Fairways • Winter 2010
Escape to Florida's Emerald Coast
by Garrit Johnson
If you are going to take the time to travel for a little golf and surf rest and relaxation you might as well choose a location that will place you in the heart of all the getaway amenities offered in Destin, Florida.
The Destin beachfront is the ideal respite from all that you are escaping from and puts fantastic golfing, dining and sunbathing right at your finger tips.
Make the Sterling Sands your home base for your trip and you won’t miss any comforts of home. The Sands offers scenic views of the Gulf of Mexico with plenty of sunshine and surf right outside your private balcony. Two and three bedroom units are available with kitchens, whirlpool tubs, private laundry facilities and master suites. The Sterling Sands also offers guest a beach-side free-form pool. Amenities also include onsite check-in, unlimited DVD rentals, beach service and programs to keep the kids busy during peak season.
In addition to the Sands, Sterling Destin Vacations offers plenty of accommodation choices online at www.SterlingResorts.com. Sterling Resorts is one of the leading vacation rental management companies in the southeast. Sterling guests enjoy preferred rates at local golf courses including Kelly Plantation.
The Destin vicinity is well known for its beach fun but if you can pull yourself away from the shoreline and golf courses you will find plenty of shopping at the Silver Sands shopping village and fine costal cuisine dining at popular eateries such as Dewey Destin’s, Floyds, Commander’s Palace, Lucky Snapper and the Magnolia Grill.
At the Sands you can choose your level of rest or adventure. Spend your time on the white sandy beaches for which Destin is famous, chase some birdies at the nearby Regatta Bay Country Club, Indian Bayou and Kelly Plantation golf courses or just relax with a little sunset sailing.
The Regatta Bay Golf and Country Club has been voted the “the #1 Favorite Golf Course in Northwest Florida by Florida Golf News magazine and “Best of Emerald Coast” by the readers of Emerald Coast magazine. Golf Digest has ranked the course among its “Top 200 Places to Play in North America,” as well as one of the “Top 15” courses in Florida.
The course plays to a par 72 and is 6,800 yards from the tips. The course is well manicured and offers a challenging layout with plenty of scenic ocean views. A lot of tee shots will cross over or along the native wetlands requiring some accuracy off the tee. Overall the golf course is resort-like in presentation and playability.
The Fred Couples designed Kelly Plantation is 7,000 yards of large greens, wide fairways and picturesque views of the Choctawhatchee Bay. Once again water, in the forms of lakes and waterfronts play into a majority of the holes but also provide the scenic backdrop for this popular course.
With nearly 7,000 yards the course is big and expansive. Couples said, “I truly believe that my golf course at Kelly Plantation is special. The site has given us the opportunity to create one of the most challenging and enjoyable golf experiences in Florida.”
Successful golf vacations are defined by multiple choices for fun and relaxation. A trip to Destin, Florida has plenty of options to choose from. For more information and to plan your next trip please visit the Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau website at www.destin-fwb.com and
www.SterlingResorts.com.
Garrit Johnson is the art director for Fairways Media and a frequent contributor to Fairways. |
