The stretch of sugar white sand beaches between Pensacola and Panama City have been called the most beautiful in the world, and Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort lays claim to some seven and one-half miles of this unique Gulf of Mexico and Choctawhatchee Bay-front property. The dazzling quartz sand was created by ice age glaciers and is found only in a short span of Florida's Panhandle. The resort recently refreshed and extended the pure white sand along a mile of beach.

You may feel like you're on the beach in the bunkers on 72 holes of golf at Sandestin, on four championship courses famous for their ocean and bay views, marshlands, tall pines and palmettos. Every piece of equipment you are allowed to carry in your bag will be tested... including the ball retriever.

The resort was built in 1973 just south of the sleepy fishing village of Destin and, shortly after opening, The Links Course was laid down, with five holes running along Choctawhatchee Bay and thirteen holes bringing water into play. Renowned architect Tom Jackson designed this winding layout against the backdrop of the Baytowne Marina and the bay, and it remains consistently ranked as one of the most challenging and fun courses in Florida. Every day is a different test as The Links plays hard into breezes off the Gulf.

6,804 yards from the back tees, and also with stunning gulf and bay views, Baytowne Golf Club opened in 1986 and was extensively renovated by the original course architect, Tom Jackson. Golf Digest has given the track 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Built in 1994 primarily for member property owners, Rees Jones-designed Burnt Pine Golf Club combines rolling fairways and strategically placed bunkers. Breathtaking bay views highlight the back nine, while the front side brings golfers through the pine forests and wetlands of the Emerald Coast. Recently, Golf Magazine deemed Burnt Pine the "Crown Jewel of Florida Golf" and it has been recognized by Golf Digest as one of the "Top 30 Courses in Florida."

Side by side with the Raven Golf Club, Burnt Pine is the only place in the world where Rees Jones and Robert Trent Jones, Jr. courses meet. In the late 1990s, Jones, Jr. stepped in to lay out the famous Raven Golf Club, which opened in 2000. The average golfer will love and hate this beauty-and-the-beast. Water is an issue on eleven holes as the track weaves through wetlands and marshes. The Raven will host the $1.65 million PGA Champions Tour's Boeing Championship in late May and early June for the next couple of years, at least. The 18th hole is said to be the toughest on the Champions Tour, with the 9th and the 16th among the top ten most challenging on the tour.

The Hank Johnson School of Golf here is headed by former National PGA Teacher of the Year, Hank Johnson, whose state-of-the-art practice and learning facility is one of the best in the Southeast.

Topping off the myriad of golf-oriented facilities, The Dunes is a fabulous 18-hole putting course at the beach. Designed especially for young golfers, the layout ambles through wetlands and forest, sand traps, water hazards and elevation changes--and it's lit up at night.

Where to Stay
An Intrawest operated resort, sprawling 2,400-acre Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort consists of thirty neighborhoods with over 1,800 accommodations, including high-rise beachfront condominium towers, family homes, low-rise townhouses, 1- to 4-bedroom villas, the 168-room Grand Sandestin, the 175-room Bayside Inn, and penthouse suites. Architecture ranges from French and Spanish Colonial to antebellum and Low Country influences.

A brand new Asian-inspired condo tower has opened, The Luau; and a sleek, contemporary luxury condo project, Elation, opens this summer in the Village. The Residence Inn Sandestin and Courtyard Sandestin are now open and the popular Bayside Inn got a $4.2 million renovation throughout.

More than twenty swimming pools are scattered among the accommodation complexes, and the beach is either right outside your door or a short walk away.

Family Activities and Sports
As many as a dozen on- and off-the-beach activities are scheduled daily during the high season keep tots to teens and adults happy: concerts, art festivals, cooking classes, outdoor movies and more. Just for kids are the supervised play-and-learn KidZone, Sandestin Starfish Day Camp for ages 3 to 5, and Sea Turtle Day Camp for ages 6 to 10. And, there is always lots to do on those gorgeous beaches, from parasailing to kayaking, sailing, EuroBungy and a climbing wall.

A full-service marina is popular with yachties, and fun for visitors who trod the boardwalk. Docked at the marina, the 125-foot, three deck yacht Solaris takes passengers on lunch and dinner cruises.

Tennis players head to fifteen courts ranging from grass to hydrogrid clay and hard surfaces. The tennis center has been voted by Tennis Magazine as one of the top 50 U.S. tennis resorts, and one of the best in both children's and junior programs.

Jolee Island Nature Park is an island with a pirate ship playground, picnic grounds and porch swings, a nature trail and even a petting zoo. There is also a playground in the village, complete with swings, winding paths, mazes, bridges, slides and misters.

And More
For shopping, dining and entertainment, The Village of Baytowne Wharf offers fabulous restaurants, five nightspots and more than fifty shops and galleries, in a quaint New Orleans, Charleston and Old Florida atmosphere at the bayside. A few of the must-try restaurants: Mangos Paradise Grille, Maw Maw's Country Kitchen and Listen Honey. Slow-cooked, Southern-style barbecue makes Jim 'N Nick's smokehouse a popular stop for comfort food.

Today, the "sleepy fishing village" is definitely awake and very much alive. My family and I have enjoyed these beaches since 1972 and we return as often as possible.

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
800-470-7389, 850-267-8000
http://www.sandestin.com