PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COURSES
ABOVE: The massive and luxurious 77,000-square-foot clubhouse at TPC Sawgrass is a must-see. RIGHT: The Ocean Course’ s par-4 ninth stretches along the Atlantic.
you’ re only resting your head for a few hours or something in-between, you’ ll have your pick, especially if you jump on it early.
In addition to the normal travel booking agents like Expedia or Travelocity, the First Coast web site has a page dedicated to its lodging partners( floridagolf. org / lodging). Some are snug with the Atlantic Ocean while others are set inland a few miles.
Several of those hotel options come with discounts to local courses( more on that below), and some even have transportation to and from the tournament. When booking your hotel, ask in advance what perks are included.
ITCHING TO PLAY?
Watching the pros duel it out for the $ 1.89 million top prize is likely to get your golf juices flowing as well, and North Florida has an abundance of playing options to whet your appetite prior to the daily rounds or before and after the tournament.
Between Amelia Island, a few miles north of Jacksonville, all the way down to Palm Coast— a short drive south on either A1A or Interstate 95— 68 courses, including 25 featured layouts, dot the landscape. The list of designers includes Tom Watson, Robert Trent Jones, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, with the latter two joining forces to lay out the King & Bear at St. Augustine’ s World Golf Village Resort,
their lone combined effort in the world. Omni Amelia Island Plantation’ s Ocean Links track features four oceanside holes.
For the majority of the country, this type of collective playing option isn’ t available back home. And while greater Jacksonville hosts a full-time population of about a million and a half people, there are more than enough courses to ensure a quality tee time that works around your Players Championship viewing schedule.
NON-GOLF ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS
The timing of the Players Championship is perfect for those wanting to take advantage of the vast stretch of beaches without the spring break or summer crowds clogging up the sand during the days. At night, a quick jaunt into downtown Jacksonville isn’ t complete without hitting up The Elbow, a conglomerate of restaurants, bars, a theatre and plenty of live music. For the beer lovers, there are also eight local craft breweries, known as the Jax Ale Trail.
For the joint golf / baseball fans, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the Double-A affiliate of the Florida Marlins, will be at home that week, with games primarily starting in the evening. If you haven’ t been on your feet enough, the Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier lets you walk a quarter mile out onto the ocean, and the St. John’ s Riverwalk is home to the Jacksonville Landing and the Riverside Arts Market.
vsga. org M ARCH / A PRIL 2017 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 35