Vero Beach, FL Golf Weekend

(Just north of West Palm Beach)

by Fat Guy

Locals sometimes refer to Vero Beach as "Zero Beach", as it pales a bit in comparison with the world-class party scene of South Beach Miami a couple hours to the south.  But I found it to be a relaxing spot in a great setting with a nice pace for a low-key boys' beach golf weekend, with a foursome of my college buddies who are all right in the wheelhouse of 40.  My buddy Ron has a vacation home down here, and was gracious enough to host us for a fun long weekend.

Vero was the former spring training home of the Dodgers, and is a nice eclectic mix of Old Florida style, modern upscale vacation homes, greasy spoon breakfast joints, art galleries, the retiree set, upscale restaurants, and blue collar locals in nearby Sebastian.  There's even a small Disney resort in town.

Where To Play:  There are at least 5 worthwhile courses within an easy hour's drive of Vero, ranging from munis to brand-name golf resorts, with a consistent theme of great value for your golfing buck. 

Sandridge GC (www.sandridgegc.com) is Vero's local muni, but you'd never guess it by the challenging layouts and good conditioning of Sandridge's 36 holes.  It's also one of the best values I've ever stumbled across, with greens fees starting as low as $22.

Sandridge Golf Club offers two 18 hole layouts designed by Florida specialist Ron Garl.  The Dunes course opened in April 1987 and the Lakes course opened in December 1992.

Fat Guy Review, Sandridge GC Dunes Course:  This was probably the best value course I've ever played.  For a May 2010 afternoon rate of $22, we got a good layout in very respectable shape, with near perfect tees and greens.  The routing starts out with an easy par 4 to help shake off the rust, but Garl quickly ups the strategy quotient with a strategic marvel par-5 on the 2nd, where a small stand of pines guard the shortcut route to a dog right green fronted by a large pond.  The 4th fairway is almost completely surrounded by massive bunkers, and the 6th is an island green par-3.  Most of the holes are lined with either water (found on 12 holes) or Florida vegitation.  The back is where Garl begins to unfold the natural beauty of the property with some memorable golf holes featuring water and scruffy waste areas.  The 10th is another short par-4 with 3 palms off to the side of the fairway to guard the approach, but I made the mistake of going over the elevated green, found my ball under a tree in some soft sandy turf, and took 4 to get down from there.  The 12th and 16th dogleg over waste areas and water offering risk/reward options as some rolling elevation changes begin to appear.  Another great feature that's rare for Florida:  There is no housing on the course.  Overall, Sandridge is a fun course in great shape for a great price.  Hard to believe it's a muni.  I couldn't recommend it enough.  Fat Guy Rating:  9 (mostly on value)

Sandridge GC's Lakes Course (from the website course description, combined with Golf.com's review):  The Lakes course has water in play on 14 holes and features one of the toughest holes in all of South Florida, the par 4 14th with an island green. The Lakes Course is a shotmaker's layout. You'll probably only need your driver three times while playing this course. The course got its name from the fact that water comes into play on twelve of the eighteen holes.

PGA Village is worth the hour's drive south from Vero for it's 3 quality courses.  The Dye course is prototypical diabolical Pete, with plenty of pot bunkers, dot bunkers, splash bunkers, and ribbony hardpack coquina bunkers lining the sides of holes that also double as cart paths.  Not a ton of water for a Florida course, but fun and tough.  Tom Fazio's Wannamaker course combines sand, water, and tropical foliage to make for a visually stunning and challenging golf experience.  Fazio's Ryder course is rolling hills, majestic pine trees, and a myriad of water hazards, giving it a distinctive Carolina feel.  My buddy Ron dubbed the Ryder more friendly and "resorty" than the flagship Dye course.

Best Bar Nearby:  Captain Hiram's (www.hirams.com, Sebastian) is a fun beachside spot with a very Bahamian outdoor area featuring sand floors under a canopy of palm trees, and a sizeable-but-cozy indoor restaurant for those who prefer air conditioned environs.  The food is OK but nothing to write home about, although the party atmosphere more than makes up for it.  Live music weekends.  Bring the bug spray for partying outdoors at night.

  Capt. Hiram's

In Vero proper, Mulligan's Beach House Bar & Grill (www.mulligansrestaurant.com) is a more family-friendly beachside bar & grill with outdoor tables, colorful wooden beach chairs, and plenty of bar stools in front of plasmas.

