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About Golf In Ft lauderdale, FL
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Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Return to Previous Page)
For those of you old enough to remember the song, it's been (Yikes!) over forty years since Connie Francis sang "Where The Boys Are" in the movie of the same name - that famous, true-to-life film about falling in love in Ft. Lauderdale during spring break. For those of you too young to remember those days, well, you're in luck: all these years later, only one thing about that storyline has changed. The weather is still wonderful, the beaches are still beautiful, and people are still coming to Ft. Lauderdale and (hubba, hubba) falling in love.
Except, it's with the golf here - not each other. (Hey, you can always play around after you play a round.) Yep, it's a funny turn of events. For years, Ft. Lauderdale was known as a gathering place for hot-to-trot, often out-of-control college kids on vacation. Today, this seaside city (and surrounding area) is better known as a gathering place for hot-to-play golfers attempting to keep their emotions under control as they play their choice of nearly fifty gorgeous layouts.
 Visitors that haven't teed it up in a while often begin their trip with a trip around the West course at Bonaventure Golf Club right in town. Although a bit on the short side (6,128 yards), the West course is a great way to get warmed up before you get down to some serious golf - which is what you'll find at the East course here. Designed by Joe Lee in 1998, the East course at Bonaventure is a beautiful - and beautifully routed - layout that stretches to over 7,000 yards from its furthest of four tees. In addition to your "A" game, bring your camera. The tee shot at the 165-yard par-3 third hole is played over a magnificent waterfall, and nobody back home will believe it unless you take a picture.
Two courses in the area that visitors are glad to play and eager to recommend are the pair at Jacaranda Golf Club in nearby Plantation, fifteen minutes northwest of Ft. Lauderdale. Both were designed by Mark Mahanna and built in 1971. The East course, at 7,195 yards from the back tees, is arguably the tougher of the two - mostly due to its length. Slightly shorter but just as challenging (some say it's even more demanding), is the 6,729-yard West course. Both courses feature holes that are framed and/or guarded by ponds, canals, bunkers and trees (ficus, live oak and banyan), and each requires a good deal of precise play. Challenging as they are, the courses at Jacaranda are equally well know for their excellent condition. For many golfers, that's the best reason of all to make a visit.
Just up the road from Jacaranda, in Lauderhill, you'll find another opportunity to double your pleasure: Inverrary Golf Club. There are two lovely layouts at Inverrary, both designed in 1971 by legendary architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. Even if you've never been here before, don't be surprised if the East course looks familiar; you've probably seen it on television. That's because between 1972 and 1983 it was the site of the "Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic" on the PGA Tour. Measuring 7,112 yards from the tips, the East is long, tough and intimidating. It better be - former champions of the Classic include Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Lee Trevino, Tom Weiskopf, and Hale Irwin. Intimidating in a different way is the West course at Inverrary. While not nearly as long as the East (6,675 yards from the back tees), the West is protected by plenty of water and sand and that makes it play much tighter. Don't let its seemingly short length fool you; the West is no wuss. By the way, should you decide to take on either - or both - of these top-notch courses from the tips, you'll learn soon enough why there's a "swing doctor" of a different kind on site: a massage therapist.
For a real treat, you might consider splurging a bit and head north of the city to Parkland Golf Club. Parkland is an exclusive private club designed by none other than Greg Norman. Many feel Parkland is hands down the best golf course in southeast Florida. Because it is a private club tee times are limited for outside play, but you do have a reasonable chance of "swinging a round" here.
For another chance to walk in the footsteps of the pros, however, head on up the road from Tamarac to Coral Springs. There you'll find the TPC of Heron Bay, a big, beautiful design by ten-time PGA Tour winner and current Champions Tour member Mark McCumber. When it opened in 1996, Golf Digest quickly called it one of the "Top 10 Best Courses" open to the public. The PGA Tour liked it, too; from 1997 to 2002, the TPC of Heron Bay was the challenging home of the Honda Classic. And "challenging" is the operative word. From the furthest of the five tees here, Heron Bay measures a hefty 7, 268 yards. There's also plenty of wind, lots of water, and close to 100 bunkers to contend with. In spite of it all, many visitors believe the TPC at Heron Bay is not only one of the best courses in the area but one of the best values as well.
While you certainly might want to, not every visiting golfer can spend a whole week in South Florida. For that reason alone (although there are several others) Palm-Aire Country Club is a smart choice if your time is limited. Located in Pompano Beach just north of Ft. Lauderdale, Palm-Aire is a 72-hole facility (plus a par-58 executive course) that's regarded as one of the best of its kind in the state. The four regulation courses here - Palms, Pines, Cypress and Oaks - have all been renovated in recent years and all are ready to provide as stern a test as you want. Perhaps best of all, Palm-Aire allows you to spend most of your time in a cart instead of a car.
Just south of Ft. Lauderdale, in Aventura, you can experience not only a great place to play but a great place to stay. The Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort is one of the most elegant and enchanting facilities in all of South Florida. One of the perks of checking in at Turnberry is the chance to play the resort's two fine courses, both designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. The North course, the first to be built here in 1971, is a typical Trent Jones championship tract. It's big and brawny and it features more than a little bit of water and lots of sand - both off the tee and around the greens. From the tips, the North weighs in at just over 7,000 yards. A lot less hefty but just as hazardous is the South course, built a year later. If it sounds easy at only 6,403 yards, be advised that the South features the same amount of trouble and the same kind of tricky greens that you'll find on the North. All those problems in a much smaller space just might make the South course here even harder to handle than its big brother. What's for sure is that you'll have a lot of fun trying.
Over forty years ago, a lot of dreamy-eyed people were singing "Where the boys are." Today, a lot of dreamy-eyed people are singing "Where the golfers are." Both lyrics are about the same location.
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