Drive by La Cita Country Club in Titusville, Florida, and you will notice that a transformation is underway. In golf terminology, it has emerged from the rough and is heading down the 18th fairway. Management anticipates the mega-makeover will be complete by year-end. In its heyday, La Cita set the standard for country clubs on Florida’s Space Coast. When its doors opened in 1985, this landmark country club attracted some of the region’s most influential golfers and socialites; not just from the immediate area, as most new clubs tend to do, but from as far as Orlando, Palm Beach and…
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.
Just over a year ago, Doug Brown and his wife, Janice Reid purchased Cypress Knoll Golf Club in Palm Coast, Florida. Brown is a former college golfer whose family has owned property in the Cypress Knoll community for over 40 years. Since purchasing the course, he has been doing his best to make the course more attractive to all caliber of golfers. It’s one of the tightest courses in the area and Brown and his crew have been hard at work widening many of the fairways, improving tee boxes and just making the course a more enjoyable playing experience. So…
Most golfers are familiar with Tom Watson the PGA Tour golfer, winner of eight major championships, including five British Opens and out-dueling Jack Nicklaus on several occasions. He certainly was fun to watch. Not as many people are familiar with Tom Watson the golf course architect. As a golfer, Tom Watson was praised for his passionate play, attention to detail and outstanding course strategy. His company, Tom Watson Design, employs the same integrity, dedication and focus to each of their designs. The company only builds one or two courses each year using a few fundamental requirements: beauty, variety and challenge.…
Hidden Hills Golf Club in Jacksonville, FL is not exactly what you would expect, after all, this part of the state is pretty flat. Yet hidden from the surrounding area are the ups and downs you will encounter on the course and not only on your scorecard. Hidden Hills Golf Club has been a fixture of the East Arlington area near Jacksonville since 1966. In 1986, Arnold Palmer and his design group did a total makeover of the course, creating the challenging layout you find today. In its heyday, Hidden Hills had over 700 members and played host to the Greater Jacksonville…
It’s getting to be that time of year again, the time of year when all eyes in the golfing world stare directly at Augusta, GA and the PGA Tour’s first major of the season. Augusta, GA is certainly a well-known golf destination. Outside of that course that very few will ever have the privilege of playing, there are a number of great local tracks that the public does have access to. One of these courses is Forest Hills Golf Course, an 18-hole Donald Ross masterpiece that has been repeatedly named “Best Public Course” by Augusta Magazine. Ross designed Forest Hills…
If you’re looking for some of the best golf between Ocala and Daytona, there is no better choice than Black Bear in Eustis. Black Bear is a P.B. Dye design and from the looks of it, his father would be proud. What it lacks in Pete Dye trademark railroad tie bunkers and risk reward carry-the-water holes, it makes up for in fairway bunkers and difficult greenside bunkers many of them nestled into the surrounding mounds. In all, there are over 120 bunkers throughout the layout. Over the years, Black Bear has served as a qualifier for the Florida USGA Publinks…
The Southwest Florida area – specifically Ft. Myers to Naples – is chock full of great golf courses. Many of them are open to the public – some only by means of a “stay and play” package, others you simply pat a daily fee. But the best conditioned courses seem to be the ones that are often behind privacy fences and security gates. I’m talking about “bundled” communities, the type of community where belonging to the club – or at least purchasing a membership – is required by all homeowners. Naples is rife with them; they seem to make up…
Red, Black and Blue. It could describe an MMA fighter after a title bout, or it could be used to illustrate the most appealing triumvirate of golf courses in the state of Florida. This color combination can only be found at Streamsong Resort. For golfers not familiar with the property – if there is such a person – Streamsong opened its doors in December 2012, with two non-traditional Florida golf courses. I say non-traditional because you won’t find many palm trees here; water, another staple to Florida golf, is minimalized. Streamsong Red, designed by Coore & Crenshaw and Streamsong Blue,…
River Club is a Tom Jackson creation that has been delighting – and frustrating – golfers in the Myrtle Beach area since it opened in 1985. Over the years, it has received numerous accolades, including 4.5 Stars from Golf Digest’s “Places to Play”, and having two holes named to the Myrtle Beach Sun News’ 100 Greatest Golf Holes Along the Grand Strand; the 14th and 18th. More on those two holes later. River Club is located in Pawleys Island, about 20 miles south of Myrtle Beach and exemplifies everything Lowcountry golf is about. Built on the site of a former…
Over the past several years, the Panama City Beach area has really cleaned up its act. No longer is it college’s spring destination for uninhibited college kids. The real estate market is booming, area businesses are rebounding nicely, and the hotel industry is once again beginning to flourish. All is good in Florida’s panhandle. And all is good at the Sheraton Bay Point Resort – Panama City Beach’s premier golf destination. The resort is situated on historic St. Andrews Bay and is a perfect getaway destination for couples, families and golfers. Yes, golfers. The property, which is home to 36…