Florida Golf Courses

New Greens And New Life For Florida Golf Course

2006-09-21T11:24:00.000-04:00

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

2006-09-12T07:38:00.000-04:00

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

2006-09-06T16:06:00.000-04:00

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

2006-09-05T07:35:00.000-04:00

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

2006-09-01T07:54:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-31T07:58:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-28T07:33:00.000-04:00

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.

Acquisition Announced for Florida Golf Course

2006-08-25T07:52:00.000-04:00

The Mulligan Society announces the acquisition of the Diamond Players Golf Club located in Clermont, Florida. The cost of the acquisition was not disclosed. Future plans call for extensive renovation of the Florida Golf Course and Clubhouse adjacent to the beautiful community of Summit Greens.

Short-term plans are for a major expansion of the existing kitchen and renovation of the seating areas in the restaurant. A private club is planned for the existing pro shop area. In Phase II the Pro Shop will be expanded, along with new office space, an underground golf cart facility and banquet meeting rooms.

"We have great plans for the property and look forward to working with the wonderful people in the Summit Greens and Clermont communities to bring a first class facility to Central Florida," states Bob Sullivan, General Manager of the project.

Current plans also call for an ATM on site provided by OLD SOUTHERN BANK. The bank was instrumental in acquisition funding and plans to provide financing for future endeavors. "Our team is excited to be a part of the project," comments Sandra W. Jansky, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of OLD SOUTHERN BANK. "We look forward to building a strong relationship with Bob and his team to add value, as well as growth to the Clermont community and Florida golf courses."

Doral Resort To Add 'Prime Fairway Living' Along Florida Golf Course Blue Monster

2006-08-23T07:32:00.000-04:00

The Doral Resort and Spa in Miami has long been known for the Florida golf course Blue Monster and luxury living, pretty much in that order.

The resort is adding something to that luxury component, in the form of new luxury resort hotel condominiums, known as The Blue. Construction is already underway, with the first phase expected to be finished by late summer in 2007.

The first phase includes 64 units. The final project calls for a total of 240 condos, which are expected to be built in two years.

Already, half the "prime fairway living" units have been sold, "based primarily on buyers understanding the value of the location ... " said Jerry Kaufman, managing member of The Blue's development.

All the condos will be built around the 12th and 13th fairways of the Florida golf course, one of five courses at the resort. The Blue Monster has hosted a PGA Tour event for the last 40 years and is the third-oldest stop on tour. But, the Ford Championship at Doral will not be on the schedule after this year.

In its place will be the World Golf Championship, scheduled for March 22-25 in 2007. The WGC features the top 50 players from the official world golf rankings along with the top finishers on the money list of six tours: the PGA, European, Australian, Japan, Asian and South Africa.

The Blue Monster was originally designed by Dick Wilson and later restored by Raymond Floyd. Its 18th hole is one of the most recognizable finishing holes on the tour.

The Kaufman Organization, which has five developments planned or underway in south Florida, is the builder.

Prices for the condos range from $500,000 to $1.5 million. Each unit will have streamlined interiors, hardwood floors and a temporary decor designed with "light hues and natural undertones," according to the builders.

Room amenities are to include 42-inch plasma televisions with surround-sound, high-speed Internet access, integrated state-of-the-art phone system and a computerized lighting/air conditioning and heat system.

Kitchens will include granite countertops and Italian-styled cabinets. Bathrooms will be built with marble floors, granite countertops and over-sized marble showers with frameless glass doors.

Owners and guests will have use of the clubhouse with its fully-equipped fitness center and restaurant, pool area with private cabanas, poolside massage, business center, lobby bar, in-room chef upon request, library and concierge service.

Owners at The Blue will also be granted access to Doral's five Florida golf courses, restaurants and lounges. The resort's other courses include the Great White, designed by three-time Doral winner Greg Norman, with more than 200 Scottish-style bunkers, and the Gold, Red and Silver courses.

Doral is a Marriott resort, sitting on 650 acres, with 90,000 square feet of meeting and conference space. Marriott officials said they said to spend $10 million in the next few years in renovations to the courses.

Walton Street Capital, LLC Announces The Acquisition Of Florida's PGA National Resort & Spa

2006-08-22T07:46:00.000-04:00

Palm Beach Gardens, FL – Walton Street Capital, LLC announced today the acquisition of PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida from E. Llwyd Ecclestone, original owner and developer of the 2,348-acre resort and golf club.

Walton Street’s operating partners, SCS Advisors, Inc and Century Golf Partners will oversee the operations of the Florida resort and golf respectively, including the 339-room resort featuring 9 restaurants and lounges and a 34,000 square foot conference wing, the 40,000 square foot Spa, 33,000 square foot Health & Racquet Club with 19 tennis courts, 5 master-designed golf courses, Golf Digest Academy and the Members Club.

Jeff Quicksilver, principal at Walton Street Capital commented, “PGA National Resort represents a unique opportunity for us in this phase of the investment cycle. With new development costs being what they are, the chance to acquire and redevelop an existing asset and unlock its true potential is very appealing. We congratulate Mr. Ecclestone for developing such a great property and we are anxious to build on that solid foundation going forward.”

Frank Calaguire, principal at SCS summarized the company’s position stating, “PGA National is a classic example of an irreplaceable asset with all the right pieces that is ripe for repositioning. We plan to enhance the value of the asset through strategic capital investments, engaged leadership, operational excellence and proven revenue generation initiatives. With the help of Century Golf Partners, we are intent on making PGA National one of the best destination golf resorts in the country.” Walton Street plans to invest in excess of $25 million over the next 12-24 months to renovate and enhance the banquet and meeting facilities, restaurants and lounges, lobby, members clubhouse, health and racquet club, spa and pool experience.

Walton Street also announced the appointment of Joel Paige as Vice-President and Managing Director of PGA National Resort. Paige will begin his tenure Monday, August 21st with complete oversight responsibilities for resort and golf operations. Paige’s extensive experience with Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Jim McLean Enterprises and PGA Tour events, in tandem with his strong leadership, operations and strategic planning skills, weighed heavily in the decision. “I am very excited about this extraordinary opportunity; I believe it is truly a perfect fit for all parties involved. Having been in this marketplace for as long as I have, in both the hospitality and the golf arenas, no one knows better than I the value of the PGA brand combined with the resort’s legendary history of professional tournament play. With a new PGA tournament and the planned capital investment there is no question that we will be able to successfully take PGA National to the next level.”

The golf facilities in combination with the fact that PGA National is now home to the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic represented a significant business opportunity for Century Golf Partners as well. Formed by former ClubCorp president Jim Hinckley and created for the purpose of acquiring and managing country clubs and golf courses, Century Golf is in partnership with Walton Street. Together they have acquired two portfolios consisting of 34 golf courses across Texas and the northeastern U.S. “For many years I have known and respected the unique positioning of PGA National, both as a resort with an immense golf heritage and as a facility with tremendous potential,” said Hinckley, “I feel truly honored to be a part of the next chapter in it’s history. The Honda Classic is going to be significant for the resort, the guest’s golf experience and the private membership here.”

The Partners

Walton Street Capital, LLC (“Walton Street”) is a Chicago-based real estate investment firm that in partnership with SCS Advisors, Inc, a hotel investment firm, has acquired and developed in excess of $1.5 billion in hotel assets. In the last nine years, the two companies have acquired and developed 20 properties with a total of 8,000 rooms including Four Seasons Milan, Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North, Ritz Carlton Pentagon City, Sheraton Universal, Westin Oaks & Galleria, Radisson Resort Orlando, Four Seasons Sydney and Renaissance-managed properties: Esmeralda, The Vinoy, The Mayflower and Renaissance Chicago. Walton Street is currently in the process of investing for Walton Street Real Estate Fund V, L.P., a discretionary real estate fund with $1.5 billion of available equity commitments, including PGA National Resort & Spa. To date, Walton Street has invested over $1.8 billion of equity in real estate transactions with a gross asset cost of approximately $6.0 billion.

Century Golf Partners is a golf investment company created for the purpose of acquiring and managing country clubs, daily fee golf courses and golf resorts throughout the U.S. The Company owns 38 golf courses that it acquired in partnership with Walton Street Capital, and with the addition of PGA National, manages an additional 12 golf courses for 3rd party owners. Century's portfolio of owned and managed golf courses is expected to generate approximately $150 million in total revenues during 2006. The Company is led by former ClubCorp president Jim Hinckley, Greg Adair, and former ClubCorp executives Ken Story and Larry Galloway. The senior management team has worked together for over 20 years and is comprised of industry veterans who have operated over 500 golf courses.

Latest Upscale Florida Golf Course Will Open Its Doors Soon

2006-08-17T07:35:00.000-04:00

Say you don't know Jack Nicklaus well enough to play The Concession? Lack the connections to finagle a tee time at The Founders Golf Club? Unable to secure a big enough loan to pull off the Ritz-Carlton/Members Golf Club weekend double?

Don't despair. A chance to act the well-heeled big shot - at least for several months - is coming your way.

Barring unforeseen delays, the latest addition to the Florida's collection of upscale courses will open within the next four to six weeks.

And although the Arthur Hills-designed River Strand Golf and Country Club will eventually be as exclusive as the above-named playgrounds, plans are for it to be open to the public until Lennar Homes meets its target of new-home sales - at which point access will be limited to members.

According to Homes' new home consultant Maria Amundson, the community will include about 1,800 residences, including luxury condominiums. Given the fluctuating market, how fast they sell is anyone's guess.

River Strand will also feature tennis courts and a Mediterranean-style clubhouse offering fine dining, a full-fitness center, swimming pool and billiard room.

Located north of Stoneybrook Golf Club (also designed by Hills) in the East Manatee community of Heritage Harbour, River Strand will consist of 27 holes upon completion.

Course superintendent Steve Rodriguez said the first 18 should open by the end of September, followed by the unveiling of the other nine holes in January or February. Many holes will offer spectacular, scenic views of Manatee River tributaries.

Rodriguez is confident there will be no delays leading to the initial opening.

"The grassing started in January, and it is 98 percent grown in. Now, it is just a matter of putting up markers, signage and a temporary (pro shop) facility," he said.

Florida Golf Course Divers Seek `White Gold,' May Find Snapping Turtles

2006-08-17T07:33:00.000-04:00

If you're a duffer or a hacker, Stephen Martinez is making a living from your mistakes. Martinez dives the water hazards on Florida's golf courses to retrieve stray balls, known by divers as ``pearls'' or ``white gold.'' Occasionally, an alligator gets in the way.

In his neoprene dive suit, flippers and mask, Martinez looks out of place among golfers in checkered slacks and spikes on this 90-degree day. He prepares to waddle into the lake that runs the length of the Addison Reserve golf course in Delray Beach. A nightmare for many golfers who hook their shots, the murky lake is a gold mine for divers.

``The golf ball divers probably have the weirdest jobs on golf courses,'' said Dave Youpa, manager of Southern California's Industry Hills course. ``They come in during the day while people are playing their rounds. It's funny because often you just see bubbles in the ponds, and you're like, `What the heck?'''

Many divers are approached with comments like ``Nice golf outfit'' or ``Hey, if you find Titleists, they're all mine,'' said Paul Lovelace, owner of Golf Ball Paul's, a golf ball retrieval and resale company in Kansas City, Missouri.

Lovelace, a former oil-rig diver, has been in the golf ball diving business for 23 years. Martinez, a recreational diver with an interest in marine science, stumbled into his current profession 15 years ago. They say the money is good if you're willing to put up with occupational hazards that include bites from snapping turtles, attacks from alligators and attitudes from territorial otters or beavers.

A snapping turtle punctured the glass of Martinez's mask with its beak a few months ago. ``Without my mask, I would have lost my nose,'' he said. ``I've learned not to touch.''

Divers can earn about 8 cents a ball and usually recover an average of 3,000 to 5,000 a day. Lovelace, who subcontracts with other divers to help retrieve balls on about 250 courses across the U.S. Midwest, expects to sell about 4 million reclaimed balls this year, almost double last year's haul.

Independent divers or contractors like Golf Ball Paul's usually pay courses a fee to get permission to dive in their ponds. In other cases, the courses pay divers by the ball and resell them in their own shops for about half the price they cost new or use them for their driving ranges. A Titleist Pro V1 golf ball, a high-quality model that's popular for its accuracy and control, costs about $4 new. Americans spent $885 million on new golf balls in 2002, according to the National Golf Foundation.

Although golf ball diving can be lucrative, it's a demanding occupation. The job requires five to eight hours spent in zero- visibility waters that are often polluted with fertilizers and littered with sharp clamshells and bottle shards.

``It was hard to get used to not seeing anything,'' Lovelace said. ``The visibility is nil, and that made me feel pretty claustrophobic at first. You are basically just feeling your way around.''

There's another reason the ponds are called water hazards: Sometimes they're inhabited by toothy critters who don't appreciate visitors.

``It's scary when you are grabbing something that isn't a golf ball,'' Lovelace said.

Martinez agrees. Three minutes into a dive at the Links of Boynton Beach in Florida last April, he felt a tug on his tank.

``First I was thinking turtle or catfish, but then I knew by the strength of the jerk,'' recalled Martinez, a subcontractor for Birdie Golf in Pompano Beach, Florida, who dives about 15 courses for the company. ``I went to grab my knife from my right leg, but my left hand was exposed. That's when she bit.''

The next he knew, Martinez was being pulled by an 8-foot female alligator toward the center of the lake.

``This is what you always think about,'' Martinez said. ``Do not freeze up, do not lock up. I need to get to the front of her head.''

Martinez fought to gain a position at the front of the gator's head and started to punch the animal.

``When I was in front of her, while my left hand was still in her mouth -- I felt her tongue, it was the strangest thing -- I started to punch her. She was a tough cookie. After about 20 punches she finally let go.''

Martinez darted to the surface and yelled for help while swimming to the edge of the lake. Startled golfers heard him and raced to pull him out. He had 12 puncture wounds from the attack. The alligator fared worse: She was caught and killed.

``I got cocky,'' Martinez said. ``If you keep getting away with it, you think you're almost bulletproof. Today I surface more often to look around. When somebody told me that there are gators on a course, I thought `money' because many divers wouldn't go there.''

For divers, the best hidden treasures are golf clubs hurled by their frustrated owners into the ponds that can range in depths from a shallow few feet to the occasional 70 feet.

``It's irregular to not find clubs,'' said Lovelace, who puts new grips on them for resale.

Rick Batista, owner of Rick's Golf Balls in Los Angeles, owns about 10,000 clubs collected over the past 20 years, many found in ponds. The walls of his garage are covered from floor to ceiling with racks of clubs, some of which have the original wooden heads. Batista didn't know finding golf balls was going to be a lifelong venture when he first searched for them at age 8, skimming nearby golf course lakes on his surfboard.

Fortunately for the divers, duffers rarely attempt to retrieve their possessions on their own. There are exceptions.

During one of his jobs, Martinez witnessed an exasperated golfer throw his entire bag of clubs into a lake.

``What he realized when he stomped back to the car was that his car keys were in the bag,'' Martinez said. ``He got soaking wet when he waded into the pond trying to get the bag out, but he couldn't get it. So I helped him out.''

Boca Country Club Ranked Top Of Its Kind In Florida

2006-08-14T11:17:00.000-04:00

Boca West Country Club has continually held a top ranking within Florida. Now, the rest of America knows it.

The 36-year-old Boca West was recently listed as 2006's number one residential country club in the United States by Club Leaders Forum (CLF), a national publication that ranks leading private clubs in different categories every three years.

A new category for CLF, "residential" indicates communities that include golf facilities. 10 clubs were named altogether under this heading.

In addition, Boca West was ranked as the top country club in Florida-the ninth year it has achieved such a feat-and number seven among the 40 best clubs across the nation.

Jay DiPietro, president and general manager of Boca West, expressed his happiness with the CLF results.

"This is an extraordinary achievement for the club and everyone involved with it," DiPietro said. "We're all very proud."

Beginning in 1997, CLF has built its rankings through surveying over 6,000 club managers and presidents about what makes each facility special.

CLF's questions cover the areas of tradition and heritage, quality of membership, amenities, governance, and professional management and staff.

According to CLF officials, Boca West is part of the top three percent of all private country clubs in terms of excellence.

"What is even more remarkable is the fact that Boca West is also at the apex of all clubs in size, revenues and complexity," wrote John Sibbald, publisher of CLF, in a letter he sent to Boca West that announced the current rankings.

Developed in 1971 by Arvida Corporation, the 1,400-acre Boca West features four championship courses, over 30 tennis courts, a sport pavilion and a fitness center among its amenities.

Approximately 900 people are employed by Boca West at the height of the season.

"I believe we have the finest staff of any club in the country," DiPietro said. "We're also known as one of the top places of employment in the area."

The club has undergone numerous changes over the years, including a $40 million expansion and renovation program completed in 1997 that involved more than 210,000 square feet of additions and improvements.

Boca West is currently embarking upon another $36 million expansion that will cover the reconstruction of two golf courses, updating both the sports pavilion and fitness center, and building a new 62,000-square-foot spa.

"We obviously have accomplished a lot and will continue to do so," DiPietro said. "Being honored again by CLF proves it."

Council To Weigh Plans For Florida Golf Course

2006-08-08T07:50:00.000-04:00

The city council on Aug. 17 will consider preliminary plans for 310 homes on the former Port Malabar Country Club Golf Course.

The planning and zoning board on Wednesday voted 5-1 in favor, overruling the objections of neighbors. Board member Adam Hill voted no.

"Everybody hates to see the Florida golf course go," said Bob Williams, vice chairman of the board. "It's a tough issue. I've played the course over the years."

Neighbors said they won't give up the fight.

"It's just the beginning. We don't want homeowners to become discouraged," said Russ Wood, president of the Port Malabar Country Club Community Association.

Among concerns cited by neighbors:

Drainage, because the new homes would be built higher than those surrounding the course.

Traffic congestion

Arsenic in the soil that could become airborne during construction

Private water wells and an artesian pond

Reduced home values

The loss of valuable trees

Environmental concerns and habitat loss

The board continued discussion from its July meeting, because of questions that couldn't be answered by Jack Spira, a local attorney representing the new owners.

In June 2004, the course was sold to Palm Bay Greens LLC. The Florida golf course closed the following year. In February, the clubhouse was torn down and the pool filled in.

Charles Madge has fought home construction on the course for more than a year. He said it would reduce the beauty of the area.

"Many people are bitter," Madge said.

Spira said the residents want open land, but they don't want to pay for it. He said the landowner is entitled to develop the site if he follows zoning and code requirements.

"We've agreed to all the conditions imposed by city staff," he said.

Conditions include an environmental impact study, efforts to save trees, traffic modifications and another access through an agreement with Villas of Island Green.

Spira has met with residents. Developers offered to dig trenches through golf cart paths to direct water into ponds in exchange for resident support of the project.

"It's very frustrating," Spira said. "I thought we had an agreement, but I guess the people with drainage problems have other agendas."

Golfers Buy New Combination of Vacation Home and Real Estate On Florida golf Course

2006-08-07T09:43:00.000-04:00

There is a new type of golf vacation home that golf enthusiasts are buying. This new type of golf vacation home is the combination of a golf vacation residence, a luxury resort hotel, a luxury condominium, and a real estate investment property.

"This is a new lifestyle concept combining the luxury, service, and amenities of a world-class hotel with the ownership benefits of a high-end condominium. This new real estate approach is ideal as a second or third vacation home, or a premier golf vacation residence," says Mr. Kevin D. Wright, a South Florida Realtor and Licensed Mortgage Broker. "Sometimes you will hear this concept described as hotel condominium, condominium hotel, or condotel."

An owner of a resort hotel condominium enjoys all of the benefits of owning a home. An owner of a resort hotel condominium has the ability to re-sell their condominium unit in the open market. The owner pays real estate taxes, maintenance fees, and the usual insurances. Under certain circumstances, these typical payments could represent tax deductions. Obviously one would consult a tax specialist for specifics concern tax deductions. Mr. Wright added, "Some buyers may find that purchasing a resort hotel condominium can be an excellent vehicle for 1031 tax deferred exchanges. We have the resources to put something like this together."

As an owner of a resort hotel condominium, each owner has the option of allowing their unit to be placed in a rental management program when they are not using their golf vacation residence. The golfers like this part because it can lower the carrying costs of their vacation home. When their home is not in use, a resort hotel condominium could generate hotel income. "One should never leave an asset under-utilized. This is the part that attracts many golfers. Many golfers use it as a second or third vacation home that doubles as a real estate investment. Generally speaking the net revenue, after expenses, generated from the rental of an owner's suite is paid directly to the owner by the hotel management company," says Mr. Wright.

Golf enthusiasts around the world have recently discovered two major resort hotel condominiums located in tropical South Florida. One project is located in the Miami, Florida area and the other project is located in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area. Both of these resort hotel condominiums' primary focus is on golf.

The resort hotel condominium located in the Miami area offers five championship golf courses. As an owner of this particular golf vacation residence, one would have access to preferred tee times on all five championship golf courses. This includes the golf course featured in major golf tours. This particular golf course has recently become part of a major golf championship series. Mr. Wright added, "It is already renowned for its fabled champions and electrifying tournaments."

The Miami area resort hotel condominium also offers a world-renowned golf school. Golfers around the world consider this particular golfing school to be one of the leading golf schools in America.

The Miami area resort hotel condominium is the first and only luxury resort condominium ever to be developed along the fairways of a legendary golf course. A popular golf digest ranks one of the golf courses at this South Florida location as one of the top golf courses in Florida. A popular golf magazine identifies the 18th hole on this golf course as being one of the top 100 holes in the world.

After a golfer buys a resort hotel condominium at this particular Miami area location, they will discover how to receive complimentary tickets to a major golf tour event.

The resort hotel condominium located in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area offers two championship golf courses. The golf courses feature signature waterfalls, beautiful vistas, and challenging greens. There is even a resident golf concierge available. For the true golf aficionado that prefers Fort Lauderdale, there are six additional high-level courses in the area.

The two major resort hotel condominiums located in tropical South Florida differ in pricing. The purchase of one of these resort hotel condominiums can be financed. Much like a conventional, residential condominium purchase, the lender's decision to make the loan will be based on the creditworthiness of the individual purchaser and the value of the residence being purchased. Mr. Wright added, "Not all lender's understand or provide funds for the purchase of resort hotel condominiums. One may wish to use current banking relationships and find that rates are unacceptable or the property type is unacceptable. As a Licensed Mortgage Broker, we have established relationships with two lenders that specialize in resort hotel condominiums."

Golfers are viewing the purchase of a resort hotel condominium as an investment in a lifestyle. "We hear stories of resort hotel condominium buyers bragging about their new purchase. They are making their friends, relatives, and co-workers jealous. They get pampered existence, the whole package. It's more than golf," says Mr. Wright. “There are still a few luxury suites available for purchase at both locations. Please contact us for current pricing, developer incentives, full-color brochures, or to arrange a private viewing.”

Florida Golf Course, Isleworth Getting New Practice Area

2006-08-04T08:08:00.000-04:00

One of the most sought-after amenities at a Florida golf course is the practice area, and when the membership includes more than a dozen PGA Tour players, it's even more important.

So Isleworth Country Club in Windermere, Fla., has begun the construction of what may be the world's most comprehensive practice facility, with different types of turf and bunkers to simulate play at other venues, and a short-game area with a number of fairway and greenside bunkers of varying types.

Kurt Kuebler, general manager, said Tiger Woods, Mark O'Meara, Darren Clarke, Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, Charles Howell III, Lee Janzen and other Tour players who live at Isleworth normally spend more time at the range than on the golf course. That's why the new practice area, being designed by Steve Smyers, will replicate the conditions and shot values, found on the course.

"At Florida Tour events, golfers are playing mostly on Tifeagle Bermudagrass. But if you're practicing for play elsewhere, you may want to practice on those other turfgrasses to see how the ball is going to react," Kuebler said.

According to Florida golf course superintendent Steve MacLeod, the practice area is going to involve a little bit of turf maintenance magic as well. "We're talking about having a bentgrass green and a bit of fairway that would allow them to prepare for the kinds of shots they'd see in Great Britain," he said. The practice bunkers will have different bunker sand, and obviously different depths of sand, as well as different designs, to allow them to practice for events in other parts of the world."

Regarding the difficulty of maintaining different types of turf in an area that gets 70 inches of rain a year, Macleod said, "It will be a little bit of theater. I'd say it's like managing test plots. It will be interesting to see what we can do with them. It might mean a few more labor hours, and we'll definitely have to manage our irrigation carefully."

At the end of August, several of the tour pro members will be at home and the team will get their input on the Florida golf course project.

Sabal Point a Florida Golf Course Could Shrink Golf Course

2006-08-02T07:57:00.000-04:00

Changes are likely at the closed Sabal Point Country Club as the property's new owner is expected to follow a national trend of trading Florida golf courses for more moneymaking development.

Officials of REGem Management told residents this week that they are considering revamping the golf course to make it shorter, more affordable and easier to play -- qualities they say have made courses such as Winter Pines and Dubsdread popular and successful.

At the same time, they would develop some of the land to help pay for the course's million-dollar makeover and bolster the venture's overall viability. Just what might be built, however, remains unclear.

For many years, golf courses throughout the country and especially in Central Florida have struggled as the number of rounds being played has dropped. Last year was the first since 1945 that the number of golf courses nationwide decreased compared with the previous year, according to a National Golf Foundation report. The number of golf courses closing has grown from 32 in 2001 to 93 last year, according to the report.

Sabal Point's tentative development plans mirror a trend toward converting troubled golf-course properties -- either partially or wholly -- into more profitable uses, such as residential or commercial developments.

Of the courses that closed last year, more than half were turned into residential or commercial ventures.

Sabal Point residents say they need more details about what might be built in their community before they'll get behind any changes.

"In Sabal Point, the golf course runs through the interior of the community," said Wayne Hunicke, president of the largest homeowners association. "So residents here will want to know more about what's planned before they can support it."

The new owner says the old model cannot survive in the current market.

"They want us to realize that just re-opening the club is just a repeat of something that hasn't worked," Hunicke said. "Everybody now knows the course is in pretty bad shape. I think most people will be willing to consider adjustments that won't affect their lives or their views."

Sabal Point was one of three Florida golf courses taken over by Banc of America Strategic Solutions last year and put on the market.

About two miles way from Sabal Point, some residents of Wekiva Springs are facing a similar situation -- plans for building 48 new town houses on nearly 5 acres at the Wekiva Springs Golf Club. Owners of the Florida golf course want to add the two-story units around the clubhouse and along the 16th fairway.

This project -- which would be built on an undeveloped, wooded lot -- is scheduled to go before the Seminole County Planning and Zoning Commission next week. Some residents say they don't want more dense development in the community and have been meeting ahead of the P&Z meeting.The proposal would require amending the master plan for the Wekiva Planned Unit Development, a blueprint for the 1,022-acre golf-course community approved 30 years ago. That blueprint requires 255 acres to remain as open space. There are currently 260 acres of open space, just enough to allow the project. The project's 48 town houses, however, would put the development over its limit of 3,137 dwelling units.

Florida Golf Course's Closing Hits Close To Home

2006-08-01T07:47:00.000-04:00

Barbara Ogle knows exactly how the people who live next to The Golf Club in Cape Coral feel.

A mortgage broker who lives along Bonita Springs Golf and Country Club, Ogle has headed an informal committee that for the past year has tried — with limited success — to keep homes from being built on part of the course.

"When we bought this home, this neighborhood was marketed as (having an) 18-hole professional golf course," Ogle said. "And the people that bought lots on the golf course paid a premium to be on the Florida golf course."

With the course, which closed June 2, sitting in limbo for at least a year now, Ogle said property values have been affected. Some owners along the course have lowered asking prices for their homes by nearly $100,000, Ogle said, while other homes have sat on the market for nearly a year.

"Some of it is market adjustment," Ogle said of the flattening real estate market. "And some of it is because of the uncertainty of what's going to be outside of your backdoor."

That same uncertainty threatens not only residents next to The Golf Club — which will close Monday for what owners say is due to repeated financial losses — but potentially thousands of other homeowners throughout Southwest Florida.

As with the Bonita Springs and Cape Coral Florida courses, Riviera Golf Club in Naples also closed this year and faces potential development.

All three Florida golf courses represent what experts say could be a growing trend — that is, going from fairways and greens to foundations and wallboard.

According to the Jupiter-based National Golf Foundation, more golf courses closed nationwide in the first half of this year than opened.

There were 65 closures and 57.5 openings — measured in 18-hole equivalents — according to the foundation's Mid-Year Golf Course Development Update. The report predicts similar year-end results.

Florida, which has more golf courses than any other state, is contributing to the trend. In the first half of the year, nine golf courses closed statewide while eight and a half 18-hole equivalents opened.

"It's a real hard time right now," said Dave Smith, owner of S&S Golf Management in Fort Myers, which oversees about 10 golf course communities in Southwest Florida.

Increased costs for labor, fuel, fertilizer, insurance and other items have made golf less profitable while land becomes more valuable.

Rampant course construction in the past decade combined with stagnant numbers playing the game also has contributed to a glut of courses.

"Rounds of golf (nationwide) in 2005 were less than they were in 2000," said Joey Garon, vice president of operations for The Bonita Bay Group, developer of five gated golf course communities in Lee and Collier counties.

"What's amazing about that? In that time, you've had well over 1,000 golf courses built. You have less people buying groceries and you have 1,000 new Albertson's. Something's got to give."

Dennis Hillier, an attorney with more than 30 years' experience designing club membership programs for developers, said the trend is known as "decommissioning of golf courses."

"If they don't work financially, then the owners (have) got to look at other options," said Hillier, who is based in Boca Raton with Greenberg Traurig. "We think this will accelerate over the next 10 years as the market deals with the oversupply of golf courses."

The greatest immediate threat appears to be to courses with similar characteristics to The Golf Club, Bonita Springs Golf & Country Club and Riviera Golf Club.

All are relatively old for this area — built in the 1960s and '70s — and are owned by individuals or private owners independent from the homeowners around the courses.

Matt Noble, with the Lee County planning department, estimated more than a dozen golf courses in Lee County fit that description.

"That risk is there on some of these courses for the people around them that have no interest (ownership) in the land," Noble said.

Zoning changes would be required before most courses could be converted into residential developments, but that's not an impassible hurdle, Noble said.

"You have to be found to be compatible with the surrounding land uses, and your impacts have to be addressed," Noble said. "It's something that would have to be viewed on a case-by-case basis, but more residential (zoning) in a residential environment, those are typically compatible uses."

Florida golf courses in newer communities may be better protected in deeds and other documents from future conversions. But they aren't necessarily guaranteed to remain golf courses in perpetuity.

"There never is any protection, to my knowledge, that says this must be maintained as a golf course to eternity," said Bonita Bay's Garon, who has worked in golf and club management for 24 years.

"Nobody ever plans, 'Fifteen years down the road, this might be the case,' " Garon said. "(But) you never know down the road. Land might become so valuable it would happen."

