About six months ago, our good friends, George and Martha whom we'd first met in the Galapagos, invited us to stay in their home and partake in the Members/Guest golf tournament run by the Sugarmill Woods Country Club. Like us, they'd come to golf late in life but were as passionate about the game. The tournament was to be a fun get-together with like-minded men taking place over three days. Our flight down on United Airlines went without a hitch even though we schlepped two golf bags and a large suitcase. We arrived at the airport the recommended 2 hours ahead (3:50 am) only to find the check-in desks deserted. Attendants arrived at 4 am but Customs didn't open until 4:30 so we had to wait there. I desperately needed a cup of coffee as we'd awakened at 2:30. As soon as we made it through customs and had rid ourselves of our clubs, we hit Starbucks for a quick breakfast.
I think the next time I fly to the States, I'll book directly with United as Air Canada couldn't reserve our seats and we ended up sitting apart. The flight to Denver was only two hours and we landed to lovely weather (snow had been predicted). We bought lunch at a sandwich shop then waited to board the plane to Tampa. I saw our suitcase being loaded so prayed our clubs would make it onto the plane. Flying with clubs isn't cheap as we paid a total of $15 extra for taxi cabs and $140 for the airlines to handle them (Fed-Ex charges would have been between $300 to $1000).
George (G) and Martha (M) met us at the Tampa International Airport. It's a lovely place with lots of light. Like Denver, a train takes you to the main terminal. The airport began as a small airfield called Drew Field named for the citrus planter who sold his land to the city in 1928. During the war, the military used it but gave it back to the city when the war ended. It became Tampa International Airport in 1952. We flew into a newly renovated section that was very clean and welcoming.
It is an hour drive to Homosassa where George and Martha have their retirement home. Nestled between two parks and sitting next to the golf course, their place has a wild feel to it. At night, the sky is pitch black and we heard owls and coyotes as well as tree frogs peeping. The area originally belonged to David Levy Yulee who established a 5000 acre sugar plantation there in 1851. After the American Civil War, he lost the plantation and its slaves. Today, 35% of the area's population is over 65 with the median age being 58 so I wasn't the only one with white/grey hair.
Martha and George have a beautiful house and were gracious hosts. Their home has a guest wing where we stayed and an open concept kitchen/family room. George has a den (man-cave) and Martha lives in or beside the pool. Although not large, the pool has a deep end and I could do six side-strokes from end to end. It was so good exercising in a pool without chlorine. Bonus, it was heated to 88ºF (~30ºC) with solar energy.
Each of the five days we spent with G & M began with a huge breakfast either waiting to be reheated or for the men, at the clubhouse. G loves freshly-ground coffee so he was up early preparing it. M had an assortment of sausages, bacon, pancakes, waffles and pastries for us to enjoy. She also made an incredible frittata one morning. We ate in their breakfast nook overlooking the pool, watching the maintenance crews tend the nearby golf greens.
Our first full day was Wednesday and M and I were up early to join her 'Swingers' league. They play 9 holes of golf and often have fun games thrown into the mix. We were paired with M's good friend, Debbie, and her guest from Rochester, NY, Kathy. M assured me this league was more about having fun than playing serious golf. After our group all scored double par on the first hole, I relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the round. M was the coordinator for November and her fun rule for this round was that once per hole, we could tee up on the fairway. When Kathy pulled out her driver, we all joined her epiphany and moved quickly up the fairways. It was a hoot!
Lunch was in the clubhouse and their chef was excellent. I had a delicious chicken wrap while M enjoyed half a BLT with at least 6 slices of bacon. The club Pro tallied the scores for the regulars and Martha came in third. No one won the 25 cent/player pot for chipping in but when they do, they'll get a Canadian quarter. Meanwhile, G and Glen did a practice round to get a feel for each other's game.
M always has a dip after golfing so we headed back to her house for a swim. There were some issues with the pool so the water was cold. Okay, it was 78ºF but that can be shivery. It took me forever to enter the pool but I enjoyed it once I was in.
Thursday was the first day of the tournament so G and Glen were off early (see my next blog entry, Florida Tournament Golf). M and I joined the other wives and went to a casino run by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
When Spain discovered Florida in 1513, there were about 200,000 Seminoles living in the region. Despite being devastated by European diseases and American colonial aggression, the Seminoles refused to be dominated by the white man. Seminole is a rough translation of the native word for 'free people'. Andrew Jackson began the first of the Seminole Wars (1814) to deal with the 'Indian problem' and escaped African slaves. The US government spent 20 years trying to crush the Seminoles and take their lands. In 1842, President Tyler ended the wars but a peace treaty was never signed. The Seminoles continued to live in the swamps of Florida until the 1920s when their frontier lifestyle ceased to exist. In 1938, they were offered a chance to live on reservations. Few did so but by 1957, they had established their own constitution which Congress recognized. In 1977, they began selling discount cigarettes and were the first nation to use gaming to finance their lives.
Seminole Hard Rock Cafe Hotel & Casino Tampa is a huge complex and our bus was one of many arriving mid-morning. The sound of the gaming machines was loud and the place was crowded. Even Vegas' more popular casinos seemed less busy. M wanted to play the old-style slot machines but we couldn't find any. One no longer pulls a lever and has a bucket of quarters spew out. She did win a free game on one machine but it was less than exciting. I had to comb the entire casino to find my favourite game, VideoPoker. I slipped in $5 and promptly lost it. We then tried to find a roulette table as G wanted to spend some money he had won in Monaco but the tables had been replaced by machines (there were no craps tables either).
