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Have a couple of bad holes and an otherwise great round morphs into an embarrassing disaster thanks to stroke play. No wonder so many women quit golf. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Full story | Also: Can women save golf?
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. (of course we're talking about area, not population). For golfers, that means a lot of driving. But even that large land mass can't contain all the golf courses. The city holds quite a few excellent tracks, such as the Donald Ross-designed Hyde Park. Still, it’s on the geographical extremes of the city that a number of new and exciting courses have opened. To find them, head north and/or south.
Florida's First Coast should probably be a better-known golf destination, what with PGA Tour and so many of its players calling it home. The area has some of the best golf courses in a state known for its sheer volume of golf. Here then are the Jacksonville area's top courses, including Ocean Hammock Golf Club in Palm Coast (No.1), the second-ranked Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. At No. 3 is the exclusive, private Pablo Creek Country Club.
Also: With golf travel insurance, you're covered
Hyde Park Golf Club in Jacksonville isn't the best-known design in the Donald Ross canon, but it has a lot of what makes his legion of devotees revisit his golf courses again and again. The site of Ben Hogan's infamous 11, Hyde Park maintains a community feel and a focus on the subtler aspects of the game. Oh, and did we mention the green fees top out at just $38?
You can always tell by the morale of the members if a golf course owner is a local, hands-on guy or one of those aloof, corporate types. The Southern Oaks Golf Club over in Lake City is the former: a happy, active place where on any given day you might see owner Ron Brooks out on the course, operating a backhoe. Brooks has spent the last four years working on Southern Oaks, successfully transforming it into wonderfully conditioned track.
There are quite a few golf clubs that market their courses as collaborations between legendary designers. But often they are collaborators only in the loosest sense of the word. By all accounts, The King & Bear at World Golf Village near St. Augustine was a true collaboration between two of the most revered names in golf, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. They actually walked the layout together, consulted one another, even played the course together.
Ocean Hammock Golf Club down in Palm Coast is the first true oceanfront course to open in Florida in more than three-quarters of a century. Designer Jack Nicklaus got out the heavy machinery to build elevation into the tees and greens, lifting them above the dune line and lifting this course into the realm of the sublime. To play this track on a perfect Florida day is to know God and Donald Ross are in heaven, and all is right with the world.
Featuring a massive clubhouse, The Palencia Club is all you can imagine from a private golf club and more. The golf itself is just as spectacula as The layout spreads out below you like Shangri-La, green and inviting. The course, designed by the legendary Arthur Hills, incorporates nature into your round perfectly. Palencia is always mentioned when talk gets around to the best courses along the First Coast, and its reputation is deserved.
Hidden Lakes in New Smyrna Beach is one of those rare, family owned, family run golf courses that's as enjoyable for the atmosphere as it is for the golf. The regulars show up early, looking to get a cup of coffee and walk nine holes to get their day started. Walking is encouraged; no rush to herd the masses through with carts. No corporate marketing here, just a couple of new owners with big dreams.
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