Florida Golf Course Water Views Suit Golfers To A Tee
Leaving the fourth green of Captiva Island Golf Club, a Florida Golf Course with warm breezes buffeting the back of your shirt, only a stone’s throw from the Gulf of Mexico — director of golf Kevin McCune turns his golf cart east into the rising sun and a cloudless blue sky.
“This is where it gets better,” McCune says.
Better?
As if golf in the middle of an island paradise wasn’t enough, the recently reopened nine-hole Florida golf course at South Seas Island Resort plays its fifth hole with picturesque Pine Island Sound as a backdrop, then circles the northern tip of Captiva along Redfish pass to play its final four holes along the Gulf.
“We’ve actually allotted an extra four minutes of play for gazing,” says McCune, passing a collection of a dozen or so mostly barefoot visitors fishing for snook and snapper in Pine Island Sound between the fifth and sixth holes. “It’s the mind-set. It’s the experience itself.”
Captiva Island Golf Club reopened May 2 after a $4 million reconstruction necessitated by the devastation of Hurricane Charley in August 2004.
Possibly the only Florida golf course between Tampa and Marco Island with several golf holes directly on the Gulf of Mexico, Captiva Island is among a handful of island layouts in Southwest Florida that add a special flavor — and plenty of tourism dollars — to this golf mecca.
A 2002 report from the University of Florida reported statewide revenue from golf visitors being in excess of $4 billion per year.
“We’ll go to the mountains once in a while, but we always look forward to being on the water,” said Charles Roe of Portland, Texas, playing nine holes recently while wife Jean rode along for the beach and shelling. “We try to go places where there’s a beach and golf course together.”
Eight Florida golf courses in Lee and Collier counties — Gasparilla Golf Club in Boca Grande; The Sanctuary Golf Club, The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club and Beachview Golf & Tennis Club on Sanibel; Alden Pines Country Club on Pine Island; Fort Myers Beach Golf Club and The Island Country Club and Hideaway Beach Golf Course on Marco Island — all share in the breezy, casual experience that is island golf.
“It’s more relaxed, even though it’s a quality golf course,” said Brian Kittelson of Washington, D.C., celebrating his 32nd birthday with a round of golf at Fort Myers Beach Golf Club while vacationing on the island with family.
“Just the atmosphere,” said Kittelson, punctuating his comments by popping open a Bud Light. “It’s nice and light.”
Unlike at Captiva Island Golf Club, most of the holes at the area’s other island courses do not sit directly on the open water. Most are separated from the shore by homes, hotels and condominiums, or mangroves and hammocks — even though it usually takes less than a 9-iron to reach them.
Still, the abundant characteristics of the islands themselves make clear this is something apart from mainland Florida golf.
“It’s beautiful, the birds and the wildlife over here,” said Dave Minsterman of Fort Myers Beach, completing a round recently with his wife, Shirley, at The Sanctuary, where he also works as a starter.
“Our property abuts (J.N.) ‘Ding’ Darling,” Sanctuary director of golf Ed Lockard said of the national wildlife refuge on the northern side of Sanibel. “People say you see more wildlife here than at the refuge.”
Even a signature trait of Southwest Florida golf — the wind — is said to be greater on the islands, creating the duel effect of a cooler day but more challenging round of golf.
“Wind’s probably more of a factor here,” said Andy Bell, an assistant professional at Gasparilla Golf Club, which has five holes directly on Charlotte Harbor and 16 of its 18 holes separated from the water by little more than palm trees.
“We’ll have our residents on the island drive three blocks from their homes and say it wasn’t windy there,” Bell said. “(But) it’s a stout, 20-mile-an-hour wind here. That, and just the views ... you can’t help but have a good time.”
Exotic as they sound, Southwest Florida’s island courses are no more inaccessible to the everyday golfer than are other links in the area.
Four are semiprivate (The Dunes, Beachview, Fort Myers Beach and Alden Pines), open to anyone already on the islands or interested in taking a drive to these Florida golf courses.
“This is where it gets better,” McCune says.
Better?
As if golf in the middle of an island paradise wasn’t enough, the recently reopened nine-hole Florida golf course at South Seas Island Resort plays its fifth hole with picturesque Pine Island Sound as a backdrop, then circles the northern tip of Captiva along Redfish pass to play its final four holes along the Gulf.
“We’ve actually allotted an extra four minutes of play for gazing,” says McCune, passing a collection of a dozen or so mostly barefoot visitors fishing for snook and snapper in Pine Island Sound between the fifth and sixth holes. “It’s the mind-set. It’s the experience itself.”
Captiva Island Golf Club reopened May 2 after a $4 million reconstruction necessitated by the devastation of Hurricane Charley in August 2004.
Possibly the only Florida golf course between Tampa and Marco Island with several golf holes directly on the Gulf of Mexico, Captiva Island is among a handful of island layouts in Southwest Florida that add a special flavor — and plenty of tourism dollars — to this golf mecca.
A 2002 report from the University of Florida reported statewide revenue from golf visitors being in excess of $4 billion per year.
“We’ll go to the mountains once in a while, but we always look forward to being on the water,” said Charles Roe of Portland, Texas, playing nine holes recently while wife Jean rode along for the beach and shelling. “We try to go places where there’s a beach and golf course together.”
Eight Florida golf courses in Lee and Collier counties — Gasparilla Golf Club in Boca Grande; The Sanctuary Golf Club, The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club and Beachview Golf & Tennis Club on Sanibel; Alden Pines Country Club on Pine Island; Fort Myers Beach Golf Club and The Island Country Club and Hideaway Beach Golf Course on Marco Island — all share in the breezy, casual experience that is island golf.
“It’s more relaxed, even though it’s a quality golf course,” said Brian Kittelson of Washington, D.C., celebrating his 32nd birthday with a round of golf at Fort Myers Beach Golf Club while vacationing on the island with family.
“Just the atmosphere,” said Kittelson, punctuating his comments by popping open a Bud Light. “It’s nice and light.”
Unlike at Captiva Island Golf Club, most of the holes at the area’s other island courses do not sit directly on the open water. Most are separated from the shore by homes, hotels and condominiums, or mangroves and hammocks — even though it usually takes less than a 9-iron to reach them.
Still, the abundant characteristics of the islands themselves make clear this is something apart from mainland Florida golf.
“It’s beautiful, the birds and the wildlife over here,” said Dave Minsterman of Fort Myers Beach, completing a round recently with his wife, Shirley, at The Sanctuary, where he also works as a starter.
“Our property abuts (J.N.) ‘Ding’ Darling,” Sanctuary director of golf Ed Lockard said of the national wildlife refuge on the northern side of Sanibel. “People say you see more wildlife here than at the refuge.”
Even a signature trait of Southwest Florida golf — the wind — is said to be greater on the islands, creating the duel effect of a cooler day but more challenging round of golf.
“Wind’s probably more of a factor here,” said Andy Bell, an assistant professional at Gasparilla Golf Club, which has five holes directly on Charlotte Harbor and 16 of its 18 holes separated from the water by little more than palm trees.
“We’ll have our residents on the island drive three blocks from their homes and say it wasn’t windy there,” Bell said. “(But) it’s a stout, 20-mile-an-hour wind here. That, and just the views ... you can’t help but have a good time.”
Exotic as they sound, Southwest Florida’s island courses are no more inaccessible to the everyday golfer than are other links in the area.
Four are semiprivate (The Dunes, Beachview, Fort Myers Beach and Alden Pines), open to anyone already on the islands or interested in taking a drive to these Florida golf courses.
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