Destination Golf Global (Winter 2019) * | Page 22

Camel safari at Safari Wilderness © Safari Wilderness
Zebras close up at Safari Wilderness © Safari Wilderness
The ranch has Wild West-themed accommodation
ranging from luxury teepees and tent camping and
glamping to private cottages.
Outdoor lovers can revel in Central Florida’s
numerous recreation opportunities, whether taking
to the water to go kayaking and canoeing on paddle
trails, go stand-up paddle boarding, flyboarding or
water skiing, or hiking, cycling or mountain biking on
nearly 400 miles of trails.
Sling your hook on more than 500 lakes occupying
over 135 square miles. Polk County is known as
the “Largemouth Bass Capital of the World” for
their abundance (the largemouth bass is Florida’s
freshwater state fish) and the size they reach.
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Destination Golf .TRAVEL
Kayaking on Lake Kissimmee © Visit Central Florida
The Florida State record largemouth bass was caught
in the area and tipped the scales at over 17lb.
Central Florida’s low population density means that
it’s a wildlife haven, too. The Circle B Bar Reserve has
been named as one of the “51 Great Places to See
Wildlife in the US” by USA Today. Polk County also
has five wildlife management areas, 11 environmental
preserves, three state parks and one state forest.
For culture vultures, take a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright
architecture at Florida Southern College in Lakeland,
which has the world’s largest single-site collection
of buildings and works by the famed American
architect. Also in Lakeland is the Polk Museum of Art,
with eight galleries, a permanent collection of Pre-
Columbian artefacts and a sculpture garden.