The Best Golf Courses in Florida: A Complete Sunshine State Guide
Florida has more golf courses per capita than any state in America — over 1,000 across 67 counties. Most of them are resort or residential tracks built to service communities. A handful are genuinely great courses. This guide covers the ones worth planning around.
Northeast Florida: TPC Sawgrass and the Jacksonville Corridor
TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach hosts The Players Championship every May — the PGA Tour's unofficial fifth major. The Stadium Course, designed by Pete Dye and opened in 1980, is best known for its island green at the par-3 17th: a 137-yard shot to a circular green surrounded by water, where the PGA Tour's best players make and miss in roughly equal numbers. The 17th hole has produced more tension per square foot of golf course than almost any other hole in the world.
The course is accessible to the public as a resort course. Book well in advance; availability during spring season is limited. Nearby Amelia Island offers additional course options and resort accommodation.
Orlando: Bay Hill and the Theme Park Corridor
Bay Hill Club and Lodge — Arnold Palmer's home course — hosts the Arnold Palmer Invitational every March. The course winds through residential neighborhoods but plays as a genuine championship test: tight fairways, undulating greens, and the 18th hole playing directly into the prevailing wind over water. It is accessible to resort guests staying at the Bay Hill Lodge.
Grand Cypress in Orlando and the courses at Lake Nona offer premium golf experiences in the central Florida market. The concentration of courses around Orlando makes it a viable golf destination despite the resort-heavy atmosphere.
South Florida: Palm Beach Par 3 and Seminole
Palm Beach Par 3 on the oceanfront strip of Palm Beach Island is the state's most charming golf experience — a perfectly maintained 18-hole par-3 course with Atlantic Ocean views from virtually every hole. Tiger Woods played it throughout his childhood. It takes about 90 minutes. It is worth two hours of driving to get there.
Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach is one of the most revered private courses in America — a Donald Ross design that Arnold Palmer called the best course in Florida. It is completely private and notoriously inaccessible. Its existence is mentioned here because any serious discussion of Florida golf requires acknowledging it, even if you will never play it.
Tampa Bay: Innisbrook and Streamsong
Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor hosts the Valspar Championship and has four courses, the best being the Copperhead Course — a tree-lined layout that plays harder than its yardage suggests. Streamsong Resort in Bowling Green features three courses designed by Tom Doak, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, and Gil Hanse respectively, all built on reclaimed phosphate mining land that creates a stark, dramatic landscape unlike anything else in Florida golf.
Best Time to Visit
October through May is peak Florida golf season — temperatures are mild, humidity is manageable, and the courses are in their best condition. Summer brings heat and afternoon thunderstorms that make playing difficult. Green fees drop significantly in summer, which is worth considering for heat-tolerant golfers on a budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best public golf course in Florida?
TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course is the most prestigious public-access course in Florida. For value and charm, Palm Beach Par 3 is unmatched. Streamsong Resort offers the best combination of multiple great courses at a single destination.
Is Seminole Golf Club open to the public?
No. Seminole Golf Club is a completely private members club. It does not accept outside play under any circumstances and has no resort component.
What is the famous island hole in Florida golf?
The 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass — a 137-yard par 3 with an island green surrounded by water — is the most famous single hole in Florida golf and one of the most iconic holes in professional golf worldwide.