Years ago, when Jeff and Dana Stroop vacationed here, of course they fell in love with not only the area, but also all the amenities Sandestin has to offer. They soon bought a vacation home, which quickly became their permanent residence. Now they are a five-minute golf cart ride from their second home, the golf course.

 

Dana and Jeff met on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). “I had already graduated but I continued to be around the campus and was lucky enough to run into Dana at one of the gyms,” Jeff recalled. “The rest is history. We have been married for over 40 years.” Dana graduated from MTSU with a bachelor’s degree in health education and fitness. She has held several jobs as a certified instructor and certified personal trainer. Jeff graduated from MTSU with a bachelor’s degree in business, then served four years in the Navy. “I returned to Murfreesboro and went to work at National Health Care in the risk management department eventually becoming the Risk Manager,” he explained. Since then, Jeff has owned his own insurance agency, and they have started a family business here in Santa Rosa Beach called The Back Nine Golf.

 

Dana and Jeff have two daughters, Kaley and Kelsey, who is the manager of Back Nine. A graduate of University of Tampa with a bachelor’s degree film and media arts, Kelsey spent over a decade working in Los Angeles in the film and TV industry. Kaley, the youngest, graduated from Berkely College of Music. She currently lives in Nashville and is a weekly performer at various downtown music forums.

 

Now that the girls are grown, they all agreed gifts were no longer necessary at Christmas. “Instead, we decided that traveling together and building memories would be more fulfilling.   Since then, we have traveled to a number of places together including several cruises,” Jeff shared. One cruise in particular stands out for both Dana and Jeff. “We stopped in Cancun for the day. We walked around and ended up in Senior Frogs.  When the waiter came over to ask what we wanted, Dana said, ‘Margaritas, quattro, Grande.’ A few minutes later our drinks came out. Much to our surprise, Grande Margaritas at Senior Frogs are a small swimming pool! The other guests were very impressed that we would order such large drinks.”

 

Locally, the Stroops order regular-sized margaritas at Los Rancheros. They also enjoy the Craft Bar, the Wine Bar, and The Beach House. It’s probable that Dana, Kelsey, and Jeff will be on the greens at Burnt Pine Country Club when they aren’t at the beach or working at The Back Nine. Their two Dachshunds, Remy, 13, and Lola, 9, make the family complete.