Golfers have always endured a complicated relationship with water. Sure, it's the essence of life. Agreed, its the very basis of existence. But since the early days of the game, played along the windswept Scottish shoreline, this liquid master has boasted a special psychological power over us.

Born of equal parts fear and contempt, awe and inspiration, the power water commands can lead the golfer to ruin or redemption. We sing its praises for creating lush fairways while cursing its willingness to swallow an entire round in a single melancholy splash.

Water boasts a power that can make the greatest tournament players shank a seemingly simple 132-yard wedge into a lake. Yet it also has the power to motivate, its tranquil beauty the ability to calm and its expansiveness the capacity to challenge the most unsteady weekend duffers to swing with all their might in hopes of sailing the watery void to make it home in two.

Raised from strands of prehistoric swampland, it's no surprise that Florida courses are awash with the wet stuff. But the Sunshine State's unique peninsular location provides a watery bonus (or curse, some would say): Dozens of holes within clear view of the shores, bays and inlets of the greatest water hazards in the east - the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

Armed with a cache of moderately priced balls and an ailing but eager swing, I set my course for these sirens of the seas.
With the waves lapping at the shore mere feet from the fairway, the 543-yard par 5 is undoubtedly the most challenging - and arguably most scenic - hole at Redfish Point.


ATLANTIC BREEZES

 The stately Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island rises above the dunes, looking out over the infinity of the Atlantic in one direction and toward The Golf Club of Amelia Island in the other. Officially part of the neighboring Summer Beach development, the Ritz has partnered with The Golf Club to offer guests full access to the immaculate par 72 layout.

Arriving late in the night, I had just enough time to put my golf shoes out for complimentary shining (cut me some slack - I don't make it to the Ritz that often) before climbing in luxurious linens and drifting off, dreaming about Rolls Royce golf carts.

Next morning the always-accommodating folks at the Ritz arranged a lesson for me with The Golf Club at Amelia Island's head professional Keith Gibson. Considering the watery challenges ahead, the long-overdue swing tune-up was just what the doctor ordered.

It took Gibson all of two minutes to identify my primary swing flaw. It took me a full half-hour of whacking balls before my head finally persuaded my body to take the pro's advice. After hitting a half-dozen long, straight three-irons in a row (roughly five more than my personal record), I thanked Gibson and headed for the course.

Designed by PGA Tour veterans Mark McCumber and Gene Littler, The Golf Club of Amelia Island stretches a relatively tame 6,692 yards from the back tees. However, with towering pines and oaks framing the front nine and those dastardly creeping marshes prevalent on the back, its 72.9 rating is well-earned.

Hole 15, for example, is a 490-yard par 5 playing into stiff ocean breezes. Golfers must clear two marsh areas before hitting a blind, uphill third shot to an elevated green, fronted by what very well could be a bottomless bunker. Reach the well-groomed green and you're greeted with a beautiful view of the shimmering Atlantic, visible from several other holes on the undulating layout.

The afternoon and evening brought more therapy for the golfer's soul. I soaked up rays by the pool, contemplating the day's lesson; soaked up steam in the sauna, contemplating some more; then headed for The Grill, where I stopped contemplating long enough to savor the incomparable cuisine of the Ritz's AAA Five Diamond restaurant. Sports nutritionists might tout the energy bar, but in my mind nothing fuels the serious golfer as effectively as a perfectly seared rib-eye.

My mind and body in the utmost state of preparedness, we fueled up the car and headed south down I-95 to Palm Coast. Our ninth-floor suite at the Club at Hammock Beach could have come straight out of a Tommy Bahamas' catalogue. Dark, hardwood accents and a spacious island-themed bedroom gave way to a stunning balcony view of the resort's own waterpark and, just beyond, Florida's newest oceanfront course. Jack Nicklaus' Ocean Hammock Golf Club reaches 7,201 yards from the tips and carries a beastly 77 rating. Relaxed and prepared as I may have been, I elected to protect my delicate ego and tee it up from the Blues, which still boast an impressive 73.2 rating.

With children playing on boogie boards in the gentle surf behind the elevated first tee, I put my recent lesson to the test, driving the ball down into the valley.

