“The survey, which included hundreds of U.S. courses, examined overall strength of routing, feature shaping, natural settings, greens, variety and the overall aura of holes, conditioning-maintenance, landscape management as well as other criteria.  Located in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, the PGA National Resort & Spa is home to the PGA TOUR Honda Classic, and as of November 4, 2010 was announced as the 47^th best overall course by Golfweek’s 2011 “Best Resort Courses” national rankings, moving drastically up the list from the No. 96 position in 2010.  The Champion features the “Bear Trap,” one of the most demanding, three-hole stretches on the PGA Tour.  

Recently, the resort completed $65 million worth of comprehensive revitalization projects, which include; a new front entrance, outdoor pool and pavilion, new Ironwood Grille and iBAR, enhanced public areas, golf courses and landscaping.  A national premier golf vacation and meeting destination, the legendary 379-room Florida resort also features a 40,000 square-foot European Spa with 32 treatment areas, a world-class 33,000 square-foot health-and-racquet club with 19 Har-Tru tennis courts, 40,000 square feet of self-contained conference space and nine on-site restaurants and lounges. A collection of outdoor mineral pools called “Waters of the World” are a compiling of healing waters from the Earth’s most treasured locations. Centrally located to the hotel is the resort’s zero-entry pool; a refreshing, tropical retreat surrounded by lush palm trees.

The Resorts Golf History

In addition to the Honda Classic, The Champion’s traditional history includes hosting of the 1983 Ryder Cup, 1987 PGA Championship, and nearly two decades of the Senior PGA Championship. Additionally, guests can enjoy golf play on The Palmer, The Squire, The Haig and The Estates courses. The PGA National Resort & Spa has the unique distinction of being home to both the David Leadbetter Golf Academy and Dave Pelz Scoring Game School, as well as a strong offering of tour-level fitting experiences at the PGA National Club Fitting Lab.  The PGA National’s Vice President and Managing Director, Joel Paige was quoted as saying, “Our rise up Golfweek’s ratings further validates that PGA National offers an extraordinary resort experience…with The Champion course, our four other outstanding layouts, renowned golf academies, world-class spa, fine dining and plentiful array of amenities, we provide our guests a stay they’ll never forget.”

In early 2010 Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, FL was voted as a new Silver Medalist in Golf.com’s 2010 Premier Resorts awards.  The property is owned by Salamander Resorts, whose founder, Sheila Johnson, has invested millions of dollars in an effort to spawn new life into the property, and according to Golf.com the results are obvious in the improved rooms, restaurants and golf course conditions.

Innisbrook pioneered the concept of using condominiums as a resort’s lodging component.  The Innisbrook Golf and Resort is great for vacationers because the condominium-style resort is flexible for friends and family, and the low-rise lodges nestled in the wooded landscape provide a very relaxed and casual atmosphere; on-premise accommodations are 28 lodges, consisting of 620 rooms and suites.  Each lodge and suite feature living areas and kitchens ready for stay-in cooking.  If you are in the mood for dining, local dishes include Packard’s Steak House.  Among the ,and available to guests are a; spa, tennis courts, lake fishing and four swimming pools.

What about the Golf?!…the four courses lucky guests have to choose from are; Copperhead, Island, North and South.  The Copperhead is defined by thick-rough, massive pines, awkward and altering slopes and huge bunkers; designed by Larry Packard, this gem has been hosting the PGA Tour since 2000.  The Island course hosted the 1990 NCAA Men’s Championship, which was won by Phil Mickelson; this course is more flat than Copperhead with less dramatic bunkering, and hides the many water dangers well.    The North and South courses carry less skill requirements, but provide for relaxing leisure rounds, or an opportunity to consciously work on technique. 

Innisbrook is a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort and is located in Palm Harbor, FL.

The new website encompasses all Mike Ditka Resort properties and Resort and Spa’s.  The website features a new look; including a clean and simple design, and will improve functionality through a re-organization of content on the site and improved navigation to help with usability.  The site has made use of current website technology to display different types of information, including rotating banners of current happenings and specials at the Resorts, as well as rotating images of the Resort and its amenities. The site also includes interactive communication tools which will help with communication between guests and the company, therefore staying up-to-date with current and upcoming activities in the Orlando/Kissimmee area. Also on the new site is an area for posting press releases and links to social media sites such as facebook and twitter.

