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Miami's warm ocean breezes and colorful culture highlight the easygoing yet energy-filled atmosphere of this city where you can do everything from relax at the beach to exploring an ancient Spanish monastery all in one day. Naturally, the sandy coasts and marshy wetlands provided an excellent opportunity for some world-class golf courses.
Jacaranda Golf Club boasts two championship courses that are both four-star rated by Golf Digest. The courses, the East and the West, have a lush, tropical setting amongst towering palm trees and colorful vegetation. The West Course winds through a series of ponds, canals, and lagoons, which come into play throughout the course.
Flamingo Lakes Golf & Country Club in Pembroke Pines is a Broward County favorite. The par-71 course is challenging but at the same time player friendly enough to appeal to a range of skill levels. The course has a hilly terrain, a unique feature for Florida golf courses, that provide a variety of different lies.
Shula's Golf Club in Miami Lakes is home to the championship Senator Course as well as an executive par-3 course. The Senator Course is an excellent venue for tournaments, offering a layout that is challenging, but playable. The golf course provides a quick round as well, it can usually be played in just over four hours.
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Florida's Emerald Coast, from Pensacola and Panama City across the panhandle to Destin and Tallahassee, has emerged as a golf destination and now features more than 1,000 holes to enjoy on its golf courses, not to mention sandy beaches and the sparkling Gulf of Mexico. Thousands of families visit the area each spring and summer to indulge in the powdery sand and consistently ideal weather.
After carving the masterpiece called The Links Course, Tom Jackson returned to Sandestin to develop the course we call Baytowne. As Jackson himself says, "Each hole has a personality all its own." And that's what makes this course so special.
Regatta Bay Golf & Country Club blends seamlessly into the carefully preserved wilderness along the Choctawhatchee Bay. The course is not only an Emerald Coast favorite, but also one of the top golf courses in Florida. The layout is defined by the abundant wetlands that cover the entire course.
The Nicklaus Course at Bay Point Resort is the first and only course designed by Jack Nicklaus in Northwest Florida. The course sprawls across a gently rolling terrain covered with scrub oaks and tall Florida pines. Saltwater marshes and sandy white waste areas also accent the landscape.
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The Daytona Beach area boasts miles of white-sandy beaches and hosts more than 8 million visitors each year. They come not only for NASCAR races and Speedweeks, but summertime concerts, Biketoberfest, the Halifax Art Festival and - of course, for some amazing golf courses.
Walkabout Golf Club was a collaboration between LPGA Tour champion Jan Stephenson and Perry Dye. The course is an homage to Stephenson's Australian heritage. It gets its name from a term signifying a rite-of-passage ritual of the Australian Aborigines. The layout wanders across a verdant, rolling landscape, abundant with native vegetation and wildlife.
Nestled in the gently rolling hills of Lake Mary Timacuan is a Ron Garl designed course. The front nine is reminiscent of a Scottish links-style course, with wide open fairways, rolling hills and deep bunkers. Watch the wind and keep it low!
Venetian Bay Golf Club is part of a unique residential community with a Mediterranean theme. Colorful buildings, mosaics, and Mediterranean vegetation surround the championship golf course. The biggest challenge for the designers was transforming what was formerly a cow pasture into a lush, challenging course.
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Why do so many of the world's best golfers call Orlando home? Well, there are 123 courses within a 45-minute drive of downtown, and many things to do off the course. Plus, the weather is always great for outdoor activities, with an average annual temperature of 72.4 degrees. In short, it's a great place to work on your game -- or forget about it altogether.
Nestled in the gently rolling hills of Lake Mary Timacuan is a Ron Garl designed course. The front nine is reminiscent of a Scottish links-style course, with wide open fairways, rolling hills and deep bunkers. Watch the wind and keep it low!
Champions Gate Golf Resort, an un-matched golf facility for world-class golf, offers 36 holes designed by International golf champion Greg Norman and is the World Headquarters of David Leadbetter Golf Academy. Located just 15 minutes from Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Champions has two excellent and very different golf courses on a single site.
