Salamander Hotels & Resorts has united three of Florida’s finest golf and family resorts

By Melanie Saxton

Offering luxurious, relaxing escapes and innumerable opportunities to create family memories, Innisbrook, Reunion and Hammock Beach are premier destinations for golf trips, family vacations and romantic getaways. Rich in history, famed for the terrains, and a favorite of pro golfers and golf enthusiasts alike — Sheila C. Johnson’s Salamander Hotels and Resorts are world-renowned and offer some of the highest rated courses in Florida. Salamander has also created The Legends of Golf Trail, which traverses 200 miles between the three resorts across the Sunshine State.

 

The New Innisbrook

Just 30 minutes from Tampa International Airport, Innisbrook offers an uncomplicated, yet elegant, resort experience in the gorgeous St. Petersburg/Clearwater area. Nine hundred acres of wooded rolling hills and 40 years of golfing history beckons. Luxurious guest accommodations include newly renovated amenities: 600 spacious suites, a new luxury spa, six heated pools, four restaurants, three bars and a collection of four golf courses designed by Larry Packard. Golf World named Innisbrook The 2010 Reader’s Choice Award as “One of the Top 50 Golf Facilities in the U.S.” Innisbrook also ranked No. 16 in GolfLink’s Top Golf Courses in the World. A blend of family respite, entertainment and challenging golf awaits guests in one of the most popular destinations in the nation.

 

Lifestyle & Family

Whether multi-generational families plan extended vacations or couples fly in for quick getaways, an effortless arrival awaits. Golf clubs are whisked away and reappear prior to tee times. Continuous courtesy transportation connects guests to all the pleasures of the resort. Families have the option of spacious one-, two- or three-bedroom suites with full kitchens, situated just minutes from the area’s finest beaches. Another outdoor favorite — the Loch Ness Monster pool — offers thrills, spills and water slides, plus scheduled activities for children at the gazebo. Five additional pools are ideal for quiet reading and tanning. Age-appropriate painting, jewelry-making and sand sculpturing segue into tennis, biking, wetlands exploration, lizard scavenger hunts and GPS orienteering. There’s something for everyone at Innisbrook.

 

Culinary Delights

Poolside casual, clubhouse dining or suite delivery… the culinary experience ranges from light, locally grown salads to robust steaks and seafood. The friendly Market Salamander staff can provide custom picnic beach baskets or serve guests at the sports-themed Osprey Bar overlooking the South Course. Enjoy fully prepared Market Salamander meals or tempting ingredients delivered to your door for casual breakfasts or evenings indoors. Spectacular sunrises and sunsets usher in hours of relaxation, golfing adventures and live entertainment — and some of the best cuisine in Florida.

 

Indaba Spa

Decompress from life’s stresses among nature’s colors. Indaba — Innisbrook’s new luxury spa — blends a tranquil, natural setting with holistic treatments, personalized for each guest. The 20,000- square-foot spa includes a salon and fitness center. Massage, body and facial treatments blend western and African rituals to embrace body, mind and spirit. Center your thoughts… rejuvenate as simple luxury, relaxation and pampering restore the body’s natural healing properties. A meditational labyrinth, relaxation courtyard, and treatment terraces offer tranquility, while the plunge pool and steam rooms revitalize.

 

Instruction in a Natural Canvas

The undulating landscape yields a natural aesthetic, perfect for instruction at the Innisbrook Golf Institute. Enjoy customized lessons and visit the tennis and fitness centers, certain to bring out everyone’s inner athlete. Horticulture and bird-watching classes uncover the hidden joys of west Florida’s expansive eco-system. Outdoor classrooms spark adventures as guests hike across vast acreage, stroll in open spaces, and explore the protected wetlands. Then relax, breathe deeply, and capture memories under centuries-old trees. The area is a photographer’s paradise.

 

The Copperhead Course

Calling all professionals, weekend warriors and golfing groups: Golf the way nature intended. Copperhead ranks among America’s most distinguished courses. Tree-lined fairways and a rolling terrain challenge the most seasoned golfer. Home to the PGA TOUR Transitions Championship. Copperhead is surrounded by ponds, swamplands and wildlife. An audience of fox squirrels, ospreys, bald eagles, alligators, belle herons and any number of water fowl awaits.

 

The Island Course

Ranked among the country’s top 50 resort courses by Golf Digest, the LPGA selected this picturesque Island as the site of its first Legends Tour Open Championship. The Island Course has hosted numerous U.S. Open and NCAA qualifiers.

 

North and South Courses

For relaxed golfing at its finest, Innisbrook offers two equally beautiful championship courses. Popular with players who enjoy
a shorter, yet challenging, design, the North Course is known for its par threes, tight fairways and well-bunkered, free-filled greens. The South Course offers a links-style approach. Players of any level often gain confidence through Innisbrook’s expert instruction, improving their score and emboldening their golf game.

 

Reunion Resort  

Located just 30 short minutes from the Orlando International Airport, Reunion Resort is the only location in the United States with golf courses designed by the golf greats Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson. The resort also features the world’s only resort-based ANNIKA Academy, an innovative teaching facility designed and developed by Annika Sörenstam. Accommodations are highlighted by the 82-suite Reunion Grande, an 11-story hotel, replete with stunning lobby and bar, exquisite décor, elegantly appointed meeting space, and two restaurants.

 

Hammock Beach

Located along 2.4 miles of spectacular Atlantic beach on Florida’s Palm Coast, Hammock Beach Resort features 320 accommodations, including a 12-story tower of ocean view luxury suites, and an intimate 20-room lodge that features spectacular ocean and golf course views. The Ocean Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is one of Florida’s highest rated and plays six holes directly along the Atlantic. The Conservatory Course was designed by Tom Watson and is one of Florida’s longest layouts, characterized by waterfalls and babbling brooks.

 

Grand Golf Resorts Launch Summer Specials Innisbrook Resort in Tampa Bay is offering a 50 percent discount on its standard published rates for guests who book by August 15, 2012, and stay by Oct. 10, 2012. Blackout dates may apply, minimum stay of two nights. To book visit VisitInnisbrook.com, use booking code: sUMMEr, or call 866-599-6425. Reunion Resort and Hammock Beach Resort are offering a summer “buy one, get one free” special on its deluxe, superior or estate level villas. Special offer is valid on stays until Sept. 30, 2012, when the paid night is at the standard published rate. Blackout dates and other restrictions may apply, minimum two nights is required. Make reservations by visiting ReunionResort.com, or call 866-880-8563 or visit HammockBeach.com, or call 866-841-0287.

 

For additional information or to book your premier getaway at Innisbrook, Reunion, or Hammock, call 888-770-6501, or visit GrandGolfResorts.com.