Perhaps distracted by the sweeping elevation changes and gusting sea breezes, I played the first few holes scared. Water seemed to pop up out of nowhere, stealing balls off the fairway and testing my commitment to swing change.

But as the round bore on and I navigated the soft, pine tree- and marsh-lined doglegs, everything began to click. On the tenth I challenged the water, hitting my second shot on the 495-yard par 5 over the great expanse of H2O and onto the green for a thrilling two-putt birdie.

Standing a sandwedge from the waves on the green of the signature 18th, I looked back at the tee box some 415 yards away (466 from the ungodly championship tees) and tasted a glimpse of golf nirvana. A spectacular course, equally spectacular oceanfront setting and, dare I say, half-way decent golf game - who could ask for more?


GOLF ON THE GULF

Resort golf courses are often maligned by golfing aficionados for being too easy. The fairways are too wide, the greens too big and flat and the hazards meaningless. Such criticisms are sometimes valid, but they fail to take into account that, while we all enjoy a challenge, vacation is meant to be fun, not painful.

Located just west of Sarasota, Longboat Key Club's 45 holes offer just the right combination of waterfront excitement and serenity. The 27-hole Harbourside Course meanders directly along Sarasota Bay, offering distant views of the city's skyline.

The oaks, sabal palms and palmettos lining the fairways of the Red, White and Blue Harbourside nines give the course the feel of a tropical garden, while designer William Byrd's liberal use of sand and water hazards keeps golfers honest. Each of the three tracks stretch more than 3,300 yards, which can feel much longer when the Gulf breeze kicks up.

With the Harbourside Course "resting" during the off-season months, I teed it up at the Islandside Course with my partner, a visitor from California who was eager to help in my research. Once an acceptable wager was agreed upon, our round was underway.

Ironically, while the Harbourside boasts more direct saltwater views, Islandside's par 72 layout offers infinitely more ways to drown. All 18 holes of the 6,792-yard course are surrounded by lakes and waterways, many of which my partner and I decided to experience. Raised greens and a number of blind approaches add intrigue to the Old Florida-style layout.

When we were able to keep the ball dry (and out of an interesting mix of fine quartz-sand and crushed coquina shell bunkers), we were rewarded with receptive, over-sized greens. The course offered us both what we were looking for - a traditional resort course experience with a challenging twist, culminating with the par 5 18th, a classic do-or-die shot over water to an elevated green.

A few hours south on Captiva, another resort course offers up its own mix of Gulf-front mystery and pleasure. Located at the South Seas Resort on the extreme northern peninsula of the narrow barrier island, Redfish Point is a quirky nine-hole layout offering postcard views of both the Gulf and bay.

Relatively short, even from the back tees, the course relies on cleverly placed hazards and distracting beachscapes to trip up golfers who mistake the 2,891-yard layout for a cupcake. A number of risk/reward holes, like the 232-yard par 4 7th, challenge golfers to decide whether to go for the green off the tee and risk the big number or lay up and play it safe.

With the waves lapping at the shore mere feet from the fairway, the 543-yard par 5 is undoubtedly the most challenging - and arguably most scenic - hole at Redfish Point. Even those able to keep their ball out of the Gulf or greenside ponds face a tough par on the postage stamp of a green.


BRAVING NORTHERN WATERS

 It comes as no surprise that rearranging a few letters of designer Bruce Devlin's name is all it takes to find the inspiration behind Bay Point's Lagoon Legend course. Together with fellow Dante-phile Robert Van Hagge, Devlin created a monstrous par 72 layout in Panama City Beach that unabashedly commands a 75.3 rating and 152 USGA Slope Rating.

Recently purchased by a local investment group, Bay Point Golf Club's two 18-hole courses offer a yin and "youch" approach to resort golf. While the Club Meadows course stokes the golfer's fragile confidence with welcoming fairways and lush landing areas, the Lagoon Legend course focuses on humbling.

Set amidst the marshes, lakes and lagoons creeping off St. Andrews Bay, the rough-and-tumble course doesn't force players to drive razor-thin fairways or putt across miniature golf-like banks and undulations. And at 6,921 yards from the tips, "The Dragon," as it's referred to, doesn't require John Daly distance off the tee.

