Fort Lauderdale: where the girls and golf are

Being a native Floridian, I’ve been to Fort Lauderdale dozens of times in the past, but not in the last 10-15 years or so. Fort Lauderdale was the scene of the incredibly hokey movie, “Where the Boys Are,” but my hazy memories of the place involve road trips with girls in the back seat, their bare feet sticking out the windows, empty beer cans piling up (these were the days before they’d shoot you on sight for having open containers).

Anyway, I’m back now, years later, looking for golf instead of more girls. You don’t ordinarily think of Fort Lauderdale as a golf history mecca, but at the Coral Ridge Country Club, I came across almost a shrine for Robert Trent Jones, who used to own the place. JJ Sehlke, a managing general partner, gave me a great poster of the 16th hole, where Julius Boros spent his last day on earth. The stories vary on how they found him, but it is a poignant story no matter whose version is the most accurate.

I’ll be doing a series of stories on golf in Greater Fort Lauderdale, so look for them to start appearing on TravelGolf soon. They will enrich your life and lower your handicap.