VISIT FLORIDA Official Media Newsroom

Par-fect Golfing Experience in the Sunshine State

NEWS RELEASE TOPIC:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 9, 2009

March 09, 2009 For those looking for the par-fect golfing experience, look no further than Florida: a state long regarded as one of the most prominent golf destinations around. Florida is a golfer’s paradise, offering hundreds of courses to cater for every level of skill and experience. Whether looking to perfect a putting technique, better a backswing or hoping for a hole in one, take the opportunity to tee off in one of Florida’s challenging courses. Take flight to one of the Florida fairways below for an exhilarating golfing experience.

VISIT FLORIDA has teamed with the PGA of America and the Florida Sports Foundation to create a one-of-a-kind Web site with comprehensive information and interactive elements. With help from golf.VISITFLORIDA.com, scratch golfers and hackers alike will ace their next Florida golf outing. Golfers can search every course in Florida to find exactly what they are looking for, including location, number of holes, par, amenities, course type and rates. The PGA section of the Web site provides useful instructions and tips from PGA Professionals, tournament coverage and information about players. Visitors to the site can also upload golf pictures and videos of their own, sign up for Florida golf e-magazines and download the Play FLA Golf e-book.

GOLF NEWS

JACKSONVILLE: THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, TPC SAWGRASS
This is one of golf’s biggest events, held May 4-10, and it’s played annually on the coastline of Northeast Florida at the famed Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. The lush, green rolling hills and steep inclines offer spectacular views of each hole, especially the infamous 17th island hole. The tournament begins on Monday with practice rounds. Thursday, the competition heats up as Round 1 of tournament play begins leading up to the big finish on Sunday to see who will take home the crystal trophy. www.pgatour.com/theplayers

ST AUGUSTINE: MURRAY BROS. CADDYSHACK CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
Look forward to “A Good Time for a Great Cause” when the ninth-annual tournament returns with all the Murray brothers and their celebrity friends to benefit The Guardian Catholic Schools. The event is scheduled, April 23-24, 2009 and will kick off Thursday, April 23 with a pairings party and silent auction at Murray Bros. Caddyshack Restaurant at World Golf Village and continue Friday, April 24 with the charity golf tournament, an awards ceremony and post party. The tournament will consist of morning and afternoon flights on both of World Golf Village’s championship golf courses, Slammer & Squire and King & Bear. www.wgv.com

ORLANDO: MARRIOT GRAND VISTA RESORT
For those environmentally conscious players, the Marriot Grand Vista Resort is the perfect location for a round of golf. The Grand Vista Resort is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. The Marriott Golf environmental program, which was announced in March of 2008 and now includes all golf properties throughout North America and one signature property in the Caribbean, further positions the Company as the industry’s premier “green” golf management organization, while reinforcing Marriott International’s worldwide commitment to environmental consciousness. Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries, which enable golf facilities to protect the environment by enhancing precious natural areas and wildlife habitats, are part of a system wide commitment by Marriott International, Inc. to promote environmental stewardship. In order to achieve Audubon Certification, a golf facility is required to demonstrate that it is maintaining the highest degree of environmental quality in many areas including Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Outreach & Education, Chemical Use Reduction & Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management. www.gofaldo.com; www.marriottgolf.com

ORLANDO: AAA FOUR DIAMOND ROSEN SHINGLE CREEK HOTEL
Discriminating golfers seeking more than just a few hours on the course will find their own little “slice” of heaven at the AAA Four Diamond Rosen Shingle Creek hotel and award-winning Shingle Creek Golf Club. The 18-hole, par 72 (7,228 yard) David Harman designed Shingle Creek Golf Club is known as one of the best places to play in Florida. Shingle Creek Golf Club is also home to the Brad Brewer Golf Academy. The 1,500-room luxury hotel is conveniently located at 9939 Universal Blvd., just off the International Drive tourist district and ten minutes from the Orlando International Airport. www.shinglecreekgolf.com or www.rosenshinglecreek.com.

ORLANDO: RITZ CARLTON GOLF CLUB
At The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, children and young adults up to 17 years old can play golf at no charge with each paid adult round of golf. Or, guests can check out one of the clubs featured packages designed to reduce some of the unwanted hassles that come along with planning a vacation. The Family Golf Package includes the choice of three or nine holes of golf and one-hour instruction for one adult and one child; caddie concierge, golf cart, complimentary club rental and two sleeves of The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando golf balls.

