Summary of Florida’s Best Golf Courses
Florida was destined to be a golf destination, with year-round sunny weather and miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Abundant natural vegetation and trees, from palms in the south to pines and oaks in the north, provide beautiful backdrops, while lakes, rivers, and canals add scenery and challenges to golf courses in Florida.
Resort hotels and residential communities also take advantage of all Florida has to offer, and many include multiple golf courses along with other amenities. Vacationers, full-time Floridians, and part-time visitors can find courses to enjoy whether they’re beginners or accomplished players.
The Sunshine State is home to an array of golf opportunities, and these are some of the best golf courses in Florida, from Destin to Miami.
Sarasota
Lakewood Ranch
Located about 13 miles from the Ritz-Carlton Resort, Lakewood Ranch is set among tropical wetlands with mature oak trees and native grasses. The walkable Tom Fazio-designed course features 12 lakes and significant elevation changes. The private course is open to guests of the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota.
Sarasota National Golf Club
This course is surrounded by native wetlands and nature preserves. As an Audubon International Certified Signature Sanctuary, the course is both beautiful and challenging, with water coming into play on many of its 18 holes.
Tampa
Saddlebrook Resort
The resort features two scenic courses, both designed by Arnold Palmer. The Palmer Course offers wide rolling fairways and greens protected by white-sand bunkers, water hazards, and Bermuda grass rough. The Saddlebrook Course’s fairways are lined with mature cypress and oak trees. The signature 18th hole plays between tall cypress trees to a green surrounded by three bunkers and a pond.
Innisbrook
About twenty miles from Tampa in Palm Harbor, Innisbrook is home to four courses, including the Copperhead Course where the annual PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship is played. The Copperhead features rolling terrain, lakes, ponds, and pine trees along its fairways. The North Course‘s narrow fairways, abundant trees, water hazards, and bunkers provide a challenging experience. The South Course offers a links-style design with water hazards and Gulf breezes. Built in 1970, the Island Course features narrow fairways, bunkers, elevation changes, and views of Lake Innisbrook.
Ponte Vedra Beach
TPC Sawgrass
The Stadium Course, home of The Players Championship, was built in 1980 as the event’s permanent home. Designer Pete Dye created the course that includes the famous par-three 17th hole and its island green. The Dye’s Valley Course, opened in 1987, features large greens, rolling hills, sloping fairways, and water hazards.
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club
Two courses, the Ocean Course and the Lagoon Course, both feature links-style golf, elevated Bermuda grass greens, and steep bunkers. The Ocean Course was originally built nearly 100 years ago and has been renovated with modern turf grasses and design enhancements. The Lagoon Course was designed by Robert Trent Jones and Joe Lee, with lakes, lagoons, pines, palms, and oak trees adding to the challenge.
St. Augustine
World Golf Village
Home of the World Golf Hall of Fame, the resort offers two championship courses. The King & Bear was designed by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, incorporating both players’ styles; it is the only collaboration between the two famous champions. The course features lakes, pines, oaks, and fast greens. The Slammer & Squire Course is set in unspoiled wooded areas and wetlands, complete with water hazards and contoured greens.
Orlando
Bears Den Resort
Guests can play at three signature golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Tom Watson, each offering distinctive layouts. The Nicklaus Course features a parkland-style layout with elevated tee boxes and greens. The Palmer Course’s hilly terrain and elevation changes combine with wide fairways, while the Watson Course is set among native grasses, flowers, and foliage with fast rolling fairways and large greens.
Streamsong
Three different golf courses by acclaimed designers offer visitors unique golf experiences. Streamsong Red, a Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design, takes golfers through sand dunes, lakes, rolling terrain, and open savannah. The Blue, created by Tom Doak, features elevation changes, dunes, ponds, native grasses, and huge bunkers. The Black course by Gil Hanse is noted for its breathtaking views and sand ridges.
West Palm Beach
PGA National Resort
The most challenging layout at PGA National is the Champion Course, featuring water hazards, wind, and pot bunkers. The Palmer Course, named for its designer, is considered one of the most entertaining, scenic, and fair courses for players of all skill levels. The Fazio Course features a classic layout and includes one of the resort’s most challenging holes. Located five miles from the resort, the Estate is one of the shorter courses at PGA National, with a mix of challenging holes, wide fairways, and generously placed greens. The Match is a newly designed course with a modern twist and non-traditional setup for a fun game. Designed by Andy Staple, the Staple Course is a nine-hole course with holes ranging from 60-130 yards.
Destin
Kelly Plantation Golf Club
Set on the shores of Choctawhatchee Bay, this Fred Couples/Gene Bates design features wide fairways, large contoured greens, and towering trees. The environmentally sensitive course offers panoramic views of the bay and lush native landscaping.
Emerald Bay Golf Club
Designed by Bob Cupp, the course is located among the beaches of South Walton and the shores of Choctawhatchee Bay, with water features on 12 of its holes. Four sets of tees make it enjoyable for golfers of all skill levels, and views from the back nine are spectacular.
Burnt Pine Golf Club
Located at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, the course was designed by Rees Jones. Pine forests, wetlands, rolling fairways, and challenging bunkers provide an interesting layout with beautiful bay views.
Miami
The Biltmore Golf Course
The Biltmore Golf Course was originally designed in 1925 by Donald Ross, and it was updated in 2018. The walkable course weaves through canals and features Bermuda grass fairways, fast greens, mature trees, and long par threes.
