpedo any enterprise.

All Dowd can do is hope Jackman's motives are more honorable than they appear. He's waiting to find out. He can't wait forever.

"I don't want to see the guy shamed," Mike said.

If shaming is what it takes, so be it. Though in a sad way, Jackman might be doing Dakoda a favor.

Since her story got out, the family has been overwhelmed by gestures of generosity and kindness. Now a 12-year-old is learning what Scrooges some grownups can be.

Florida State Golf Association Honors Its Best

The Florida State Golf Association has honored its 2005 Players of the Year and Hall of Fame Inductees at the annual dinner at Tampa.

Kelly Gosse is the Amateur Player of the Year, Rick Woulfe earned the Senior Player of the Year and Chappell Brown is the Junior Player of the Year.

The first inductees into the Florida Golf Hall of Fame include three from Jacksonville: the late A.C. Ulmer of Timuquana, Jim Callender from Selva Marina and Don Bisplinghoff of Hidden Hills.

Gosse, from Inverness, topped the points standings with 985 points. In 2005, Gosse won the Match Play Championship, finished tied for third in the Public Links Championship and tied for ninth in the Mid-Senior Championship.

His first year playing as a Senior, Woulfe, of Fort Lauderdale, played in his fifth USGA State Team Championship and placed second in his first Senior Championship. He won the Senior Four-Ball and was part of the winning Lago Mar Country Club team that won the Club Team Championship.

Brown, of West Palm Beach, won the Boys’ Junior Championship and finished second in the Four-Ball Championship.

These are the seven individuals who are the first inductees into the Florida Golf Hall of Fame:

Ulmer founded the FSGA in 1913 and won the first Florida State Amateur Championship in 1914. Ulmer went on to win the Amateur four more times (1917, 1921, 1922, 1928). In 1950, he won the United States Seniors’ Golf Association Championship (forerunner to the U.S. Senior Amateur which began in 1955).

Bisplinghoff is a four-time Florida State Amateur Champion (1953, 1954, 1955, 1958) and U.S. Junior Champion (1952). He also won the Florida Open three times as an amateur (1955, 1961, 1962).

Callender is a 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. He has worked many FSGA and USGA Championships, including five U.S. Opens. The Silver Star recipient retired from the naval service after serving in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Charlie Bedford is a 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. He is an FSGA Tournament Chairman and Course Rater. He was awarded the 2000 Volunteer of the Year, has been a USGA Committee Member for 10 years and has officiated four U.S. Opens, six U.S. Amateurs, seven U.S. Senior Opens and 10 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championships.

Carl Dann Jr. is a five-time Florida State Amateur Champion (1933, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1949).

Bo Williams is a three-time Florida State Senior Champion (1986, 1987, 1990), four-time Senior Four-Ball Champion (1986, 1988, 1991, 1992) and two-time U.S. Senior Amateur Champion (1986, 1989).

Murphy is a two-time Florida State Amateur Champion (1965, 1966) and won the U.S. Amateur (1965) and was the NCAA individual champion (1966) as a member of the University of Florida team. He won the Florida Open in 1967 and has five PGA Tour victories and 11 Champions Tour victories.

Eagle Creek Golf Club To Host PGA Pro-Pro Series Tournament

Eagle Creek Golf Club in south Orlando has been selected for the second consecutive year to host a PGA Pro-Pro Series tournament during the week of the PGA Merchandise Show. The Eagle Creek event is set for Tuesday, January 24. The PGA show is scheduled for Jan. 26-29.

The Pro-Pro Series is extremely popular for professionals from all parts of the country who are visiting the Orlando area for the PGA Show. Each event has an approximate field of 50 two-man teams.

“We are very happy to have the Pro-Pro Series back at Eagle Creek,” said Eagle Creek General Manager Gary Piotrowski. “The professionals who chose to play our event last year seemed to have really enjoyed the experience, and they can expect more of the same this year.”

Eagle Creek, the outstanding Ron Garl/Howard Swan design, is located just minutes from Orlando International Airport, and course officials made sure golfers can take full advantage of the prime location with their “Save The Best ‘Til Last” campaign.

