Nearly everyone has heard about great Florida golf resorts like PGA Village, TPC Sawgrass, and Streamsong. But there are several other fantastic courses spread throughout the state.
In fact, there are several of the best public golf courses in Florida that are not linked to a resort property.
So, if you are looking to play golf in Florida, you don’t have to break your bank account in order to do so.
You can take advantage of several fantastic golf courses that have public access and are very affordable.
Specifically, there are more than 150 independent public courses in Florida with a high rating.
You will definitely not miss where to play. The good thing is that there are plenty of hotels and restaurants to choose from while in the state, so you don’t have to stay at those high-end resorts.
To help you find the best golf course to play while you are in Florida, we have analyzed several public golf courses and ranked only the best.
We based our rating on a variety of criteria, which include the stature of the architects who designed the course, the general course condition, upgrades that have been done on the course, slope rating, and current reviews.
So, read on to find out more information about these top public golf courses in Florida.
List of the Best Public Golf Courses in Florida
- Heritage Landing Golf Country Club
- Tiburon Golf Club (Gold Course)
- Reunion Resort (Nicklaus Course)
- Forest Glen Golf and Country Club
- Deer Island Country Club
- Saltleaf Golf Preserve
- Trump National Doral Miami (Red Tiger)
- Golf Hammock Country Club
- Candler Hills Golf Club
- Sandridge Golf Club (Lakes Course)
- Trump National Doral Miami (Blue Monster)
- TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium)
- Streamsong (Red)
- The Park West Palm
- Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club
- Kelly Plantation Golf Club
- North Palm Beach Country Club
- Juliette Falls Golf Course
- Deer Island Country Club
- Streamsong (Blue)
- Streamsong (Black)
- The Park West Palm
- Bay Hill Club and Lodge
- PGA National Resort (Champion)
- Innisbrook (Copperhead)
The Best Golf Courses in Florida
1. Heritage Landing Golf Country Club
- Location: Punta Gorda
- Length: 7,070 yards
- Par: 71
- Designer(s): Gordon G. Lewis
- Year Established: 2019
- Championships: 106th Amateur Championship Qualification in 2023
This golf club has one of the best public golf courses in Florida because it offers players a fun facility to play in.
There are a lot of breaks on the greens, making it an exciting place to play. It is also nicely shaped plus challenging for all players.
2. Tiburon Golf Club (Gold Course)
- Location: Naples
- Length: 7,382 yards
- Par: 72
- Designer(s): Greg Norman
- Year Established: 1998
- Championships: The LPGA CME Group Tour Championship since 2013; the Grant Thornton Invitational; and the Chubb Classic in 2024.
This is another tough golf course, for anyone who loves to play golf during summer.
The good thing is that it is not too busy; you will likely play a fast round on this course.
3. The Park West Palm
- Location: West Palm Beach
- Length: 7,145 yards
- Par: 71
- Designer(s): Gil Hanse
- Year Established: 2023
- Championships: The Match in 2024; Prep Tour Championship in 2023
The Park West Palm is a signature Gil Hanse-designed golf course with public access.
It is sort of a rare facility because it is designed around walking golfers.
Certainly, Hanse put in all they could to make the course shine.
4. Streamsong (Red)
- Location: Bowling Green
- Length: 7,148 yards
- Par: 72
- Designer(s): Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw
- Year Established: 2012
- Championships: Pro-Pro events in 2024; 2nd AGT Series National Championship in 2022; AmateurGolf.com 2025 Two-Man Links and Father and Son in 2025
Streamsong is among the best golf resorts in Florida.
Currently, it sits on a 16,000-acre property and promises to offer a once-in-a-lifestyle golfing experience.
5. Reunion Resort (Nicklaus Course)
- Location: Reunion
- Length: 7,219 yards
- Par: 72
- Designer(s): Jack Nicklaus
- Year Established: 2006
- Championships: the Summer 2023 World Championship
This is one of Jack Nicklaus’s signature courses that features a cool but difficult layout.
Just like other Jack Nicklaus courses, Reunion Resort has well-positioned hazards and small greens, which make it a difficult but fun-to-play course.
6. Forest Glen Golf and Country Club
- Location: Naples
- Length: 6,805 yards
- Par: 72
- Designer(s): Arthur Hills of Steve Forrest and Associates
- Year Established: 1999
- Championships: SW Chapter: Assistant’s Championship in 2022
We believe Forest Glen Golf & Country Club is among the best public golf courses in Florida simply because of its fantastic shape.
So, if you get an opportunity to snag a tee time here, don’t waste the chance.
7. Saltleaf Golf Preserve
- Location: Estero
- Length: 7,075 yards
- Par: 72
- Designer(s):Raymond Floyd
- Year Established: 2023
- Championships: the Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in 2023
If you are looking for a fantastic golf course in Florida, make sure to visit Saltleaf Golf Preserve.
