Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort
What’s New and Happening in Florida’s Panhandle?
Story and Photos by Ed Stone

 
 

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is the crown jewel of the “Emerald Coast of Florida.”



Sandestin® Golf and Beach Resort in the Panhandle of Florida is a special place for me and my family.  This area is where we vacationed for many years due to its proximity to Nashville, Tennessee.  Sandestin became a labor of love for me back in the early 1990’s when I was retained to keep the resort operating by a group of individuals purchasing the property out of bankruptcy.  This outstanding resort never once gave the appearance of being in financial trouble.  Thanks to the past couple of owners, today Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is the crown jewel of the “Emerald Coast of Florida.”

GoGolfandTravel.com has carried several stories about the outstanding golf, recreation programs, cuisine, accommodations and beautiful beaches.  These offering continue to make Sandestin one of the top resorts in the Southeast.  On a recent visit, I found many new facilities and programs added that GoGolfandTravel.com readers might enjoy knowing.  However, for those of you not familiar with Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, here is a thumbnail sketch:

  • Situated on 2,400 acres including 30 charming neighborhoods with 1,700 condominiums, villas, town homes.
  • Offers more than seven miles of sugar white sand beaches and pristine bay front.
  • 72 holes of golf on four championship courses 
  • 15 world-class tennis courts
  • 19 swimming pools
  • 98-slip marina
  • One of the top certified children's programs you can find
  • Fitness center and spa
  • 65,000 square feet of meeting space
  • The Village of Baytowne Wharf, a notable pedestrian village featuring nightlife venues
  • Events including the acclaimed Sandestin Wine Festival.  This is no ordinary Wine Festival.  The events start on Friday and run through Sunday. This annual festivity is usually held the last week of April.  Wine novices are able to learn more about wines and sample from a comprehensive selection including the finest from all major producing countries in all varieties, styles and price ranges. Wine aficionados enjoy meeting winemakers, asking detailed questions and acquiring hard-to-get selections.
  • Sandestin’s Christmas on the Coast Holiday Celebration is held the last Friday and Saturday of November each year.  This event takes place at the Village of Baytowne and includes a magical fireworks show over the lagoon as Santa makes his grand entrance around 6 p.m.  A choir is on hand to excite your Christmas spirit.

Boats in the harbor at The Village of Baytowne at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort

  

THE NEW STUFF:
I’ve always admired resorts that continue to recreate themselves and offer programs/products to keep guests returning and attract new patrons, too.  The following are those we discovered:

New in the area of accommodations is the 168-unit Grand Sandestin and the Baytowne Conference Center, featuring the largest ballroom in Northwest Florida on the Gulf Coast.  The resort has opened the 97-unit Lasata, Elation a 100-unit luxury condominium and the 112-unit Bahia, all located in The Village of Baytowne Wharf.  Most recently, the resort opened the beachside Luau.

New products at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort

TOP: One of several streets in The Village of Baytowne Wharf
CENTER: The recently opened beachside Luau
BOTTOM:  Ariel view of the Finz Beachside Grille

For shopping, dining, entertainment and play activities, I was impressed with The Village of Baytowne Wharf.  This is a pedestrian village covering some 28 acres and showcasing a collection of specialty merchants, over two dozen boutique shops, eateries and nightclubs.  Most days you can watch or participate in candy-making or such things as lessons in tea etiquette, etc.  The best part of this development is the accommodations are only a very short walk to all the activities.  We dined at Graffiti’s & The Funky Blues Shack for dinner and it was as good as we remembered it being in downtown Destin.

Finz Beachside Grille overlooks the Gulf of Mexico and is a premier destination restaurant featuring delicious appetizers, entrees and desserts.  Entrees include a collection of seafood, fish, steaks, lamb and chicken.  You must try the Grouper Maria with jumbo lump crab meat and saffron cream sauce; or, Hangar Steak grilled to perfection with pablano mole and avocado salsa; and Caribbean Bouillabaisse with Florida lobster, royal red shrimp and Gulf grouper.  Being the dessert person, I highly recommend the Finz Beachside Grille’s signature, a warm Cinnamon Churros with a chocolate truffle dipping sauce.  If you want something a bit lighter, then try the Florida Key Lime Glace with mango and fresh berries.

Guests staying at Sandestin are given a wide variety of complimentary activities including:
• Bicycling – Adult and children’s single-speed coaster bicycles are free for four hours a day by showing the Resort Card. Helmets, baskets, child seats, training wheels and locks are also available.
• Tennis – A free hour of tennis court time a day is available with guest stay, based on availability.
• Fishing – Resort guests can land bass and other pan fish from one of the 72 stocked ponds included in Sandestin’s catch and release program.   
• Watersports – Cruise around Choctawhatchee Bay and enjoy complimentary use of canoes from Sandestin's Baytowne Marina with a Sandestin Resort Card. For extreme play on the Bay or Gulf of Mexico, check out the complimentary kayaks too.
• Beautiful Beach Walks and Explorations – People of all ages love the sugar-white sand beach at Sandestin for a peaceful rest, building a sandcastle or even night time crab hunting.  It’s a great way to relax, spend time together and recharge. 

The 11th hole of the Raven course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. To the right of this tee is the 18th hole of the Burnt Pine designed by Rees Jones.

For golfers, Sandestin offers 72 holes of championship golf on four courses.  We had the opportunity to play the Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Raven Golf Course along with the Rees Jones Burnt Pine Golf Course.  I might add that this is the only place you will find both brothers golf courses playing along side each other.  The 11th hole of the Raven plays next to the 18th of the Burnt Pine.  And, I might add, if your ball is hit into either fairway, it is out of bounds.  The Links Course is the original course built at Sandestin and continues to offer a challenge with 14 holes playing over or near water.  The Baytowne Golf Course is a wonderful course to play and offers vistas of the Gulf of Mexico.  For honing your golf skills, Sandestin has its Golf Academy for instruction in private and small group formats…no matter your skill level.

The tennis player is certainly not forgotten with 15 tennis courts, 12 hydrogrid clay and three hard courts. The resort's state-of-the-art tennis facility includes an excellent clubhouse, complete with dressing rooms, lockers, showers and the latest in tennis apparel.  Their professional tennis staff keep active players busy year round with daily activities and a variety of special events.

Grand Sandestin, Lasata and The Village at Baytowne Wharf are new to the resort

And not to forget the meeting planner, Sandestin has 65,000 square feet of flexible meeting space to accommodate groups from 10 to 1,600, including 3,000 square feet of Gulf views.  The new Baytowne Conference Center features the largest ballroom in Northwest Florida.  There is also a 12,600 square-foot Linkside Center Exhibit Hall, 24 breakout rooms including four ballrooms and four boardrooms, two business centers, and an oversized pool deck ideal for casual outdoor receptions.  Sandestin is also easily accessed from the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport and from Northwest Florida Regional Airport. 

With golf, tennis, water sports, beaches and activities for the entire family on a year-round basis, you can now see why Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is one of our favorites.  Not only is this a special property to visit, the people who work and make your stay extra special are some of the nicest people in the world.  When planning your next vacation, be sure to look at one of our favorites places.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
9300 Emerald Coast Parkway West
Destin, FL 32550-7268
Phone: 850.267.8000
Website: www.sandestin.com