Golf in Stuart

Shannon "The Cannon" Hudson is an International Kickboxing Federation world champion, a fifth-degree black belt in japanese shotokan karate, and a survivor of more than 70 bouts in the ring—yet, one of his most influential titles is "father." With two kids clinging around his waist like a squirmy fanny pack, Shannon started brainstorming a way to channel his boxing and kickboxing training into a quick, effective workout that even those who are busy or out of shape could tackle. The result was 9Round, a 30-minute routine of aerobic, anaerobic, and resistance moves divided into a circuit of nine stations. The ever-changing series of workouts maximizes morale and results and minimizes boredom.

His trainers launch the workouts every three minutes, motivating exercisers through each station—which might include jumping rope or pummeling speed bags. Online nutritional counseling supplements the workouts, teaching patrons how to construct and eat healthful meals instead of falling back on old habits, such as snacking on cheese sculptures.

Lauded as the 18th best course in Florida by GolfLink, Madison Green Golf Club's 18-hole layout pairs the rugged feel of a Scottish links-style course with the dazzling palm trees and waterways of South Florida. Water hazards come into play on all but one hole throughout the round, challenging golfers with multiple forced-carries and attracting aviary guests including great blue herons, sandhill cranes, and thirsty weather balloons. In the absence of the thick heather grasses of Scotland, Madison Green ensnares errant orbs with 12 acres of brambly pine barrens, 250 oaks, and 500 palm trees. Golfers navigate the pristine par 72 in carts equipped with Visage Touchscreen GPS technology, which presents flyovers of each hole in 3-D images and tells golfers their exact yardage from upcoming targets, hazards, and charging linebackers.

The Club's 7,000-square-foot clubhouse provides convenient amenities including men's and women's locker and steam rooms, a well-stocked pro shop, and a full-service bar and grill. Clubbers can fine-tune their game at the driving range, where grass hitting areas mirror course conditions and low-handicap earthworms generously proffer swing advice.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 7,106 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 73.6 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 144 from the farthest tees
• Six tee options

Sculpted on a 28-acre estuary between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, Jupiter Dunes Golf Club presents a short par 3 course that features prominent water hazards that come into play on 12 holes. Coastal trade winds routinely knock approach shots off course on their way onto small paspalum greens, a challenge only mitigated by careful shot selection or digging wind-free fairway tunnels. Even with these obstacles, the course's truncated length lets beginners make an enjoyable foray into the game, and more experienced players can work on short game acumen.

Jupiter Dunes’ resident golf pro Jeff Leishman strives to make golf a pleasant pursuit for all players, including juniors. Jeff creates an instructional regimen that best fits each player, helping adults to lower their handicaps during lessons and showing juniors how to make a golf-cart booby trap at summer camps for kids aged 6–14.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 54 course
• Total length of 1,962 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 65 from the back tees
• Course slope of 100 from the back tees

Two distinct nine-hole golf courses encircle a go-kart track, batting cages, 36 holes of miniature golf, and a 65-stall driving range at Windy Hill Sports Complex's mini metropolis of family fun. Pin-hunting posses can launch tee shots around dogleg fairways and carry approaches over water hazards at the Lake Course—which features two par 5s—or catch an abridged nine at the par 3 layout, which is lighted to facilitate late-night play without unveiling incendiary prototypes of plutonium golf balls. Set on the edge of the highest point in Chesterfield County, the driving range helps players to hone their swings with 250 yards of target-peppered terrain, and the mini-golf course affords guests pressure-free practice on their putting stroke. Honda go-karts zip around the complex's quarter-mile go-kart track, where junior- and adult-size conveyances run in separate heats, and two-seater vehicles accommodate adult-child or child-gnome tandems. Across the grounds, sharp line drives resonate from the batting cages, where batsmen swing at orbs slung from mechanical hurlers at anywhere from 25 mph to 85 mph.

The 18 holes of Palm Beach Gardens Golf Course slither through the natural marshes and wetlands of the Loxahatchee Nature Preserve, testing golfers' mettle with frequent changes in fairway direction and lots of water. Players scoot about the Roy Case-designed layout aboard golf carts equipped with GPS systems, which help them ascertain exact distances to greens and around sunbathing caddies. The fairway of the par 5 ninth hole -- dubbed "Mucho Agua" -- lies on an isthmus between two large bodies of water, leaving little room for error as players try to reach the green in two. The fairway of the 13th hole, also a par 5, doglegs twice into a unique Z shape, earning it the name of "Zorro's Revenge." Before players may turn in for the day, they must deal with two shots over water on the last hole, named "Swamp Thing" for its proximity to marshland and proclivity for early '80s horror movies.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 6,500 yards from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole

Harmony Golf Preserve is an award-winning golf destination that prized as a Top 10 Orlando Golf Course in 2011 from Golf Orlando Florida. Course architect and US Open Champion Johnny Miller designed a layout that would work in concert with the local wildlife. The result is a sprawling championship course that melds seamlessly with the natural wetlands and wooded thickets of the 260-acre wildlife preserve that surrounds it, earning the distinction of a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

While acting as a haven for feathered and furred animals, the course challenges golfers with tricky doglegs and undulating terrain, culminating in the course’s signature 9th hole, whose treacherous sand bunkers and water to the left of the green demand precision off the tee or a generous bribe to the mulligan maestro hiding in the thickets.

During course play, players can stop at a beverage cart or at the Grill on the Turn to refuel. After penciling in their final score, golfers can savor artisanal dishes and bask in the elegant, old-Florida atmosphere maintained by Graze, the clubhouse restaurant. Harmony Golf Preserve also helps players of all stripes cultivate their skills and clubbing techniques at The Performance Academy, while budding golfers can equip themselves with brand-name equipment and apparel from the pro shop.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 7,428
• Course rating of 76.1
• Slope rating of 136
• Take a virtual course tour
• Five sets of tee boxes