2017 GRAND FLORIDA
USA GOLF TOUR
INCLUDING
INCLUDINGTHE
THEPLAYERS
PLAYERSCHAMPIONSHIP
CHAMPIONSHIP
4th-20th
4th-20thMAY
MAY2017
2017
Playing
10 of
Florida’s
Finest
Attend THE PLAYERS
CHAMPIONSHIP
Play TPC Sawgrass
Stadium Course
Tiburon Gold
Old Corkscrew
Trump Doral Blue
Monster
Trump Doral
Silver Fox
Bay Hill
Disney Magnolia
World Golf Village
Slammer & Squire
World Golf Village
King & Bear
Ponte Vedra Beach
Ocean Course
PaR n.z. drives
Florida – more than just ‘Gators’
Join Denise & Kim from PaR nz Golfing Holidays on their 2017 Grand Florida USA
Golf Tour that includes THE TURN Grandstand tickets on the 18th at THE PLAYERS
Championship in 2017 to watch Aussie superstar and world number 1 Jason Day
defend his newly won title. We present an overview of this golfing Mecca.
“Beware the gators’ signs” are a thrilling part
of playing golf in Florida, but a golf holiday
to Florida can offer so much more.
The ‘Sunshine State’ attracts huge numbers
of golf-mad Americans and international
golfers alike because it offers year-round
opportunities to play some of the best
courses in the US. Off the course, the choices
seem endless with exciting theme parks,
aeronautics, world-renowned restaurants,
top hotels and spas, chic communities,
ecological zones and 2170kms of whitesand beaches. Little wonder Florida has four
beaches in the US Top 10.
Attracting 95 million tourists annually, it
often ranks above Rome and Paris as one of
the world’s most popular travel destinations.
It is also one of the US’s fastest growing
states, with more than 1000 people a
week joining its base population of almost
20 million.
Florida is a golfer’s paradise with over 1250
courses to play – more than any other state
in the US. There is an array of spectacular
courses designed by the legends of the
game – Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Pete
Dye, Tom Watson, Greg Norman, Robert
Trent Jones, and Gary Player to name a few.
Florida courses host PGA, Champions and
LPGA Tournaments annually on the Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach
Swing. The PGA and LPGA make their home
at Ponte Vedra Beach in north-east Florida.
Just down the road at St Augustine founded
in 1565, where the Spanish first settled the
US in 1513, is The World Golf Hall of Fame
and the spectacular, custom-built World
Golf Village.
You can find the lockers of Australians
Kel Nagle, Greg Norman, Peter Thomson,
Walter Travis, Karrie Webb, and Kiwi Sir
Bob Charles in the Hall of Fame and the
museum houses a priceless collection of
the golf memorabilia of inducted golfing
greats and historic records from the game
itself. It is a must-visit for any golfer.
In the World Golf Village are two, one-ofa-kind golf courses. The King & Bear is the
only golf course in the world designed by
Palmer and Nicklaus in collaboration. The
other, The Slammer & Squire, is named in
honour of golfing greats Sam ‘The Slammer’
Snead and Gene ‘The Squire’ Sarazen, who
were consulted throughout its design.
While many courses in Florida are open
to the green-fee-paying public, access to
playing the best courses does require skillful
networking. Many courses are exclusively
private and others have hotel partnerships
that are ‘stay and play’ only.
The best courses in Florida include TPC
Sawgrass Stadium Course, in northeast Florida, which is the host course of
the so called ‘fifth major’, THE PLAYERS
Championship. The 17th, a par 3 island
green is one of the most recognised and
notorious holes in golf. Sawgrass reports
that more than 100,000 balls are collected
each year from the water around this
difficult course. The other top course is
Seminole in Palm Beach, a classic-style
course built in the 1920s by Donald Ross.
Seminole was a favourite of resident Ben
Hogan in his warm-up for The Masters.
