http://RealAdventures.com/vacations/9712_miami-free-zone-florida.htm Check out some of the recently updated travel & vacation listings on RealAdventures. Be inspired, go explore! en-us Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:16:47 GMT Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:16:47 GMT http://RealAdventures.com http://RealAdventures.com/vacations/9712_miami-free-zone-florida.htm 100 100 http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1024819_Great-Golfing-in-Miami http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1024819_Great-Golfing-in-Miami Articles Florida Wed, 14 Jan 2004 00:01:00 Miami has some of the best golf courses in the nation. In this article, travel writer, Arvin Steinberg, gives RealAdvent -
Miami has some of the best golf courses in the nation. In this article, travel writer, Arvin Steinberg, gives RealAdvent






GREAT GOLFING IN MIAMI

Challenging Courses and Tropical Surroundings

By Arvin Steinberg

I recently took a tour of Miami&8217s finest courses, and this is what I discovered on my golfing holiday. Miami, FL offers some of the best and most challenging golf courses you could ask for. And that&8217s only part of the fun. Miami also has magnificent hotels that complement your golf getaway experience, and, of course, South Beach, with its fine restaurants and exciting nightlife.

I started my tour at Crandon Golf Course, a public course on picturesque Key Biscayne, which is rated by Golf Digest as &8220One of America&8217s top 75 upscale courses&8221. Playing Crandon Golf Course is like escaping from civilization, and it&8217s only ten minutes from downtown Miami. The first thing that impressed me was the beauty of the course. It&8217s surrounded by water, mangrove forests, and lush, tropical foliage. You also see lots of wildlife egrets, ibis, and colorful iguanas in their natural habitat.

Experiencing the natural splendor of the course is a real treat, but the course itself presents a true test of any golfer&8217s skill. It&8217s a challenge from the first hole, a dogleg par5 that requires a drive over water and mangroves, through the 18th hole, another par5 with Biscayne Bay on one side of the fairway and a saltwater lake on the other. I guarantee that your skill will be tested on the fourth hole at 638 yards, one of the longest par5s in Florida or the seventh hole, touted as one of the greatest holes in golf, a par4 that doglegs to the right over water.

Only five minutes from Crandon Golf Course is the RitzCarlton, Key Biscayne oceanfront resort that opened in July 2001. It&8217s Miami&8217s only luxury resort built in the last three decades. In addition to the usual amenities expected at a RitzCarlton hotel, this hotel offers a 1,200foot golden sand beach. There are also two ocean view pools including one with a waterfall and adjacent whirlpool, and a &8220tranquility pool&8221. Near the pools is an oceanfront &8220Ritz Kids&8221 pavilion and pool for the youngsters. The hotel has a spacious fitness center with modern equipment and personal trainers, a 20,000 squarefoot spa offering more than 60 treatments, and an 11court Tennis Garden.

Another way to enjoy a wonderful golf getaway in Greater Miami, is to play the scenic Biltmore Golf Course, a public golf course, adjacent to the historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, and, incidentally, one of former president Bill Clinton&8217s favorite golfing spots. An early morning round of play on this carefully manicured course with clustered shade and palm trees is a tranquil setting that would please the most discriminating golfer. This 18hole championship golf course was designed by Donald Ross who is considered &8220golf&8217s alltime greatest golf architect&8221, according to Golf Digest magazine.


The Biltmore Hotel is South Florida&8217s only National Historic Landmark resort and its rich history dates back to the roaring Twenties. In its heyday, the Biltmore played host to royalty, from both Europe and Hollywood. The Biltmore&8217s swimming pool is considered the largest hotel pool in the Continental U.S. and it is one of the most beautiful in the world.

In keeping with traditional European grand hotels, Old World charm permeates throughout the property. The Biltmore also offers a spa and fitness center, and fine restaurants, including a newly opened upscale French restaurant.

Turnberry Isle Resort & Club situated within the lush surroundings of Aventura in North Miami, offers two championship golf courses. Both courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. are masterpieces. Both courses are exceptionally wellmaintained, have firm green fairways, gracefully sculpted bunkers, and scenic tropical surroundings. The 18th hole on the South Course features Turnberry&8217s famous &8220Island Green&8221.

Turnberry&8217s two courses have won numerous awards, but I think one award really gives credit where credit is due. Golf Digest ranked Turnberry resort among the top ten golf courses in the country for outstanding service. I have personal experience that Turnberry offers outstanding service with a capital &8220S&8221 from the minute you enter the proshop until you finish your round of golf.

In addition to the championship golf courses, Turnberry Isle Resort & Club is a stunning Mediterranean style hotel secluded on 300 tropical acres. Turnberry recently opened a 25,000 square foot stateoftheart spa and fitness center. The spa&8217s three floors are connected by a grand spiral staircase. There are 26 treatment rooms and a 3,650 square foot fitness center.

Also, for fine dining, don&8217t miss the Veranda, the resort&8217s gourmet restaurant.

Don Shula&8217s Hotel and Golf Club in Miami Lakes, named for the legendary Miami Dolphins coach, offers a fantastic golf getaway.

Don Shula&8217s Golf Club features an 18hole &8220split personality&8221 championship course. The front nine holes resemble northern courses with long narrow treelined fairways. The back nine holes offer some great Florida attractions &8211 plenty of water and marsh traps and dense foliage with tropical birds and other wildlife. The Golf Club also offers a lighted Par 3 18hole Executive Course that is open nightly until 11 P.M. A driving range and practice area are also lighted and are open until 11 P.M.


Don Shula&8217s Hotel has a program based on Coach Shula&8217s philosophies of physical fitness and team building sports to help its guests stay healthy and fit. If exercising is in your plans, the hotel&8217s 44,000 square foot Athletic Club will accommodate your needs. Also, you won&8217t want to miss dinner at the original Shula&8217s Steakhouse. The 1972 Miami Dolphins landmark perfect season is the theme of the restaurant. A special feature is the 48ounce Angus steak. If you can consume this enormous steak, you become a member of the 48Ounce Club, which boasts having thousands of members. I tried, but I just couldn&8217t finish it. Maybe next time, but the night course was one of my memorable evenings spent in Miami.

If you aren&8217t exhausted after playing fabulous golf at the above courses, the world famous Doral Golf Resort & Spa and its 99 holes is in Miami to challenge your skills. There is the Blue Monster, home of the DoralRyder Open, the new Jerry Pate Silver Course, the Raymond Floyd Gold Course, the Red Course and The Great White.
The Doral is also a good place for families with many amenities including a zero entry pool, a plunge pool, a children&8217s pool and a supersplasher, 125foot Blue Monster waterslide. There&8217s also Camp Doral where kids can enjoy all sorts of fun activities while you take off for the course. And there&8217s the spa for mom or the woman in your life.

If you like golf, there is no better place than Miami to enjoy some of the best golfing in the nation.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, 701 Brickell Avenue, Suite 2700, Miami, Florida 33131, Phone (305) 5393084 Fax (305) 5392911







Details & Reservations: Great Golfing in Miami
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