Florida Regions
Florida Golf by Region
Palm Beach to Jacksonville: what each corridor offers and who it's best suited for.
Updated · August 11, 2026
Why region matters
Driving from Miami to Jacksonville takes six hours — further than driving from New York to Boston. A trip that tries to mix courses from opposite ends of the state wastes more time in a car than on a course. Pick your corridor and go deep.
Palm Beach & the Treasure Coast
Who it's for: The serious golfer. The private-club pilgrim. Anyone with a member connection.
Palm Beach County has the highest concentration of elite golf in Florida, possibly in the country. The Bear's Club (Jack Nicklaus), Medalist Golf Club (Greg Norman, home club of Tiger Woods in his formative years), Seminole Golf Club (Donald Ross, 1929 — private, invitation-only, widely regarded one of the ten best in the world), and Trump National Golf Club Jupiter anchor a corridor that attracts serious money and serious golfers.
PGA National Resort is the public face of Palm Beach golf and does the job well: five courses, Tour-quality conditioning, a full resort, and the home of the Cognizant Classic. If you don't have a member connection, PGA National is where you play.
Best public access: PGA National Champion Course, Trump National Doral (technically Doral, just north of Miami), Abacoa Golf Club (Jupiter, excellent value).
Miami & Fort Lauderdale
Who it's for: The city tripper. The golfer who wants a round between other activities.
Miami is not a golf-first destination, but that doesn't mean the golf is bad. Doral's Blue Monster (Trump National Doral) is a legitimate bucket-list course — long, aggressive, historically significant. Crandon Park on Key Biscayne is a public municipal course with a dramatic backdrop and one of the best values in South Florida.
Fort Lauderdale's course density is solid if unspectacular: Inverrary Country Club (former hosts of Tour events), Deer Creek Golf Club, and Pembroke Lakes. Better as an add-on to a broader South Florida trip than as a standalone destination.
Best public access: Crandon Park Golf Course (Key Biscayne), Trump National Doral (Blue Monster), Pembroke Lakes Golf & Racquet Club.
Orlando & Central Florida
Who it's for: Families. Resort golfers. Bucket-list course hunters.
Orlando has the most resort golf infrastructure in Florida — a product of the theme park economy that built the hotel density. Bay Hill Club & Lodge is the headline: Arnold Palmer's home course, home of the API, and a genuinely great track. Lake Nona Golf Club (private, host of multiple Ryder Cup selection events) represents the other end.
For public play, ChampionsGate (Greg Norman design, multiple courses), Reunion Resort, and Mystic Dunes offer quality resort golf within the Disney/Universal corridor. Streamsong is 1.5 hours south — worth building a day trip around.
Best public access: Bay Hill Club & Lodge (resort/lodge access), ChampionsGate National Course, Reunion Resort Red Course.
Tampa Bay
Who it's for: The strategic golfer. The Valspar fan. The value seeker.
Tampa Bay is underrated on the national golf map, which makes it better for visitors. Innisbrook Resort anchors the corridor: four courses, the Valspar Championship on the Copperhead, and a full resort at prices lower than comparable Palm Beach or Naples properties.
World Golf Village (45 minutes east of Jacksonville, 90 minutes north of Tampa) is a stretch but worth including: King & Bear (Palmer/Nicklaus co-design), Slammer & Squire, and the Hall of Fame. Heritage Isles Golf Club and Countryside Country Club round out Tampa proper.
Best public access: Innisbrook Copperhead and Island Courses, Heritage Isles Golf Club, World Golf Village King & Bear.
Naples & Southwest Florida
Who it's for: The winter escapee. The luxury resort golfer. The Naples lifestyle buyer.
Naples is Florida's most expensive golf market. The demographic skews older, wealthier, and private-club-oriented. Grey Oaks, Quail West, and Mediterra are members-only and by any measure world-class — you need a connection.
Tiburón Golf Club (Gold and Black courses, home of the QBE Shootout and CME Group Tour Championship) is the public face of Naples golf. The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort adjacent to Tiburón gives you resort access. Lely Resort (multiple courses) and Kensington Golf Club offer alternatives.
Best public access: Tiburón Gold Course (resort/Ritz access), Lely Resort Flamingo and Mustang Courses.
Northeast Florida (Jacksonville & Ponte Vedra)
Who it's for: The bucket-list golfer. The Players Championship fan. The serious traveler.
TPC Sawgrass is the reason to come to this corner of Florida. The Stadium Course is the most famous course in the state and among the most famous in the world — home of The Players Championship since 1982. The Marriott Sawgrass grants resort access; book 90 days out in season.
Amelia Island (Omni Amelia Island Plantation — Long Point Course) and Ponte Vedra Inn & Club (Lagoon Course) round out a corridor that punches well above its population weight. Jacksonville's domestic courses are solid but not the reason to visit.
Best public access: TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course (resort), TPC Sawgrass Valley Course, Ponte Vedra Inn & Club (Lagoon Course, Ocean Course).
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is the best golf in Florida for first-timers?
- Ponte Vedra Beach (TPC Sawgrass) or the Tampa Bay corridor (Innisbrook). Both offer world-class resort facilities, clear public access, and courses that appear on national best-of lists without requiring private club connections.
- What is the best golf region in Florida?
- Palm Beach for private-club quality and concentration; Ponte Vedra/Jacksonville for bucket-list public golf; Tampa Bay for value and Tour-quality courses; Naples for luxury resort experience. It depends what you're optimizing for.
- Is it worth driving to Streamsong from Orlando?
- Yes if you're a serious golfer and have two rounds in you. The drive is 90 minutes from Orlando. The three courses (Red, Blue, Black) are the most distinctive golf landscape in Florida and worth a dedicated day or overnight.