Golf and baseball -- my favorite spring pasttimes combined in Florida

This is it, the day pitchers and catchers report, the week when major league opens spring training. For you folks in the northeast who just got buried under snow, this is especially good news. In a couple of weeks, they’ll start playing exhibition games, which brings on the aroma of hot dogs, beer and freshly mowed grass. Of course, you’ll also find that mowed turf on the golf courses, which makes the golf/baseball spring training journey one of the best February/March vacations around.

Fortunately, both our favorite activities are in large supply in both places – golf and baseball – and they make a great combination. You can go to Arizona or Florida. I’m picking Florida. This year celebrates the 125th Anniversary of major league baseball spring training in Florida.

For pure golf lovers, it probably doesn’t get any better than PGA Golf Club and PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, which is on the Treasure Coast. After all, it’s owned by the PGA of America, features 54 championship holes by Tom Fazio and Pete Dye, and has perhaps the best practice facility in America.

It’s also the town where in February and March, the New York Mets train and play their home exhibition games at St. Lucie Mets Stadium. Lodging options include resort villas or luxurious hotel accommodations, perfect for relaxing after a round of golf or MLB game.

I really like the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance, which offers 100 full swing stations and nine bunker types to simulate play from around the world. For beginners or lapsed golfers, Get Golf Ready classes are available year around (five lessons for $99). The center is a 35-acre, leading-edge golf park that offers practice areas for shots of all types. As the home of PGA of America Golf Schools, it employs technology such as the Sirgul Golf Simulator, LinxTracker/PGA PAR System and TrackMan Shot Performance game analysis programs – and pairs these with innovative training solutions from the PGA Center for Fitness and Performance.

Guests at PGA Golf Club also receive complimentary admission to the PGA Museum of Golf, featuring the game’s four major Championship trophies.

To book a package, call 800-800-GOLF or visit PGAVillage.com.