Tuesday, April 25, 2017

On Location: Saddlebrook Resort


Much like a perennial favorite Cabernet Sauvignon wine you order at a steakhouse to accompany a butter slathered, grilled New York Strip, Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa provides a welcome comfort zone for golf vacationers.

A mainstay on Florida's golf resort menu for more than 35 years, Saddlebrook is designed with golfers in mind. 

The most appealing aspect of the 480-acre resort is that most of its accommodations, its restaurants, two golf courses, and all of its major amenities are never more than a short walk away, thanks to the resort's innovative walking-village concept. No long commutes or vans are needed here: Simply walk a few steps from your room or suite, and , voila, you stroll into the golf pro shop, dine at the restaurants or lounge by the pool.

GOLF

The golf menu at Saddlebrook consists of two on-site 18-hole courses that take full advantage of the lush, palm-, pine-, -cypress and lake-dotted rolling terrain. Both courses-the Palmer and Saddlebrook- are not long, but they're testy because of the undulating terrain, sometimes narrow fairways and strategically placed bunkers.
Both of these Arnold Palmer designed courses are exceedingly fair, though. And if you can keep it in the short grass off the tee and make solid approach shots, you can score well.


If I had to pick a favorite between the two, it's the Palmer. The combination of fairways that often dip like a roller coaster, greens with lots of movement and aesthetic beauty with brightly colored flowers and lush foliage make it a joy to play.


The Saddlebrook is an excellent resort track as well and its finishing hole with a pond and towering cypress trees populated by egrets and wood storks lining the right side near the green is one of Florida's best.

Finally, if the putts don't fall and your scorecard has more strokes than points at an NBA All-Star game, you can either drown yourself in sorrow at the adjacent sports T.D.'s Sports Bar or grab your swimsuit for a refreshing dunk the Superpool, which is a few steps from the pro shop.

ACCOMMODATIONS


I stayed in one-bedroom suite with a tropical Bahamas decor accented by dark wood furnishings. There are 540 rooms and suites at Saddlebrook with 800 bedrooms. More than 75% of Saddlebrook's accommodations are suites. Conveniently, the accommodations are clustered around nine park-like courtyards, each made up of four buildings (50 suites). Thanks to the car-free walking village concept, every major amenity and restaurant is just a few minutes or less walk from your front door.

If you want to stock up on groceries and brewskis, there's a Publix and Wal-Mart just a few blocks from the resort on State Road 54.

Here's a list of highlights in my suite:

--A full-kitchen with a regular size refrigerator, microwave and serving bar.

--42 inch flat screen television in the living room (32 inch in the bedroom)

--A private patio (also private balconies for second story units)

--Marble appointed bathroom

--100% Egyptian cotton sheets and white goose down duvets and pillows

--Keuring coffee and tea maker

--High-speed Internet access

RESORT AMENITIES

--45 tennis courts, including 4 Grand Slam surfaces

--7,000 square-foot European style spa with 12 treatment rooms

--500,000 gallon free-form Superpool

--Fitness center

--Saddlebrook Golf Academy

--Bicycle rentals

--Sports village with volleyball and basketball courts

10 Little Things I Liked

1. The amazing wood storks and egrets you'll see up close and personal in the cypress trees overlooking the 18th green on the Saddlebrook Course.


2. The superb tennis pro shop with a varied selection of top-notch fashions you don't see at resorts.


3. The expansive Superpool, one of the largest pools I've seen at the countless resorts I've visited.


4. Dew busting on both courses. Early morning play at Saddlebrook rewards you with excellent playing conditions and a chance to see fantastic birds and wildlife.


5. The Greek salad I had at the Poolside Cafe. Wow. It was loaded with chicken, feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes and more.


6. Dempsey's Steakhouse's menu, which not only has great steaks, but the Shrimp Scampi pasta is exceptional.


7. The Keurig coffee maker in our suite.


8. The very functional and convenient kitchen in our suites with a bar counter, full refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher.


9. Convenient and fast valet parking.


10. The friendly staff that always offered golf cart rides back to your room.


DINING/LOUNGES

Dempsey's Steakhouse

The Guru loves a great juicy steak and Dempsey's (on-site at the resort) delivered big-time. My New York Strip was excellent and Mrs. Guru had what she considers the best Shrimp Scampi pasta dish she's ever tasted. This pronouncement is from a lady who seemingly orders the dish at just about every restaurant that has it on their menu. A nice touch at Dempsey's is the Caesar Salad prepared table side. Other menu highlights include Home-Made Pasta Bolognese, Steak Diane in a Cognac Sauce and Sesame Seared Tuna.

Tropics Restaurant

Overlooking the 18th green of the Saddlebrook Course, Tropics is renowned for its great breakfasts and buffet highlighted by their signature Pecan Crusted French Toast. Lunch features innovative items like a Grilled Mahi Club Sandwich with Mango Avocado Salsa and a Chopped Greek Salad with Chicken.

