Florida Encounter - About the Host Area

About the Host Area

VISIT FLORIDA is excited that this year’s Florida Encounter is being hosted in beautiful St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and the Beaches at the Sawgrass Golf Resort and Spa, November 15 - 19, 2008. Enjoy this short overview of what you can look forward to when you come to Northeast Florida for Florida Encounter, on vacation or with your own meeting!

Sawgrass Marriott Resort and Spa

Welcome to Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, A Marriott Resort.

You picked the perfect time to indulge in the Sawgrass experience. We invite you to lose yourself in our exceptional cuisine, luxurious rooms and amenities such as world-class golf, pristine beaches and inviting pools. As our guest, you’re sure to make memories to last you a lifetime. Whether it’s a luxuriously self-indulgent experience at The Spa at Sawgrass or testing your skill on one of eight championship-level golf courses, every moment belongs to you. Our goal is for your stay to be perfect and for you to enjoy the experience of a lifetime. Should any questions or needs arise, please contact any of our knowledgeable staff. Surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty and championship golf, including TPC Sawgrass’ famed THE PLAYERS Stadium Course, we invite you to let loose in the perfect blend of opulence and casual comfort. Enjoy our diverse selection of guest rooms, suites, and golf villas. Our rooms offer luxurious amenities including high-speed internet, wide-screen plasma televisions and our signature Marriott Revive bedding.

As a guest at Sawgrass, you are now part of the history and heritage of this iconic destination. We are proud to be recognized as an exceptional resort and ideal destination for world-class golf. We are honored that you decided to spend time with us. As your stay concludes we want to know “What will bring you back?”

Sawgrass, hailed as one of the “Top 10 Best Golf Resorts in the World” by Travel + Leisure Golf magazine, is the exclusive hotel of TPC Sawgrass -- home of THE PLAYERS and more than 25 years of magic and memories created during THE PLAYERS Championship and through the unmatched player experience available to all golfers. Located in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, Sawgrass has been chosen by golfers, spa goers, families and meeting planners as one of the top resort destinations in the country and boasts 99 holes of world-renowned golf spanning five courses, the 25,000 square-foot Spa at Sawgrass, four resort swimming pools, Arnold Palmer-designed miniature golf and access to 26 miles of private Atlantic beach at the Cabana Beach Club.

St. Augustine Ponte Vedra and the Beaches VCB

History, Old World charm, unsurpassed golf and 42 miles of beckoning beaches are combined in one enticing location – St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and the Beaches. Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is the nation’s oldest city and its first seaport. Soaring Spanish Renaissance architecture gives the city a Mediterranean look that is both inspiring and memorable. Home of the World Golf Hall of Fame, the PGA Tour headquarters, THE PLAYERS Championship and 20 great courses, this is a must-see, must-play destination for golf enthusiasts.

Offering 162,000 square feet of meeting space and 5,200 rooms, the destination is ideal for most meetings – especially those seeking a unique Florida setting. Recent renovations at Ponte Vedra’s beautiful Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa and the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village (located next door to the impressive St. Johns County Convention Center) make the nation’s most historic destination one of the most appealing meeting locations found anywhere.

Located just south of Jacksonville International Airport, the destination is easily accessible and the wide range of attractions and special group activities available here make it the perfect choice for successful and long-remembered meetings.