Best golf courses: Emerald Coast, FL

Golf on The Emerald Coast: with its calm sandy beaches and turquoise waters The Emerald Coast is Orlando's and Tampa's quiet cousin. Besides its underwater adventures, interesting local haunts, bottlenose dolphins and beautiful natural ecosystem, the coastline also serves up memorable golfing experiences. To make the most of your golfing trip, and to help in your planning, you can look up the location of the best courses in Emerald on our customised maps.

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Pensacola
Adams & Pate

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Pensacola

Designer

Originally designed by Chic Adams (1959); redesigned by Jerry Pate (1992)
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Pensacola
Palmer, Arnold

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Pensacola

Designer

An Arnold Palmer Signature Course.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Destin
Walker, Robert

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Robert "Bob" Walker

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Pensacola
Stone, Earl

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Pensacola

Designer

Earl Stone

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
(Closed in 2018)
Panama City
Byrd, Willard

Visitors?

(Closed in 2018)

Nearest city

Panama City

Designer

Willard Byrd

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Destin
Finger & Dye

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Joe Finger and Ken Dye

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Rsrt guests only
Destin
Fazio, Tom

Visitors?

Rsrt guests only

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Tom Fazio

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Rsrt guests only
Destin
Norman, Greg

Visitors?

Rsrt guests only

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Greg Norman

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
(Closed in 2018)
Panama City
Burnham, Wes

Visitors?

(Closed in 2018)

Nearest city

Panama City

Designer

Wes Burnham

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Destin
Fazio & Pate

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Tom Fazio designed the Bay and Lake nines (1981). Marsh-nine designed by Tom Fazio & Jerry Pate (1987). Magnolia-nine designed by Jerry Pate (1993).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Panama City
Nicklaus Design

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Panama City

Designer

Originally called the "Legends" course (1986), the layout was completely redesigned by Gary Nicklaus of Nicklaus Design (2005).

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Rsrt guests only
Destin
Jones, Rees

Visitors?

Rsrt guests only

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Rees Jones

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Destin
Jackson, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Tom Jackson

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Destin
Cupp, Bob

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Original design by Bob Cupp (1991) and also a substantial redesign by him (2014).

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Destin
Jones II, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Robert Trent Jones II (lead designer Bruce Charlton).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
(Closed in 2010)
Pensacola
LaFoy, John

Visitors?

(Closed in 2010)

Nearest city

Pensacola

Designer

John B. LaFoy

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Destin
Jackson, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Tom Jackson

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Pensacola
Amick, Bill

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Pensacola

Designer

Bill Amick

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
(Closed in 2008)
Destin
Bergin, Bill

Visitors?

(Closed in 2008)

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Bill Bergin

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Destin
Stone, Earl

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Earl Stone

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Destin
Couples & Bates

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Designed by Fred Couples and Gene Bates, with input from Bob Cupp and Michael Riley.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Destin
O'Rourke, Doug

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Doug O'Rourke

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Pensacola
Cook, Hiram

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Pensacola

Designer

Hiram Cook

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Pensacola
Amick, Garl & Pate

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Pensacola

Designer

Original Bill Amick design later modified by Ron Garl and substantially redesigned by Jerry Pate.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Pensacola
Garl, Ron

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Pensacola

Designer

Ron Garl
Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Destin
Jackson, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Destin

Designer

Tom Jackson

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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Littlestone Golf Club (Kent, UK)