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Play World-Class Golf in a Tropical ParadiseSawgrass Marriott Resort & Beach ClubBy Carol Muse EvansFor golf lovers of every shape and size, the Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Beach Club in Ponte Vedra, Florida, might be a dream destination, combining a tropical paradise with world-class golf. It’s known as one of the “Top 50 Family Resorts” by Better Homes and Gardens, and it situated between Jacksonville and historic St. Augustine, adjacent to the Atlantic shoreline and the Intracoastal Waterway. But golfers know the Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Beach Club simply as “Sawgrass,” the official hotel of the Tournament Players Club (TPC).
But don’t despair – staying at Sawgrass in order to play golf here is far from a hardship. The Sawgrass resort is like a sports playground and a private beach club, offering other special privileges exclusive to hotel guests. The resort features four driving ranges and six putting greens including an unusual 18-hole putting surface. Resort Golf Director David Kraus carefully schedules tee times, coordinates special golf events and provides golf options with expertise. The Sawgrass Stadium Course has hosted an elite group of camps including Davis Love III, Fred Couples, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman. Difficulties such as sand waste areas, watering holes around nearly ever hole and Scottish link-like bunkers are signatures of the famed par-72 course.
There’s also great tennis here, with 17 courts in two options - a six-clay court tennis island with four courts lighted for night play and the ATP Tour International Headquarters. The ATP courts feature five courts lighted for night play, also emulating the three surfaces of major international tournaments – Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the French Open. Two grass courts, seven GreenSet Supreme cushioned hard court and two European red clay courts are available. The resort had a fitness facility offering a Universal workout system, rowing machines, bio-cycles, stair steppers, steam rooms and sauna. There are also spa services available including massages. The resort is surrounded by Florida’s Atlantic shore to the east and the Intracoastal Waterway to the west. All around the lushly landscaped, inviting resort, you’ll see alligator-filled lagoons, waterfall-framed pools, palm trees, magnolias and the signature moss-draped water oaks. Inside the main building, an inviting lobby with a 70-foot atrium and skylight and incredible views can be found. The resort boasts several meeting spaces and exhibit room, conference rooms, meeting rooms and more, should you need to come for business. You can choose a villa and do your own food or enjoy one of the six restaurants at Sawgrass, from casual to upscale. Lounges here include Champs, a watering hole specializing in tropical drinks and entertainment, and Cascades, a more intimate lounge amid cascading waterfalls. The resort offers 508 guest rooms, suites and golf villas.
The Sawgrass Grasshopper Gang, an on-site children’s club, offers children ages three to 12 daily supervised activities including crafts, shelling, and evening pizza-pool parties while parents take in a round of golf or enjoy an evening meal out alone.
If you plan a visit to Sawgrass, keep in mind January through May tends to be its busiest season. Lodging rates range from $129 per night in June through early September to as much as $199 in peak season. IF YOU GO…
www.sawgrassmarriott.com Jacksonville Convention and Visitors Bureau St. Augustine Images by Carol Muse Evans COPYRIGHT – Text and photos, Carol Muse Evans, 2003. |
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The
name “Sawgrass” alone is synonymous with great golf. As the second largest
golf resort in the United States with 99 holes and two TPC courses, it is
probably most famous for its TPC at Sawgrass Stadium Course, designed by
architect Pete Dye and ranked in the top 50 of “America’s Greatest Golf
Destinations,” the top 35 of “America’s Golf Resorts” and fourth in
difficulty by Golf Digest. The 17th hole on the Stadium Course, an
island hole, is considered one of the “Most Photographed Holes in the
World.” And, unless you are a member of the TPC, staying at the Sawgrass
Marriott is the only way to get to play the two TPC courses here. 
The
Sawgrass Valley Course also offers a tough course, as well. This course,
crafted by Pete Dye and Jerry Pate, also features water on 6,838 yards along
18 holes, with fairways filled with hills and valleys. The Sawgrass Country
Club Course is the “original Sawgrass,” the Oak Bridge Club Course and the
Marsh Landing Country Club Course were all designed by Ed Seay and are
available for play here.
There
is even more to Sawgrass than prestigious, world-class golf and tennis. With
a private Atlantic Beach Club and complimentary transportation, visitors can
enjoy not only golf, but also some of Florida’s loveliest beaches while
staying here. The resort alone also offers nature trails, biking, hiking,
horseback riding, lagoon fishing, volleyball, and three swimming pools and
two kiddy pools. 
America’s
oldest city, St. Augustine, is only 20 minutes away, and you can visit
historic sites like the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in
the country, take in some of the specialty shops and fine dining there, or
head to nearby Jacksonville for some of its many attractions, beautiful
beaches, shopping and dining.