Presenting

fair ways with lush tropical landscape for players. e 7,206-yard Pine Course, the crown jewel at Grey Oaks, is a distinc- tive challenge with rolling berms and dramatic elevation changes, earning the designation as one of the "Top 5 Toughest Private Golf Courses in Florida" by Florida Trend magazine. e 7,088-yard Palm Course features a dra- matic tropical look that is the epitome of golf in Florida: coconut palms that sway in the aernoon sea breezes, spark ling turquoise waters with tiered rock waterfalls, meander- ing lagoons and white sand beaches set the character for the course. e 6,756-yard Estuar y Course features tow- ering pine, cy press and oak trees set among the tranquil lakes and smooth greens. is course uses creative bunker design as part of its allure with golfers, offering a variety of greens sizes and challenging fair way widths. A stop in Naples would not be complete with playing 18 holes at the Esplanade Golf & Country Club. e course is touched by Florida's natural beauty, offering picturesque paths, trails and views from ever y hole. Designer Chris Wilczynsk i has created a course that incorporates natural ele- ments from Florida's terrain, water, and strategically placed bunkers that take golfers on a challenging and fun journey of play. Heading north to Bonita Springs, three A rthur Hills designed courses at the private Bonita Bay Club West offer golfers a natural golf paradise. Each course ser ves as a distinct and different experience, but all of them share beautiful, swaying oaks and palmeos mixed with native vegetation and water. e Marsh Course weaves wetland terrain around the trees, while the Creekside Course opens up to wide fair ways with rolling hills. Differing bunkers and moguls add challenges to the course. e Bay Island Course, the longest and most challenging at the club, features water hazards, sand traps and thick stands of oak and cy press to keep golfers' shots tight. Ready for a scenic, yet difficult course? Check out Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero, located between Fort Myers and Naples. e Jack Nick laus designed course is also an Audubon Certified International Silver Signature Sanctuar y, maintaining a healthy preser vation of Florida's natural wildlife with scrub trees, wetland and waste bunkers for players. Golfers who prefer this layout will find a course that is always moving. THE SASOTA A R EA e arts and cultural mecca of Sarasota is also a treasure trove of award- winning golf courses, from the Tom Fazio designed course at the R itz-Carlton Golf Club to the prestigious greens at the famed Waterlefe Golf Club just a few miles away. Guests staying at the R itz-Carlton Sarasota have exclusive access to the golf club, offering a challenging 18-hole championship course that takes golfers through a picturesque landscape of lakes and pristine greens punctuated with the salty smells of the nearby gulf waters. Just a few miles away, the semi- private Waterlefe Golf & R iver Club in Bradenton beckons golfers to play the 72-par, signature golf holes designed by Ted McA nlis. e course's chal- lenging outline borders the Manatee R iver, allowing players to remain competitive with five sets of tees ranging in length from 4,700 to 6,908 yards. e community has been rated 4 ½ stars by Golf Digest, mak ing it a popular spot for golfers of all sk ill sets. 26 | FLORIDA HOMES MAGAZINE

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