Are you looking for a list of the best golf courses to play in Florida? This list has you covered with the best course to play around the state!
When thinking of Florida beaches might come to mind first, but golf in Florida is very popular due to the Sunshine States weather! What makes Florida the perfect place for golf is that you can play year-round! In fact, many pro-golfers call Florida home for this very reason!
From resort property golf courses in Florida to the best PGA golf courses in Florida, there are even courses on America’s Top 100 courses. From the best golf courses in Florida that sit on private islands to public must-play courses!
There is even a specialty Florida license plate claiming “Golf Capital of the World” where proceeds benefit summer golf camps and programs across the state!
How Many Golf Courses Are There In Florida?
There are more golf courses in Florida than any other state at over 1,250 courses! Naples is known as the golf capital of the world with over 90 18-hole courses.
Palm Beach County in southeast Florida has more golf courses than any other county in the United States at 160 courses!
What Is The Best Time Of Year For Golf In Florida?
What makes Florida unique is the ability to play golf year-round with temperatures averaging 75 degrees.
From November through mid-May Florida has the lowest rainfall, and cooler temperatures making Fall, Winter and Spring the perfect time to head to the best golf courses in Florida.
While Florida summers are hot, early morning or late evening tee times make braving the Florida sun a little easier. As do reduce priced green fees making it a value season for golfers!
16 Best Golf Courses in Florida You Must Play
Seminole Golf Course (Juno Beach)
Seminole Golf Course is often ranked as the best golf course in Florida! This private course in Juno Beach was designed by Donald Ross in 1929 and is one of the best routing for a golf course. In 2016, the bunkers and exposed roughs were renovated by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore.
At 6,800 yards, Seminole makes for one of the best private golf courses in Florida. The ocean breeze, tight-mowed greens, and difficult rear pin position with sand traps and bunkers expertly placed around the greens! From the start of the front and back nine off the clubhouse you are met with a 40-foot dune ridge.
The course is situated on the Atlantic Ocean and has elevation changes and sandy dunes unique features to Florida’s usually flat grounds. The caddies refer to the course as GVR or greens visited in regulation, showing that the changing ocean wind direction, change in elevation and short and fast greens make bunker visits popular!
TPC Sawgrass (Ponte Vedra)
TPC Sawgrass is located in Ponte Vedra just southeast of Jacksonville, Florida. The PGA hosts The Players Champions every year in March at this course!
Home to two courses the Stadium and Valley course. The Stadium course was designed by Pete and Alice Dye and is one of the most challenging golf courses in Florida! The most famous is the 17th Island Green, is a par 3 137-yards and is one of the most recognized holes in golf!
This is one of the best golf courses in Florida as it is public! Just one mile from the Atlantic Ocean, at 7,245 yards the narrow fairways are lined by palm trees, with fast greens, water hazards and deep bunkers throughout the course.
If looking for the perfect oceanfront Airbnb in the area check out our suggestion for Cane Cottage!
Streamsong Golf Course (Bowling Green)
Many Floridians have never heard of Bowling Green, Florida. It is a small town of just 2000 residents. Located about an hour southeast of Tampa, and 1.5 hours southwest of Orlando, Streamsong is one of the best golf courses in Florida!
Streamsong is a golf resort with three courses: red, blue, and black. The resort comes complete with a luxury hotel, spa, and dining services. They also provide fishing and clay shooting for those looking for after-golf activities.
The red course was designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, the blue course by Tom Doak and the black course by Gil Hanse.
What makes this a unique golf course in Florida is that it used land from an old phosphate mine that was used to create steep man-made elevation changes in the form of sand dunes some being over 75 feet high. The courses are often compared to those found in Ireland with the changing elevations, dunes, and natural landscaping.
The Red course if the highest rated of the three, with wide fairways and bouncy greens. This stunning course uses water as hazards in addition to sand bunkers. Perfectly designed to work with the land!
Innisbrook ( Palm Harbor)
Just a 45-minute drive from Tampa, you can eat breakfast before heading out! Innisbrook is resort property that ranks as one of the best golf courses in Florida. At Innisbrook you can play on four different courses spread over 900 acres at this resort property.
