The CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburón

The finale

The CME Group Tour Championship is the LPGA Tour's season-ending event, held annually in November at Tiburón Golf Club in Naples. The field is limited to the season's top performers, and the winner's share is the largest single payday in women's professional golf.

The tournament has been at Tiburón since 2013, giving Naples an anchor event on the professional golf calendar and cementing Southwest Florida's position in the sport.

The course

Tiburón's Gold Course was designed by Greg Norman and opened in 2001. It plays 7,288 yards at par 72 for men's events; the LPGA setup is shorter but no less demanding.

Norman built the course around existing Florida wetlands rather than through them, and the result reads more naturally than most Naples-area development golf. Coquina sand waste areas replace traditional bunkers in places — a Norman signature — and the greens are subtle enough that reading them is a genuine skill.

The adjacent Black Course, also Norman-designed, hosts overflow play and is a strong second option.

The QBE Shootout

Tiburón also hosts the QBE Shootout — Greg Norman's two-player team event held each December. The format (scramble, better ball, and modified alternate shot across three rounds) makes it one of the more entertaining silly-season events on the calendar, and it draws a strong mixed field.

Between the CME Group Tour Championship in November and the QBE Shootout in December, Tiburón hosts back-to-back professional events in the heart of Naples' winter season.

Attending

When: CME Group Tour Championship — November. QBE Shootout — December.

Tickets: Available through the respective tournament sites. Both events are considerably more accessible than the men's Florida Swing majors — smaller crowds, easier viewing, and better access to players.

Where to stay: The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort Naples is adjacent to Tiburón and is the on-site option. Downtown Naples and the Vanderbilt Beach corridor are within 15 minutes.

Getting there: Southwest Florida International (RSW) in Fort Myers is 35 minutes. Naples Municipal (APF) handles private aviation. Miami is two hours across Alligator Alley.

Why it's worth attending: LPGA events offer the best spectator value in professional golf. You can walk with groups, see shots from close range, and access players in a way that PGA Tour events no longer permit. Tiburón's layout supports this well.

Playing Tiburón

Tiburón Golf Club is semi-private with resort access. Guests of the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort Naples receive preferred tee times on both the Gold and Black Courses. Limited public access exists outside resort stays but availability is inconsistent, particularly during Naples' peak winter season.

Best time to play: November through April. Naples summers are hot and humid with reliable afternoon storms — morning golf only.

Both courses close during tournament weeks and setup.

Naples as a golf destination

Naples has more golf holes per capita than any city in the United States. The market skews toward private clubs — Grey Oaks, Quail West, Mediterra, Old Collier — most of which are genuinely members-only.

Tiburón is the primary public-access path into serious Naples golf. Lely Resort (three courses) and Kensington Golf Club offer additional options. The overall market is expensive, winter-heavy, and oriented toward an older, wealthier clientele than Orlando or Tampa.

For visitors, the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort plus Tiburón is the most reliable combination.