Rather, it requires a neurosurgeon's mind and touch on nearly every hole. Moguls accent seemingly benign fairways, making a well-placed drive critical for attaining a level lie. As I discovered on the very first hole, a 542-yard par 5, trying to carry a pond in front of the green after missing the fairway rarely pays.

The par 3 13th stretches a mere 300 yards, but leave your tee shot anywhere other than in the small landing area 175 - 195 yards out and you're likely to duplicate my shot - a wedge off a downhill lie that made a valiant attempt to clear the wooden bulkhead guarding the island green.

The par 4 finishing hole of The Dragon forces players to carry water twice, with any approach that leaks long or to the right certain to find the warm waters of Grand Lagoon. A surprisingly satisfying bogey, followed by a stiff, even more satisfying drink, was the only fitting way to end the round.

Just an hour or so west from Panama City is Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, where golfers have four top-notch tracks from which to choose, several boasting picture-perfect Gulf and bay views. Rees Jones' Burnt Pine Golf Club is carved out of the natural pine forests and woodlands, offering 7,000 yards of meticulously maintained fairways and stunning views of the ball-hungry Choctawhatchee Bay.

Architect Tom Jackson can lay claim to two of Sandestin's famed waterfront courses. The Links Course, boasting its own views of Choctawhatchee Bay, is noted for its preponderance of risk/reward holes, the ones that always seem to clear up unresolved wagers between golfing buddies.

However popular The Links Course, most people believe Jackson's best design work can be found at the resort's Baytowne Golf Club. Wide, reasonably forgiving fairways are countered by greens demanding strategic placement to score, creating an ideal mix for the novice and scratch golfer alike.

Throw in a healthy helping of bunkers, plenty of tree-lined fairways and some shockingly dramatic elevation changes and you get the best of all worlds - a challenging, rewarding round of golf framed by sugar-white sands and emerald waters.


MAY AS WELL BE WET

 Defining which Florida courses qualify as "waterfront" is no easy task, and all of the following courses are either on the water or a short chip away.

Amelia Island Plantation is one of the state's most unique oceanfront links, and when we say oceanfront, we mean your wayward tee shot could ruin some happy child's sandcastle.

The venerable Naples Beach and Hotel Club is almost as close to the water and boasts a classic Old Florida layout.

Ponte Vedra Inn & Club is within a club's toss of the Atlantic and features two 18-hole layouts, including a 155-yard par-3, claimed to be the first-ever island green design.

Of course, no mention of "island greens" can pass without referencing the 17th at Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass. Perhaps it's not technically, but those 132 yards provide more drama than any hole in golf. Guests of the Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Beach Club have access.

Among the most prestigious courses in Florida, The Links at Fisher Island sits just off Miami. The nine-hole Pete Dye layout is a popular spot for PGA and Champions Tour shootout events, which is no surprise given its opulent waterfront location. Again, resort guests only.

In the opposite end of the state, Lost Key Golf Club offers a stunning Arnold Palmer layout set in the woods and wetlands of Perdido Key near Pensacola. The Audubon International-certified course is open to the public.


GETTING SCHOOLED

 With the high price of balls and abundance of danger on Florida courses, it's imperative that your game be in tip-top shape to avoid sending too many balls to a watery grave. Tune up your game at the following schools.

The Original Golf School at The Plantation Inn on the scenic Crystal River has more than 25 years of experience in helping golfers cure those pesky swing flaws.

Golf guru David Leadbetter oversees several of his world-famous Golf Academies in Florida, including The IMG Academy in Bradenton, ChampionsGate in Orlando and La Playa Beach & Golf Resort in Naples. Leadbetter's schools don't come cheap, but then, self-improvement never does.

Fellow professor-to-the-stars Jim McLean offers a number of programs at Doral Golf Resort & Spa, including programs aimed at the junior set. For golf school Miami-style.

The Belleview Biltmore in Clearwater offers two luxury golf school experiences, the Ken Venturi Golf School and a branch of National Golf Schools.