theVirginia Explorer
Golf coast
If you are hunting for a great golf getaway, look no further
than the Florida Gulf | by reeD riCHarDSon
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Some 20 miles northwest of downtown
Tampa, in Palm Harbor, lies Innisbrook
Resort and Golf Club (innisbrookgolfresort.
com; 727-942-2000). The resort’s 900
wooded acres boast 620 guest rooms and
luxury suites, 11 clay tennis courts, miles of
walking trails, as well as an 18,000-squarefoot spa and six pools, including the Loch
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Virginia golfer | September/OctOber 2013
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Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club features a host of
activities, including championship golf.
of the four, having hosted a PGA Tour
event for the past 14 years, including the
Tampa Bay Championship presented by
EverBank last March.
Over the years, it has become a favorite
among the game’s best players. Two-time
U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange once
said, “If I could play one course the rest of
my life, it would be Copperhead. It has that
much character.”
It is, however, inescapably tough,
especially its final three holes, known
collectively as the “Snake Pit.”
The Island Course is one of Htet’s
favorites. He insists it is as challenging as
Copperhead and may be more fun to play,
thanks in part to some terrain uncommon
w w w. v s g a . o r g
8/30/13 8:37 AM
THE RESORT AT LONGBOAT KEY CLUB
Florida’s Gulf Coast is more relaxed and
less crowded. Without the hustle and bustle,
there’s room to move and the pace is
slower. If it’s great golf and relaxation you’re
looking for this fall, check out these seven
full-service resorts.
Ness Monster with its water slides. All are
easily accessible via the resort tram.
Innisbrook also has four golf courses on
the property, two of which demand enough
to host professional tour events for men
and women, but at the same time offer a
reasonable challenge to visitors with doubledigit handicaps.
“Golfers love playing here because none
of our courses make you feel like you’re
in Florida,” says Kyaw Htet, one of the
PGA professionals at Innisbrook. “You
might feel as though you’re in Georgia or
North Carolina. There are a lot of elevation
changes and tree lines.”
All four layouts were designed by golf
course architect Larry Packard, who
turned 100 in November 2012 and lives
at Innisbrook. The Copperhead (7,340
yards; par 71) is probably the best known
INNISBROOK RESORT AND GOLF CLUB
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Unlike the glitzier and
developed Atlantic side ?((