ORLANDO: WALT DISNEY WORLD JUNIOR GOLF CAMPS
Walt Disney World Junior Golf Camps provides children ages 8-15 years old with a fun, educational golf experience and the opportunity to embark on a lifetime of enjoyment. The camp is hosted at Disney's Oak Trail, Palm and Magnolia courses and instruction is given by members of Disney's PGA Teaching Staff. Individual and group instruction is available, with an emphasis on rules, safety and etiquette. The on-course experience in combination with drills and competitions are designed to improve each student’s individual abilities. www.ritzcarlton.com; www.disneyworld.disney.go.com/

ORLANDO: HAWKS LANDING GOLF CLUB & ACADEMY
Hawk’s Landing Golf Club & Academy is currently participating in the Marriot Golf special program “Kids Golf-4-Free.” This program enables children under the age of 15 to play for free when accompanied by a paying adult after 3 p.m. In addition, Kids Rent-4-Free provides junior golfers participating in the program with a free rental set of clubs for use during their round. For those kids new to the game, Hawk’s Landing Golf Club also offers families a few special package deals that are sure to have every member hitting the links. The Stay & Play Golf Package includes accommodations for one night, unlimited daily golf for two at Hawk's Landing Golf Club and the Kids Golf-4-Free program. With the His ’N Her Spa & Golf Package mum can have a spa day while dad golf’s with the kids or vice versa. www.golf.marriott-vacations.com; www.golfhawkslanding.com

ORLANDO: MYSTIC DUNES GOLF COURSE TO HOST CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club will host a charity golf tournament on March 16, 2009 benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The “Celebrity Shoot Out at Mystic Dunes, Presented by Universal Orlando® Resort benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital” will include a Pairings Party at Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando on Sunday, May 15, 2009 and a golf tournament at Mystic Dunes Golf Club on Monday, May 16, 2009. The cost to play in the Celebrity Shoot Out is $500 per person or $2,000 per foursome. Tournament coordinators will randomly assign a fifth person, a well-known celebrity, to be part of each team. Mystic Dunes Golf Club, a high-end daily fee course, is open to the public and is located at Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club in Celebration, Florida, which is owned and operated by Tempus Resorts International, Ltd. Designed by Champions Tour player and NBC Golf Analyst Gary Koch, this premier Central Florida course is a par 71, 7,012-yard golfer’s dream. www.mysticdunesgolf.com

NORTH PALM BEACH: PGA NATIONAL RESORT & SPA
PGA National Resort & Spa has long been renowned as one of south Florida’s most legendary golf destinations. Home to the Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) and the annual host of the Honda Classic, the PGA national resort and spa has a distinguished history of tournament play - including the 25th Ryder Cup, the 69th PGA Championship, and nearly two decades of PGA Seniors' Championships. The legendary 381-room resort recently completed a $65 million facelift including completely new front entrance, outdoor pool and pavilion as well as enhanced public areas, restaurants, golf courses and landscaping. Guests can test their skills on five spectacular, tournament-ready courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Karl Litten, to name a few. Each course presents its own exquisite challenge. The stellar courses includes The Champion, A "must play" stop on any avid golfer's list. The Champion is considered one of Florida's most notable golf challenges and features "The Bear Trap," spanning three demanding holes designed by Jack Nicklaus. www.pgaresort.com/golf/

CORAL GABLES: THE BILTMORE’S STATE OF THE ART GOLF PROGRAM ALLOWS GOLFERS TO TRAIN LIKE PROS
The 276-room Biltmore is one of the few, true luxury destination resorts in a major metropolitan area, offering championship golf and has now introduced the Biltmore Total Performance Golf for it’s guests to improve their playing power. Biltmore Total Performance Golf uses state-of-the-art technology to determine whether a player’s golf swing is efficient or inefficient, and then make corrective changes to the individual based on that information. No one has ever been able to measure efficiency of the golf swing - only how it looks or its style - until now. Never before have players had the opportunity to improve their game in such a measurable - or thoroughly enjoyable - way. www.biltmorehotel.com
THE BEST OF THE REST