Piotrowski and his staff are making it easy for travelers to schedule their final round of their golf vacation at Eagle Creek by offering first-class clubhouse facilities – men’s and women’s locker-rooms with showers and an outstanding restaurant with quick-service meals. Eagle Creek will also arrange transportation to the airport following golf.

The “save the best ‘til last” slogan also plays into the uniqueness of the design and its dramatic finishing hole. With five par 5’s, Eagle Creek plays to a par 73, the only course in Central Florida to do so. Golfers generally favor par 5’s, and none is more enjoyable than the terrific finishing hole. The 483-yard par 5 offers golfers a chance to finish in glory, reaching the green in two. But the sloping putting surface is bordered in front and to the right by water, requiring extreme accuracy on the approach.

Eagle Creek earned numerous awards and recognitions in its opening year, including being named among the “top 10 new courses of the decade” by Travel & Leisure Golf.

The golf course is “Distinctive Orlando Golf With A European Flair.” It is designed to blend unobtrusively with homes in the master-planned Eagle Creek Golf Community. Homebuyers have the option of choosing from different communities that make up Eagle Creek. In addition, there will be a community park and recreation center for residents.

'Golf Widows' Seek Revenge At Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa

Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa -- a 65-acre sports playground located on the Atlantic Coast between Jacksonville and historic St. Augustine -- provides pampered payback with the Stadium Revenge package at the new Spa at Sawgrass. While golfers take their best shot on greens shared by golfing greats, "golf widows" indulge with four and a half hours of spoiling in the 20,000-square-foot Spa. From the deep cleansing Sawgrass Aroma Body Glow to twinkling toes with the Signature Pedicure, non-golfers "tee off" for about the same rate as a round on the famed TPC Stadium Course -- $375. After a long day of "play," guests retire to accommodations from just $229* per night.

Stadium Revenge Spa Package
$375 per "round"
Now Through March 31, 2006

* Aroma Body Glow Treatment (50 min.)
* Signature Pedicure (50 min.)
* Customized Massage (50 min.)
* Lunch from Soothies Spa Cafe
* European Cleansing Facial (50 min.)


*Rate based on double occupancy and subject to change. Black out dates apply.

The pampering begins with Sawgrass Aroma Body Glow -- featuring products created from local botanicals -- to leave skin luminescent. Next, guests unwind with a customized massage designed to restore harmony and balance. The European Cleansing Facial purifies and rejuvenates skin, while the Signature Pedicure leaves non-golfing feet "perfectly polished." Continuing with the day of paradise, spa goers enjoy a healthy spa lunch at Soothies Spa Cafe and retire for a siesta in luxurious resort accommodations. Golf widows seeking even greater revenge find treats in the area's quaint boutiques.

Surrounded by winding lagoons, moss-draped water oaks, twisted palms and giant magnolias, the 20,000-square-foot Spa at Sawgrass entices guests with customized treatments to touch mind, body and soul. Engulfing visitors in a world of watery blue accents and rustling lines of bamboo, 19 pampering treatment rooms -- including an intimate couples massage suite -- provide separate air, music and lighting control to individualize the spa journey.

Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa, hailed as one of the "Top 10 Best Golf Resorts in the World" by Travel + Leisure Golf magazine, serves as the Official Hotel of the Tournament Players Club (TPC) at Sawgrass. Featuring 508 guest rooms, suites and villas, the resort boasts 99 holes of world-renowned golf spanning five courses -- including the TPC Stadium Course, the new Spa at Sawgrass, three resort swimming pools and access to 26 miles of private Atlantic beach at the Cabana Beach Club.

Greg Champion Appointed General Manager Of LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, Naples, Florida

Hospitality industry veteran Greg Champion has rejoined the Noble House Hotels & Resorts team as general manager of LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort. Champion will oversee all operations of the luxurious, 189-room, boutique-style resort located directly on the picturesque Gulf of Mexico.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Greg back as part of the Noble House Hotels family,” said Bob Foster, president of Noble House Hotels & Resorts. “His track record as part of our company’s management team, combined with his vast experience in the industry, makes him a natural to fill this position,” added Foster.

