Jan. 8, 2005 – Road-tripping to Daytona Beach, Fla., the second weekend of February is a winter pilgrimage nonpareil for rabid race fans. More than 200,000 speed buffs make their way South on I-95 to worship at the sacred NASCAR oval altar. They descend upon Daytona and its environs to watch racing’s top guns fire on all cylinders during the Daytona 500. And if recent winters are indicative, these racing aficionados will hurry to the area golf courses as well.

One of the most popular places to scratch the golf itch near Daytona is at Victoria Hills Golf Club – the centerpiece of the master-planned Victoria Park community in nearby DeLand developed by St. Joe Area resident and PGA Tour star Chris DiMarco, who holds the course record of 65 at Victoria Hills, said shortly after the course opened in 2002 that the putting surfaces are as good as those he encounters at many PGA Tour sites.

DiMarco isn’t alone in bestowing high praise upon Victoria Hills. Travel + Leisure Golf magazine recently rated Victoria Hills as the second-best new course built since 2000 in the nation’s most prolific golfing state. And Victoria Hills was previously honored as a best-of new course by GOLF and Golf Digest magazines.