Florida is a golfer’s paradise, offering more golf courses than any other state in the country with over 1,000 layouts scattered from the Panhandle to the Keys. The combination of year-round warm weather, diverse course designs, and a deep concentration of both public and resort courses makes Florida the premier golf destination in the United States. Whether you are planning a dedicated golf trip or looking for great courses near your Florida vacation spot, this guide covers the best courses across the state for every budget and skill level.
From the legendary resort courses of Palm Beach and Naples to hidden public gems in the Orlando suburbs and Panhandle communities, Florida’s golf offerings reward exploration. If you are planning a broader golf vacation, Florida deserves a spot at the top of your list.
South Florida: Palm Beach, Miami, and the Gold Coast
South Florida is home to the densest concentration of elite golf courses in the state, with Palm Beach County alone boasting over 150 courses. The region’s flat terrain is offset by creative architectural design, with many courses using water features, waste bunkers, and dramatic mounding to create challenge and visual interest.
PGA National Resort (Palm Beach Gardens)
PGA National is one of Florida’s most iconic golf destinations, home to five courses including The Champion, which hosts the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic. The Champion Course’s famous Bear Trap (holes 15 through 17) is one of the most demanding three-hole stretches in professional golf, with water hazards guarding virtually every shot. The resort’s other courses, including The Match and The Fazio, offer excellent golf at slightly lower intensity. Green fees range from $150 to $350 depending on the season and course, with stay-and-play packages offering the best value.
Crandon Golf at Key Biscayne (Miami)
Regularly ranked among the best municipal courses in America, Crandon Golf combines a stunning oceanfront setting with a championship layout that hosted the Royal Caribbean Classic on the Senior PGA Tour. The course winds through mangrove wetlands and saltwater lagoons with views of Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline. As a public course with green fees typically between $50 and $180, it delivers a resort-quality experience at a fraction of the private club cost.
Doral (Miami)
Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster course has been a fixture on the professional tour for decades. The recent renovation by Gil Hanse modernized the layout while respecting its championship heritage. The resort offers four courses ranging from the intimidating Blue Monster to the more playable Red Tiger and Silver Fox courses, making it suitable for golfers of all skill levels. The resort setting means you can combine golf with world-class dining and spa facilities.
Southwest Florida: Naples, Fort Myers, and the Paradise Coast
Southwest Florida is a golfer’s dream, with Naples in particular boasting the highest per-capita concentration of golf holes in the country. The region’s courses tend to feature lush, tropical landscaping, abundant water hazards, and immaculate conditioning.
Tiburon Golf Club (Naples)
Home to the LPGA Tour’s CME Group Tour Championship, Tiburon offers two Greg Norman-designed courses that rank among the best in the state. The Gold Course hosted Tiger Woods and features wide fairways with strategic bunkering, while the Black Course plays tighter with more elevation change. The Ritz-Carlton resort setting adds a luxury dimension. Green fees range from $100 to $275 depending on season.
Streamsong Resort (Bowling Green)
Tucked away in the phosphate mining lands of central Florida between Tampa and Naples, Streamsong is unlike anything else in the state. Three courses, designed by Tom Doak (Blue), Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (Red), and Gil Hanse (Black), create links-style golf on dramatically contoured terrain that looks more like Ireland than Florida. The sandy soil, fescue grasses, and rolling dunes make Streamsong a pilgrimage-worthy destination for serious golfers. The remote location and resort packages make it ideal for a multi-day immersive golf experience.
Raptor Bay Golf Club (Bonita Springs)
For budget-conscious golfers in the Naples area, Raptor Bay offers a beautiful Raymond Floyd design at significantly lower green fees than the marquee resort courses. The course features Audubon-certified environmental management, meaning you will spot birds, turtles, and alligators throughout your round. The layout is player-friendly enough for mid-handicappers while still offering challenge from the back tees. It is proof that great Florida golf does not require a three-figure green fee.
Central Florida: Orlando and Tampa Bay
The Orlando and Tampa Bay corridor offers the best combination of quality, variety, and value in Florida golf. The tourist infrastructure means abundant stay-and-play options, and the sheer number of courses creates competitive pricing that benefits golfers.
TPC Sawgrass (Ponte Vedra Beach)
While technically in northeast Florida, TPC Sawgrass is close enough to the Orlando corridor to include here, and no Florida golf list is complete without it. The Stadium Course, home of The Players Championship, features the most famous par-3 in golf: the island green 17th hole. Playing the same course where the best golfers in the world compete is a bucket-list experience. Green fees are premium ($300 to $600), but the experience is unmatched. The Dye’s Valley Course offers a more affordable alternative on the same property.
