Further down Florida’s Gulf Coast in Sarasota is Sara Bay Country Club, an intimate, members-owned golf club. If you are looking for glitz and glamour, keep on driving: Sara Bay is as traditional as it gets. Beyond a beautiful old Floridian-style clubhouse, you won’t find anything to distract from the pure golf experience.

The oldest continuously operating private club in Sarasota (founded in 1926), Sara Bay has less than 300 members to ensure easy availability of tee times and an unhurried pace. Membership (individual or corporate) is by invitation only. Less than half of the membership lives here year-round and Sara Bay functions more like a national club with its members coming from well-known golf clubs around the country to play “in season,” November to April. They come to play a Donald Ross course that the course architect considered one of his finest and many agree is one of Florida’s most classic designs. For traditional golfers with an appreciation of the game and its history, this is as good as it gets.

GREY OAKS COUNTRY CLUB
» Naples, Florida 
GreyOaks.com, 800-294-2426

World famous for its beaches, dining and shopping, Naples also claims the highest ratio of golf courses to golfers in the country. Three of the city’s 35 courses can be found in the private community of Grey Oaks, just 10 minutes from downtown. Having 54 holes of championship golf in the heart of Naples puts Grey Oaks in an exceptional position that cannot be duplicated. The three courses are distinctly different in character: the Pine evokes North Carolina, the Palm is vintage Florida, and the much-awarded Bob Cupp-designed Estuary features five par-5s and five par-3s for the ultimate in risk/reward golf.

Ideally located just a few miles from Naples’ spectacular white-sand beaches, Grey Oaks boasts two clubhouses and two fitness centers. The club has taken a leadership role in integrating fitness with golf. By benchmarking golfers’ flexibility, strength and range of motion, they are able to tailor individual fitness programs to help you play longer, better and with more enjoyment. To further help improve your game, there are 11 PGA professionals on staff.

A bonus for Grey Oaks members is Collier County’s reciprocal golf program. During the May through October summer season about 30 clubs allow members to play at participating courses.  

While some non-residents memberships are available here, most members are homeowners. The luxury gated community’s newest neighborhood, Traditions, The Golf Residences of Grey Oak, came to market this year with prices starting at $895,000 including a full golf equity membership. The release of the first 60 of these maintenance-free, turn-key coach homes makes seasonal living in Naples all that much easier.

One of the first things visitors notice about Grey Oaks is its breathtakingly beautiful landscape. That’s due in large part to owner Judy Sproul’s passion for landscaping in a native palette. A member of the Collier family that gives the county its name, she has ensured an enduring elegance for both the residential areas and the golf courses.