Florida Golf and Wine


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Written by James Ellsworth Sunday, 30 January 2011 23:42

Florida Is A Great Golf Getaway But Not So Good For Winery Visits 

For those who like to combine golfing and winery holidays, Florida can not match locales like California & Washington or Canada's Okanagan and Vancouver Is. 

by James Ellsworth 

How does Florida match up to other states and countries that promote golf and wine-tasting combos? Not very well, at least on the oenophile side of the equation. You may get excellent golf and other touristy things to recommend for a Florida stay, but the wineries will not be a draw for most.

Florida Wines

According to the National Association of American Wineries, Florida ranked 5th in wine production in 2009, well behind the big three of California, New York and Washington State and just ahead of New Jersey and Kentucky. However, most Florida wine production uses Muscadine, a varietal found in the hot and humid Southeast.Muscadine is a natural New World grape and both the French and Spanish used it in North American wine production from the 17th century on. It is usually described as a granite red, slightly sweet, aromatic and musky wine, more suitable for dessert or a table wine.The Sunshine State's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services lists 18 certified vineyards and wineries. The largest producer is Lakeridge, a 127-acre vineyard in Clermont, which is between Orlando and Tampa Bay.Lakeridge has been operating for 21 years and claims over 400 awards for its wines, mainly white Blanc du Bois. The Cox family of Lakeridge has been a mainstay of Florida wine making and also has vineyards near St. Augustine, the first Spanish colony in North America. The winery does win awards for its Southern Red as well, notably

  • a bronze at the 1996 American Wine Society
  • a silver at the 2003 San Francisco International Wine Competition
  • a silver at the 2004 Pacific Rim International Wine Competition.

But reviews of Lakeridge Muscadine Southern Red are not always kind. One site, www.cellartracker.com, rated the wine a mere 79 points with comments like "suitable for sipping on a couch watching a movie" or alright for "quaffing with friends".Touring wineries like Lakeridge or Log Cabin Farm or Henscratch Farms might appeal to pleasant back road tours but the tasting may present as many hazards as a round of golf.

Florida Golf Has a New Canadian Appeal

Florida has almost 1,500 golf courses to choose from, with Orlando being one of the top three destinations and a perfect centre for visiting wineries as well, according to www.golflink.com. Tampa is another area for golf and wine combinations, which could include playing a course dedicated to the great female athlete Babe Zaharias, or Sarasota and the Bobby Jones complex.

In the fall of 2010, a Toronto, Ontario-based company, ClubLink, purchased eight golf courses in the Tampa Bay and Sun City Centre area, as well as Heron Bay Golf Club near Coral Springs, Fla., the one-time home of the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic, for almost U.S. $9 million. The Florida region means ClubLink, with almost 50 golf courses, is the 10th largest golf course operator in the world according to Golf Inc. Magazine.In fact, in December, 2010, SCOREGolf”s Rick Young named ClubLink Canadian Golf Company of the Year. WCI Communities, who previously owned and operated the eight Sun City Centre courses, said that ClubLink’s international reputation made it the leading contender in the sale.  

There are member privileges naturally such as reciprocal access to the Florida clubs. Tom Ritenour, Director of Golf Operations, described one semi-private course, Club Renaissance. It is a Chip Powell-designed, par-72, 6,700 yard course, well-manicured, and typical of Florida golf – lots of bunkers, water coming into play on most holes, ample landing for bump and run approaches and stately tree-lined fairways. It also features six tee areas for every level of golfer and the slope averages 120. Of course, wildlife always seems to be close by also, including the odd 'gator.

 

In short, Florida golf has ramped it up for Canadian visitors but don’t expect brilliant Florida wine to celebrate with afterwards.

 

 

'gators & ibis are Florida golf sights