Wednesday, July 18, 2012

A Guide to Golf in Anna Maria Island, Florida

Anna Maria Island, the small but glorious island off the west coast of Florida, has a marvelous golfing climate. As such, it is a popular destination for golfers the world over.

Being a mere nine miles in length, the island itself doesn't have the size to host a great number of courses. In fact, the Key Royale Club, boasting a challenging nine holes, is the only course located on the island.

But don't be alarmed! For there are more than 50 golf courses, public and private, in and around the Anna Maria Island area. With reasonable prizes, generous fairways and enough to test golfers of all skill levels. Islanders enjoy an easy commute to a number of these golfing gems.

Brandenton hosts a large number of courses. Manatee Country golf course is a public golf which has earned good reviews. As an 18 hole par 72 it has a course rating of 72, making it one of the trickier propositions in the region. The River Club also boasts a lot of tricky holes (with a higher rating of 74), including a par 4 with an island green. Whilst in the area don't overlook the River Run Golf links, where golfers get an exciting view of the Braden River which you cannot afford to miss! It is a public course, and slightly less demanding on the beginner with a rating of 67.9.

Further south, in Sarasota, there are also a number of interesting golf courses. The University Park Country Club offers five courses, from gold to bronze, which offer a world of opportunities! It is a pretty course and was named one of the best in America by GolfWeek magazine. One of newest additions on the Sarasota golf scenes is that of the Stoney Brook Country Club, designed by Arthur Hills. It is challenging and entertaining for both novices and pros alike, and also offers golfing tuition.

In Palmetto, just north of Brandenton, there is the Imperial Lakes Golf Course. This course has rolling and lush fairways, which are a definite draw! Near to Imperial Lakes, Buffalo Creeks offers an 18 hole Scottish links style course. It's a tough championship golf course, with wide open spaces. As such, this course is not so well suited for beginner players. At the Foxfire Golf Club, three exciting and beautiful nine-hole courses (Par 72) wind through the trees and lakes offering abundant glimpses of wildlife. It gets regular accolades as one of Florida's top public courses.

Just a note, whilst in Brandenton area you might also want to check out the world renowned Leadbitter Golf Academy. Leadbitter is regarded as one of the top coaches within the game. So this is an ideal place to enhance your golfing technique!

All things considered, Anna Maria Island is nestled in a sea of greens. With exotic wildlife, and a number of beautiful courses combined with the relaxing style of old Florida, the region is hard to beat when it comes to Golf.

2 comments:

proper golf stance said...

It is very important informative blog.Your advice has really helped me a lot.

Jamie said...

I just checked out myrtlebeachgolfcourses.com and they were very helpful in finding a great course for me at a cheap price. I'd recommend that site to anyone looking to book a tee-time in Myrtle.