As with the possible developments at The Golf Club, Bonita Springs Golf & Country Club and Riviera Golf Club, that could lead to more community protest and threatened legal action.

"Every case is different," Hillier said. "The only way they're really going to win is there's something in the chain of title (telling) you there's going to be a golf course there in perpetuity."

Residents along Bonita Springs Golf & Country Club already have learned that the hard way.

"Pretty soon there won't be any open space left in Florida," Ogle said. "It will all be homes and condos that are left on the market and reduced in price. There has to be some quality of life that is left here, and it cannot be all gated community without Florida golf courses."

Old Florida Golf Course Measures Up For Golf Events

2006-07-28T08:04:00.000-04:00

Driving past the rows of stores and commercial strip plazas that line Yamato Road just west of Interstate 95, you would never know there was a top-flight, 18-hole Florida golf course tucked behind them.

Mainly for that reason, the Champions Tour is returning to Palm Beach County for the first time in seven years.

The Champions Tour has been trying to find a suitable South Florida home during the winter since the Royal Caribbean Classic at Key Biscayne lost its title sponsor two years ago. Last fall, members at Broken Sound decided they wanted to host a pro tournament to help give some quality exposure to its gated community and the Old Course.

Within months, a deal was reached to move the Allianz Championship from Des Moines, Iowa, to Boca Raton, starting in February. Now the Old Course becomes a New Story.

"It is a hidden gem, not just in Boca but in South Florida," said Franklin Loh, a Broken Sound member serves as the club spokesman. "We have something to offer that not many communities can match around here."

What makes the Old Course so different is its a free-standing layout that features no homes on the course. That's right: 18 holes, zero homes.

"I couldn't believe that when I heard it, " said Hollis Cavner, whose Pro Links Sports is managing the event. "I mean, this is Florida. All of the courses have homes on them - or condos."

There's another thing that separates Broken Sound from other area courses that have hosted Champions Tour events that have come and gone during the past two decades: They're not doing it to sell property, then tell the tournament to move on once that's been accomplished. The 1,600-home gated community has already been built near the course.

So maybe, just maybe, the Champions Tour will remain in South Florida for longer than the initial three-year deal. Loh says that's the plan.

"We're not looking to sell homes," Loh said. "This is great exposure for our community and for our course. This is not a short-term scenario; this is a long-range plan."

This is the Champions Tour's first event in Palm Beach County since the Senior PGA Championship left PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens in 2000 after an 18-year stay.

Two other Champions Tour events have been held in Boca Raton without much staying power: Boca Grove Plantation hosted the Quadel Seniors Classic from 1983-85, and Gleneagles in Delray Beach was the site of the Shearson-Lehman Brothers Senior Classic in '86.

Cavner said he's well aware the Champions Tour has struggled in South Florida, with its abundance of social and sports options during the winter. But he believes things will be different because he's focusing on being a bigger fish in a smaller pond.

"This will be different because this is a Boca event," Cavner said. "It's not a Miami event where you've got 9 million things going on that day.

"This is going to be a happening event in Boca."

The Old Course was built by Joe Lee in 1979, then redesigned by architect Gene Bates of North Palm Beach in 2004. Bates did a massive overhaul, changing the routing while adding mounds and yardage (7,000 from the back tees).

"There's really nothing there today that resembles what it was five years ago," said Bates, who was selected Golf Course Architect of the Year in 2005 by BoardRoom magazine, partly for his work at Broken Sound. "We didn't rebuild it with the intentions of having a tournament, but we rebuilt it as a good venue for club members who have the option of stepping up to whatever tee they want."

Broken Sound's director of golf, John Skaf, said he would like to see the Old Course switched from a par-72 to a par-70 for the 54-hole event. He suggests the first and 16th holes, which play as par-5s for the members, should be switched into difficult par-4s.

Skaf knows trying to predict a winning score on a Florida golf course without knowing the weather conditions can be a stretch.

But he was willing to try, anyway.

"If we play it as a par-70, I could see the winning score between six and 10 under," Skaf said. "As a par-72, I think the winner will be between eight and 12 under."

Bates usually is too busy trying to build golf courses and doesn't worry about how well the older pros will be able to pick them apart. But he's confident the Allianz Championship's leader board won't be dripping with red numbers.

"It's not going to be a go-low Florida golf course," Bates said. "I think if someone shoots 67 or 68 the first two days, that's going to be a good round of golf. By the final round, I think they'll be happy with a 70 or a 71."

Florida Golf Course Heat means Golfing Cheap

2006-07-27T07:51:00.000-04:00

Summer in Florida means rising numbers in much of every day life — gas prices, electric bills and, of course, temperature.

But for budget-minded golfers, there's no better time to play because when the mercury heads north, golf prices head south, making this the best time to hit the sticks — provided golfers can dodge the thunderheads and stand a little sunburn and a lot of sweat.

"You can't go wrong here during the summer," said Doug Atwood, a teacher at Port St. Lucie High School. "Myself and the guys I play with, we play more often and we like to choose a variety of courses. Everybody drops their rates, so it's enticing to try different courses."

During the winter months, the selection of affordable courses for middle-class golfers shrinks because non-municipal courses such as PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie and Hammock Creek in Palm City offer rates more than double what they charge in the summer.

Both facilities charge more than $80 for morning play during the winter. Now they are charging less than $35, with afternoon rates below $22.

It's the simple law of supply and demand, Hammock Creek general manager and golf pro Steve Harrop said. But in that vein, it's the drop in demand that benefits the summer players.

"Heat is always going to be a factor," Harrop said. "The population also goes down during the summer. We try to set our prices at a fair market rate. During the season, we can charge more. But in the summer if you are a local person and can put up with the heat, there are good courses you can play.

"If you take the top five Florida golf courses in the area, you can play four or five of them right now for $100. During the season, it would probably cost you around $600 to play those same courses."

With the lower demand comes the opportunity for courses to take care of the year-around residents who might put away their clubs between Halloween and Easter — or play exclusively at municipal facilities in the winter.

Paul Howley, head pro at Eagle Marsh, said the Jensen Beach course lowers its rates in the summer so much — by almost two-thirds — so people like teachers, firefighters and students can enjoy an upscale course and experience.

Stuart resident Jon Resos said he and his golfing buddies play significantly more rounds during the summer. And while during the summer they might still play at courses like Martin County Country Club that are affordable all year, they tend to use their summer outings to hit the more upscale courses.

Resos said his group plays Hammock Creek, PGA Golf Club and The Florida Club in the summer, noting they'll probably not play more than once at those courses during the winter.

"We try to get in on the better rates and play more because when it's $85 a round (during the season), that's out of my budget," Resos said. "I don't want to go out there and maybe shoot 120 and pay that much. I'm willing to pay $35 and have that bad of a day on a Florida golf course."

Jupiter's Ritz Florida Golf Course Maintenance Crew Takes Pride In Pristine Greens

2006-07-25T10:53:00.000-04:00

There is nothing like the early morning on a Florida golf course. The last droplets of dew tip the grass, giving it a luminescence that sparkles in the early sun. Putted golf balls create rivelet tracks along the green to the hole and the light breeze at sunrise belies the steamy heat that will mark the course as the day continues.

Savvy golfers — and most golfers in North County fit this category — know that the lush fairways, the neatly clipped bunker edges and the fine-tuned putting surfaces don't happen by some elfin magic.

They are the result of very precise golf course maintenance practices, and when this golf course is the Jack Nicklaus-designed 18 holes at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club & Spa, Jupiter the standards elevate to professional tournament level.

"We are an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Certified golf course," said Lukus Harvey, the Ritz Carlton golf course superintendent, "which means we go above and beyond with pesticide management, awareness and sensitivity to wildlife. Also, right in the middle of the Florida golf course is an 8-acre bald eagle preserve that is fenced off and no one but our certified biologist can go in there.

"It is the centerpiece of the property and if our members don't see the eagles for a few days, they are asking us about them."

These same members demand the finest when it comes to the golf course's condition, so the Ritz Carlton spends more than $1.6 million a year to maintain this course.

Much of the maintenance involves the greens, which are among the most pristine and smooth in the area. And this doesn't happen by accident. Harvey and his crew of 28 continually use various maintenance practices to guarantee that the greens are outstanding.

"I would put my greens up against the (PGA) Tour any day of the week," said Harvey. "We have tour players that are members here and members that want this type of condition."

Until about five years ago, South Florida had the reputation for not having good greens, he said, but now, because of new grasses obtained through gene splicing the grasses — Champion Ultradwarf on the greens and Tifsport on the fairways — allow the course to provide "the finest greens and fairways in South Florida," Harvey said.

Along with these high quality grasses comes a labor-intensive maintenance program that continues throughout the year, but in the summer, several practices are accelerated.

Top dressing, adding a light covering of sand on the greens 40 times during the year, helps the greens to maintain a smooth surface, the "pool table," effect, said Harvey.

"These grasses grow so much and are so aggressive that the more they grow, the more work we have," he said. When we do aerification (pulling out small cylindrical plugs from the greens and filling them with United States Golf Association sand), it helps the greens get more oxygen exchange.

"The previous sand that is down there, three or four inches deep, can build up an organic area and insects and funguses like these organics. So when you take out the plugs, then it will accept water."

The golf course closes for a day for the aerification and for 10 days there are "undesirable" putting conditions, he said, but the members are "very educated," and understand that proper maintenance keeps the golf course at its best.

Vericutting, or making thin cuts along the surface of the green, used to be a minor maintenance practice done about 10 to 15 times a year, but Harvey said it is done aggressively about 15 times a year, and then lightly 20 times a year.

"Picture a mower that is a bunch of circular saw blades," he said. "It removes dead material called thatch that grows under the surface of the green. Because this grass grows so quickly, one piece of grass grows on top of each other, and if you don't vericut, the part under the top surface will die out — you'll get greens that are spongy."

The vericut grooves are filled with sand, so that it is still a true putting service, he adds.

Harvey, who has been at the course for a little more than a year, cut his maintenance teeth at some of the best-known golf courses in the country — Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, Johns Island Club in Vero Beach, Calusa Pines in Naples, and the venerable Augusta National in Georgia, home of The Masters.

Because of this experience he is accustomed to the exceptionally high standards demanded at Ritz Carlton.

"There are a lot of great Florida golf courses in the area, and the Ritz Carlton is all about service," he said. "We sell out memberships based on tournament conditions, and because of this, we can't have an off day.

"We communicate with our members, so they know what we are doing and they are willing to accept it," realizing that the maintenance is the key to an outstanding golf course.

Florida Golf Courses In Play?

2006-07-24T07:51:00.000-04:00

Sure, Southwest Florida has water activities, - boating, parasailing, jet-skiing - as well as an array of cultural attractions, museums and nature centers.

But when most visitors come to Collier County, they have one main activity in mind: A Florida Golf Course.

Collier County is home to about 70 golf courses. Now, with membership numbers at local golf clubs declining, and the need for affordable housing increasing, how long will Florida golf courses be able to resist development?

“Golf courses are running out of patrons, and as you start to see more and more of that, there’s going to be more and more of a push to either add members or sell them off and do something else,” Collier County Manager Jim Mudd said.

“It’s not going to sit there and be idle space.”

Collier County commissioners passed up two opportunities in the past year to purchase a golf course for public use.

Last August, commissioners had the chance to purchase the Ironwood Golf Course in East Naples. The course owners, Illinois-based Van Elway Enterprises Inc., owed millions of dollars to creditors. The course was foreclosed upon and put up for auction.

County staff members didn’t want to keep up the golf course and instead proposed turning it into a park or an affordable housing area.

East Naples residents objected to the ideas and Ronald Berger bought the course at auction for about $1.4 million, Mudd said.

A resident of East Naples who won $10 million in the Florida Lotto in 2002, Berger decided to keep the course and its restaurant open.

County Commissioner Donna Fiala had hoped to purchase and maintain Ironwood. She said the maintenance estimates for the Florida golf course, provided by staff, were too high.

“She didn’t like the cost figures that we had, but I believe the staff’s analysis of financial feasibility was pretty much dead on,” Mudd said. “It’s a hard business around here. There’s so many darn golf courses.”

At the commissioners’ June 7 meeting, Fiala’s request that the county look into purchasing the Riviera Golf Course in East Naples was met with silence.

“The golf course is in good shape and doesn’t need any improvements, so it’s not like we’d have to rescue the course,” she said. “I thought this would be the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Developers with MDG Capital, well-known throughout the county for their work force housing projects, hoped to purchase the golf course in January to develop affordable housing condominiums. The golf course winds between 692 manufactured and single-family homes that are scattered throughout the 55-and-over Riviera Golf Estates community.

Residents protested the development, saying their contracts guaranteed that the golf course view they enjoyed would remain just that in perpetuity. Developers with MDG are in the process of reviewing contracts to determine whether they have the right to build over the golf course.

“I am for affordable housing, because I have children of my own who need that,” said Kay Randazzo, president of the Riviera Homeowners Association. “I just wasn’t supportive of them building condos in the middle of our community.”

Changing a community golf course to an affordable housing development can be fairly simple, said Cormac Giblin, housing and grants manager for the county.

The first step for would-be developers would be to seek permission to rezone the land from Florida golf course to residential, Giblin said. During that process, county planners and commissioners attempt to decide whether the new zoning will be compatible with the overall plan for the area, known as a comprehensive plan.

The good news for developers, Giblin said, is affordable housing developments in place of golf courses are often changes consistent with the comprehensive plan.

“There are no prohibitions regarding golf courses,” Giblin said. “A golf course is not some kind of protected use, like preservation lands or wetlands.

“There’s nothing like that there to stop development.”

The tough part comes later, when developers need to have a super majority - approval from four out of five commissioners - to rezone the land. If the new development will generate too much traffic, harm protected areas or create conflicts with the comprehensive plan, it may not get approved.

But if everything checks out, there is little that can be done to stop development from overtaking a golf course, he said.

“If something meets the plan, and it meets the code, you’re supposed to be able to do it,” Giblin said. “The county lives by the code, and it dies by the code.”

One sure-fire way to halt development of a Florida golf course would be for county commissioners to buy it themselves.

Mudd said the main reason commissioners balked at opportunities to own a golf course are the high expenses involved. Maintaining a golf course, and keeping greens fees low, is hard work, he said. Especially when the competition for top courses is as steep as it is in Collier County.

“In order to have a public golf course, there’s got to be people out there who can’t have golf anywhere else,” Mudd said. “As land (for affordable housing) gets scarce, there’s going to be all kinds of pressure to develop the remaining parcels differently.”

While Mudd acknowledged that Florida golf courses located within communities aren’t necessarily safe from affordable housing development, he said Collier residents will never have to worry about losing all of their links.

“Golf courses are everywhere you look,” Mudd said. “There’s won’t be a shortage of Florida golf courses here at all.”

Florida Golf Course's Field Of Buyers Narrows

2006-07-21T08:31:00.000-04:00

At first, it looked like a 300-yard drive that split the fairway. Now, it's looking like deep rough on the Florida golf course.

What had been a veritable frenzy over the 52-acre Venice East Golf Club -- with 13 developers in the bidding -- has cooled to a field of three.

Seven months after the membership agreed to sell on the expectation of a 25-fold return, the course awaits a buyer. The sale has been delayed because of unexpected corporate taxes and a wavering real estate market.

Members of the small, par 57 course on Tamiami Trail voted overwhelmingly in favor of selling when they had more than a dozen unsolicited offers. The top one was $12 million.

Then the association's leadership was advised that taxes on the corporate profit would be about 35 percent, and builders started discounting homes.

Now the club is down to three letters of intent, with the highest one at $11 million.

"We're open, and we're going to be there quite a while," club President Frank Mack said.

Venice East has 249 shareholder-members, most of whom bought in at $1,667 back in 1983. They pooled their money to save the public Florida golf course from condo development.

The course started seeing unsolicited offers last year. A sale at $12 million, an offer that came in after the proxy statement was issued, would have translated to about $48,000 per share.

The members voted to sell if they could get at least $10.7 million after closing costs, or about $43,000 per share.

That price would have translated to a 2,500 percent profit.

Geoffrey Pflugner, the Icard, Merrill lawyer hired to handle the transaction, predicted before the January vote that the sale would land in Sarasota County's top 10 percent.

Pflugner could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Mack sounded frustrated that all the professionals around him failed to mention the the course would be subject to corporate taxes -- and how high that burden would be.

"We had an accountant. We had five real estate brokers. I kept saying, 'Give me a price, what our expenses are going to be,'" Mack said. "Nobody, nobody mentioned corporate taxes. And plus, we had an attorney."

Taylor Woodrow Homes was one of the first to make an offer last year. The company is one of the three that submitted a letter of intent in May -- after the Florida golf course revised its solicitation.

Pete Dye Design In Gated Community Represents Trend For Florida Golf Courses

2006-07-20T07:39:00.000-04:00

Schalamar Creek was one of the first Florida golf course properties M.G. Orender developed.

The Tampa native has come a long way since Schalamar Creek opened in east Lakeland in the mid-1980s. Orender, who now lives in Jacksonville Beach, is at the British Open this week as a member of the World Golf Ranking committee. And as the immediate past president of the PGA of America, he has served as a rules official at the four majors.

But Orender's day job is developing upscale golf course communities as president and principle owner of Hampton Golf Clubs.

Orender's latest project is Southern Hills Plantation Club near Brooksville, a tour-quality Pete Dye design measuring up to 7,500 yards with estate homes on 2,000 acres of wooded hillsides.

Developing large tracts of rural land into exclusive Florida golf communities is a growing trend as the baby boomer generation retires.

Developers find scenic property, hire top course architects and partner with neighborhood planners, making the course the focal point of a private, gated community. In addition, they manage the course once it is finished.

The LandMar Group, which oversees the building of homes at Bridgewater in North Lakeland, partnered with Hampton Golf to design the community of homes at Southern Hills.

The Pete Dye course, which opened in January, is in superb condition. The plantation-style clubhouse overlooking the development will be completed in October. And the first home -- they range from the $200,000s to $1 million -- was finished in early July when media outlets toured the private Florida golf course and club.

Orender said even though Dye is a friend, he had to audition for the job at Southern Hills.

"I said I know you don't usually audition for a job, but you're going to have to audition for this one," Orender said while explaining the course's brief history.

Five architects submitted course designs, and Orender removed their names from plans before submitting layouts to his board. Dye's design was the unanimous selection. Orender declined to name the others.

Dye was impressed with the property, which features striking elevation changes and some of Florida's highest ground at 250 feet above sea level.

"Pete told me, `You don't need an architect. Ray Charles could have designed this course,' " said Orender, an affable fellow in his early 50s with a love for the outdoors and a good cigar.

The 18-hole Florida golf course features Dye's trademark pot bunkers placed strategically along fairways and around greens. Large, undulating putting surfaces are a puzzle, with subtle slopes curving balls away from the cup.

And with his signature on the course, Dye returned 21 times during construction.

Southern Hills Plantation Club, located about one mile south of Brooksville on U.S. 41, is a stern test from the gold tees, which stretch 6,962 yards with a slope rating of 134 and course rating of 74.1. The black tees, at 7,557 yards and a rating of 77.2, are for professionals and ambitious low-handicappers.

Orender was close to luring the PGA Tour to Southern Hills while planning in 2001, but the 9/11 tragedy derailed those hopes.

Even so, the club will likely seek a Nationwide Tour event, and USGA qualifiers are planned within the next couple of years.

Playing with Orender from the gold tees, the course started with a fairly routine par-4, and Dye's impact begins to set in by the uphill sixth hole, a 452-yard par-4.

The fairway on the 567-yard, par-5 seventh hole (618 yards from the tips) rises to a plateau landing area, then sweeps downhill to the green with a drop of about 80 feet. The ninth hole, a short 321-yard par-4, rises 80-90 feet to a small green with a pin you can barely see.

Then comes the back nine, and you are at Dye's mercy. The homeward nine is 200 yards longer, with par-4s measuring 471, 447 and then 464 yards at No. 18, where you arrive both physically and mentally spent.

Orender, who also developed Southern Dunes and Ridgewood Lakes at Haines City, has developed golf properties across the nation. He will soon break ground on another Florida golf course near Clermont with Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore.

Florida Golf Course Sailfish Point Offers Residents A Slice Of Paradise Between Sand And Sea

2006-07-17T08:01:00.000-04:00

When retirees Lewis and Leanna Everett were looking for the perfect home six years ago, they knew exactly what they wanted.

Waterfront property with water deep enough to dock their sport fishing boat. A short ride to world class fishing grounds. A good game of golf within walking distance. And they wanted to live somewhere that had a "small town feel."

Well, that narrowed it down.
After canvassing many of Florida's coastal communities, they found the ideal, and perhaps only, location that satisfied all of their criteria — Sailfish Point.

Since 1980, the 532-acre development isolated at the southern tip of Martin County's Hutchinson Island has offered those who seek the good life a little something extra. And one aspect that sets Sailfish Point apart from other upscale luxury residences is its proximity to some of the most renowned sport fishing anywhere.

For many who live there, the location — surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie Inlet — justifies the multimillion-dollar home prices.

"We looked in Naples, Boca Grande and other towns in South Florida," said Leanna, the former owner of a real estate title agency. "Palm Beach had the shopping and shows, but it's pretty crowded. Vero Beach was nice, but the access to deep sea fishing was pretty far off. Sailfish Point was perfect."

The Everetts spend eight months a year at their tropical Treasure Coast reverie and summer in Kilmarnock, Va., a short boat ride away from the Chesapeake Bay. While at Sailfish Point, Lewis has the opportunity to pursue one of his favorite passions: offshore fishing.

His favorite fish to catch? Sailfish, of course. About 20 minutes after leaving the dock behind his home on Harbor Circle, he can reel one in.

Boat owners have the option of keeping vessels behind their waterfront home or at the community's 77-slip full service marina. Construction has begun on a new $2 million facility that will house dockmaster offices, a ship's store and a clubhouse upstairs that includes seating for 120 overlooking the Indian River Lagoon.

"The yacht club held 30 events there last year before construction began," said Steve Haigis, dockmaster at Sailfish Point since 1996. "Residents love the personal service we provide."

As many as 40 boats can be stored there on trailers and larger ones are tied up in the marina. Marina staff will put boats into the water for residents or fuel up boats if asked, Haigis said.

In addition to boating access, there's the beach. Jock and Twinks Irvine of northern Wisconsin have owned a place at Sailfish Point for 15 years. The Irvines used to winter in the Keys, but Twinks wanted more access to a nicer beach. Sailfish Point shares a mile of public beachfront along the Atlantic Ocean that extends from Bathtub Beach to the St. Lucie Inlet.

But Sailfish Point offers more than water and beach access.

Spacious, comfortable homes line the Florida golf course or back up to the interior harbor, river or St. Lucie Inlet, offering breathtaking views of the good life in a seaside village. The clubhouse itself overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.

A five-star dining experience at the clubhouse can be worked off the next day with a kickboxing class or vigorous tennis match.

Leanna Everett does not spend much time fishing with her husband, but she enjoys being active in the Sailfish Point community, spending time at the luxurious spa. And she admits to playing golf on a regular basis.

"It's a great setting," Leanna said. "The spa and the activities there are fabulous, and I'm very excited about the redesign of the golf course."

All of the assets line up to make Sailfish Point a great place for the Everetts. But above all Sailfish Point is all about location.

Another Florida Golf Course, Foxfire Golf Club Shuts Down

2006-07-14T07:48:00.000-04:00

The public Foxfire Golf Club closed abruptly Tuesday after a $3.6 million sale of a majority of the 27-hole Florida golf course.

The buyer, Foxfire Properties LLC, said it closed the 188-acre course because of environmental contamination and economic losses that have plagued Foxfire for the past several years.

There are no immediate plans for the property, but residential development is the most likely option.

"What's attractive about the property is its size and location," said John Patterson, an attorney representing Foxfire Properties, a company formed by Sarasota investor Barry Spencer.

"What's unattractive about it is it was built over a former landfill," Patterson added. "And the Florida golf course has been losing money. It's not been a financially viable operation for years."

Foxfire has racked up $200,000 in annual losses since 2001, when the 9/11 terrorist strikes crippled foreign tourism.

Foxfire opened in 1975, offering golfers an accessible and affordable opportunity to play year-round. In 2005, its daily rates ranged from $15 to $45.

But as taxes and operating expenses have increased, public Florida golf courses like Foxfire have struggled. At the same time, increased property values have attracted developers interested in courses' large swaths of land.

In addition to Foxfire, the 113-acre Sunrise Golf Club, the 52-acre Venice East Golf Club and the 46-acre Heather Mills Golf Club, in Manatee County, have been targeted for conversion to residences.

At Heather Mills, owners Alva and Rick Copeman have asked the county to alter the course's land use to allow as many as 279 homes on the property.

For Florida golfers like Dean Wince, though, Foxfire's sudden closing marked a sad end to years of happy memories.

"It was a good course," said Wince, who had played at Foxfire for the past six years. "It was always reasonable in the summer and fall. There are quite a few of us that are displeased right now."

When he called last Thursday to reserve a tee time at Foxfire, Wince said he wasn't told the course wouldn't be open.

Customers who purchased prepaid play cards can call Foxfire at 921-7757 for a "prompt refund," according to a statement.

Wince said he plans to take his game to either the Tatum Ridge or Sarasota Golf public courses, now that Foxfire is gone.

"The most prudent thing to do in this case for this property and the surrounding properties was to close the Florida golf course," Patterson said.

Foxfire Properties has no immediate plans for the 104 acres in the former golf club that it purchased, Patterson said. Four of the acres are in the planned Red Hawk Reserve residential community. There, Foxfire Properties could develop as many as 13 lots.

The company also signed a 10-year lease with seller Foxfire Golf Course of Sarasota LC for the contaminated land, with an option to purchase it.

Patterson said Foxfire Properties intends to monitor the adjacent 89-acre tract, which had been a landfill until the mid-1970s and now contains arsenic and other contaminants. The land is also monitored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Any redevelopment of the 7200 Proctor Road course faces other hurdles as well -- namely, agreements implemented in July 2001 with a neighboring homeowners association that restrict development, unless the course is deemed not economically feasible by an arbitration panel.

Foxfire Golf Course of Sarasota, a group of East Florida investors, paid $3.2 million for the entire course in October 1999, according to county land records.

Foxfire Properties "will attempt to work with the neighboring residential property owners and their association in seeking a mutually agreeable plan for the future use of the property," the new owner said in a statement.

Foxfire would be Spencer's first major residential development. Previously, he's invested in retail centers and mobile home parks.

In May, a Spencer-led partnership sold the Sarasota Crossings shopping center, at Fruitville Road and Honore Avenue, to Benderson Development Co. for $14.5 million.

Spencer's Moorings of Manatee Inc. had purchased the center, which also contains a Target store that wasn't part of the deal, for just less than $12 million in 1999.

Are Florida golf courses falling to the great demand of property?

Florida Golf Courses Taking Part In Heart & Stroke Challenge

2006-07-12T07:58:00.000-04:00

The Jack Nicklaus Heart & Stroke Challenge is being played during the month of July across the country, and at nine Florida golf courses, according to a press release.

In its third year, the Challenge is a month-long series of golf events to raise awareness about the increasing risk of heart attack and stroke among men and women age 55 and older, and encouraging them to talk to their doctors about what they can do to reduce their risk.

Entry is free with the option of buying a $10 mulligan to raise money for cardiovascular disease research and education. Each member of the two winning teams at the local level will win a framed lithograph of Nicklaus’ farewell at the British Open and will become eligible for a day of golf activities in West Palm Beach with Nicklaus.

The participating Florida golf courses in Naples are: Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, Moorings Country Club, The Strand, Eagle Creek, Golf Club at Fiddler’s Creek, Golden Gate Country Club (the Quality Inn & Suites Golf Resort), Arrowhead Golf Course, Bonita Bay Club East, and Olde Florida Golf Club.

Save a life today on a Florida golf course.

Device Can Be A Lifesaver On Florida Golf Course

2006-07-11T08:03:00.000-04:00

The ring tone had no urgency when David Sanchez picked up the phone in the Monarch Country Club golf shop in April. A phone, after all, has no ability to convey emotion.

But the voice on the other end was full of urgency: "Call 911. We've got a heart attack on No. 9."

The Palm City club's Florida head golf professional knew what to do.
Sanchez dialed 911 and put into action the Florida golf course's medical emergency plan that includes contacting emergency services, guards at the front gate of the community to let them know to allow ambulances to enter and police and club employees who might need to guide paramedics to the scene as quickly as possible.

Then Sanchez went for the automated external defibrillator (AED), the portable version of the heart paddles used by emergency medical technicians and hospitals to deliver a shock to a stopped heart in hopes of jump-starting it.

Despite the quick response and correct usage of the AED, the Florida golf course's member did not survive.

"It was pretty tough," Sanchez said. "It was real tough on the staff. We'd been through the training, and you hope it's going to work. But everybody stayed calm and did their role, just like in training. There was a registered nurse in the group playing behind, and we gave (the victim) every chance to survive that we could."

AEDs are becoming more common in public places in hopes of improving the chances of living for victims of sudden cardiac arrest. In recent years, local Florida golf courses have purchased the machines and put their staff through cardiopulmonary resuscitation and AED training courses so that they are prepared in case of an emergency.

Florida golf courses are the fifth most likely public location for a heart attack, according to a 2001 study by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Sudden cardiac arrest also is the No. 1 killer on Florida golf courses, which often are large, with remote locations and poor accessibility for emergency personnel.

Of 42 Treasure Coast golf courses surveyed, 66 percent have a least one AED on the property, and some have as many as three placed at different locations for quicker response to emergencies. Many golf courses with just one machine have a card or book outlining the quickest routes to each hole to optimize response time.

With the average age of club members and players skewing to the 50s and older in the area, many Florida courses see having an AED as a smart precaution.

"We're an over-55 community so we just thought it would be a good thing to have," said Cathleen Whelan, club manager at Hobe Sound's Eaglewood Country Club, which just got an AED last week. "We want to help our community as much as we can."

Although the majority of courses with AEDs haven't had to put them into action, a few have.

Bob Komarinetz, director of golf at Sandridge Golf Club in Vero Beach Florida, said the course has used its AED, although the victim did not survive. Komarinetz said a death from sudden cardiac arrest about nine years ago prompted the club to buy an AED.

In some places, such as New York City, courses are required to have the machines on site. But in Florida there is not a requirement.

Still, Dr. Amy Eversole, a cardiologist with the Stuart Cardiology Group, said she supports courses having them.

"They're simple to use and can be life saving," Eversole said. "We definitely see a couple of patients during the (tourist) season who have had cardiac arrest on the golf course. The quicker a person can receive therapy, the better. I think (the use of an AED) would considerably improve the chances of survival."

Sanchez said he agrees, even though he and the responding paramedics couldn't save the life of Monarch's member.

"Even though you can't always have the situation work out on the Florida golf course, it's nice to know (the AED is) there," he said. "We have one more way to save a person's life, and that's a great feeling."