Golf initiated in Florida near Palm Beach
in 1896 with the building of The Breakers
Ocean Course by railway tycoon and father
of Florida tourism, Henry Flagler. On the
same coast, Jupiter Island is the latest
‘hot-spot’ for pro-golfers and where you
could run into Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy,
Luke Donald, Lee Westwood or Ernie Els at
the local supermarket.
Jack Nicklaus started the exodus to Florida’s
south-east coast 40 years ago and others
followed, including the most recognised
high-flying golfer Greg Norman, with
most building eight-figure-sum homes. US
President Barack Obama has holidayed in
Jupiter Island, playing a much publicised
round with Tiger Woods.
World Golf Hall of Fame
Attracting 95 million
tourists annually, Florida
often ranks above Rome
and Paris as one of the
world’s most popular
travel destinations.
Jack Nicklaus started
the exodus to Florida’s
south-east coast 40 years
ago and others followed,
including the most
recognised high-flying
golfer Greg Norman,
with most building
eight-figure-sum homes.
Golfers are drawn to the Miami region for
its superb beaches and nightlife. Arguably,
the best course in Miami is the Trump Doral
Blue Monster course with its extremely
challenging 18th hole mastered by winner
of The Doral Open in 2004, Craig Parry.
Donald Trump, Presidential hopeful in 2016,
purchased Doral in 2012 and completed a
major renovation of the hotel and some of
its five courses. Others include The PGA
National with its famous ‘Bear Trap’ and
home to The Honda Classic.
The best course around Orlando is Bay
Hill, where Arnold Palmer lives and
plays. The course is host to the Bay Hill
MasterCard Invitational. Other favourites
include Reunion, Grand Cypress, Disney
courses and the Greg Norman-designed
Championsgate courses.
Further inland to central Florida are the two
new Streamsong courses, Red designed by
Tom Doak who designed Cape Kidnappers
in New Zealand and the Blue course
designed by Coore & Crenshaw. Both
are inland links courses which is unusual
in Florida, both built on the site of an old
phosphate mine. The courses and hotel
are owned by mining company Mosaic and
already the Red course is rated Florida’s
best public course.
The stretch of beach from Daytona to
Jacksonville on the north-east coast
boasts numerous golf resorts with great
access to the Atlantic Ocean, including
Amelia Island. For a more relaxing Florida
experience, the Tampa and Naples coastal
areas are emerging golf destinations.
GolfAdvisor recently included the Nicklaus
Old Corkscrew golf course in Naples in its
Top 10 – and the Tiburon Gold Course is
the most famous in that area as it hosts
the Greg Norman Shark Shootout and the
LPGA CME Global Trophy.
Yes, for golfers, Florida is certainly worth the
journey from Australia and New Zealand.
2017 Grand Florida USA
Golf Tour Highlights
Golf includes 10 Championship greats
Exciting and extensive programme
that includes
1. Tiburon Gold by Greg Norman
2. Old Corkscrew by Jack Nicklaus
3. Trump Doral Blue Monster by Gil Hanse
4. Trump Doral Silver Fox by von Hagge, Pate & Devlin
5. Bay Hill by Arnold Palmer
6. Disney Magnolia by Joe Lee
7. World Golf Village Slammer & Squire by Bobby Weed
in collaboration with Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen
8. World Golf Village King & Bear by Jack Nicklaus and
Arnold Palmer playing in a special Florida Tourism
Tournament
9. Ponte Vedra Beach Ocean Course by H. B Strong
10.TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course by Pete Dye
• The Turn 18th Green Grandstand seating at THE PLAYERS
Championship – Final Day Sunday
• Tickets to the World Golf Hall of Fame
• Tickets and transfers to the Kennedy Space Centre
• Visit the Florida Everglades including an Air-Boat Ride
• Tour of historic St Augustine
• Tour of South Beach Miami and the Art Deco District
