Florida has depended on tourism since the earliest days of American ownership. Entrepreneurs, scoundrels, and visionaries flocked to the Sunshine State to take advantage of the natural resources—land, water, climate, natural beauty, flora, and fauna—to implement their schemes and dreams. The majority of these schemes depended on convincing individuals from northern states to invest in their projects or to vacation in the state. One of the attractions was golf. Every Florida resort of note included a golf course, and golf became the major attraction for winter visitors and part-time residents. This book provides a brief history of golf in Florida, focuses on the men who designed the courses, and provides a guide to the resorts that catered to the game.
