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Golf Holidays Florida

  • 15-03-2021 9:17pm
    #1
    Neewollah
    Registered Users Posts: 457 ✭✭


    Evening all,

    Just posting here looking for some advice regarding planning a golf trip to Florida maybe in 2 or 3 years times. Last couple of weeks have whetted the appetite looking at Bay Hill and Sawgrass on the TV and few of us have decided to start looking into it.

    My initial research to date hasn't really led me anywhere concrete and just looking for advice on where to start.

    Thanks in advance


Comments

  • #2
    thewobbler
    Registered Users Posts: 853 ✭✭✭thewobbler


    Neewollah wrote: »
    Evening all,

    Just posting here looking for some advice regarding planning a golf trip to Florida maybe in 2 or 3 years times. Last couple of weeks have whetted the appetite looking at Bay Hill and Sawgrass on the TV and few of us have decided to start looking into it.

    My initial research to date hasn't really led me anywhere concrete and just looking for advice on where to start.

    Thanks in advance

    Phone Golf Breaks or Your Golf Travel. The itineraries (including Sawgrass) were surprisingly affordable. Wasn’t an awful lot more than the base prices on their site; apart from allowing for a few hundred quid to fly ex Dublin. But then we knocked out a load of kids and a week away wasn’t on the cards!

    One tip for America. You will need drivers in your group. Car hire is usually part of a package deal and the cars are plenty big for 4 men and gear. Some people are petrified by the idea of driving and others by the idea of sobriety. But in America, what they mean by “neighbouring” could be an hour’s drive.


  • #3
    Beaulieu
    Registered Users Posts: 395 ✭✭Beaulieu


    Neewollah wrote: »
    Evening all,

    Just posting here looking for some advice regarding planning a golf trip to Florida maybe in 2 or 3 years times. Last couple of weeks have whetted the appetite looking at Bay Hill and Sawgrass on the TV and few of us have decided to start looking into it.

    My initial research to date hasn't really led me anywhere concrete and just looking for advice on where to start.

    Thanks in advance

    Ive played both -Bay Hill is a nice place to stay -just a fraction more expensive (or at least it was when we were there a few years ago). Both very playable and well.. TPC Sawgrass is simply a must albeit not cheap.

    However...

    Have you looked at the Pinehurst area? There are a myriad of simply fabulous courses to choose from. Haven't been but will some day hopefully.


  • #4
    Neewollah
    Registered Users Posts: 457 ✭✭Neewollah


    Beaulieu wrote: »
    Ive played both -Bay Hill is a nice place to stay -just a fraction more expensive (or at least it was when we were there a few years ago). Both very playable and well.. TPC Sawgrass is simply a must albeit not cheap.

    However...

    Have you looked at the Pinehurst area? There are a myriad of simply fabulous courses to choose from. Haven't been but will some day hopefully.

    I think we are set on playing Sawgrass for sure. If we can make Bay Hill work as well then we will. There is so many options around the florida area its probably hard to go wrong.

    Have heard North Carolina is a fantastic golf destination from friends living stateside and defo on the bucket list too. Might try and plan a different trip across the pond every 3 or 4 years if we can get around the other halves!!!


  • #5
    Russman
    Registered Users Posts: 5,846 ✭✭✭Russman


    If you can get a good deal on a Sawgrass package, go for it. I played it a few years ago and its amazing. We used Cassidy Golf to put together our trip. There used to be a requirement that to play the Stadium Course you had to be a guest in the hotel but that could well be gone now, its over ten years ago. The year before we went there, the group were in Orlando and some of the guys drove up to play TPC, but they had to overnight in the hotel to be allowed play.

    The Valley course is fantastic too and there are a couple of other great tracks in that neck of the woods to easily fill a week or ten days. World Golf Village and World Golf Hall of Fame isn't far away in St Augustine, and The King & The Bear is a super course worth checking out right beside it.

    Haven't played Bay Hill but attended the API a couple of years ago and it looks really good. Lots of very good and very affordable golf in the Orlando area. Check out Orange County National. They used to hold PGA Tour School there with two superb courses, Crooked Cat and Panther Lake. I've played both a few times and they're really top notch. Good crowd to deal with too, we played it one day and had nothing planned for the next day and sitting in the bar, they did us a deal at $29 per head for golf and a buggy, way cheaper than the advertised rate.

    Orlando might be a bit easier to do a DIY trip to, much more accommodation around there and especially with flights. BA often have some really good flight and car hire offers. I've used them a couple of times and you end up flying with American Airlines, via Philly or JFK, but at the time it was several hundred euro cheaper per person than going direct with Aer Lingus.

    Now, all that said, if you're not too pushed about playing a bucket list or big name course like Sawgrass, you won't beat Myrtle Beach in South Carolina for a golf trip.


