For Immediate Release
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Contact: Mark Ard
850.245.6529
Mark.Ard@DOS.MyFlorida.com
Suwannee Country Club in Live Oak Featured as Florida Historic Golf Trail Course of the Month
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –
Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced today that the Suwannee Country Club, located in the city of Live Oak in Suwannee County, has been chosen as the featured course on the Florida Historic Golf Trail for the month of February.
“We are pleased to feature the Suwannee Country Club as a partner on the Florida Historic Golf Trail,” said Secretary Detzner. “The city of Live Oak and the Suwannee Country Club have played an important role in the development of golf in Florida. An early Florida Governor even served as the club’s first president.”
Image Courtesy of Suwannee Country Club
In 1924, the Live Oak Golf and Country Club was organized for the purpose of acquiring a site and building a golf course. A site was chosen several miles east of town and a 9-hole golf course was open for play in 1926 with sand greens. Former Florida Governor Cary Hardee (1921-1925) was the club’s first president.
Today, the Suwannee Country Club includes a 9-hole, par-36 golf course featuring four sets of tees playing from 4,800 to 6,100 yards. The Club is semi-private, but open to the public with weekday and weekend rates. Amenities include a driving range, banquet hall with full kitchen and access to White Lake.
“The Suwannee Country Club is very honored to be selected as the featured course for February 2018 for the Florida Department of State’s Florida Historic Golf Trail,” said Bob Budwick, General Manager of the Suwannee Country Club. “We have invested in new greens, a new fleet of Yamaha carts, and two brand new fairways with more to come in the near future. The future is very bright for this historic club, and the Live Oak community has responded in a very positive manner to all of the changes that have been made, and the future plans moving forward.”
For more information about the Suwannee Country Club, click here. To learn more about the Florida Historic Golf Trail, visit floridahistoricgolftrail.com or find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FloridaHistoricGolfTrail.
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About The Florida Historic Golf Trail Florida's golf history, recognized as one of the oldest in the nation, dates back to the late 1800s when a number of early courses were created along with the development of railroads and hotels in the state. The Florida Historic Golf Trail is a collection of more than 50 historic, publicly accessible golf courses throughout the state that can still be played on today. Through the Florida Historic Golf Trail, golfers can play on courses designed by world-class architects and played by famous golfers such as Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Babe Zaharias, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Information about the history and current day contact information for each partner course can be found at FloridaHistoricGolfTrail.com. Find the historic course near you and Come Play on History!
About The Division of Historical Resources The Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources (DHR) is responsible for preserving and promoting Florida’s historical, archaeological, and folk culture resources. The Division Director’s office oversees a grants-in-aid program to help preserve and maintain Florida’s historic buildings and archaeological sites; coordinates outreach programs such as the State Historic Markers program and the Florida Folklife program which identifies and promotes the state's traditional culture. DHR directs historic preservation efforts throughout the state in cooperation with state and federal agencies, local governments, private organizations, and individuals. The Division Director serves as the State Historic Preservation Officer, acting as the liaison with the national historic preservation program conducted by the National Park Service. The Division is comprised of two Bureaus, archaeological research and historic preservation. For more information visit flheritage.com.