Under Par Golf Media

One of Central Florida’s finest golf courses, Eagle Creek Golf Club, has gone through a rework recently to upgrade the playability and aesthetics of the course. Florida’s own prolific course designer, Ron Garl, and Englishman Howard Swan collaborated on the linksy 7,217 yard, par 73 layout in 2004. Immediately, Eagle Creek became a local favorite in a saturated golf market because of its unique Scottish style, challenging design and easy access. It is just minutes from the Orlando International Airport in the fast growing Lake Nona corridor.

Prompted by damage from Hurricane Irma, managing partners of CFL GOLF, Scottish PGA Professional Kenny Nairn and Certified Golf Course Superintendent Larry Snyders, decided to do some major updates to the course, including reducing the amount of bunkers from 117 to 68, many of which were irrelevant to play. With the reduction, the fairways appear more open from the tee boxes with the addition of grass over the removed traps. The many revetted bunkers that were spared have been reworked by a new technology, Durabunker, that defines the bunker edging while maintaining the design integrity with unparalleled edge and face stability which is more resistant to washout. Durabunker has been utilized at the Kiawah Island Ocean course and in Winter Park at Interlachen Country Club.

Eagle Creek is a Silver Certified member of the Audubon International Signature Program and is committed to sustainable management of the land, water, wildlife and all natural resources. Utilizing ecomanagement practices, holes 1, 13, 14 and 15 were reworked as well to make them more player friendly with new tee boxes and hazard reductions. What you have now is the same great layout with a more welcoming view off the tee with larger fairway to hit and scoring opportunities.

The centerpiece of the property, the 14,000 square foot two story clubhouse designed in a vintage New England manor style, was also refurbished from top to bottom and sports a fresh new interior. It houses the well-stocked pro shop downstairs, upstairs the large and well appointed 120-seat Belfry Restaurant with inside and alfresco dining overlooking the gorgeous and challenging 18th hole, private event space for weddings, meetings or banquets and locker rooms and showers for both men and women.

The project was completed at the end of October. Eagle Creek showed off its new look on Veteran’s Day weekend hosting the 8th Annual Fairways for Warriors Golf Tournament to raise money for the local chapter of which partner Kenny Nairn is Chairman of the Board.

Central Florida Golf owns and operates Eagle Creek Golf Club as well as the Dave Harman design jewel, Red Tail Golf Club in Sorrento, and the Kings Ridge Golf Club in Clermont that boasts two great layouts with over 100 feet elevation changes on both.

Kenny Nairn Golf

All three Golf Clubs have a Kenny Nairn Golf Academy. Kenny is a Golf Channel Academy Lead Coach and a life long PING staff player and club-fitter. Kenny was chosen the #1 National Ping nFlight Fitter in the country and actually designed and built a Ping nFlight School from the ground up. He also comes certified in TrackMan which calculates your golf DNA, and Titlist Performance Institute which develops exercise and thought process to better your golf game.

The Academy offers many different programs including; new student assessment, private lessons, player development, junior camps and coaching plans. Nairn teaches all facets of the golf swing with a strong emphasis on the shortgame( where the match is won or lost). Kenny currently coaches several players on the LPGA, Ladies European Tour and the European Tour.

To book your tee time, your tournament or function and your next great lesson go to EagleCreekOrlando.com or call 407-273-GOLF(4653).

The PGA TOUR Champions returns to Naples in 2019 to challenge the award-winning Classics course at the beautiful Lely Resort Golf & Country Club, designed by World Golf Hall of Fame member and the winner of the Inaugural Chubb Classic, Gary Player. True to its name, the Classics par 72, 6714 yard layout plays homage to some of the greatest golf designs of all times and has become a legend in its own right. The exquisite layout showcases the scenic beauty native to the Naples area, and serves as the centerpiece of the Classics Country Club at Lely Resort.

“Over the years, the Chubb Classic has become a cannot-miss event for the Southwest Florida community,” said Tournament Director, Kevin Diaz. “We couldn’t be more excited to announce our new home- the players are going to love coming back here to compete in February.” In 1996, six years after its opening, the Classics hosted the Chubb won by the legendary Al “Mr.59” Geiberger.

“We are very familiar with the event-it has been a huge part of Naples’ winter season for over 32 years,” said American Golf Regional Manager David Leverant. “It is a fun and positive event for our community and we are thrilled for the opportunity to partner with the Chubb Classic and the PGA TOUR Champions.”

Since its inception in 1988, the Chubb Classic annually attracts a strong field of competitors. World Golf Hall of Fame members Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, Lanny Wadkins, Lee Trevino and Gary Player have all won the event. Last year, Joe Durant birdied his final two holes to clinch a win, and will be back to defend his title. The tournament week will be February 11-17, 2019.