The Valspar Championship a PGA event has been held here every year since 2000. The courses were designed by Larry Packard, it is the Copperhead course that hosts the Valspar. Other courses include the South, North, and Island courses making for some great golf in Florida!
The copperhead course is 7,209 yards with rolling greens and constant traps set up along the 18 holes with tall pines surrounding the fairways. Starting on the 16th you enter the “snakepit” a challenging set of par 4’s with bunkers on both sides! With tons of lakes and ponds, water hazards make this course more challenging.
This is a great place to bring the family with a resort that features cabins, restaurants and a spa!
Tiburón Golf Club (Naples)
Tiburón Golf Club is home to two of the best golf courses in Florida, the Black and Gold designed by Greg Norman. Home to the LPGA CME Championship and PGA Tour QBE shootout, these Florida golf courses are not to be missed!
Located on the Ritz Carlton Naples property, this resort offers all the luxury amenities.
Greg Norman believes in maximizing the natural land, and integrating the environment into his course, such as the shell bunkers. The course is even an Audubon Sanctuary!
The Black Courses is set among native pine tree fairways and fast greens with 6 tee sets to challenge even the best of players! While the Golf Course is 400 yards longer it is not as challenging!
Calusa Pines (Naples)
Calusa Pines developed by Gary Chensoff aimed to be one of the best golf courses in Florida. Located in Naples on flat land over $1 million dollars was spent on explosives blasting rocks and digging out ponds to create 58 feet high ridge lines.
Often called the fastest greens in South Florida with wide and varied greens due to the elevation changes make for incredible views. The lush natural vegetation has grown in between holes with not much water hazard leaving golfers with an incredible variety in play over the 7,203 yards.
This private golf course in Florida is worth playing if you know one of the members! Closed June through September.
Pine Barrens at World Woods (Brooksville)
Pine Barrens at the World Woods Golf Club is considered one the best golf courses in Florida for a public courses! Brookville is located 1 hour south of Ocala and 50 minutes north of Tampa.
Pine Barrens is often compared to the number one golf course in the United States Pine Valley in New Jersey with large fairways and natural waste bunkers creating an aggressive and fun course. Sand bunkers make up about half the course.
This is one of two courses at the club (the other is Rolling Oaks) and is named for the pine trees that surround the course. It was designed by Tom Fazio in 1993, who said it is one of his best works!
PGA National at Palm Beach Gardens (Palm Beach)
PGA National at Palm Beach Gardens has five golf courses the most famous being “The Champion” where the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic is held.
The other courses are the Fazio named after Walter Hagen, The Squire named after Gene Sarazen, The Palmer named after Arnold Palmer, and the Estates.
Just 1 hour and 20 minutes north of Miami, with five golf courses to choose from PGA National is among the best golf courses in Florida.
Designed by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio the Champion course features what is known as the Bear trap! A challenging three holes of golf spanning the 15, 16th and 17th holes!
Kelly Plantation Golf Course (Destin)
Kelly Plantation Golf Course is rated in as one of the best golf courses in Florida located in Destin. Located in the Florida panhandle near Pensacola.
Stop by the club house for complimentary cookies, chips and salsa, popcorn or chilled apples.
This golf course was designed by Fred Couples and Gene Bates and sits on the Choctawhatchee Bay on a former turpentine plantation. A challenging yet fun Florida golf course to play!
At just under 7,100 yards the course provides large fairways with fast rolling greens. The 4th hole is known for its panoramic views of the Bay where lucky golfers can often catch a glimpse of dolphins swimming in the water.
If in the area during fall check out the Pensacola seafood festival!
Concession (Bradenton)
Concession Golf Course is one of the best private golf courses in Florida. Bradenton is located just north of Sarasota, on a private 1,200-acre golf community in Lakewood Ranch.
The course was designed by Tony Jacklin in signature Jack Nicklaus style. The name stems from what some call the greatest moment in golf when Nicklaus conceded a putt to Jacklin for the first-ever tie at the Ryder Cup.
While Concession is often considered one of the best golf courses in Florida, as a private course you will need to know a member to play golf here or live in the community!
Golfers say this is one of the more difficult golf courses in Florida to play, and it is kept in immaculate condition. When it opened in 2006 it won Golf Digest’s Best New Private Course!
