By Mike May
If you never visited Daytona Beach for Spring Break while in college, now is your chance, especially if you play golf.
When you think about Florida golf, courses that you have seen on TV from Orlando, Ponte Vedra, and Miami are usually the first that come to mind, but there is more than what you see on television.
Now is the perfect time to plan your Daytona Beach getaway where you’ll find first-class golf, brilliant accommodations, delicious seafood, and the sandy shores of ‘The World’s Most Famous Beach.’
The greater Daytona area has nearly 20 golf courses such as the Riviera Country Club, LPGA International, Victoria Hills, Daytona Beach Golf Course, and New Smyrna Golf Club.
Riviera has great green complexes and is the home of the nation’s longest running mini tour event in the U.S., the Riviera Open.
LPGA International is the area’s most acclaimed facility with two 18 hole championship courses designed by Rees Jones and Arthur Hills. The Jones combines strategic mounding, expansive bunkering, and some of the area’s most dramatic green complexes. The Hills features natural wetlands, narrow pine corridors, and strategically placed water hazards.
Victoria Hills, designed by Ron Garl, has been ranked by Golfweek among Florida’s top 15 public courses. The rolling hills, oak trees and Garl’s creativity have made the layout a favorite among golfers with an appreciation for the finer points of golf course architecture.
The Daytona Beach Golf Course has 36 holes, the South and the North Courses. The South is a Donald Ross design and both are fair, fun, and affordable layouts.
The New Smyrna GC, a Donald Ross design, features Ross’ signature turtle-back greens.
An ideal place to stay is the new Max Beach Resort, which has spacious, multi-bedroom suites with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. This beachside property features the area’s only heated infinity pool, as well as an outdoor hot tub. The views down the beach and across the Atlantic, from the fitness center on the 12th floor, are beyond compare. Take time to enjoy a drink and a meal at either the Sunrise Terrace or Sunset Terrace.
On any given morning, head to nearby Ormond Beach for breakfast at Rosie’s Café. It’s a small and cleverly designed eatery that is part of Dunn’s Attic, the area’s one-of-a-kind consignment shop. The quality of the food at Rosie’s is on par with how your grandmother cooked breakfast. Two other unique breakfast destinations to enjoy are The Cracked Egg Diner in Daytona Beach Shores and Casual Bird in Port Orange.
If you’re interested in what the locals eat and drink for lunch and dinner, visit the Daytona Taproom, Racing’s North Turn, Riptide’s Raw Bar & Grill, Hull’s Seafood, Sir Malcolm’s and Rose Villa Southern Table.
After golf, visit the Daytona International Speedway to tour the state-of-the-art facility and learn about stock car racing’s rich history at its most famous track. On most days, you can take a trip around the 2.5-mile tri-oval.
You should also consider dropping by One Daytona, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex, located just across the street from the Speedway. From Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery and 4 Rivers Barbeque to Blue Flame and Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, One Daytona is the perfect spot to spend a few hours of downtime on your trip.
Relive those college spring breaks at Daytona Beach, plus add a little golf this time. For more information visit: https://www.daytonabeach.com/.
