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Are you a golf lover dreaming of teeing off under the Florida sun? You’ve come to the perfect place!
Florida is one of the greatest golf destinations on Earth, home to famous tournament courses, dramatic modern designs and some of the most exclusive private clubs anywhere.
This road trip links up 12 of the very best, sweeping from Ponte Vedra Beach in the northeast down to South Florida, covering around 700 miles.
🚗 You’ll need a car: These courses are spread right across the state, so a car is essential. If you need to hire one, I recommend Discover Cars, because I always find great deals and you can compare all the companies in one place.
⛳ Good to know: Some of these are public or resort courses you can book to play, while a couple are famously private, invitation-only clubs (I’ve noted the access for each). Green fees at the big-name courses can be high, so book tee times well ahead.
⛳ 1. TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach
📍 Good to know: public / resort play; home of THE PLAYERS Championship; Pete Dye design
Start in the northeast at TPC Sawgrass, one of the most famous golf courses in the world.
The Stadium Course, designed by Pete Dye, is the permanent home of THE PLAYERS Championship, and its par-3 17th “island green” is one of the most iconic (and nerve-wracking) holes in golf.
The best part? It’s open to the public, so you really can play it, though it’s a bucket-list splurge. Book ahead, especially if you’re staying at the Sawgrass Marriott.
Drive to Hammock Beach: about 1 hour and 10 minutes (50 miles)
⛳ 2. Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa, Palm Coast
📍 Good to know: resort play; Ocean Course by Jack Nicklaus, Conservatory by Tom Watson
Next, head down the coast to Hammock Beach, a luxury golf resort with two superb courses.
The signature Ocean Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, runs right along the Atlantic, with several dramatic holes hugging the shoreline. The inland Conservatory Course, by Tom Watson, is a beautiful, challenging complement.
It’s a wonderful resort stop where you can easily fill a couple of days.
Drive to Grand Cypress Golf Club: about 1 hour 40 minutes (100 miles)
⛳ 3. Grand Cypress Golf Club, Orlando
📍 Good to know: resort play; Jack Nicklaus design
In the heart of Orlando, Grand Cypress is a fantastic Jack Nicklaus-designed resort course.
It’s best known for the New Course, inspired by the Old Course at St. Andrews, complete with double greens, pot bunkers and stone bridges, a lovely nod to the home of golf right in central Florida.
It’s a great, accessible stop between the theme parks.
Drive to Celebration Golf Club: about 20 minutes (10 miles)
⛳ 4. Celebration Golf Club, Celebration
📍 Good to know: public; designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jr.
Just south, in the charming town of Celebration, this lovely public course was designed by the legendary father-and-son team Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jr.
It winds through wetlands and pines with plenty of wildlife, and it’s more relaxed and affordable than the big resort names, making it a great everyday-golfer stop.
A pretty, welcoming course in a unique planned town worth a look around too.
Drive to Innisbrook (Copperhead Course): about 1 hour 40 minutes (95 miles)
⛳ 5. Copperhead Course, Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor
📍 Good to know: resort play; hosts the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship
Next, head towards Tampa where you’ll find the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort.
This is a genuine PGA Tour venue, home of the Valspar Championship.
With rolling elevation changes that feel more like the Carolinas than Florida, it’s famous for the “Snake Pit,” its brutal closing trio of holes (16 to 18) that regularly rank among the toughest finishes on tour.
It’s a resort course, so you can play it, and Innisbrook has three more courses besides.
Drive to Streamsong Resort: about 1 hour 40 minutes (85 miles)
⛳ 6. Streamsong Golf Resort, Bowling Green
📍 Good to know: resort play; three acclaimed courses (Red, Blue, Black)
Streamsong is one of the most celebrated modern golf destinations in America, and it’s utterly unique.
Built on a former phosphate mine in central Florida, it has genuinely dramatic dunes and elevation, rare for the state. There are three world-class courses: the Red (Coore & Crenshaw), the Blue (Tom Doak) and the Black (Gil Hanse).
