living on the links
Destination: Naples, Florida Golf Capital of the World is a Hot Spot for Golf Trips, Retirement and Relocation Idyllic Naples, Florida has long been home to a collection of resort, daily fee and private courses designed by many of the game’s greatest golf course architects. With nearly 100 18-hole equivalent golf facilities, close to 1,400 total holes and over 300 days of sunshine a year, this coastal chic enclave on the state’s southwest coast has certainly earned its moniker, “The Golf Capital of the World.” For have-clubs-will-travel golfers, timing is imperative when planning a Naples golf trip. Peak season winter rates at top courses can easily exceed $250, while the summer months bring deep discounts but also a significant golf course maintenance throughout the market. The early fall and late spring shoulder seasons are optimal times to plan a visit, with reasonable rates, fewer crowds and less thunder and lightning And for those who fall in love with
Lely Golf
the area (they number in the thousands, annually), retire or relocate to Southwest Florida, Collier County and southern Lee County are home to more golf communities, per capital, than any region of the country. “Old Naples” in the city’s center and to the south, as well as coastal stretches along the Gulf of Mexico are home to multi-milliondollar homes and condos. Outlying areas like North Naples, Golden Gate, Bonita Springs and Estero offer plenty of modern touches and more affordable price points.
Top Tier Old Corkscrew Golf Club is a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in rapidly growing Estero in southern Lee County. The brawny, 7,393-yard layout sprawls over 275 acres of native, grasses, trees and wetlands marked by vast waste bunkers, pristine fairways and the Golden Bear’s signature green
complexes. Unique to the area, Old Corkscrew is a pure golf experience devoid of housing and other distractions. All the better for focusing on the task at hand and managing the course’s eyepopping 151 slope rating from the tips. A few miles to the south, golfers will appreciate the one-two punch of the Gold and Black courses at Tiburon Golf Club. Both tracks were designed by Greg Norman and are home to PGA and LPGA Tour events: the QBE Shootout and CME Group Tour Championship, respectively. The combo sets up perfectly for the relatively long days of late summer and early that can still accommodate 36 holes. The JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort anchors the Naples region’s southern end, and the Hammock Bay Golf and Country Club is the property’s marquee offering. Jim Hardy and former PGA / Champions Tour player turned commentator Peter Jacobsen designed
Olde Cypress
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Golf Central • Volume 22, Issue 6