In addition, the Tournament features several special events throughout the week: The Taste of SW Florida, the Golf to Paradise First Tee Champions Challenge and Subway Family Putt for Dough.

For more information about the Chubb Classic, please visit ChubbClassic.com or call 239-593-3900.

Lely Resort & Country Club is a Stock Development that encompasses many different residential neighborhoods on its sprawling property and amenities to suit your pleasure. Besides the Classics, the Resort has two public golf courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr.- Flamingo Island, and Lee Trevino-The Mustang.

Considered one of the nation’s premier public designs, the 7,095 yard, par 72 Flamingo Island’s holes feature sparkling white sand bunkers sculpted by hourglass fairways and large undulating Bermuda grass greens. Did I mention the water?

There is a plentiful array of surrounding ponds that shimmer iridescent in the tropical sunlight offering players an unforgettable backdrop. The Flamingo Island course is a magical blend of strategic diversity and breathtaking beauty.

The Mustang is a legend in the making. The 7,230 yard, par 72 layout was crafted by Trevino using his age-old experiences playing many of the world’s greatest courses. Balancing playability with the stunning natural beauty of southwest Florida’s marshlands, the Mustang features gently rolling fairways, large Bermuda greens and 12 sparkling lakes. With multiple tee selections, the golf course presents an enjoyable challenge to golfers of all abilities.

Both the Mustang and Flamingo Island courses play out of a lovely 25,000 square foot Mediterranean-inspired Clubhouse. The Pro Shop is well stocked with the latest apparel and golf accessories. The centerpiece of the building is the Sam Snead’s Oak Grill & Tavern, overlooking the golf courses and serving fine fare for both lunch and dinner surrounded by memorabilia from Sam’s illustrious career. Visiting golfers enjoy tour quality practice facilities along with award-winning PGA Professional instruction from Head Pro Charles Lostracco and his fine staff. For golf information or tee times go to
AmericanGolf.com/public-courses/florida or call 239-793-2600.

GreenLinks Golf Villas is situated within the magnificent Lely Resort & Country Club and near the Clubhouse featuring spacious two and three bedroom villas. The fully furnished villas are appointed with a comfortable living room, dining room, fully equipped kitchen, computer nook and screened lanais. They have a washer, dryer and DVD player in each. GreenLinks also features a resort style pool, hot tub, BBQ grills and a complete fitness center. Guests at GreenLinks also have access to the private full service Players Club Spa. For reservations and more information visit GreenLinksNaples.com or call 1-888-992-2099.

SAILFISH POINT- the 532-acre oceanfront luxury community located on the southern tip of Hutchinson Island, a barrier island on the east coast of Florida, less than an hour north from Palm Beach- reported a surge in fiscal year 2017 home sales, solidifying its very deserving position as the Treasure Coast’s top waterfront and golf community.

Surrounded by water on three sides, the member-owned gated enclave offers gorgeous and secluded
properties with exclusive waterfront access to the Atlantic Ocean, Indian River and St. Lucie Inlet. It is like living at nature’s door. The community saw almost $69 million in property sales, an average of $1.53 million per home in the same fiscal year.

“Sailfish Point continues to flourish as the premier golf and boating community on Florida’s Atlantic Coast,” says Kristen Cheskaty, managing partner of Sailfish Point Realty. “Luxury coastal real estate demand remains high along the Treasure Coast, putting the property in an ideal position with its stunning island location, five-star amenities and exceptional residences.”

Over the past three years. Sailfish Point has generated $245 million in real estate sales with fiscal year 2018 off to a fast start with 13 transactions totaling nearly $17 million. While visiting Sailfish Point in September, I witnessed numerous homes being built along the exquisite Nicklaus designed golf course.

Nearby Witham Field airport, one of the top FBOs in the state, recently opened an official U.S. Customs Facility for processing international travelers via water and air, Florida’s first intermodal location of its kind. The Stuart Jet Center, located at the airport, is a 53-acre service center for private aircraft with both lighted and secured ramp space, plus hangars. In addition to the area’s low taxes and practical cost of living, the airport facilities are expected to accommodate the current drive in demand for premium luxury real estate.

Sailfish Point offers a myriad of move-in ready options, ideal for primary and vacation homes alike. The vibrant community features 520 distinctive homes, including spacious beachfront estates, low maintenance condos, golf villas and townhomes with private boat slips.