Automated extern

Dye Gets It Right In His Area Florida Golf Course Design Debut

2006-07-07T07:56:00.000-04:00

When Southern Hills Plantation owners were vetting who they wanted to design their golf course, the list was short.

"There were about five guys, top guys, heavy-hitters," said Randy Houseman, the club's general manager.

Pete Dye's submission won out and, after about two years, the club opened in January. The 18-hole private Florida golf course set in the gated community off S.R. 41 is the only course in the Tampa area designed by the renowned golf-course architect. Houseman said Dye's work has been a hit. More than anything, the terrain makes the course unique, with holes elevated as high 240 feet above sea-level.

"Out of those that have played the course, I'd honestly say that 99.9 percent have loved it," said Houseman. "People are amazed by the fact that it's in Florida. They're used to playing courses with flatter terrain, but this course is so hilly that they think they're in Georgia, Tennessee or the Carolinas. The hills are rolling and people find that they love that feeling."

Houseman also said players have commented on the courses playability, specifically the lack of scruff and water hazards. The lack of places to lose your ball is good for the high handicapper.

The lush Florida golf course is set amidst a community that's still growing. Two homes were in mid-construction on both sides of the fifth fairway, and the mixture of chirping birds and echoing pounds of hammers serve as a soundtrack of sorts.

Still, the scenery is the course's main attraction.

A picturesque river runs along the 11th hole. The seventh hole, however, is the marquee hole. It's set atop a lush hill and, at 618 yards, is the longest on the course.

"We get a lot comments about No. 7," said Houseman. "It's long and with the rolling hills ... people love it."

In all, there are four par-fives, four par-threes and 10 par-fours.

"We wanted to make it an experience for those that play the course," said Houseman.

This, being Dye's introduction to the Tampa area's golf community, is a grand way to say hello on this Florida golf course.

Florida Golf Courses Offer Discounts To Get Golfers In The Summer

2006-07-06T08:02:00.000-04:00

If you build it, they will come" worked for Kevin Costner's character in the popular baseball movie, "Field of Dreams."

But area professionals and Florida golf course managers must do more than roll out the green carpet to seduce players to grab their clubs when the temperature and humidity are in the 90s.

Buffalo Creek Golf Course manager Bob Conforte reminds his staff of a tried-and-true means of getting repeat business: keep smiling.

"Everybody on our staff smiles at our golfers," Conforte said. "Only one person is allowed to be grumpy, and that's me, because I'm behind closed doors pushing papers."

Like most public and semi-private Florida golf courses throughout central Florida, Manatee County-operated Buffalo Creek discounts rounds throughout the summer to attract golfers - hoping they will buy a few cold drinks and visit the pro shop for equipment needs.

From a current high of $23 to ride and $21.75 to walk 18 holes to the twilight rate after 4 p.m. of $14.86 (with a coupon), Buffalo Creek strives to stay competitive.

"We want to make it easy for everyone to play," said Conforte. "In the past 10 years, we've been getting a lot of working people who take advantage of the twilight rates."

Tracy Lowry, head professional at Imperial Lakewoods in Palmetto, has another reason for discounting. The greens recently were aerified, so golfers who can handle less-than-perfect putting surfaces play 18 for $20. That's down from the normal $38 plus tax up until 11 a.m. (Imperial Lakewoods' normal summer rates decrease to $29 after 11 a.m. and $22 after 3 p.m.).

Lowry instructs his staff to inform players about the maintenance work and course conditions.

"Golfers appreciate it when you tell them up front," he said. "It doesn't matter to some people, but everything is reduced now, and they can go a lot of different places."

Imperial Lakewoods will be closed for four days starting Monday to allow maintenance workers to sprig and/or sod some bare areas.

Both county-run Florida golf courses, Buffalo Creek and Manatee County Golf Course, allow juniors 15 and under to ride and play for $4 when accompanied by an adult.

Seven Manatee County courses offer further discounts from May 1-Oct. 30 to holders of the Big Summer Card, which partners with 35 additional layouts in Sarasota, Charlotte, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties.

The card costs $60. Manatee courses linked with it are Imperial Lakewoods, The Links at Greenfield Plantation, Preserve Golf Club at Tara, The River Club, Rosedale, Stoneybrook Golf Club and Waterlefe Golf & River Club.

"If you play about five rounds here in prime time (7 a.m.-noon), you have your money back," said Chris Kratzer, a pro shop employee at The Links at Greenfield Plantation another Florida golf course.

Sounds like a deal that's hard to beat - but, this time of year, easy to find.

Golf-Cart Crackdown On Florida Golf Courses

2006-07-05T07:30:00.000-04:00

In this mega-retirement community, the golf cart rules.

Garages are designed with carts in mind. Parking spots at the Publix are golf cart-sized. And Villagers have turned their carts into status symbols resembling Hummers and Lamborghinis and costing up to $15,000.

But the tricked-out, road-ready carts owned by more and more people are also heavier and less friendly to the terrain they were originally intended to ride on -- the Florida golf course.

So starting this month, The Villages is implementing a series of strict rules for golf carts whose owners want to drive on the community's eight championship Florida golf courses.

The restrictions -- thought to be the first for any golf community in Florida -- require that front tires must have rounded edges and horizontal treads to avoid tearing up the turf.

Not all Villages residents are thrilled, especially about the $80 to $150 price tag to replace the square-edged tires that came standard on their carts.

"We've been driving on these courses for years, and there's never been a problem before," said Mel Esposito, 79, who switched out his square-edged tires for a used, balding set that pass the new standards. Like others, he thinks being forced to change tires -- without a detailed explanation of the need -- is an affront to civil liberties.

"It's a joke," he said.

In this 60,000-resident retirement community, many people clock hundreds of miles a month in their carts. Paths weave between the 26 golf courses -- the tire requirement doesn't affect the other 18 developer-built courses -- and at least 140 neighborhoods. A golf-cart bridge arches over U.S. Highway 441. Homes have golf-cart garages, and the town square has golf-cart-sized parking spots.

Even standard carts may get subtle adjustments. Some have illegal, after-market gearboxes to boost the maximum speed to 25 mph. Others get bigger wheels for increased lift, or higher tire pressures for a smoother ride.

Florida golf course experts say those upgrades can wreak havoc on delicate grass. But the real problem appears to be where the tire tread meets the sidewall.

"See how these edges are square? That's bad," said Steve Kelley, owner of Steve's Golf Carts, inspecting a tower of tires now illegal on The Villages' most-prized courses.

Kelley's customers have been calling and demanding refunds for tires he sold them six years ago or asking him to file down the corners on their square tires. And service bays in golf-cart shops around The Villages were packed last week with carts needing a set of approved tires by the July 1 deadline.

The company that manages the Florida golf courses announced the tire change in March in The Villages Daily Sun, the developer-owned newspaper. The explanation: Square-edged front tires cut into sensitive fairways during turns.

Since then, store owners like Kelley and tire distributors like George Cotey have been sending tire samples to the course-management company for approval on a case-by-case basis.

But Cotey, a salesman for a Tampa tire distributor, was skeptical that tires were damaging the courses and launched an investigation after tires made by several major manufacturers were initially denied approval.

He said the real problem is the heavier custom carts.

"When you have Hummer replicas and roadsters and Model T's and all of these souped-up carts, it kind of opens a whole different can of worms," said Cotey, who has worked in Florida's golf course industry for 32 years.

Pat Bloomberg, a cart-driving resident who would not give his age, did a little private-eye work too. After surveying maintenance workers at several courses, he came to the same conclusion as Cotey and reported his findings in a resident-published newsletter.

Maintenance workers "agree that course damage is not from standard [square-edged] tires being used on the vast majority of carts," Bloomberg wrote.

"How come there's a problem now after these tires have been used for over 15 years on your courses?" he asked. "And why don't other Florida golf courses outside The Villages, which also get constant play, have the restrictions we do?"

The Villages and course superintendents directed all inquiries to country-club administration staff member Tony Simpson, who declined to explain how the tires damaged greens or why the regulations are necessary.

Jeff Bollig, spokesman for the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America, said the retirement community's new rules are unusual.

High traffic is a superintendent's biggest concern, he said. "The issue then becomes tread type, the weight of the golf cart itself, and whether people are doing sharp turns," Bollig said. "In a perfect world, you would not have golf carts."

Superintendents in large communities such as The Villages or Peach Tree City, Ga., have more troubles than your average country club, where most people rent carts. Residents in these communities drive 18 holes with the same vehicles they take across town to happy hour. Still, Peach Tree City has no tire restrictions on the several thousand carts rolling over its fairways, said Casey Smith, superintendent at the Planterra Ridge course there.

"They're not riding around in those souped-up jobs that are down there, " Smith explained.

The special features and stylish additions to Villages carts dramatically increase their weight, which studies by The Environmental Institute for Golf say causes significant damage to the courses.

"I understand it, I guess," said retiree Wes Jory, 75, after he grudgingly had Steve's Golf Carts come change his tires in his driveway. "I'm in favor of anything that makes the Florida golf courses better."

Investors Snap Up Twin Rivers A Florida Golf Course

2006-07-03T07:50:00.000-04:00

Twin Rivers Golf Club, one of three financially troubled Florida golf courses that Seminole County officials considered buying earlier this year, is under contract with a private investment group.

The buyers, operating under the name University Golf Club Inc., are partners in five Central Florida golf courses and have a reputation for turning around struggling properties.

Bob Dello Russo and Chad Barton said they hope to close on the property by mid-July, if issues regarding water supply can be worked out. The local utility, Alafaya Utilities Inc., has had problems recently providing sufficient reclaimed water to customers, including Twin Rivers, Barton and Dello Russo said.

"We don't think it's a major problem," Dello Russo said. "If Alafaya can't provide the water, we'll go to St. Johns [River Water Management District] and get a permit for a well."

Dello Russo and Barton own Country Club of Deer Run, Casselberry Golf Club, Wekiva Golf Club, Country Club of Mount Dora and Rock Springs Ridge Golf Club, all Florida golf courses.

Twin Rivers was one of three taken over and put on the market by Banc of America Strategic Solutions last year after the lender took possession of them from Meadowbrook Golf Inc., an Orlando-based management company.

The courses initially were offered as a package, but Winter Springs Golf Club and Sabal Point Country Club were sold to separate buyers earlier this year.

California businessman Arman Rahbarian bought the Winter Springs course for $2.1 million. Last month, he closed the course and dismissed more than two dozen employees. He promised city officials the course would reopen, though he gave no timeline.

Rahbarian is still trying to determine what would be the best use for the property, said Winter Park attorney Christopher Cathcart, who has been retained to manage it.

In the meantime, at least one of the Florida golf course's neighbors has complained to city officials about high grass on the course. A letter was written to Cathcart about the complaint, said Winter Springs City Manager Ron McLemore.

But McLemore noted that the Florida golf course is technically a conservation easement. That prohibits development, he said, but it doesn't mean the owner has to keep it looking like a golf course.

An investment group behind four apartment-to-condominium conversions bought Sabal Point Country Club in June. It is unclear what RB-GEM Golfbrooke LLC paid for the course, which was advertised for $2.375 million.

That group turned over operations to a private company, Kitson & Partners, but the course has been closed since Banc of America closed it in January.

Last month, the new owners met with representatives of homeowners in Sabal Point, an older, upscale subdivision near Longwood. Wayne Hunicke, president of Sabal Point's largest homeowner group, said residents are concerned about the lack of maintenance on the course and its water features.

"The frequency of callers complaining about weeds and ponds has increased," he said. "We're all having a hard time figuring out why more hasn't been done."

But Hunicke said the meeting with owners left a good impression with residents, which makes it easier to remain hopeful.

"If they spend money for the Florida golf course, they're going to do something with it," he said. "Residents are no happier [since the golf course was sold]. If fact, they may be a little unhappier. But at least there is reason for optimism."

'Eliminate Back Pain Tour' Is Coming to Florida Golf Courses

2006-06-29T07:48:00.000-04:00

The Core Spinal Fitness Systems, the worldwide leader in spinal strengthening, announced today the first-ever "Eliminate Back Pain Tour" is touring the state of Florida. John Reger, PGA Professional for The Core Spinal Fitness Systems by MedX, made the announcement. MedX is the parent company of The Core Spinal Fitness Systems.

The unique, traveling "Eliminate Back Pain Tour," launched at The Golf Industry Show in Atlanta on February 9 and running through November, is stopping at public and private golf courses and fitness clubs throughout the state of Florida.

Golfers will be able to test The Core Spinal Fitness Systems five medically based exercise machines designed to improve strength, stability, flexibility and endurance of the body's core muscles. The entire exercise session takes less than 20 minutes and only needs to be performed twice per week in order to gain and maintain results.

The Core consists of the following machines: The Core Lumbar Strength, The Core Ab Isolator, The Core 4-Way Neck, The Core Torso Rotation, and The Core Super Stretch.

Visitors will also be able to take home free giveaways and receive expert advice from trained onsite MedX staff. In addition, Florida golf course professionals will be able to learn more about how The Core Spinal Fitness Systems can set their facility apart from the competition.

"With interest in golf at an all-time high and the growing number of people who experience back pain continuing to rise, we felt it was important to start this grassroots effort to let people know there is a solution to back pain," said Reger. "Just as Florida golfers are looking to improve their game and prevent back pain, individuals suffering from back pain are always looking to improve their quality of life."

Buddy Alexander, Men's Golf Coach, University of Florida, said the following about The Core Spinal Fitness Systems by MedX: "The Core was an enormous help during my rehab after back surgery a few years ago. It is even more helpful now as it helps to reduce back pain, strengthens my core, and keeps me flexible enough to remain competitive. All golfers want to hit the ball farther and The Core not only helps with that, but also will keep you healthy enough to enjoy golf into your later years." Coming to a Florida golf course near you!

Bobby Ginn Adds Champions Event To Florida Golf Course

2006-06-28T07:49:00.000-04:00

Ginn Resorts is bringing a Champions Tour stop to a Florida golf course in late March of 2007, a week before the Masters and two week's before the LPGA Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open at nearby Reunion.

Bobby Ginn is making an impact on tour golf, now sponsoring three events in Florida, including the 2007 ACE Group Classic at Naples and the LPGA Tour at Reunion. And more events may be coming.

"We're probably going to be making some more announcements in the next few weeks," said Ginn. "We're not going to let it all out of the bag in one day.

"Professional golf, integrated with our Florida golf courses, is a major part of our thrust going forward," said Ginn.

The Ginn Championship at Hammock Beach in Palm Coast will be played on another new layout by Tom Watson, who also designed the course at Reunion near Celebration.

"I've built a few golf courses in my life, and I have to say there's some with something always wrong," said Watson. "Some you wish you hadn't done it that way. But this particular Florida golf course, I know we've got 18 wonderful golf holes."

The Conservatory at Hammock Beach, just a few miles south of St. Augustine, will host the Champions Tour for the next five years.

The tournament March 30 to April 1 will feature the secondlargest purse on the Champions Tour, $2.5 million with $375,000 to the winner. Only the U.S. Senior Open has a larger purse, $2.6 million this year. Looks like this Florida golf course will have some cash to give away.

Turmoil at Florida Golf Course Could Turn Into A Battle Over Development

2006-06-27T07:42:00.000-04:00

William Rogers lives on Brown Crane Court in Pelican Bay, one of the area's oldest master-planned communities, featuring a country club with tennis courts and golf courses.

Rogers likes to play golf, but he doesn't belong to the country club. Neither do a lot of residents in the gated community along Beville Road.

Therein lies the problem for Pelican Bay Country Club, a Florida golf course as it struggles to maintain the amenities it owns. It also serves as a cautionary tale to developers of new master-planned communities.

Faced with a declining membership and higher maintenance costs, the club recently sold its tennis courts and several acres near the south golf course in Pelican Bay to the owner of a Port Orange pawnshop.

J.C.J. Investments, headed by area businesswoman Lynda Labosco, paid $310,000 for the tennis courts and $410,000 for land bordering the FRlorida golf course at the end of Mallard Lane, public records show.

Labosco said she bought the land for an investment and has no plans to do anything with it.

While many residents don't join the country club, they don't want development either. So they are skeptical of Labosco and point to a meeting in which a representative of hers indicated there is a plan to get the land rezoned for development.

So far, no one has approached the city seeking any change, city spokeswoman Susan Cerbone said.

Country club officials declined a request for an interview about the sale or reports they plan to use the money for improvements, including construction of tennis courts closer to the main clubhouse.

But the sale has some homeowners in the 920-acre development here on edge. The country club owns about 300 of those acres, including both the north and south florida golf courses. One is private and the other is semi-private.

Rumors began flying even before the sale closed in February that there was a plan to build new homes on the golf course land, which borders The Estates, Mallard Cove and Cypress Cove neighborhoods.

Opponents charged it would increase the density in the development, drive down property values and decrease the amount of green space.

"I believe a strong and successful (country club) is essential to maintaining Pelican Bay as a thriving community and to keeping our real estate values," Rogers said.

At the same time, he said it is obvious the club has some assets it can't afford to maintain with its current membership, estimated at around 250 families.

Rogers said he hoped the homeowners might buy the Florida golf course land from the club and hold it as open space.

"They are good people," he said, referring to the country club. Still, "I think it will be a big fight when they try to get it rezoned."

Robert Dubian, a resident and member of the country club, has been one of the most vocal opponents. Dubian even drafted and circulated a flyer under the heading "Save the Bay."

"Most of us bought in this community because of the open land designated golf, tennis, recreational. Most developers know that any community would value their open land and therefore not permit developers in. Guess what? All that is now changed. We have opened the hen house to the fox," he said in the flyer, a copy of which was obtained by The News-Journal.

Dubian did not return several telephone calls seeking comment.

Plantation Golfers Teed Off Over Prices At Florida Golf Courses

2006-06-26T08:10:00.000-04:00

They shelled out thousands of dollars for memberships at the city's Plantation Preserve golf course of Florida just a few months ago and now play alongside people who paid only hundreds for a discount card.

Some members are threatening an exodus. Many are demanding the city evaluate the prices and give them some type of incentive. Some have already taken their golf bags and joined courses elsewhere.

"From a monetary standpoint, if I knew about the Premier card from the beginning, I would have re-evaluated my membership," said Will Dudman. "I agree they have to fill the Florida golf course. They have to make money. But it's cheaper to be a Premier card member. I don't necessarily think it's fair."

City officials are listening.

"It's just not fair if the guy next to him doesn't have to put out the same kind of money," Councilman Rico Petrocelli said. "I want visitors to our city, but not at the expense of our residents. Every one of the people I talked to said our residents are upset. They want their money back; we are not being customer-friendly."

Last week, Dan Keefe, assistant to the mayor, said the city would review its use of the discount card and make a decision "prior to membership renewal in October."

When the Florida golf course opened in February, the city offered memberships for a city resident at $1,878 and for families at $2,528. The price has since risen, and golf officials say there are about 250 members. But to encourage more golfers, especially during the summer, Plantation Preserve began to offer a Premier card. When the course opened, the price was $185. In June, it was hiked to $212 and beginning July 6 it will be $100. The card is good only through Oct. 31.

Members pay $20 for a round of golf, and Premier holders pay $25. Members are allowed to book seven days in advance, but Premier holders have less time -- about four or five days. Course officials said 290 people bought Premier cards.

"We offered it because we're a brand-new Florida golf course and we want to get the most exposure possible," said Colleen Cashman-McSween, membership director. "We are a public facility and we are supposed to generate revenue; it helps keep costs down. Most golf courses across South Florida don't get much play in the summertime -- it's too hot, it's dead -- and we're very lucky to be the new kid on the block. We are very busy every day, much more busy than we anticipated."

She acknowledges that the Premier card "is taking up some of our member tee times" but said that will quickly change in the wintertime.

That's not good enough for resident Wayne Koppel. He paid his membership before the course even opened, and eventually requested a refund. He now plays at the Woodlands in Tamarac.

"At first, it was great but once the Premier card and discount programs set in, you couldn't get tee times anymore, the course was too crowded and I wasn't happy with management's response to our complaints -- that it was a public Florida course and we should be patient for the summer," he said.

Both he and a buddy left. Koppel said he is busy with his children's sports in the winter and he wants to be able to play without frustrations he encountered such as a half-hour wait because the Florida golf course was too busy, or the tee sheet was booked, or there were no carts left.

"For my couple thousand bucks, I should get preferential treatment," he said.

Resident Alan Siegel agrees, and hopes the city forces the course to change the policy quickly.

"When I joined Plantation Preserve, I joined it because it was going to be a beautiful, magnificent golf course and have a true, honest to God membership," he said. "I had every expectation I would be able to play golf whenever I wanted to at my own course given that I laid out a lot of money."

But now, he said, "There are so many non-members allowed to fill up the available times at this Florida golf course, there's nothing available for members."

Gators Should Be Hunted On Florida Golf Courses

2006-06-23T08:05:00.000-04:00

I find it obscene that any official in our state would remotely consider prosecuting a police or wildlife officer for killing an 11-foot alligator on a Florida golf course that was threatening himself or others.

That this animal is still protected in this state escapes me. The four-decades-long environmental protection afforded the "gator" has allowed it to proliferate to the point where there are now large, dangerous, lethal-size beasts in practically every body of water on any Florida golf course.

The recent deaths of three people in one week from alligator attacks should be enough to alert even the most jaded bureaucrat to the fact we have a problem. It's called a clue.

The problem is too many alligators are competing with too many people for space. Something has to give. While it may give environmentalists the vapors, it's time to open "gator" hunting season on Florida golf courses.

Travel Magazine Names Grand Cypress Best Orlando Florida Golf Resort

2006-06-20T07:51:00.000-04:00

"Conde Nast Traveler" magazine has listed the Grand Cypress Resort as Orlando's best in its annual Top 100 ranking of golf destinations in North America, the Caribbean, Ireland and Scotland.

Overall, Grand Cypress was ranked 46th among the top 100. Only one Florida resort, the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, was ranked higher -- in 12th place. Three other Central Florida golf courses were included in the list: the Omni Orlando at ChampionsGate (80th), Bay Hill Club & Lodge (88th) and Grande Lakes Resort (90th).

Grand Cypress says it has remained the highest-ranked Orlando golf resort in the "Conde Nast Traveler" survey since 2001. The survey evaluated course design, speed of play, accommodations, service, food/dining and other facilities on the Florida golf course.

The Grand Cypress resort includes 1,500 acres with 45 golf holes designed by Jack Nicklaus, along with the 146-room Villas of Grand Cypress and the 750-room Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress.

Other amenities include the Grand Cypress Academy of Golf, Grand Cypress Equestrian Center, Grand Cypress Racquet Club, swimming, water sports, fishing and seven restaurants.

Grand Cypress Resort is owned and operated by Grand Cypress Florida Inc., which directly manages the Villas of Grand Cypress, Golf Club, Academy of Golf and Equestrian Center. Just another awesome Florida golf course.

Builders Target Florida Golf Course Fairways As Broward's Open Spaces Disappear

2006-06-19T07:57:00.000-04:00

Less than six years after voters approved spending $400 million in bonds to preserve open space and revamp parks, most of the money has been spent and roughly 900 acres of Broward County land saved from development.

The 2000 Safe Parks and Land Preservation Bond Program bankrolled the county's purchase of former orange groves, riverbanks, pinelands, wetlands, trailheads and slivers of beach.

To the dismay of many residents, developers increasingly eye these remaining chunks of green space for houses, condominiums and hotel rooms.

Plans are in the works to build on more than 550 acres of Florida golf courses in Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Lauderhill, Margate, Oakland Park, Pembroke Pines and Tamarac, a South Florida Sun-Sentinel examination of development proposals, plans and interviews with city officials found.

"It's a function of the dwindling supply of land in Broward County. You are going to see a lot more Florida golf courses being redeveloped," predicted Dennis Mele, a land-use lawyer whose client wants to build on one of three Inverrary courses in Lauderhill.

Builders see Florida golf courses as the last remaining open space where large multimillion-dollar developments can be built. Politicians see benefits from increased property values and the large amount of cash that will flow into city hall. But many golf course neighbors prefer to keep the greens and large trees outside their windows rather than more houses and condominiums.

"They are destroying our way of life," said Sherry Taylor, who fears her quiet seniors community in Tamarac will be damaged by more than 750 new homes to be built on the Monterey and Sabal Palm, both Florida golf-course sites.

Politicians must weigh the anger of residents like Taylor against Broward's best-known lawyer-lobbyists, hired to pave the way for golf course redevelopment.

The group of investors that wants to build houses on part of American Golfers Club in Fort Lauderdale includes County Commissioner Jim Scott. The investors hired former Fort Lauderdale City Attorney Don Hall to advocate their project.

Beyond saying he was not a major investor in the project and that he would abstain from voting on it, Scott declined to comment.

Prestige Homes, which wants to build on the courses in Tamarac, has hired not only the veteran land-use lawyer Jerry Knight, but also Beverly Stracher, who was Tamarac Mayor Beth Flansbaum-Talabisco's campaign strategist in the March election.

Stracher explained her value to the developer: "I ran Beth Flansbaum-Talabisco's campaign so I know a lot about the city." Knight, who spoke for the developer, said he believes the project is best for Tamarac.

Tamarac city commissioners in March unanimously took the first step toward allowing Prestige Homes to build on the two Florida golf courses despite protests from hundreds of residents who wanted to preserve the 160 acres as open space.

The project replacing the two Tamarac courses will generate more than $1 million in new city taxes than the courses provided, according to a study prepared for City Hall.

Offsetting the city's tax benefit, the new development puts more cars on roads and more students in schools. The Sabal Palm project alone will add roughly two-dozen car trips a day compared to the traffic generated by a Florida golf course, and more than 300 new students in classrooms costing public schools more than $1.8 million annually, according to school system and county data.

In return for permission to develop two Tamarac golf courses, Prestige Homes agreed to donate 31 acres for recreation and earmarked $2 million to solve neighborhood traffic problems caused by the project. It also promised to sell 10 percent of the homes as affordable housing.

The Tamarac deal came after negotiations between city officials and developers.

Law professor Michael Allan Wolf said negotiations that consider the nearby residents are often the best route to take.

Wolf, a University of Florida law school land-use expert, said governments could hinder and maybe stop golf course projects, if they wanted, because nearly every developer seeking to replace a golf course needs multiple city, county and state approvals. But turning down such projects may not be the best policy, Wolf said.

"The alternative to compromise might be an overgrown, abandoned Florida golf course that is an eyesore," Wolf said. "Planning is about wise real estate development that has the fewest impacts and the most benefits."

Coral Springs City Manager Michael Levinson is looking forward to negotiations with the owners of the dilapidated 80-acre Broken Woods course. He envisions a mini-urban center, with homes, businesses and stores.

City records indicate Broken Woods has been cited for code violations since February stemming from failing to repair hurricane damage and removing debris. The city slapped liens on the land. In the wake of the violations, owner Sample Road Investments LLC is tearing down the former clubhouse, pool, maintenance sheds and tennis courts.

"It will never be a Florida golf course again," Levinson predicted.

To the south, Pembroke Pines city commissioners' negotiations with developer M. "Pat" Segall resulted in the preservation of the Grand Palms Country Club and Resort's 27-hole golf course. Commissioners voted unanimously this month to approve Segall's plan to add 308 hotel rooms and 292 high-rise units to the more than 1,100 homes at Grand Palms.

The Pembroke Pines commissioners didn't have as much luck with another Florida golf course -- Raintree Golf Course. Commissioners couldn't come up with the $40 million the owners wanted for the 123-acre course. A developer is now turning the course into 103 homes costing more than $1 million each.

County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs, a vocal advocate of green space, said the loss of such large amounts of land to developers at a time the county is buying land to preserve open space "is very disturbing."

Jacobs vowed that when Florida golf course redevelopments reach the county commission "they won't be rubber stamped. There have to be very compelling reasons to remove open space."

Sabal Point & Winter Springs Two Florida Golf Courses Sold

2006-06-16T07:57:00.000-04:00

Fairway Advisors, together with its joint marketing partners, CBD Golf Properties and Kitson & Partners, have announced the sale of the Sabal Point Country Club and Winter Springs Golf Club two premier Florida golf courses. The 18-hole, semiprivate courses are located 15 minutes north from downtown Orlando. The courses were owned by Bank of America Strategic Solutions.

The new owner of Winter Springs Golf Club is Los Lagos Winter Springs LLC. RB-GEM Golf Brooke LLC was the buyer of Sabal Point Country Club. The sales prices were not disclosed.

Commenting on the transactions, Jeff Davis, president of Fairway Advisors, said, "The amount of investor interest in these Florida golf courses was tremendous. We received offers as soon as the disposition team was selected by the seller."

Sabal Point Country Club was designed by Ward Northrup and plays to 6,603 yards. The course was opened in 1981. Winter Springs Golf Club was designed by Bruce Devlin and Robert Von Hagge. Stretching 6,589 yards, Winter Springs was the first golf course in Florida featuring an island green when it opened in 1964.

Fairway Advisors is a boutique brokerage firm specializing in the sale of Florida golf courses throughout the United States.

NSU Manages Florida Golf Course

2006-06-15T07:49:00.000-04:00

Residents of Rolling Hills a Florida golf course say they are pleased with their new neighbor.

Nova Southeastern University last month purchased the 205-acre Grande Oaks Golf Club, featured in the 1980 movie Caddyshack, and said it will continue to operate as a private club.

The property at 3201 W. Rolling Hills Circle includes the 18-hole championship Florida golf course, a nine-hole executive course and a driving range, said George L. Hanbury, NSU's executive vice president for administration.

The purchase included development rights for 130 multi-family units off Rolling Hills Drive and 10 single-family units off Pine Island Road. Hanbury said there is no development planned for the next five to 10 years.

"We think it's important to be a good neighbor," Hanbury said. "We'll be here for a long time."

With the acquisition, NSU has become one of the biggest landlords in the town's regional activity center -- 2,200 acres targeted for redevelopment between Interstate 595 and Griffin Road; and Florida's Turnpike and University Drive.

About two years ago, NSU unveiled plans to redevelop 30 acres in the 3400 and 3500 blocks of South University Drive into a mix of commercial and educational facilities. That $350 million project, scheduled to begin in 2007, includes residential towers, a 300-room hotel, shops, retail offices and a research center.

Hanbury has said that project "would transform Davie [into] the economic powerhouse in Florida for biotech and high-tech research."

NSU's plans for the Florida golf course are more modest.

The university said it will use the club, purchased for an undisclosed sum from the Blackstone Group, to entertain guests as well as to give students and interns experience in Florida golf course operations. It also wants to integrate the 9-hole executive course into the 18-hole course.

"I think it's wonderful that Nova not only bought the Florida golf course, but they are now a live-in resident," said Keyron Collins, 49, who has seen the course change hands more than three times since he moved to Lake Estates at Rolling Hills 10 years ago.

"Since Nova's been keeping it, it's exceptional," he said.

Jerry Licari, 42, president of the Lake Estates homeowners association, said that past owners have "minimally maintained" the 9-hole Florida golf course and treated it like a "forgotten stepchild."

He is optimistic NSU will manage it better.

