Aventura bucket list destination has everything to make visit uber memorable
A trip to the northern Miami suburb of Aventura brings travelers into the breach of all the things that make South Florida such a desirable destination. At the heart of the city is the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort & Spa, an opulent oasis that stokes the senses from the minute one turns into the palm-lined drive.
The JW Marriott Turnberry Resort & Spa has it all — the Turnberry Isle Country Club with its duo of fabulous golf courses; the Ame Spa and Wellness Collective; and the exhilarating Tidal Cove Waterpark (which is a go-to attraction even for those not staying at the resort).
There’s also four restaurants highlighted by Bourbon Steak by Micheal Mina and Corsair Kitchen & Bar; the Cascata Pool for adults only; a handful of intimate bars with private nooks and crannies; and guest rooms and suites that are among the most spacious and elegant in all of South Florida.
Golf was the focus for our recent stay here, and the challenges and fun provided by the resort’s Soffer and Miller Courses were plentiful. Let’s take a look first at the Soffer Course, with a future nod to the Miller (which has a five-hole stretch that’s considered the toughest set of holes on the property).
Water carries, course management define the tests at the Soffer Course
While both the courses at Turnberry Isles CC are visually striking and lush to the nth degree, the Soffer Course is considered the club’s championship layout.
The Soffer Course is named after Donald Soffer, developer of the JW Turnberry Resort & Spa and the co-founder of the city of Aventura.
Originally designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones and opened in 1971, the Soffer Course is accentuated by a surprising amount of elevation changes and feature contoured fairways, sharp changes within holes and strategically placed lakes, ponds and creeks that ensure water comes into play on almost every hole.
The longer and more challenging course at Turnberry Isles, the Soffer Course offers a bushelful of risk/reward options, with narrow fairways winding past small creeks. The white sand in the course’s bunkers contrast with the lush Ficus, Banyan and olive trees that create the fairway corridors.
The Soffer Course plays to a par of 70 and to 7,021 total yards from the back set of five available tee boxes and has been compared to Dubai-style golf courses, with well-manicured, backdrop vistas tying in city scape and ocean proximity. This Soffer Course is considered to be an 8/10 on a difficulty scale.
Florida native and Miami resident World Golf Hall of Famer Raymond Floyd renovated the Soffer (as well as the Miller) in 2006 with the aim of updating the challenges while making a great course even better. About 9,000 palm trees, more than 300,000 plants and over 900,000 cubic yards of dirt were brought in to enhance the landscaping and topography.
The renovation also refreshed wooden bridges and an enhanced its water portfolio — as if that was really needed.
Highlights of the front nine on the Soffer Course are the 390-yard, par-4 opener, which sports a creek crossing the end of the landing area; the 483-yard par-4 fourth, with a fairway that narrows for longer hitters; the grip-it-and-rip it par 5 seventh, which requires an approach over a pond at the end of its 574 yards; and the 190-yard eight, which asks for a full carry over water if you are playing from the tips.
For my money, the back nine (which has three demanding one-shotters) is at least four strokes tougher than the front — there is not an easy hole to be had on the way in. The 557-yard par 5 11th asks for a drive over water, a second shot between bunkers and an approach over a pond to a narrow, wide putting surface. Then there’s the dual gauntlet of par 3s: the 235-yard 15th, which is played out of a chute of trees and over the lake; and the 184-yard 17th, which ends on an expansive peninsula green.
During the 2006 redesign a new closing hole debuted on the Soffer Course – a 435-yard par-4 that demands a precise tee shot over water to a narrow landing area and ending at a huge, three-tiered putting surface. The hole is a true test of strength and stamina for all players finishing their round, yielding birdie opportunities for those hitting well-positioned shots and finding the proper level on the green.
Varied flora and trees indigenous to Florida’s tropical climate create an oasis-like feel throughout the course, giving each hole a sense of privacy in the shadow of the area’s high-rise buildings and under seemingly endless blue skies.
There is not one time when you are standing over the ball on the Soffer Course that you don’t have to hit the ball with total conviction. But that’s okay — a tough golf course brings out the best in you.
Included in each round of golf as well as within the cost of any overnight stay at JW Turnberry Resort, is complimentary usage of Turnberry Isles’ three separate golf practice facilities: its two-sided driving range, chipping area, two fairway greenside bunkers plus a putting green.
In the middle of where you want to be
If you decide to venture off property, the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort & Spa is just about three miles from the beach, 2.1 miles from Gulfstream Park Racetrack & Casino, and a half mile from the cool Aventura Mall. There are also scores of shops, restaurants, eateries, bars and night clubs in the immediate area.
A side note: the automobiles you will see in the parking lot and valet line at the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort & Spa is worth observing all on its own. You will see Maseratis and Lamborghinis and Lotuses and Porsches and Maybach Mercedes Benzes in all colors, all driven by the beautiful people of South Florida.
Just minutes from both the Fort Lauderdale and Miami International Airports, the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort & Spa combines luxury with leisure, formality with familiarity, and tradition with cutting-edge innovation.
The attention to detail and absolute dedication to hospitality and customer service make all JW Marriott properties stand out, but those aspects — from check in to check out, from the golf courses to the pools, from the water park to the restaurants and to the spa — are turned up a notch at the Turnberry Resort & Spa.
You will feel like you belong — and you won’t want to leave. Those are the key attributes of a bucket-list destination and the hallmark of the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort & Spa.