We then had an early lunch in the Hard Rock Cafe. I enjoyed Yuengling Lager and the blackened fish (Mahi mahi) sandwich. Martha had a salad and white wine. Yuengling (pronounced yin-ling) is America's oldest brewery. It began when David G. Yuengling arrived from Wurttenberg, Germany and settled in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. He had anglicized his surname 'Juengling' which is German for young man. He established his Eagle Brewery in Pottsville in 1829 but changed the name to D. G. Yuengling in 1873 when his son became his partner. During prohibition, the brewery made near-beer products but by 1920, David's grandson, Frank, had to open a dairy to survive. He ran the company for 64 years and it is still an family-run brewery.
After lunch, M insisted I play more poker so we found an empty machine. She must be my lucky muse as I won back my $5 and came away $2.50 to the good. I even pulled 4 Aces which caused a few bells to ring. Very exciting. However, being that I'm not a true gambler, I cashed out and we headed to the bus lobby which was quiet and whiled away an hour chatting until our bus arrived.
That evening was the tournament's cocktail party. I now know what 'heavy' hors d'oeuvres are -- supper. We ate everything from meatballs, to scallops wrapped in bacon, to coconut shrimp. Add to that were skewers of veggies, steak, and chicken as well as a smattering of canapés. The invitation mentioned a limited bar but I didn't see any evidence of that. We later discovered a pitcher of excellent beer was $2.50 (in Canada we pay close to $15).
While eating and drinking, we also chatted with some of G & M's friends. We were given a chance to bet on the teams so I place a $20 bet on G and Glen -- $10 to win, $5 to place, and $5 to show. I guess my casino win made me reckless.
Friday, the guys headed to the club early for breakfast then M and I drove to Worldwoods Golf Club. We met Debbie and Kathy there and played the short course (no par 5s). The PGA has named it one of the top ten most beautiful courses and it was. It wasn't easy either but we all had fun. Afterwards, Debbie suggested we eat at the Seagrass Waterfront Restaurant. We followed her bright red Toyota Solara convertible to Homosassa Springs.
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is famous for its manatee rehabilitation program. They also have wild manatees who visit during the winter as the water is warmed by the hot springs. The park began as a tourist attraction in the 1900s and continued to attract visitors as various owners showcased the wildlife of the area. In 1984, Citrus County bought the land to preserve the environmentally sensitive region.
The Seagrass restaurant sits on the Homosassa River and offers inside dining as well as a screened porch and what's called dockside dining. We chose to sit on the porch and enjoyed a great view of the river. The restaurant has an extensive beer menu but I stayed with Yuengling. I ate cajun crayfish tails and had a bowl of New England-style chowder. Both were excellent but the cajun spices were very salty. M said Floridian cooking tends to be salty and they love to coat seafood in batter.
After lunch, we again swam in the pool and the guys joined us after their round. That evening we had a cookout--what we would call a BBQ. Martha created huge burgers and we enjoyed eating supper on their pool patio. I could get used to having pre-dinner drinks by the pool. It is Florida law to surround your pool with a screened 'cage' that is alarmed so if kids enter, you know are warned. This meant G & M's patio was also screened so sitting out enjoying the evening was pleasant with no bugs. I also spotted some tiny lizards that must feast on whatever wriggles through the screening.
Saturday, M and I spent the morning in pool then headed to the club for a putting clinic. The female Pro, Chantelle, showed us some tips on putting and how to read the green. Since I've never had a putting lesson, I learned a lot. They had set up a mini-course on the practise green so we played that. At one point, I had to straddle a branch to putt and it looked like I had a tail. That lead to a few laughs. Kathy won and acknowledged she played a lot of mini-golf. We were supposed to eat lunch with the men but G and Glen were out playing.
That evening was the tournament's semi-formal dinner. I enjoyed a fillet of grouper and Glen had the fillet mignon. The grouper was breaded (and salty) but once I removed its covering, the fish was excellent. Glen's steak was delicious, too.
Sunday, we again golfed, this time with G & M. Unfortunately, both Glen and I were pretty much golfed out. Glen had played 18 holes every day for 4 days and his game came apart on the first 9 holes. Rather than subject G & M to more misery, we opted out of the second 9 and enjoyed a pitcher of beer on the club's patio.
Monday morning we packed up and G drove us to the airport. We arrived in time for lunch and with a 3:00 flight could enjoy a leisurely meal at the Columbia Café. Little did we know we had stumbled onto a Tampa landmark. The original café opened in 1905 serving Cuban coffee and sandwiches. I was tempted to order their signature, Original Tampa Cuban sandwich but opted for the grilled mahi mahi sandwich made with Cuban bread and served with plantain fries. Glen joined me and we washed it down with more Yuengling Lager.
Our flight left on time but upon arriving in Toronto, the pilot aborted his landing because another plane was in the 'orange' zone. It was pretty scary being pushed into your seat as the plane jumped back into the sky. We had supper at Casey's (it's becoming a Toronto airport tradition). Casey's began in Sudbury, Ontario in 1980 but has since grown to over 160 restaurants. Glen had a mushroom burger with brie while I had the tastiest veggie burger ever. Stella Artois was on tap so we had that while I monitored our gate. We had spent an hour going through customs/security so didn't have much time for supper. We shouldn't have rushed as our plane was late arriving. By the time they de-iced and worked out a problem with the rear door, take-off was an hour later than scheduled. It was midnight by the time we arrived home (2 am EST).
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