"As a homeowner, it's upsetting to see our Florida golf course poorly maintained," Licari said. "As of today, we are pleased with what Nova has done."

Florida Golf Course Gator Proves Elusive

2006-06-13T07:54:00.000-04:00

For the past month or so, golfers playing the Gasparilla Inn Golf Course have occasionally faced a hazard other than the traps, the bunkers and the water.

An alligator, estimated at about 8 feet, has been seen at different locations on the Florida golf course - normally near one of the water hazards that dot the Inn's 18-hole layout.

Trappers have twice come to the course in the aftermath of gator sightings, but the reptile has been nowhere to be found.

On Wednesday of this week, trapper Beau Davis spent nearly an hour trying to track down the gator after yet another sighting.

As in the past two efforts, Davis came up empty handed. Or, make that empty-noosed.

"The alligator has been around for a long time," Davis said. "But when we get over here, he's gone."

Davis said the gator had been seen in the water of one of the larger ponds that constitute the nearly dozen water hazards on the Florida golf course.

Davis believes the alligator is a male who wandered onto the course looking for a mate.

"I don't think he's staying on the golf course," Davis said. "It looks like he's going back into the bayou. Maybe he'll stay there more now that mating season has come to an end."

Davis is an agent trapper for "Gator John French," who died Tuesday morning following a heart attack suffered the previous day while subduing a gator in Bonita Springs. French was also commonly known to islanders as "Trapper John."

Davis worked for French for the past year under contract with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

"He was one of the most straight-forward upstanding people I've met in my life, he was a great guy, and he was the best alligator trapper I've seen in my life," Davis said.

"He died doing what he loved. He always said alligator trapping was like an addiction. There's nothing quite like the adrenaline rush you get when you got hold of something that can kill you. He was always steady, just a steady person."

We are glad he did not die on that Florida golf course!

Florida Golf Course Water Views Suit Golfers To A Tee

2006-06-12T08:04:00.000-04:00

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.

New Heights On Florida Golf Course

2006-06-09T07:29:00.000-04:00

Heaps of garbage will give Palm Beach County's newest Florida golf course something rarely seen on the golfing circuit: height.

Park Ridge Golf Course, scheduled to open west of Lantana in October, will feature hills as high as 85 feet. Courses typically climb about 20 feet.

"The elevation of the landfill has allowed us to create holes that wouldn't normally be seen in South Florida," said Paul Connell, the county's golf operations supervisor. "It gives people an opportunity to play a course they wouldn't normally get to play."

Golfers from nearby communities who have toured the course anxiously await its opening.

The idea to turn what was known as the Old Lantana Landfill into an 18-hole golf course dates to the 1980s. County parks and recreation officials and the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County searched for the $7 million needed to build it as the garbage settled and methane was extracted from the soil.

It took another decade for the site to be declared methane-free, said Bill Wilsher, the county's superintendent of park planning and design.

Building Florida golf courses over landfills is not that unusual. About 70 of the nation's almost 16,000 golf courses are atop old landfills, strip mines or industrial sites, according to the National Golf Foundation in Jupiter.

Golfer Harold Heydt said it doesn't matter that Park Ridge rises from a landfill. He even called it an "established art on landfills."

Heydt lives in the Bellaggio community near the course. When he moved in about four years ago, word that a Florida golf course would be so close to home was an added perk.

"I envision using it often because of its convenience and the novelty of the elevations," the New Jersey retiree said. "Being a Northern golfer, I miss the elevations."

Hopping from course to course is common among golfers and Heydt is no exception. He plays courses from Boca Raton to West Palm Beach.

Park Ridge will be a par-72 Florida golf course on about 180 acres. With a lake at its side, the course will run from 4,200-6,800 yards long.

Because of the landfill below -- which means the course will settle some -- the clubhouse will be a trailer. Restrooms built of concrete block will be off the landfill on the course's perimeter.

A more substantial clubhouse at the Florida golf course will be built off the landfill at some point, Wilsher said. Cost to play will be $30 or less, which includes a cart. Wilsher said costs are low because a county bond and impact fees, money collected when homebuyers close on their homes, are paying for the project.

"There's still a need for golf, particularly for public golf," Wilsher said. "We're trying to keep the game inexpensive for people living here."

Park Ridge is meant to attract seniors, especially those in nearby communities, and beginning golfers. In the summer, the Florida golf course could be opened to children just learning the game.

Golf After Dark: It's Par(ty) For The Florida Golf Course At Dubsdread

2006-06-08T07:42:00.000-04:00

Eric Connelly reached into his golf bag and pulled out a driver, we think, with a titanium clubhead the size of a toaster and rifled a perfect shot, evidently, down the middle of the fairway.

Though the ball's final destination was uncertain, the piercing peal of the rock-hard ball hitting the massive clubhead was deafening, and his playing partners quickly offered an array of effusive compliments.

"Aw, Stevie Wonder could hit the clubface with this thing," he said, examining his driver.

Actually, Stevie Wonder probably could beat these guys at their own game, since, for once, the singer's well-chronicled handicap might be advantageous, given the ground rules.

Connelly, alongside 70 other night owls, is essentially playing by Braille at Dubsdread Golf Course, an 82-year-old public Florida golf course where something decidedly contemporary is taking place. Finding a revenue stream in the steamy and slow summer months is always a challenge for Florida courses, but venerable old Dubsdread is staying in the black by playing in the black.

On a mineshaft-dark and moonless night last week, Dubsdread was rocking past midnight as the College Park course's residential neighbors peered curiously out their windows. Armed with glow-balls, flashlights and in some cases, enough libations to make their own noses glow, the intrepid golfers were dispatched to participate in a four-player scramble event. These offbeat tournaments have become so popular that course officials are staging them every two weeks and conducting separate corporate outings.

"We've had people calling all day to see if we had any cancellations," said David Evangelista, the general manager, armed with glow-sticks as he set up the course at dusk. "The response has been really cool. We all love it, because it's something completely different."

At 8:45 p.m., on the Friday night preceding Memorial Day weekend, players jumped into their electric carts and went roaming in the gloaming. The differences were immediate from the beginning -- when it's pitch black and you can't see straight, much less crooked, everybody swings the club like Tiger Woods. In theory, anyway.

"Whether you have played the game or not," Evangelista said, "everybody looks bad when they play on a Florida golf course at night. It's an art to try to figure it out."

Night golf with glow-balls has been around for years, but Dubsdread this year found a quirky niche and begun to scratch it furiously. The storied, city-owned layout, with events already set for June 16 and 30, has actually turned away players because of the tournaments' popularity. Because organizers can only use the front nine -- golfers would be forced to twice cross busy Par Avenue in their carts in the dark if the back nine were used -- Dubsdread can accommodate only around 70 players.

"We could probably sign up twice that many if we wanted," Evangelista said.

He might be right, because this is no frat-boy Friday night excursion. The players look like a demographic cross section of the city, ranging in ages from agile kids to gimpy retirees, with more than a smattering of female and minority players, too. For instance, 14-year-old Robert Smith just finished his eighth-grade year and is back to defend the unlikely title he won two weeks earlier with a trio of other teens.

"Made a 45-foot bomb for a birdie on the last hole to win it by one," Smith said.

Come to think of it, doesn't Orlando have a curfew law? Smith has been entrusted to a group with three players between the ages of 26 and 31, including Connelly. Hard to believe that on the Friday night before a three-day weekend, the three oldest guys didn't have anything better to do than chase a little green ball around a pitch-black pasture, to modify an old golf cliche.

"This is only the warm-up," laughed John Iemolo, 31, of Lake Mary, who brought a 12-pack of adult beverages to help keep his swing well-oiled.

Playing after dark in Florida has its advantages, since it rains less frequently, the temperatures are more tolerable and nobody needs sunscreen. But playing at night requires some serious modifications. For their $30 entry fee, each player is given two glow-balls, which are about as pliable as concrete and travel about 80 percent as far as a typical ball. Each cart is equipped with a flashlight and bug spray -- the pterodactyl-sized mosquitoes are thirstier than the players -- and the Dubsdread cart girl has been selling beer at an impressive clip. Glow-sticks are tied to the flagstick and placed in the cup.

Thereafter, the game becomes a matter of blind faith and is full of little surprises. For instance, whenever a player hits a shot fat with a driver, a shower of sparks fly after the club impacts the sand. Epithets seem louder in the dark. Everything is done by feel. Well-struck balls arc through the air like tracer bullets.

"It looks like Iraq," a player observed.

No kidding. A few weeks ago, in an effort to beat the system, some military guys came out while wearing night-vision goggles. "Those guys did real well," Evangelista said, smirking.

In an effort to keep play moving, players use the front set of tees, which measure a cozy 2,200 yards. Still, the nine-hole rounds can last 3 1/2 hours, because at night, a difficult game can be downright infuriating, if not a shade dangerous.

Safety isn't taken lightly. Evangelista spent an hour beforehand sticking glow-sticks in hazardous areas around the course so that nobody fell off any bridges or drove a cart into a watery abyss. As a precaution, Evangelista affixed a glow-light to each cart, reducing the chances that anybody might get brained with a drive before the group preceding it was out of striking range.

Past your bedtime or not, it pays to keep your eyes open. In his first Florida night-golf outing, John Hahn, 29, almost collided with another cart headed in the wrong direction.

"At the last second, I saw his glow-ball in his hand and swerved," Hahn said. "It would have been a head-on wreck on a Florida golf course."

Nonetheless, Hahn chose to remove the glow-light from his electric cart and elected to wear it as a necklace -- perhaps so he could see himself choke, as one wiseguy noted. As it turned out, his foursome finished in a tie for second, one stroke off the winning scramble score of 6 under. The last-place team finished 2 over and received a consolation prize -- free towels.

"The Dubsdread crying towel is a tradition around this Florida golf course," Evangelista said.

Wildlife Officials Angry Over Florida Golf Course Project

2006-06-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Another Florida Golf course community, another battle to save Collier County's vanishing wetlands.

A project that would destroy nearly 600 acres of wetlands is drawing sharp criticism from federal environmental officials and local environmental groups.

"I'm gagging over the wetlands impacts," said Nancy Payton, Southwest Florida field representative for the Florida Wildlife Federation. "It's just over the top."

Plans call for building up to 2,000 homes, a golf course and enough commercial space to cover 10 football fields east of Collier Boulevard near the intersection at Rattlesnake Hammock Road. The project lies in critical Florida panther habitat and straddles Collier's urban boundary line.

The nutrients generated by the new roads, rooftops and manicured lawns might cause "significant degradation and water quality impacts" downstream, James D. Giattina, director of the Environmental Protection Agency's water management division in Atlanta, wrote in a letter last month.

One of the proposed outfalls for the project is the Henderson Creek Canal, the main tributary for Rookery Bay, which is listed as an Outstanding Florida Waterway.

But the environment isn't the only consideration here.

Swamp buggies on the move?

Toll Brothers, a luxury home builder, paid $108 million for the land last year and is looking to acquire more. The Florida Sports Park, which has hosted swamp buggy races for 20 years, might be making way for the project — but not that far away.

Toll Brothers is negotiating to buy the 28-acre park in a deal that also would give the park owners a new spot for the "Mile-O-Mud" within the project area.

Rob Swift, president of the nonprofit Swamp Buggy Inc., said "it's hard to say" whether the deal will become finalized. There are several reasons to accept the offer, he added.

"The (existing) facility is really old," Swift said "We're talking a little more land than we have now, a new facility and money in the bank."

Swift declined to discuss several details of the potential deal, such as the exact location of the new park. Representatives of Toll Brothers and the Sembler Co., which is handling the project's retail aspect, were unavailable for comment Friday.

Talks involving the park's sale go back a few years to the surrounding property's previous owner, Mike Taylor of Vision & Faith Inc., Swift said. A proposal that had the swamp buggy track moving to the Orangetree area off Immokalee Road crumbled when nearby homeowners strongly objected.

Swift said there are no plans to move the attraction outside of Collier. The raucous shows routinely draw crowds of 5,000 people.

"This is where swamp buggy racing started, and that's where we plan on keeping it," said Sandy Montz, one of Swamp Buggy Inc.'s board of directors.

Wetlands woes

With its proximity to the Everglades, Collier County has found itself at the center of a nationwide debate over wetlands destruction in recent years.

A golf course development known as Mirasol, north of Immokalee Road, turned into an emblem for an environmentalist-led movement that aimed to curtail wetlands permits. That project involves nearly 600 acres of direct impacts to wetlands and a souped-up ditch that would have affected some 1,000 acres of wetlands beyond the subdivision's borders.

The wetlands' destruction would rob wood storks of a key feeding area, environmentalists argued. The project is a few miles west of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, an Audubon-owned haven for the endangered birds. The proposed "flowway" will lower water levels as far away as the sanctuary, by some estimates.

The project's advocates said the flowway would reduce flooding to the north, particularly in eastern Bonita Springs, where heavy rains caused mass evacuations in 1995. The flowway would route flood waters into the Cocohatchee River.

In a rare move, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied the permit last December. Landowner J.D. Nicewonder has filed an appeal to the denial.

In the meantime, several environmental groups have filed a lawsuit challenging a Corps permit that will destroy 200 acres of wetlands at nearby Parklands, another proposed golf course community.

A battle looms

Enter Toll Brothers.

"How they think they can get permitted for that when there's this intense campaign over the Cocohatchee Slough is beyond me," Payton said.

Nearly 80 percent of the project's 2,250 acres consists of wetlands, according to surveys. Plans call for preserving nearly 1,200 acres of wetlands and removing exotics such as melaleuca trees to help nature rebound.

But with its proposal to dredge and fill in 582 acres of wetlands, the project "is one of the largest we've seen in Southwest Florida," said Skip Bergmann, team leader in the Army Corps' regulatory office in Fort Myers.

The federal Clean Water Act requires developers to avoid wetlands impacts and, failing in that, minimize the effect as much as possible. As long as the Toll Brothers project includes a golf course, the developer isn't doing everything it can to avoid clashing with wetlands, said Brad Cornell, a policy advocate for the Collier County Audubon Society and Audubon of Florida.

The EPA, in its review, asked the developer to "provide alternative site locations (for the development) that have been considered that would have less adverse impacts on the aquatic environment."

Reviewers with the South Florida Water Management District, which also plays a large role in wetlands permitting, have asked Toll Brothers to revise its plans to reduce wetlands harm. One of district's suggestions was to eliminate the swamp buggy track.

In response, Emilio Robau of RWA Consulting, one of the developer's consultants, wrote that "it is not feasible" to do away with the track because "Collier County recognizes the swamp buggy facility as part of its cultural heritage."

"We're going to try to work with them," said Ed Cronyn, senior supervising environmental analyst with the Water Management District's Fort Myers office.

The development also will need a growth management plan change and a rezoning approval from Collier County, officials say. The growth plan change could take years because the next review period doesn't begin until early 2008.

Nutrient loading

By the developer's estimate, the project will contribute 4,524 kilograms of nitrogen a year to the watery environment, about twice as much as what the sprawling property adds in its undeveloped state.

But environmentalists contend those calculations are flawed and that the difference in pre- and post-development water quality will be far greater.

The methodology is based on a developer-backed study that, environmentalists argue, incorrectly assumes that natural wetlands cause pollution. Wetlands act like kidneys, filtering nutrients that would otherwise trigger algae blooms in open water, experts say.

Part of the Parklands lawsuit questions the wetlands-as-polluters methodology, Cornell said.

Toll Brothers' consultants estimate that the site's wetlands produce 2,171 kilograms of nitrogen a year. "Water that goes through wetlands doesn't come out as distilled water at the other end either," Bergmann said in defense of the methodology.

He acknowledged, though, that the methodology "is not a perfect method" and will be replaced when the state develops a list of maximum pollutant loads for individual waterways in Southwest Florida.

One of the potential recipients of the polluted storm water would be the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, a federally protected 12,500-acre system of mangroves, pine forests and water.

"This area is extremely vulnerable to changes in timing and amount of water flowing through it toward Rookery Bay ... to the south," reserve administrator Gary Lytton wrote in January in response to the development proposal.

The development will "increase the anthropogenic (human) disturbance in the area," Lytton added.

Wildlife concerns

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists are still reviewing the project to determine its impact to wildlife, Bergmann said.

Toll Brothers' consultants note that Florida panthers, red-cockaded woodpeckers and wood storks have been found on the site, but, they argue, none of the species will be threatened by the project.

Four radio-collared panthers have wandered onto the property at one time or another. Last year, two panthers were killed on Collier Boulevard not far from where Toll Brothers intends to build.

There are about 80 panthers left in the wild, making them one of the most endangered species on the planet. South Florida is their last refuge. A federal recovery plan made public in January called for relocating some panthers to other southeastern states because subdivisions have eaten away too much of the panthers' habitat for the species to survive here.

Renovations Underway At Blue Monster, A Florida Golf Course At Doral

2006-06-05T08:08:00.000-04:00

Doral Golf Resort & Spa, A Marriott Resort, one of the world’s premier Florida golf destinations, today announced that renovations are underway on the famed Blue Monster Golf Course. A 2007 World Golf Championships venue, the Blue Course, which is one of five championship golf courses on property at Doral, will be closed throughout May, June, July and August, with a scheduled re-opening on September 1, 2006.

“The Blue Monster stands among the best Florida golf courses in the world. As such, it requires constant refining to maintain playing conditions year-round, which will continually enhance the experience for amateurs, as well as the world’s best players who will compete here at the 2007 World Golf Championships-CA Championship,” said Darrin Helfrick, General Manager of Golf, Doral Golf Resort & Spa.

Highlighting the refinements being made to the Blue Monster include the re-grassing of all 18 greens, as well as the practice putting green, with TifEagle Bermuda. Additionally, the Blue Monster will undergo a complete bunker renovation to all bunkers on the course.

Other improvements planned for the Florida golf course include a cart path replacement project. All of the cart paths will be replaced with new concrete to help improve overall course management. Also, special 12’ wide paths, with extra re-enforcement, will be added to a few strategic areas of the course to help in World Golf Championships tournament set-up.

Adds Helfrick, “This renovation project is designed to re-fresh the Florida golf course, while keeping the design features unchanged. This will enhance the course on many levels, while allowing us to maintain the character and competitiveness that is the signature of the Blue Monster.”

The 693-room Doral Resort, which is managed by Marriott International and is officially named the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, A Marriott Resort, joined Marriott’s first-class portfolio of 60 resorts worldwide in August of 2004. In managing the golf business operations at Doral, Marriott International enlisted its in-house golf management arm, Marriott Golf, the world’s largest resort golf management company, and the first in-house golf management team ever established by a lodging company. Currently, Marriott Golf oversees more than 150,000 rounds of golf per year on Doral’s five championship Florida golf courses, managing more than 500 corporate and group outings per year.

Florida Golf Course's Tax Dispute May Go Before A Jury

2006-06-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Since 2002, Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club has challenged its property tax appraisal.

Several years ago, the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser's Office determined there is a big difference between a vacant grassy lot and a Florida golf course.

Contoured greens meticulously designed by landscaping architects made properties worth more, the appraisers decided. So the office changed the way it calculated values.

In 2002, those revised values appeared in the form of higher property taxes for Florida golf courses throughout the county.

Of the county's more than 40 golf courses, three Florida golf course owners complained about the increase.

But only one has kept the dispute in court for four years: the Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club.

Most of the people whose homes neighbor the golf course pay more than $1-million to live so close to the green. Last names of past and present members of the exclusive club read like landmarks on a Tampa treasure map: Frankland, Culbreath, Steinbrenner.

But when the appraiser's office upped the value of the Florida golf course by more than $1-million, therefore increasing taxes by about $30,000 a year, the golf course sued.

Every year since 2002, the country club has filed a lawsuit against the county appraiser, tax collector and executive director of the Florida Department of Revenue to contest the added value.

"Nothing had physically happened at Palma Ceia to warrant the change," said country club attorney Robert E. V. Kelley Jr.

As of this year, the Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club's eight buildings and golf course are worth about $6.3-million, including $1.2-million for the Florida golf course, according to the county.

"Given South Tampa real estate numbers these days, we think it's pretty conservative," said county property appraiser attorney Will Shepherd.

Stan and Frankie Harrell's 11,500-square-foot home on the edge of the fourth hole has a just market value of $7.2-million, according to the county appraiser's Web site. Two other neighboring homes sold this year for $2.4-million and $1.8-million.

County and Florida golf course officials have conducted their own re-evaluations of the property's value. At a mediation conference this month, they will trade their new numbers.

Shepherd said that after re-examining the property's value for the lawsuit, the appraiser's assessment has actually increased.

If the two sides cannot agree on a number, the dispute will go to a jury trial, where a Hillsborough Circuit Court judge will decide on the property value of this Florida golf course.

Drive For Change At Florida Golf Courses

2006-05-31T08:16:00.000-04:00

Phil Smith looks across all that green space behind Coral Ridge Country Club in northeast Fort Lauderdale Florida and sees spectacular possibilities.

The Florida golf course's majority owner imagines a small, upscale residential development in the middle of the course in a way that turns more than a handsome profit for his partnership. He sees it offsetting costs of a major renovation of the Florida golf course and returning the dazzle to the tarnished jewel that famed golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. opened 50 years ago.

Smith sees a revitalized world-class country club making the entire Coral Ridge community sparkle while driving up home values in adjoining neighborhoods.

While many of Coral Ridge Country Club's 350 members welcome the prospect of gaining a new course, a giant new clubhouse and new fitness center for substantially less than it would cost them without the housing development, some of Smith's neighbors don't share his vision.

All they see is trouble.

They see more green space disappearing.

They see Coral Ridge Country Club's plan leading to the demise of American Golfers Club, the only golf facility open to the public in Fort Lauderdale.

They see more traffic, congestion and all the problems that come with increased density.

Ultimately, they see anti-development forces rising up as the stakes heighten in a city struggling to control growth.

"People have really strong feelings about this on both sides," Mayor Jim Naugle said. "There are different constituencies, and we're getting letters and e-mails from all of them. It's not the biggest issue we've had, but it's a big one."

That's because development is such a politically charged issue.

"It's our biggest challenge right now," Naugle said.

Smith and his partners propose to build 61 homes valued at $1 million or more on the property north of Oakland Park Boulevard between Federal Highway and Bayview Drive.

They bought Florida golf course Coral Ridge Country Club 18 months ago from Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Rees Jones, the sons of the famed architect who died in 2000. The brothers are accomplished golf course architects in their own right, and Rees is poised to design Coral Ridge's makeover.

Smith's partnership also bought American Golfers Club, which runs along the western boundary of the country club off Federal Highway. Though privately owned by the Jones family, it was a public facility.

While American's driving range remains open, the executive and pitch-and-putt courses have been closed since Hurricane Wilma hit last October. Smith's plan is to close the entire Florida golf course to make room for most of the country club's back nine to be rerouted around the new housing development.

"I've seen the plans for the country club, and I can't imagine it not being the cornerstone of northeast Fort Lauderdale and one of the crown jewels of Fort Lauderdale itself," said Kenny Larsen, a 10-year club member who lives off the seventh hole.

Smith, 58, is seeking to elevate Coral Ridge's reputation. Members complained that Florida golf course's conditions deteriorated significantly under the ownership of the Jones brothers.

Smith owns 17 auto dealer franchises in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. He lives in Coral Ridge and is a longtime member of the club.

His ownership group has proven political clout with minority partners, including Broward County Commissioner Jim Scott, the former president of the state Senate, and Scott's law partner, Norman Tripp, former chairman of Fort Lauderdale's Downtown Development Authority. It also includes Terry Stiles, the prominent developer and CEO of Stiles Corporation, lawyer Matt Morrall and J.J. Sehlke as managing partner.

Florida Golf Course Closing Drives A Wedge

2006-05-30T08:14:00.000-04:00

Sandy Wilkov almost feels as if she's visiting a dying friend.

American Golfers Club's pitch-and-putt and executive courses have been closed for six months. Though still mowed, they're little more than browned-out jungles, the grass parched to straw, with thistles and weeds sprouting everywhere.

The clubhouse is shut down.

Only the driving range remains open.

Wilkov is as angry as she is sad that the club she loved is deteriorating and in danger of disappearing if a proposed residential development plan meets City of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County approval.

All across Broward, affordable and family-friendly golf facilities like American are closing in nearly epidemic proportions. So are driving ranges. It's part of a national trend.

"I'm devastated by what's happened to this place," says Wilkov, 72, a Fort Lauderdale resident who played American regularly with her husband, Herb. "It's a shame they've allowed it to dilapidate like this because it was so much more than a golf course. It was a community-gathering place. ... "This is a place worth saving."

That's exactly what the devoted regulars at American Golfers Club are organizing to try to do.

"We'll fight this tooth and nail," says Mickey James, 75, who has been playing at American since it opened in 1958.

It's more than a fight to preserve American. It's a struggle to hold on to a fading golf culture.

Executive, par-3 courses and public driving ranges appear to be going the way of drive-in root beer stands and carhops.

This is significant because though facilities like these are typically not as profitable as high-end resort courses and exclusive country clubs, they are feeder systems that serve as investments in golf's future.

"You lose too many courses like American, places friendly to kids and beginners, and you're going to hurt your pipeline to the game," says Jeff Wilson, former South Florida PGA Southern Chapter president.

There are thriving public and municipal golf courses in Broward, just not as many.

"It's not all doom and gloom," says Bob Klitz, general manager of Hollywood's Orangebrook Golf Course, a city-owned facility with two 18-hole courses. "Our junior program's loaded up with kids. Just because we have championship courses doesn't mean we aren't a feeder system."

Closings on the rise

Still, the National Golf Foundation delivered some sobering news about public golf in its latest Golf Industry Report released this spring.

According to the NGF, 93.5 golf courses closed in the United States last year, the most closings in a single year since the foundation began keeping statistics in 1936.

Notably, 88 percent of the closings were daily-fee courses. Significantly, those closings were "disproportionately executive and par-3 courses."

The NGF also reports that 2005 featured the fewest openings of new courses in 20 years.

These facts contribute to the NGF's finding that for the first time since 1945 the total number of courses open for play in the United States decreased. There were 16,052 open in 2004, 16,047 in 2005.

American Golfers Club, on north Federal Highway, is the only public-access golf course in Fort Lauderdale, but it's privately owned by the same partnership that bought adjacent Coral Ridge Country Club 18 months ago.

Phil Smith, the majority owner of Coral Ridge Golf Course, Inc., and his partners are proposing to build 61 million-dollar homes in the center of the 210-acre green space that makes up Coral Ridge and American. The plan calls for most of the country club's back nine to be torn up and re-routed to the west, around a proposed 39-acre housing development. The new back nine would run through what is now American Golfers Club.

The land-use and zoning changes won't occur without a challenge as American's regulars have organized with the help of Ray Novak, a retired Pennsylvania state trial judge who lives near the first tee of American's executive course.

"What we had here at American was more than golf," Novak says. "It was a beautiful experience. We've had so many kids play here, kids with their parents. It was a great place for families to come play together. That's what really made it a special place."

Clubs like American bring the rich man's game to the masses, to people who can't afford country club dues.

Executive and par-3 courses, many with driving ranges, are especially popular with juniors and beginners, with seniors wanting shorter tracks to walk and with working-class players wanting affordable green fees.

You could play American's executive course for as little as $15.

"Some people dismiss this as just a golf issue, but American's a park," James said. "It's a place where the public can enjoy recreation."

The 70 acres that make up American are designated as park/open space, but that doesn't preclude Coral Ridge's owners from converting the open space to private use. Smith is not seeking city approval to change that designation, only the 39 acres his group wants to convert to residential.

Valuable land

NGF statistics show more daily-fee clubs are struggling with golf participation on the decline. That's particularly evident in the number of closings in Broward County, where developers are increasingly on the lookout for courses to bulldoze and build homes.

When Raintree Golf Club in Pembroke Pines closes next year, it will become the 11th daily-fee course to close in the last 10 years.

More than a quarter of the courses open for public play in Broward County have closed over the last decade, or turned private. Notably, most of the closings were executive or community courses.

There are 31 publicly accessible clubs open in the county today.

"The land in South Florida is so valuable to develop, and there's almost no land left," says Johnny LaPonzina, president of Professional Course Management, which operates 13 public and semi-private courses in South Florida. "It's getting to where just about the only open spaces are golf courses, and developers are willing to pay big prices to get the land."

Raintree is closing to make way for a gated community of 103 million-dollar homes. Sabal Palm and Monterey in Tamarac closed this spring to be redeveloped as home sites. There's a similar plan for Hillcrest Executive in Hollywood, which closed May 1. Eagle Woods has shut down in Miramar and is being studied for similar development. So is Eagle Lakes in Margate. Crystal Lake North, the former Tam O'Shanter Golf Club, Broken Woods in Coral Springs and Inverrary's Executive Course in Lauderhill also are among closings. Rolling Hills in Davie went private as Grande Oaks Golf Club.

Plantation Preserve just opened, but TPC at Heron Bay is the only other public-access course to open in Broward in the last 10 years.

Profits in decline

American, like so many of the other smaller daily-fee courses in South Florida, hasn't bustled with the kind of business it used to have.

John Foster, the general manager at Coral Ridge until the club's sale in 2004, said American always turned a profit in his 6-year run there, but those profits were in a steady annual decline.

J.J. Sehlke, Coral Ridge's managing partner, declined a request to make American's financial figures public but said rounds are down 20 percent on the executive course over the last four years, nearly 50 percent on the pitch-and-putt and 10 percent on the driving range.

Also, he said the price of hurricane insurance has skyrocketed since designer Robert Trent Jones' family sold the club, as have fuel and chemical costs.

Smith says he understands the disappointment of American's devotees, but he didn't make the decision to close the course rashly. He says he studied the club's viability for more than a year before deciding public golf didn't make financial sense.

"We wanted to evaluate what was best, to take a look at whether public golf works," Smith says. "We were trying to make that decision when Hurricane Wilma hit."

Smith and his partners never re-opened the executive or pitch-and-putt courses after Wilma knocked down trees and damaged its aging irrigation system.

American regulars have grumbled that Hurricane Wilma gave Smith and his partners a convenient excuse to shut down the facility and pursue a plan to make millions off their proposed housing development.

"Convenient? Yeah, right, we wanted a hurricane," Smith says. "That's kind of a slap in the face. I'm still fighting with Citizen's Insurance. We still have issues we haven't resolved here. We lost 400 trees. I've got issues at all my dealerships. I've suffered $15 million in damage at all my buildings. If anyone wants to call that convenient to my face, we can talk about it.

"Wilma did accelerate our decision. The hurricane facilitated us asking ourselves, `Do we want to invest a significant amount of money back into American, which over a year's time proved a failed business plan? Or did we want to go forward with a very limited development and improve Coral Ridge?'

"At American, we thought maybe we could improve upon what the Joneses were doing before we took over. We ended up finding they were tapping the market as well as you could on the public side of golf. It just isn't financially viable."