Osprey Ridge winds its way through pine, oak, and cypress tree hammock. Florida swamp and numerous backcountry duck ponds serve as stage settings and as framing for many of the holes. Fazio designed this course to be in unity with the environment, but this trek through nature is no walk in the park.
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Central Florida doesn't always mean Mickey and Orlando. Historic Sebring is a much-relished oasis of peace and quiet, full of charming, laid-back golf courses like Harder Hall Country Club and Highlands Ridge.
The 18-hole Bartow Golf Course in Bartow, FL is a semi-private golf course that opened in 1921. Designed by Donald Ross, Bartow Golf Course measures 6613 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 126 and a 72 USGA rating.
The 9-hole Westgate River Ranch Resort in River Ranch, FL is a public golf course that opened in 2005. Westgate River Ranch Resort measures 6642 yards from the longest tees. The course features 3 sets of tees for different skill levels. Greens and fairways are bermuda grass.
The 18-hole Sebring Golf Club in Sebring, FL is a municipal golf course that opened in 1941. Sebring Golf Club measures 6204 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 120 and a 69.
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The Bradenton-Sarasota region of Florida fits the definition of overlooked and underrated by both tourists and golfers alike.
Designed by former PGA Tour player Bob Tway and Lee Singletary, Bobcat Trail G.C. has been ranked among the top public golf courses in Florida. "The Cat," as it is known, is a collection of risk-reward holes, utilizing a variety of water hazards and bunkers.
The 18-hole Stoneybrook Golf Club in Bradenton, FL is a public golf course that opened in 2002. Stoneybrook Golf Club measures 7131 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 142 and a 74 USGA rating. The course features 4 sets of tees for different skill levels. The greens are bermuda grass.
The 18-hole The River Club in Bradenton, FL is a semi-private golf course that opened in 1988. Designed by Ron Garl, The River Club measures 7026 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 144 and a 74.4 USGA rating. The course features 5 sets of tees for different skill levels.
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To an outsider looking in, the Tampa Bay area has it all. The enormous, sugar-white beaches of St. Petersburg/Clearwater are some of the best in the world. The peaceful, warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay are a veritable maritime playground. The area is home to an intriguing collection of golf courses that will appeal to any skill level and income bracket.
Pebble Creek Golf Club is one of Tampa's most well known courses. Once just a local favorite, it has since garnered a reputation among visiting golfers as well. The golf course exemplifies the beauty of the Florida landscape. The layout weaves through mature pines and 40-year-old grandfather oaks draped with Spanish moss.
Overlooking the scenic Long Bayou, Seminole Lake Country Club has a lush landscape that showcases the best of Florida golf. Calming views of the bayou are joined by refreshing coastal breezes, providing the perfect atmosphere for a casual round.
The Saddlebrook Course is one of two Arnold Palmer championship designs at Saddlebrook Resort, located about 30 minutes north of Tampa. The 18-hole, par-70 layout is tighter and flatter than its sister course, the Palmer, so hitting it straight off the tee is key.
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Naples is known just as much for its golf as it is for its famous beaches. With more than 35 courses right in the city and over 50 more championship courses in the surrounding area, Naples is the state of Florida's self-proclaimed Golf Capital. The city claims to have the highest ratio of golf courses to golfers in the country.
Carved from forests of towering oaks and pines, Old Corkscrew Golf Club exhibits all of the superior characteristics that define Nicklaus Signature courses. The absence of houses around the golf course adds to the secluded and peaceful feel that is provided by the dense thickets of trees that surround it.
Tom Fazio designed both of the championship golf courses at Bonita Bay East. The courses, Cypress and Sabal, have both been certified as Audubon Signature Sanctuary courses for their carefully preserved landscape covered with mature pines, oaks, and cypress trees.
TPC at Treviso Bay was a collaborative effort between Arthur Hills and PGA Tour player consultant Hal Sutton. Their mission was to create a golf course that will not only test your skills with your clubs but will also make you think.
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As you might expect, the Space Coast of Florida got its name because that's where NASA launched its rockets and shuttles for the last half century or so. But the region has far more to offer than an education on America's space program. It's an area that stretches from Ormond Beach to Vero Beach with a coastline that offers great surfing and spring break locations, big-time auto racing, deep sea fishing and a pretty good golf scene.