  • #6
    ClutchIt
    Registered Users Posts: 709 ✭✭✭ClutchIt


    Beaulieu wrote: »
    Ive played both -Bay Hill is a nice place to stay -just a fraction more expensive (or at least it was when we were there a few years ago). Both very playable and well.. TPC Sawgrass is simply a must albeit not cheap.

    However...

    Have you looked at the Pinehurst area? There are a myriad of simply fabulous courses to choose from. Haven't been but will some day hopefully.

    The big question, did you stay dry on the 17th?


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  • #7
    ShivasIrons
    Registered Users Posts: 745 ✭✭✭ShivasIrons


    I wouldn't say Bay Hill would be on a must play list. It's just well known because of the tournament but is a bland enough typical Florida course. You'd probably find 50 courses in Ireland better than it.


    TPC Sawgrass is worth playing. However if basing yourself in Orlando it's a fair trek from Jacksonville to there so if playing Sawgrass you'd want to base yourself in Jacksonville for a couple of days at least.


    For something worth travelling for, there's Streamsong, one hour south of Orlando and three amazing courses. Add in the 36 holes at World Woods, 90 minutes west of Orlando, and the 36 holes at Orange County National and you have the basis of a very memorable trip. Throw in a visit or two to the theme parks and a rest day and you'll be talking about the trip for a long time.


  • #8
    gripcasey
    Registered Users Posts: 307 ✭✭gripcasey


    Group of us did Mrytle Beach a few years ago. Direct flights to Charlotte and drove down. Lots of great courses to choose from and good value. And it is on the coast as well for water sports or relaxing on beach on days not golfing. Plenty of watering holes to catch a beer in. Highly recommend. Would love to go back. Puts Spain and Portugal in the shade in my opinion.


  • #9
    Beaulieu
    Registered Users Posts: 395 ✭✭Beaulieu


    ClutchIt wrote: »
    The big question, did you stay dry on the 17th?

    Yes but...we were playing from forward tees!


  • #10
    Ollieboy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,070 ✭✭✭Ollieboy


    I’ve done Hilton (North Carolina) and Myrtle Beach (South Caroline). We’ve also done Vegas and Orlando and Florida area.

    As someone else mentioned, you need drivers in your group that won’t drink because you are always driving. From accommodation to golf to restaurants and bars.

    All these areas are great and lots of brilliant courses. I love Myrtle Beach and it is where a lot of Americans go for there golf holidays.

    Personally I would rather Florida, it’s just easier to get to with direct flight and the other locations generally require multiple flights. For 7 days and 7/8 hour flight involved I find this an awful waste of time.

    Golfing in the states is great and in some ways better value then places like Portugal or Spain.

    We’ve also done Turkey, Portugal and Spain and honestly I far rather the two hour plus flight to Malaga and stay in Marbella. I the cost of golf is nearly the same and your more refresh when you return. But hey, everyone wants to try somewhere new but with flights and clubs etc it’s more expensive to go to the states.

    I should add we are planning Florida for 2023!


  • #11
    Dav010
    Registered Users Posts: 13,982 ✭✭✭✭Dav010


    Consider Vegas op, amazing golf courses, not to expensive to play, hotels are very reasonable.


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  • #12
    Neewollah
    Registered Users Posts: 457 ✭✭Neewollah


    Thanks everyone for the responses to date. Will definitely try and ht as many of the suggestions in the years to come.

    Regarding Florida when actually would be the best time to travel? I'm sure weather is never an issue. Would you be talking about March or October to avoid the heat? Would courses be at their best at those times of year?


  • #13
    sky6
    Registered Users Posts: 1,444 ✭✭✭sky6


    Neewollah wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for the responses to date. Will definitely try and ht as many of the suggestions in the years to come.

    Regarding Florida when actually would be the best time to travel? I'm sure weather is never an issue. Would you be talking about March or October to avoid the heat? Would courses be at their best at those times of year?

    October is the best time to visit though you can get the odd Hurricane. But the Temp is more acceptable for us.
    Plus it's low season for the Hotels so rooms are cheaper.
    I once played Doral outside Miami in June and it was too hot. A couple of us wanted to walk off after 13 holes. I'm glad we stuck it out because I managed to Par the famous 18th.
    But there's great courses around Florida for a fraction of the price.


  • #14
    Russman
    Registered Users Posts: 5,846 ✭✭✭Russman


    sky6 wrote: »
    October is the best time to visit though you can get the odd Hurricane. But the Temp is more acceptable for us.
    Plus it's low season for the Hotels so rooms are cheaper.
    I once played Doral outside Miami in June and it was too hot. A couple of us wanted to walk off after 13 holes. I'm glad we stuck it out because I managed to Par the famous 18th.
    But there's great courses around Florida for a fraction of the price.

    Yep, mid to late October is perfect.


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