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Great Golfing in MiamiChallenging Courses and Tropical SurroundingsBy Arvin SteinbergI recently took a tour of Miami’s finest courses, and this is what I discovered on my golfing holiday. Miami, Florida offers some of the best and most challenging golf courses you could ask for. And that’s 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 “One of America’s top 75 upscale courses”. Playing Crandon Golf Course is like escaping from civilization, and it’s only ten minutes from downtown Miami. The first thing that impressed me was the beauty of the course. It’s 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’s skill. It’s a challenge from the
first hole, a dogleg par-5 that requires a drive over water and mangroves,
through the 18th hole, another par-5 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 par-5s in Florida -- or the seventh hole, touted as one of the
greatest holes in golf, a par-4 that doglegs to the right over water.
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’s 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 18-hole championship golf course was designed by Donald Ross
who is considered “golf’s all-time greatest golf architect”,
according to Golf Digest magazine.
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 well-maintained, have firm green fairways, gracefully sculpted bunkers, and scenic tropical surroundings. The 18th hole on the South Course features Turnberry’s famous “Island Green”. Turnberry’s 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 “S” from the minute you enter the pro-shop 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 state-of-the-art spa and fitness center. The spa’s 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’t miss the Veranda, the resort’s gourmet restaurant. Don Shula’s Hotel and Golf Club in Miami Lakes, named for the legendary Miami Dolphins coach, offers a fantastic golf getaway. Don
Shula’s Golf Club features an 18-hole “split personality”
championship course. The front nine holes resemble northern courses with
long narrow tree-lined fairways. The back nine holes offer some great
Florida attractions – plenty of water and marsh traps and dense foliage
with tropical birds and other wildlife. The Golf Club also offers a
lighted Par 3 18-hole 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:Greater
Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Photographs: |
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TM
Only
five minutes from Crandon Golf Course is the Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne
The
Biltmore Hotel is South Florida’s 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’s swimming pool is considered the largest hotel pool in the
Continental U.S. and it is one of the most beautiful in the world.
Don
Shula’s Hotel has a program based on Coach Shula’s philosophies of
physical fitness