Novak thinks American makes great sense as a truly public golf facility, where breaking even while serving a larger community interest is a reasonable and worthy pursuit. In fact, there are eminent domain issues popping up from New York to Los Angeles, where cities or counties are trying to seize golf courses. In some cases, it's to clear the way for development, while in others it's to protect them from development. Notably, Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is a Coral Ridge Country Club member.

Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Christine Teel asked that the city study purchasing the property from the Jones family three years ago, but City Manager Floyd Johnson returned saying his analysis showed purchasing and operating the club would not be financially feasible.

"It would be an interesting question," Mayor Jim Naugle said speaking generally about what interest the city might have in owning any public golf course. "You would have to have a referendum and a bond issue. Would people vote to raise taxes to buy a golf course?"

It's a question American's regulars would like to ask citizens. It's a question Smith and Coral Ridge's owners have no interest asking.

"I hate to say this, but public golf is not my job," Smith says. "At the end of the day, we think our plans are best for the Coral Ridge community. The only losers are those who depended on American for public golf."

Plantation Preserve, Florida Golf Course Reopens

2006-05-24T07:59:00.000-04:00

Plantation Preserve Golf Course & Club has reopened in Plantation, Florida. The Audubon-certified, par-72 layout measures 7,000 yards from the tips. It's the only public golf course in Broward County featuring Sea Dwarf Paspalum turf.

Greater Fort Lauderdale now features two Audubon-certified courses: Plantation Preserve and Parkland Country Club, in Parkland. Parkland Country Club is a private, 7,100 yard-Greg Norman-designed Florida golf course that offers select tee times to visitors.

Plantation Preserve was designed by von Hagge, Smelek & Baril. Called the former Golf Club of Plantation before its redevelopment, the facility occupies a portion of a 211-acre site owned by the city of Plantation. In addition to the new course, the property boasts a 1.5-mile park trail with two trailheads that wind through the course and 29 acres of wetland preserves. Interpretive signs are located at each end of the trail as well as at four trail stops and alongside a Tequesta Indian burial mound.

The Florida golf course also features a large driving range with both grass and mat tees and a 6,600-square-foot clubhouse with a 160-seat dining room and lounge.

"The Plantation Preserve provides a challenging Florida golf course for golfers of all skill levels, but it also compliments the local environment," said John Webb, vice president of Sports Development for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Weekday greens fees, including golf cart, start at $45 ($55 weekends) for non-members from May through October; $65 ($75 weekends) from April and November through December 19 and $90 ($100 weekends) from December 20 through March.

Florida Golf Course To Close For Renovations

2006-05-23T09:08:00.000-04:00

The Palm Beach Gardens Golf Course is a challenging test of a Florida golf course carved out of the beautiful Loxahatchee Nature Preserve.

This Par 72, Roy Case designed course is one of the only golf courses in Florida that winds through natural preserved and wetlands areas. It plays to 6,500 yards through southern pines, palm trees, and marsh land while making defined elevation challenges - giving breathtaking views, quality golf and still being affordable!

Four sets of tees are featured so that you may control your golf destiny. Come enjoy friendly hospitality and a truly unique setting for a day of unforgettable golf!

Please be advised that the Palm Beach Gardens Golf Course and Driving Range will be CLOSED to regular play for the summer months beginning May 1st, 2006. We will be renovating our greens, tees, bunkers, and irrigation system.

Please join use for the Palm Beach Gardens Florida Golf Course re-opening in the Fall of 2006!

Full-Course Meals, Nice Greens At Florida Golf Course

2006-05-22T15:04:00.000-04:00

Light, airy and lovely all describe the recently opened Dining Room at the new Plantation Preserve Golf Course & Club in Plantation Florida. The restaurant serves bountiful lunches at expandable tables that seat four or more people and a bar where ''snack-a-tizers'' like potato skins with cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon bits ($5.50) are served until 5:30 p.m. As yet, there is no brunch or dinner service at the Florida golf course, though both may be added later on.

What one notices upon entering the Dining Room, with capacity for approximately 100 people, is the spectacular view of the golf course greens from subtly arched large windows. The positioning of the building relative to the Florida golf course is high, affording a dramatic perspective of the swaying native grasses, sand traps, golfers and hillocks that challenge their game.

The room itself has a gentlemen's club atmosphere, with walls painted dark green and beige to echo the nearby landscape; the plaid carpet and wooden cafe chairs with tapestry fabric both have a golf motif. Natural touches abound in the artwork of Florida marsh birds and palm trees and real purple orchids set in little goldfish bowls on each table. With two TV sets tuned to sports and golf channels, the restaurant caters to its golf clientele in myriad ways.

A standard menu given a creative flair includes soups and seven specialty salads, including Southwestern Taco Salad with marinated beef or chicken and Asian Salad with Teriyaki Chicken, crispy rice noodles and peanut dressing, both under $10. Cold sandwiches include a classic club, ham or turkey, ranging from $6.50 to $8.50. Among the hot sandwiches is blackened fish, a hearty portion of seasoned, tender salmon in a kaiser roll with sweet potato fries, for $10.50 and grilled bacon and tomato for $6.50. Those with bigger appetites can choose from four pasta dishes, including shrimp and pasta for $13.50, a homemade meatloaf with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables for $9.50 and grilled salmon for $13.50.

The Florida golf course desserts include a scoop of vanilla ice cream for $2 at the simplest end and a chocolate brownie sundae dessert for $5.50 at the most elaborate.

Service is speedy at the Golf Course Dining Room, where diners on recent weekdays felt the urge to linger. Beers and wines are on the menu, and most house wines by the glass are priced at $4.95. The Dining Room also accommodates private parties. An automatic 18 percent service charge eliminates the need to add a tip. Time to stop and eat at this Florida golf course.

River Hills, A Florida Golf Course Community Keeps Sexual Offenders At Bay

2006-05-19T13:17:00.000-04:00

A sex offender lives less than half a mile from the gates of River Hills Golf Course. But that's as close to the community as he's ever going to get. The deed-restricted community has banned sex offenders from living within its borders.

In doing so, River Hills became one of the first Florida communities to join a growing trend throughout the nation. Since 1997, when Florida became the first state in the nation to offer residents a searchable database of sex offenders' addresses, many communities have found ways to keep offenders out.

Some gated neighborhoods, like the Longleaf townhouse community in Meadow Pointe, have considered going as far as requiring new residents to undergo criminal background checks before moving in.

River Hills Golf Community restrictions forbid sexual offenders or predators from occupying a unit inside the gated community - even temporarily. That means sexual offenders can't rent in the community or move in with someone.

Privacy and security are the main draws for people moving to River Hills, a 1,162-home subdivision built around a Florida golf course, said resident Rick Massimei. Anyone coming in and out has to check in with a security guard.

"Even our roads are private," Massimei said.

The ban on sex offenders passed quietly by referendum in 2004. The vote was 825 to 89. Massimei, who was president of the community's board of directors at the time, said he wasn't sure who first raised the issue.

"I think someone learned a predator had moved into the neighborhood," he said.

The news spread and a group of residents brought the matter to the board, he said. The board asked the community's lawyer to draft a charter amendment that would keep sex offenders beyond their gates.

Lawyer Michael Brudny, who represents the homeowners association, said he wasn't surprised by the request.

"Most communities aren't happy with having sex offenders living there," he said.

Mostly, community leaders want to know how to publicize the presence of the sex offender, said Brudny, whose firm represents hundreds of communities in the area.

He said he advises them to notify residents that a sex offender is living nearby. But he tells them not to name the individual.

Do you want a sex offender playing on a Florida golf course near your home?

Changing The Landscape With Florida Golf Courses

2006-05-18T11:21:00.000-04:00

"North of Tampa" is suddenly one of the hottest phrases in golf course development circles. Not only have Pasco and Hernando counties been discovered, but there are strong indications that within five years the once sleepy, overlooked home of pastureland will be a member of the Florida golf course big leagues.

"Northern Pasco and Hernando is considered the best ground in the state of Florida from a topography standpoint, from a soil standpoint and from a tree standpoint," said Matthew McIntee, vice president of development for Crown Golf, based in Glenview, Ill., and holder of local properties that include The Bayou Club. "The ground you have in Pasco and Hernando is just spectacular."

McIntee is not alone in his thinking.

Elevation changes produced by rolling hills and the yesteryear beauty of stately oaks trees that dominate the "North of Tampa" landscape have been recognized as a significant break from the traditional flat, water-hazard-heavy Florida golf courses that overpopulate. The Veterans Expressway has brought northern Pasco and Hernando to within a 50-minute drive of Tampa. The Tampa Bay area's population continues to grow, and even with the threat of a cooling real-estate market, private, upscale golf remains the game's lifeblood.

Southern Hills Plantation another Florida golf course, designed by celebrated course architect Pete Dye, opened earlier this year in Brooksville as part of a LandMar Group development. A project by Avila developer Bob Sierra to be known as Hickory Hills is moving forward on a tract of Hernando ranchland and anticipates a Jack Nicklaus course design.

Just down S.R. 52 from Lake Jovita, which boasts 36 holes and has attracted national attention since it opened seven years ago, an Arnold Palmer signature design will be part of a planned community to be called Bella Verde. Going further north into Hernando, where World Woods' Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks courses designed by Tom Fazio rank among the top public Florida golf courses in the country, developers are studying property that was once the site of the Florida Rock and Stone Quarry.

"Visually, it's just different up here," Lake Jovita director of golf Chris Brandt said.

And the golf world is starting to see that.

"The topography and land we were able to get up there not only had movement, the property is just covered with great old oak and magnolia trees," said M.G. Orender, president of Hampton Golf, an affiliate of the Southern Hills development company. "It's just a stunning piece of property, but if it had not been for the new road system, we probably would not have done the deal. But now, literally, you can walk out of Tampa International Airport, get in a car and from the time you crank the engine, 35 minutes later you are out on Highway 41 in front of the development."

A recent study by the National Association of Realtors estimates Americans bought more than 1 million vacation homes in 2005, a record for the second consecutive year. Also, it was reported that golf played a deciding factor in nearly a third of those second-home purchases.

Considering such factors as cost of living, number of quality courses in the area, playable days per year and nearby shopping and social diversions, the consensus opinion by many in golf is that "North of Tampa" is quickly developing into the best bargain in the game's real-estate market for full-time and getaway residences.

"Even the top private clubs and top public courses in the Tampa area are nowhere near the national price scale," Crown Golf's McIntee said. "I don't believe there is a $100,000 private club in Tampa, while you've got $300,000 per membership clubs in Palm Beach and Naples.

"The appeal to people nationally is that Tampa Bay is really still affordable."

Young Ladies Take Shot at U.S. Women's Open On Florida Golf Course

2006-05-17T07:45:00.000-04:00

Naples' average age will take a drop today at the U.S. Women's Open local qualifier at Imperial Golf Club in North Naples, Florida.

Twelve players age 16 or younger, and 27 under the age of 20 are part of the 90-player field. Last year, a total of 23 spots were up for grabs, and this year there should be a similar number.

Last year, Coral Springs' Lexi Thompson, who is now 11, missed a nine-player playoff for the final four spots by a stroke. Dakoda Dowd, now 13, also was at Imperial last year. Dowd was granted an exemption into the LPGA Tour's Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open near Orlando last month.

There are several players with ties to Southwest Florida golf courses in the field: Naples' Stephanie Allan, Holly Boot and Leslye Dyke, Estero's Meghan Spero, Fort Myers' Dede Cusimano, Nancy Hauber and Valerie Osborn, 16-year-old Cape Coral resident Michelle Shin, as well as current Florida Gulf Coast University golfer Heather Hagerman, Lely Resort's Sarah Pesavento, and Misia Lemanski, who plays out of Eagle Creek Country Club another Florida golf course in Naples.

There are 39 amateurs and 51 professionals competing, including Suzy Whaley, the former club professional who played in the PGA Tour's Greater Hartford Open a few years ago.

Naples' Kris Tamulis will try to advance out of the local qualifier at Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Del., on Monday. Southwest Florida's other local player, Bonita Springs' Catherine Cartwright, is exempt from local qualifying.

Sectional qualifying will be June 5-13, with the Women's Open from June 29-July 2 at Newport (R.I.) Country Club.

Not All Florida Golfers Scared Of Gators

2006-05-16T07:59:00.000-04:00

At LPGA Golf Course in the middle of wetlands, a golf cart driver Monday did a horseshoe loop to avoid hitting an alligator scooting across the fairway.

Florida golfers are so blase the big news is that gators can indeed attack people -- and have killed three women in Florida since last week.

"It must have been something bizarre (to provoke the attacks)," said Maria Lopez, a regular golfer.

Only 17 deaths had been recorded in Florida since 1948 before the most recent alligator attacks began.

First, a body of a female jogger was found Wednesday in a canal in Broward Country. On Sunday, two more victims were found. Wildlife officials are still searching for a 7- to 9-foot alligator which killed a Tennessee woman who was snorkeling in a recreation area near Lake George in Marion County. The body of a Dunedin woman found in a canal near St. Petersburg had been in the water about three days and had injuries consistent with an alligator attack.

Although such a concentration of deaths in so short a time had never been recorded in Florida, wildlife officials say there is no pattern or common element between them.

Some, though, pointed to contributing factors like an increase in aggressive behavior during mating season and the loss of natural habitat leading to more encounters between humans and alligators.

"Forget all the reasons," said Lindsey Hord, the director of the statewide alligator nuisance control program. "Alligators are predators."

While they usually seek smaller animals, "they're opportunistic," said Joy Hill, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman.

The fatalities have put people on edge.

Trapper Todd Hardwick typically gets about four nuisance alligator calls each day, but he's now getting 15 as the unprecedented burst of attacks has Floridians terrified of their giant reptilian neighbors.

People are shook up," Hardwick said just before capturing a 9-foot, 4-inch alligator Monday in a residential lake north of Miami. "It's like the citizens of Florida have declared war on alligators. People are really going crazy."

In Volusia and Flagler counties, encounters with wildlife are part of everyday life.

Richard Harris, assistant manager of Blue Spring State Park, said officials there take the usual precautions, such as removing an alligator if it's obvious that "it's attracted to people."

There were rumors of a friendly alligator, who would occasionally nudge people's boats at DeLeon Springs Sate Park, but R.T. Reynolds, assistant park manager, said that he only heard of that happening once. Reynolds said rangers patrol their waters regularly, and that they haven't had problems at the park

At a Florida golf course, some employees there have taken to calling a 10-foot alligator that lives near the 18th hole "Mo."

Golfers and gators co-exist so peacefully that the Florida golf course has not had to call a trapper in at least seven years, said golf pro Joe Giormariso. But Catherine Goodman, a tourist from Richmond, Va. wasn't taking any chances.

"I'm hitting balls away from the water on this FL golf course," she said.

Fairway Advisors To Sell Florida Treasure Coast Golf Course

2006-05-15T16:12:00.000-04:00

Fairway Advisors has been retained as the exclusive advisor in the sale of St. James Golf Club located in Port St. Lucie, Florida. St. James Golf Club is a championship, semi-private club designed by Warren Henderson. Fairway Advisors has been named today for the marketing and negotiation of the sale transaction.

Jeff Davis, President of Fairway Advisors, comments, "St. James was acquired in September 2005 as part of a 17 golf course portfolio. It is one of the only two golf courses in the portfolio not located in the Mid-Atlantic States. St. James Golf Club doesn’t offer current ownership synergies based upon its location. The current owners did not intended to keep St. James when they bought the portfolio. However, ownership couldn’t sell it right away without making improvements to the property.”

Pure Golf, a golf management company based in Maryland, was hired to improve the Florida golf course’s conditioning. “The greens, tees and fairways are in the best shape they have been in since St. James opened in 2000. A new owner will have a turn key facility at a fraction of replacement cost,” says Davis.

St. James Golf Club has the lowest historical green fees in the area, even lower than competing municipal golf courses. Davis believes a new owner will be able to charge a higher daily rate as a result of the course’s improved conditioning.

Davis says he has received a large amount of interest from investors looking at the florida golf course. A sale is expected by the end of the year. Information about this Florida golf course can be obtained by visiting Fairway Advisors’ website.

87-Year-Old Upstages Arnie At Shoot-Your-Age Tourney On Florida Golf Course

2006-05-10T08:02:00.000-04:00

Leonard “Leo” Luken is smiling today. On Saturday, he beat Arnold Palmer on a Florida golf course — by three shots.

OK, technically, The King was 11 strokes better than the Hilton Head retiree. But in The Villages Shoot Your Age Championship, Luken’s 81 counted as 6-under — his age, that is. Palmer, by comparison, shot “only” a 73 — three shots less than his age.

Luken, who shot his “round for the ages” at the par-72, 6,251-yard Arnold Palmer Legends Country Club in The Villages, Fla., said it was his biggest thrill since — get this — playing golf in Latrobe, Pa., with Palmer’s father, Deacon, 35-40 years ago.

“I was on the podium next to Gary Player, and Arnie told him, ‘This guy took lessons from my dad,’” Luken said, laughing. “This was one of the greatest things that ever happened to me.”

A retired production manager with Zollner Pistons Co. in Fort Wayne, Ind., Luken was a star fast-pitch softball pitcher with the company team, helping it win four world championships, in 1945-47 and 1949. At one point, he won 53 consecutive games, and he is a member of the sport’s hall of fame, as well as the Kentucky and Indiana halls of fame.

These days, Luken and his regular group play at Palmetto Dunes’ Fazio and Jones courses, other Florida golf courses. Earlier this year, he shot a pair of 79s. “At 87, though, that gets tougher to do,” he said, laughing.

Luken’s prizes included a Waterford crystal bowl, a 42-inch plasma-screen TV and a pair of airline tickets. But nothing will top the memory of that day.

“Next to being married 63 years, that’s it,” he said.

Dargans win. Brothers Robert and David Dargan of Columbia, runners-up in the 2004 Carolinas Four-Ball Championship, claimed their first title at Camden Country Club by defeating three-time winners Bert Atkinson of Charleston and Sammy Truett of Surfside Beach, 2 and 1.

The tournament was played at Camden for the 50th time.

Sage advice. Weldon Wyatt, owner of the exclusive Sage Valley Golf Club near Graniteville, will open his award-winning course to outside play on May 22 and 23 to raise money for needy students in Aiken County.

Participants in “A Day of Golf at Sage Valley Golf Club” will be shown to a personal locker, have breakfast or lunch in the dining room, warm up at the practice facility and play 18 holes with a caddie, followed by cocktails and food.

Cost is a $400 donation per player to Aiken County Dollars for Scholars. To reserve a tee time, call Sage Valley’s Carmen Cordero at (803) 663-0900

Main Street America Sponsoring Caddyshack Charity Golf Tournament On Florida Golf Course

2006-05-09T07:51:00.000-04:00

The sixth annual Murray Bros. Caddyshack Charity Golf Tournament will be held May 18 to 19 at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla. The event benefits the St. Vincent's Mobile Outreach Ministry and Brave Kids.

The tournament, hosted by Academy Award®-nominated actor Bill Murray and his brothers, will kick off with the pairings party, presented by The Main Street America Group, at Murray Bros. Caddyshack Thur., May 18 at 6 p.m. This is the second consecutive year Jacksonville, Fla.-based Main Street America, a leading property and casualty insurance company, is the major sponsor of the tournament on a Florida golf course.

The tournament will be held Fri., May 19 at the King & Bear and Slammer & Squire courses at World Golf Village with two flights (morning and afternoon). An additional morning flight will be played at The Palencia Club in St. Augustine, another Florida golf course.

Celebrities tentatively committed to play this year include broadcaster Ahmad Rashad, former Super Bowl MVP Richard Dent, actors Cindy Morgan and Matt Griesser, and Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Jack Del Rio.

Last year's Florida golf course event raised a record $250,000 for St. Vincent's of Jacksonville. The Outreach Ministry delivers free school and summer program physicals for children throughout Northeast Florida, as well as immunizations, hearing and vision screenings, x-rays, cardiac care and blood work to those in need. Brave Kids is a national non-profit organization that helps children with special needs.

Florida golf courses are getting all the action.

Much Golf Could Be Played For $500 Green Fee At Exclusive Florida Golf Course

2006-05-08T07:40:00.000-04:00

Bill Neff was a customer service representative of the former Merchants National Bank and past president of the Rea Park Men’s Club before he retired 12 years ago. Like many avid golfers Bill, along with his wife Susie, packed up and headed for Bradenton, Florida., where he still resides and manages Braden-Castle, a retirement community.

From time to time, Bill keeps this writer informed as to what’s going on as it pertains to golf in his particular area of the sunshine state. It seems the big news these days in Bradenton Florida is the grand opening of a luxury golf course named the Concession Golf Club and Residences.

At first, the name “Concession,” conjures up the thought of hot dogs and cold drinks at the end of nine holes, but that’s not the story of this particular “Concession.”

The two men who collaborated to build the Florida golf course are none other than Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin, who makes his home in Bradenton.

The course is a memorial to Nicklaus’ sportsmanlike act of conceding a two-foot putt to Jacklin on the 18th hole of their Ryder Cup match back in 1969 at Royal Birkdale in England. The result was a 16-16 tie, with the United States retaining the Ryder Cup.

To say the “Concession” is difficult may be a masterpiece of understatement. The Florida Golf Association gave the 7,470-yard layout a slope rating of 155 and a course rating of 77.6 from the back tees.

If you’re interested in buying a lot located in The Concession community, you’ll need $1.6 million for a “lot.” Excuse me, I didn’t mean “lot”; they are homesites. You will have the opportunity to pick your floor plan from homes priced from $2.5 million to $3.3 million. There is, however, a silver lining that accompanies purchasing your home in The Concession neighborhood. You will have a free membership in the Florida golf course, thereby saving $150,000.

I always recall one of Groucho Marx’s lines when writing about extremely exclusive Florida golf clubs. Groucho claimed, “I am not prepared to join any club which would be willing to have someone like me as a member.”

If you don’t care to join The Concession Golf Club, you may still play 18 holes for $500, making it more expensive than the hallowed fairways of Pebble Beach.

We, here in the Wabash Valley, seem to do quite well with courses such as Rea Park, Hulman Links, Idle Creek and Country Club of Terre Haute. A short drive delivers us to Clinton’s Matthews Park and Geneva Hills; Brazil’s Oak Ridge and Forest Park; Sullivan’s Elks Club course; Marshall’s American Legion Course; Rockville’s Parke County Golf Course, and Paris’ Sycamore Hills Golf Club, all Florida golf courses. In addition, don’t forget Stu’s as well as Mark’s predominantly par-threes.

That $500 to play The Concession would go a long way in providing green fees or golf merchandise in Terre Haute and vicinity. I think I’ll spend my “Golf Allowance” locally at another Florida golf course.

Private Bids Placed On Pair Of Florida Golf Courses In Seminole

2006-05-05T08:23:00.000-04:00

Private investors have made offers on two of three struggling Seminole County golf courses in Florida, weeks after county leaders said they might buy the sites to keep them from being developed into housing.

An investment group behind four apartment-to-condominium conversions near Sabal Point Country Club is close to buying the Florida golf course. Carlos Balzola and Luis Alonzo met with community residents this week and asked for their views on how to revive the once-thriving facility.

Another group, which owns and operates five golf courses in Central Florida, made an offer for Twin Rivers Golf Club in Oviedo on Wednesday.

Details of the offers were not disclosed. But the two courses, as well as Winter Springs Golf Club, are on the market as a group for $7.275 million by Banc of America Strategic Solutions Inc. Twin Rivers and Winter Springs remain open; Banc of America closed Sabal Point earlier this year, prompting the county's announcement.

Chad Barton, who along with Bob Dello Russo owns Country Club of Deer Run, Casselberry Golf Club, Wekiva Golf Club, the Country Club of Mount Dora and Rock Springs Ridge Golf Club, confirmed Thursday that they had bid on Twin Rivers.

Barton and Dello Russo plan to meet with Oviedo City Manager Gerald Seeber next week, Barton said.

"We want to know what the city's position is with regards to [reclaimed] water for the Florida golf course," he said. "We also would like to see what the golf course means to the city."

Barton vowed to quickly improve the course.

Residents in Sabal Point are eager to bring that Florida golf course back to top form as well. What is unclear is how far they are willing to go to make it successful.

Some have suggested a community assessment, though the largest homeowners association said there is little support for that.

"There are a lot of people in the community concerned about costs," said Wayne Hunicke, president of the 800-member Sabal Point Community Services Association. "There are lots of people here on fixed incomes."

But there also is a strong core of about 200 homeowners who live along the 18-hole Florida golf course and would support the course, he said. Condo buyers also may be willing to pay for country-club memberships, Hunicke said.

In Winter Springs, the initial draft of a feasibility study commissioned by the city suggests the golf club there could make money in as little as five years.

The study, by National Golf Foundation Consulting, found the market could support a lower-priced municipal Florida golf course. But it also found that Winter Springs Golf Club showed a steady decline in the number of rounds played from 2003 to 2005.

The analysis concludes the course could make money by 2010 if rounds and membership levels rebound. It also assumes the city would not pay more than $1.2 million for the course and could finance the purchase over 30 years at 6.5 percent interest.

A memorandum from City Manager Ron McLemore warns that the study's assumptions are overly optimistic and don't take into account $650,000 in needed upgrades.

City officials won't decide how to proceed with the Florida golf courses until the final feasibility study is completed later this spring.

Florida Golf Course Grand Cypress Needs To Make Reparations For Killing Redshouldered Hawks

2006-05-04T10:23:00.000-04:00

Personnel from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Service determined that two red-shouldered hawks nesting at The Villas of Grand Cypress Golf Resort were a threat to people in the area, and they shot the birds on March 29.

Starting March 10, there were at least 10 hawk attacks on the Florida golf course guests and employees. After the second attack, state and federal wildlife officials were contacted.

Subsequently, a state permit was requested for the removal and relocation of the nest, which was a prerequisite for federal involvement. The Florida golf course ultimately dealt with personnel from the state and from two federal agencies—the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior.

As the attacks continued, an area was cordoned off to keep guests and staff from the vicinity of the nest. Employee and guest movements were rerouted around the area, guests were advised of the situation and security personnel were posted. Later, the cordoned-off area on the Florida golf course was expanded.

The attacks continued and even reached into a patio and restaurant area. One guest had a significant puncture wound to his head and face, narrowly missing his eye, which required medical attention.

This situation is unprecedented in the 22-year history of the Florida golf course. The resort enlisted the involvement of wildlife experts, and the U. S. Department of Agriculture ultimately determined the birds’ fate.

We treasure the natural world that makes the resort so appealing, and we deeply regret this entire situation. It is dangerous play on Florida golf courses.

Private Florida Golf Course Has Some Concerned

2006-05-03T08:32:00.000-04:00

Florida golf course Calusa Country Club neighbors don't necessarily have a problem with Facundo Bacardi's plan to replace the rundown golf course with an exclusive multimillion dollar facility.

It's just that they want to be able to see it from their backyards. But plans call for making it as private and secluded as possible for big-money golfers.

''It's like having a house on the beach and you can't see -- or use -- the beach,'' said Marilin Cabassi, whose backyard overlooks the Florida golf course.

Besides, homeowners say, blocking their view will put their security at risk.

''When I go out in my backyard and I see a foursome ready to tee off, I can protect myself,'' said Cabassi's husband Javier. ``There's a higher liability for the Florida golf course if I can't see.''

Shawn Crews, general manager of the facility at 9400 SW 130th Ave., assures residents nothing is being hidden. He plans to show the neighbors the layout as soon as it is complete, possibly by summer.

Plans now include a challenging 18-hole championship Florida golf course, some elevations as high as 40 feet, winding waterways, a clubhouse with full concierge service, a golf-training facility, a caddy program and lush landscaping.

In the long run, Crews said, the project will pay off for homeowners.

''When they lose their view, some would argue that depreciates their property value,'' Crews said. However, the flip side is that now their property is sitting on a low- to middle-of-the road public course and, after construction, they will sit on the best golf course in South Florida.''

Some residents worry the opposite might happen if they cannot see the course past growing hedges and an unsightly chain-link fence the owner installed months back.

''Despite what they say, a home with a view is a home with more value than without,'' said Alain Morot-Gaudry, a resident since 1995. His wife is a real estate agent.

But some homeowners see the plans as a positive development.

''Those trees are going to be beautiful. This is the best thing that could have happened to us,'' Kathy Winters said. ``It could make our property values soar.''

Crews said the aim is not to block residents' views, as some may think, but to enclose the golfers so they feel a slice of paradise. And he said the fences and hedges are staying put for that purpose.

''It closes in what's going to be a private Florida golf course and the hedge is to make those people that are paying $200,000 feel like they're in a secluded area,'' he said.

Jane Feuer doesn't buy that argument.

''You're building a multimillion dollar golf course; you should have enough to take down the chain-link fence and put up a white picket fence or something,'' she said.

There will be no tournaments on the new Florida golf course. The initiation fee is $215,000 and membership is by invitation only and will be limited to 275 members or corporations.

The plans are on hold until enough people buy memberships. From a business standpoint, it wouldn't make sense to break ground on such a costly project if people aren't buying into it, Crews said.

The hefty fees and exclusive nature of the proposed facility worry some Florida residents.

''My only concern is my husband is a golfer and now he won't be able to play there,'' said Waltraud Hering, who has lived for 18 years on this public Florida golf course. ``We cannot afford it.''

Mizner Trail, A Florida Golf Course Sues County For $38.5 Million

2006-05-02T07:55:00.000-04:00

Mizner Trail Golf Club has filed a $38.5 million lawsuit against Palm Beach County.

The suit, filed with the 15th District Circuit court, alleges that in denial of Mizner's application to build luxury town homes on the Mizner Trail Golf Course in Florida, the county acted "in an unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious manner against Mizner Trail."

The suit, signed by Florida golf course principal Philip "Dutch" Bliss, also alleges separate violations of both the Florida and US constitutions related to property rights, and the right to due process.

On Feb. 23, the county unanimously rejected plans for 202 luxury townhouses on holes three through eight of the southern Mizner Trail Golf Course in Boca Del Mar Florida, a 35-year old and 30,000 plus household development that straddles the Florida Turnpike west of Boca Raton.

This week's litigation alleges that the county's denial amounts to "a regulatory taking of Mizner's property and vested rights."

Opponents of Mizner's development proposal convinced the county that the Mizner Trail Golf Course was part of the "general development characteristics" of the overall Boca Del Mar development - and therefore should not be built upon.

Further, and in the words of the then county Senior Site Planner Eric McClellan, the golf course was a "a firm and wholistic part of the community," and therefore development as other than a golf course could be denied under the county code on that basis. (McClellan has since left county employ and is working in the private sector).

The lawsuit alleges that Mizner Trail has an inherent right to build the luxury town homes because the property is properly zoned for that purpose, that more than a sufficient number of residential units approved in the original development plan remain unbuilt, and that the golf course itself was never established in perpetuity as a golf course.

The suit also says that Florida golf course Mizner "purchased the property in 1998, with the expectation that it would be used as a golf course temporarily and that the property ultimately would be developed residentially."

