South Florida golfers? Just moved to Miami and wondering if any GCAers around?

[Tyler Ince]

Living in Miami Beach close to Normandy Shores GC. Actually ran it the other morning before work to see if I wanted to play it. Looking for ideas of where to play on the weekends and also for a game if anyone is interested. Played Miami Shores today.

Thanks,

Tyler

[cary lichtenstein]

I don't play anymore, but other than Miami and Ft Lauderdale, I can tell you where to play starting in Boca going north.

[Tyler Ince]

Thanks Cary - I will take you up as there is never too far a drive to find a great course. I have been doing that all over the world in my previous life. Now that I am stuck in Miami and am not afraid to hit the road!  Give me your top 3 and I will add them to my northernly travel list.

[David Cronheim]

I lived in Coral Gables for a year in 2008. I found the Biltmore course to be quite nice and hear they've done a major restoration since I was last there. Crandon Park on Key Biscayne is also decent (used to hold a Sr. Tour event), but needs a serious tree clearing so you can actually see the bay instead of being walled in by trees. If you're looking for a quick 9, Rivieria isn't bad.

[Ted Cahill]

Tyler- I am a fan of Granada 9 holer in Coral Gables- not for the design, but for the easy walk and how it is seamlessly interwoven with the neighborhood.

Up the 95- I like the Dye course at PGA Village.  I live in CA- but my wife and I are going to be spending a week in West Palm in early Oct- PM me if you want to try and get together for a round up there.

[Mark Saltzman]

Tyler, I spend a bit of time in the Palm Beach Gardens area in the winter and would love to meet up at some point.

Here's an old post of mine re Miami golf:



   
Re: Miami recommendations
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2012, 09:22:41 AM »
Quote  Modify
I played Crandon near Miami last week. Worth a play but a bit pricey. My review: http://onegolferstravels.blogspot.com/2012/01/crandon-golf-course-review.html

Also definitely worth playing is Donald Ross' Biltmore about 20 minutes from Miami. Some good deals to be had on Golfnow, too. My review: http://onegolferstravels.blogspot.com/2011/12/biltmore-resort.html

As an international, I suspect you would have some success with access to some private courses in the area, if you wanted to go that route.  Many clubs are somewhat restricted with outside play as this is their busy season, but a few to consider that may be a bit more welcoming:

http://www.rivieracountryclub.org/ - a Ross that is reasonably close.  No personal experience but I have heard good things.

http://www.coralridgecc.com/ - RTJ Sr's home course.  Really interesting set of greens.

http://www.delraydunes.org/ - A very early Pete Dye.  Worth seeing for any architecture junkie


I cannot, in good conscience, recommend the Doral courses.  Always fun to play a course you see on TV, but at the price they charge I cannot justify recommending it.

Other options:

http://www.golfjacaranda.com/ West - DO NOT PLAY THE EAST - Was a boring RTJ Sr. design, but the Bobby Weed renovation has made it a very enjoyable golf course.

I have heard good things about http://www.golfcolonywest.com/.  Ditto http://www.hillcrestgcc.com/index.php

A bit farther away I really enjoyed:

West Palm Beach GC: http://onegolferstravels.blogspot.com/2012/01/west-palm-beach-golf-club-review.html -- At $24 on EZLinks.com it is one of the best values anywhere.  Recent restoration has made it very interesting.

http://www.presidentcc.com/ is a recently renovated RTJ Jr. course that has a great set of greens.

http://npbcc.org/ renovated by Nicklaus 5 years ago.  Hillier terrain than most FL golf.  Extreme greens -- love it or hate it kind of thing.

http://madisongreengolf.com/ - A CCFAD.  Better than average but not great.

[John_Conley]

Not Miami, but make a point to see North Palm Beach CC.  Summer if you are rate-sensitive.  I love the place.

[J Cabarcos]

As a local Miami Beach resident and golfer, my top list for Miami-Dade/ Broward County Golf goes as follows...

- Biltmore, Coral Gables (1925 Donald Ross)
- Crandon, Key Biscayne (South Florida's Bethpage)
- Miami Beach Golf Club f/k/a Bayshore GC (top conditioning, beautiful layout with a south beach backdrop)
- Emerald Hills, Hollywood (conducts USGA local qualifiers, stern but fair test of golf)
- Plantation Preserve, Plantation (very open and linksy, filled with cape, island and redan holes)
- Pembroke Lake, Pembroke Pines (great greens which are always fast)
- Doral Blue and White/ Turnberry Sofer and Miller (solid resort courses that may not necessarily stack up to the green fees they command)

Unlike the Northern parts of the country, down here we are gearing up for the prime golf season.  Tyler, you just got here in time!  PM me you would like to catch up for a round.  I am always around at the Miami Beach GC.

[John Ezekowitz]

Question on Crandon, and my memory may be faulty: I played on a couple of vacations down there, and the 8th hole when I first played it was just a flat-ish short par three that was surrounded by bunkers. Some time in the last couple of years, the ground was built up to give that unique volcano-effect and the green was hogs-backed significantly.

I must say that while I enjoyed the change, it seems out of character for a daily-fee public course. It was a pretty radical change. Anyone know why the change was made and who made it? Was it a part of the original design?

[Mark Saltzman]

John, no idea the reason why it was done, but that hole is the best on the course!

[Howard Riefs]

- Plantation Preserve, Plantation (very open and linksy, filled with cape, island and redan holes)

I grew up in Plantation. Amazing how what used to be the horrific Plantation Golf Club was radically transformed into a course that's now worth playing.

http://www.plantation.org/Golf/Plantation-Preserve/history.html

[David Hendler]

Tyler,

I'm living in downtown Miami currently and the courses listed previously are pretty much the courses worth playing. Normandy Shores is not a bad option if you are living right there. Miami Beach, Crandon and the Biltmore are regarded as the class of the daily fee courses in Dade County.

PM me anytime to set up a game.

[Tyler Ince]

Excellent thanks for the feedback.  I have my work cut out for me for sure with all the courses around here - J you are right...perfect timing to get here at the end of the summer. Mark, David, J and Ted I look forward to meeting up at some point.  I am off September 26th for Yom Kippur in case anyone can get a weekday off.  Otherwise I am stuck on Saturdays and Sundays but would enjoy playing with you guys anywhere.  I will send PMs with my email and number to see if we can coordinate in the ensuing weeks.

[Bill_McBride]

- Plantation Preserve, Plantation (very open and linksy, filled with cape, island and redan holes)

I grew up in Plantation. Amazing how what used to be the horrific Plantation Golf Club was radically transformed into a course that's now worth playing.

http://www.plantation.org/Golf/Plantation-Preserve/history.html

Interesting, Howard, we lived in Plantation in 1982-83 ("16 months, two weeks, four days, three hours and 27 minutes, but who's counting?".).  I never heard of Plantation CC, played mostly at Rolling Hills (Bushwood) and a few rounds at Jacaranda CC.  A vast architectural wasteland.......

[Sam Morrow]

John, no idea the reason why it was done, but that hole is the best on the course!

Isn't Crandon a Von Hagge/Devlin, that's kind of a template par 3 for them.