daytona golf

DAYTONA BEACH: FLORIDA'S GOLF CAPITAL

Daytona Beach, Fla. -- Great golf is another reason why worldwide visitors choose the Daytona Beach area for vacation getaways.

This stretch of the Atlantic coast is lined with championship greens that are open to the public. With an average annual temperature of 70.3 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius), the Daytona Beach area is the perfect spot for year-round golfing fun.

In its July 1998 issue, Golf Digest ranked the Daytona Beach area 58th among the nations public and municipal golf courses based on availability, affordability and quality. The Daytona Beach area courses ranked ahead of leading golfing destinations such as Jacksonville, Florida; Orlando, Florida; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Courses recommended by Golf Daytona Beach, an organization that packages golf courses and accommodations for added value and convenience to the traveler, include:

LPGA -- The Ladies Professional Golf Association headquarters is the site of two courses. The original Champions Course was designed by Rees Jones, with fairway mounds and bunkers leading to rolling Bermuda greens. The new Legends Course, designed by Arthur Hills, opened in October 1998. The LPGA is also the host of the Sprint Titleholders Championship Tournament, one of the richest tournaments on the LPGA tour. The par 72 course has been recognized as the nation's most "women-friendly" by Golf for Women magazine.

Grand Haven Golf Course -- Designed by Jack Nicklaus, Palm Coast's newest golf course opened in October 1998. Typically bunkered, the course is sure to delight anyone seeking a challenge with an island green at the eighth hole.

Golf Club At Cypress Head -- Just south of Daytona Beach in Port Orange, Cypress Head was opened in 1992. The Arthur Hills-designed course features plenty of water, two par three holes back-to-back, two par five holes back-to-back, and well-bunkered Bermuda greens.

Matanzas Woods Golf Club -- Designed by Arnold Palmer, Matanzas Woods in Palm Coast offers an 18-hold par 72 with somewhat narrow fairways and plenty of water. One of the most photographed holes in Florida is its 18th green with its spectacular Bermuda green island.

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Halifax Plantation Golf Course -- An 18-hole par 72 in Ormond Beach, just north of Daytona Beach, this Bill Amick course is set in historic Bulow State Park with century-old oaks and pines, elevated tees, narrow fairways and Bermuda greens.

Cypress Knoll Golf Course -- Opened in 1990, Gary Player designed this Palm Coast course with Player signature "love" grass around the greens and in other areas. The course also features ample fairways, bunkered Bermuda greens and plenty of water hazards.

Pelican Bay -- This Lloyd Clifton course in Daytona Beach has flat terrain and plenty of challenging lakes and canals. It features medium to wide fairways, Bermuda greens and an 18-hole par of 72.

Indigo Lakes Golf Resort -- This 18-hole par 72 course in Daytona Beach was designed by Lloyd Clifton. It is recognized as one of the best courses in the state, featuring flat fairways, lots of water
and large bunkered Bermuda greens. Indigo Lakes gained international recognition when it played host to the 1994 LPGA Sprint Championship Golf Tournament.

River Bend Golf Club -- This Lloyd Clifton course in Ormond Beach is set along the beautiful Tomoka River, with plenty of towering oaks and pines. With rolling fairways and bunkered Bermuda greens, only one hole has water. The eighth hole is known for being the longest par 5 in the county --616 yards -- and the entire course is an 18-hole par 72.

Turnbull Bay Golf Club -- Fifteen miles south of Daytona Beach in New Smyrna Beach, Turnbull Bay Golf Club, designed by PGA host Gary Wintz, is very popular with the locals, a challenge to all your skills.

For more information on these courses and golf vacation packages, contact Hal Brooks at (904) 239-7065 or (800) 881-7065 or visit the Golf Daytona Beach Web site at www.golfdaytonabeach.com.

Other popular golf courses in the Daytona Beach area include:

Daytona Beach Municipal Golf Course, Daytona Beach, 904/258-3119
Spruce Creek Country Club, Daytona Beach, 904/756-6114
Riviera Country Club, Ormond Beach, 904/677-2464
Tomoka Oaks Golf & Country Club, Ormond Beach, 904/677-7117
Oceanside Country Club (private), Ormond Beach, 904/672-1991
Pelican Bay Country Club South, Daytona Beach, 904/788-6496
Plantation Bay Club (private), Ormond Beach, 904/437-4776
Crane Lakes Golf Course, Port Orange, 904/767-4653
Prestwick Golf Club (private), Ormond Beach, 904/437-6664