If you could get your hands on, say, somewhere between 70 and one hundred-some-odd acres of beachside property, and you wanted to start a business, what would you do with it?

Back in 1969, the answer to that question was the Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club, sometimes known as the Santa Rosa Golf Club, or simply The Santa Rosa Club.

The club started out a lot more modestly than it looks today. It was originally a 9 hole golf club with temporary greens. It opened when Walton County had a population of 16,000 people. Today, Walton County’s population is around 95,000. With an annual tourist population of around 4 million. The Santa Rosa Golf Club is now a re-designed 18 hole championship course, with resident golf pros, and luxurious facilities that include a pool and award-winning dining.

The club’s Membership and Marketing Director is Sarah Brazwell.

That was 1969. What if you could get your hands on 70 acres of real estate today, in Panama City Beach? What would you do with it?

For Dave Fussell that’s no longer a hypothetical question. Dave is the Co-Owner of a family winery based in North Carolina, called Duplin Winery. Dave's father and uncle launched the winery right about the same time the Santa Rosa Golf Club was starting up.

A few years ago, Dave and his brother Jonathan came up with the idea of expanding Duplin Winery, and bought 70 acres in Panama City beach.

If you’ve ever tried to get a building permit or business license around here, you’ll know just how challenging that process can be. Imagine trying to navigate all that when you live between here and North Carolina, and you’re starting up a business that has almost no local precedent.

Luckily, Dave hung in there and today, at 38,000 square feet, Duplin Winery in Panama City Beach is the company’s biggest facility, complete with gourmet foods, merchandise, and live entertainment.

Entrepreneur of the Week

This week's Out to Lunch Entrepreneur is Zachary Mignot, Co-Founder of cocktails-in-a-can, Birdie Cocktails. Made with minimal, all natural ingredients - and no sugar - Birdie Cocktails are a healthy alternative to better known massively popular canned drinks. They're aimed at the 48 million people in America who play golf - that's where the name "Birdie" comes from. Can you think of any other sport where players don't have to wait till it's over and they've taken a shower to enjoy a cocktail?

Unless you’re fortunate enough to be able to wake up in the morning and not have to think about going to work, you’ve gotta do something. If you can make that something, wine, golf, or cocktails, well, that's gotta qualify as winning.

Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Farm & Fire restaurant on Highway 331. Farm & Fire is one of Chef Jim Shirley’s family of fine restaurants. It’s open from 4pm, 6 days a week, and from 11am for brunch on Sundays.

You can find photos from this show by Brandan Babineaux at outtolunchemeraldcoast.com.

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