Top Florida Courses

[Chuck Brown]

As we northerners settle in for winter, it is a nice time to think of Florida's quality golf courses.  Any listing is bound to be eclectic, as is the case with Florida's general golf course architecture.  Here's my Dozen, based on my somewhat limited exposure.  I know there are many newer designs, and perhaps some can think of any classic designs I may have overlooked...


1.   Seminole
2.   TPC Sawgrass
3.   World Woods (Pine Barrens)
4.   Pine Tree
5.   Calusa Pines
6.   Lake Nona
7.   Isleworth
8.    Innisbrook (Copperhead)
9.    Black Diamond
10.   Old Memorial
11.   Jupiter Hills (Hills)
12.   Ocean Hammock

[Jordan Wall]

Mountain Lake is often brought up here and looks great.

[Tim Gavrich]

From what I've heard and read, the little-played Indian Creek Club in Miami is supposed to be excellent (a William Flynn course) as well.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Boca Rio
Jupiter Hills ( Village )
Emerald Dunes
Old Marsh
The Medalist
Loblolly Pines
Bears Club
Ritz Carlton

[JC Jones]

One that gets acclaim here is The Hideout here in Naples.

Others I've heard:

Sugarloaf Mountain
CC Orlando (Ross)
Old Collier
Pine Tree GC

[Lenny Polakoff]

I can only speak for in and around the Palm Beach area.

In no particular order:

Boca Rio
Old Marsh
Loblolly Pines
Jupiter Hills
Seminole
Pine Tree
High Ridge
Banyan
Mayacoo Lakes

[Bill_McBride]

Mountain Lake is often brought up here and looks great.

I've played both Isleworth and Mountain Lake and would much rather play ML, much more fun.

[Robert Emmons]

Old Palm
Mcarthur
Floridian
PGA National Champ
Dye Preserve
Pine Tree

[Mac Plumart]

I've only played 4 Florida courses to date, but here are my thoughts...

"Best" courses...
TPC Sawgrass, World Woods Pine Barrens, Black Diamond Ranch Quarry, Ponte Vedra

"Favorite" courses (or courses I would want to play again in order of preference)...
Black Diamond Ranch Quarry, World Woods Pine Barrens, TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra

[Chuck Brown]

Boca Rio
Jupiter Hills ( Village )
Emerald Dunes
Old Marsh
The Medalist
Loblolly Pines
Bears Club
Ritz Carlton

Patrick - Yours is an unusually, highly-informed viewpoint.  I presume that your list is one that is basically "in addition" to my OP.  And, as such, I very much appreciate it.  If your list is a "substitute" list, then I appreciate it just as much, but think it is rather provocative.

My thoughts on your list:
Boca Rio - I've been there, and seen it, but not played it.
Jupiter Hills Village - I hated to leave it off my list; you were right to name it.  My putting the Hills course on my list was in part a nod to both courses.  I think that the Jupiter Hills land was some of the best anywhere that I had seen in Florida.
Old Marsh - I have played there, and I think the course is vastly overrated; and in holding that opinion, I suspect that I am kind of an outlier.  I fully expected someone like you to list it.  I just didn't get it at all.
Medalist, Loblolly Pines, Bears Club - I haven't played, or even seen them.  I have heard the same kinds of things about Medalist and Loblolly Pines as I have about your own Pine Tree, which makes them exceedingly attractive in my book.  Bears Club is supposed to be generally superlative in all respects, but I have almost no information about the course.
The Ritz Carlton - Is that in Naples?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I think Pat's list represents the best of the South Florida East Coast courses. I believe he meant the Ritz Carlton Club in Jupiter.

One course that hasn't been mentioned is The Concession in Sarasota.

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

How 'bout some of the northern FLA. courses like...

Timiquana
San Jose CC

[Chuck Brown]

Patrick's mention of Boca Rio is apt, since it is one of three (? I think) courses for which Ran has posted reviews in the 'Courses by Country' review section.  (Boca Rio, Seminole, World Woods are all there -- a good addition would be Pine Tree, imho.  Another good one for review and analysis would be Calusa Pines.  A nice Florida classic for review might be Gulfstream.)

