At check-in, guests receive a pass that allows unlimited use of bikes, boogie boards, canoes, kayaks, basketball courts, shuttle and health club, plus an hour of tennis per day. And then there's golf, golf, golf. Three golf courses offer 54 challenging holes, with views of turquoise water and white sand that almost make it easy to shrug off missing that chip for eagle. A stiff bay breeze is usually a factor, too. Baytowne Golf Course, with two nine-hole courses, Dunes and Harbor.
Dunes features water hazards on seven holes, but it offers outstanding views of the gulf and bay.
On the shortish Harbor course, you'll definitely have to play around the water. And bring your sand wedge. The course, more than 7,000 yards from the back tees, requires water shots on 12 holes, and the bunkering around the greens is vicious. Next spring, the 18-hole Raven Golf Club at Sandestin, designed by master coursemaker Robert Trent Jones, will open. Surfaces include grass, clay and composite, so you can pretend you're serving at Roland Garros or Wimbledon, if you prefer.