Golfers visiting the northeast Florida communities of Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine, in St. Johns County, can tee off at some of the most challenging and scenic golf courses in all of Florida.

World-renowned courses include: the TPC Stadium® Course at Sawgrass, home of the PGA Tour's annual The Players Championship; The Slammer and The Squire championship course, at the new World Golf Village, and the Radisson Ponce de Leon Golf and Conference Center's classic, Donald Ross-designed course. Less recognized, but equally enjoyable, resort, public and semi-private courses are also plentiful, providing golfers of all skill levels a variety of challenging golf courses from which to choose.

Ponte Vedra Beach
In Ponte Vedra Beach, at the north end of St. Johns County along the Atlantic Ocean, golfers will find internationally acclaimed golf courses.

Home of the PGA Tour and The Players Championship, Ponte Vedra is host to both professional and amateur tournaments year-round. Photo courtesy of the St. Johns County Visitors & Convention Bureau

Marriott at Sawgrass Resort is the official hotel of the TPC. With access to 99 holes, the TPC is one of largest and most prestigious golf resorts in the United States. The signature course is the par-72, 6,857-yard TPC at Sawgrass Stadium Course, designed by Pete Dye and ranked seventh among "America's Best Resort Courses" by Golf Digest. The Stadium Course's par-three 17th hole -- the Island Hole -- is recognized worldwide.

Also at the Marriott Sawgrass Resort is the 6,838-yard, par-72 TPC at Sawgrass Valley course, a Pete Dye-Jerry Pate creation characterized by an abundance of water and, unusual for a Florida course, hills and valleys. Then there's the 27-hole Sawgrass Country Club layout, the "original" Sawgrass, with three different nine-hole layouts. Sawgrass Country Club has been ranked in the "Top 25 U.S. Resort Courses" by Golf Digest.

Guests at Marriott Sawgrass Resort also gain access to two nearby private golf courses. Golfers staying at either resort can arrange to play at Oak Bridge Country Club, a par-70, 6,345-yard course, and Marsh Landing Country Club. Marsh Landing meanders through some of the most beautiful scenery in northeast Florida. A par-72, 6,841-yard Ed Seay design, Marsh Landing's tidal ponds, lagoons and Intracoastal marshes demand careful club selection.

Visitors can test their putting skills for the World Golf Hall of Fame Open on a fast, tournament-style putting green. Photo courtesy of the St. Johns County Visitors & Convention Bureau

Traditionalists will enjoy the two outstanding golf courses at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club. The 6,515-yard Ocean Course, redesigned by Robert Trent Jones in 1947, is described by Golf Digest as a "classic." Originally built in 1928 and designed by British golf course architect Herbert Strong, the Ocean Course includes the added challenge of breezes off the neighboring Atlantic Ocean. The Lagoon Course, designed by Joe Lee, is shorter, at 5,600 yards, but is tight and guarded by numerous water hazards.

St. Augustine
Only 20 minutes south of Ponte Vedra Beach, golfers can enjoy public and semi-private courses close to the historic sites and colorful atmosphere of St. Augustine.

More than 50 golf courses provide challenges for players of all skill levels. Photo courtesy of the St. Johns County Visitors & Convention Bureau

World Golf Village, eight miles northwest of St. Augustine, features the 7,000-yard, Bobby Weed-designed The Slammer and The Squire championship course. Home to the World Golf Hall of Fame, World Golf Village is rapidly becoming known internationally as one of golf's premier locales.

The Radisson Ponce de Leon Golf and Conference Center's 18-hole championship course, designed by Donald Ross, is flanked by the Intracoastal Waterway on one side and shady magnolias and oak trees on the other, offering an inland golf experience on one nine and demanding links-styled golf on the other.

St. Augustine Shores Country Club and St. Johns County Golf Course offer 18-hole layouts that test the proficiency of low-handicappers but allow opportunities for less-skilled players to enjoy some memorable golfing moments.

Cimarrone at Cartwheel Bay, just outside St. Augustine, is a semi-private club, but open to non-members. The par-72 championship layout is narrow and has water hazards on all 18 holes.

Information on St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and the Beaches

For free information on golf, lodging, shopping and dining in Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine, including a colorful, 40-page travel planner, contact the St. Johns County Visitors & Convention Bureau, 88 Riberia Street, #400, St. Augustine, FL 32084 or call, toll-free, 1-800-OLD CITY (1-800-653-2489), 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Golfers also can get information on golf in northeast Florida from Florida's First Coast of Golf, a non-profit golf association, toll-free 1-800-555-0807 in the United States and, outside the United States, (407) 339-2683.