• Breakfast daily on tour
• Tour Welcome Dinner at The Ritz Carlton
• Dinner at Bay Hill Lodge in Orlando
• Farewell Dinner at The TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse
• Private tour of the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse
• Transport in air conditioned coaches
Leisurely tour programme, staying 16 nights in
5-star and 4-star plus golf resorts
• Souvenir tour pack
• Fully hosted tour with Denise & Kim from PaR nz Golfing Holidays
• 5 Star Ritz Carlton, Naples – 3 nights
• 5 Star Trump Doral Golf Resort, Miami – 3 nights
• 5 Star Bay Hill Lodge, Orlando – 4 nights
• 4 Star Plus World Golf Village, St Augustine – 3 nights
• 5 star Marriott Sawgrass Golf Resort, Ponte Vedra
Beach – 3 nights
2017 Pricing
• US $9,345 per person, based on Twin Share accommodation
• Price upon request for full package non-golfers
• USD$1,965 pp Single supplement added to the full golfer package
• USD $185 pp Extra nights with breakfast pre-tour at the 5-star Ritz
Carlton Golf Resort
• USD $165 pp Extra nights with breakfast post-tour at the Marriott
Sawgrass Golf Resort
• USD $150 pp Extra round of golf at Tiburon in Naples or similar
courses nearby
Trump Doral
Not included
• Airport – Hotel transfers
• International airfares (PaR nz Golfing Holidays can assist
with bookings)
• ESTA Visa Waiver for USA
• Meals not listed in itinerary
• Travel insurance
Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill
• Additional tourism activities not listed
• Forecaddie fee of $100 per foursome and $20 per person
tip at Bay Hill, Doral Blue Monster and TPC Sawgrass, to be
paid in cash after the round
• Guide and Driver Tips (USD$75 pp total collected at the
start of the tour)
Payment
• 1st Deposit of USD$900 non-refundable due with booking
to secure place on tour
• 2nd Deposit of USD$2,500 non-refundable due by 1st
December 2016
• Payment in full due by 1st March 2017 including extra
nights and add-ons
Tiburon
Sawgrass
2017 Grand Florida USA
Golf Tour Itinerary
Miami Beach
Our first group function is on
Thursday 4th May with an Evening
Welcome Dinner at the Ritz Carlton
in Naples. Our first round on tour is
on Friday 5th May on the TIBURON
COURSE which annually hosts the
PGA Tour Shark Shootout and LPGA
CME Globe Trophy.
Our 17-day tour takes us on a journey
of 5 regions in Florida. From Naples
on the South West coast through
the Florida Everglades area to Miami
in the South. From Miami we travel
north to Orlando then onto St
Augustine and Ponte Vedra Beach in
the North East of Florida.
Our tour concludes on Friday 20th
May after a Farewell Dinner in the
Clubhouse of TPC Sawgrass, located
beside the Marriott Sawgrass Golf
Resort. For your international
connections home, the transfer
to Jacksonville International
Airport in Florida is about 45
minutes. By car, the resort
has easy access to interstate highway routes for
adventures further
afield.
DAY 1
DAY 3
THURSDAY 4th MAY
Arrive in Florida, USA at Fort Meyers
International Airport. Transfer to the
fabulous 5-star Ritz Carlton Golf Resort
in Naples, which is home to 2 wonderful
links style championship courses,
Tiburon Black and Tiburon Gold. Stay 3
nights or add extra nights, pre-tour to
relax at this luxury resort before our tour
commences. Evening Welcome Dinner
‘USA style’ at the Resort.
SATURDAY 6th MAY
Our second Naples course on tour is OLD
CORKSCREW, the only championship
Nicklaus Signature course in South West
Florida. Jack’s superb design has his typical
‘risk and reward’ layout as it meanders
through mature tree lined fairways with lots
of bunkers and waterways to add to the
challenge! After golf, enjoy the highlights
of the highly fashionable beach-side city
of Naples with boutique shops and great
restaurants. Naples, one of the USA’s hottest
real estate investment regions is swarming
with celebrity faces, so be on the lookout!
