Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2014 - 17

M
innesotans need a short memory when it
comes to weather. Without one, we might all
have moved away after the winter of 2013.
A better remedy is to take a winter golf
sojourn where thoughts of towering snow
banks recede like ocean waves.
Falling snow can be pretty, but the snow-white beaches of the
Gulf Coast are a calming replacement. But the Gulf Coast is more
than shimmering beaches; it's also loaded with golf courses and
resorts designed to provide the perfect winter getaway.
Minnesota Golfer traveled to two locales where the golf is
great, the gulf is nearby and the weather is pleasantly distracting:
Tampa, Fla., and the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Those memories
have not faded.
Temperate Tampa Bay
In mid-February 2013, Florida was the only state in the country
without any recorded snowfall on the ground. While the state's
tourism department could build an entire marketing campaign
around that fact, Florida has much to offer-and the Tampa area
near the Gulf Coast is one great place to fi nd it.
Claiming an average of 361 days of sunshine per year, Tampa
Bay is a can't-miss golf destination. The golf choices are plentiful
(nearly 100 in the area), diverse and top of the line. The tough
task is choosing which to play.
A trip to Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club in Dade City,
north of Tampa, is worth the drive. The North and South courses
are billed as " Carolina golf with Florida weather, " and the description
rings true. The courses have signifi cant elevation changes (a
rarity for Florida), which makes for plenty of interesting holes.
Architect Kurt Sandress designed the courses, but the South
Course (which has hosted Q-School qualifi ers) can claim a little
Minnesota fl avor: Sandress was assisted by Alexandria-native
touring pro Tom Lehman. From lofty hilltops to Spanish mossdraped
trees in the low-lying areas, the South course is unique
and diverse. In fact, the ski-slope-like, par-5 11th hole features a
94-foot drop from tee to green, which is the largest natural elevation
change of any course in Florida.
Head further north to Brooksville and you will fi nd two great
courses at the World Woods Golf Club. Hidden in dense
woods, the Tom Fazio-designed Pine Barrens and Rolling
Oak courses are among GolfWeek's Top 10 Courses
You Can Play in Florida; the Barren Course is ranked
No. 76 on the Golf Digest list of America's 100 Greatest
Public Access Golf Courses (2013-2014).
The Barren Course features a rugged look with large,
ragged bunker areas fi lled with native grasses. The fairways
are generous, but the appearance is less so; trees and
sand encroach throughout. World Woods is a great offseason
training locale and has attracted more than one
World Woods Golf Club
Minnesota golfer.
" This is the third year in a row I've played those
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Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2014

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