The five-star world class resort style amenities include a newly renovated 60,000 square-foot clubhouse with multiple dining options, a fitness center, a spectacular pool, eight perfectly maintained Har-Tru tennis courts with professional staff, a full service spa and 1.5 mile private and pristine white sand beach. Residents enjoy easy access to a full-service marina and yacht club, offering 77 wet and 45 dry slips while accommodating vessels up to 125 feet. Everything is first class at Sailfish Point. Organized events include casino nights, wine tastings, themed dinners, boating and sporting competitions.

On a recent visit, I had the opportunity to sample the really great life at Sailfish Point. Driving down MacArthur Boulevard on Hutchinson Island from A1A the road narrows as it lingers along the Ocean on one side and the Indian River to the west. It ends at the security gate to the property, and once inside you enter a unique and unforgettable exclusive community. Sailfish Point has got to be the finest piece of real estate on the east coast of Florida.

We played the magnificent Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course that winds its way through the exquisite community. What a treat! Before the round members and guests have the opportunity to hone their golf skills on the multiple short game practice facilities and putting surface, before hitting the driving range and venturing to the first tee where there are five tee locations to choose from. The Professional PGA staff are all fine instructors to help with your game. There are no tee times at the Point. Just great golf.

The immaculately manicured golf course is one of Jack’s finest private country club designs. The layout allows members and guests to enjoy the golf experience with welcoming fairways and tee boxes for the casual players, while presenting a formidable challenge from the back tees at 7,088 yards at a par 72. I could play here everyday and enjoy every minute of it. After nine holes the routing brings you back to the halfway house were there is sandwiches, snacks and cold refreshments. Playing golf in the dog days of summer was not bad because of the ocean breezes crossing the peninsula.

Water features throughout the Point are connected to the nearby lagoon and come into play on about half the holes. While we were enjoying our round of golf we watched as two young boys pulled tarpon almost as big as they were out of one of the waterways on the back nine. The stunning view of the St. Lucie Inlet and Indian River from the green on # 14 is just awe-inspiring. Then the signature 18th playing back to the clubhouse with a remarkable overlook of the Atlantic ocean called the “Window on the Sea” is phenomenal.

There is definitely a good reason for the name ‘Sailfish Point,’ because the area is the Sailfish Capital of the World. So, if you are a sport-fisherman or have never fished, you need to try your hand or join a group of the members and experience a day right from your own private marina.

After golf we enjoyed fine al fresco lunch fare perfectly served by Allison. The outside dining area overlooks the ocean and the 18th green of the 60,000 square foot clubhouse, the center of activity during season. If you are a wine connoisseur you will enjoy the wine tastings, expositions, gourmet paired wine dinners and the extraordinary selection of vintages available at the wine cruvinet which keeps opened bottles of wine at their freshest by controlling the temperature at which they are stored. A unique plus for members at Sailfish Point.

You will experience unparalleled private community living at Sailfish Point. Visit SailfishPoint.com to learn more and check out your real estate options.

The Frog Golf Club at The Georgian in Villa Rica has reached an exciting milestone as it celebrates the 20th anniversary this November. In honor of this momentous occasion, The Frog is hosting a weekend-long celebration November 16-18.

Open since 1998, The Frog Golf Club at The Georgian features an 18-hole championship golf course that has been recognized as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary and rated as one of the top golf courses in Georgia by Golf Digest. Designed by legendary golf course architect Tom Fazio, this award-winning course stretches more than 7,000 yards through indigenous hardwoods, towering southern pines, and rolling hills of the North Georgia terrain. Private homes are tucked away from the parkland style layout, allowing for a pure golf experience. In addition to golf, the Frog provides a well appointed clubhouse, fully stocked golf shop and a full service bar and restaurant. The Frog Golf Club has recently joined the Georgia Golf Trail, a collaboration of the Peach State’s finest golf resorts and courses promoting its beauty and southern charm where Bobby Jones honed his game and lived his life. The club is managed by Honours Golf, a division of Troon Golf.

The 20th anniversary weekend will kick-off with a charity golf tournament at The Frog at Noon on Friday 11/16. This 4-person scramble is $50 per person or $200 per foursome team, which includes 18 holes of golf with cart, food and beverages and the chance to win numerous prizes. A portion of the proceeds will go to Paulding County Cops for Kids program which targets children 8-13 years of age in an effort to promote positive interaction with young people in the county and Sheriff Gary Gulledge’s Deputies.

On Saturday, November 17th, The Frog Golf Club will host a complimentary Family Fun Day for the public and residents from 9am to 3pm. There will be complimentary golf clinics, a fun SNAG GOLF for kids, and the opportunity to test new golf equipment from leading golf club manufacturers. There will also be a Bounce House, BBQ buffet, music and more.
The Frog will also be allowing golfers to play the magnificent golf course for only $20 plus tax after 11am on Saturday. Later in the evening, a celebratory cocktail reception, which will include wine and bourbon tastings, hors d’oeuvres and live music, will be held at the clubhouse for $19.98 plus tax per person.

