The Florida Space Coast - A Great Golf Destination

In the past few years, the Space Coast has grown from not only a great beach destination, but also to a great golf destination as well.  With the addition of Baytree, Viera East, The Majors, Walkabout and Duran golf courses joining popular courses such as Turtle Creek, Habitat, Savannahs, Wedgefield and Cocoa Beach Country Club, the Space Coast has emerged as one of the most affordable golf destinations in the U.S.  Open to the public, Aquarina Beach And country Club is one of the finest mid-length courses in Florida.  Aquarina is located at 171 Aquarina Blvd. in Melbourne Beach.  When you play the Habitat you're definitely not playing in someone's backyard.  In fact, this lush course is in the middle of a wildlife sanctuary so you'll be sharing the course with gopher tortoises, sandhill cranes, scrub jays and other wildlife.  This may be one of the most naturally beautiful courses you will ever play.  The Habitat is located at 3591 Fairgreen St. in Valkaria.

The Majors Golf club at Bayside Lakes is a fantastic Arnold Palmer Signature Course complete with a practice facility that was named "top 10 in the world" by the Golfer Magazine.  If learning to play the game or taking your game to the next level is what you're interested in, the PGA staff at the Major Golf Academy can help.  The course is reminiscent of Carolina-style layouts with large amounts of pine forests and sand spread out over 240 acres.  The Majors is located at 3375 Bayside Lakes in Palm Bay.  Playing the 18 holes at Brevard County-owned Spessard Holland Golf Course means the best golf value on the Space Coast. Par is 67 on the 4,302-yard course.  Spessard Holland is located at 2374 Oak St. in Melbourne Beach.  Duran Golf Club, opened in July 2005, is an 18-hole masterpiece designed by Lewis "Chip" Powell. Constant coastal breezes, mild mounding, native grasses and beautiful swaying palm trees will set the ambiance of an elegant course accented with links characteristics.  Duran has a world-class development center that includes an expansive practice range encircled by a beautiful nine-hole Short Course.  The practice range and short course have lights for evening play and practice.  Duran, at 7032 Stadium Parkway in Viera, is a "must play" for golfers who visit the Space Coast.

Baytree National Golf Links is Brevard County's award-winning premiere semi-private golf facility.  Designed by Gary Player, the 18 challenging holes offer one of the best golf experiences on the Space Coast.  The course has earned a four star rating by Golf Digest's "Places to Play."  Baytree is located at 8207 National Drive in Melbourne.  Viera East Golf Club was named the Best Public Access Golf Course in Florida for under $50 according to Golf Digest.  The Joe Lee-designed 18-hole championship layout is one of the best public courses in Florida, if not the entire country.  Viera East is the only course in the county that offers six sets of tees and a renovated practice facility with expanded grass tee area.  Viera East is located at 2300 Clubhouse Dr. in Viera.  Turtle Creek Golf Club is a traditional Florida course with well-manicured fairways and greens.  Its winding fairways meander through towering pines, majestic oaks and palms and you may even see wild turkeys, alligators, sandhill crane and turtles.  Turtle Creek is located at 1279 Admiralty Blvd.  in Rockledge.

Feel the ocean breezes and play right along the beautiful Banana River when playing the 27 holes at Cocoa Beach Country Club, located at 5000 Tom Warriner Blvd. in Cocoa Beach.  For a quick nine holes, visit Palm Gardens Golf Course, and executive course at 2630 Minton Rd. in West Melbourne. Long hitters may lose their advantage on the Savannahs Golf Course to those with an accurate second shot or short iron game.  Just minutes from Port Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center and Space Coast beaches, The Savannahs at Sykes Creek in Merritt Island is the epitome of southern-style golf courses.  The par 72 championship course was designed by Gordon Lewis and winds through a majestic hardwood forest and features challenging water hazards.  The Savannahs is located at 3915 Savannahs Trail, Merritt Island.

Is your game feeling "down under?"  Then elevate your game and your spirits with a round a Walkabout Golf & Country Club, a three year-old gem that Australian Jan Stephenson, an LPGA play, helped design.  Only 30 minutes from Orland, the lush, rolling fairways weave beautifully past serene lakes and native wetlands.  The multi-tiered and undulating tifdwarf greens are among the fastest and smoothest in Central Florida.  The Walkabout is located at 3230 Folsom Rd. in Mims.  On the horizon, even more excitement looms.  Stephenson plans to establish her world headquarters at a new nine-hole golf course now under construction in Melbourne, being built off NASA Boulevard.  Wedgefiedl Golf Club is a classic Florida course with a great mix of holes.  Just 20 minutes from the Orlando International Airport, Wedgefield is a convenient place to play on the day you arrive or the day you leave.  The course is well maintained and you'll get to use your whole set of clubs.  You'll finish on four of the toughest finishing holes in Central Florida.  Wedgefield is located at 20550 Maxim Parkway in Orlando.