DESTINATION
GUIDES Option 1: Tallahassee: Emerald Coast’s unsung golf hero
Option 2: The Miracle of the Emerald Coast: Tallahassee finds its place
under the golf sun
Each spring and summer thousands of families flock to Western Florida and drive the 100-mile long “Miracle Strip” between Panama City Beach and Pensacola to get to the Emerald Coast, the playground of the Gulf Coast. What makes the Emerald Coast such a revered holiday destination is its crystal white beaches, clear emerald waters, and the bayous, lazy rivers and green forests that complement the shoreline.
|
||||||||||
The unique phenomenon which gives the Emerald Coat its name can be witnessed at certain times of the day when the Gulf of Mexico waters just off the Panhandle shimmer with a pure, mesmerizing green hue, the image in one’s mind is of a sea of pure sparkling emeralds. The contrast between the calm, jeweled Gulf water and the pure white "sugar" sand beaches can be startling, and is the reason why this is one of the truly beautiful and appreciated havens to those who know it.
Tallahassee, named Florida's state capital in 1832, is not only different in its scenery from most of the state, but in its overall character is as well. Specifically, conservative Tallahassee doesn't exude a "Fun in the Sun" personality in the same way locales to the south do.
One
of the major commercial centers in the state, Tallahassee has had less
than its share of the limelight as a preferred golfing destination in
Florida. But the debut of SouthWood Golf Club in 2002, changed Tallahassee's
somewhat lackluster golf reputation. The Fred Couples/ Gene Bates designed
course gave the capital city its very own top notch layout - one that
would no doubt be considered a must-play in areas with considerably
more golfing prowess.
The golf bug has long since spread outside the friendly confines of Tallahassee. Once a quiet enclave of fishermen and naturalists, Destin has blossomed into a choice drive market destination for golfers throughout the south. The beaches, convenience, reasonable lodging rates, and endless assortment of outdoor activities are the principle reasons for its expanding popularity. Golf, too, must be considered on that list.
"We've
now got as many golf holes here as Hilton Head does," says Emerald
Coast Convention & Visitor Bureau President and CEO Darrel Jones.
"There's as much variety in the kinds of courses as well, if not
more.”
"We've got more than 1,000 holes to play and new courses keep popping up every year,” says Jones. “Ten years ago we weren't even close to that number.”
Although the Emerald Coast's courses are spread out over a larger geographic area than other golf markets in the south, the caliber of play is certainly worth sampling. And as Jones notes, the number keeps growing as some of golf's leading architects seek to add their names to the ledger in this largely untapped golfing region.
