With two beautiful golf courses, a golf academy, great practice facilities and a slew of other activities, it’s hard to beat Saddlebrook Resort for a golf vacation.
This 480-acre resort, located in Wesley Chapel, Fla., just outside of Tampa Bay, offers 36 holes of Arnold Palmer-designed golf, excellent golf instruction, terrific restaurants, wonderful pools, 45 tennis courts and tennis academy, a full-service spa and more than 9,500 square feet of meeting space.Â
Formally opened in 1981, Saddlebrook Resort has a comfortable look. It’s a destination that once you get there, you can valet park and walk or take a golf cart everywhere. It’s informal, super convenient and relaxed.Â
And the golf is extremely enjoyable.
36 holes of fun golf at Saddlebrook
The two courses at Saddlebrook are quintessential Florida golf. They take advantage of the natural terrain, lagoons, flora and trees. Both courses were designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, but the original Saddlebrook Course, which opened in 1976 as a Dean Refram design (Palmer would later redesign it), is the signature golf look at the resort with its magnificent cypress trees lining fairways and wetlands. There are plenty of doglegs and choices to make off the tee, which means the 6,480-yard, par-70 course requires precision and patience.
It’s also very enjoyable and very scenic. The signature hole, the 425-yard 18th, epitomizes the experience. With towering cypress trees lining the fairway, beautiful white sand bunkers in the landing area off the tee and a pond in front of the green (you might even see a gator or two), the hole is both difficult and beautiful. It, as well as the Palmer Course, serves as a great training ground for the Saddlebrook Golf Academy students that live and go to school at the resort year-round. And that makes it a great experience for resort guests as well. More than anything, the course is fun. The par-4s are all different, there’s a really nice collection of visually appealing par-5s, and there are some good birdie opportunities throughout your round.
The other course at Saddlebrook, the Palmer Course, doesn’t have the cypress trees, but it has plenty of pine trees and water. It’s just 6,200 yards, but it’s anything but easy. Course management is a must. Longer hitters who pull driver on every par 4 or par 5 are probably going to go through a few golf balls on their way to a high score.Â
While the two courses are very different from each other, accuracy and a good short game are musts for success on both courses at Saddlebrook Resort. Â
The Saddlebrook Golf Training Center offers a large practice facility with both a short-game area and full range, as well as indoor bays with all the latest technology, including Trackman, SamBalanceLab, and SamPuttLab. Instruction, as well as that technology, is available for not only the academy students, but guests as well, which makes Saddlebrook a great option for attending a golf school. You can sign up for individual lessons, half-day, full-day or multi-day schools. There’s even a program for beginners to take them all the way to the course.
Saddlebrook’s other offerings complete the package
Like the golf at Saddlebrook, tennis instruction is also outstanding. Not only does Saddlebrook offer individual lessons, but there is an array of drills you can participate in, and they serve every level. It’s a great chance to meet other players and put together games on the 45 courts on four different services.
After golf or other activities, Saddlebrook boasts its 7,000-square-foot European-style Saddlebrook Spa. Treatments feature a full menu of spa and salon services as well as whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms, and a courtyard terrace for lounging, sunbathing and dining. Massage options include sports recovery to reflexology and hot stone treatments. And be sure to check out the wonderful pools at Saddlebrook Resort.
The dining at Saddlebrook includes Dempsey’s Steak House, which serves prime beef and seafood in a traditional setting. T.D. Sports Bar is a great choice for checking out games and enjoying a few adult beverages with an excellent menu that includes everything from appetizers to great sandwiches and burgers. And there’s also a Poolside Café and Pool Bar if you are looking for something a bit more low key and relaxing. If you like dessert, be sure to try out the key lime pie or carrot cake. Both are made in-house from scratch and the key lime pie might be among the top two or three in Florida.
Where to stay during your Saddlebrook visit
Saddlebrook’s lodging options are both varied and comfortable. It includes 540 one- and two-bedroom accommodations, the vast majority of which are suites that include full kitchens and patios that create a perfect setting for your buddy or family golf trip. And to showcase the natural beauty of the property, all of Saddlebrook’s accommodations are clustered around nine park-like courtyards, made up of four buildings. Each has colorful gardens, stone benches and gorgeous tropical landscaping. The rooms are well-appointed, large, and provide incredible value for a great Florida getaway.
Recommendation
Saddlebrook Resort is one of our favorite value resorts in the country. It’s hard to beat the experience you get here for the price. Located about 20 minutes from Tampa Bay, there is so much to do onsite and nearby that it makes for a great home base for either a family golf getaway or an affordable buddy trip. You can get some absolute package steals here during the summer months, and compared to other Florida resorts you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck if you come during peak season.