With more than 25 years of luxury experience, Champion most recently served as chief operating officer of Tiburon Hospitality Management, where he managed operations of the company’s three properties. Prior to that position, Champion was executive vice president for Noble House Hotels & Resorts, where he oversaw seven properties across the country and served as managing director of The Adolphus in Dallas.

Champion is a member of SKAL International and Chaine des Rotisseurs. He has served on the board of directors for both the Dallas and Alaska Convention and Visitors Bureaus and is active in various tourism, culinary and hospital associations.

LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, a Noble House Hotel, reopened in Naples, Florida in 2002 after an extensive $51 million transformation and expansion. The comprehensive renovation transformed the local landmark into one of the top luxury beach resorts in the country. The resort features a championship Bob Cupp-designed golf course with driving range and practice area and the exclusive David Leadbetter Golf Academy, 11,000 square feet of function space, Baleen Restaurant, fitness center and a full-service 4,500 square foot Indonesian-inspired boutique spa, SpaTerre.

LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort has been named to the Condé Nast Traveler ‘Gold List,’ the Condé Nast Traveler ‘Reader’s Choice List,’ as well as the Travel+Leisure top 500 Greatest Hotels.

LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort is located at 9891 Gulf Shore Drive, Naples, FL 34108, facing the Gulf of Mexico. For reservations, please call (800) 237-6883 or, for more information, visit the website at www.laplayaresort.com.

Estuary Tops Florida Golf Courses

The National Golf Course Owners Association named the Estuary at Grey Oaks Golf Course the 2005 Florida Course of the Year. The Award will be formally presented at the NGCOA’s annual solutions summit luncheon in Atlanta Feb. 8, 2006.

Carved among original stands of pine, cypress and oak trees, the Estuary Course is the final jewel in Grey Oaks Country Club’s triple crown of championship golf.

Opened in January of 2002, Bob Cupp designed the Estuary Course with many wetlands and vegetation left in their natural state.

“We are extremely gratified to be recognized by the NGCOA for this honor,” says Grey Oaks general manager Jim Butler. “Estuary truly is a return to nature experience and this award confirms our pride in this course.”

Thirty-One FUTURES Tour Players Earn 2006 LPGA Tour StatusA In Daytona Beach Florida

Thirty-one members of the FUTURES Golf Tour earned 2006 LPGA status after the concluding round of yesterday's LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. Twelve members earned 24 of the available 2006 fully exempt LPGA cards, while 19 FUTURES Tour players earned non-exempt (conditional) status among the next 35 and ties.

"It's huge … it's really crazy," said two-year FUTURES Tour member Libby Smith of Essex Junction, Vt., who fired a final-round 69 and tied for second with FUTURES Tour alumna Lee Ann Walker-Cooper of Cary, N.C., at five-under-par 355 in the 90-hole annual Q-School.

A former standout basketball player at the University of Vermont, Smith said she was able to earn her 2006 exempt LPGA Tour status for the first time by thinking about standing on the free throw line and making foul shots. Â

"In a way, it's the same thing in golf," said Smith, who carded a bogey-free round today with three birdies on the front nine holes at LPGA International's Legends Course. "You can't think too much. You just have to play. But that's why you practice."

It didn't matter to Smith that Japanese superstar Ai Miyazato lapped the field by a decisive 12-shot margin to win this year's qualifying tournament at 17-under-par 343 with rounds of 66-69-70-66-72. And for FUTURES Tour member Katie Futcher, who was paired with the six-time Japan LPGA Tour season winner, the rock-star popularity that attracted more than 60 credentialed members of the Japanese media didn't rattle the Texan. Instead, Miyazato shared a rice ball with Futcher in Saturday's fourth round, and Futcher provided a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to the young star in today's final round.