The golf course is surrounded by wetlands and huge oaks and pine trees that create challenges for even the best golfers. The par-4 8th hole is ranked as one of the top 3 holes in Florida!
Waldorf Astoria Golf Course (Orlando)
The Waldorf Astoria golf course is one of the best golf courses in Florida located on a resort property. This golf course opened in 2009 and is on the property of the 498-room Waldorf Astoria Orlando.
Like other golf courses in Florida it is situated on the Bonnet Creek nature preserve and designed by Rees Jones. Jones designs around the environment to make the course blend into the surroundings creating challenges for golfers.
At 7,108 yards golfers can expect tree-lined fairways and 79 bunkers throughout the course. If in the area, check out our suggestions for the best day trips from Orlando!
Golden Ocala Golf (Ocala)
Golden Ocala Golf Course is one of the best golf courses in Florida located in the horse capital of the world. Ocala is located about 45 minutes south of Gainesville in central Florida. The course was designed by architect Ron Garl.
Golden Ocala sits on 1,300-acre property, what makes this golf course in Florida unique is that it based its holes on famous courses from around the World.
The 4th hole is reminiscent of Royal Troon’s “postage stamp”, the 6th and 11th holes from Augusta and the “Road Hole” a long drive 13th hole from St. Andrews Old course! It also recreated Muirfield Village in Scotland on the 5th and Baltusrol in Springfield, New Jersey 15th hole!
This impressive course is often overlooked due to the location, but should be on any golf course lover’s list of best golf courses in Florida to play! If looking to spend a few extra days in the area check out our suggestion of the Water View Cabin on Grandaddy Oaks.
The Ocean Course at the Breakers (Palm Beach)
The Ocean Course at the Breakers is the oldest golf course in Florida! Designed by Robert Findlay over a century the Ocean Course has been challenging even the best golfers and was redesigned by Reese Jones in 2018!
At only 5,778 yards the courses pairs tropical landscape, 56 sand And grass bunkers and 6 lakes to create challenging terrain meant to test golfers’ control of the ball! If you want to play golf on one of the best golf courses in Florida that sits on the Atlantic Ocean this is the course for you!
10 miles away is the Breakers Reese Jones course with large fairways which was redesigned in 2005 and is now 7100 yards!
Gasparilla Inn & Golf Club (Boca Grande)
Gasparilla Inn is one of the best golf courses in Florida if you want to play golf in a unique setting – a private island! This golf course in Florida sits on the Gulf of Mexico and Charlotte Harbor. While a private golf course in Florida, it is open to guests staying at the Gasparilla Inn and Club!
Designed by Pete Dye, this 6,837-yard course is where golfers are met with views of Charlotte Harbor on holes 12 through 17! Dye’s favorite hole here is a par-4 dogleg on the 15th. What makes this course one of the best golf courses in Florida is that no tee times are required!
Hammock Beach Golf Resort (Palm Coast)
Palm Coast is located on the Atlantic Ocean about an hour south of Jacksonville, and 1.5 hours northeast of Orlando. Hammock Beach Golf Resort offers two of the best golf courses in Florida, the Ocean course designed by Jack Nicklaus and the Conservatory course designed by Tom Watson.
Open to guests staying at the resort a course like this is usually reserved as a private golf course in Florida. The ocean golf course at 7200 yards has 6 holes that act as a golfers backdrop of the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. In true Nicklaus fashion, the final 4 holes are challenging for even the best golfers!
The Conservatory course is one of the best golf courses in Florida for those looking to play one of the longest courses at 7,776 yards. There are over 140 bunkers, complemented with brooks and waterfall a nod to his British heritage.
Biltmore Golf Course (Miami)
The Biltmore golf course is one of the best golf courses in Florida located in the heart of Miami, in Coral Gables. First designed in 1925 by Donald Ross it was restored in 2007 and again in 2019 by Brian Silva.
At 7,112 yards, the course stays true to Donald Ross’s vision of appealing to a multitude of level golfers. The number one rated golf school is located here the Jim McLean Golf School.
This golf course in Florida is also home to the Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championships. With wide tree-lined fairways, over 80 sand bunkers, and 6 holes with water hazards the course backs up to the iconic Biltmore Hotel!
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