Hidden gems of Florida

Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne is eighth on Dr. Beach’s list. It tends to get much less attention than the glitzy Miami beaches, but it’s only a 10-minute drive from downtown.

"With its clear, emerald-colored waters, gentle surf and fine, coral sand, it is the best swimming beach in the Southeast," Leatherman wrote. "A large sand shoal offshore knocks down the waves, and rip currents are nonexistent except perhaps during stormy weather ... the water drops off so gradually that the beach is safe for small children."

For golf, try the Crandon Park Golf Course, formerly known as the Links of Key Biscayne. The course, which overlooks Biscayne Bay, was designed in 1972 by Robert Van Hagge and Bruce Devlin, then renovated in 1993. It has the world’s largest tee, seven saltwater lakes and plenty of mangrove thickets. It has hosted the Senior PGA Tour event, and has been highly ranked by a number of national golf magazines.

Being so close to Miami, it isn’t exactly cheap: green fees are $78 for Florida residents and $148 for non-residents.

For more information, including booking, call (877) 767-5445.

The beaches of Fort Lauderdale don’t appear anywhere on Dr. Beach’s lists, but if you’re looking for a little nightlife to go with your sun-bathing and golf, you could do worse. Yes, it has a hokey history, made so by the movie "Where the Boys Are," but they’re doing some interesting things north of Miami.

They undertook a $26 million renovation of Fort Lauderdale beach some years ago, including a complete redesign of A1A, the famous coastal road, brick-paved pedestrian crosswalks, a beachfront promenade and a beach "wavewall," – a swirling beach wall that extends two miles along the central portion of Fort Lauderdale Beach. You can even take a water taxi into downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Sticking with the historical theme, play the Coral Ridge Country Club’s golf course. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, it is one of a handful of private, old-time Florida courses that transport you back to the 1950s, when you could build a core golf course and still make a little profit, where the experience was more to the point than selling real estate.

It’s a treat to play the course, enjoying Jones’ strategic bunker placements, his long tees and his undulating greens, which actually aren’t as severe as many future courses he would design. The course is 7,095 yards with a slope rating of 134, with water hazards and other obstacles to avoid. It has a terrific arrangement of par-3s.

But, even more, it’s a treat to relish the history of a course, a time and a place: this is where three-time major winner Julius Boros, a great friend of Jones, spent his last day on earth, on the 16^th hole; they named a bridge after him, and his widow still lives on the course and plays every week in the ladies tournaments.

For more information, including booking, call (800) 678-6171.

Our golf bloggers spend a great deal of time traveling from course to course (what a life!). Here’s a selection of their top tips for travelers - where to stay, great restaurants, over-rated destinations, and more!

This article provided through Golf Publisher Syndications.

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