For golfers, when the temperatures fall and the sun sets earlier and earlier, thoughts of warmer climes, longer days and green fairways begin to blossom.

I've been to Daytona Beach, Fla. many times. For me, a child of the '60s and '70s, it was one of two or three places to head for during high school and college spring break. While everyone up North in the Chicago area shivered during those six long months following Thanksgiving, Daytona offered a setting where one could hang out with friends, get a tan along any stretch of its 23 miles of wide open beaches and generally do nothing, even if it was only for a few days.

But as I got older, my recreational thirsts changed from hanging out to a more controlled form of rest, reading and relaxation. In particular, when I had the chance to golf, I grabbed at it with great vigor.

So it came as quite a surprise when I learned that the Daytona Beach region is much more than what my youthful impressions had told me all those years. It's become a top flight golf destination where approximately 50 superb courses offer golfers of all tastes and skills the opportunity to dive in.

Daytona is perhaps the best known of a string of vibrant, popular communities that stretch along Florida's East coast south of Jacksonville. Besides its wide beaches where cars are allowed to roll along special, finely-grained sand, Daytona is home to NASCAR's "World Series" every February‹the Daytona 500.

Beyond the glare of Daytona's beaches and rumblings of the souped-up cars that race along the Daytona Motor Speedway, lies a different world of birdies, soft green grass and tall pine trees.

Meeting up with a group of six travel writers who make their living playing and writing about golf left me a bit apprehensive before my plane from O'Hare Airport touched down at Daytona Beach International Airport last December. I'm far from being a good golfer. Could I keep up with these pros, I asked myself.

As it almost always turns out, golfers first and foremost want to play golf. Secondly, they want to play golf with friendly people. Any consideration of skill levels is way down on their list of priorities. As it turned out, I kept up just fine with my companions.

So, the seven of us, after the usual "hellos" and "how are yous," settled into three days of playing the game we love, with people of similar skill level who really know how to have a good time.

During my stay, I played four courses in the Daytona area: the LPGA Champions course, LPGA Legends, Ocean Hammock Golf Club and Victoria Hills Golf Club. Each was outstanding. Each was unique. And most were surprisingly affordable during the time of year when one would think that prices would skyrocket with the arrival of "snowbirds" from the North.

The weather we experienced that time of year in northeast Florida was remarkably good. Daytime temperatures were in the mid to high 70s. Skies were generally sunny. And there was room to roam because the January to May high tourist season hadn't yet arrived.

As for the golfing, it's hard to imagine any better offerings anywhere in December. The first course we played, Victoria Hills, is a masterpiece of tall pines trees, rolling fairways and sparkling white sand bunkers. There are five sets of tees at Victoria Hills. The 18-hole, par 72 layout measures 6,989 yards from the tips (farthest away tees). It's course rating is 73.5 and slope rating 142. That means it's a tough challenge if you play from the Champion tees. My impressions: a beautiful layout with lots of trees and 172 bunkers. It's rating as one of the top new courses in the U.S. is well deserved.

On our second day, we visited the LPGA complex, located only a short distance from Daytona's beaches. The Champions Course opened in 1994 and for five years was host to the LPGA Titleholders Championship. It measures 7,088 from the back tees and features a tranquil, well manicured layout amidst marshes, nature preserves and lakes. Later that day, we played the Legends Course, which measures slightly shorter than the Champions. My impressions: two of the best maintained course you'll find anywhere. The two courses seemed easier to maneuver than Victoria Hills because they are more forgiving with wider fairways and fewer trees. The Legends Course appeared to be more of a challenge than the Champions course because of its many doglegs, abundance of sawgrass, and more hazards around the greens.

On our final day in Daytona, we took on Ocean Hammock, a magnificent 18-hole layout that designer Jack Nicklaus described as "the Pebble Beach of the East Coast."

Ocean Hammock is located about 25 miles north of central Daytona on ocean front property developed in 2000. Eight of the holes on the course provide majestic views of the Atlantic Ocean. The final four holes of the course were named by Nicklaus "The Bear Claw". They are considered by many as four of the finest finishing holes you'll ever find. The par 4, 18th hole stretches 468 yards to a green cupped on three sides located in front of the expansive clubhouse.

Ocean Hammock measures a whopping 7,201 yards from the tips and a slope rating of 147. The more manageable blue tees stretch 6,371 yards with a slope rating of 135, which is still plenty challenging. If you want to play Ocean Hammock, dig deep. Greens fees with a cart are $205 from November through May.

The night life in Daytona Beach is plentiful. Clean, comfortable and affordable restaurants abound. Among the places we dined were Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant, Inlet Harbor Marina & Restaurant, and Song Mongolian Grill.

For more information about Daytona Beach and its many golf offerings, call the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-544-0415.

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