Where To Grub:  Squid Lips Grill (Sebastian, www.squidlipsgrill.com) is a dockside bar/restaurant on pylons over the Indian River, with an open air, Jimmy-Buffet feel.  "A flip-flop place," as my buddy Ron calls it.  An expansive menu features original seafood dishes, including fresh fish in a variety of sauces.  Definitely get the bacon-wrapped grilled scallops as an appetizer, but personally I didn't love their house-specialty oak-grilled fish preparation. I don't know how else to describe it other than to say it tasted like K-Mart smells. I wish I was kidding.

  Squid Lips

Florida chain Hurricane Wings (www.hurricanewings.com) and local Clubhouse Bar & Grill (4000 Atlantic Blvd) vie for Vero Beach's best wings. Or hit Grilligan's (770 S US Hwy 1) for all variations of grilled cheese sandwiches, with killer milkshakes.  For breakfast, hit the Jaycee Park Seaside Grill (4200 Ocean Blvd).  Nothing fancy, but a good diner-style menu with outdoor tables just off the boardwalk and ocean views.  Or, Ron likes Cravings (www.cravingsbymail.com) for a good spot for a fresh baked bagel and good coffee at a sidewalk bistro table just a block off the beach.  For great handmade ice cream and a good espresso, Ron also digs the family-run Boardwalk Cafe & Ice Cream (4079 Ocean Drive).

Vero and nearby Sebastian are an eclectic mix of blue collar locals and Old Money, and there is some very good 3-and-4-star dining to be had in Vero proper.  My buddy Ron recommends Citrus Grillhouse (www.citrusgrillhouse.com) for good upscale food in a beachside setting, and surprisingly kid friendly.  Ron also likes the oceanfront setting at the old school Ocean Grill (www.ocean-grill.com), specializing in fresh fish.

 Ocean Grill 

Or hit Undertow, a retro-modernist surfer bar with a big beer and wine selection.

  Undertow

For a taste of Old Florida--gator tail, catfish, frog legs, grits, fried okra, swamp cabbage, and fried green tomatoes--head a little outside of town to Marsh Landing Restaurant (www.marshlandingrestaurant.com, Fellsmere).  It's full of atmosphere, located in a former estates corporation building.

Further Distractions:  Go kayaking in the calm, protected waters of the Indian River lagoon.  Paddle through jumping mullet fish around bird sanctuary islands and through drainage paths cut through mangrove wetlands with overhanging limbs while sting rays swim underneath and small mangrove crabs climb the trees overhead.  A great way to spend a morning on the water before the afternoon heat kicks in.  Call Adventure Kayaking ($45 for 3 hours, www.paddleflorida.com/irlagoon.htm) for their nearby Pine Island tour, and be sure to ask for co-owner Rhonda as your guide... she adds some nice scenery to the tour, along with plenty of environmental details.

Where To Stay: 

Couples Golf Weekend:  Crash at The Surf Club Hotel (www.surfclubverobeach.com, $125 Mar-Apr, $79 May-Dec, Suites $129-$225).  Hard by the ocean, Old Florida style, updated decor, palm trees next to a pristine pool, Duke's Bar, and the Sea Grill Restaurant.

Single Guys' Golf Weekend:  Gloria Estefan took an older low-rise motel, updated it with a modern concrete facade, added a splash of Miami style, and began attracting some of the Miami crowd to Vero at Costa d'Este Resort (www.costadeste.com).  Don't sweat Vero's lack of nightlife... Costa d'Este starts jumping when the DJ moves from poolside to the indoor club, and hip locals and guests start to fill the joint.  Recovery is all about the sound of the waves floating in through your sliding glass doors when you wake up slow and hungover the next morning, then head for a pool that's straight outta in South Beach, complete with a poolside bar for a little hair of the dog. 

Married Guys' Golf Weekend:  Head for The Driftwood Inn (www.thedriftwood.com), a rustic, beachy inn. Built right on the sand with a weathered look, and looks as if it was constructed from driftwood.  Varied room configurations compliment a poolside bar that's just off the beach.

Family Vacation with a couple rounds thrown in for Dad:  Disney's Vero Beach Resort (http://dvc.disney.go.com/dvc/guest/resorts/resortDetail?id=ProspectsVeroBeachResortLandingPage) is a surprisingly smallish venture for Disney, about 4 stories and probably 100 rooms, beachside with a nice pool area, two nice restaurants, and camp-like activities for kids.