The suit also claims that "using the property as a Florida golf course is no longer an economically viable use or an economically reasonable use, and has not been for several years, at least since 2002."

The Plan

For the better part of three years, the proposed development of, initially, nearly 500, whittled down to 390, then down to 236, and finally down to 202 luxury homes ($500,000 and up) at the Mizner Trail Golf Course has been an on-going battle between some residents who oppose the development, and later both the County Zoning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners.

Acting on what this week's lawsuit alleges, the failure to get the luxury home development approved eventually resulted in Mizner saying it was losing too much money operating the Florida golf course, and the course was closed Oct. 1 of last year.

Mizner's plan is to sell one third of the southern Florida golf course. Upon that land --- six holes of the current course --- the plan called for construction of 202 luxury town houses. The remaining 12 holes would then be reconfigured into an executive 18-hole course. The plan also included a new deed covenant that for all practical purposes Mizner said prevented the remaining 67 percent of the land from ever being developed.

The zoning commission voted 4-3 in January that the application should move forward to the County Commission, but with a recommendation for denial. County Commissioners in February unanimously agreed with that recommendation and voted unanimously for denial.

This weeks' litigation seeking monetary damages precedes an action filed in early April asking the court to just overturn the denial.

In a show cause order following the original suit, Palm Beach County 15th Circuit Court Judge Edward Fine said he believed the county's denial "shows a preliminary basis" for being overturned.

The Florida golf course's litigation seeking monetary damages was subsequently filed.

The Palm Beach County attorney's office has declined comment on the lorida golf course.

PGA Golf Club Is Looking To The Next Decade Of Florida Golf Courses

2006-05-01T07:49:00.000-04:00

When the PGA Golf Club in Florida opened its doors 10 years ago, its goal was to provide a world-class golf experience.

Now, as the facility, part of the PGA Village complex in Port St. Lucie, celebrates its 10th year with a ceremony Wednesday, PGA officials feel they have achieved that goal.

The goal for the next decade is to make PGA Golf Club — the only PGA-owned facility open to the public — one of the premier daily-fee golf experiences in the country and around the world.

"We're investing millions of dollars on maintaining and developing the PGA experience," said Joe Steranka, chief executive officer of PGA of America, which owns PGA Golf Club. "When people from St. Lucie County, the state of Florida, around the United States and the world come to PGA Golf Club, they'll experience memorable high-quality Florida golf courses and course conditions, but most importantly the most memorable round of golf they've had."

The push to reach the new goal begins this month when a two-year, multi-million dollar improvement program gets under way.

The plan includes converting all the greens on the club's three courses — North, South and Dye — to a new strain of turf called Champion Ultra Dwarf, reconstructing all bunkers, improving drainage, adding landscaping to all courses and expanding the clubhouse. The PGA also has talked with North and South courses designer Tom Fazio about redesigning some greens.

All of the changes will begin in the coming weeks and months except the clubhouse expansion, which Steranka said will begin next year.

Bud Taylor, director of golf for PGA Golf Properties of Florida, said PGA also would be working to provide better service by adding staff during peak times.

While becoming a premier Florida golf course destination and experience might seem like a lofty goal, Steranka said the PGA has the pieces in place to advance the club's stature.

To start with, he said the rates at PGA Golf Club are affordable for the experience a golfer gets.

Players tend to agree. In the latest Golf Digest "Best Places to Play" book published this month, readers called all three courses a "great value," "a golf heaven" and they provide "tremendous service at a terrific price."

"Their summer rates are fantastic," Stuart resident Jon Resos said. "The best thing about it is when you go out there, it's still the PGA. It's the PGA all year around. It's a great value. I go there specifically because I can play one of the bestFlorida golf courses around."

The improvement plan will cause increased rates, but Steranka said the club would still provide some tee times in the current price range of $32-$50.

PGA Golf Club officials believe that golfers will be willing to pay a little more for the added features — such as staff picking up clubs from players at their cars — both on the course and off.

Also, the club has played host to PGA teaching professionals from around the world and dozens of tournaments each year for PGA pros, assistant pros as well as mini-tour tournaments, the National Minority College Golf Championship and charity and corporate events. Those events help position PGA Golf Club more on the national and world golf scene through word-of-mouth recommendations, Steranka said.

The PGA hopes its reputation and improvements attract new golfers as the club strives to maintain its relationship with its current players.

"It's easier to keep a customer than get a new one, and we're going to work hard to continue to have people come back to this Florida golf course again and again," Taylor said. "We want to be a facility that when somebody leaves they will say, 'I can't wait to come back to Florida.'"

Gator Attacks Man On Florida Golf Course

2006-04-28T07:50:00.000-04:00

A Florida man searching for golf balls in a lake at a Florida golf course was attacked by an alligator on Tuesday.

Golfers who saw the attack rushed to help Stephen Martinez as he struggled with the 7-foot gator.

Martinez managed to escape with a bite on his left hand.

A trapper was called in to catch the alligator.

Martinez said he was lucky. "He started pulling me under," he said. "As I tried to make it to the side, he locked onto my arm. He started twisting, and luckily, I kicked him."

The gator will be destroyed because it is considered a "nuisance alligator."

Alligators are considered a nuisance when they lose their fear of humans and may see people as a source of food.

So, don't feed the Florida golf course alligators.

Cost To Play On A Florida Golf Course Drops

2006-04-26T11:51:00.000-04:00

They’re not stopping in the pro shop just yet, but Mike Spetsios can see them on the driving range getting ready.

Easter weekend marked the end of season in Florida, meaning prices at area Florida golf courses have begun their annual nosedive.

Year-round golfers, accordingly then, are all set to start plunking Titleists and Top-Flights into the nearest water hazard.

“You definitely recognize the regular summer crowd, and they’re not quite back yet,” said Spetsios, the head golf professional at San Carlos Golf Club a Florida golf course. “Some of them are on the range hitting balls, dusting off the clubs, but the they’re not quite playing yet.”

Rates at most area courses took their first drop on April 1, but Monday — May 1 — officially marks the move to cut-rate summer prices.

San Carlos, for example, dropped from its peak season rate of $60 for golf and a cart to $46 on April 1. Next week, the price drops to $27.

“To me, May 1 is when our locals start to play golf in Florida,” Spetsios said. “Right now, it’s definitely more visitors, more tourists.”

Even with the Florida golf course plummeting prices, the annual exodus of winter residents and visitors from Florida this time of year causes the volume of play at area courses to drop almost in step with prices — first a little, then a lot.

“I was surprised at how much traffic has still been up here,” Spetsios said of the first days after Easter, April 16. “We had a fantastic season and it’s still holding pretty steady. We’re not turning people away, like we were in season, but we’re at pretty good capacity. Typically the third week of April is slow, and the last week of April is really bad.”

Spetsios said San Carlos was maxed out on rounds per day during the season with about 280-290 daily. As of November, the Florida golf course increased the interval between tee times — from 7 1/2 minutes to 8 1/2 minutes — dropping it below the 300-plus rounds it had been doing each day in past years. The Florida course raised its price by $5 from last season to compensate for the lost rounds, but Spetsios said the end result was positive.

“That improved our pace of play,” he said of the wider tee time intervals. “The customers were in a better mood after they finished playing. Our repeat business was fantastic.”

From about 280-290 rounds daily, San Carlos dropped to about 240-260 rounds a day the first two weeks of April, Spetsios said. Last week, the number dropped to about 180-190 a day, still a marked improvement over what the coming summer months will bring.

“If we’re playing 90 rounds a day, that would be pretty good,” Spetsios said. “And I know that’s better than average.”

Along with the heat, humidity and thunderstorms that hurt summer traffic, Florida’s multitude of private and semi-private communities also cut into traffic at daily-fee facilities.

Heritage Palms Golf & Country Club in Fort Myers is so busy with member play during the season that there is little room for outside play. Head professional John Osbrink estimates that only 1 percent of rounds played at the 36-hole facility come from outside the community during season.

By next month, however, non-member rounds will rise to as high as 50 percent of play at Heritage Palms, Osbrink said.

“It’s a factory out here during season,” said Osbrink, estimating Heritage Palms does about 550 rounds a day — 275 per course — in February and March before dropping to about 400 rounds a day in April and finally just 200-250 rounds during the summer.

“That’s wall to wall, from 7 in the morning to about 5:30, quarter of six at night,” he said of seasonal play. “We did 45,000 rounds in the first three months of the year. We’ll do 45,000 in the next seven months.”

The one hiccup in the linear equation is known in the business as “recips.” Reciprocal play — various clubs providing playing privileges to members of other clubs — typically takes place during the first two weeks in May, providing some clubs a respite, however brief, from Florida’s annual summer slide in golf traffic.

“We’ll get a mad rush, above 400 (rounds) a day,” Osbrink said.”But that’s pretty much it. After about the second or third week of May, you’re starting to hit 90-95 degrees.”

As Spetsios said: “Forget it.”

This Week On Florida Golf Courses - April 27-April 30

2006-04-25T07:48:00.000-04:00

LPGA TOUR - GINN CLUBS AND RESORTS OPEN, Reunion Resort & Club, Orlando, Florida - The LPGA shifts to the Sunshine State this week for a new event, the Ginn Clubs and Resorts Open. The new event will help bring some sunshine to one family in particular.

The Ginn Company heard about a 13-year-old girl named Dakoda Dowd, whose mother, Kelly Jo, is terminally ill with cancer. One of Kelly Jo's dreams was to see her daughter play in a LPGA Tour event, so the Ginn company extended a sponsor's invitation to Dakoda.

Now before you think this is some sort of ploy for extra coverage, you may want to consider Dakoda's record. She has already won nearly 200 junior tournaments and is the top-ranked player in the graduating class of 2011. Last year, as a sixth grader, Dakoda Dowd played for Northside Christian High as the No. 2 player on the golf team and helped it claim its first state title.

The event will be using a composite course at Reunion Resort & Club. The 18- hole layout will be spread over the Legacy Course, designed by Arnold Palmer, and the Independence Course, designed by Tom Watson.

A world-class field is also on hand for the inaugural playing. Women's world No. 1 Annika Sorenstam heads a field that also includes reigning Rookie of the Year Paula Creamer, fellow U.S. Solheim Cup performers Juli Inkster, Natalie Gulbis, Beth Daniel, Cristie Kerr and Christina Kim, as well as two-time U.S. Open champion Meg Mallon and reigning Women's British Open winner Jeong Jang.

The Golf Channel will broadcast Dakoda Dowd's action on the first two days, before CBS covers weekend action. The tour moves to the Franklin American Mortgage Championship in Franklin, Tennessee, next week. Stacy Prammanasudh is slated to be on hand to defend her crown there.

Fort Myers-Run Florida Golf Course Criticized For Pricey Fees, Poor Upkeep

2006-04-24T13:43:00.000-04:00

Ireland's Mary and Michael Feeley and Tadhg and Chris O'Connor were several days into their Florida golf vacation in Lee County last month when they ended up at Eastwood Golf Course.

Using only a glossy pamphlet on Southwest Florida courses as their guide, the couples booked an afternoon tee time for $60 per person. They expected to see a reasonably well-conditioned layout, one that once ranked among Golf Digest's top 50 public courses in the nation, let alone Florida.

What they found instead were many greens in such poor condition that Tadhg O'Connor said a course in similar disrepair in his homeland wouldn't even be open.

"You'd get nobody to pay a greens fee," said O'Connor, 61, who like his friends is from the south of Ireland in County Cork, home to such historic courses as Killarney and Ballybunion. "Certainly, that was the worst Florida golf course we played for the conditions."

"There's some very good golf holes, particularly on the back nine," said Michael Feeley, 56. "But the whole Florida golf course needed to be refurbished."

To the dismay of many golfers, that has been a common refrain at the popular municipal Florida golf course.

With the battered eighth green the most-glaring symbol of its diminished condition, Eastwood has prompted several letters to The News-Press editorial page in recent months from disgruntled golfers.

March 4, John and Jody Vansicklen of Commerce Township, Mich., wrote that Eastwood should inform golfers of deteriorated conditions before they play and should not charge full price.

"We went to the Florida golf course and paid our green(s) fees and soon learned there were no greens," wrote the Vansicklens, visitors to Fort Myers for several years. "The greens were brown."

Two weeks later, Fort Myers' Tony Wolff criticized the course's "deplorable" sand traps, cart paths "full of potholes," wooded areas "loaded" with uprooted tree stumps, and fairways with "large segments of browned-out grass or no grass at all," which are "likely diseased."

"Eastwood, and very likely Fort Myers Country Club, have fallen into a situation of so many municipal courses where the local powers that be probably spend the course revenues for their pet projects instead of returning an adequate amount of the revenue generated to maintain and improve the Florida golf course," Wolff wrote of Eastwood and fellow city-owned Fort Myers Country Club. "What we need is a golfing mayor."

The city's actual mayor, Jim Humphrey, said he has seen the letters and that Wolff's allegations just aren't true.

"I have been a proponent of enterprise funds all having a repair and replacement account, a reserve account and an operation and maintenance account," Humphrey said of self-sustaining operations. "If you continue to drain off the excess revenues, then you neglect (the enterprise)."

Humphrey and director of golf Rich Lamb, an independent contractor who runs the city's two courses, said Eastwood will close for six months in 2007 to undergo $1.5 million in renovations. Ultimately, the course is slated for about $4.5 million in improvements during the next three to four years.

The city recently had to abandon plans to add nine new holes at Eastwood because of what planners said will be a negative impact on Humphrey's goal to build affordable, "work-force" housing near the course. But Humphrey said money to improve Eastwood's existing facilities wasn't nixed.

"And now I think it's more important than ever to improve the 18 holes because we're going to have, I hope, a lot of people around there who will want to play there," he said. "So it's going to be very important."

Next year's Florida golf course renovations will focus on four projects: completely rebuild greens, level and resurface tee boxes, rebuild bunkers, and expand and upgrade irrigation. If there's enough money, Lamb said, Eastwood's driving range also will be renovated.

The money for the improvements will be borrowed at 4 percent interest from the city's utilities department.

The long-term improvements to the driving range and aging clubhouse will be repaid with some of the money from the The Bonita Bay Group sale of about 500 acres next to Eastwood for work force housing, Humphrey said.

"That will then ensure that it (Eastwood) can stay in the top 50 or wherever it is," Humphrey said of all the upgrades, terming the clubhouse improvements "not something extravagant, but to improve it to where people can really go there after the golf and talk and enjoy themselves.''

"Right now, they have to get in the car and go somewhere else," he said. "So I think we're missing the opportunity."

As for the existing conditions at Eastwood, Lamb said its troubled greens are primarily the result of an inability to water the course for more than a week after Hurricane Wilma in October and the ensuing dormant period for the course's bermuda grass greens through the winter.

The problem was made worse on the eighth green, Lamb said, by poor drainage below the surface. Heavy watering to promote some growth resulted in a soggy, unhealthy environment, Lamb said. A last-ditch effort to overseed with rye grass in December also proved fruitless.

Fort Myers Country Club does overseed its bermuda greens each fall and is noticeably lush in the winter. Lamb said that course is overseeded because its tiny greens would not be able to withstand the heavy, concentrated foot traffic of winter if they were bermuda alone. The lush overseed color also presents better for the Beck's Open held in February, Lamb said.

Because foot traffic is not as concentrated on Eastwood's larger greens, the course's bermuda turf normally is able to maintain its health and playability through the winter, Lamb said.

In just a few weeks, he emphasized, Eastwood's bermuda greens will hit their growth phase, while the overseed on Fort Myers Country Club's greens will begin dying off. That will leave an uneven period at Fort Myers Country Club before the bermuda takes over again.

And so Lamb expects feedback on the two city courses — that Eastwood looks "terrible" and "The Fort," as it's known, looks great — to switch 180 degrees.

As for other complaints about Eastwood, Lamb said that nearly all of the uprooted tree stumps from Wilma have been removed, more than 200,000 tons of sand have been added to its 84 bunkers, and its cart paths are only in need of an "overlay."

The paths at Fort Myers Country Club, he said, were scheduled to be resurfaced last fall, but that Florida golf course project was postponed because of Wilma. Lamb said the $88,000 job will be done in the next few weeks and will be paid for from the course's own revenues.

Could Florida Swing Bypass Tampa Bay Florida Golf Course?

2006-04-21T07:28:00.000-04:00

The news didn't generate much interest around here. A golf tournament in Pennsylvania was being replaced by one in Connecticut. What's the big deal?

If you look at the big picture, it's huge. And it should be a warning that a PGA Tour event in Tampa Bay on a Florida golf course is not the lock.

When the new FedEx Cup schedule for 2007 was announced three months ago, the 84 Lumber Classic in Pennsylvania took a prominent spot in June. And it was no surprise.

In just three years, it had positioned itself nicely because of big-bucks 84 Lumber owner Joe Hardy . He poured millions into his golf course in western Pennsylvania. He pampered the players. And his tournament got a coveted spot, bumping out such tour mainstays as Hartford and Washington.

A few weeks ago, Hardy decided that the millions it costs to sponsor a PGA Tour event could be better spent. So he pulled the plug. And the PGA Tour, wasting no time and giving local organizers in Pennsylvania no chance to locate a new title sponsor, got the Hartford folks on the phone and offered them their tournament back. (Hartford officials had been considering a Champions Tour event.)

The St. Paul Travelers Championship will take 84 Lumber's spot, June 21-24, 2007.

The lesson is that the PGA Tour can be ruthless when it comes to filling tournament dates.

There was great joy when it was announced that the Chrysler Championship would be part of the FedEx schedule and part of the Florida Golf Course Swing in March 2007.

But Chrysler is bowing out as title sponsor, and a new one must be secured. Then there is the issue of working out a new contract with the Westin Innisbrook Resort a Florida golf course, a key aspect in having the tournament here. Given the fact that Innisbrook and the tournament need each other, a deal should get done, but a contract has not been signed.

The bigger issue, however, is securing a title sponsor. They are simply not lined up outside tour headquarters ready to throw down $7-million a year to sponsor a florida golf course tournament. They must be courted and schmoozed and no doubt that is happening. But nothing is imminent.

So if you want a good conspiracy theory, consider: The tour has yet to sign off on the fall portion of its schedule, the events that will follow the Tour Championship. One of those is believed to be the Texas Open in San Antonio, an event sponsored by oil refiner Valero that has raised millions for charity over the years. It has been a successful tournament despite going up against the Ryder Cup or the Presidents Cup. It craves a shot at the big time.

Perhaps the tour has not announced the fall events because it is waiting to see what happens with Tampa Bay on a Florida golf course, one of just two tournaments (along with Colonial) without a title sponsor. If nothing materializes here, the tour could make some minor adjustments to the Florida Swing, with the Honda Classic, Arnold Palmer Invitational and Doral followed by a mini-Texas Swing in San Antonio and Houston.

It's a sinister scenario, to be sure. But if the PGA Tour can leave the state of Pennsylvania without a tournament, it can bypass Tampa Bay, and forget play on a Tampa Bay Florida golf course.

Fire Chars Part Of California Club A Florida Golf Course

2006-04-20T07:53:00.000-04:00

Miami-Dade Firefighters spent part of their Easter Sunday fighting a grass fire at the California Club a Florida golf course in North Miami-Dade, as South Florida continued under a Red Flag fire danger alert.

The fire, near Ives Dairy Road and San Simeon Way, was controlled by early Sunday afternoon, but the smoke plume cause brief slowdowns on nearby I-95 as motorists slowed to look..not at the golfers hitting smoking drives down this Florida golf course.

The fire started about Noon Sunday, but firefighters have yet to determine the cause.
Might be onf of those fired up Florida golfers.

73-YEAR-OLD WOMAN HAS TWO ACES IN ROUND ON FLORIDA GOLF COURSE

2006-04-19T11:50:00.000-04:00

Cissy Perkins couldn't sleep Monday night. Her mind was still racing hours after a once-in-a-lifetime day on a Florida golf course.

Perkins, 73, made two holes-in-one at the Babe Zaharias Golf Course in Tampa Florida. A 24 handicap, she shot 83 at the par-70 course, the best round of her life.

"I was going to go home (Sunday), but my daughter thought I should stick around another day and play golf with them," said Perkins, who lives in Naples Florida. "I'm glad I did."

In a threesome with her daughter, Karen Marotta, and her daughter's friend, Kathy Ottens, the first hole-in-one came at No. 8, a 107-yard hole all over water with the pin 10 yards from the front of the green. Perkins used a 6-iron on that Florida golf course hole.

The second ace came at the 15th hole, which measures 113 yards. Perkins said she decided to be safe and hit a 5-iron.

"They all said it was long, so we were looking for the ball over the green," Perkins said. "Then Kathy saw it in the hole and started screaming. We were making so much noise, everybody on the Florida golf course knew what happened."

New Construction At Florida Golf Course Coral Creek Club

2006-04-18T07:45:00.000-04:00

Placida's ultra exclusive private Florida golf course will hold a ceremonial ground breaking for its new clubhouse this afternoon.

Coral Creek Club plans to have construction crews on site by next month, said Michael Zmetrovich, chief executive officer of Trophy Golf Management, the company that oversees day-to-day management of the club.

The 12,000-square-foot building will house the club's dining room, a bar, a veranda dining area, and men's and women's locker rooms. It should be completed by fall of 2007, Zmetrovich said.

This opening will in turn release space in the current golf house that will be used for additional bag storage. The golf house will also continue to house the club's pro shop.

A timetable has not yet been established for the Florida golf course's other big construction project -- a "lodge" with 15 condominiums. These will be sold to individual members, who will have the option of entering them into a rental pool and leasing them for portions of the season to other members.

The total Coral Creek property covers 211 acres. One selling point is that the amount of housing is going to be strictly limited, said Donna Loftin, director of membership. Currently, there are only 10 cottages on the property, none of which fronts directly on the course.

Although the Florida golf course condo has become a staple of Florida development, the owners of Coral Creek have taken the line that having dwellings right up to the edge of the course detracts from the beauty of the landscape.

"The Coral Creek estuary is just a great backdrop to design holes to -- as opposed to houses or a blank landscape," Zmetrovich said.

Another unusual aspect of the Florida golf course is that it has its own private airstrip, which is an extra service for a limited number of paying members.

The club is still trying to fill the last 75 of 225 member slots, Loftin said. Membership is by invitation only, and the club does not publish its dues structure.

However, because the club shuts down for maintenance during August and September, a break on dues is being offered to recognize this fact and offer a small price break for new members, Loftin said.

The new clubhouse will be built by Yusk Construction Co., owned by Coral Creek member Dick Yusk.

Coral Creek golf course was built in 1999 and acquired in 2003 by a group headed by Dan Doherty, founder of Eastern Development LLC, one of New England's leading developers and owners of commercial real estate. They in turn hired Trophy Golf not quite a year ago to manage the club.

Prior to forming Trophy Golf, Zmetovich worked in Jack Nicklaus' golf course development business. Trophy Golf also manages courses in Oregon and Wisconsin.

"Our management company likes to get involved with projects that have some unique assets," Zmetrovich said. "What attracted us to Coral Creek was the chance to be associated with a world-class course designed by Tom Fazio."

Fazio, considered one of the top designers in the world, created for Coral Creek an 18-hole, Par 71 Florida golf course of 7,038 yards.

Zmetrovich explained that the really unusual aspect of Coral Creek was the way Fazio incorporated the natural beauty of the Coral Creek estuary into his design. Surprisingly few Florida courses really take advantage of natural waterways. "It's difficult because of the availability of land. And it's difficult to get permitting that allows you to build holes along the water," he said.

Another aspect of Fazio's genius is the way he can create Florida golf courses that are challenging to experienced players but also a "playable and joyful experience" for beginners, Zmetrovich said.

Big Shot Scores A New Car On Florida Golf Course

2006-04-17T14:07:00.000-04:00

The shiny red car that sits in the Pierce family's driveway in Rockledge represents many things.

An early birthday present.

The shot of a lifetime.

And a reminder to Erica Pierce that the next time she feels like rolling over instead of getting up to play golf, she needs to go to the course. Because something great might happen to her.

Playing in a charity outing that raised more than $12,000 for St. Jude's Hospital last Sunday at Turtle Creek Golf Club, a Florida golf course, Pierce watched her father make a hole-in-one -- and a lot, lot more as it turned out.

His first career ace, which came on the 13th hole, allowed Mitch Pierce to deliver on the promise he had made to Erica minutes before he hit the shot he'll never forget.

OK, so Pierce told his daughter in jest that he would win her the 2006 Mustang. It was bravado as much as anything.

But when Erica Pierce earns her driver's license -- the Rockledge High sophomore turns 16 next month -- she will have a fresh set of wheels, courtesy of her father.

"It's just an unforgettable thing," Mitch Pierce said.

Improbable too, and for many reasons.

The Pierces weren't going to play in the four-person scramble because they had to attend a family wedding in Fort Lauderdale the day before the tournament.

Erica, who helped Rockledge's girls' golf team win the District 16-2A title last fall, was still rubbing sleep out of her eyes when her group got to the 13th tee (after starting on No. 10). That's when her father told her, "I'm going to go ahead and win you that car."

Yeah, OK.

After stepping off the yardage on the hole that played 181 yards that day and also taking note of the slight breeze behind him, Pierce put the 5-iron he had initially grabbed back into his bag and opted for a 6-iron.

Pierce, who belongs to LaCita Country Club another Florida golf course in Titusville and has an 11 handicap there, started his ball just right of the pin and had a little draw on it.

It bounced just short of the green, took another hop and then dived into the cup.

"I put both my arms straight up in the air and started yelling and screaming," said Pierce, who owns a garage-door business with his father and brother.

It didn't take long for word of what had happened to make its way around the Florida golf course.

Of course, when Erica called home to tell her mother about the shot, Penni Pierce reacted as if her daughter were trying to pull a belated April Fool's Day joke.

"It took me 10 to 15 minutes to convince her that we weren't lying," Erica said, laughing.

The car that has Chris Cagle's autograph clear-coated inside the driver's door -- the country-music singer played in the event and signed for Pierce -- is proof enough that she was indeed telling the truth. County offers discount card. Brevard County Parks and Recreation is selling a discount card that can be used at any of the three courses the county owns and operates.

The card, costing just more than $50, is valid until the end of November at The Savannahs on Merritt Island, Spessard Holland in Melbourne Beach and The Habitat in Valkaria, all Florida golf courses.

Those who have the card only have to pay $9.22 a round at any of the three courses, and the first round along with a cart is free. The card also gets golfers discounts on merchandise in the pro shop at the three Florida golf courses.

Summer rates are in effect for The Savannahs, Spessard Holland and The Habitat, meaning Brevard County residents only have to pay $12.99 for a green fee.

For more information call 633-2046. Chip shot. Michael Hebert recently won a Florida Junior Tour event in Port Charlotte. The 15-year-old Palm Bay resident shot 145 (74-71) at Riverwood Golf Club to win the boys' 13-15 division by two strokes.

Eagle Creek to Host Florida Open

2006-04-14T12:05:00.000-04:00

The 2006 Florida Open Golf Championship will be conducted at Eagle Creek Golf Club in southeastern Orlando, September 28 -October 1. The competition is 72 holes of stroke play, with a cut after 36 holes.

"Eagle Creek is an unusual layout compared to the typical Florida course," says tournament director, Rick Whitfield. "It has great bunkering, it has some elevation change and there are several great risk-reward holes that should had excitement to the Florida Open. Ron Garl did a terrific job with Eagle Creek, and we are excited to come to a course we think will make for a great tournament."

Eagle Creek is a favorite among tournament planners, having hosted the national finals of the Buick Scramble, the Golf Channel's Drive Chip & Putt Junior Challenge, and several Florida State Golf Association competitions. The 7,198-yard design by Garl and Howard Swan has earned many honors in its two years, including being named among the top 10 new courses of the decade in Florida by Travel & Leisure.

The Florida Open's list of winners over the years reads like a who's who of great Florida-based players. They include Dudley Hart (1990), Bruce Fleisher (1987, 1980), Donnie Hammond (1982), Gary Koch (1969), Larry Mowry (1983, 1979), Gardner Dickinson (1952), and many others.

"The Florida Open is a great tradition in our state and Eagle Creek is proud to host such a prestigious event," said Eagle Creek Eagle Creek director of golf Tony Crawford. "We think our course will present a test worthy of a state championship."

Whitfield is particularly excited that the 18th hole at Eagle Creek could be the deciding factor in the final round. The 18th hole was re-designed after the initial work had begun on the golf course, turning a par-4 into a dramatic par-5. The change gave Eagle Creek the only par-73 layout in Orlando.

The 18th is the definitive risk/reward hole. At 535 yards, it tempts the player to go for the deep ball off the tee in hopes of reaching a long and narrow putting surface in two. But the drive must carry fairway bunkers on the left, and avoid the water hazard on the right. The green is completely fronted by water, and slopes dramatically from back to front. So whether hitting a third shot after playing it safe, or gambling to reach in two, the approach shot must be struck with accuracy to assure a two-putt.

"Our 18th always is the talk of the grill room after rounds," said Crawford. "Along with the beauty of the hole with our clubhouse visible from start to finish, the challenge and excitement it creates is the perfect ending to a great round of golf."

Don't Turn Florida Golf Courses Into Homes

2006-04-13T12:39:00.000-04:00

There has been much in the news about the Monterey and Sabal Palm golf courses in Florida. Prestige Builders has bought the land on which to build individual homes and townhomes. They are trying to get the property rezoned from commercial recreation to low-medium (five to 10 units an acre) residential. The only way to reach this development would be through either Northwest 47th Terrace or Mainland Drive, going through an existing senior community to get there.

How many people realize the impact this new development would have on Commercial Boulevard? Commercial Boulevard is one of the most congested roads in Broward County. From Rock Island Road to State Road 7, there are six stoplights. Four of these stoplights are between the Florida Turnpike and State Road 7, within a half-mile. If Prestige Builders develops this property, the entrance will be next to the turnpike exit.

I live in Mainland 1 and 2. It is difficult to get out of our community because of the traffic. The drivers of these eastbound cars block the intersections at both Northwest 47th Terrace and Mainland Drive. Imagine how difficult it will be with appoximately 1,000 more cars trying to get out onto Commercial Boulevard.

On March 22, there were several hundred of our residents at the Tamarac City Hall meeting concerning the rezoning of the Florida golf courses. There were representatives from Prestige and the Florida Department of Transporation. About 40 or more of the residents spoke about the impact the development would have on the traffic, green space, water, etc. I challenged the city panel to come to our area every morning for a week between 7:30 and 9 a.m. and 5 and 6 p.m. and get into the traffic. This would give them first-hand understanding of what we are talking about.

The mayor and other officials voted to send the Prestige rezoning request to the state. Tallahassee has no knowledge of our traffic issues.

I am urging the residents of Tamarac, and anyone else who is driving in this congested traffic every day, to discuss this with your city officials. If there is a recall petition, I am urging you to sign it.

Developer Puts Off Answers On Riviera Florida Golf Course's Future

2006-04-04T07:55:00.000-04:00

A developer's plans to plant affordable housing on a public Florida golf course in East Naples had unleashed an uproar from residents, and now there are questions about the project's future.

