theVirginia Explorer
Virginia
“We’re 18 islands on an island” is how head
PGA professional Chris Shaul describes
the short, challenging layout at The Dunes
Golf & Tennis Club (dunesgolfsanibel.com;
239-472-2535).
The big island is Sanibel, a barrier
jutting out due west of Fort Myers. Narrow
fairways and small greens place a premium
on accuracy when navigating the resort’s
Mark McCumber-designed golf course.
“If you don’t hit it on a line,” Shaul
warns, “you can find yourself in a world of
hurt really quickly.”
Course members refer to its 18 holes as
“a mild nine and a wild nine,” but they all
have one thing in common: water. It’s in
play on all 18 holes. Moreover, prevailing
winds, which blow 20 to 25 miles per
hour at times, more than make up for
its seemingly unthreatening length (5,500
yards; par 70).
“The biggest thing I see is an
underestimation of the length of the golf
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NApLeS
There are two great resort golf choices
in Naples, each of which has at one time
been named the top golf resort in Florida
by Condé Nast Traveler magazine. LaPlaya
Beach & Golf Resort (laplayaresort.com;
239-597-3123) offers a beachfront hotel
with 189 rooms and suites, a boutique
spa and a host of beachfront sports, with
parasailing, wave-running, kayaking and
fishing among the recreational activities.
LaPlaya’s golf course is situated three
miles inland. Designed by Robert Cupp and
measuring 6,902 yards, the par 72 course is
challenging and fun for golfers of all abilities.
Virginia golfer | September/OctOber 2013
Master_VSGA_Sept13_MASTER2.indd 28
A feeling of secluded ambiance abounds amid the
plentiful options at The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club.
“It’s not so tough that it’s going to beat you
up on a daily basis,” says Scott Richardson,
the club’s head PGA professional. “But it
has a links-style feel to the fairways. There
are a lot of little humps and bumps, so you
get a lot of uphill and sidehill lies. It never
plays the same way two days in a row.”
Unlike many Florida courses, which drop
off on the side of the fairways for drainage,
LaPlaya tends to slope up, which makes it a
little more forgiving.
“If you’re spraying the ball a little bit, it
plays a little wider,” Richardson reports.
In order to reduce any chance of spraying
shots, there’s also a great practice area, one
of the best in the area, with a double-sided
driving range, plus separate areas to sharpen
your short game.
The area’s other premier golf destination
is The Ritz-Carlton, Naples (ritzcarlton.com/
naples; 239-593-2000), which, in a sense, is
two resorts in one. There’s a beach resort
located right on the water, and a golf resort
just a few miles inland, that features two
tour-quality Greg Norman-designed 18s.
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8/30/13 8:37 AM
TOP: L.C. LAMBRECHT; THE RITZ-CARLTON, NAPLES
FOrt mYerS
course,” Shaul says. “A majority of golfers
who come out here for the first time will
start by going all the way to the back tee.
By the time you see them at the turn,
they’re back up to the white tees.”
Golfers staying at one of the four
boutique hotels in the Inns of Sanibel group
(theinnsofsanibel.com; 866-746-9151) enjoy
green fees at the Dunes course that are
substantially lower than those available to
the public.
THE DUNES GOLF & TENNIS CLUB
hit the ball pretty long and I’ve never
reached it in two.”