In Tempo In Tampa

Buff Strickland

A dark secret pervades the golf scene in Tampa. Dick Sutton will reveal it, but only if we promise to put our readers wise: "There is too damn much golf here," he says.

As president of the Ben Sutton Golf School, founded in 1968, just southeast of downtown, Sutton's perspective is that of an insider. Still, even a glance at the course listings for the region (including nearby Clearwater and St. Petersburg as well as Sarasota sixty miles to the south) shows that a huge proportion were built in the last decade and a half. Florida's Gulf Coast is no longer the underserved market it once was.

Too many courses, too little time? Life holds far more dire problems, and Tampa is a pleasant place to confront this one. Florida's third largest city, it has an abundance of something in short supply elsewhere in the state: a palpable sense of neighborhoods and local lore. There's Ybor City, known prior to the Cuban trade embargo as "Cigar City" and now a center for dining and nightlife; Tarpon Springs, the funky Greek sponge-fishing port; and the Gasparilla pirate ethos, inspiration for both an annual festival honoring the city's mythical invasion by a band of seafaring pillagers and the nickname of the NFL's Buccaneers.

WHERE TO PLAY

RITZ-CARLTON MEMBERS GOLF CLUB, SARASOTA
7295 Lorraine Road, Bradenton; 941-309-2000, ritzcarlton.com. Yardage: 7,549. Par: 72. Slope: N/A. Architect: Tom Fazio, 2005. Greens Fees: $165–$225, resort guests only. T+L GOLF Rating: ****1/2

Tom Fazio has said this course, scheduled to open in December, had the largest landscaping budget of any he's done in Florida—and that's saying a lot. The site is extravagant: more than 300 acres framed by the Braden River, its estuary and protected wetlands. Formerly a flat piece of farmland, the layout uses fill from sixteen excavated lakes to create mounding of up to thirty-five feet. The course also benefits from the planting of nearly 500 palm trees and scores of oaks, which lend a sense of maturity. The caddies in white coveralls don't hurt either.

WORLD WOODS GOLF CLUB, Pine Barrens
17590 Ponce DeLeon Boulevard, Brooksville; 352-796-5500, worldwoods.com. Architect: Tom Fazio, 1993. Yardage: 6,902. Par: 71. Slope: 136. Greens Fees: $40–$140. T+L GOLF Rating: ****1/2

Thanks to its huge waste bunkers, Pine Barrens is often referred to as "the closest most of us will ever get to Pine Valley." In terms of atmosphere (though by no means natural setting), World Woods brings to mind another mecca of American golf: Bandon Dunes. The club exudes a golf-only attitude and resides in the middle of nowhere—an hour from Tampa proper—unmarred by housing and entirely worth the trip. In addition to designing two eighteens here, Fazio created a nine-hole short course; a three-hole warm-up loop that consists of a par three, a par four and a par five; a thirty-six-hole putting course; and a large circular driving range. Pine Barrens itself offers ample creativity in terms of hole design. For example, the 330-yard fifteenth, a dogleg-right par four that has a split fairway and dares longer hitters to cut the corner and go for the green. A foursome recently hit for the cycle on the hole—a par, a birdie, an eagle and a double-eagle hole in one.

Longboat Key Club and Resort, Harbourside
301 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; 888-237-5545, longboatkeyclub.com. Yardage: Red: 3,323; White: 3,426; Blue: 3,386. Slope: Red/Blue: 138; White/Blue: 141; Red/White: 132. Par: 72. Architect: William Byrd, 1982. Greens Fees: $85–$140. T+L GOLF Rating: ****

Although Longboat Key's five nines lie nearly end to end on a single bayside spit of land adjacent to fashionable Sarasota, the two courses here offer somewhat different experiences. The twenty-seven-hole Harbourside layout is the more memorable of the two, epitomized by the fifth hole on the Blue nine (recently renamed Blue Heron; the other two nines are soon to be "animalized" as well), a 580-yard par five with a peninsula green. It was one of several holes ratcheted up last year when the course received a thorough makeover by architect Ron Garl, who is based in nearby Lakeland. The White nine features lovely stands of fig and pine trees, not to mention several varieties of palms. Harbourside's sister course, Islandside, features water on all eighteen holes. It's most appealing for the hundreds of palms and white-and-pink oleanders lining the fairways.

