The Courses At Florida's Grenelefe Resort : Relax and Be Challenged
By Art McCafferty

I must qualify my remarks in this story somewhat, because Grenelefe has become my winter home in Florida. I have been going there for about 10 years and using the resort as my base while writing stories on golf or producing television shows. As I make the turn off at I-4 I can feel my body and mind starting to relax.

Grenelefe is a storied course located in Haines City, only 30 minutes from Orlando's attractions. It has three golf courses, featuring the work of Ron Garl, Ed Seay and the late Robert Trent Jones. The resort also has 20 tennis courts, a fitness club with spa services, heated pool, three diverse restaurants and a lively sports lounge.

The West, or Robert Trent Jones golf course, has long been one of the great golf courses in Florida, having been voted the top Florida golf course six times by Golfweek magazine. The Seay and Garl courses offer a small respite from the toughness of the West course, but not much.

The West course is special enough to be used for the PGA's qualifying school. The course is long, 7,301 yards, and it tends to beat you to death with all of its greenside bunkers. A dream job would be to handle their rake business.

For those that need to sharpen up their game, there is the on-site Ken Venturi Golf Academy at Grenelefe. They offer half day, full day and three-day schools there. For more information, click http://www.grenelefe.com.