The activities will conclude with a special Anniversary Brunch on Sunday, the 18th, from 10am to 2pm and will include many breakfast favorites and Thanksgiving menu items at an Anniversary Special Price of $19.98 for adults and $9.95 for children.

A note from Architect Tom Fazio, ASGCA.

“Designing The Frog Golf Course in the late 1990’s was a great experience for myself and Fazio Design,” said Tom. “This Paulding County site, at the time was very rural with very little development in the area. We had a large amount of land to work with, select options for the clubhouse location and individual golf holes. We walked the property numerous times and staked-out the holes to maximize the potential for each setting. The beautiful, rolling Georgia terrain allowed for many choices to adjust the routing plan to ensure each golf hole would fit naturally into the landscape. The result was a well built, traditional style course which feels like a private club. Each hole is unique. We are very proud of the task we completed to get the The Frog Golf Club off to a great start in 1998. Twenty years later, the Club is celebrating its unique past and a great future for quality golf in the Atlanta metro area. We join the celebration and wish everyone many more years of future
enjoyment at The Frog!”

About Honours Golf:

Honours headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, was founded on a vision to provide award-winning golf courses with unparalleled course conditions, hire dedicated team members who share a passion for golf, and deliver impeccable personalized service. As a result Honours has grown to become the Southeast’s leading golf course development and management company. In 2014, Honours was acquired by Troon and operates as a subsidiary of the global brand. Honours currently operates 25 award-winning daily fee, resort and private club facilities including the King & Bear at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida, Reunion Golf & Country Club in Madison, Mississippi, Craft Farms Golf Resort and Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club in Golf Shores, Alabama.

To learn more about The Frog at the Georgian visit GolfTheFrog.com.

The Hidden Treasure on the Treasure Coast

I went treasure hunting recently on the Treasure Coast of Florida, a section of coastal communities from Sebastian Inlet at the north to Jupiter to the south along the east coast. I struck the mother-load when I happened upon the Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & Marina, a hidden gem on a barrier reef between the Atlantic Ocean and the intracoastal waterway.

Location, location, location! The sprawling 200 acre Resort has all you need to make your visit to the Treasure Coast memorable and comfortable. You can arrive by land or sea. There is a 77 slip facility on property just a few miles from the St. Lucie Inlet to dock your boat and enjoy all the amenities of the Resort. The Marina has all the services you might need and personalized attention to insure a wonderful stop on your intracoastal or ocean journey. Home to the Sailfish Capital of the World, the area is one of the best sport-fishing spots in the state.

With 224 spacious and casually elegant hotel rooms plus 50 comfortable suites with private balconies and stunning views, poolside or oceanfront, the Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & Marina is the land lovers perfect vacation spot or weekend getaway. We stayed in a lovely Junior Suite poolside with covered parking, a private bedroom and sizable sitting area with a patio a few steps from the main pool area and Attitudes Tikki Bar.

The Resort has all the amenities needed for a special stay, family function or meeting. The tennis club has well maintained tennis and pickle ball courts and plenty of functions during season.  There are 5 lit courts for evening play, a pro shop and a pool adjacent to the courts. At the beach, there is another pool with a tikky bar for light fare and cool beverages. And for the sand lovers, the pristine beach is available for surfing, swimming and fishing.

The Ocean Club golf course at the Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & Marina is considered one of the best executive courses in the country, with seashore paspalum fairways, tees and greens and managed by MarriottGolf. The well stocked pro shop has a full selection of golf apparel and accessories. Lessons and special events can be arranged with long time PGA professional Joe Ryan. Playing the course is remarkably comfortable with the ocean breezes cooling golfers as they traverse the 4000+ yard, par 61 Charles Ankrom designed marvel. No matter your ability, the course will certainly challenge your short-game expertise and is a lot of fun to play.

The Resort’s location is certainly a beautiful spot which makes the property a very special place to stay. The other key ingredient to making the Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & Marina an outstanding place are the people who take care of the guests. From Alberto, the bellman who took care of our bags, told us all about the different amenities and points of interest around Hutchinson Island, to Maria, the hostess who has been there over 25 years, and was there when I wrote a story on the dining room remodel years ago; The always smiling Vacey, the merchandiser in the golf shop and Assistant Front Office Manager Giovanni who took care of us and answered all my inquiries about the hotel. A remarkable group who really show concern for guests having a great time.

The Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & Marina is part of the portfolio of some 40 outstanding hotels owned by Columbia Sussex. Give this treasure a try, you will love it.

Go to Marriott.com/hotels/travel/pbiir to make your reservation.