Mike Ditka Resorts has two locations in the Orlando area and is managed by Geneva Hospitality, LLC, a premier hotel and condominium management company.  The resorts consist of; Mike Ditka Resorts-Runaway Beach Club, located 2.5 miles from the Walt Disney World resort and just minutes from other Central Florida attractions.  Mike Ditka Resorts-Runaway Beach Club offers all the conveniences of a resort with the space and luxury of a private residence. Guests will enjoy some of Orlando’s largest one, two and three-bedroom villas and loft villas.  Each luxury villa has a fully-equipped gourmet kitchen and dining area, flat screen TVs and DVD players. The sprawling grounds of this Orlando resort feature a heated Key West zero-entry family pool with water features for kids, a heated adult pool, outdoor hot tub, and tanning deck. The resort offers a state-of-the-art fitness center, and an impressive indoor basketball court.

Mike Ditka Resorts – Lighthouse Key Resort and Spa is located 3 miles from Walt Disney World directly on the beautiful magnificent shores of Turtle Lake. Mike Ditka Resorts – Lighthouse Key Resort and Spa has plenty of amenities to make your vacation amazing including an on-site first class European Spa, private theater room, billiard room, state of the art fitness center, heated lap pool and freeform zero-entry depth heated pool. Guests will also enjoy luxury suites which include gourmet kitchens with cookware, 42″ HD plasma and 32″ HD LCD tv’s in each bedroom plus DVD players, jetted garden tubs, and utility rooms with full size washer and dryer.

Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa is pleased to announce that in its first year, it has earned AAA’s prestigious four diamond ranking. The Clearwater Beach resort opened February 1, 2010, and received this important recognition for its exemplary service, thoughtful amenities and fine attention to detail.  Less than four percent of more than 31,000 properties achieve this elite standing, and Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach is one of only two properties in the destination to hold this prestigious title.

“We are honored to be recognized with the AAA Four Diamond Award, particularly within our first year of operation,” said Brian Kramer, general manager of the Clearwater, Florida hotel and resort.  Triple-A’s diamond ranking is certainly one of the more prestigious awards, but in addition the Clearwater Beach resort has earned numerous awards and accolades within its first year of operation, including the 2010 Metro’s Best Award for Hot Spots to Shop, Dine, Play & Escape by Tampa Bay Metro Magazine. The resort’s signature SHOR American Seafood Grill has received the 2010 People’s Choice Best Taste Award at A Taste of Clearwater and the 2010 Best of Tampa Bay Award by Tampa Bay Magazine.

Resort accommodations consist of deluxe, one- and two-bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchens featuring granite countertops and stainless steel appliances; giving guests the flexibility to prepare their own meals in a spacious atmosphere. All suites feature private balconies and views of the Gulf of Mexico.   The 250-all-suite Hyatt Resort is centrally located within walking distance to premier spots such as Pier 60 and the Clearwater Marina as well as an abundance of on-site activities, the centerpiece of the destination’s new Beach Walk – a $30 million revitalization project along a half-mile active pathway of world-class shopping. 

The resort’s luxurious eighth-floor pool deck offers panoramic Gulf views and spectacular sunsets. Guests can enjoy the ultimate in comfort and luxury by reserving one of 20 climate-controlled, private cabanas that surround the deck or hit Clearwater’s pristine, white-sand beach for some fun-in-the-sun action. For a day of pampering and relaxation, the eco-friendly Sandava Spa offers a full spectrum of treatments reflective of Clearwater Beach and its natural surroundings.

Supposedly BP’s damaged rig has been sealed and no longer spills oil into the Gulf of Mexico , but Gulf Coast communities continue to offer special promotions to remind travelers that their beaches are clean and open for business, and in doing so are extending some enticing offers to get travelers take the plunge and experience for themselves. 