[Matt Waterbury]

Mountain Lake is often brought up here and looks great.

Shhhhh. Don't tell anyone about Mountain Lake. It is truly one of America's hidden gems. Just returned from a couple days there. No better fun to be had playing 18 holes in the state of FL.

Cheers,
mjw

[Lenny Polakoff]

Patrick's mention of Boca Rio is apt, since it is one of three (? I think) courses for which Ran has posted reviews in the 'Courses by Country' review section.  (Boca Rio, Seminole, World Woods are all there -- a good addition would be Pine Tree, imho.  Another good one for review and analysis would be Calusa Pines.  A nice Florida classic for review might be Gulfstream.)

Boca Rio is well deserved, it is a great golf course and a great club.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Boca Rio
Jupiter Hills ( Village )
Emerald Dunes
Old Marsh
The Medalist
Loblolly Pines
Bears Club
Ritz Carlton

Patrick - Yours is an unusually, highly-informed viewpoint.  I presume that your list is one that is basically "in addition" to my OP.  And, as such, I very much appreciate it.  If your list is a "substitute" list, then I appreciate it just as much, but think it is rather provocative.

Chuck, it's an add on list, basically centered in and around the Greater Palm Beach area.

My thoughts on your list:
Boca Rio - I've been there, and seen it, but not played it.
Jupiter Hills Village - I hated to leave it off my list; you were right to name it.  My putting the Hills course on my list was in part a nod to both courses.  I think that the Jupiter Hills land was some of the best anywhere that I had seen in Florida.
Old Marsh - I have played there, and I think the course is vastly overrated; and in holding that opinion, I suspect that I am kind of an outlier.  I fully expected someone like you to list it.  I just didn't get it at all.  It's got wide fairways, interesting greens and surrounds, a good deal of wind, and perhaps a bit too much in the way of water hazards.  It's always in good playing shape with fairly firm, fast greens.
That's not a bad combination.  And, it's a well run golf facility with a great range.
Medalist, Loblolly Pines, Bears Club - I haven't played, or even seen them.  I have heard the same kinds of things about Medalist and Loblolly Pines as I have about your own Pine Tree, which makes them exceedingly attractive in my book.  Bears Club is supposed to be generally superlative in all respects, but I have almost no information about the course.
The Ritz Carlton - Is that in Naples?No, I was referencing the one right next to The Bears Club.

[Chuck Brown]

Boca Rio
Jupiter Hills ( Village )
Emerald Dunes
Old Marsh
The Medalist
Loblolly Pines
Bears Club
Ritz Carlton

Patrick - Yours is an unusually, highly-informed viewpoint.  I presume that your list is one that is basically "in addition" to my OP.  And, as such, I very much appreciate it.  If your list is a "substitute" list, then I appreciate it just as much, but think it is rather provocative.

Chuck, it's an add on list, basically centered in and around the Greater Palm Beach area.

My thoughts on your list:
Boca Rio - I've been there, and seen it, but not played it.
Jupiter Hills Village - I hated to leave it off my list; you were right to name it.  My putting the Hills course on my list was in part a nod to both courses.  I think that the Jupiter Hills land was some of the best anywhere that I had seen in Florida.
Old Marsh - I have played there, and I think the course is vastly overrated; and in holding that opinion, I suspect that I am kind of an outlier.  I fully expected someone like you to list it.  I just didn't get it at all.  It's got wide fairways, interesting greens and surrounds, a good deal of wind, and perhaps a bit too much in the way of water hazards.  It's always in good playing shape with fairly firm, fast greens.
That's not a bad combination.  And, it's a well run golf facility with a great range.
Medalist, Loblolly Pines, Bears Club - I haven't played, or even seen them.  I have heard the same kinds of things about Medalist and Loblolly Pines as I have about your own Pine Tree, which makes them exceedingly attractive in my book.  Bears Club is supposed to be generally superlative in all respects, but I have almost no information about the course.
The Ritz Carlton - Is that in Naples?No, I was referencing the one right next to The Bears Club.

