Camp Creek Ranked Among Florida’s Best Courses by Golfweek Camp Creek Golf Club -- the award-winning Tom Fazio design developed by The St. Joe Company and located along Northwest Florida’s stunning Gulf Coast – is ranked No. 10 among Florida’s best courses in Golfweek’s 2009 “Best You Can Play, State-by-State” rankings.
This distinction marks the seventh consecutive year Camp Creek has ranked among the top 15 in the Sunshine State, and its second straight year in the top 10. The survey, which included more than 700 Florida courses, examined overall strength of routing, feature shaping, natural setting, greens, variety and memorability of holes, conditioning and maintenance, landscape management and other criteria.
“We are honored that Camp Creek has once again been included in Golfweek’s prestigious list of the state’s best golf courses,” says Stephen Hilliard, Vice President of Resort and Club Operations for The St. Joe Company. “Florida is arguably the most competitive state in this regard, and for Camp Creek to be ranked in the top 10 is a testament to the course’s design, conditioning, service and popularity with avid golfers.”
Camp Creek is a regular host course for the United States Golf Association and Florida State Golf Association’s U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur Qualifiers. In selecting the Fazio design, the USGA and FSGA regularly cite its championship-caliber layout, commitment to conditioning and ample practice facilities. Additional media-bestowed accolades for Camp Creek include:
- No. 8, GOLF Magazine Best in State
- No. 30, Golf Digest Best in State (Public and Private)
- “Florida’s No. 1 Course of the New Millennium,” Travel + Leisure Golf
- “America’s Top Golf Courses” – ZAGAT, 2007/08
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For more information about Camp Creek visit www.campcreekgolfclub.com. For tee times call 850.231.7600, and for more information about golf packages visit www.watercolorresort.com or www.watercolorvacationhomes.com.
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Lawsuit Dismissed: Homeowners voluntarily drop lawsuit against Walton County planned hotel in Sandestin A group of Sandestin homeowners who sued Walton County in an attempt to stop the development of a planned hotel in Grand Boulevard at Sandestin® voluntarily dropped their lawsuit on March 16. The judge in the case had already denied three of their attorney’s motions in the case.
Florida’s Department of Community Affairs, the ultimate state authority for compliance with Developments of Regional Impact entitlements, ruled in February in favor of the county’s issuance of the development order for the hotel. The finding came at the request of the group’s attorney who sought the DCA to overturn the County’s Development Order (DO).
“This hotel is an exciting project for our entire region and has only positive economic implications for everyone. This specialty brand hotel has always been part of Grand Boulevard’s plans and we’ve done everything by the book from the beginning, as did the county. There is no basis for this lawsuit,” said John Heiser, executive vice president for Howard Group.
The hotel and spa is planned for 7 stories on a 2 or 3-level parking garage and 1-story of retail for a total of 10 or 11 stories with parking and retail included. It will have 225 rooms and is designed to blend harmoniously into the surrounding environment of Grand Boulevard.
Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2010 and will take approximately two years to complete. The grand opening is planned for 2012. Construction costs are estimated at $50-$60 million, creating approximately 1,000 jobs during the construction phase. The total development cost estimate for the hotel is $100 million with more than 300 permanent jobs created locally.
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Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast Named One of the Nation's Top 100 Hospitals Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast was recently named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare. Sacred Heart was also among 23 winning hospitals, and the only hospital in Florida, recognized for delivering the fastest rate of improvement over a five-year period. These hospitals are the inaugural recipients of the 100 Top Hospitals: Everest Award for National Benchmarks.
“From the very beginning, it has been our passion to provide this community with the highest quality, patient-focused care,” said Roger Hall, president of Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast. “To be named as a Top 100 Hospital with only six years of operation is an incredible accomplishment by our physicians, staff, foundation, and the community.”
Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast is a 58-bed hospital located just east of Destin in Miramar Beach. The hospital offers a wide range of medical and surgical services, including 24-hour emergency care, an intensive care unit, a dedicated joint replacement program, cardiac diagnostics, cancer care, rehabilitation services, laboratory and radiology services, and comprehensive women’s services with the Family Birth Place and the Olson Women’s Diagnostic Center.
For more information about the 100 Top Hospitals® study, visit www.100tophospitals.com. For more information about Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast, call (850) 278-3600 or visit www.sacredheartemerald.org.