Some of the Offers worth Considering:

Beaches of South Walton in northwest Florida are offering visitors $250 gift cards for shopping at designer outlet mall Silver Sands Factory Stores or for future travel on Southwest Airlines, which starts flights to the area in May.  The offer applies to guests who book stays of three nights or more at select beaches of South Walton hotels by Sept. 30.

The Naples Grande Beach Resort Waldorf Astoria Collection, in southwest Florida is offering packages through Sept. 6 starting at $109 a night. Book three nights and you get a fourth free at the 474-room resort near the beach. Children under 18 also get free breakfast. Rates are subject to availability and do not include taxes, tips and resort charges.

The Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi…this 1,740-room casino resort owned by MGM Resorts International is touting a “Stay and Play” package including a room and a round of golf at its Tom Fazio-designed course, the Fallen Oak. Rates per golfer are $209 a night Sunday through Thursday and $299 Friday and Saturday nights.

The Fisherman’s Village Resort & Marina in Punta Gorda, about a 45 minute drive north of Fort Myers in southwest Florida, has a fantastic fishing packages for guests.

Stay two nights at a vacation villa overlooking the Charlotte Harbor, and you get a full-service saltwater or back bay fishing charter, plus two tickets for a sunset cruise.

Located in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, the award-winning resort has been ranked as the #1 Best Golf Resort in Florida; ninth best golf resort in the country by Travel and Leisure Golf Magazine; ranked #10 by Golf Magazine for best course to play in the United States, and The Players course was ranked #1 best course to play in Florida by Golf.com.  Adding to the accolades, the resort was recently named by Parents.com as one of the Best Beach Resorts for Families and chosen as one of the Top 10 Best Relaxation and Spa Hotels in North America by the readers of TripAdvisor.

The Resort has been running programs for families to receive credits per night at the resort, which can be used towards any of the resort’s many golf, restaurant and spa amenities.  An example of a program that receives considerable attention; is if a family stays four consecutive nights, they receive a $400 credit…most programs are running through September 2010.

The credits can be used towards such activities as a parent and child twosome or a family foursome round of golf on Dye’s Valley Course, a round of golf with a walking caddy on The Players Stadium Course, an oceanfront dining experience at the Cabana Beach Club’s 619 Ocean View, or treatments at the award-winning Spa at Sawgrass.

In addition to golf and spa amenities, families can take advantage of the resort’s signature Sawgrass Xplorers kid’s program. The newly renovated Cabana Beach Club features private beach access, a Junior Olympic heated swimming pool, three restaurants, shower and changing facilities, a playground, towel service and beach rentals.

Bring the family, relax and love life!!!

Opened in February 2010,the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa is a promenade more known for couples and occasional joggers, than the throngs one may associate with similar stretches of Daytona. Hyatt has characteristically demonstrated a true touch of sleek and style…from poolside cabana rooms one may rent half a day, to the inviting terrace and rooms of the elegant SHOR restaurant.  As of May, some 15 marriage proposals have taken place here; if you see wedding ceremonies or honeymooners during your escape to the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa, you will understand why. This property positions Clearwater Beach as a getaway that’s pampered, not stuffy. The staff is accommodating, the design touches tropically tasteful, and the location ideal.

The Hyatt Regency is a perfect base for sport fishing rentals, a Dolphin Encounter excursion that guarantees sightings, or prime beach time for snowbirds and Euro’s. Suite styles vary, yet all evoke the color and amenities that lend calm. Full kitchens with granite countertops welcome families and couples.  Private residences of two, three and four bedroom plans are offered for sale, should you fall in love with this white sand stretch of Gulf Coast.

For breakfast, lunch or other casual eating times, the Cabanas are quant and relaxing; or take it all in from the 16th floor Sky Terrace, also a great spot to catch the signature sunset during an evening dinner fare. The beauty and serenity of a sunset may find you while dining on the fresh fare at SHOR. Renowned Chef Brad Gillespie will create the taste that fits your current mood. The view from the waiting area of Sandava Spa is postcard and a treatment is equally worth while…