Thanks, Patrick.  I definitely get it.  I remember thinking when I played Old Marsh (just once, about ten years ago) that instead of a golf cart, I wanted one of those shallow-draft air boats with the big airplane propeller on the back...



Or maybe not...

[Patrick_Mucci]

Chuck,

The first time I played Old Marsh, my host bet me on how many balls I'd hit into the water.

There's at least one large water hazard on every hole, THAT'S PRESSURE

[Chuck Brown]

Chuck,

The first time I played Old Marsh, my host bet me on how many balls I'd hit into the water.

There's at least one large water hazard on every hole, THAT'S PRESSURE

I seem to remember that the MAJORITY of the holes had forced carries.  Not particularly heroic ones, since it is all so flat.  But still, just about every tee had you in some kind of swampland.  Still, Patrick, I freely confess; Old Marsh is widely held in a favorable view, just as you have said.  Most reviewers appreciate its good qualities.  I am in a minority of complainers.

[JC Jones]

Does anyone else think that but for a select few of the courses mentioned, almost all of these courses are the exact same?

Forced carries over water/marsh, water on every hole, dramatic contouring on the perimeter of the course and the greens, flat fairways, etc., etc.

To me, there are less than 10 golf courses in Florida that are good to great.  I'm open to disagreement though.

FWIW, these are the 10(ish):

Seminole
Mountain Lake
Sugarloaf Mountain
Calusa Pines
Pine Tree GC
Hideout
CC Orlando
Pensacola CC


More?

[Chuck Brown]

Does anyone else think that but for a select few of the courses mentioned, almost all of these courses are the exact same?

Forced carries over water/marsh, water on every hole, dramatic contouring on the perimeter of the course and the greens, flat fairways, etc., etc.

To me, there are less than 10 golf courses in Florida that are good to great.  I'm open to disagreement though.

FWIW, these are the 10(ish):

Seminole
Mountain Lake
Sugarloaf Mountain
Calusa Pines
Pine Tree GC
Hideout
CC Orlando
Pensacola CC


More?

Based only on your own list, JC, which seems to me to be a perfectly valid list of solid courses for any state, I'd think you'd want to add World Woods and Black Diamond.  And would you say that Calusa Pines is good-to-great, but that TPC Sawgrass isn't?  Have you played Old Memorial?  Ocean Hammock?  the Medalist, or the two Jupiter Hills courses?

I think that there are a lot of good courses in Florida, but I'll also be the first to admit that listing and ranking them is tricky.  Yes, it is an awful lot of flat, swampy, sameness.  But there is the wind... and aside from two low dune lines to work off, what more did Donald Ross really have to work with, to create the Seminole masterpiece?

[JC Jones]

Chuck,

I will say that my list is created entirely from pictures and ignorance.  I've not played a single course of those I've listed (though I'm playing Sugarloaf Mountain next week).

I'd like to play all those that you added, someday.

[Adam_Messix]

Gosh...saying that there are only 10 good to great  (everything Doak 6 or higher) golf courses in Florida is being tough, but not by much.  Here are the ones that I would include....

Seminole
Mountain Lake
Indian Creek
Johns Island West
World Woods (both courses)
McArthur
Calusa Pines
Deltona Club
Jupiter Hills (both courses)
Boca Rio
Pine Tree
Black Diamond
TPC at Sawgrass
Lake Jovita
Dunes at Seville
Lake Nona
Bay Hill
Sara Bay
Loblolly Pines
Sugarloaf Mountain
Bella Collina

[David_Madison]

The Concession belongs on the list of the best courses in the state. Besides being an attractive, challenging and interesting layout with a great deal of strategic opportunities, it has some of the best playing conditions I've ever experienced.

Lake Nona and Amelia Island's Long Point are two others that I believe are worthy of consideration.

[Jason Topp]

I think Fiddlesticks Long Mean belongs with some of those listed.  Probably a Doak 6