Spotlight: Prepare for Winter Golf at Saddlebrook Golf & Tennis Resort in Florida

November 19, 2020

It's hard not to feel just shadow envy while strolling the grounds of Saddlebrook Golf & Tennis Resort near Tampa. Also home to a boarding school for elite golf and tennis players, you can see laughing children enjoying meals al fresco, lounging by the pool and strolling the well-maintained resort trails on the way to lessons or instruction or the first tee.

Doesn't really sound like your own high school experience, does it?

Then their grooved golf swings are of course something to behold.

The good news is that we can all feel young again at the 36-hole Saddlebrook Resort. Spread over 480 scenic acres filled with protected wetlands and forests, there are two charming 18-hole courses to choose from, a rejuvenating spa, four dining concepts, and an excellent practice center and academy.

The original Saddlebrook Course, a par 70 layout, has a softer land than the more sculpted and newer Palmer Course, which has more difficult green complexes but relatively generous fairways.

"The Palmer is well maintained and is easily one of my favorites," catkins101 wrote in a July 2020 Golf Advisor review. "The greens are perfect and there's a lot to offer after your round. For the price this is the best non-private course in the area. "

The 18th hole of the Saddlebrook Course is a long and narrow par 4 that wraps around a pond and ends next to the main resort complex, where spectators can watch your finish very well.

The 18th hole of the Saddlebrook course.

Saddlebrook is equipped for buddy travel by offering stay-and-play packages in spacious and fully-equipped on-site villa accommodations. If you'd like to send a junior to get a taste of life in Saddlebrook, the resort offers golf and tennis camps during holidays. And of course parents are also welcome to enjoy everything the resort has to offer.

Watch this Golf Advisor Round Trip video that highlights the history of Saddlebrook Resort and a visit with owner Thomas Dempsey, including its association with Arnold Palmer. LOOK HERE