Haines City, Florida
Haines City in Polk County is geographically in the middle of the peninsula. That is a good enough reason to call it the Heart of Florida. Another reason is that it catches the pulse of the most popular game played in the state – golf. Yes Haines City is in the heart of golfers’ paradise and is surrounded by PGA courses.
About The Community
Haines City in the Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area is a twenty square mile large city with a multicultural population of nearly 24,000 people. Locals named the town after Henry Haines, a South Florida railroad official, in the hope that he would feel honored and establish a train stop there. The flattery worked, and a station was erected soon after.
The city has seen a 20% growth in population during the nineties, mainly of Latin American immigrants. The ethnic composition now is about 40% white and the rest of the population is either Latin American or African American. Many of the locals are employed in the recreation fields i.e. golf courses, tennis courts and hospitality centers or hotels. The income of the locals is not up to the state average but neither is the level of education.
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The city is also home to Stefco Industries, one of the largest independent paper converters in North America. They are leading suppliers of quality bath tissue and towel products. In addition to having their corporate headquarters in Haines City, they are setting up a new paper mill here, and have recently completed full automation of their manufacturing plant. They also plan to add 65,000 square feet to the warehouse for finished products. All this means more employment for the local residents.
Vicinity of Haines City
Additional Details
There are a number of excellent PGA tournament golf courses in Haines City, one of the most popular ones being Diamondback Golf Club. Another course of high repute is the Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club. The course is lengthy, with rolling hills, sand bunkers, and water hazards that come into play. The greens are undulating and sloped. It has been rated fifty-first among the American courses by “GOLFWEEK”.
Haines City has numerous good schools and there are churches of many denominations. Higher education is provided at the private Landmark Baptist College which is a not for profit institution offering bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. Numerous hotels in the city cater to the needs of tourists.
Haines City is less than an hour away from major Florida attractions like Orlando and is a convenient base for golfing vacations. The Best Western Lake Hamilton has 50 rooms and five suites. Guests can enjoy a game of tennis or swim in the outdoor heated pool. The Grenelefe Golf and Tennis Resort is located on one thousand acres and offers a wide ranch of activities like fishing, fitness trails, golf, and tennis. Another choice is the centrally located Howard Johnson Inn with120 spacious rooms and an outdoor swimming pool.
