Key West GC
Key West, FL
GolfChannel.com, 2/11
1983, Rees Jones
Back 6512, 71.2, 124, 70
Middle 5893, 68.4, 113, 70
Directions: From US 1 N, get off at E College Rd.
Key West Golf Club has lots of scenery to keep you interested
By David R. Holland,
Senior Writer
KEY WEST, Fla. -- Just as quickly as a toothy barracuda snaps through a stout filament, the Florida Keys make you slow down and enjoy the pace. Tee it up at Key West Golf Club, then settle in for a lazy, sunny vacation sprinkled with golf, nightlife, and world-class deep sea fishing that even attracted two presidents -- Harry S. Truman and George H.W. Bush.
Key West is 129 miles southwest of Miami and a mere 94 statute miles from Havana. Today it is a seaport destination for many cruise ships, and those tourists head for Old Town, which is the original Key West Historic District that includes classic bungalows and guest mansions in an area around Mallory Square, Duval Street and Fort Zachary Taylor. Truman's winter White House is here, along with Hemingway's home.
Key West Golf Club
Rees Jones designed Key West Golf Club, the southernmost golf course in the continental United States and situated seven feet above sea level. Since real estate is at a premium in the Florida Keys, the golf course rolls out at 6,512 yards, short by today's standards, but it has plenty of scenery to keep you interested.
Most golfers talk about the infamous "Mangrove Hole" -- the 143-yard, par-3 eighth that is a test for the best players. But the golf acreage includes dense foliage, tall palms, mangroves, lakes, rolling fairways, multi-tiered contoured greens and wildlife, including plenty of egrets.
A recent renovation improved the golf course, rebuilt its 90 bunkers and improved its conditioning with newer salt-resistant Paspalum grass. The golf course was built in 1983 and has had numerous chances to improve. In 2005, Hurricane Wilma destroyed many greens and left little grass on many fairways. Today's bunkers include some with sand and some coral waste areas.
Key West Golf Club: The verdict
Most people don't come to the Florida Keys to play golf, but Key West Golf Club will keep you interested. But be sure to bring plenty of golf balls if you are hitting them crooked.
"I thought Key West Golf Club was a great experience," said Jake Schmidt of Wilmington, Del. "When I made my tee time I thought about a tropical-styled course and I wasn't disappointed. The price is not that bad, the rental clubs were new, and great, and the new greens rolled smooth and true. I wasn't disappointed.
"My advice for the 'Mangrove Hole' is to hit a solid shot and don't baby it. The hole plays like an island green. This place doesn't rival the majority of Florida's great courses, but when you come to Key West you don't really come for golf. You come for the fishing or scuba diving."
Management likes to call Key West Golf Club the "Gateway to the Caribbean" and claims to have put more than 4,000 students through its Sunshine Swing Solutions instructional programs. Also, it is now featuring V1 and Zelocity Software computerized swing analysis. Don't expect a state-of-the-art practice facility when you visit, however.
Where to stay
The new Cheeca Lodge & Spa in Islamorda is a classic -- a place that has been in business since 1946 and is proud of its "barefoot elegance" decor that includes wood-beamed ceilings, wood-paddle ceiling fans and tropical plants. It even has a pitch-and-putt executive golf course to hone your short game, as well as six lighted tennis courts.
The resort has attracted sports and fishing enthusiasts such as sportscaster Curt Gowdy, General Norman Schwarzkopf and President Bush, as well as families seeking active vacations that include a saltwater lagoon for swimming and a palm-lined, 1,100-foot white-sand beach furnished with tiki torches and thatched cabanas.
The classic wood pier jutting 525 feet into the Atlantic Ocean is ideal for fishing and moonlight strolls. A 25-yard adult lap pool is ideal for exercise, and all kinds of water sports are available along with sunset cruises.
The property sits on 27 acres and has 203 guest rooms, including 48 suites that all have full kitchens. In addition, Cheeca Lodge offers an extensive range of services and amenities.
Cheeca Lodge is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and a AAA Four-Diamond Resort.
About the Florida Keys
Temperatures average in the 70s in the winter and in the 80s in the summer, with an almost constant ocean breeze. The Florida Keys has a colorful history, populated by the Calusa Indians, Spanish explorers, homesteaders and Bahamian wreckers who made their living off salvage from vessels sunk on the coral reefs. Today it is a fascinating, popular and easy-to-reach destination.