World Golf Village (St. Augustine)
Located next to the World Golf Hall of Fame, this complex offers two excellent courses: the King & Bear (co-designed by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus) and the Slammer & Squire (inspired by Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen). The Hall of Fame connection adds a pilgrimage quality to the experience. Green fees are remarkably reasonable for the quality, typically $60 to $150, making this one of the best value propositions in Florida championship golf.
Orange County National (Orlando)
A 36-hole public facility that regularly appears on best-of lists, Orange County National offers the Panther Lake and Crooked Cat courses. Both are championship-caliber layouts with excellent conditioning, minimal housing development along the fairways, and a pure golf atmosphere. The practice facility is one of the best in the state. Green fees range from $50 to $130, making this the go-to recommendation for visitors wanting great golf near Orlando’s theme parks. It is an ideal course for golfers looking to work on their course management skills on a varied and challenging layout.
Northeast Florida: Jacksonville and the First Coast
The First Coast, anchored by Jacksonville and extending to Amelia Island and St. Augustine, offers excellent golf with generally lower prices than South Florida. The region’s coastal courses feature more natural terrain variation than the flat courses further south.
Amelia Island Plantation
This barrier island resort offers multiple courses in a stunning natural setting. The Ocean Links course provides seaside golf with coastal breezes and ocean views, while the inland courses wind through maritime forests draped in Spanish moss. The resort atmosphere is relaxed and family-friendly, making it ideal for golf vacations where not everyone in the group plays. Green fees are moderate for a resort destination, typically $80 to $200.
Ponte Vedra Inn and Club
The Ocean Course at Ponte Vedra Inn sits directly on the Atlantic coast with holes playing alongside the beach. The contrast between the manicured fairways and the wild oceanfront dunes creates a visually stunning round. The Lagoon Course offers a more sheltered, tree-lined experience. Both courses benefit from the same level of conditioning you would expect from the Ponte Vedra area, home to the PGA Tour’s headquarters.
The Panhandle: Emerald Coast Golf
Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast is better known for its white-sand beaches, but the region harbors some excellent golf courses that benefit from lower prices and smaller crowds than the rest of the state.
Camp Creek Golf Club (Panama City Beach)
A Tom Fazio design that winds through natural sand dunes and coastal forest, Camp Creek is one of the most visually striking courses in the Panhandle. The routing takes advantage of the rolling terrain to create elevation changes unusual for Florida golf. The course is associated with the WaterColor Inn and Rosemary Beach communities but is open to outside play. Green fees are surprisingly reasonable for the quality, typically $80 to $180.
Regatta Bay Golf & Yacht Club (Destin)
Regatta Bay offers dramatic views of Choctawhatchee Bay and a well-maintained Robert Walker design that challenges without brutalizing. The par-3 fourth hole, playing over water to a peninsula green with the bay as a backdrop, is one of the most photographed holes in the Panhandle. For Destin vacationers looking to mix beach time with golf, Regatta Bay delivers an excellent experience at moderate prices.
Best Public Courses for Value
If you are looking to play great Florida golf without the resort-level price tag, these public courses punch well above their weight. Crandon Golf in Key Biscayne, Orange County National in Orlando, and World Golf Village in St. Augustine all appear above. Additional standout values include Sandridge Golf Club in Vero Beach, a 36-hole municipal facility with green fees under $50 that offers conditioning and layout quality rivaling courses charging three times as much. Southern Dunes in Haines City near Orlando features dramatic elevation changes on a Steve Smyers design for under $100. Plantation Bay in Ormond Beach near Daytona offers two courses through natural wetlands and forest for reasonable public rates.
Planning Your Florida Golf Trip
Timing your visit dramatically affects both price and experience. Peak season runs from January through March, when courses charge premium rates and tee times book weeks in advance. The weather is ideal during peak season, with comfortable temperatures and low humidity. Shoulder seasons in November through December and April through May offer nearly as good weather at 20 to 40 percent lower green fees. Summer months bring the lowest prices but also intense heat, humidity, and daily afternoon thunderstorms. If you can handle starting early and finishing by early afternoon, summer offers exceptional value.
Most resort courses and many public courses offer multi-round packages and stay-and-play deals that significantly reduce the per-round cost. GolfNow and TeeOff provide last-minute tee time deals that can save 30 to 50 percent on green fees. Twilight rates, typically starting at 1 PM or 2 PM, offer substantial discounts and still allow a full 18 holes in Florida’s long daylight hours.
Florida’s golf scene has something for every golfer, from the aspiring tour player testing themselves against championship layouts to the casual weekend player seeking a fun, beautiful round in the sunshine. With over 1,000 courses to choose from, the hardest decision is not whether to play golf in Florida but which courses to put at the top of your list. For more destination ideas, explore our guide to the best courses in Colorado for a contrasting mountain golf experience.