TOURNAMENT PLAYERS CLUB OF TAMPA BAY
5300 West Lutz Lake Fern Road, Lutz; 813-949-0090, tpc.com. Yardage: 6,898. Par: 71. Slope: 135. Architects: Bobby Weed and Chi Chi Rodriguez, 1991. Greens Fees: $55–$99. T+L GOLF Rating: ****

There's plenty to like about this venue, the site of a Champions Tour event, but if you are spraying the ball, it will spray you back: All but three of the holes have water hazards, most of them very much in play, with a number of forced carries to relatively compact landing areas. This is partly a function of careful stewardship of the site's ecology, one of the pleasures of which is the abundance of shore birds, including sandhill cranes, wood storks, ibises and egrets. Like most TPCs, the operation here is courteous and efficient. Proximity to the airport makes this a great first or last stop.

THE WESTIN INNISBROOK GOLF RESORT, COPPERHEAD
36750 U.S. Highway 19 North, Palm Harbor; 727-942-2000, westin-innisbrook.com. Yardage: 7,340. Par: 71. Slope: 134. Architects: Lawrence and Roger Packard, 1972. Greens Fees: $170–$190, resort guests only. T+L GOLF Rating: ****

The site of the PGA Tour's Chrysler Championship (formerly the JC Penney Classic), Innisbrook has long been an icon of Florida golf. The irony is that, except for the Spanish moss and the odd alligator, the rolling terrain, sandy soil and conifer-lined fairways on the resort's flagship Copperhead course are more likely to remind you of the Carolinas. In fact, the layout has a bit of everything, including more than seventy bunkers, copious water hazards, long uphill carries and tricky putting surfaces.

WORLD WOODS GOLF CLUB, ROLLING OAKS
17590 Ponce DeLeon Boulevard, Brooksville; 352-796-5500, worldwoods.com. Architect: Tom Fazio, 1993. Yardage: 6,985. Par: 72. Slope: 133. Greens Fees: $40–$130. T+L GOLF Rating: ****

Rolling Oaks is more traditional in its bunkering than its more famous sister course, Pine Barrens, and generally less severe. But don't be lulled into a false sense of security: It does have some precipitous contours, which combined with dozens of striking live oaks give the course the feel of Texas hill country.

SADDLEBROOK RESORT, PALMER
5700 Saddlebrook Way, Wesley Chapel; 800-729-8383, saddlebrook.com. Yardage: 6,641. Par: 71. Slope: 134. Architects: Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, 1986. Greens Fees: $105–$130.T+L GOLF Rating: ***1/2

There's some debate over which of Saddlebrook's two courses is the best. Regulars, who refer to the resort's original eighteen (designed by Dean Refram in 1976) as "the Old course," insist that it is a better layout than the Palmer (built a decade later). Although neither is particularly long or difficult, the Palmer course is the more exciting test of golf. It's wider off the tee, but elevated greens demand precise approach shots and a steady putter. The resort serves as the world headquarters of the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy, and several packages include daily instructional sessions.

BEST OF THE REST

Formerly PGA National (from 1945 to 1962), semiprivate Dunedin Country Club ($50–$59, 727-733-7836) is a worthy old Donald Ross design. Waterlefe Golf & River Club ($35–$80, 941-744-9771) in Bradenton has twice served as a U.S. Open qualifying site, despite being just five years old. Silverthorn Country Club ($40–$65, 352-799-2600) is a 1994 design by Florida legend Joe Lee combining tight fairways and open expanses subject to inland winds. Fox Hollow Golf Club ($60–$90, 727-376-6333) is part of a family of courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Roger Rulewich that includes Crumpin-Fox and Fox Hopyard in New England. The well-groomed thirty-six-hole Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club ($65–$119, 877-481-2652) may become the next household name in Tampa golf. The topography, by Florida standards, is practically mountainous.

PRIVATE GEMS

Old Memorial Golf Club, Tampa (1997). One of the more difficult invites in town—but worth the effort. Designed by Steve Smyers, this caddies-only course has the wild bunkering and dramatic green complexes for which Smyers is known.
Hunter's Green Country Club, Tampa (1989). Yet another vintage indicator of why Tom Fazio's work, private and public, has become so integral to the Florida scene.
Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club, Tampa (1916). Designed by transplanted Scotsman Tom Bendelow, whose portfolio, however distinguished, has been overshadowed by Donald Ross, Willie Park and others of his era. The layout is short, tight and interesting.

