Tampa Fantango!
“Golf is all about timing! Both on and off the golf course!”
It was late January and we’d been schmooze at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, which is always great fun! As per past years, I planned to spend a few days golfing along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Then someone told us - Gasparilla was on!
“And we were in! ”
Gasparilla is Tampa’s signature shindig. It’s all about Pirates, Parades and ‘Piratechnics’ to steal their cute little paronomasia.
The city of Tampa on Florida’s west coast is an hour from Orlando so we were up early and away as we’d been invited for breakfast with the mayor! Along with a few hundred others!
The Gasparilla ‘Pirate Parade’ has been hitting Tampa’s streets since 1904 and is linked to the legendary José Gaspar (a.k.a. Gasparilla), a Spanish pirate who trawled Florida’s Gulf Coast in the late 1700s looking for booty.
The trouble is there’s serious doubt that the bibulous buccaneer ever existed. But let’s not let historical accuracy get in the way of a good party!
PARADE OF PIRATES
The ‘Parade of Pirates’ is crewed by cutthroats and brigands, during the working week mild-mannered reporters and bank clerks who came sailing up the mouth of the Hillsborough River armed to the teeth with blunderbuss, beer cans, big fat cigars and armfuls of brightly-coloured beads. They then paraded through the city’s streets provoking us landlubbers to join in before partying well into the night. Davy Jones would be spinning in his locker!
While the pirates were over-indulging, we had to resort to Florida Orange Juice as we still had to drive south that night. Next year we’ll stay over!
GOLF ON THE GULF
Besides the PGA Show, this was an unexpected, extra fine start to our trip. We were staying in Sarasota as per usual but it’s easy to drive along the Gulf Coast, in either direction and encounter some great golf courses.
You need to know what you’re looking for though! The majority are ‘private’ in this neck of the woods and in the good old USA, ‘private’ really does mean ‘private’! In other words, you don’t get in unless you’re the president of the USA or cordially invited by a member. This is opposed to the UK where they call golf courses ‘private’ but most of them are open to anyone with the price of a green fee.
What you’re looking for in Florida is ‘public play’ or resort courses - of which there are plenty!
TWO TAMPA RESORTS
Innisbrook and Saddlebrook are two exceptional golf resorts close to the city of Tampa offering duel tracks. I sampled the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook, a veteran of the PGA’s Valspar Championship. Not your typical, flat Florida course, the Copperhead actually offers a hilly terrain that is particularly challenging. I was playing with a PGA pro I got teamed up with from another part of the state who took exception to my new, ‘squeaky’ Skechers golf shoes. I hadn’t noticed but he did and I discovered it was a good way of ‘getting inside his head’. Oddly enough, I won the round!
Saddlebrook’s two Arnold Palmer courses are more relaxed and playable. I teamed up with a couple of locals on the Saddlebrook course who around the 6th asked if we could take a break “to go fishing”. A group of insurance salespeople had gone out just before us armed with rental sets, several sleeves of shiny new Pro V1s each and nary a golf swing between them. My two new buddies stopped at every lake on the course armed with their trusty ball retrievers to fish out dozens of the aforementioned, brand-new Pro V1s. After the round, we stopped at one of their garages to view their collection; several bins full!
ROGERS PARK
But the Tampa track that was my ‘takeaway’ favourite was Rogers Park, just a mile or so from famous Busch Gardens, Tampa’s safari-themed amusement park. In fact, you can see the rollercoasters and hear the distant screams from several points on the course.
Rogers Park is in the middle of ‘the hood’ a predominantly black community consisting of colourful, 1950s Florida houses. Surrounded by the Hillsborough River, the course was developed by a group of black caddies who worked at private clubs hereabouts and wanted a piece of the ‘golf action’ themselves.
James was in charge of the shop and ‘the look’.
We rolled up at Rogers and were immediately made to feel right at home. Behind the pro shop counter was James, an ultra-cool dude, dressed sharp and sassy like a young James Brown. “Next time you’all come,” he shouted as we loaded up the golf carts. “I’m gonna play with you!” That I can guarantee would be an experience!
Lionel Ballard has been involved with Rogers Park Golf Course most of his life.
Later, in the clubhouse, we met Lionel Ballard, a tall, elegant gentleman who's been involved with Rogers Park most of his life. "It was 1952," he told me, "when the golf course was first built. At that time there were only a few guys who had any golf clubs so they would call over to one another, ‘Dillard, bring me the 7-iron’ or ‘James, bring your wedge over here’. That's how they got started playing.”
FIRST TEE
Today, Rogers Park encourages youngsters and everyone else in the community to get involved with golf game. Lionel’s a local organiser for the First Tee programme, an initiative that introduces golf to kids. Judging by the number of youngsters out on the course that evening and hanging around their own little clubhouse, it was an out-and-out success!
In itself, Rogers Park is a very playable track with some great holes. But the atmosphere here’s the thing. This is how golf should be - a community asset, shared and enjoyed by everyone. As a visitor, you’ll pay around $40 for the privilege so it’s great value too!
I was told by our golfing partner that day, Brenden, who’d organise our visit to Gasparilla, that the other courses in the Tampa area worth checking out are Black Diamond, Southern Hills and World Woods. But for me, it was time to move south! Sarasota, here we come!
Where to Eat & Drink in Tampa
1. Columbia Restaurant - one of the oldest family-owned restaurants in the country. Started in 1905 in Ybor City.
2. Bern's Steakhouse - one-of-a-kind steakhouse experience. Make your reservation well in advance.
3. Mel's Hot Dog's. Who doesn't love a good hot dog? It's another one-of-a-kind spot near Busch Gardens in Tampa.
4. Frenchy's Rockaway Grille - Clearwater Beach dining on the beach. There are at least six different locations around the Tampa/Clearwater area.
5. Ulele on the Riverwalk - an amazing farm-to-table meal with a Florida cracker vibe. Great view of the Hillsborough River.
A spot for a pint....
1. World of Beer Westchase - a go-to for Brenden and his friends.
2. Brew Bus Brewing - Seminole Heights - stop in for a great beer, have an amazing meal, take a tour of plenty of watering holes in the area.
3. Hotel Bar - likely known more for their cocktails that are all based signature drinks from famous hotel bars throughout the world.