But the developers and the current property owners aren't answering questions.

MDG Capital executives have said they hoped to construct more than 1,000 condominiums on the Florida golf course in the 55-and-older Riviera Golf Estates community.

Late Thursday, MDG released a statement that is making residents and county officials wonder: Now what?

"We have notified the owners of Riviera Golf Course that we cannot proceed on the purchase and redevelopment of the golf course for Affordable Work Force Housing without resolution of the conflicting title opinions relating to the deed restrictions," it reads.

Does that mean the Florida golf course project is off?

Patrick McCuan, the MDG Capital CEO, wouldn't say when contacted Friday.

He wouldn't say if that means the project is just delayed. He politely declined to comment on any questions springing from the statement.

"We don't mean to be difficult," he said.

Collier County Commissioner Donna Fiala, who represents East Naples, has been fighting to stop plans from going forward. She is relieved, for residents, that the proposal at least has been slowed.

"That's it, huh?" Fiala said. "I think MDG is purposely keeping people in the dark. I don't know what their motives are for not just being up-front about what's really going on here."

The Riviera Golf Club , an 18-hole Florida golf course, sits among 692 manufactured and single-family homes in Riviera Golf Estates.

Residents there weren't elated but not dismayed.

"First of all, it's not bad news," said David Gelsomini, vice president of the homeowners association board and a resident since 1991.

Gelsomini, who cherishes his course view, said homeowners' deeds dating back to the 1970s said the course must remain in use as a golf course or for related activities.

"They could take us to court to challenge the deed," he said. "If we go to court, that's going to put us right back in the soup but we'll do whatever it takes. We will win."

The association board hired attorney Patrick White, who said Friday that MDG hadn't contacted him to discuss any issues.

"I'll have to investigate that more fully," he said after he read the statement.

Joe Schmitt, head of Collier County's community development and environmental services division, said the MDG Capital president left him a message about the release but he didn't know anything more.

The company with a Maryland headquarters and a Naples office postponed its February pre-application meeting with Collier County officials, he said.

"It appears right now, at least, any plans of this Florida golf course in the immediate future have been tabled," he said. "I just don't think they were even prepared."

Schmitt said there is a restriction on properties adjacent to Florida golf courses but it's not the county's responsibility to sort out those issues. Residents in Florida golf course communities shouldn't fear the redevelopment of courses in the community, he said, because Riviera's neighborhood zoning is unique.

Similar communities are master planned as a development, Schmitt said, but Riviera Golf Estates has piecemeal zoning, which allows a developer to pursue a switch without an expensive, time-intensive change of the master plan that most developers would loathe to do.

St. Joe Hits Snag with Florida Golf Courses

2006-04-03T07:38:00.000-04:00

St. Joe Co. is planning a community called WaterSound North in Bay County, which is set to include 1,300 homes, several Florida golf courses and a retail development with restaurants and shops on Lake Powell. It will be located the North end of Highway 98. All this will be built soon, unless St. Joe’s is stopped short by a preliminary injunction, which has halted construction due to a suit filed by the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is responsible for issuing a permit to St. Joe in June of 2004.

St. Joe’s apparently remains unflustered by the lawsuit, since it only affects areas that are under the Army Corps permit. The company owns about 80% of the land in the area, and continues to work on areas unaffected by the lawsuit. The development will eventually be a gated community with a beach, private pool club, outdoor fireplace, recreational park, and private putting green with several Florida golf courses. The homes will be connected by an extensive biking and walking path that will be accessible by golf carts as well.

The Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council are against the housing community, which would allow St. Joes to build on over 30% of a 48,150 acre area. Construction would also destruct 20% of the wetlands. Members of both organizations claim that the permit issued by the Army Corps of Engineers is illegal. They are concerned that the destruction of the wetlands will endanger Florida’s natural resources.

The St. Joe’s Florida golf course construction on the areas under the Army Corps permit was stopped on November 10 after US. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan issued the injunction. The decision about whether or not the permit will remain valid will be made in February. Until then, St. Joe’s will continue to work on developing the residential, retail and Florida golf courses of WaterSound not under the Army Corps Permit.

Victoria Hills Named One of Florida's Golf Course Hidden Gems?

2006-03-31T08:01:00.000-05:00

Victoria Hills Golf Club ? the award-winning Ron Garl design at the heart of Victoria Park, a St. Joe community in historic DeLand ? has been named one of Florida's Hidden Gems by Travel + Leisure Golf magazine.

Victoria Hills was one of only 10 courses in the state selected to the list, which appears in the magazine?s November/December issue. One of America's most-respected golf publications, Travel + Leisure Golf has an estimated readership of more than 1.5 million. Other courses to make the list included the Abacoa Golf Club in Jupiter, Crandon Park Golf Course in Key Biscayne, Dunes Golfers Club in Brooksville and The Club at Hidden Creek in Navarre, all Florida golf courses.

Ron Garl routed the holes here through strands of towering oaks and Augusta pines, with waste and pot bunkers thrown in for good measure. A half hour north of Orlando, the Florida golf course serves as the home to the Stetson University golf teams.

We are honored to be recognized by one of America's leading golf and lifestyle publications, says David Buth, General Manager at Victoria Hills. With the abundance of excellent courses in Florida, its exciting to be one of only ten Florida golf courses selected.

Conveniently located between Orlando and Daytona, the stunning layout boasts more than 50 feet of elevation change, taking advantage of the area's natural rolling hills, foliage and wetlands. Tall pines and majestic oaks frame the Florida golf course while sandy waste areas and pristine lakes make for inspiring sight lines.

We, The People, Not So Worried About Golf Carts On Florida Golf Courses

2006-03-30T07:57:00.000-05:00

Florida Golf Courses do not allow walking because motorized golf carts produce buckets of rental money and they move golfers through the course more quickly, clearing the way for more golfers.

"It pays a lot of bills," John Cameron, director of golf for Daytona Beach's courses, said of cart rentals.

Golfers are hard-pressed these days to find a course that will let them walk at all, Cameron said. The two public courses he supervises have fairly liberal rules, allowing walkers in the early mornings and afternoons.

This is not good enough for 71-year-old Zurla, who believes government-owned courses that restrict walking violate the Constitution's 14th Amendment, which prohibits states from depriving people of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law . . ."

Acting as his own attorney, Zurla took his case to circuit court and lost.

Then he lost an appeal.

Then he was rebuffed by the Florida Supreme Court.

Most people just threaten to take their cause to the U.S. Supreme Court, but Zurla did it.

And got nowhere.

Undeterred, Zurla wrote a 72-page book that chronicles his legal battle and outlines his philosophy.

Zurla spent $7,500 to publish The Case of a Civil Right: The Freedom to Walk a Public Florida Golf Course, and he sent hundreds of copies to Congress and the White House, resulting in about a dozen brief, noncommittal letters of thanks.

Zurla followed up in late January with a trip to Washington, D.C., where he tried to call on the president and several Cabinet leaders.

They would not see him.

Zurla does not understand why others fail to grasp the simplicity of his argument, which he summarizes on page 17: "Liberty means that a person can walk on public land."

Zurla is right, but so was Quixote.

Golf is a game best played on two feet, not four wheels.

Carts hasten what should be a leisurely game. They promote laziness and obesity. They scar the Florida golf course with asphalt paths. They make a pricey game even more expensive.

Only occasionally do they allow someone to play who is not physically able to walk 18 holes on a Florida golf course.

Golf carts are obnoxious, but they are not tyrannical.

People have the right to walk on and use public lands, but with limits.

I can walk on the beach, but not on sand dunes because I might damage the plant life.

I can kayak up the Silver River, but cannot swim at Silver Springs.

I can play golf on a publicly owned Florida golf course, but I cannot go running on that Florida golf course at night.

Yes, people should be able to walk on Florida golf courses, but something tells me John Adams would not get too excited if he were forced to rent a cart.

Miami Void Ends For Florida Golf Course Designer Fazio

2006-03-29T07:20:00.000-05:00

With a design portfolio ranging from Jupiter Hills to four Pinehursts, the glitzy Shadow Creek and the latest upgrades of Augusta National, rare is the locale where Tom Fazio hasn't left his mark.

Consider greater Miami one of the exceptions.

''It's the biggest city in the state of Florida, and I've not done anything,'' said Fazio, who has kept a Jupiter office for 35 years. ``I'm not sure I've even gotten a call for a Florida golf course in Miami.''

Until now. Fazio gets his chance this summer, when he begins moving dirt for the new Fort Dallas Golf Club a Florida golf course in southwest Miami-Dade.

Named after the 19th-Century outpost that grew to become modern Miami, Fort Dallas will make over 168 acres now occupied by Calusa Country Club. The private, invitation-only club is targeted for a November 2007 opening.

''It's a neat thing that's happening,'' Fazio said.

Unlike the construction boom in Palm Beach County and the Naples and Fort Myers areas, the land squeeze in Miami-Dade has made new Florida golf courses a rarity.

Nothwithstanding such redesigns as Miami Beach GC or Doral's Blue Monster, the last Miami-Dade layout carved from scratch came when Greg Norman transformed Doral's mundane White course into the Great White six years ago.

Before that, you would have to go back to the opening of Deering Bay in 1991.

''The Florida golf courses that are there have been there [for years],'' Fazio said. ``I think Fort Dallas will be good for the area, give it some added distinction.''

With 14 courses ranked among Golf Digest's top 100, Fazio's name lends distinction to any project.

His designs are especially known for their visual appeal, whether it's the natural beauty of the Pinehurst sand hills or man-made masterpieces. Fazio is the man who made Shadow Creek rise up out of the Nevada desert, importing an entire forest with the help of casino magnate Steve Wynn's $37 million budget.

He has been given similar resources for a comparable masterpiece at Fort Dallas, which is being developed by Facundo Bacardi, chairman of the spirits company that bears the family name.

Plans call for moving enough South Florida dirt to create 30-foot elevation changes on this Florida golf course, along with three winding waterways.

''Elevation and contours and drama and framing and definition,'' Fazio said. ``It will be a very dramatic, wonderful feel. [Yet] it'll look like it belongs in South Florida.''

More specifics will be unveiled at a private reception tonight at the Biltmore in Coral Gables. Groundbreaking is scheduled for August.

Meantime, Calusa CC the elite Florida golf course reopened to golfers Monday after a six-month shutdown to recover from Hurricane Wilma damage. Public play will be accepted until approximately Aug. 1.

Treviso Bay A Florida Golf course Is Just A Big Field Right Now

2006-03-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

Four white-tailed deer danced and pranced on what will eventually be the first hole of the TPC at Treviso Bay a new Florida Golf Course under construction. This is the first foursome at the prestigious PGA-owned course.

But it won't be until late 2007 before anyone can play golf.

"This is it," said Chris Gray, the project manager for VK Development, as he drove down a dirt road in the middle of the former Lely citrus grove. "It's just a big field right now. It doesn't look like much but it will come together pretty quick."

For now, the land is a duffer's nightmare. Heavy brush and abandoned cars fill the landscape. The exotic red pepper trees that had engulfed the property have been removed. But it still looks like somewhere a wayward John Daly drive might end up.

"The guys on the PGA Tour don't worry about hitting fairways anymore," Gray joked.

Currently, there are no bunkers or lakes. But don't breathe easy. The hazards are coming.

The land has yet to be squeezed into tight fairways, undulating greens and picturesque views. Lakes will eventually flank the 18th and 9th holes, which will both lead to a glorious clubhouse. This is similar to the layout to the original TPC (Tournament Players Club)another Florida golf course, in Ponte Vedra Beach where the PGA Tour is playing this week.

Along U.S. 41 south of Rattlesnake Hammock Road in East Naples, the much-anticipated development finally broke ground in late January. Permit approval from the Army Corps of Engineers caused a longer-than-normal delay. VK Development, which is in a partnership with the PGA Tour, had hoped to break ground last September. It has been two years since the Tour had announced the project.

"The schedule is being dictated by the development," said Tim Hawes, the vice president of sales, marketing and development with the PGA Tour. "These projects don't happen overnight."

Gray, who was hired away from the PGA Tour by VK Development and has worked on 15 of the 27 TPC courses, said this "goes with the territory. We built in some extra time for things like this. So the Florida golf course project is still on schedule."

On U.S. 41, the Treviso Bay billboard shadows the property. Big boulders outline what will eventually be the front entrance. Backhoes dig out lakes. A pile of rubble burns brightly. The intense red flames are indicative of the impact this project will have on the East Naples area.

The visible construction that's occurring at the present time will result in most of the 1,200 dwellings. Land prices surrounding the Florida golf course development have skyrocketed with the start of the project. An owner of a half-acre parcel across the street is selling his land for $1.3 million.

However, the championship Florida golf course, designed by world-renowned architect Arthur Hills with PGA Tour pro Hal Sutton serving as a player consultant, faces a minor roadblock.

Until a roadway is cleared through the state-owned Rookery Bay National Estuarine Reserve, the first divots made by bulldozers or golf clubs will have to wait. The development has been granted an easement through the reserve, which 150 birds and animals call home.

Construction crews could access the Florida golf course via Southwest Boulevard but it would disturb the surrounding Trial Acres neighborhood. The new thoroughfare will be completed in the coming weeks.

Gray leans over his dusty, green Land Rover and expands the rolled-up drawings. Hills and Sutton have already collaborated on the layout of the course. They used aerial photos to create the potential masterpiece.

Gray explains that the 1,050-acre project is actually four parcels of land. One parcel, called B, won't be developed for several years.

"People don't realize how big this development is," he said.

The 7,200-yard Florida golf course will occupy the south end of the project. It stretches almost to State Road 951. The golf course will be separated from most of the housing development by the wetlands. Only 40 estate sites will be for sale on the Florida golf course.

"It's going to be pretty core golf," Gray said.

As Gray said, it doesn't look like much. He cites the TPC at Summerlin in Las Vegas as an example of starting from scratch.

"If you think this looks barren you should have seen the TPC at Summerlin," Gray said. "You're talking about a desert floor there in Las Vegas. So they have a lot to work with here."

For the time being, the wildlife, the deer, the birds, the snakes, the hogs and the bears (yes, Gray has seen Florida black bears) still have free reign of the Florida golf course TPC at Treviso Bay.

Creating The Florida Golf Course At Sawgrass Was No Easy Task

2006-03-27T07:31:00.000-05:00

Vernon Kelly, in semi-retirement, gets close to alligators these days only when he watches his beloved University of Florida Gators. Thirty years ago, alligators and snakes were a part of his daily work. So were spiders and mosquitoes.

"I am to snakes what Colonel Sanders is to chickens," Kelly says.

He didn't kill 'em, batter 'em and fry 'em with 11 herbs and spices, but Kelly killed more snakes than he could count when he was the project engineer overseeing the construction of the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass, a Florida golf club and PGA Tour headquarters that only Deane Beman, then the Tour commissioner, and Pete Dye, the respected architect, seemed to understand.

"There were days when I'd tell Pete, 'I don't know if we'll ever finish this project,' " Kelly said last week.

"Pete always said, 'Every golf course is that way.' "

Florida golf course construction is a challenge in any terrain, but this property was a man-made bog, created when the building of Highway A1A blocked the natural drainage of the land. It left an area owned by a local developer, who sold 415 acres to Beman for $1 in 1978.

The developer thought he'd make his profit when communities sprang up around the golf course. Beman says he knew exactly what he was doing when he bought the property, but Kelly isn't so sure.

"It was the most awful construction project I've ever been involved with," says Kelly, an engineer by training. "It wasn't a swamp, but the land was wet. It had a huge amount of trees and grass. For years the vegetation had fallen into the water and rotted, forming a tremendous amount of organic matter."

Dye brought in David Postlethwait to be the foreman of the construction crew.

Postlethwait had worked with Dye before but says he has never had a job like the TPC.

"The trees were so thick and the grass was so high you couldn't tell where you were on the property," Postlethwait says. "I got lost in there one day. All I had was a radio. I called Vernon and told him I didn't want to talk long because I didn't want the radio to go dead. He just said, 'Look for the moss on the trees.' I don't know how I got out of there."

Postlethwait had more than 100 men working 80 hours a week in deplorable conditions. They wore snake boots and carried machetes, more to kill the rattlers and the cottonmouths than to cut the vegetation.

"David came in the construction trailer one day, and a snake's head was stuck in his boot," Kelly says. "It had struck the boot, and David had just cut it off behind the head and walked on."

Postlethwait doesn't remember that incident, but he says he got accustomed to seeing snakes, most of them diamondback rattlers of about 6 feet in length.

"They were always waving at me," he says.

Waving?

"Coiled up with their tail in the air shaking it at me," he says, particularly on the day Kelly fell into a gator pit while pushing through high grass.

"The gator was gone," he says. "It was a terrible stinking place."

The job would have been difficult enough, even had there not been snakes and gators to endanger the workers.

They had to cut a ditch around the property to drain the water off the land. Then they had to clear the muck off the land and cover it with sand.

"It was like New Orleans but on a smaller scale," Postlethwait says. "Nothing about the Florida golf course job was easy."

It was compounded by storms and a hurricane that flooded the property after they already had drained it and began construction.

As Dye had predicted, they finished the project — now among the best Florida golf courses in the world — but a year past schedule and who knows how much over budget.

"It wasn't cheap," Kelly says, "but today you'd consider it a bargain."
This is one of the best Florida golf courses ever designed.

Slaying At Florida Golf Course Rattles Retirement Community

2006-03-26T09:54:00.000-05:00

With two bullets bleeding the life from her, Cynthia Moffett staggered from her Florida golf course pro shop Thursday evening and lurched into the night.

She didn't make it far. Investigators say the 52-year-old Florida golf course pro shop worker collapsed and died just steps from the building, in sight of the fairways at the Forest Oaks Golf Club near Greenacres.

Her killer escaped unseen, triggering a murder investigation that has puzzled sheriff's detectives and horrified retirees of the surrounding Lucerne Lakes development.

Palm Beach County sheriff's investigators said Friday that the killing of the suburban Boca Raton woman appeared to be a botched robbery. There were no known witnesses or suspects, and nothing appeared to be missing from the store, according to a sheriff's office spokesman.

Officials found rolls of coins scattered on the ground near Moffett's body. Detectives say she was last seen alive around 5 p.m. as she was preparing to close the Florida golf course shop. At 6:45 p.m., a man cutting across the Florida golf course to get to his house found her body.

The Florida golf course, normally crowded on weekdays, was closed Friday, and the pro shop was sealed off with crime scene tape as investigators scoured for clues and employees embraced in the parking lot.

The killing occurred on a pristine-looking stretch of green along a gentle curve at 144 Lucerne Lakes Blvd. The pro shop, a shingled two-story A-frame building, sits near the road, nestled between tennis courts and a path to the fairways.

Frequent customers recalled Moffett as friendly and peppy, a consistently cheerful presence in the store. She had been working there about a year, handling a range of duties from running the register to making sandwiches. Customers greeted news of her slaying with disbelief.

"I was devastated. I knew her," said Elizabeth Ricefield, a neighborhood resident who often golfed on the Florida golf course.

Ricefield said when the development was without electricity for days after Hurricane Wilma last year, Moffett used the gas power at the pro shop to cook chicken and rice for any neighbors willing to shell out a few dollars for a warm meal.

Larry Godwin, a U.S. postal worker who has delivered mail in the neighborhood for five years, called Moffett a "really, really nice lady" who found time after work to teach math and reading skills to the children of non-English-speaking migrant workers.

Moffett moved to South Florida from Michigan and lived most recently in an apartment west of Boca Raton, records show. A sheriff's spokesman said she was engaged to be married.

No one from Moffett's family could be reached Friday. Her supervisors at the Florida golf course pro shop declined to comment.

The investigation left shocked looks on residents' faces as they passed by and ogled the crime scene tape.

"This is a retiree neighborhood," said Allison Waters, who met Moffett on occasional golf outings with her 16-year-old son. "That's why I moved here, because it's nice and quiet."

It is never safe on a Florida Golf Course, or is it?

Golf Ball Diving On Florida Golf Courses Big Business

2006-03-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

If the average Joe played the 17th hole at TPC-Sawgrass the way most of the pros will play it this weekend, the water surrounding the most famous island green in golf would be relatively calm.

But thanks to duffers who plunk an average of three golf balls per round into the surrounding water, Florida golf course officials estimate that more than 120,000 balls get wet every year.

It's this hole that makes TPC-Sawgrass the prize among golf ball refurbishers, who usually pay the Florida golf course a per ball recovery fee, commission divers to salvage balls in golf course water hazards, fix them up and resell them at a hugely discounted rate.

"It's probably the most lucrative waters in the entire golf ball business," said Billy Dettlaff, the course's director of golf and general manager. "There are several reasons for this. Playing this course is a once-in-lifetime experience for some people, so they obviously play with the best balls. Combine that with the difficulty of the hole and the fact that everyone wants to hit the green just once."

The other secret? The water surrounding the island green is only 4 to 5 feet deep.

"Not only is the volume of balls great, but the divers don't have to go too far under water to find the balls," Dettlaff said.

The Florida golf ball recovery business can be tremendously profitable. At least 200 million golf balls are lost each year in the United States, with the majority of them being found by divers who have reported annual income in the $50,000 to $100,000 range.

"It takes a special person to want to be a golf ball diver," said Dick Smith, owner of Midwest Diving Specialists, a diving school in Normal, Ill., that offers a golf ball diving course. "That person has to love treasure hunting and be extremely testosterone-laden."

That's because diving doesn't come without a price.

Divers routinely report getting bitten by water moccasins and snapping turtles, and the ultimate impediment to collecting the used golf ball on Florida golf courses is the alligator.

"When I was diving in Virginia and the Carolinas, I was worried about the turtles, the snakes and the muskrats," said Larry Marcelli, owner of Golf Balls Galore, which takes in more than 2 million golf balls a year from courses in southwest Florida. "Then I got to Florida and all of that flew out the window. Those other animals weren't going to try and eat me."

Dettlaff says that divers will find alligators; two 8-foot gators recently were spotted on the 18th hole. But the upper-class golfing clientele -- players who pay between $119 and $257 per round, depending on the time of year -- makes finds in the waters of Sawgrass less interesting than those at some venues.

Marcelli says one of his divers found a person sitting at the wheel of a Volkswagen at the bottom of a lake in Fort Myers, Fla. Other reported submerged finds have included handguns, golf carts, a complete set of clubs with a wallet in it, a Barbie doll and a full telephone booth.

Four times a year, divers for a company called The Best Balls enter the waters at the TPC-Sawgrass to take out the riches. Dettlaff would not disclose the per ball recovery fee but did say the price was reflective of the quality of the balls usually pulled out.

The most coveted ball -- the Titleist Pro V1 -- generally sells for $54 a dozen. But The Best Balls sells the slightly used variety for $18.95.

Although some see this as a bargain, golf ball manufacturers are not thrilled. Executives with the top companies have said that washed or recoated balls might look new but that sitting in water for months affects the aerodynamic qualities of the ball. That contention was confirmed by a 1996 Golf Digest study, which reported that the longer a ball was submerged in water, the higher the odds were that it would lose distance. Lose your ball in the water on a Florida golf course, and someone will be using it again!

FloridaGolf Course Promoter: ‘ More Than Our Share’

2006-03-23T07:03:00.000-05:00

The promotion of North Florida golf courses continues to be a success, says the man who coordinates most of it. And, he adds, golf tourism is a key to keeping rates low for local players.

“We see a major increase each year,” said Dave Reese, the president of Florida’s First Coast of Golf, which brings together courses and hotels for common promotion. “There’s a lot of competition out there for the Florida travel golfer and it looks like we’re getting more than our share.”

Reese, a former convention bureau staff member, has been with FFCG for 10 years and can arguably claim to be an expert on golf tourism. He attends golf shows across the nation to promote the area and is the clearinghouse for statistical information that his members can use.

“Here’s a good one,” he says, pulling out a number-laden sheet of paper. “This is the number of golf bags which go out of the Jacksonville International Airport each year. How many do you think it would be?”

Uh ... 15,000?

JIA’s statistics: 84,466 golf bags were checked last year.

“That’s largely tourism play,” said Reese. “Our demographics don’t indicate a large amount of tourism golf by people who live here, so most of those bags are owned by people who flew in to play.”

FFCG has 30 courses - almost all daily fee courses in the area - plus 16 hotels. Through a website a brochure, media trips and golf show visits, Reese and his staff promote group and individual play.

“Each member pays a fee and we use that to promote the area,” said Reese. “We’re looking for additional revenue and one way may be to include businesses other than courses or hotels. Golf shops, for instance, or restaurants.

“I think we could become a golf Chamber of Commerce, branching out to include others. Not as full members, perhaps, but on some sort of associate basis.

“I’d also like to get every club involved as a member, even some private clubs. Everyone has ‘down’ time on the first tee. We can help fill those.”

Reese and the organization are working on various projects in hopes of adding more business.

“We’re upgrading the website to add links to our members,” he said. “Lots of travelers feel more comfortable if they deal directly with someone, rather than going through a third party.

“We also are expanding our outreach to women golfers. That’s a growing market and we’re advertising in Golf for Women magazine to see what that produces.

“We need to take advantage of whatever changes come because The Players Championship is moving to May. We bring in lots of people around the tournament now. We have to keep that March business and bring up the May business.”

Among Reese’s statistics:

• Jacksonville is the No. 5 metro area for golf after Washington, Boston, Atlanta and Philadelphia.

• Couples make up 37 percent of travelers. Families and one adult come next at 24 percent each.

• The average golf tourist spends 1-3 nights here.

• The average age of the golf tourist: 46 years old.

• Over 50 percent of the visitors claim a household income of $75,000 and over.

• The highest number of visitors is in the winter season from December through February, but not by much. That time gets 29 percent followed by 27 percent between March and May, 26 percent between June and August and 18 percent between September and November.

• According to the Florida Sports Foundation, a state agency, golf travel’s economic impact here last year was $95.7 million, a seven percent increase. Rounds played here increased by five percent. Play on a Florida golf course!

Management Group to Oversee The Claw at University Of South Florida Golf Course

2006-03-22T16:49:00.000-05:00

Sun Dome, Inc. has signed a five-year agreement with Golf Strategies, LLC to manage The Claw at USF golf course a Florida golf course, the two parties announced today. The agreement puts in place a seasoned management group to oversee The Claw for the first time since opening in 1968 and opens the door to improve the course, allow the USF golf coaches to focus on coaching and provide for both a top notch home course for the athletic teams and a great course for the community at the same time.

“We’re very excited about managing one of the best Florida golf courses in Tampa”, says Tom Wheary, President of Golf Strategies. “This course has a rich history and we (look forward to providing our broad knowledge of the golf industry to make this a Florida golf course that will make everyone proud.)”

Douglas White, CEO of Golf Strategies adds, “We understand the need to maintain a quality Florida golf club for the University, the golf programs and the golfing community and intend to improve the quality of the golfer’s experience. We are in the process of finalizing our strategy and look forward to providing an excellent golf course for the community”.

The operations change will allow Jim Fee and Susan Holt, (the men’s and women’s golf coaches) to concentrate full time on building their respective golf programs. Before the change, the coaches had dual responsibilities managing both their respective team and various aspects of golf course operations. “Our golf programs will be competing in their first full Big East Conference championship in April”, says Jim Fee, USF Men’s Golf Coach. “Like all other USF teams our goal is to build a nationally recognized winning program. We’re confident that Golf Strategies has the expertise to improve The Claw for the Tampa golfing community.”

Holt echoes Fee’s sentiments, adding, “This is an opportunity for the golf course to turn the corner, and I’m very excited about that opportunity. Golf Strategies track record indicates they will maintain a course that not only benefits the USF golf teams, but the Tampa Bay community at large.”

Headquartered in Safety Harbor, Florida, Golf Strategies is a full service Florida golf course management firm whose scope of services encompasses the assessment of the financial viability of a project, to leading the development phase, to the day to day management of golf operations. Golf Strategies currently manages Monarch Golf Club and Penn Brooke Fairways in Leesburg, FL; Timberview Golf Club in Dallas, TX, Schalamar Creek Golf Club in Lakeland, FL and owns The Vincennes Golf Club in Vincennes, IN and Crescent Oaks Golf Club in Tarpon Springs, another Florida golf course. In addition, Golf Strategies has designed and is managing the golf course construction and development of Jack Frost National for Blue Ridge Real Estate located in Blakeslee, PA and is completing the construction of The Golf Club at Bridgewater in Lakeland, FL. Both clubs are projected to open in the fall of 2006.

Dry Weather May Make Florida Golf Course TPC Fast

2006-03-22T06:22:00.000-05:00

It has been a dry winter in Florida, especially in the Ponte Vedra Beach area where The Players Championship will be contested for the 25th year at the TPC at Sawgrass Florida Golf Course.

Only 4.9 inches of rain has fallen on the Florida golf course since January. That's in stark contrast to last year's tournament, during which 2.6 inches fell. That gives the tournament a real chance to play as it was designed: hard and fast.

Little rain is forecast the rest of the week, meaning players will have a concern they've rarely faced in years past: hitting the fairways in positions on this Florida golf course that will not allow the ball to bounce and run into the deep, gnarly rough. "If we get firm conditions, it's going to open the tournament up to a lot more guys," said Nick Price, who won the Players in 1993 on this Florisa golf course.

High-Density Florida Golf Course Development Bothers Some

2006-03-21T07:40:00.000-05:00

Six years ago, Myers Park homeowner Robert Olmstead battled dorm-style student apartments at the edge of his residential neighborhood.

Today, it's condos at the Capital City Country Club Florida golf course that Olmstead wants to see pared down. The cause for his concerns: The last empty lots in Tallahassee are being developed as land values increase and developers construct on the remaining wooded and sloped areas.

In the coming weeks, when the city updates its online listing of proposed large residential and commercial developments (those of more than 40 units or 25,000 square feet), the list is expected to reach almost 140.

"Density and traffic are going to be our main concerns,” Olmstead said of the condo proposal, which is in the discussion stage. "That's probably one of the worst things about a Florida golf course neighborhood is when you can't walk the streets comfortably."

Those are concerns voiced by Florida golf course neighborhood associations throughout the city. Central Tallahassee's vacant lots are filling in, drawing mixed reactions from residents opposed to sprawl but worried about higher densities in their neighborhoods.

"What we're trying to do is encourage high-density growth within the urban community," Mayor John Marks said.

At the same time, city leaders apparently are listening to some constituents' concerns, as evidenced by recent decisions to prevent higher densities in the West Pensacola Street area. But residents say problems remain, and the conflict between homeowners who want to protect their neighborhoods and the demand for rental units, especially in the areas surrounding the city's two universities, continues.

City and county leaders are proposing changes to the state-required plan that guides growth throughout Leon County with the goal of making it easier to understand and more transparent.

"Because the neighborhood was founded so long ago (in the 1930s), there are no rules, deeds, covenants, restrictions, nothing," said Olmstead, the president of the Myers Park Neighborhood Association. "There's no legal protection that you find in a modern neighborhood."