TAMPA PLUS

Florida's comprehensive network of high-speed interstate highways notwithstanding, driving around the Sunshine State has never seemed easy. But Tampa's location on asymmetrical Tampa Bay, along with the half-dozen bridges that traverse it, manages to relieve the confusion wrought by the state's predominantly flat and featureless terrain. An early-morning or late-afternoon drive across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which connects St. Petersburg and the Sarasota area, is de rigueur for any first-time visitor.

Speaking of interstates, I-75 and I-275 both travel north–south, the former allowing you to bypass downtown Tampa. The two-year-old Veterans Expressway has greatly expedited travel to points north of the city, including the airport, Busch Gardens and several of the region's top courses. Apart from an inner-city bus system with twenty-eight routes, an "in-town" trolley system connects many of the downtown neighborhoods, including Ybor City and Channelside.

Situated just seven miles from downtown, Tampa International Airport is frequently cited in passenger surveys as one of the nation's most user-friendly. Two terminals have been added in the past three years, to accommodate the expanded flight schedules of Southwest Airlines and a newcomer, Independence Air. Across the bay is St. Petersburg–Clearwater International Airport and to the south is Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport, both of them favorites among Canadians.

Tampa's official web site, visittampabay.com, provides some good basic information; or call 800-448-2672.

Other Attractions

Tampa's farrago of neighborhoods and natural assets—starting with its three-dozen beaches—makes winnowing the choices of nongolf activities a lot more difficult than identifying them. As you would expect in the prosperous, upscale metropolis, there are plenty of shopping options. Channelside offers a waterfront atmosphere, restaurants, an IMAX theatre and shops unique to Tampa, while International Plaza counts such national chains as Tiffany & Co. and Neiman Marcus among its 200 retail outlets. Old Hyde Park Village is set in one of the city's oldest and most architecturally distinguished neighborhoods. University Mall and are known for their vast array of department stores, specialty shops and eateries.

During the peak production years of the late 1800s, Cuban and Italian immigrants hand-rolled seven million cigars a year in Ybor City (pronounced EE-bor). Since being designated a national historic district in 1991, the neighborhood, Tampa's liveliest for nightlife, has become more diversified, but you can still watch tabaqueros ply their craft. The festive atmosphere includes restored turn-of-the-century architecture, nightclubs, boutiques, coffeehouses and the district's own trademark beer, Ybor Gold. It is also a great place for a Cuban sandwich, made with Cuban bread, ham, pork, Genoa salami, cheese, mustard and pickle, then flattened and crisped.

With more than 10,000 aquatic plants and animals, the Florida Aquarium is among the most thoughtfully put together in the country, not to mention the most participatory: Hands-on experiences include a sea urchin touching tank, catamaran tours of the bay in search of dolphin and other sea life, and a chance to don a wet suit to swim with fish and even dive with sharks. Naturally, those inclined to dive with sharks will want to follow up with a ride on SheiKra, the new roller coaster at Busch Gardens. The tallest roller coaster in Florida—technically a "dive coaster," a North American first, with its ninety-degree 200-foot drop—it is also the first to feature an Immelman loop, which combines a roll with the standard roller-coaster loop.

A sense of Tampa Bay's barrier islands comes in entertaining form on a Royal Conquest Pirate Cruise departing from Madeira Beach and sailing past Treasure Island and Boca Ciega Bay and into the Gulf of Mexico.

The region's lush, semitropical climate merges with some fascinating urban history at Sunken Gardens, a century-old botanical garden in St. Petersburg with cascading waterfalls and exotic birds.

WHERE TO STAY

BELLEVIEW BILTMORE RESORT, BEACH CLUB, GOLF CLUB & SPA
25 Belleview Boulevard, Clearwater; 800-237-8947, belleviewbiltmore.com. Rooms: $159–$199. Suites: $179–$259.

Perched atop white-sand bluffs, this Victorian hotel, built in 1897 by railroad tycoon Henry B. Plant, is one of the nation's first to connect grand living and golf. Its 244 rooms and suites emanate a turn-of-the-century charm, and guests get playing privileges at the nearby golf club of the same name, a vintage 1925 Donald Ross design.

