NAPLES BEACH HOTEL & GOLF CLUB (239-261-2222)
Florida Golf Course Review
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 2009 - the Florida State Senior Men's Open and the Florida State Senior
Women's Open. 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/132 slope, 6047 yards/127 slope and 5142 yards with a slope of 117 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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