NAPLES BEACH HOTEL & GOLF CLUB (239-261-2222)
Florida Golf Course Review 10/17/05
The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club is a traditional and value oriented beachfront resort featuring 318 guest
rooms and suites, onsite championship golf, a tennis center, large beachside swimming pool, fitness center and
spa, four restaurants, five retail shops, spacious function space, a complimentary Beach Club 4 Kids and a
sunset beach bar on 125 tropically landscaped acres. Besides an affordable pricing structure, its location is the
main draw, as this resort is situated near shopping and dining, and near the beaches of Naples (Naples was
named " America's Best All-Around Beach in 2005" by the Travel Channel). For more info on Naples Beach Hotel resort, visit the properties' website by clicking here.
The golf club is located on property, and is a traditional Florida design first built in the late 1920's, with a
redesign by Mark Mahanna in 1948. Ron Garl made further enhancements in 1980, 1993 and 1998. The
clubhouse features a pro shop plus locker room facilities for men and women, and practice facilities include a grass range, short game area with sand bunker and huge putting green.
The property has hosted prestigious tournaments in the past, including in 2005 - the Florida State Senior Men's
Open, Florida State Senior Women's Open, Naples Men's City Amateur Championship, International Junior Golf
Classic and PGA's 100 Holes of Golf. The layout features a mix of open and tree lined fairways along a level
terrain, with strategic fairway and greenside bunkering, plus lakes and ponds that create water hazards on
eleven of the holes. Wind from the nearby gulf often comes into play, making it difficult at times to keep your ball
away from the mature oaks, palms and banyan trees that help to create the character of the layout.
Three sets of tee areas play to distances and slopes measuring 6488 yards/134 slope, 6047 yards/130 slope
and 5142 yards with a slope of 121 for ladies playing from the forward sets. On course the sprinkler heads are
measured to the center of the green, and yardages markers are posted on the bermuda fairways at 100, 150
and 200 yards. !50 yard stakes are visible on par fours and fives, and color coded flags indicate front, middle or
back pin placements - good information to have on these sloping, medium size greens. Ice chests and covers on the back of carts to protect clubs during inclement weather are a couple of extra perks.
Golfers will encounter a time honored layout that despite numerous renovations, maintains its simple charm and
playability. At under 6500 yards, the club has gone against the grain of modern golf, electing to refrain from
adding distance or totally re-shaping holes, while remaining true to its original Florida-style design. The result is
an interesting round of golf that will challenge the best of players, while affording the average duffer with an opportunity to enjoy a wonderful experience on a course steeped in history and tradition.
Gene Sarazen was present in 1963 when the course record of 63 was set by then club pro Paul Bell. For more
info on the NaplesBeach golf Club, visit our page for the course, with direct link to their website by clicking here.
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