LONGBOAT KEY CLUB AND RESORT
301 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; 888-237-5545, longboatkeyclub.com. Rooms: $240–$375. Suites: $315–$1,150.

All 202 of the guest rooms and suites here have private balconies. The resort also has four restaurants, a year-round "Kids Klub," a spa, a fitness center and a white-sand beach.

RENAISSANCE VINOY RESORT & GOLF CLUB
501 Fifth Avenue NE, St. Petersburg; 727-894-1000, vinoyrenaissanceresort.com. Rooms: $219–$269. Suites: $369–$1,500.

Located near downtown St. Petersburg and offering great views of the bay, this restored 1920s Mediterranean Revival landmark has 360 rooms, including fourteen grand suites, as well as a spa and other first-class amenities.

THE RITZ-CARLTON, SARASOTA
1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive, Sarasota; 800-241-3333, ritzcarlton.com. Rooms: $269–$459. Suites: $329–$519. A typically opulent Ritz-Carlton, this recently opened hotel has 266 rooms and suites, including Club Level accommodations, all with private balconies that offer bay, marina or skyline views.

THE WESTIN INNISBROOK GOLF RESORT
36750 U.S. Highway 19 North, Palm Harbor; 877-752-1480, westin-innisbrook.com. Rooms: $149–$195. Suites: $179–$425.

Arguably the best-known Tampa golf resort, this 900-acre property has a bit of everything, including what it calls the "Loch Ness Monster Pool." A continuously running shuttle system moves guests around to the resort's various attractions.

WHERE TO EAT

BEACH BISTRO
(Gulf Coast/Mediterranean) 6600 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, Anna Maria Island; 941-778-6444. $$$$

You can live with entrée names like Food Heaven—Iowa lamb crowned with Maine lobster and Hudson Valley foie gras on brioche bread pudding—when the cuisine is this good.

BERN'S STEAK HOUSE
(Steak) 1208 South Howard Avenue, Tampa; 813-251-2421. $$$$A Tampa landmark, this Westshore restaurant is larger than life: two dozen caviars, private dessert rooms and a prodigious wine collection. Even with 350 seats, there is often a waiting list.

COLUMBIA RESTAURANT
(Spanish) 2117 East Seventh Avenue, Tampa; 813-248-4961. $$$This is Florida's oldest restaurant, an Ybor City institution celebrating its centennial in 2005. The place is quite a scene, seating 1,700 people in fifteen rooms, with flamenco and classical dance performances six days a week.

CRAB & FIN
(Raw Bar/Seafood) 420 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota; 941-388-3964. $$$There are a dozen restaurants, many of them with outdoor seating, and numerous retail outlets surrounding the round park that is St. Armands Circle.

Crab & Fin is notable for its extensive wine list, including pairings for its numerous raw-bar selections. marchand's bar and grill (Continental) 501 Fifth Avenue NE, St. Petersburg; 727-894-1000. $$$$The flagship restaurant of the Renaissance Vinoy, this high-ceilinged, sconce-lit room has the feel of a grand ballroom. The steak and fish selections, including a vanilla-dusted Chilean sea bass, are superb.

PELAGIA TRATTORIA
(Mediterranean) 4200 Jim Walter Boulevard, Tampa; 813-313-3235. $$$ At the Renaissance Tampa Hotel, near the trendy, pedestrian-only Bay Street at International Plaza, this is "a place to see and be seen," as the menu, which includes pizza and lighter fare, points out.

THIRSTY MARLIN
(Seafood) 1023 Florida Avenue, Palm Harbor; 727-784-3469. $$

Restaurants on the Gulf Coast, particularly north of Tampa Bay, generally have a more casual atmosphere than those downtown. This one is among the best. Try the blackened grouper or mahi mahi.

VERNONA
(Contemporary American) 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive, Sarasota; 941-309-2000. $$$$

As the premier restaurant of the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, Vernona not only offers fine dining, it elevates the state of the art, in this case through the use of local produce and organic ingredients.

The information in this story was accurate at the time it was published in November 2005 but we suggest you confirm all details and prices directly with any establishments mentioned. The quality of offerings and services tends to change over time.