Page 66 - Guest Advantage Magazine - September 2015

PONTE VEDRA
GOLFER’S PARADISE
BEACH
Shaped by a mix of cultures ranging from early Spanish settlers in the 1500’s to invading golfers in the 1980’s, Ponte Vedra Beach has a rich and unique history. Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer best known for his pursuit of the legendary “Fountain of Youth”, landed on what would later become Ponte
Vedra Beach on April 2, 1513. Seeing
no suitable harbor, he sailed south and landed where Don Pedro Menendez founded the nation’s oldest city of
St. Augustine in 1565.
Ponte Vedra Beach is among the prettiest in Florida.
Here seaside resorts and private escapes are crested in the twisted oaks and hammocks of wild palmettos. Miles of
freshwater streams, creeks and lagoons course through the natural environs accentuating the natural beauty of the beaches.
Just inland, some of the most prestigious and scenic golf courses in the world attract professional tournaments including the PGA TOUR’S fifth major, THE PLAYERS Championship, with a 6 million dollar purse. Ponte Vedra Beach, with its 135 professional caliber holes, is acclaimed as the Pebble Beach of the East Coast. Our signature course, acclaimed “the seventh best resort course in America by Golf Digest, is the 6,857-yard TPC
at Sawgrass Stadium Course with its notoriously difficult island green, one of the “World’s Most Photographed Greens.
After having your fill of golf, grab your racquet and play a few sets at one of the 44 professional caliber tennis courts. The ATP headquarters tennis center has eleven courts emulating the surfaces of the Grand Slam tournaments, including red clay and fresh grass.
Other activities available nearby include sailing, wind surfing and jet-ski rentals for the more active vacationers. On nature walks, the careful eye may glimpse a loggerhead turtle or one of the 177 species of birds. Of course, elegant shopping and fine dining are available throughout the area, after a day filled with excitement and appreciation for the natural wonders of Ponte Vedra Beach.
66 GUEST ADVANTAGE • 2015 / 2016