Best Bar Nearby: Once you finally make your way to Key West...
After the obligatory lost afternoon at Hemmingway's old hang, Sloppy Joe's (201 Duval St, www.sloppyjoes.com), Richmond golf writer and author of Blue Fairways Charles Slack claims that the current Sloppy Joe's is a tourist trap rebuild, and that Hemmingway's original hang is on Greene St and is now called Captain Tony's. My buddy Bo recommends Irish Kevin's (211 Duval, www.irishkevins.com) as a good spot for divorcee's on the prowl. Per Philly's Metro Paper, for other dive bars and live music, try Whistle Bar or Hog's Breath. Cowboy Bill's Key West Honky Tonk Saloon (www.cowboybillskw.com) is a great party spot with a little of everything for everyone... live tunes (country and otherwise) and dancing, a sassy scantily-clad Coyote Ugly staff that dances on the bar, a mechanical bull, and great food and happy hours. For dance music and meat markets, go to Wax, The Copa, Rick's, or RumRunner's. For a killer happy hour, hit the Half Shell Raw Bar, which serves Key West's best conch fritters and cheap oysters. The Green Parrot and The Meteor boast awesome BBQ and ambience. OR, for drinks at sunset, Travel Channel says try Billy Fish. A great spot for this Key West tradition, and the house specialty frozen Rum Runner ($8) comes with a test tube shot of dark Bacardi 151. OR, tourists and Parrotheads alike love Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville (500 Duval St, www.margaritaville.com/keywest ), big on live bands and Buffet's famous laid back island party style.
Here's Travel Channel's take on the perfect Key West pub crawl:
The southernmost city in the United States, Key West is a stretch of land 3 miles wide by 5 miles long. It was a home to Hemingway, the beginnings of Jimmy Buffett and is still the destination of serious fishermen. Duval Street is home to it all -- legendary bars, live music and ice-cold drinks. Pull up a bar stool and order a pint -- this is the Florida Keys bar crawl experience.
Turtle Kraals
Proving that, on a bar crawl, slow and steady wins the race are the Friday night turtle races at Turtle Kraals. The starting line is crossed at 6 p.m., so grab a ticket from the bartender when you order your first round. Place your bets and watch in excitement as a handful of box turtles slowly make their way down a shuffleboard table. At sunset, by which point the turtles should have crossed the finish line, head upstairs to the rooftop bar overlooking beautiful Key West.
Finnegan's Wake
If daiquiris and margaritas aren't your drinks of choice, hit up the $5 pints of Smithwick's offered at Finnegan's Wake on Grinnell Street. Live music provides a lively and festive atmosphere indoors, and outside there's a secluded backyard pub with ample seating. This Irish hideaway has happy hour specials. Check the website for more information.
Hogfish Bar and Grill
Just over the Cow Key Channel Bridge on tiny Stock Island is Hogfish Bar and Grill. Follow Front Street until you stumble upon the historic and iconic watering hole. This noisy haunt is nestled on Safe Harbor Marina, rumored to have been the base of operations for the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Strong drinks go hand in hand with the "Killer" sandwich: hogfish served smothered with Swiss cheese, onions and mushrooms served on fresh Cuban bread. Sure, it's not technically Key West, but Hogfish is the real deal.
Captain Tony's Saloon
Back in Key West proper is the authentic Captain Tony's Saloon. The smoky joint is full of regulars with "back in the day" and "remember when" stories. Before cruise ships lingered in the harbor, Hemingway supposedly drank, reveled and even wrote here. There's a friendly, yet heated, rivalry between Captain Tony's and Sloppy Joe's as to which bar was Hemingway's home away from home. However, Sloppy Joe's can't lay claim to Captain Tony's immortal mention in Jimmy Buffet's "Last Mango in Paradise."
Sloppy Joe's
The other side of the Hemingway debate, Sloppy Joe's is a classic bar still featuring its original early 20th-century wooden ceiling and cracked tile floor. Sloppy Joe's opens in the morning when mimosas and Bloody Marys are served with breakfast, making it the perfect spot to start your Key West pub crawl. Live entertainment is served with lunch and these good vibes continue through the late afternoon and long past sunset.
