Destination Guide

Destination: FL's Emerald Coast

Florida's Gulf Coast might be overlooked by vacationers preferring Disney theme parks and Palm Beach resorts. But West Florida isn't just for Spring-Breaking college kids. Getaways like Destin showcase some of the state's best golf on beaches just as beautiful as the ones on the other side of the state. Already an established golf destination, courses continue to pop up along Florida's Emerald Coast. Truckloads of money have been dumped into newer courses in hopes of catching the attention of golfers who think all Florida courses are flat tracts filled with water and condos.

Along the Florida Panhandle, you may think you're playing part of Mississippi or Alabama's golf trails. Courses like the Fred Couples/Gene Bates-designed SouthWood Golf Course take advantage of the rolling hills and open pasture lands near Tallahassee.

SouthWood is the keystone to Tallahassee's emergence as a Florida golf destination. Opened in 2002, SouthWood is the first course in the region to fully capitalize on the area's topography. Remarkably tall Oak trees give the course its idyllic feel. Each of SouthWood's holes has a different air. Couples and Bates stuck to the lay of the land and plenty of golfers in Florida have noticed. Even Florida State's golf team has decided to use SouthWood as its home course.

Courses like SouthWood brightly contrast what Florida golf is known for. Places like Destin, Panama City and Pensacola feature shimmering beach resort courses that abound with water and white sand bunkers. These are the courses that Florida made its name with and there are still plenty like them along the Emerald Coast. In Destin, the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort takes up 2,400 acres between the Gulf and the Choctawhatchee Bay. Featuring four 18-hole championship courses, Sandestin rivals any resort in the South. Its two marquee courses, Burnt Pine and The Raven, were respectively designed by brothers Rees and Robert Trent Jones, Jr.

Burnt Pine, opened in 1994, is a little more open and islocated on a more scenic piece of property. It also exhibits the contouring and mounding that Rees Jones is known for. The Raven, a 2000 creation, has a few more tricky shots and plenty of large format, MacKenzie-style bunkering.

See also


Special Deals

Wesley Chapel Golf Package
Dates: April 1, 2012 - December 30, 2012
Saddlebrook Resort is rated by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine as one of the Top 100 Golf Resorts. Choose from two 18-hole championship Arnold Palmer signature golf courses, the immaculate, tree-lined par-70 Saddlebrook course or the undulating par-71 Palmer course. Enjoy luxurious accommodations in one of our deluxe hotel rooms or richly appointed suites at one of Florida's quintessential golf resorts (Two Night Minimum).
Price range: $95

Courses

Course City Rates from
Course City Rates from
Emerald Bay
Tee Times | Website
Destin $30
Meadows at Bay Point Resort
Tee Times | Website
Panama City $26
Baytowne at Sandestin Resort
Tee Times | Website
Destin $45
Burnt Pine at Sandestin Resort
Website
Destin $119
Links at Sandestin Resort
Tee Times | Website
Destin $35
Regatta Bay Golf & Country Club
Tee Times | Website
Destin $59
Seascape Resort
Tee Times | Website
Destin $27
Raven at Sandestin Resort
Tee Times | Website
Destin $65
Nicklaus Course at Bay Point Resort
Tee Times | Website
Panama City $34
Camp Creek Golf Club
Tee Times
Panama City Beach $95
Perdido Bay Golf Club
Tee Times
Pensacola $29
Scenic Hills Country Club
Tee Times
Pensacola $17.95
Marcus Pointe Golf Club
Tee Times
Pensacola $28
Regulation at Holiday Golf Club
Tee Times
Panama City Beach $35
Nature Walk Golf Club
Tee Times
Lynn Haven $25
Choctaw/Creek at Indian Bayou Golf & Country Club
Tee Times
Destin $45
Shalimar Pointe Golf & Country Club
Tee Times
Shalimar $20.95
Kelly Plantation
Tee Times
Destin $59
Windswept Dunes Golf Course
Tee Times
Freeport $30
Sunny Hills Golf Club
Tee Times
Sunny Hills $28.50 - $39.50
Good/Bad Course at Hombre Golf Club
Tee Times
Panama City Beach $42
Tiger Point Golf and Country Club - East
Tee Times
Gulf Breeze $20
Blackstone Golf Course
Tee Times
Lane Mossy Head $39
Seminole/Choctaw at Indian Bayou Golf & Country Club
Tee Times
Destin $45
Club at Hidden Creek, The
Tee Times
Navarre $20.95
Cypress Lakes Golf Club
Tee Times
Cantonment $25.95
DeFuniak Springs Country Club
Tee Times
Defuniak Springs $19
Panama Country Club
Tee Times
Lynn Haven $45
Hombre Golf Club - Bad/Ugly Course
Tee Times
Panama City Beach $42
Lost Key Golf Club
Tee Times
Pensacola $60
Good/Ugly Course at Hombre Golf Club
Tee Times
Panama City Beach $42
Tiger Point Golf and Country Club - West Gulf Breeze N/A
First page Previous page Next page Last page

Area Map

loading local map...

Latest reader ratings from this area

Related Articles


  • Regatta BayRegatta Bay Regatta Bay Golf and Country Club: Straighten Up and Fly Right

    There are now nearly 1,100 golf holes on Florida's Emerald Coast, an area along the Gulf of Mexico encompassing Destin between Panama City Beach to Pensacola, with more added each year. Drawing the visiting golfer to one course over another can be a fierce business and a lackluster course is likely to be on the outside looking in. A flamboyant golf course such as Regatta Bay Golf Club and Resort, on the other hand, can do wonders for marketing and recognition.
    ... full article »

  • Raven Golf Club Golf on the Emerald Coast A Destin Golf Primer

    It's called the Emerald Coast because at certain times of the day the Gulf of Mexico waters just off the Panhandle shores shimmer a pure, amazing green color. The contrast between the calm, jeweled Gulf water and the pure white "sugar" sand beaches can be startling and is the reason why this is one of the truly beautiful and appreciated havens to those who know it. Thousands of families visit this corner of Florida between Panama City Beach and Pensacola each spring and summer to indulge in the powdery sand, consistently ideal weather and plethora of golf.
    ... full article »

  • Edgewater Beach Resort Edgewater Beach Resort and The Hombre Golf Club

    Edgewater Beach Resort is certainly the most complete resort in the Panama City area, comprised of over 500 privately owned suites that are rented out to visiting guests, 27 holes of golf at The Hombre and a separate 9-hole executive course on property, 11 various swimming pools, 11 tennis courts, an on-site spa and health center, and two restaurants.
    ... full article »