Sebring's Kenilworth Lodge offers relief from Florida's hustle and bustle golf scene

By Brandon Tucker,
Senior Writer

SEBRING, Fla. - The small town of Sebring is in the middle of nowhere, respectively, when it comes to Florida and its tourist hot spots.

Located 90 minutes to the west is the Gulf of Mexico. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean and to the north is Orlando. And therein lies the beauty of the town. It's the place you go to get away from where people go.

"We're very centrally located an hour and an hour-and-a-half to either coast," said Madge Stewart, co-owner of the Kenilworth Lodge. "No matter where you want to go, one of our advantages is if people are tired of the mad traffic at the coasts, it gives them a place to come spend the weekend in a more laid-back area."

Another beauty of the location can be found on your Visa bill. As a result of being a more rural community, you get more bang for your buck. Most greens fees start at under $30. Rooms at the Lodge start at $59.99.

Since 1916, visitors have escaped to the Kenilworth Lodge in Sebring, one of the town's many historical landmarks. In fact, the Lodge was recently placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Sebring and Highland County have more than a dozen courses, and the Lodge offers packages that include most area courses - up to 15 in total. Stewart said the Floridians who come for the weekend often choose the three-round, two-night package, which also comes with two breakfasts and dinners.

"A lot of northerners come for an extended period of time - up to 14 days," Stewart said. "And they will put two of our seven-night packages back to back."

The seven-night package includes six rounds with a cart, seven breakfasts and dinners, ranging from $340-$380. Among the courses available are the two popular Highland Ridge courses, including Sebring's newest, the North course. Pinecrest, a Donald Ross design from the 1920s, Harder Hall, Ron Garl's Country Club of Sebring and Spring Lake, which claims the largest green in the world, highlight the list of courses available. Packages at Kenilworth can mix and match any combination of courses desired.

Off the course, Kenilworth Lodge provides a slew of activities, including a lively and varied dance scene. It has two dance halls: The Plantation and Cabaret rooms. Dance styles hosted in these halls include square and round dancing, Scottish, ballroom, swing and Bebop dancing. Most weekends host some type of dancing and schedules can be found online or by calling the Lodge.

The property also has an 80-foot heated pool, card and billiard tables, and a veranda with rocking chairs that overlook Lake Jackson, which sits behind the hotel. It all adds up to some serious relaxation.

And if they're not on the property, guests are finding a slew of other things to do.

"Most of the time, our guests are doing things in Sebring," Stewart said. "But some will take a day trip to Orlando or to the coast. But if they're not golfing, they are bicycling or hiking in one of the four state parks."

Despite its commitment to remaining authentic, Kenilworth Lodge has added several improvements for 2005, including a brand-new "Nobody treats you better" slogan, which will be disagreed upon by few. Complimentary high-speed Internet access has been installed in all guest rooms and a small business center has been added in the lobby. Satellite TV programming was upgraded to offer five free movie channels for a rainy day. It all adds up to offering the comfort of home.

"We have a wonderful, relaxed atmosphere," Stewart said. "It makes our guests feel right at home."

However, for those trying to escape from the busy city streets on the coasts. maybe not too much at home.

May 19, 2005

Brandon Tucker is a Senior Writer and Special Projects Editor for the TravelGolf Network, where he contributes not only golf and travel articles, but photo essays, videos and more. His golf travels have taken him across the U.S., including more than 50 Myrtle Beach-area golf courses, and to such destinations as Scotland, Wales, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and Malaysia.

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management.