Wekiva Golf Club – Delighting Seminole County Golfers For Over Fifty Years Wekiva Golf Club in Longwood, Florida, has a very interesting history. Before there was even a thought about turning this rugged, natural piece of land into a golf club/community, the property functioned as a hunting club and was often referred to as “Wekiva Hunt Club” or “Fox Hunt.” In 1972, this 138-acre piece of land was purchased for $4 million. At the time, it was the largest all-cash land deal in the history of Seminole County. Visionary planner Harlan Hanson helped shape the master-planned community that would follow, blending…
Author: David Theoret
David Theoret
The Golfin’ Guy aka David (or Dave, but never Davey) Theoret grew up in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, where it was naturally assumed he would play hockey. Beginning at the age of 3 and continuing into his late 30's, he did just that. However, after one too many pucks to the head, he realized that golf was a lot easier on the body and took the game up. Whoever said hockey players were slow? Since that time, golf has become his passion – just ask Belinda. From 2003 until 2009, David ran the sales and marketing department of TravelGolf Media and took his team to over $1M in annual advertising revenue. While at TravelGolf, an editor told him he had a flair for writing and the lightbulb came on. He started writing articles about anything golf related: courses, destinations, resorts, shoes, apparel, equipment and training aids and sending them to websites and magazines. At first, his articles were picked up by a few golf websites and magazines, but the number steadily grew – enough that he could call it a career. Most days he’s on a course somewhere, either working or playing. Actually, to him playing IS work. Occasionally you’ll find him on the practice range reinforcing bad habits. David plays to a 12 handicap - unless there is money involved in which case it goes considerably higher. He currently resides in Fairfield Glade, TN with his wife Belinda and their two "kids," Duncan and Paisley.
I’ll admit it, when someone first mentioned a golf weekend in Coshocton, Ohio, I had to pull up a map. But after two nights based out of the Roscoe Boutique Motel, two very different rounds of golf, and a wine flight with a river view, I left wondering why this corner of east-central Ohio isn’t on more golfers’ radar. Coshocton sits where the Walhonding and Tuscarawas Rivers meet, “union of waters,” as the name translates from the original Lenape. That geography shapes everything about the trip, from the rolling terrain the courses are routed through to the riverside patio where…
There’s something different about a golf course that’s been in the same family for generations, and you feel it the moment you pull into Bunker Hill Golf Course in Medina, Ohio. It doesn’t have the manicured, corporate polish of a country club chasing a brand image. What it has instead is the kind of lived-in character that only comes from decades of the same people caring for the same ground. Next year marks the course’s 100th anniversary, and after spending a day playing the property and hearing its story from co-owners Stephen Ross and Arnold Ingraham, and General Manager Chad…
I came in with two courses on the itinerary, two casino resorts for lodging and dining, and modest expectations for the non-golf parts of the trip. The golf exceeded every expectation. The food surprised me. And the value, frankly, was hard to argue with. Any serious golf trip to Tunica starts at Tunica National Golf & Tennis, and for good reason. Designed by 10-time PGA Tour winner Mark McCumber and opened in 2004, this par-72 championship layout stretches to 7,204 yards from the tips and sits comfortably on the Mississippi Golf Trail. Five sets of tee boxes make it welcoming…
Golfers heading to the Gulf Coast of Florida on a golf vacation should strongly consider the Port Charlotte/Englewood Beach area. There are more than 20 golf courses in the area worth considering; most are high-quality, semi-private facilities. Here’s what I would consider a fun and challenging itinerary. Every good golf vacation starts with a good base camp, an establishment with comfortable accommodations and good food. The Sunseeker Resort in Punta Gorda has everything you’ll need for this golf vacation, and a whole lot more, including one of the most challenging golf courses on the Gulf Coast. More about that in…
As a kid growing up in a few of the northern states, I dreamed of retiring, moving to a golf community somewhere in the Sunshine State, playing golf, and living happily ever after! As I got older and moved through the workforce, that was the same dream shared by just about everyone I ever played golf with. On a recent trip to the Naples area, I came across a community that more than fills the bill. The community is home to more than 900 residents and has a very robust calendar of social and recreational activities including tennis, bocce ball,…
The state of Tennessee has several big cities, each with its fair share of upscale daily fee golf courses, private clubs, and resorts. But it’s the small town of Crossville, with a population of less than 15,000, that is recognized as “The Golf Capital of Tennessee.” Crossville is located in Cumberland County, up on the Cumberland Plateau. It’s right off I-40, two hours east of Nashville, and about an hour west of Knoxville. Crossville garnered this distinction because of the high concentration of championship courses, a wide variety of layouts suitable for all skill levels, and a mild, year-round climate.…
In the 1990s, golf’s popularity flourished. The “Tiger “effect was in full bloom, dramatically changing the game’s demographics as the younger crowd began to see golf in a whole new way. Media coverage increased as new digital platforms emerged. Golf equipment was quickly evolving. Manufacturers were using lighter yet stronger graphite shafts and titanium clubheads to increase swing speeds and add distance. Resorts in the planning stages began including golf courses and training facilities. Golf courses were popping up in new “master-planned” communities, which linked the game to an upscale lifestyle and social status. Robert “Rab” Summers has been…
When you think of the Florida Panhandle, the city of Navarre probably isn’t on your list of vacation destinations. It’s a sleepy bedroom community, consisting primarily of U.S. military personnel, defense contractors, federal civil servants, and retirees; it’s located about 25 miles east of Pensacola and about 15 miles west of Fort Walton Beach. Within the city limits is an upscale neighborhood located in the Holley By the Sea subdivision, called Hidden Creek Estates. The centerpiece of the community is The Club at Hidden Creek, an 18-hole championship golf course designed by renowned golf course architect Ron Garl. The community features custom-built executive homes that have breathtaking views…
Warren Valley Golf Course – Resurrecting a Donald Ross Classic I’ve always been a big fan of Donald Ross and will go out of my way to play a course that he designed. For the most part, his courses are not long, but the subtleties of his architecture have always made them interesting…and challenging. A few months ago, I read about a 36-hole Donald Ross-designed facility in Dearborn Heights, Michigan that had recently been transferred to a new management company with the intent of reopening to the public. I contacted the company and spoke with Jason Pearsall, who gave me…