DAY 2
FRIDAY 5th MAY
Start our Florida Tour playing right at
our resort on the world-class links style
TIBURON GOLD COURSE, designed
by Greg Norman. This course annually
hosts The PGA Franklin Templeton Shark
Shootout and LPGA Race to CME Globe
Trophy. In December 2014, our very own
Lydia Ko lifted this prestigious trophy and a
cheque for a cool USD$1 million.
DAY 4
SUNDAY 7th MAY
We travel from Naples to South East Florida
to visit the USA’s vacation and party capital,
Miami. Along the way we visit the famous
Florida Everglades, and take a thrill seeking
ride on an airboat to ‘catch-us’ some gators!
In Miami we stay 3 nights in golfer heaven
at the luxury 5-star Trump Doral Golf Resort
owned by presidential hopeful Donald
Trump, the resort boasts four courses,
designed by influential architects. We play
the two best during our stay at Trump Doral
- Blue Monster and Silver Fox.
DAY 5
DAY 9
MONDAY 8th MAY
Play TRUMP DORAL BLUE MONSTER – host
course of the PGA Tour Doral Open from
1962 to 2006, and since 2007, the WGC
Cadillac Championship. The famous 18th
hole is ranked by GOLF Magazine as one
of the Top 100 Holes in the World. Current
2016 WGC Cadillac Champion is Adam
Scott.
FRIDAY 12th MAY
Enjoy a REST DAY in Orlando which is the
‘Theme Park Capital of the USA’ with over
62 million visitors arriving annually. Choose
from a range of exciting world-class tourist
attractions such as Disney World, The
Kennedy Space Centre, Sea World, Epcot
Centre, Disney Springs or check out the
great downtown and outlet shopping. Or
just relax right at home at Bay Hill Lodge.
DAY 6
TUESDAY 9th MAY
We have a relaxing day of sightseeing in
Miami, checking out South Beach and the
Art Deco District.
DAY 7
WEDNESDAY 10th MAY
Today we will play the sensational Silver Fox
course at Trump National Doral, one of the
most demanding tests of golf in the country.
Water comes into play on 16 of 18 holes,
and it’s striking, marble-white sand bunkers
dictate that only well-struck drives and
approaches are rewarded. Although there
are only 50 bunkers on the entire course,
they are strategically placed to require a
demanding game off the tee and difficult
approaches to the green. Draped in a wallto-wall carpet of bermuda grass, the course
is both beautiful to look at and visually
intimidating. After golf we head north to
Orlando and for many, a tour highlight –
staying at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, home of
Arnold Palmer, who is often seen around the
Lodge, range and golf course. Stay 4 nights.
DAY 8
THURSDAY 11th MAY
This is a special day! This is a unique
opportunity to play and stay at BAY HILL,
where one of golf’s true gentlemen, Arnold
Palmer lives and plays. The Champion,
Challenger and Charger links feature 27
holes of tour championship golf spread
along the shores of the Butler Chain of
Lakes. Bay Hill is showcased each spring for
the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by
MasterCard. In the evening, PaR nz Golfing
Holidays host a special private dinner at Bay
Hill Lodge.
The Marriott, Sawgrass
DAY 10 SATURDAY 13th MAY
Play Disney’s MAGNOLIA COURSE, a
regular on the PGA Tour up until 2000 and
host of The Children’s Miracle Network
Hospital Classic. Named for its majestic
magnolia trees but most remembered for
its challenging water hazards on 11 of 18
holes and 97 bunkers. Its signature hole, the
3rd hole features a Mickey Mouse shaped
bunker. In the evening we visit Disney
Springs for dinner.
DAY 11 SUNDAY 14th MAY
We leave Orlando and travel north along
the coast to TPC Sawgrass for the final day’s
play of THE PLAYERS Championship. Enjoy
guaranteed grandstand seats at the TURN on
the 18th. After golf we book in for 3 nights
at The Renaissance Hotel at the World Golf
Village in St Augustine, a unique residential
and golf community.