Walkabout Golf Club was a collaboration between LPGA Tour champion Jan Stephenson and Perry Dye. The course is an homage to Stephenson's Australian heritage. It gets its name from a term signifying a rite-of-passage ritual of the Australian Aborigines. The layout wanders across a verdant, rolling landscape, abundant with native vegetation and wildlife.
Bordering the Indian River, Viera East Golf Club sprawls across a landscape of sparkling blue lakes and native marshland that is accented with towering pines and cypress trees. The well known layout is considered one of the best and most affordable public golf courses in Florida.
The 18-hole Island Links at Aquarina Golf Club in Melbourne Beach, FL is a public golf course that opened in 1996. Designed by Charles Ankrom, Aquarina Country Club measures 4302 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 107 and a 61.
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Beyond its vibrant nightlife and arts scene, West Palm Beach is also an excellent destination for golf. Palm Beach National is a classic, player-friendly layout that is a local favorite. West Palm Beach G.C. is another popular play. This public course stands out thanks to the abundance of palms, pines, and oak throughout its landscape. And just up the road is PGA National Resort & Spa, host of the Honda Classic. If those offerings aren't enough, the famed Breakers hotel is just across the bridge.
A Robert Trent Jones Jr. design, the Eagle Golf Course at President Golf Club boasts championship Bermuda greens. Jones also lined the fairways with coquina and accented the course with pampas grass, both of which help bring out the beauty of the natural landscape.
Atlantis Country Club has a central location in Palm Beach County that makes it conveniently accessible, but its unique setting will make you feel as though you're in North Carolina. Unlike many other golf courses in the area, Atlantis enjoys a lush landscape covered with enormous banyan trees, mature pines, and towering oaks.
The Hammock Creek Golf Club is the first golf course in Florida co-designed by Jack Nicklaus and his son, Jack Nicklaus II. It offers championship golf to players of all skill levels in a natural setting uncommon among semi-private clubs.
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Anyone who's been there will tell you that Jacksonville is one of the best-kept secrets on the eastern seaboard. A vibrant, midsize city with an enviable waterfront setting and an NFL franchise, "J-ville" as locals call it, often plays second fiddle to Atlanta, Charlotte, and even instate rivals Tampa and Miami in the Southern city popularity contest.
Although it is only 20 minutes outside of Jacksonville, the Country Club of Orange Park feels tucked away amongst ancient oak hammocks and protected wetlands that sit next to an Audubon Society Wildlife Preserve. Golfers will find that they are sharing the course with an abundance of wildlife including wild turkeys, deer, and osprey.
Cimarrone Golf Club has a landscape that includes both natural wetlands and pine forests, providing an interesting variety of risk-reward opportunities as well as scenic views. The course's 17 lakes come into play on every hole along either the well defined fairways or manicured greens.
Eagle Landing Golf Club features an open, links-style layout that meanders through tall groves of Southern pine and palmetto. Situated in the center of the beautiful Oakleaf Plantation bordering the Johnson State Forest, the scenic landscape offers views of native wetlands and conservation areas.
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Tallahassee revolves around two things: Government business at the capital, and Florida State University. And while the capital city may not be the golf capital of the Sunshine State, it boasts a handful of top-notch courses with terrain reminiscent of the Carolinas.
The 18-hole Don Veller Seminole Golf Course in Tallahassee, FL is a public golf course that opened in 1959. Designed by Bill Amick, Don Veller Seminole Golf Course measures 7147 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 131 and a 74 USGA rating.
The 18-hole Golf Club at Summerbrooke in Tallahassee, FL is a semi-private golf course that opened in 1993. Designed by Dean Refram, Golf Club at Summerbrooke measures 6845 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 140 and a 73.
This Fred Couples-Gene Bates design meanders through high countries, low countries, secluded woods and open fields. The golf course is not revved up on gimmicks or architect steroids. SouthWood's routing flows seamlessly with the existing elements.
Jacksonville: Ten reasons to plan a golf vacation to Florida's First Coast
At Innisbrook Golf & Spa Resort near Tampa, the South Course rises to the challenge