"This week was all about trusting my preparation," said Futcher, 24, of The Woodlands, Texas, who earned her exempt status on her first attempt at four-under-par 356, tying for fourth place alongside Brooke Tull of Georgetown, Texas. "I learned on the FUTURES Tour how to manage myself and handle pressure situations. This is what I came here to do this week."

While she already had non-exempt LPGA Tour status, Tull said last month's 2006 FUTURES Tour Qualifying Tournament helped get her ready for this week's LPGA Q-School. Â

"I played bad there, but it helped me know what I needed to work on," said Tull, who carded a one-under-par 71 today. "By the time you get here, it's really more about the mental part of your game."

A year ago, Julieta Granada visited LPGA International to watch her compatriot Celeste Troche play in the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. This week, the 19-year-old FUTURES Tour rookie earned her 2006 LPGA exempt status at three-under-par 357, tying for sixth with Morgan Pressel of Boca Raton, Fla., and Kate Golden of Jasper, Texas.Â

"This is it," said the beaming FUTURES Tour rookie of Asuncion, Paraguay, who received hugs from her physical trainer, mental coach, family and friends. "To win [the last 2005 FUTURES Tour event] in York [Pa.] was pretty special because it taught me that I'm never out of it and it gave me a lot of confidence coming into this week."Â

FUTURES Tour members finishing in the top-20 were: 11th - Diana Ramage (69) of Fayetteville, Ga., 359 (-1); 13th - Meredith Duncan (70) of Shreveport, La., 360 (even); tie for 14th - Allison Hanna (72) of Portland, Ore., and Becky Iverson (73) of Gladstone, Mich., 361 (+1); T-16th - Alena Sharp (69) of Hamilton, Ontario and Angie Rizzo (71) of Coon Rapids, Minn., 362 (+2); and T-16 - Karin Sjodin (73) of Gothenburg, Sweden.Â

"I think last year, I made too big of a deal of Q-School," said Hanna, a non-exempt LPGA Tour member who sank a 20-footer for par on the last hole today. "I'm a lot better player this year and it just seems real simple to hit my target. It's a good feeling to get my full card."Â

Duncan, who had LPGA status in 2004, used her short game to get on track in today's final round. She chipped in twice for birdie and finished the day with five birdies and three bogeys.

"If somebody would have asked how much I'd pay for even par at Q-School, I'd have said whatever it costs," said Duncan. Â

Seven players went into a three-hole playoff for the final three exempt cards, returning to holes nine, 10 and 18. Tied at 363 (+3) going into the playoff, Brittany Lang of McKinney, Texas, Christi Cano of San Antonio, Texas and Seol-An Jeon of Seoul, Korea grabbed the last available cards with birdies over Erica Blasberg of Corona, Calif., Mardi Lunn of Cowra, Australia, Clarissa Childs of Glendale, Calif., and Teresa Lu of Taipei, Taiwan.

"I did it the hard way," said Lang, who carded a 73 in the final round to drop into the playoff. "It was a lot of golf and I wasn't playing my best this week, but I got it done and that's all that matters."Â

Ditto, for Jeon, who played on the FUTURES Tour in 2002-2003, and has struggled with a shoulder injury for most of this year on the LPGA Tour. But it was Cano who was reduced to tears on earning her LPGA Tour card on her first attempt.

"Everybody believed I could do it -- maybe even more than me," said Cano, who also was in a playoff this summer to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open sectionals. "My dream finally came true."Â

But even when the dream doesn't completely pan out, at least one FUTURES Tour member believes there's still something to be learned from the annual marathon called Q-School.

"It's all about improving," said Jenny Gleason of Clearwater, Fla., who finished sixth on the 2005 FUTURES Tour Money List and carded a final-round 73 to finish at 364 (+4) in fifth place for non-exempt 2006 LPGA Tour status. "I'll keep gaining on it."Â

And no doubt, reaching for the bigger dream.

