Apart from the unique experience that only golf can offer, the sport draws attention to itself due to the various, creatively designed golf courses across the globe. Some of these golf courses are so stunning that they make an excellent tourist destination for golf enthusiasts. Indeed, there is more to golf than swinging.
Florida is pretty famous when it comes to golf courses. With at least three golf tournaments held annually, Florida doesn’t run out of public and private courses that each shines in its own glory. The state boasts over a thousand golf courses sitting in her bosom.
The Sunshine State also features one of America’s most challenging golf courses. Due to its climate, it makes for a great destination to play golf all year round. If you are looking for awe-inspiring golf courses constructed both for play mechanics and aesthetics, then Florida is the place to go. Here are some of the best golf courses you can try to visit in Florida.
1. Seminole Golf Club
Designed by Donald Ross in 1929, this private, 140-acre (57 ha) golf club features several dune ridges that ultimately gave the venue its unique aesthetics. This classy coastal retreat promises exciting golf rounds, given its firm playing surfaces and cleverly angled greens. Each hole in this course features a different wind direction, given Ross’s intelligent routing on a semi-rectangular site.
2. Tournament Players Club (TPC) Sawgrass, Stadium Course
Every golf fan would certainly not dare miss the chance to sit at the raised mounds of grass in one of the world’s most iconic golf courses. Sawgrass is the first of the TPCs and is currently home to the Player’s Championship – one of the PGA Tour’s most celebrated events. Built-in the autumn of 1980 by the mastermind Pete Dye, this magnificent golf course is prominent for its world-renowned 17th hole.
The par-3 (also known as the Island Green) produces the most thrilling golf plays each year for most golf enthusiasts. The island green is notorious for ruining a great golfer’s round, proving the course’s difficulty. This handsome golfing battleground is an excellent venue for both golf newbies and veterans alike.
3. Copperhead Course, Innisbrook
The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook highlights its subtle folds and fairways line with lush green trees, which is a pretty rewarding view for both golfers and spectators. The greens in this course are surrounded by water, and the terrain features significant elevation changes – the same things that challenge the golfer’s approach to the gameplay.
Apart from the refreshing natural spectacle of greens, waters, and trees, the course is interestingly home to wildlife, including reptiles like snakes and alligators basking on the early Florida sun.
4. Black Course,Tiburón Golf Club
Suppose you want to test your management skills while in the course, the Black Course at Tiburón Golf Club is a perfect fit for you. This golf course will require the players to focus on strategy instead of only swing power, covering about 7,000 yards. With its tight fairways lined by trees and water hazards, golfers are to make sure to leave no room for errors.
The Black Course is one of the two golf courses of the Tiburón Golf Club – the other one is the Gold Course. Greg Norman, two-time winner of the Open Championship and a former top-ranked player in the world, designed both of the golf courses in 1998.
5. Bay Hill Club & Lodge
Designed by Dick Wilson in 1961, this course is arguably the man’s most significant work. The Bay Hill lived up to its potential as one of Florida’s strongest fields and golfing battlegrounds, amusing even the golf legend Tiger Woods himself. The 270-acre course comprises 27 holes – the Challenger, Champion, and Charger nines.
One can undoubtedly not miss the spectacular scenery that the course winds up to. It lies between the Bay Hill community and the Butler Chain of Lakes, leading to the lush, towering grove of trees that paint a refreshing background for your golfing stunt.
6. Streamsong – Red
Developed by the Mosaic Company in Bowling Green, Florida, the Red course is a minimalist masterpiece carved out of a former phosphate strip mine. Unlike others on this list, this course features a bouncier, rowdier play. With the apparent absence of water or swamp, the system provides some leeway off the tee.
Nevertheless, golfers must be keen on attacking from the right angle while being precise and creative with their shots.