DAY 12
MONDAY 15th MAY
Today we play the SLAMMER & SQUIRE,
the only golf course in the world designed
in consultation by legendary golfers Sam
(The Slammer) Snead and Gene (The Squire)
Sarazen. Time also for a visit to The World
Golf Hall of Fame, an astonishing and
‘priceless’ museum collection of personal
golf memorabilia from golfers inducted over
the past 50 years.
DAY 13 TUESDAY 16th MAY
Play the KING & BEAR COURSE in a fun oneday international tournament with amateur
golfers from around the world. This course,
the only one of its kind, is named for its
co-designers and World Golf Hall of Fame
members Arnold (The King) Palmer and Jack
(The Bear) Nicklaus. In the afternoon join the
tournament field at a prize giving lunch.
DAY 14 WEDNESDAY 17th MAY
Today we drive to St Augustine, the USA’s
oldest European settlement, with time to
tour this historic coastal fort town. After
lunch we travel onto Ponte Vedra Beach
before we check into the 5 star Marriott
Sawgrass Golf Resort for our final 3 nights
on tour.
DAY 15
THURSDAY 18th MAY
By special invitation from this private and
exclusive golf club, we play the PONTE
VEDRA BEACH OCEAN COURSE. Built in
1928 by British architect H.B. Strong this
classic sea links course is steeped in history
and alongside TPC Sawgrass is one of the
premier courses in the region. The course
has undergone two significant renovations,
in 1947 by Robert Trent Jones Snr and again
in 1998 by Bobby Weed. The course was
named to host the 1939 Ryder Cup which
was cancelled due to WW2. The course has
also been used in US Open qualifiers. The
Ponte Vedra Beach Ocean Course is home
of the original island green later copied on
TPC Sawgrass by Pete & Alice Dye.
DAY 16
FRIDAY 19th MAY
For our final course on tour, we play TPC
SAWGRASS STADIUM COURSE at Sawgrass
designed by legendary architect, Pete Dye.
This course, which annually hosts the THE
PLAYERS Championship is a custom-built
course to showcase the best players on
the PGA Tour. In the evening we enjoy a
Farewell Dinner at the famed TPC Sawgrass
Clubhouse.
DAY 17
SATURDAY 20th MAY
Depart for international connections from
Jacksonville International Airport, Florida.
Old Corkscrew
Book Now
To secure your place, (which we recommend
you do sooner rather than later, as due to
demand and interest, our Grand Florida Tour
has sold out very quickly once released) we
need to receive a non-refundable deposit of
US $900 per person.
A tour registration form also needs to be
completed and accompany your deposit,
with a copy of your passport (main name
and identification page).
The 2017 tour is limited to 32 golfers.
Conditions
A full list of booking conditions is detailed
on the appropriate registration form but
please note preliminary bookings have
been made at all the golf courses and our
selected hotels as listed. However please
note that some courses do not take final
bookings and allocate tee times, this far out
and only confirm after their winter season is
over. In the unlikely event that a course or
hotel requires to be changed to that which
is listed, a replacement will be made with a
similar or higher standard venue, and you
will be advised with an updated itinerary.
Please be assured that this has never been
an issue in the past.
For those keen to add-on more golf or
days at leisure we offer an extensive range
of holiday packages to other USA regions.
Popular golf destinations while on the
east coast near Florida include Georgia,
North and South Carolina - Hilton Head,
Myrtle Beach, Pinehurst, and Kiawah Island.
Other favourites include San Diego and
Pebble Beach. We have access to all the
great courses and competitive ‘Play n Stay’
packages.
For a list of tour inclusions, sightseeing,
additional golf bookings, and a registration
form – contact denise@parnz.co.nz or
kim@parnz.co.nz or phone +64 9 486 1077
Trump Doral Blue Monster
PaR n.z. drives