Award-Winning Course Makes Perfect Pit Stop for Visiting Race Fans
(DELAND, Fla.) – Victoria Hills Golf Club – the award-winning Ron Garl design at the heart of Victoria Park, a St. Joe community in historic DeLand – welcomes race fans visiting the Daytona area for “Speedweeks 2008.”
One of the region’s most popular golf options for race fans since opening in 2001, Victoria Hills Golf Club is set amid a stunning canopy of live oaks, tall pines and pristine lakes. The course’s rolling terrain features more than 50 feet of elevation change, with free form waste areas and steep-face bunkers providing an unmistakable “Pine Valley” feel that is sure to strike a chord with students of golf course design.
Race fans can test their golf mettle on a course that hosted a U.S. Open Qualifier in 2007, and has staged a U.S. Senior Open qualifier and NCAA collegiate events over the past three years. Victoria Hills has also emerged as one of the most highly decorated courses in the state, garnering “best of” recognition from GOLF Magazine, Golf Digest, Travel + Leisure Golf, Golfweek, the Orlando Sentinel and Golf Life Orlando.
Located 25 miles southwest of Daytona and just 1.5 miles from Interstate 4, Victoria Hills is readily accessible for a pit stop. For more information or to book tee times during Speedweeks, visit www.stjoegolf.com or call 386.738.6000.
Speedweeks/Golf Lovers Itinerary
Saturday, February 9
Race: Budweiser Shootout – The 2007 Bud Pole winners and past winners dash for cash under the lights at Daytona International Speedway.
Golf: Victoria Hills Golf Club – Like a brash, confident NASCAR driver, Victoria Hills wastes little time in announcing its presence. The 429-yard opening hole sports a starkly hewn waste area accented by a smattering of native grasses and red lava rock imported from Hawaii. The undulating fairway leads to an elevated green complex flanked on the right by a stately live oak. Waste areas and flashed-up bunkering are the primary defense against par at Victoria Hills. Successfully navigated, the course is eminently playable. Six par 4s play less than 376 yards from the tips, the par 5s do not extend beyond 550 yards and the par 3s range from 136 to 221 yards between the “Champion” and “Challenge” tees.
Thursday, February 14
Race: Gatorade Duel at Daytona — NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers battle for the right to take the green flag in the Daytona 500 in a pair of pressure-packed, 150-mile qualifying races.
Golf: Victoria Hills Golf Club — With each hole presenting golfers with an entirely different look, it takes three or four trips around Victoria Hills to unearth and appreciate all its design nuances: the sand dunes on the par-5 sixth hole; the sand bunker merging into a waste bunker on the par-5 ninth; the faux canyon (replete with boulders) dug out on the par-4 11th; the subtle risk/reward opportunities present on the majority of holes, not just the par 5s. This list goes on and on. But don’t forget the 19th hole. At Mulligan’s Tavern & Grille, located in the Victoria Hills clubhouse, executive chef Scot Choquette serves up contemporary spins on traditional pub fare. Breakfast, lunch are dinner are available.
Saturday, February 16
Race: Off
Golf: Victoria Hills Golf Club – The third time should be a charm at Victoria Hills Golf Club – maybe take a risk or two and reap the rewards. Hit your tee shot down the left side of the par 4 third hole to set up a gap wedge approach to this heavily bunkered green complex; take an aggressive line over the right fairway bunker on the par 4 eighth to shorten the hole by 15-20 yards – these “tricks of the trade” should be options for you by now.
Sunday, February 17
Race: Daytona 500 – The 50th running of the Great American Race promises to be a classic as Kevin Harvick defends his 2007 title against a hungry field of challengers, including 2007 Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and three-time winner Jeff Gordon.
Golf: Victoria Hills Golf Club – One last trip around this track before adjourning to the storied Daytona International Speedway!
Hey race fans, Victoria Hills Accolades include:
* “Top 10 You Can Play” – GOLF Magazine
* “4-1/2 Stars” – Golf Digest
* “America’s Best Residential Golf Courses” – Golfweek
* “America’s Top 40 Best New Courses” – Golfweek
* “No. 8 Course in the State” – Golfweek
* “No. 2 Florida Public Course of the New Millennium” – Travel + Leisure Golf
* “Florida’s Best New Golf Course” – Florida Golf News
* “One of the region’s Top 10 courses” – Orlando Sentinel
* “Best 18 holes in Orlando” – Golf Life Orlando
About Victoria Park
Victoria Park features housing options for families of all sizes with new homes priced from the high $100,000s to more than $1 million. In addition to the award-winning Victoria Hills Golf Club, the community boasts other impressive amenities including: a 22-acre lake park, fitness center; swimming pool; lighted tennis courts; walking trails; bike lanes; playground and picnic facilities. An amphitheater serves as the focal point for community events facilitated by on-site Art of Living staff. Proximity to vibrant metro areas like Orlando and Daytona Beach and a number of cultural centers make Victoria Park an attractive option for those interested in city life conveniences and the personal familiarity of a smaller community. Several educational opportunities are available to residents including Stetson University, Florida’s first private university, and a number of excellent public schools. Freedom Elementary School, an A-rated DeLand public school, is located adjacent to the community. DeLand Middle and High Schools are just minutes away. For more information, visit JOE.com | Keyword: Victoria Park
About JOE
The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE), a publicly held company based in Jacksonville, is one of Florida’s largest real estate development companies. We are primarily engaged in real estate development and sales, with significant interests in timber. JOE’s mission is to create places that inspire people and make the region an even better place to live, work and play. We’re no ordinary JOE.
More information about JOE can be found at our website at www.joe.com.
© 2007 The St. Joe Company. “JOE,” “St. Joe”, “Victoria Hills,” “Victoria Commons,” “Victoria Gardens,” “Victoria Park” and the “Taking Flight” design are service marks of The St. Joe Company.
Contact:
Shane Sharp
Buffalo Communications
704.519.8381
ssharp@billycaspergolf.com
