Buddies Trip - Tampa Bay Area

[Golfffer]

The annual buddies trip has taken a shift to my home state of Florida. The last four years, we have taken trips to Michigan, Kentucky, Pinehurst and Scottsdale. The Tampa area is the best logistical option, but I am willing to look at Orlando as well. Great golf is preferred, but good golf should suffice. We tend to have a good time regardless. Renting a place on the beach and driving to golf is one option. I know that options are fairly limited for quality golf close to any of the primary beach locations. Though stogies and drinks on the beach after golf sounds like a good way to finish any day.

 

Unfortunately, price is also a factor this year for the group.

 

Thoughts?

[sabram]

World Woods. Best two Courses in the area and not too expensive.

[Bubb]

My wife and I stayed on Clearwater Beach one year and played various places around Tampa. Because of our location and traffic in the Tampa area, we spent three hours a day in the car. What a waste. Also, I think the golf in Orlando is better than in Tampa for the most part. While the OCN courses are awesome, the lodging is spartan and the bar and grill shuts down early. It is also in the middle of nowhere, so you have to drive to eat / drink elsewhere.

Hammock Beach seems a little to upscale for a buddies trip. Sawgrass is pretty pricey as well. If it were me, I'd stay in Orlando. Plenty of great courses and places to eat. Either that or World Woods.

[Driver Eight]

Just did our first buddies trip (8 guys) to Tampa last month, great time would definitely recommend and go back. After much research, we landed on staying at Emerald Greens (Drew Dosek was great, helped us out a bunch). Rented 2 condos, nice accommodations (check on trip advisor or hotels.com) and good central location to nightlife and golf. We were on somewhat of a budget as well and found that packaging the lodging and golf was definitely the way to go. As it happens Emerald Greens has partnerships with TPC, Lake Jovita, and one other course so preferred rates and payable on one bill at the end of your stay.

Our itinerary:
Thur: arrive and play 18 at Emerald. 1/2 of us got badly delayed and only got in 9 holes. they have 3 nine hole courses, were decent (acceptable but not memorable)
Fri: 36 at Lake Jovita, per these boards, 2 nice tracks about 30 min drive
Sat: 36 at World Woods, awesome day of golf, well worth the 50 min drive-not part of our emerald green package but called ahead and got good rate (go to site and sign up for their vip emails)
Sun: had intended to squeeze in 9 before early afternoon flight but bailed...too much nightlife and weather turned bad.

We went during peak time (peak rates) and wound up in the $500-$600 range per man for lodging and golf, seemed real reasonable given the quality of both. Would have loved to check out Innisbrook but not cost effective. Hope this helps, we had a great time and area had a lot to offer (I had never been prior).

[mwmgolfx]

First choice by far for best overall price - World Woods two world class courses Plus phenomenal practice area. And some of the nearby courses are not bad either, such as the Dunes, Sugarmill woods,

Second choice - pricier but some interesting courses - Innisbrook.

Third choice - Orlando Reunion.

[dporto]

World Woods is a phenomenal facility - both courses and the practice area are excellent. The Dunes is also a really nice course and the practice area is also no slouch. I played both these courses/clubs in late Dec. '11 and they were both in fine shape. The only drawback I see is that it's about a 45-50 minute drive from Clearwater/Tampa in good traffic conditions. RT 19 can be brutal during any kind of "rush hour" type traffic. There is a place called The Plantation Inn in Crystal springs (about 10 min. north of World Woods) that also has a decent 18 hole golf course and a 9 hole course as well that is very reasonable priced (around $45 w/cart for 18) [url="http://www.plantationoncrystalriver.com/index.html?gclid=CLiNrviYra8CFecSNAodklxMmw"]http://www.plantationoncrystalriver.com/index.html?gclid=CLiNrviYra8CFecSNAodklxMmw[/url]. It might be worth checking out - I looked at staying there a few years back and the prices were reasonable - my Dad lives in Homosassa, so I wound up staying with him. Good Luck

[mwmgolfx]

I actually live in the tampa area (ne of town). Much much faster from Tampa to World Woods, the Dunes etc is the Veteran's expressway. The end of the expressway terminates on the road that World woods is on, just a short drive left about 1/4 mile is all. The Dunes is about 5 miles left and then down 19. This totally eliminates taking US 19 which is always brutal and should be avoided at all costs.

Other course close in : Fox Hollow, TPC tampa Bay, Lake jovita (2 courses - conditioning very hit or miss but very different from normal florida courses), Plantation Palms, Bayou club,

[Eternal]

Glad i found this thread. Gonna be staying in Clearwater Beach... is the trip up to TPC Tampa Bay worth it?

[jnier75]

[quote name='Eternal' timestamp='1334208349' post='4706080']
Glad i found this thread. Gonna be staying in Clearwater Beach... is the trip up to TPC Tampa Bay worth it?
[/quote]

Save your money. I played a one day tourney last fall and it just wasn't that special of a course. Conditioning was good but the price seemed to be based off the TPC name not the course itself. I would gladly drive the extra 45 mins to world woods and play pine barrens or out to saddlebrook. The bayou club in largo is a good track if you can get on, it's private but they are hurting.

[wkbird]

The post about the Veterans Expressway is spot on. If you can find a hotel close to it you'll be able to get anywhere relatively quickly (outside of rush hour).

I recommend fitting in World Woods, but I wouldn't stay out that way because it is out in the country (as country as Florida can be).

Some courses I didn't see mentioned:
Brooksville Country Club (#2 after World Woods IMO; some really cool "quarry" holes) [url="http://www.brooksvillecc.com/"]http://www.brooksvillecc.com/[/url]
Westchase Golf Club (morning rates are high IMO, try to squeeze a round in the afternoon for a better rate) [url="http://westchasegc.com/"]http://westchasegc.com[/url]

[MB GOLF]

World Woods. Period. End of sentence.

You could spend a day just on the practice green gambling with your buds.

Both courses are fantastic and you will want more than 1 round on each. Spending a few days? make the golf World Woods.

[ilikegolf26]

I live in St. Pete and would not recommend staying here or in Clearwater. It is too long a drive to any courses worth playing imo. Stay in Tampa and enjoy the nightlife there and a closer drive to the better courses.

[tarpongolf80]

I also live in Tampa and the golf isnt really that great here having grown up in Michigan. I am a member at Southern Hills and you may be able to get out there with a phone call even though private. I would also recommend Innisbrook and obviously World Woods. TPC isnt bad but after you get away from the above mentioned anything else is mediocre at best. Check out Southern Dunes in Haines City. Its only about a 45-50 min drive and a pretty sweet track west of Kissimmee. Orlando blows Tampa out of the water in terms of golf quality. Head there!

[al3h]

Do you have to stay at the resort in order to play at Innisbrook?

[puttapotomus]

Dont forget to include a trip to Mons Venice while you are down there. You'll never forget it!!!