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The Dye Course at PGA Village can be part of an
inexspensive Florida golf vacation package.
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Spring and summer may not be the ideal seasons in which to take a Florida golf vacation, but if you want to play exceptional golf courses at deeply discounted rates, they sure are.
Case in point: The PGA Village in Port. St. Lucie, the resort built by the PGA of America "to make world-class golf accessible to everyone." On those two fronts, "world-class" and "accessible," it succeeds, especially this time of year.
There are three courses here: two, bold, big-shouldered layouts by Tom Fazio circa 1996 and an ambitious Pete Dye design that opened in 2000. All are challenging and fun to play. There's also a 35-acre PGA Learning Center, which easily ranks as one of the best teaching/practice facilities in the country.
In high season, the golf courses cost $115 to play. From now through March, however, it offers discount golf vacations with green fees of only $40 (cart included). You will find similar deals on PGA Village's villas, called Castle Pines and Pine Valley. One-bedrooms that normally sell for $199 per night are reduced to $109. They aren't lavish, but they're clean, comfortable, and include a full kitchen, screened-in porch and access to a nearby pool. Here's a tip: if you want to be within walking distance to the clubhouse, stay in the Pine Valley villas. The Castle Pines development is newer, but requires a short drive.
For an even better deal, consider the The Sheraton, located within walking distance to the Learning Center and a five-minute drive to the clubhouse. It is currently offering discount golf vacations that include two rounds of golf per day and accommodations in a one-bedroom villa for $159 per night. Two-bedroom villas with four rounds of golf included are $259.
There is a catch to all this — isolation. In order to provide affordable golf, it was impossible for the PGA of America to purchase land near its headquarters in Palm Beach. So, they bought farmland and wetlands in the middle of nowhere. But, if you're not concerned with off-course activities on your Florida golf vacation, PGA Village might literally be the perfect package for you.
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