PANAMA BEACH: BAY POINT MARRIOT RESORT
Bay Point Marriott houses two 18-hole courses, the Nicklaus Course and the Meadows Course. The Nicklaus Course officially opened in 2005 as Northwest Florida’s only Nicklaus-designed course. The par-72 course measures more than 7,100 yards and offers challenges for both novice and seasoned golfers. Players can enjoy the natural terrain of scrub oaks, pines and salt-water marshes as well as panoramic views of St. Andrews Bay. The Meadows Course represents the epitome of resort golf, offering golfers an experience they regularly come back to. Its tight fairways, numerous bunkers and lakes all provide an ever-changing landscape for golfers of all skill levels. www.marriottbaypoint.com/

PANAMA CITY BEACH: THE HOMBRE GOLF CLUB
The Hombre Golf Club offers 27 Championship holes, otherwise known as “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.” The course features water on 21 of the 27 holes and is meticulously manicured to PGA specifications throughout the year. Both scenic and challenging, the course is nestled amidst wetlands, marshes, lakes and preserves, and is framed with stunning palms, pines and azaleas. Hombre annually hosts the second stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School, earning Burnham design a reputation for challenging play. It is also home to The Academy at Hombre Golf Club offering two-, three- and five-day golf schools as well as packages for hourly lessons. Course amenities include GPS technology on every cart, driving range, chipping and putting greens, and a golf shop. www.hombregolfclub.com

PANAMA CITY BEACH: HOLIDAY GOLF CLUB
Located only a mile from the beach is Holiday Beach Club’s semi-private, 18-Hole, par-72 championship course. Described as one of Florida's most enjoyable yet challenging tracks, the course offers broad, lake-lined fairways and elevated greens that are protected by bunkers of silky white sand. Holiday also features Bay County’s only lighted, nine-hole, Par 3 Course, designed with three sets of tees so the entire family can enjoy the game. A lighted range and practice facility are also offered. Lessons, rental clubs and packages are available. www.holidaygolfclub.com/

PANAMA CITY BEACH: SIGNAL HILL GOLF COURSE
Panama City Beach’s first golf course, Signal Hill, was designed on white-sand dunes. The 18-hole, par-71 course features breathtaking scenery, challenging greens and precise fairways Golfers can enjoy breakfast and lunch at Signal Hill’s snack bar and rent clubs at the course’s pro shop www.signalhillgolfcourse.com/

ST AUGUSTINE: WORLD GOLF HALL OF FAME
Golf fanatics can also take time out to visit the World Golf Hall of Fame, located at World Golf Village in St. Augustine and honouring golf’s greatest players and contributors. A World Golf Foundation initiative, the Hall of Fame represents collaboration among 26 national and international golf organizations, including the PGA TOUR, LPGA, USGA, Augusta National, PGA of America, The European Tour and The R&A. The museum houses interactive exhibits and historic and personal artifacts that tell the stories of its members and the game of golf. www.wgv.com

ORLANDO: SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN GOLF & TOWN CLUB
Nestled on the peninsula’s highest point of elevation, the Sugarloaf Mountain Golf and Town Club course follows the natural features of the land. Lake Apopka and lush oak forests provide beautiful rural scenery at a convenient distance from Orlando’s many attractions. www.hamptongolfclubs.com

For further information about the Sunshine State, please visit www.VISITFLORIDA.com/canada
For additional information or images, contact Henny Groenendijk, phone 416 485 2573 ext. 231 or e-mail: hgroenendijk@thermrgroup.ca
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VISIT FLORIDA is the official tourism marketing corporation for the state of Florida. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations, new product development and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership VISIT FLORIDA has more than 3,500 tourism industry Partners and four major strategic alliances with American Express Travel Related Services, AirTran Airways, Dollar Rent A Car and The Hertz Corporation. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, visit www.VISITFLORIDA.org.

VISIT FLORIDA is the official tourism marketing corporation for the state of Florida. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations, new product development and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership VISIT FLORIDA has more than 3,400 tourism industry Partners and four major strategic alliances with American Express Travel Related services, AirTran Airways, Dollar Rent A Car and The Hertz Corporation. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, visit www.VISITFLORIDA.org.