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Mangrove Bay, St Petersberg Tiburón, Naples Twin Eagles, Naples Dunes Golf Club, Sanibel Island Waterlefe, Bradenton Ritz Sarasota Golf Course, Sarasota Old Corkscrew, Estero Calusa Pines, Naples Copperhead Course at Innisbrook, Tampa FloridaHomesMag.com | 29 South Seas Island Resor t, Captiva Island, Florida. Southseas.com Image cour tesy of The Beaches of For t Myers & Sanibel. 28 | FLORIDA HOMES MAGAZINE The Sar asota Ar ea As our tour continues in a northerly direction, we next encounter the vibrant cultural area around Sarasota. You' ll find plenty of opportunity to golf here. Nearby Osprey offers two champion- ship courses at e Oaks Club. Both e Eagle course, designed by A rthur Hills, and e Heron Course, designed by Willard Byrd, will chal- lenge highly skilled players, yet remain playable for all skill levels. Registered guests at e R itz- Carlton in Sarasota have use of the off-site award-winning R itz-Carlton Golf Club, of- fering a Tom Fazio-designed 18-hole championship course that gracefully rolls among 12 picturesque lakes and extensive landscape to form a fair and memorable test of golf. e R itz Carlton Club hosted the 2013 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier. is club's recent recognition includes Golf Digest's Best in State and Zagat's, A merica's Top Golf Courses, Sixth Edition. Close to Sarasota, the river-laced fair ways of Waterlefe, a residential golf course community located in Bradenton, has been rated 4 ½ stars by Golf Digest. A luxur y 18-hole course, Waterlefe's unrivaled natural seing along the Manatee R iver is composed of a collection of signature golf holes designed by course architect Ted McA nlis. e competitive layout pres- ents a challenge for golfers of all skill levels. Features include five unforget- table holes that touch and border the scenic Manatee R iver. Named "Best New Private Course of 2006" by Golf Digest magazine, e Concession Golf Course in Bradenton was designed by Jack Nick laus in associ- ation with Tony Jack lin. e core design of this walkable, relaxed, and friendly 18-hole par 72 course is an atmosphere that offers a natural and uninterrupted golf experience. The Ta mpa Bay Ar ea A nother hour to the north of the Sarasota area is Tampa Bay. Here you will have the opportunity to enjoy remarkable courses such as e Copperhead Course at Innisbrook, a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort. Golf week has called this course, with rolling hills and challenging holes, number one in Florida. But novices need not be put off. Each year, 1,000 students flock here for one of the largest resort-owned-and-operated golf schools in North A merica. Nearby you' ll find Mangrove Bay Golf Course, in St. Petersburg. It is one of the nation's top 50 municipal courses. Newly renovated, the course hugs the inlets of Old Tampa Bay and offers 18-hole, par-72 play. When you "swing" into the Sunshine State for a Winter Golf Adventure, whether you want to play, study with a pro, or be part of the galler y, the options are bountiful. Making the "rounds" in Florida, where many of the golf courses are "private members only," can be accomplished in diverse ways. Some are affiliated with hotels, which have arrangements for guests to play and there are systems of reciprocity in place with other clubs. Many courses are open for public play during the "off- season," May to October, a great time as the crowds have disperesed. If you would like to compete, oppor- tunities await you in venues such as the Gulf Coast A mateur Association of Florida, the Gulf Coast Gold Senior Tour and the Southwest A mateur Series. A nd, of course, there is always the option of retiring to the 19th hole. A ny way you slice it, golfing in Southwest Florida tallies up to a Grand Slam!

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