The course features excellent tees and well-presented greens.
8. Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club
- Location: Haines City
- Length: 7,192 yards
- Par: 72
- Designer(s): Steve Smyers
- Year Established: 1989
- Championships: Annual U.S. Open qualifying site (since 2002); Sun Devil Men’s Golf (2026 Regionals)
Southern Dunes earns a place as one of the best golf courses in Florida because of its outstanding shape.
The good thing is that the staff here are extremely welcoming and will even explain to you the course layout before your round.
9. Deer Island Country Club
- Location: Tavares
- Length: 6,852 yards
- Par: 72
- Designer(s): Joe Lee
- Year Established: 1994
- Championships: Forty & Over Four Ball Championship (North) in 2022; the 2006 Ryder Cup
This is yet another fantastic Country Club with positive reviews when it comes to the layout and the condition of the course.
While the greens are somehow slow, they are true. It is a good course if you are looking for a fair challenge.
10. Trump National Doral Miami (Red Tiger)
- Location: Miami
- Length: 7,025 yards
- Par: 70
- Designer(s): Robert von Hagge, Gil Hanse, and Rick Robbins
- Year Established: 1962
- Championships: the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series; the LPGA in 2001 for the Office Depot Championship
Trump National Doral Miami (Red Tiger) is among the best golf courses in Miami.
This unique championship course sits on a 120-acre property and is lined with a variety of palm trees to give it a distinctive feel.
11. Golf Hammock Country Club
- Location: Sebring
- Length: 6,431 yards
- Par: 72
- Designer(s): Ron Garl
- Year Established: 1978
- Championships: The 17th Bobby Bryant Championship in 2024
This Golf Club is definitely one of the best golf courses in Florida for many reasons. The club has done a good job of maintaining the course.
The fairways and roughs are really good, while the greens roll true and fast.
12. Candler Hills Golf Club
- Location: Ocala
- Length: 7,233 yards
- Par: 72
- Designer(s): Gordon Lewis
- Year Established: 2005
- Championships: The Ocala Open Professional Tournament in 2024; the FJT Candler Hills Open in 2024
This beautiful Country Club also has a fantastic golf course with new fast greens. Nothing beats this course when it comes to balanced challenge and training.
13. Sandridge Golf Club (Lakes Course)
- Location: Vero Beach
- Length: 6,262 yards
- Par: 72
- Designer(s): Ron Garl
- Year Established: 1992
- Championships: the 2023 Junior Team Championship in 2023; the AJGA in 2024
Playing at Sandridge Golf Club will be a rare opportunity to experience one of the best paces of play.
The course here is in pristine condition, so you will rarely hesitate to take your shots on this course.
14. Trump National Doral Miami (Blue Monster)
- Location: Miami
- Length: 7,590 yards
- Par: 72
- Designer(s): Dick Wilson and Gil Hanse
- Year Established: 1962
- Championships: The Doral Open on the PGA Tour from 1962 to 2006; the WGC-Cadillac Championship from 2007 to 2016; the PGA Tour Latinoamerica Tour Championship (Shell Championship) in 2018; the LIV Golf Tournament in 2024
This is another iconic championship course in Miami, located within a golf resort. With 72 holes, it is one of the most expansive and unique golf courses in the area.
15. TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium)
- Location: Ponte Vedra Beach
- Length: 6,847 yards
- Par: 72
- Designer(s): Pete and Alice Dye
- Year Established: 1980
- Championships: The Players Championship in 2024 and every year
When it comes to the best public golf courses in Florida, TPC Sawgrass will definitely not miss the top of the list.
Designed by world-renowned architects Pete and Alice, the course is famous for being one of the most difficult to play.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Sometimes Tiger Woods lives in Jupiter, Florida, and when around, he prefers playing at the Medalist Golf Club. Medalist is known to host several other top golfers.
This prestige golf course is the work of Pete Dye and Greg Norman and has four greens with varying turfs, contours, grass lengths, and several bunkers.
Florida is not only one of the best places to play golf, but it also offers an opportunity to watch pro players compete.
The Sunshine State hosts several PGA Tour events every year.
While there are beautiful golf courses in all corners of the state, there is one place that is popular as the golf capital of Florida, and that is Palm Beach.
This place is so inspiring, with well-designed golf courses.
In fact, if you were given a chance to design the perfect place for year-round golf, you would likely use Palm Beach as a model.
Final Thoughts
While the best public golf courses in Florida will depend on who you ask, there are quite a number of them that stand out in many areas.
Some less popular but fantastic public golf courses like Tiburon Golf Club (Gold Course), Heritage Landing Golf Country Club, and The Park West Palm will enable you to test your skills without breaking the bank.
Of course, you may want to stretch a bit and test how it feels to play on popular courses like TPC Sawgrass and Streamsong.
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