Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra offer plenty to golf fans

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Golf reigns supreme in Northeast Florida and is home to more than 70 public and private golf courses and the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Ponte Vedra Inn and Club's Ocean Course has a signature hole -- the 150-yard, par-3 ninth with its island green -- that directly influenced Pete Dye's design of the famous island No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass. Sawgrass Country Club, located on the east side of A1A, was the site of THE PLAYERS from 1977-81. It's no wonder a large number of PGA TOUR players reside in the area, which is home to the PGA TOUR Headquarters at the entrance to TPC Sawgrass.

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Plus, some of Florida's most beautiful beaches are in the area, stretching from St. Augustine, the oldest city in the country, and St. Johns County, the home county of the tournament, north to Jacksonville's beaches and on to Amelia Island. The beach is so close -- just across A1A from TPC Sawgrass -- that many times wind affects the conditions at THE PLAYERS. Recreational opportunities are also available on a number of bodies of water in addition to the Atlantic Ocean, from the St. Johns River to the Intracoastal Waterway and numerous marshes and lakes, such as the Guana Reserve, located in South Ponte Vedra Beach.

THE PLAYERS Championship's presence stretches throughout the region and into Duval County to Downtown Jacksonville with the four-day event, THE PLAYERS Downtown Experience on the St. Johns River beginning on Tuesday, May 5.

Other sports have a large presence in Downtown Jacksonville, led by the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. The sport's popularity is so strong that Super Bowl XXXIX was held at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in 2005, with the New England Patriots defeating the Philadelphia Eagles. College football is also very popular, with the annual Florida-Georgia Football Classic and the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl played at the facility. Additionally, the Jacksonville Suns, the Double-A affiliate of the Florida Marlins, play at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena also hosts numerous concerts and was a NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament first-round site in 2006 and will again be a first-round site in 2010.

Sports fans can enjoy rugby, marathons, fishing tournaments, track and field and tennis. The MPS Group Championship, a Women's Tennis Association event, celebrated its 30th year at Sawgrass Country Club in early April.

In addition to being a sports-crazy city, Jacksonville, the largest city in the contiguous United States, grants endless experiences as widespread as the city itself. Explore the over 111,000 acres of parks, which make up the country's largest urban park system, by fishing, biking, camping, surfing and kayaking. Enjoy the museums, galleries and performances which give the city recognition as one of the top 25 arts destinations.

Or spend time in the area's hot nightlife and dining spots. Dining options in Northeast Florida range from upscale bistros to down-home fish camps, all infused with warm Southern hospitality.

Although the population of St. Johns County is only the 29th largest in Florida, the per capita income ranks second in the state and it is the second-fastest growing county in Florida. CNN and Money Magazine recently named Ponte Vedra Beach the best place to live in Florida and among the 50 best to live in the United States.

For more information, go to visitjacksonville.com or pontevedrachamber.org.