TPC Sawgrass
When looking for your next golf vacation destination, it’s tough to find one that can cater to everybody in your group.
There are so many different personality types that you’ll have to consider such as the person who only wants top-notch golf, the one who could care less about the courses and only cares about the off-course activities, the foodies, and the grinder just to name a few.
Fortunately for you, we’ve got a spot that can cater to everyone. Enter Florida’s First Coast of Golf and its five destinations that truly have it all including some of the following highlights.
Warm weather and sunshine
This one speaks for itself. Located in Northeastern Florida, Florida’s First Coast offers you the availability to play golf here year-round. For those of you located in the North, this is a particular selling point when you need to get away from the cold and get your golf shorts back out of the closet. The weather tends to be quite amazing here all year long, and with several of the courses being located close to the ocean you’ll likely find slightly cooler temperatures than other areas in Florida making it even more enjoyable.
100+ miles of coast
From the Northern points of Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach, to Jacksonville Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach, to historic St. Augustine, and down to the beautiful beaches of Palm Coast, Northeast Florida offers a multitude of coastal options to enjoy. You and your crew may decide to choose some beachside accommodations such as the Omni Amelia Island Resort, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, or Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa if you are looking for a one-stop-shop resort with golf and lodging onsite. If you’re looking for some great beachside options to make as home base for your visit here with golf nearby, check out the Courtyard by Marriott Jacksonville Beach or the new SpringHill Suites by Marriott Jacksonville Beach Oceanfront as they offer great value for your stay.
In addition to the lodging near the beach, the area also boasts exceptional seafood as you can imagine due to the proximity to the water at restaurants such as Safe Harbor Seafood Restaurant and North Beach Fish Camp. There are also more than 40 breweries and abundant rooftop bars such as Aardwold Brewing Company and Engine 15 Brewing Company in Jacksonville or the Mocama Beer Company in Fernandina Beach.
39 coastal holes
In addition to coastal resorts, the greater First Coast of Golf region boasts 39 holes along the coast for golfers to enjoy at multiple locations. Some of our favorites can be found at the Omni Amelia Island Resort’s Oak Marsh course that is currently undergoing a massive 9-month renovation that we are following closely. Another close by option is the Golf Club of Amelia Island, which is accessible for Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island guests to enjoy. If you’re looking to go a little further south, be sure to check out the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa.
71 publicly accessible courses
This region of the country offers a wonderful variety of golf courses where you can create a stay and play package that fits your needs and your budget. From a resort standpoint, we’ve referenced a few of the properties that stand out in this market already but to recap again, some of these include World Golf Village, TPC Sawgrass, Omni Amelia Island Resort, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa, and the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club. Each of these facilities have exceptional golf at them, but if you’re looking for a more economical option you can also create a stay and play package in these markets at some fun local options such as Fernandina Beach Golf Club, The Amelia River Club, Halifax Plantation, Eagle Landing Golf Club, Royal St. Augustine Golf & Country Club, and GreatLIFE Golf’s Windsor Parke Golf Club & Julington Creek Golf Course.
Home of THE PLAYERS Championship & Constellation Furyk & Friends
As we wrap up THE PLAYERS Championship, we are reminded that the game’s “fifth major” resides at the iconic TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. It’s a great story behind how this property became the crown jewel in the TPC Network portfolio that can be found here, and now Florida’s First Coast has also added the Champions Tour’s Constellation Furyk & Friends into the mix in October giving you two epic events to build a golf trip itinerary around.
Football!
There’s nothing like combining an NFL game alongside an epic golf journey to cap off an amazing itinerary for your golf trip. The 2024 schedule has yet to be released yet, but the teams that the Jags are playing at home have been locked in and they include the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and the Cleveland Browns. Another great football weekend to check out is the Florida-Georgia game (or Georgia-Florida game depending on which side of the state line you are on) that is played at a neutral site at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville if you’re looking to check out one of the greatest rivalries in college football.
Top-notch golf schools
Looking to improve your game while you are on the road? Northeast Florida offers multiple venues such as the PGA TOUR Golf Academy at World Golf Village, The Performance Center at The Amelia River Club, and the PGA TOUR Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass for you to sharpen your game at world-class facilities alongside unforgettable golf. These facilities all offer exceptional teachers and the latest technology to improve your game, and you’ll be in great hands as you improve your game and enjoy some phenomenal properties.
Home to PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions
The PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions host their world headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. It goes without saying that these two icons would not set up camp in a destination where golf wasn’t a staple of life so in case you were looking for one last reason to solidify booking your trip here, hopefully this is the last piece of the puzzle that you need to push you over the edge to book a trip to this exceptional destination.