T.D's Sports Bar

Next to the pro shop and adjacent to Dempsey's Steakhouse, this place has all the elements needed for a great sports bar. A horseshoe shaped wooden bar, several elevated televisions and a wide selection of liquors, beer and wine make T.D's a must stop after a round of golf. I like the menu, too, which has selections like Irish Nachos, Hot Pastrami Sandwich and Open-Faced Grilled Ribeye Steak on Grilled Pumpernickel Bread.

Poolside Cafe

Adjacent to the Superpool, it offers comfortable and relaxing poolside, al fresco dining with a great selection of salads and sandwiches. 

THINGS TO DO NEARBY

--Shops at Wiregrass (3.6 miles)

--Tampa Premium Outlets (4.7 miles)

--Busch Gardens Tampa (20 miles)

--Downtown Tampa (24 miles) Lowry Park Zoo, Florida Aquarium, Ybor City, Glazer Children's Museum, Tampa Cruise Terminal and more.

LOCATION

Situated one mile east of I-75 at exit 279 on State Road 54 about 30 minutes north of Tampa International Airport.

GET THE SCOOP

For reservations and information, call 800-729-8383. For golf package information at Saddlebrook click to Saddlebrook Golf Deals.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Tiger Woods To Design New Public Access Course in Branson, Missouri

Bass Pro Shops founder, avid conservationist and golf enthusiast Johnny Morris today announced a collaborative partnership with Tiger Woods and the Payne Stewart family that includes plans to create the first-ever public access golf courses designed by TGR Design, a world-class championship golf course and a family friendly short course at Big Cedar Lodge.

The partnership grew from a vision by Morris to connect more people to nature by growing the game of golf and outdoor recreation with premier golf, angling and shooting experiences. Beyond the championship course, the expansive partnership includes plans for a future Woods-designed par-3 “short course” on Big Cedar property.

Slated to open in 2019 and named in honor of the late Payne Stewart, the new “Payne’s Valley” Golf Course will be the first completed fully public-access course in the world designed by Tiger Woods’ design firm TGR Design.
Being built to showcase the region’s pristine beauty, the championship course will feature a dramatic 19th hole, “The Rock,” that can be used to settle unfinished wagers. The hole was envisioned by nature-loving Morris, and is set in a dramatic geological feature. The challenging but player-friendly walkable course will have a stunning conclusion where golfers will traverse through a natural cavern system to return to the clubhouse after completing the 19th hole.

“I couldn’t be more proud to partner with Johnny Morris to debut my first public-access courses at Big Cedar Lodge,” says Tiger Woods. “Johnny’s incredible passion for connecting people of all ages and walks of life to nature is truly inspiring. Together we’re tremendously excited to create a publicly accessible world-class golf experience in the center of America.”

The friendship between Morris and Woods began on the water 20 years ago.

“Shortly after Tiger won his first Masters Tournament in 1997, Tiger actually ended up buying one of our Bass Tracker fishing boats," says Johnny Morris. "My son and I had the opportunity to deliver his boat and spend the day bass fishing with him… you really get to know a person when you’re able to spend quiet time on the water fishing together. My boy and I were both very impressed by how down to earth and engaging Tiger was, and by how much he loved to fish."

Morris continues, “When we contemplated building another golf course at Big Cedar last year, my son John and I visited Tiger’s new Bluejack National course in Texas and we were both blown away! It is a truly breathtakingly beautiful place very reminiscent of Augusta National. After spending more time with Tiger and his team, it became apparent to us that Tiger is extremely dedicated to applying his worldly knowledge of golf to develop great courses. His aim is to design and build only a select number of courses that are of extraordinarily high standards, with an emphasis on width and playabilitiy creating a fun and enjoyable experience for all. We quickly became excited about Tiger’s design philosophies and the three of us began to dream together about creating a world-class golf course in our stunning Ozark surroundings. We are very proud to align with Tiger to create an unforgettable golf experience that players of all abilities will be able to enjoy again and again.”
The “Payne’s Valley” Course will pay tribute to the legacy of the late Payne Stewart, a friend of both Morris and Woods as well as an Ozarks native who won 11 PGA TOUR events, including three Major championships. Stewart and his father Bill Stewart were instrumental in helping to establish golf in the region and nationally. To further honor Stewart’s legacy, Morris, with the help of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, is also creating The Payne Stewart Learning Facility, an extraordinary practice facility that will contain a tribute museum displaying Stewart’s personal trophies, scorecards, apparel, equipment, photos and more.

Morris will also honor Stewart by expanding support to a number of charitable initiatives linked to the course. 2017 marks the third year Big Cedar Lodge will host the American Junior Golf Association for the Bass Pro Shops Payne Stewart Junior Championship. The AJGA is dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The new course will serve as a future home for the event.