Jacksonville's own Malibu, exclusive Ponte Vedra Beach boasts the gargantuan oceanfront mansions of millionaires, a trio of world-class resorts including the five-diamond rated Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, and shopping villages filled with high-end boutiques. Driving down swanky Ponte Vedra Blvd, one can admire numerous impressive homes and even cut right through the center of two luxury oceanfront spa resorts. What is not so visible, however, are the public accesses that have become obscured by shrubbery and other deterrents. This is because like in many other exclusive seaside strands around the state, private wealth has come at odds with public right-of-way, making Ponte Vedra a prime battleground for access issues. One fantastic exception, however, lies at the southern end of the boulevard in what is known by locals as Mickler's Landing (see separate beach description). Aside from wealth, Ponte Vedra is also well known as a sports destination. THE PLAYERS Championship (TPC) brings golf's top professional golfers to Ponte Vedra every year to compete for the largest purse in all of golf. The TPC Stadium Course at Sawgrass, site of the tournament, features the often photographed island green at the 17th hole. Ponte Vedra is also home to the headquarters of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and to numerous golfers, tennis pros and Jaguars players. In contrast to the soft white powder that characterizes much of Jacksonville's shoreline, the sand in Ponte Vedra gradually gets coarser and more pinkish in color as you head south due to the presence of coquina (ground up shells). For additional information visit www.geocities.com/jacksonvillelinks. For photos visit www.geocities.com/steveandamandaflorida.