Should We Rebuild Florida Golf Courses On Coast?

2006-03-20T07:32:00.000-05:00

Rush on to build in hurricane hazard zone

After suffering $30 billion in losses to hurricane damage in two years, Florida's insurance industry is pulling its coverage of the state's most vulnerable areas along the coast.

Yet, a rush to rebuild or develop raw land into Florida golf courses with as many dwelling units as possible is raging on around the state, including in Charlotte and Sarasota counties, even in the very areas devastated by Hurricane Charley in 2004.

The insurance industry is calling for the state to reconsider the sense of putting more structures and people along its most vulnerable area, the shoreline.

But, several local planning officials point out that the government can't take away property owners' rights to develop their property without compensating them for it.

Waterfront real estate is selling for premium prices, and the local and state governments are incapable of competing with the private market for the real estate, said Tom Cookingham, community development director for Charlotte County.

"I think it is a choice," said Cookingham, who resides in Deep Creek, located a safe distance from the coastal area. "Should you be protecting people from themselves? What should you be doing and how much can you do?"

Instead of prohibiting coastal development, both Punta Gorda and Charlotte County have adopted building and zoning codes that officials hope will result in a reasonable level of protection.

The rush is on

In the city of Punta Gorda, which took a direct hit from Hurricane Charley, Stock Development is building a 400-unit high-rise condominium project called Avante. The condominiums overlook Charlotte Harbor from the same point hit by Hurricane Charley in August 2004.

East along the Peace River, Core Construction is building the Peace Harbor Condominiums, a multi-story 40-unit complex located across Marion Avenue from the Charlotte Regional Medical Center, which recorded a wind speed of more than 170 mph during Hurricane Charley.

And in the downtown area, a hotel, an events center and the Merchants Crossing commercial complex are planned on waterfront sites where similar structures were destroyed by the hurricane.

Should the city rethink putting such high-density developments back in such a high hazard zone?

"That's a question that does get bantered around a lot on a daily basis, and there's not always a good answer," said David Hennis, community development director for the city. "Bad things can happen, but there are personal and property rights that exist that prohibit preventing someone from using their property, unless you take the property through condemnation."

Hennis also cited the fact that new construction must meet current building codes. However, a substantial amount of repair work is proceeding under older codes for a number of homes in the city's historic district.

"We do have flood rules and building (regulations) in place," Hennis said. "In every case, will these buildings survive in the future? Probably not."

All pay the cost

All Floridians are subsidizing the cost of insuring those residents who live in high-risk coastal areas, including many with million-dollar properties.

That's because the state's major insurance carriers have pulled out of covering homes and businesses within most of the coastal hazard zones.

In the Miami-Dade and Broward county areas, the insurance companies are slated to no longer cover structures east of Interstate 95, said Gary Landry, spokesman for the Florida Insurance Council.

In Southwest Florida, the insurers have pulled out of providing wind-damage coverage within 1,000 feet of all coastal waters, he said.

The pullout places more high-end real estate in high-risk zones in the hands of the state's insurer of last resort, the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.

Citizens, which must charge higher premiums than any private provider, sustained deficits of $515 million in 2004 and $1.3 billion in 2005. All Florida property owners will be expected to cover these shortfalls with surcharges on their insurance premiums of up to 20 percent, according to a report by the FIC.

Property owners can resort to Citizens only if no other insurance company will provide coverage. Citizens currently covers 810,000 properties, more than all other insurers-of-last-resort in the United States.

"When we're going to build in these areas, there are risks associated with it," Landry said. "The trend is to build along the coast, along the most vulnerable areas of the state. I think we need to rethink that.

"The stronger codes help, but if you're on the water, it's not a question of if, but when, you're going to get hit."

The FIC is lobbying the Legislature this spring to "control" the growth in high-risk coastal areas. Proposals include making properties valued at more than $1 million ineligible for Citizens' coverage.

The group also is prodding lawmakers to strengthen building codes, including mandating that even older homes be "hardened" against hurricanes.

Such measures could prove costly, but, "those are the tough decisions" lawmakers need to make, Landry said.

Unprecedented losses

The rush to build on the coast is coming after a 15-month period in which Florida got hit by eight hurricanes and four tropical storms.

In 2004, the hurricanes included Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. In 2005, the names were Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma.

The storms resulted in 2.8 million claims totaling at least $30.2 million, according to the FIC.

Coastal areas are more vulnerable because the open water provides nothing to deflect the wind before it blasts into structures.

Also, a storm surge hits the coastal areas with some velocity, making it more destructive than inland flooding, which slowly creeps up, according to building code officials.

Local approaches

Both the county and city have adopted stronger building codes and policies to address the hurricane hazard. Much of the codes are based on state laws adopted after Hurricane Andrew devastated southern Miami-Dade County in 1992.

Charlotte County has begun using a cap on the total density of the county to limit boosts in density along the coastline. However, the effectiveness of the growth management tool is debatable.

The original intent of the cap was to compel developers to concentrate projects in areas close to county services, instead of remote subdivisions platted decades ago.

The county's comprehensive plan also limited the density in the so-called "Category 1 Hurricane Vulnerability Zone" to no more than 3.5 units per acre. That's the zone that would flood in a minimal hurricane or even a tropical storm.

The county adopted a Transfer of Development Units ordinance in 2005, however, to allow developers to transfer development units into coastal areas by agreeing not to develop properties in other areas within the same flood zone.

The code was drafted to allow one particularly low-lying coastal area, Charlotte Harbor, to boost its densities to spur economic development, recalled Tom Cookingham, county community development director.

Now that the TDU ordinance is a year old, a group of land-use attorneys has begun lobbying to expand the zones from which development rights can be transferred.

The TDU ordinance has not stopped a rush to develop high-hazard areas on Manasota Key and Lemon Bay, said Inga Williams, county comprehensive plan specialist.

She cited the Wildflower Golf Course near Lemon Bay as one recent example. A developer has purchased enough development rights from within the same flood zone to propose building some 400 units on the 80-acre tract.

Such proposals are garnering more scrutiny by the Florida Department of Community Affairs, however.

"The DCA is still very, very concerned, even though they are transferring density from like to like," she said.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection also questioned the wisdom of the county's recent decision to allow some 6,000 luxury home sites, high-rise condominiums and shopping plazas along Burnt Store Road.

Blasting Burnt Store

In a July letter criticizing the plan, Cohen wrote, "The Burnt Store area is a designated FEMA Flood Zone (and) is a coastal high-hazard area."

Cohen also emphasized the importance of preserving the natural environment of the Burnt Store area, which is surrounded by the Charlotte Harbor State Buffer Preserve and the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve.

She called for the county to re-examine its plan and "incorporate lessons learned from the viability of built and natural systems as a result of Hurricane Charley."

To resolve the DEP's hurricane concerns, Dan Delisi, a planning specialist for the Bonita Bay development group, demonstrated that evacuation times would be adequate from the Burnt Store area once certain roads linking the developments with Interstate 75 get completed.

In response to Cohen's call for the natural landscape to be preserved, Cookingham pointed out the parcels are privately owned.

"There's been an opportunity for the state to buy it for years, and the state has never done it," he said.

A test of time

To comply with state building codes, structures in the high-hazard coastal areas must be hardened to withstand wind loads up to 130 mph.

Also, structures must be able to withstand a tidal storm surge. Not only must the first habitable floor be built above the base flood elevation, but also the underground foundation must withstand the scouring effect of erosion.

Jim Evitt, county chief building official, said he believes the codes are adequate -- to protect the buildings.

Evitt theorized that Charlotte County has less chance of getting inundated with a catastrophic storm surge than other coastal areas because of the county's location on the peninsula. That's based on the most common track of a hurricane from the Florida Straits northward.

However, Evitt said he's seen evidence of a rush to build on the coast. He's also seen an increase in the number of requests to build taller buildings.

While the structures may withstand a hurricane, their windows may blow out, he said.

"The buildings are going to be safe," Evitt said. "It's the people that are not safe. The only chance we have is to evacuate."

Evacuations are expected to take twice as long from Cape Haze compared to Punta Gorda, according to Wayne Sallade, county emergency management director. That's why Sallade opposes any boost in density along the coast, particularly in the western part of the county.

"I don't think we can stop building on the water -- because people want to live on the coast," said Dave Sabo, project manager for Core Construction, which is building the 42-unit Peace Harbor Condominiums.

Impact-resistant glass is being installed on the buildings to make their inhabitants safer, he said.

"As long as people are building with those types of codes, those buildings will be OK," Sabo said. "Of course with a Category 5 hurricane, with 180 mph, will the building withstand that?

"Maybe," he added. "Maybe not."

The Hottest City of Florida Golf Courses

2006-03-17T07:32:00.000-05:00

It has been almost 50 years since Arnold Palmer first set a spiked foot in Orlando, then a humble little town that featured a smattering of cozy Florida golf courses, the intoxicating smell of orange blossoms and hundreds of sparkling lakes decorating the sandy, rolling terrain. Palmer had been looking for somewhere to spend his winters and was fast smitten by the pace of the place.

"I loved the quaintness of Orlando in those days," Palmer says. "It was an old farm town, a great place, but not really on the map."

Now it is the center of the golfing globe. Palmer found a personal hideaway in 1969, purchasing the site of this week's Bay Hill Invitational. Ever since, the King has seen his adopted hometown become to golf what Hollywood is to the movie biz, and he can hardly believe the profusion of pros now residing around him.

"Everybody sees what I saw," Palmer says. "There were always a lot of pluses. Now it's the hottest Florida golf course place on earth."

Orlando has become the game's leading Florida golf-pro repository, simultaneously serving as home base and launchpad for professionals of every level, an industry town indulging every golf demand. Once known mostly as the Valhalla of theme-park destinations, dozens of players from around the world have visited O-town and come to a quick conclusion.

Nice place to visit. Would wanna live there.

St. Andrews might be the cradle of golf, but Orlando is where it went to grow up. No fewer than 50 players with status on the PGA Tour were raised in Orlando or have homes in the area, including top guns Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and Retief Goosen. Moreover, of the top 15 players on last year's final LPGA money list, six have residences in Orlando, including stars Annika Sorenstam and Se Ri Pak.

"It's getting a bit crowded, isn't it?" says Justin Rose, a native Englishman who is building a home in the Lake Nona community.

Unquestionably, players have migrated to Florida Golf Courses for years, taking advantage of the mild winter climate and lack of state income taxes (see chart, page 40). Orlando also possesses the country's top-rated airport, another benefit to anybody who lives out of a suitcase. But over the past decade, the Orlando infrastructure for tour pros has sprouted like Bermuda grass, feeding almost any golf-related appetite.

Amen to the amenities, they say. "Whatever you need, it's there," says Charles Howell III, who moved to the city four years ago. "If you can't find it, you aren't trying."

Thanks to a spike in upscale, private Florida golf course communities that provide players with the anonymity and accoutrements they prefer, keeping track of the infusion of newcomers requires either a real-estate license or an immigration badge. Last December alone, established winners from three world tours - Christina Kim, Nick Dougherty and Andre Stolz - bought property in the so-called City Beautiful.

Of course, the city's reputation took its biggest credibility leap when Tiger Woods bought a townhouse at Isleworth CC nine years ago, shortly after turning pro. He had played a practice round with club members Mark O'Meara and Ian Baker-Finch as a teenage amateur and enjoyed the outing, despite the fact that O'Meara dropped a tidy little 63 on him. Woods' new management firm believed the California native needed a tax break and someplace to get started.

"They figured that if he didn't like it, he could always move pretty easily," says David Lightner, a tax and investment specialist with IMG. "Turns out, he liked it fine."

Nearly a decade later Woods has relocated to a bigger house and still calls the club home. Though he has toyed with the idea of moving to south Florida to be closer to the Atlantic Ocean, camaraderie and the comforts of home have kept him around. "I have friends there," Woods says. "I have yet to find a place like Isleworth, where I can have peace and quiet as well as a great place to practice and get ready, and some good competition as well with the pros that play down there. We have some great games. So it's always been fun."

For the resident pros, Orlando - whose origin dates to 1838, during the Seminole Wars, when the U.S. Army built Fort Gatlin south of the present city to protect settlers - has become collegial, almost familial. To modify a term, birds of a feathery and all that. Aussie Peter Lonard was lured by mate Paul Gow. Arjun Atwal and Daniel Chopra were recruited by Smriti Mehra, another player with ties to India who lives in town. But make no mistake, the Orlando roster continues to grow unpredictably in terms of geographic diversity. The Lake Nona Florida Golf Course community alone contains pros who hail from The Netherlands, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Germany and Sweden.

From a historical perspective, Walt Disney World Resort's arrival in 1971 started Orlando's economic growth spurt, sending it climbing like a booster rocket from nearby Kennedy Space Center to 1.8 million residents. "Certainly the fact that Disney came enhanced what was happening," Palmer says, wistfully. "But what would it have been if Disney hadn't come? That's a big question." And getting bigger every day, actually. In Orange County, where Orlando is located, the population has grown 180 percent from the 1970 census.

Like anybody else, Florida golf course pros appreciate a decent bargain. Relative to many cities, the cost of living in Orlando is thrice as nice as some far-pricier locales. For instance, when Kim, a 20-year-old native of the San Jose area, started looking for a home to purchase in her native California, she almost croaked from sticker shock. "My uncle found me one listed for $1.8 million," she explains. "Let's just say I didn't want to spend quite that much."

Kim bought a comparable 3,141-square-foot, six-bedroom house with a pool located not far from Bay Hill for $575,000, less than one-third the San Jose home's asking price. The relative cost of living, if not the less-stressful quality of life, were major issues in her relocation. "Plus, there are just so many other girls in the area," she says of her LPGA peers. "It's great to have them all down here to play or hang out with."

For every established professional, there is a handful of would-be stars who trek to a Florida golf course in Orlando to whale away on the mini-tours such as the Moonlight, Hooters or old Tommy Armour circuits. A quarter-century ago, long before there was a PGA Tour-sanctioned developmental proving ground like the Nationwide Tour, the now-defunct Space Coast Tour was ground zero for aspiring pros. Several events were held in central Florida, attracting armies of wannabes. Scads of established pros cut their teeth on the Orlando mini-tours, including veterans Skip Kendall and Bart Bryant, and never left town. Play A Florida Golf Course Today.

How to Accessorize On The Florida Golf Course

2006-03-16T07:13:00.000-05:00

You know what they say -- if you can't go low, at least look your best out on the Florida golf Course.

While I typically focus on the gentlemen, at this year's PGA Merchandise Show I happened to find two great accessories for the ladies that I wanted to share with you.

"Split Pursenality"

While Sherie Giles' line is predominantly handbags, Sherie has ventured into the headcover arena. The handbag lines feature unique reversible fabrics and Sherie likes to throw in some exotic boa feathers to spice things up.

When I stumbled upon the Kissing Cowgirl Line, I knew it would be a hit for my readers! The headcover is made of cotton and is available in black or pink. Dress it up with the ostrich boa and you will be the talk of the club at any golf course in Florida! A set of three headcovers retails for $80.

Split Pursenality is available at many Florida retailers, but may be easiest for you to find at their online store, splitpursenality.com or call them at (713) 417-0578.

"Sassy Swings"

Don't cover up your jewelry with your glove! Instead slip on a Sassy Swing and your hand will be all decked-out!

The Sassy Swings line of women's golf gloves starts with high-quality leather for fit and comfort but then goes one stylish step beyond! How about beads of hematite, gold, silver and a rainbow of Swarovski crystals? And the bracelet at the wrist doubles as a stroke counter by simply sliding the beads. A matching "ring" sits on the finger. the Florida golf courses will be loaded with them.

Owners Lisa and Tina say, "A woman can never have too much jewelry!" The line consists of four models, Alecia, Gale, Renee and Sophia. They all carry a retail price of $49.99. Not bad considering you're getting gold, silver, crystal and hematite!

You can purchase the Sassy Swings glove online at sassyswings.com
Remember that Mother's Day is just around the corner. These items will make your woman the talk of the Florida golf course. So guys, treat your special golfer right and you won't be sorry!

Top State Amateur, First African-American In Four Years To Compete On The LPGA On A Florida Golf Course

2006-03-15T07:53:00.000-05:00

Andia Winslow, the first African-American to compete in the Ivy League and for Yale University, and the first African-American to compete on the LPGA in four years, has accepted a sponsor's exemption to the inaugural Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open at the Reunion Resort & Club in Florida, April 24-30.

Winslow will compete against the prominent 144-player field, which is also expected to include No.1-ranked LPGA player Annika Sorenstam. The field will be squaring off for one of the richest purses in the history of the LPGA at $2.5 million.

Winslow is the first African-American since LaRee Pearl Sugg in 2001 to compete on the LPGA. The Orlando-area resident is honored to have the chance to play in this prestigious event. Winslow was also the first scholarship recipient for a partial scholarship at Yale University from the Jackie Robinson Foundation.

"I'm delighted and pleased about the chance to play on a Florida golf course in the Ginn Open," Winslow said. "The city of Orlando is embracing the event, I am working hard on my game and I'm excited about the whole experience."

"Andia is a wonderful addition to the premier field we have at the Ginn Clubs and Resorts Open," said Bobby Ginn, president and CEO of Ginn Clubs & Resorts. "She is a trailblazer being the first African-American to play at Yale, and shows great determination as she perseveres to be on the LPGA some day. We look forward to watching the Orlando-based players please the hometown crowd."

Winslow of Winter Garden, Fla., is the first African-American to play varsity golf for Yale University (2000-03). A native of Seattle, Wash., she is a freelance writer and a documentary filmmaker. Her uncle is Pro Football Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow. She was the 1999 National Minority Junior Golfer of the Year, and she is the first ever African-American, man or woman, to compete in the Ivy League.

Winslow, who is currently playing amateur tournaments with hopes of eventually qualifying for the LPGA, won the Golfweek Orlando City Championship in 2005. She currently works at the Walt Disney World Golf Resort and previously was the part of the golf operations staff at the Yale University Golf Course in 2004.

The four-year Florida golf course 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.

Private Florida Golf Course To Open On Calusa Grounds

2006-03-15T07:48:00.000-05:00

Golfing fans -- get ready to grab your clubs and hit the links. South Florida will soon enjoy its first golf course designed by well-known golf course architect Tom Fazio.

Due to open in November 2007, Fort Dallas Golf Club is being developed by Facundo Bacardi, chairman of the Bacardi spirits company.

Fort Dallas is to take up 168 acres at 9400 S.W. 130th Ave., currently the site of Calusa Country Club another Florida golf course. The new course's name is meant to honor the 19th-century outpost that first marked the site of modern Miami.

Calusa Country Club has been closed since Hurricane Katrina damaged it in August.

While the Florida golf course is expected to open in again in mid-March, the Fort Dallas team said they expect the course to then close permanently in August, when groundbreaking is scheduled for Fort Dallas.

The 18-hole championship Florida golf course will feature 30-foot elevation changes and three winding waterways.

Membership for the Florida golf course will be invitation only, limited to 275 individuals or corporations.

In addition to Fazio, the design team includes Zmistowski Design Group as clubhouse architect and Cole Martinez Curtis & Associates as interior designers.

Zmistowski has collaborated with Fazio on previous projects in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Tulsa, Okla. Cole Martinez Curtis interiors include The Lodge at Sea Island, the new Crosby Club and The Lodge at Pebble Beach.

Gains, Losses In Mizner Trail Florida Golf Course Deal

2006-03-14T07:28:00.000-05:00

It is time to put the Mizner Trail Project to rest after a crushing defeat by the Palm Beach County commissioners.

So let us analyze what has been gained or lost in this defeat.

The South Florida Coalition was concerned with the increase of traffic if the Mizner Trail Project were approved. A traffic study showed that it would not be a problem. The Palm Beach County commissioners ignored the findings of a company that only deals with traffic problems.

The South County Coalition, which was spearheaded by the La Hoya Group, objected to their view being obscured by the building of 22 homes, which would start at $1 million.

They preferred a Florida golf course view, which only applied to 12 of the homes facing the Mizner Trail Florida Golf Course. Logic dictates that with the building of the 22 homes at $1 million each, it would only increase the value of their property and every home and condo in the Boca Delmar area. Now for the next six years, they will be facing a "sea of weeds." So South County Coalition, you have just traded a view of million-dollar homes for a browned-out Florida golf course.

Now the Palm Beach County commissioners didn't consider what was best for the 400-condo owners in Camino Real Village and the 900 homes surrounding the Mizner Trail Florida Golf Course.

By taking away our Florida golf course view, they have just lowered the value of our properties by 10 percent to 15 percent.

The commissioners didn't even take into consideration the Boca Delmar recommendation in favor of the Mizner Trail Project. Their minds were already made up.

Unfortunately, there are no winners. The 400 condos in Camino Real Village, Mizner Trail Project and the 900 homes facing the Florida golf course had the most to lose. The La Hoya Troup only lost the view of 12 homes.

Florida Golf Course Lot Scores $1.2 Million In Suit

2006-03-13T07:24:00.000-05:00

Delia Eisenberg, 87, a retired beautician, owned a 7,500-square-foot lot on Fisher Island that her late husband bought for $3,500 in 1961, when the island was undeveloped. Hold onto it, he said. It will be valuable someday.
She heeded his advice, turning down offers to sell. Fisher Island became a fancy residential community for millionaires with a hotel, spa, tennis center, marina and championship golf course called The Links.

In the late 1990s, Delia discovered that part of The Links' fourth hole was on her property.

Eisenberg sued Fisher Island Club in Miami-Dade Circuit Court -- for trespass, civil theft and unjust enrichment. She demanded $1.5 million in damages.

Attorneys Jerry Katzen and Elizabeth Katzen say the club ignored her ownership rights. ''They used it for 13 years without offering to provide her with any compensation,'' says Jerry Katzen, who is Eisenberg's nephew. Real estate analyst Michael Y. Cannon, hired by Katzen, says Eisenberg's lot ended up underneath the fourth fairway and one of its sand traps.

The club argued for dismissal, saying Eisenberg ''sat by'' while ''valuable improvements'' were made on the lot. But Circuit Judge Robert Scola ruled the club ``has committed a trespass.''

The parties just settled -- for $1.2 million. The club got title to the lot.
Eisenberg's husband, jazz musician Norton ''Nortie'' Eisenberg, died in 1983 of lung cancer. Delia Eisenberg now lives with her sister in California.

Eisenberg's portion of the settlement is $700,000. She gave it to grandchildren Jeremy Bernstein, 29, an accountant, and Jill Bernstein, 25, who teaches autistic and developmentally delayed kindergartners at Blue Lakes Elementary. Grandma Delia wants them to use the money to buy their first homes. The balance of the settlement went to pay attorneys' fees, expert witnesses and court costs. Eisenberg's daughter, Carole Bernstein, owned four Get Smart Educational Superstores, from Miami to Palm Beach. She sold the company last year.

1-Year Countdown Begins For Area's New PGA Tour Date On Florida Golf Course

2006-03-10T07:48:00.000-05:00

This is the week, and today is the day. In 12 months the PGA Tour is scheduled to be in town to begin first-round play at Innisbrook Resort on a Florida Golf Course for a tournament that, as of right now, has neither a sponsor's name nor a contract guaranteeing it a golf course to play.

Other than that, next year at this time should be a real blast.

"Next year will be great," Davis Love III said. "There will be those four tournaments on Florida golf courses that I know I want to play."

After this fall the PGA Tour event that has been the Chrysler Championship and played in October will move to a March date and take a spot as the second week of the high-profile Florida Swing.

After completing its early-season trip around the West Coast, the tour will come to Florida for the Honda Classic at its new home at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, and then make its way to Tampa Bay. The Arnold Palmer Invitational (formerly Bay Hill) in Orlando follows and then Doral, which has been the first stop on the Florida Swing since 1987, will be the site of a big-money World Golf Championship event the fourth week of the month, all on Florida golf courses.

Two weeks later, and a month after Tampa Bay, comes the Masters Tournament.

It is a reworking of the schedule that appears to have sent a jolt through the routine-weary ranks.

"I think everybody is happy in Florida," said Love, a member of the tour's player advisory council. "Everybody has improved, and that's the thing we've been trying to tell the other players - that the whole new system has made everything better."

Except for a couple of pesky details.

"This is our week," Tampa Bay tournament director Gerald Goodman said. "Great weather. It's going to be wonderful. But no, we have no news as far as a title sponsor or Florida golf course."

The title sponsorship, while worrisome, is expected to take care of itself. The PGA Tour is courting potential candidates, and a spring date in Florida during a time much of the country is still in shivering cold will be one of its easier sells.

Not so promising have been negotiations with Innisbrook officials. While the acclaimed Copperhead Course is one of the major reasons Tampa Bay received the coveted spring date, resort officials have questioned the benefit of hosting the tournament during what is already a busy tourist month.

"We feel confident we'll get this finished," Goodman said. "I'm being positive."

He certainly hopes so. If the demands of 2007 are not enough, there is the fact that Goodman and his staff still must host this year's tournament in October before turning around and doing it again four months later.

"We are going to have two tournaments on Innisbrook Florida golf courses within 17 weeks of each other," he said. "Unprecedented. Never before done on the PGA Tour. … Do you think I'm having any stress?"

Goodman can take solace from history. What tournaments have done during the years to give golf resorts an identity may be reflected best by Miami's Doral. For 42 years it has been a staple of the PGA Tour's spring broadcasts and has become famous for its appeal to northern television viewers stuck in snow and dreaming of a Florida golf trip.

Now, with the spring date, even PGA Tour players are allowing themselves to look ahead.

"Playing Innisbrook in an overseeded condition vs. the Bermuda, it's going to play totally different," Fred Funk said. "It'll be a lot softer, more like we had with the JCPenney years ago. Most of us like it. It's a demanding Florida golf course and it's pretty tough in those conditions."

But what any golf fan - and maybe more those who are not - wants to know is how the new dates might fit into Tiger Woods' schedule.

"Well, I'm going to look at it a little more in depth, where I need to schedule my breaks and get organized," Woods said.

"So, obviously, it affects it a little bit because it's not the same order, and obviously, having a World Golf Championship, you want to be ready for that."

Candidates Return Developer's Donations To Destroy two Florida Golf Courses

2006-03-09T07:28:00.000-05:00

Tamarac City candidates are returning campaign donations from the developer who has advanced an unpopular plan to convert two Florida golf courses into residential developments.

Prestige Homes owns Sabal Palm and Monterey Florida golf courses, both located near Commercial Boulevard and the Florida Turnpike. The company's proposal to build more than 700 homes on the property has drawn considerable opposition from residents. Some residents questioned during meetings last month whether the company's contributions might play a role in future votes.

Financial disclosure records show Prestige Homes donated about $2,000 to five of the seven candidates running in Tamarac, and company president Bruce Chait donated another $1,500. Business associates of Chait's contributed an additional $3,500.

Three of the candidates receiving money said they intended to return the donations, while one said she didn't have any of the money left. The fifth candidate, unopposed and thus already elected, was planning to donate all of his remaining funds to two charities.

"At the time of your contribution to my campaign, you did not inform me of your pending project before the city of Tamarac," mayoral candidate Beth Flansbaum-Talabisco, who received $2,000, wrote in a letter to Chait. "Therefore, I am returning your contribution to avoid the appearance of impropriety."

Mayoral candidate Mae Schreiber and District 2 candidate Patricia Atkins-Grad both said they planned to return the donations, $2,500 and $1,750, respectively. Karen Roberts, a sitting commissioner and candidate for mayor, said returning the $500 donation she received would be impossible.

"I'm running a grassroots campaign here," she said. "There's no way I can return it. It's already spent. It's gone." Guess he does not golf on a Florida golf course.

Running unopposed for one commission seat was Harry Dressler, who said Wednesday he intended to split his remaining funds with donations to a children's charity and an Alzheimer's disease charity. He received a donation of $250.

Neither Prestige Homes officials nor their attorney could be reached for comment on Wednesday. The matter of converting the Florida golf courses to residential will come before the Tamarac City Commission on March 22.

Honda Classic Hopes Fazio Design Draws Stronger Field On A Florida Golf Course

2006-03-06T07:27:00.000-05:00

If Tom Fazio builds it, will they come?

Honda Classic officials hope the world's best PGA Tour pros will turn out next March to see what kind of test Fazio has designed at The Country Club at Mirasol. The famed architect has built more than 200 courses around the world, but Mirasol's new Sunrise Course is the first of his designs that will be home to a PGA Tour event.

Mirasol unveiled its Sunrise Course during a media day on Monday. It opened to club members for play last week. The unveiling for tournament play comes March 11-14, when the Honda Classic plays host to its annual PGA Tour event.

``I hope players will find it fun to play and challenging,'' Fazio said in a telephone interview. ``I think what makes it special is the wonderful feel. Sometimes, when you build courses for real estate developments, the homes give you this boxed-in feeling. On parts of this course, you feel like you are out in a nature preserve.''

The Honda Classic left its home at the TPC at Heron Bay in Coral Springs and moved to Mirasol in north Palm Beach County last spring. Mirasol's Arthur Hills' designed Sunset Course was the temporary home last March, and Tour pros scorched the short course with Justin Leonard winning at 24 under par.

Fazio's Florida golf course should stand up better to Tuesday's long-hitting pros and the newest distance technology. The course rating is 76.8 with a slope of 150. The course pros will play will measure more than 7,400 yards from the tournament tees, but its first line of defense are Fazio's giant, elevated and undulating greens.

The Florida golf course should offer a precise second-shot test. With numerous decks within these enormous greens, players must accurately hit to pins in certain sections of the greens or watch the undulations carry their errant shots away. With shaved banks leading to collection areas around the greens, a creative short game will be rewarded.

``I don't think it's a Florida golf course where a long hitter's set up to always win,'' Honda Classic Executive Director Cliff Danley said. ``There's a premium on the short game. Guys are going to miss greens and have to get up and down, and it's not going to be easy in tournament conditions.''

The 18th hole of the Hills' Sunset Course will continue to serve as the tournament's finishing hole because of its suitability for spectator seating and luxury boxes. At 476 yards, it's also a challenging closing hole. Fazio reconfigured the green to fit the rest of his design.

The Honda Classic's last two homes came under significant criticism from Tour pros. The TPC at Heron Bay and the TPC at Eagle Trace were panned for various reasons. Danley's optimistic players will warm to Fazio's test.

``There are 144 players in a field,'' Danley said. ``Some will like the course, some won't, but I think they all hold Tom Fazio in high regard and I don't think you'll find a lot of the negativity we've suffered in the past. I think it's a fair golf course.''

With the course sprawling out across the property like a links design, the walks for spectators will be long. Shuttles will be used to transport spectators to the 10th tee, which is located on a far end of the property.

Danley believes the overall venue is the best the Honda Classic has ever offered.

The new clubhouse opens Thanksgiving week. The state-of-the-art practice facility is close to player/family dining, day care and the spa and locker rooms. The clubhouse will be home to corporate functions and other events tournament week.

``We think this is as good as it gets from a presentation standpoint,'' Danley said.