Average Florida Golfers Make Up Main Market at Expanded Layout

Bramble Ridge Golf Course won't win any awards for course design. It doesn't pretend to be one of Lakeland Florida's top layouts. But with 27 holes and much-improved greens, Bramble Ridge Golf Club has become a popular alternative for golfers on a budget. "We're not trying to be a high-end golf course, but we are trying to be a quality, daily-fee golf course that people can afford," said Ed Holloway of Lakeland, course owner and designer.

"Our market is the average citizen, the retiree and the young businessman," added Holloway, who projects a laid-back, friendly atmosphere.

The modest layout at Sanlan Ranch Campground near the Polk Parkway will officially open its third nine holes on Dec. 1, making Bramble Ridge the second 27-hole course in Lakeland along with Cleveland Heights Golf Course.

Like the original 18 holes at Bramble Ridge, the new nine, a par-35 called the Coyote Course, measures about 3,000 yards.

"We have about 6,000 yards (per 18) because we're catering to the retired senior citizen," said Holloway. "We didn't want to make it so long.

"Just because a man is retired and in his 60s or early 70s, if he's a good golfer, he should be able to shoot par. It was our intent to not make it too long and too hard."

John Creighton, the course superintendent hired three years ago to upgrade the quality of the greens and turfgrass, said the new nine holes are a combination of the old B Course and new holes built on the south side of the property near Banana Lake.

"There isn't actually a `new' nine holes. There's three new holes on the B Course, and seven new holes on the C course, because one of them was redesigned into two new holes," said Creighton, referring to the old par-5 15th hole that is now two par-3s.

The 3,156-yard C Course, which has been open since Labor Day weekend, includes parts of the old 16th, 17th and 18th holes, with the toughest new hole the par-5 seventh hole. The dog-leg left hole is 562 yards from the blue tees.

"I'll put a plaque out there if anybody reaches it in two," said Creighton.

On the 2,910-yard Bobcat (B) course, the 13th-15th holes are new. There are no changes on the 3,001-yard Alligator (A) Course at Bramble Ridge, home to an array of wildlife including bobcats, foxes, coyotes, wild hogs, raccoons and otters along with owls, hawks and eagles.

"You wouldn't know you're so close to town, would you?" said Holloway while providing a tour of the campground and course.

The campground adjacent to the course is packed during the winter months, with 50 percent of the residents Canadian, said Holloway.

Bramble Ridge, which also offers an expansive, lighted natural grass driving range and a golf school with teaching professional John Koestner, also caters to a number of golf leagues in the winter.

Although greens fees, including carts, at the Bramble Ridge Florida golf Course went up to $25 weekdays and $29 weekends effective Nov. 15, that is less expensive than most 18hole courses in the area. There are discounts after noon and even lower twilight rates. Junior fees are half-price.

Located between the Polk Parkway and Banana Lake just south of the Lakeland city limits, the 15-year-old Florida golf course enjoyed its busiest winter season ever a year ago, with 350 rounds a day on weekends in February.

"During the winter last year, I think we were doing close to 300 rounds a day," said Creighton. "There's a good bit of traffic through the winter here."

The rate of play has increased significantly over the past three years at Bramble Ridge, which has a course rating of 69.0 on the original 18 with a slope rating of 129. "It took a while to get over our bad image from the weeds in the greens, but we're working out of that and people like it," said Holloway.

"I tried for too long to raise grass without using chemicals," said Holloway.

But that has changed.

Florida Lotto Winner Buys Florida Golf Course For $1.4 Million

A 2002 winner of the Florida lottery purchased the Ironwood Golf Course in East Naples today for $1.4 million.

Ronald Berger submitted the winning bid at an auction to take over the course. It had been in foreclosure for more than a year because the previous owner hadn’t paid off creditors.

Berger, a 73-year-old Naples resident, said he plans to let the land remain a golf course and said he plans to open a restaurant on the site.

Before winning the lottery in 2002, Berger had always wanted to own a restaurant and golf course, and the nearly $10 million he won allowed him to do that, he said.

The owner before foreclosure was Illinois-based Van Elway Enterprises Inc. The abandoned pro shop for the 34-acre course is at 4710 Lakewood Blvd, Naples Florida.