It’s a remote, immersive golf retreat, and superb value for the quality. A real highlight for keen golfers.
Drive to LaPlaya Golf Club: about 2 hours 15 minutes (120 miles)
⛳ 7. LaPlaya Golf Club, Naples
📍 Good to know: private club, but playable for guests of the LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort; Bob Cupp design
In Naples, LaPlaya Golf Club is a beautiful Bob Cupp-designed course affiliated with the LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort.
While it’s a private club, resort guests can play, making it a lovely option if you’re staying nearby. Expect immaculate conditioning and classic Naples style.
Drive to Tiburón Golf Club: about 15 minutes (8 miles)
⛳ 8. Tiburón Golf Club, Naples
📍 Good to know: resort play (Ritz-Carlton); Greg Norman design; hosts LPGA and PGA Tour events
Also in Naples, Tiburón Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton is a fantastic Greg Norman-designed resort with two courses (the Black and the Gold).
It’s a real tournament venue, hosting the LPGA’s CME Group Tour Championship and a PGA Tour event, so you can walk the same fairways as the pros.
Drive to Calusa Pines Golf Club: about 15 minutes (10 miles)
⛳ 9. Calusa Pines Golf Club, Naples
📍 Good to know: ultra-private, invitation-only (not open to the public)
Calusa Pines is one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the entire country, and one of the most extraordinary.
Designed by Hurdzan and Fry, it famously features a huge man-made hill (“Calusa Mountain”) in otherwise-flat Florida, along with immaculate, dramatic landscaping. Membership is by invitation only and strictly limited.
You can’t just book a round here, so think of this as a bucket-list “if you ever get invited” course, but it’s a fascinating one to know about as you tour Naples’ golf scene.
Drive to Miami Shores Country Club: about 2 hours (120 miles)
⛳ 10. Miami Shores Country Club, Miami Shores
📍 Good to know: public; a classic 1939 course on the Florida Historic Golf Trail
Crossing to the east coast, Miami Shores Country Club is one of Miami’s finest public courses.
Built in 1939, this classic, mature layout is part of the Florida Historic Golf Trail and is home to lots of subtropical wildlife. It’s welcoming, walkable and a lovely contrast to the exclusive private clubs.
Drive to Seminole Golf Club: about 1 hour 15 minutes (80 miles)
⛳ 11. Seminole Golf Club, Juno Beach
📍 Good to know: legendary ultra-private club (members and guests only)
Finish at Seminole Golf Club, the most famous private club in South Florida and a true holy grail for golfers.
Founded in 1929 and designed by the legendary Donald Ross, Seminole is regularly ranked among the greatest courses in the world, and has hosted kings, presidents and golf’s elite for nearly a century.
Like Calusa Pines, it’s strictly private, so it’s not one you can just book, but it’s the perfect legendary note to end your Florida golf road trip on. If you’re ever lucky enough to get an invite, take it!
🗺️ Map of this Florida Golf Course Road Trip
💡 A few practical tips
- Book tee times well in advance at the big public and resort courses (TPC Sawgrass, Streamsong and Innisbrook especially), as they get very busy.
- Two of these (Calusa Pines and Seminole) are invitation-only private clubs, so admire them as bucket-list courses rather than booking a round.
- Winter and spring bring the best weather (and the highest green fees), while summer is hotter, cheaper and stormier in the afternoons.
Summary of this road trip
📍 TPC Sawgrass ⛳
📍 Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa ⛳
📍 Grand Cypress Golf Club ⛳
📍 Celebration Golf Club ⛳
📍 Copperhead Course ⛳
📍 Streamsong Golf Resort ⛳
📍 LaPlaya Golf Course ⛳
📍 Tiburon Golf Club ⛳
📍 Calusa Pines Golf Club ⛳
📍 Miami Shores Country Club ⛳
📍 Seminole Golf Club ⛳
Total Distance: 🚗 Approx. 700 miles
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