So where does a longtime Sarasota resident and avid golfer go on vacation? Visitors typically answer that question for me soon after I guide them around some of the best courses in Florida. During 15 years or so of setting up tee times, I simply read the look of affirmation on their faces. Why do I seldom leave my own backyard? Because I already live in a golf mecca.

One friend, a fellow sportswriter from golf-rich Orlando, embarked with me on a four-course, three-day tour and marveled at the variety and value of the places we played. "I'd like to have the mineral rights to what you guys have around here," he quipped.

Indeed, Sarasota County has long been a golfing gold mine. A surge in course construction in recent years has only added to the quality and range of challenges for even the casual golfer. By word-of-mouth alone, many see Sarasota on the brink of being mentioned among the country's top golf destinations, a secret waiting to be discovered and explored by vacationers, seasonal visitors and full-time Floridians alike.

If you want to regale friends

Arnold Palmer designed the Legacy at Lakewood Ranch

back home about strolls down picturesque fairways and approach shots into plush greens, you've come to the right place.

Legacy at Lakewood Ranch, an Arnold Palmer design, collectively has perhaps the most difficult group of par-4s in the area. Like Arnie, the course has personality and character, offering a give-and-take style that made Palmer famous during his career. You can bash a driver off the tee and make spectacular shots into large greens... or, also like Arnie, scramble from obstacles that include woods, water and beach bunkers.

Longboat Key Club, a four-diamond resort, is the Jewel of the Isle and has long set the standard with 45 holes available for guests. The Islandside Course, bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the west, winds around canals amid lush tropical plants and is one of the toughest courses in the Southeast. The Harbourside Course consists of 27 holes and takes you along a similar adventure along Sarasota Bay on the key's east side.

In North Port sits Heron Creek Golf & Country Club, the star of south Sarasota County and a 27-hole masterpiece from architect Arthur Hills that uses elevation and eye-catching angles to distinguish itself. Go ahead and try to pick a favorite hole - all are unique in their consistency. The last four holes of the Creek Nine are arguably the strongest finishing stretch in the county.

Nearby Venice boasts three stellar semi-private facilities: the Golf Club at Capri Isles, a course with water features on all but four of its 18 holes; Waterford Golf Club, which has three picturesque nine-hole courses; and Calusa Lakes Golf Club, a forested 18-hole course that features several lakes. Based on the popularity with local players, these courses are a must-play for visitors.

Oak Ford Golf Club is well worth the eight mile drive east of I-75 on Fruitville Road. A recent change in ownership has helped Oak Ford regain its reputation as one of the finest public courses around. There are few weak links among its 27 holes - in order of degree of difficulty, Myrtle, Live Oak and Palm - and the pastoral beauty of the property ranks among the best.

In the heart of Sarasota, you'll find four can't-miss courses. For an expanse of scenery, including 11 lakes, bring your foursome to Tatum Ridge Golf Links. The Ted McAnlis course is just east of I-75 and Fruitville Road.

The Groves at the Meadows isn't too far from downtown, but you'd never know it by the wildlife that make the Arthur Hills facility home. Be sure to swing by the centrally located Village Green Golf Club, an 18-hole executive course.

To truly test your skills, hit the links at the River Club. Having received a four-star rating from Golf Digest, it's considered one of the county's most challenging layouts.

The county's most historic golf property has to be Bobby Jones Golf Complex, a municipal 45-hole layout owned and operated by the City of Sarasota. Bobby Jones, the famed amateur and course namesake, himself cut the ribbon at dedication ceremonies on Feb. 13, 1927. Legendary architect Donald Ross designed the original 18 holes, and nine of them remain untouched after several splendid upgrades in the '90s.

In nearby Bradenton, you'll discover yet another gem, Waterlefe Golf & River Club. Five of the Ted McAnlis-designed course's holes border the scenic Manatee River, offering natural beauty and special challenges.

Sarasota County's truly a gold mine of golf, one that will continue to offer variety and value.