DESTINATION GUIDES

The Other City by the bay: Tampa is the traveling golfer’s delight

Tampa, the other "city by the bay" may not compete with Naples and Boca Raton for being the most chi chi city in Florida. But with its fantastic collection of first-class resort courses, upscale daily fee and semiprivate tracks, the city is fast becoming a traveling golfer’s delight.

To wit, World Woods, a 45-minute drive north of the city, is a 36-hole Tom Fazio designed "core" golf panacea with its nine-hole short course and state-of-the-art practice center is deserving of its own mini-series. Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks are considered two of the top public access tracks in the state.

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In nearby Palm Harbor, the Westin Innisbrook is home to the renowned Copperhead Course, home of the Tampa Bay Classic. Innisbrook also houses three other solid layouts, the Island Course and Highlands North and South. North of the city and just a chip shot from Interstate-75, Saddlebrook Resort awaits with two Arnold Palmer designed courses, luxury suites and one of the country's premier tennis facilities.

In recent years Tampa, the third most populous city in the state of Florida, has been revamped to make it a better place to live, work and play. The city’s social fabric is woven into a revitalized downtown and waterfront area that includes a new multi-sport arena, a sea aquarium, museums, hotels and eateries.

• Tee it up in Tampa at these must-play courses