The golf scene in southwest Florida and Naples rocks during high season

NAPLES, Fla. - There’s no doubt it’s high season in southwest Florida.

Everywhere you look are people. Lots and lots of people. The Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers was packed when I arrived Wednesday. The traffic up and down U.S. 41 has been steady.

The area’s golf courses have been busier than I experienced during my December visits the past few years. At Spanish Wells Country Club in Bonita Springs, they almost ran out of golf carts on Wednesday to keep up with demand. At dinner that night, I had to search two lots over to find a place to park.

When I arrived at 7 a.m. this morning for my tee time at Stoneybrook Golf Club, the place was already buzzing with golfers ready to tee it up.

The sun brings snowbirds and vacationers by the thousands to this ritzy golf destination every year. Tee times can be hard to come by and expensive, too, but they’re worth every penny when most of the country’s golf courses are closed.

Mark Iwinski, the director of golf at Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero, said conditions at his club are as good as they’ve ever been for this time of year. The unseasonably high temperatures have sped up the growing season.

The sun, which always shines on Naples this time of year, seems to be shining a little brighter this year. The forecast for the rest of the weekend is mid-80s and sunny. Yeah, this is the good life.