The Belleview Biltmore Resort
is a must-see for fans of turn-of-the-century architecture and its
resort course is a must-play for fans of legendary golf course architect
Donald Ross. The hotel, built in 1897, is rumored to be the largest
inhabited wooden structure in the world. The 36-hole Belleview Country
Club is off limits to the golfing public. However, the resort’s
Biltmore Course, a Donald Ross original from 1926, is available for
play by guests of the hotel.
Just a chip shot away is another Ross classic and one of the Bay’s
last municipal tracks, the Dunedin Country Club.
The “DCC” is one of the Bay’s most history laden
venues. The course opened in 1927 and was the PGA National Golf Club
from 1945 to 1962. Despite its storied past, the Dunedin Country Club’s
maintenance budget ebbs and flows along with the city budget.
Tampa Bay always has been, and always will be, a region of contrasts.
It has tropical mangrove estuaries bumping up against temperate sawgrass
ecosystems. The pirate culture of Gasparilla is juxtaposed against
the banking and insurance culture of downtown Tampa. The Cuban heritage
of Ybor City coexists with the predominantly Anglo population of the
surrounding areas.
With the addition of a cadre of top notch golf courses throughout
the region, the sight of a bright, white ball against a lush, green
fairway might become the sweetest contrast of them all.
For
Florida golf coverage, visit GolfFlorida.com
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