Raptor Bay golf course,
backdropped by the
Coconut Point Resort hotel,
is a stone's throw from
the Gulf of Mexico
The resort is located 12 miles south of Southwest Florida International Airport in Bonita Springs and just off busy highway 41 on 26 peaceful acres next to a mangrove forest and adjacent to Estero Bay. The 18-story high rise has 454 opulent guest rooms and suites, many of which have panoramic views of the Bay and the string of the bay's outlying islands. Also, the resort can accommodate guests with pets under 50 lbs.
The resort includes a spa, salon and fitness center; a secluded beach island; some 73,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting space; three pools including an adult lap pool; six restaurants and lounges, and a camp for children. While some resorts, especially in high season, resemble an airport terminal, I never I was part of a crowd at Coconut Point, which I recommend particularly for families with young children, businessmen and, of course, golfers.
Adjacent to the resort is Raptor Bay Golf Club, whose course was designed by Raymond Floyd and opened in 2001. Punctuated by lakes, wetlands and pine forests along its perimeter, Raptor Bay is certified as a Gold Signature Sanctuary by Audubon International.
Developed by WCI Communities in partnership with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Raptor Bay is a well-groomed layout that features wide fairways, sand and coquina-shell waste bunkers and raised greens with steep and tightly-shaved drop-offs similar to Pinehurst #4. The greens are large and fairly fast, and there are no greenside bunkers. Unlike some modern designs, Floyd eschewed mounds and other created features in favor of maintaining the land's natural contours.
With a par of 71, Raptor Bay has six sets of tees ranging from 5030 yards to 6702 yards. The course's modest slope and rating assures a pleasurable round for all golfers while testing their short-game skills.
The challenge off the course is to decide what to do among a host of choices. Guests can take a leisurely walk over the 500-yard wooden bridge that winds through the mangroves to the resort's marina where they can rent a kayak or sailboat, or take the 20-minute tender ride to the resort's secluded beach on Big Hickory Island. There are also shopping, museums, and visits to nearby nature preserves.
The Hyatt Coconut Point resort boasts one of the best seafood restaurants in the area if not all of Florida. Located immediately adjacent the resort's main building is Tarpon Bay Restaurant, a casual 244-seat indoor/outdoor restaurant with a menu of fresh seafood fit for royalty. I and three friends dined there in March and we all agreed it was one of the finest meals we had ever had. Every item on sous chef Dominic Calla's menu is superb, but the specialty of the house is the whole snapper. It is the most tender, tasty fish you will ever eat, and at nearly 17 inches long, you will need plenty of appetite to finish it. 
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa
5001 Coconut Road,
Bonita Springs, Florida, USA 34134
Tel: +1 239 444 1234 Fax: +1 239 390 4344
www.coconutpoint.hyatt.com
Naples Area Golf
