Not quite so well known as the Blue Monster, at 7,171 yards, Doral’s Great White is a Greg Norman Signature Course and the only golf course of its kind in the Southeastern United States – about as close as you can get to a “desert” golf experience without actually visiting the desert. As always, Greg’s design is environmentally friendly and has little to no impact on the marshes and wetlands on and around the course.
One of Doral’s older courses, Greg redesigned and completely renovated it in 2000 making extensive use of tightly-packed coquina sand - crushed shells - as the primary design element on every hole. Greg is renowned for his strategic use of the local environment, indigenous water and, of course, bunkers; and this is more than evident in his design of the Great White. Demanding fairways are bordered by hundreds of palm trees; greens and fairways feature Bermuda grass; Scottish-style bunkers litter the fairways and approaches; water is in play on 14 of the 18 holes making the Great White a shot-maker’s dream.
But Norman wasn’t finished yet. On December 6, 2005, Doral unveiled the “New Look” Great White Golf Course. Highlighting the enhancements to the course was the re-design of the 6th and 15th holes, as well as all of bunkers, and thousands of native grasses were planted around the course. New cart paths were installed at strategic locations throughout the course for improved drainage.
The Great White is the only course in Southern Florida that features a triple green: holes 11, 13 and 17 share a 25,000-square-foot green. The 8th, a 175-yard par three, features an island green and, typical of Greg’s somewhat aggressive approach to course design, the 18th is an extremely difficult finishing hole.
Host to the PGA TOUR Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout in 2000, the Great White was rated as the best new golf course of 2000 by the National Golf Foundation.
As you might expect, the Great White is well supported by Doral’s long list of facilities, including one of the best spas in the United States, and a kids’ program that’s second to none.
How to get There:
There are two major airports serving the Greater Miami area: Fort Lauderdale Airport and Miami International Airport. These two airports are served by almosts all major US airlines, including United, Delta, Continental, US Air, AirTran, American, and Northwest, and by Air Canada and major airlines from Europe and the United Kingdom.
Look for the best airline and car rental deals with these two aggregators, which provide travelers with an up-to-date search tool to compare prices on airfares and car rentals of all ratings:
Contact:
Doral Golf Resort & Spa4400 N.W. 87th Avenue
Miami, FL 33178
(305) 592-2000
(305) 591-6653(fax)
And don’t forget: there are many other opportunities for great golf all over the world. Favorite locations include Scotland, Florida, the American Southwest, Bermuda, the Bahamas and many more. For up-to-date golf travel news and information, be sure to Subscribe to my weekly Newsletter.