Durty Harry's
A Key West bar with a lively party atmosphere, Durty Harry's features live rock bands almost every night. Listen in the balmy Key West night air at one of the outdoor bars or head upstairs to Rick's, an indoor/outdoor dance club that heats up later in the night. Also located near Durty Harry's and Rick's is the Red Garter, a small strip club where the bouncers remind couples that the "family that strips together sticks together." This is clearly the place to go when you're feeling rowdy.
Green Parrot Bar
Green Parrot Bar is the proud home of great drinks and bad art. The walls are adorned with works of local artists -- and not all of them are talented. The bar has been a landmark since 1890, and its open-air set-up is home to friendly bartenders, cold beers and tasty cocktails. While the drinks are delicious, Green Parrot's jukebox is legendary, featuring Chicago, Memphis, Texas and Delta blues.
Best of the Bars Scavenger Hunt
Sign up for Best of the Bars' whirlwind tour of Key West's Duval Street bars combining the fun of drinking with a competitive scavenger hunt. However, you won't be scouring the streets for mundane or weird objects; instead you'll have to solve clues and riddles that will take you to Key West's best bars and hot spots. The tours are normally scheduled every Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights and last about 3 hours. Winners will be announced at the last mystery location and prizes awarded, including dinner gift certificates, bar tabs, free drinks and Key West souvenirs.
Where To Grub: The on-premisis grill at the course serves $6-$8 sandwiches and has wings on the menu.
Dining in Key West can get expensive in a hurry, so for a lower budget, listen to Rachael Ray from the Food Network's $40 A Day show. She recommends the Crack'd Conch, a local diner for over 30 years. They serve a very affordable lunch, and be sure to try the Key Lime Pie ($3) made fresh from Key Lime trees in the restaurant's backyard. OR, local artists love Blue Heaven. The building has been a bar & restaurant for 120 years, with plenty of lore to go with it. The top floor once housed a bordello, and Hemmingway boxed in the courtyard here on Friday nights (figures Pappa was DOING Fight Club 30 years before Fight Club was written). Blue Heaven is eclectic & colorful, with an outdoor courtyard featuring a thatched-roofed bar, ping-pong, and a rope swing. Try the jerk chicken tortilla ($10). OR, for dinner hit Bahama Mama's, owned by 5th generation locals (called "Conchs"). House specialties include Conch fritters, hush puppies, plantanes, and a Must Try is the curried conch ($16), served with their shrimp hashcake, which has 34 ingredients and is "out of this world." Per Philly's Metro paper, nothing eases your morning-after suffering like M&M Laundry, a combination laundry and eatery specializing in Cuban sandwiches and cafe con leches. Golf Digest digs Hogfish Bar and Grill, where the specialty is the Killer Hogfish Sandwich. A combination of diver-caught hogfish, Swiss cheese and onions on Cuban bread, the dish turned out much better than the other operation masterminded right there at Safe Harbour Marina: The Bay of Pigs Invasion, in 1961.
See also: Fat Guy's Hemmingway's Favorite Bars Golf Tour
Where To Stay: Most folks go the B&B or small quaint hotel route while here, and there are dozens of great little places with idyllic courtyards, ocean views, and serene pools. KeysVacations.net recommends The Blue Lagoon on Roosevelt Blvd. Affordable $119 a night in February, decent rooms, a pool, hard by the ocean, walking distance to the Bayside Bar & Grille (also on the water, with good food). The caveat: It's a short drive to Duval Street. However, they also share a warning: Duval Street parties so deep into the night, you may be hard pressed to get any sleep in a room anywhere along Duval.
For an on-the-cheap alternative, bring a tent. My old boss used to frequent the Keys during his adventerous 20's, and used to camp at the Key West Naval Air Station (www.livestrong.com/article/263752-camping-at-key-west-naval-air-station/).
What To Read While You're There: The Garden Of Eden by Ernest Hemmingway. Erotically-charged, and somewhat off Pappa's normal beaten path; Fight Club by Chuck Palahnuik; Blue Fairways by Charles Slack for a golf road trip tale; or Tales From Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet.