Bay Dunes Golf Club

The course is in bad shape. Traps are overgrown, fairways needed mowing, greens were very rough. No beer in the clubhouse.
It is a nice layout but in very poor condition.

I love playing golf anywhere and everywhere and I will not speak bad about any golf courses, but this one has a way to go to up to par, I enjoyed the time and price I paid for the round I had.

The course looked much better out there today; tees were trimmed, fairways were cut a little wider, hills along the edge were trimmed, sand traps are now getting attention, greens were pretty nice and even the cart paths were patched and weren't as rough as they used to be. I hit the ball well and had a great time. It's still the best bang for your buck for golfing fun (especially now that it's cooler out) in all of Bay County. Regular price for 18 holes is the best in town at $29. They also have Specials going on: Two players for $50, Saturday Special is $20 per person, and Twilight after 3pm is $20. They have snacks, bottle drinks, dogs and burgers, but no beer yet(you can bring your own - for a limited time I think though, and that's a huge savings right there, so leave the cashier a tip anyway :) ), great electric carts, a full size driving range, an ok putting green, and chipping green.

Golf weather is just around the corner, looking forward to the cool breezes. This is still a great public 18hole full size course. You have to think on each hole, weigh taking chances verses straight and safe, makes you think a little. The management is working very hard to mow it and de weed it, etc. I just 'play it up' in the fairway, I don't fret over an occassional lost ball in the slightly thick nearby rough(I just drop a freebie) and press on, the greens are pretty reliable(fairly fast after mowed) if you just observe the texture beforehand but they just aren't perfect. You have to hit the ball a little cleaner than at your regular course just because the fairway grass is not perfect grass, but you just get better keeping your eye on the ball. This is a little bit of a training ground in tightening up the loose ends of your game, you need to be relaxed and hit straight hitting the ball first. It's a pretty and fun layout for the flat Panama City delta land area(has a few hills and doglegs). I like coming out here. I played a friend, beat him with my 82 to his 88, tied up '7 over' until the last two holes. He got really greedy stuck in between trees, I just choked a little and pulled through and won, ...you see, that is better than sitting at home watching someone else play golf...and for cheap...

I HOPE THE NEW OWNERS DIDN'T PAY MUCH FOR THE COURSE. ITS VERY VERY BAD.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. NOT MOWED. CANT TELL ROUGH FROM FAIRWAY. GREENS WERE ACTUALLY BROWNS. TERRIBLE GOLF COURSE. LAYOUT WAS PRETTY GOOD BUT NEEDS LOTS OF MAINTENANCE. BUNKERS LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TOUCHED IN MONTHS.

I understand it's the cheaper alternative in town but the course is in terrible shape.

I have played Bay Dunes about a dozen times in the past 5 years while vacationing in Panama City Beach. The course has always been fun to play because of the layout. It is challenging without being brutal. The problem has been the condition of the course varied from very good at times to absolutely hideous. I played here about 3 months ago and the greens were so bad I thought I would never come back. I decided to give the course one more try this week and I was pleasantly surprised with the improvement of the greens. They still have a way to go, but you can tell the course management is really trying to get it back in shape.

I teed off from the blue tees, I think I hit avg 220-240 yd drives(been lots of humidity lately), avg iron distance, chip ok and putt ok, and get out of sand traps pretty good using my 60 degree lobber. The course is a little crude what with more weeds now than I'd like. But the ground crew is mowing feverishly, and it looks groomed, just you need to use some common sense if you land on a mowed weed(fairway/green) and you don't like it...,. I shot a 37 and a 40 for a 77, first under 80 in years for me. It's because I was driving 'under control' and my long irons were more controlled than before. I took an extra few seconds planning chips and putts. So, for a budget course it's a good ole course, lots of fun, and will keep you coming back. I support the 'home team'. One day it may get more pristine, but it takes a little time and money, this course is making progress, you ought to check it out, and it has a driving range too. Presenlty, Daily rate is $29 and Twilight rate(aft 3) is $20. The money saved you could dine out.

Would never play here again... The greens were terrible and the course shape was very bad.

The staff was very friendly and accommodating and that is the only good thing about this course. The greens were sand traps, the holes hadn't been changed in so long grass was growing over the hole. There wasn't a fairway. We paid $18 and it wasn't worth it!!!

Course is in need of major work. But to their credit, they just bought the course a few months ago.

I've been getting the word out about the greens getting aerated/sanded/cut short, ....thought people knew what I was talking about, guess not. But, they are fairly predictable, I've seen other municipal courses struggling with greens, it can be a common occurance. I think they are the best I've ever seen 'while' being aerated, I still love playing out here. I shot an 84 from the blues today by hitting straight simple drives(they always go farther that way too), my irons were awesome, chipping was only 'not so great' because the greens were more often than not 'more' slippery than I thought. The close by roughs were ok, I found my ball with no trouble. I actually have learned to stay out of the mounds on the edges of the fairways, so I only lost one ball(see, this course improves your game; weeks ago I was losing 5 or 6 a round). I landed in a trap on hole 12, you know they're a little hard from watering(and occasional rain) and had no problem with my 60 degree lob wedge cutting through about 2-3" inches behind the ball and lifting the ball up and out landing 5' from the hole and putted in. Who cares about a few dead weeds in the sand, maintenance is on a priority basis for now, greens are top priority. I love this discount course which I 'CAN AFFORD TO PLAY ON'. Maybe others can afford $70 for a round, not me, I was layed off a year ago and also recovering from an accident, my best rehab is the general exercise involved in golf not to mention the wilderness scenery, clouds and sunsets. So, when you see the awful reviews, take them with a grain of salt, 'Rome' wasn't built in a day, and it also takes a long time to build yourself into a good golfer, and that means playing more on courses that you CAN AFFORD, experiencing not always the 'perfect' conditions(golfers have to be ADAPTABLE), one of the key ingredients, and the golfers here are pretty friendly anyway, they keep up the pace or let you by, how many places do that. I just remembered, out west how at my main course ALL THE FAIRWAYS WERE HARD PAN BASICALLY NOTHING THERE and if you could actually hit the ball clean then the ball bounced and rolled another 70 yards(better hope you didn't slice) cactus is no fun.

Horribly kept course. They greens at MOST had 20% grass, the rest was sand. Most greens were completely sand. The rough was ROUGH but on a plus side the fairways were fairly well kept. I wouldn't play here again for free just because it's not worth the time.

Weeds everywhere including greens. Sand non existent in the sand traps because it was all on the greens. Impossible to putt because of sand and weeds. It is the worst course I have ever played. Ever. The biggest clue was we arrived at 8:00 AM with no cars on the lot and left at 11:30 with no cars in the lot. No water on the course. No pro shop to buy any gear (ie golf glove).

Here's the scoop, I shot an 85 from the tips, the course is not perfect but they're working hard to improve it. You have to hit straight drives, if you can't, then try your 3 wood. The fairways seem a little narrower now but are clearly marked with yardage poles, the nearby roughs are almost too shaggy but you'll 'probably' find your ball there, but if you hit a little wide into the fringe mounds then just forget about ever finding your ball. I know technically there are rules on lost balls, but playing here, for now, because it's a discount course, you can probably just drop a ball somewhere nearby and just keep on going...and just have a fun day, enjoying yourself and working on improving your straight shots. Fairway irons and chipping played pretty good. Putting has some issues because of some greens going through aearation. But you can tell if the greens are slick, average or a little slow or bumpy. Another one of those times where you can just have fun if you know you would have made a put normally. Anyway, I still think it gets better all the time out here, just stay on the fairway, or make sure you bring some extra balls. Nobody anywhere is working harder to provide a good course at an affordable cost than this crew! If you support golf in general, then you should check out this reasonably priced full size course with a driving range and putting green.

I like what the new management has done to bring the course back after it's momentary glitch when it was down for a few months. Their priorities are greens, fairways, roughs, traps, and refreshments(also there is a putting green and driving range). I love going out there, I've been shooting high 80s from the tips recently, my problem isn't the course, it's my short game. They are diligently working to aerate the greens, so don't get upset over a few imperfections. Use a little common sense and your 'discretion' on the greens if they are being aerated, and the same in the thick roughs, you might lose a few balls(watch them until they completely stop rolling!), but in truth, roughs are allowed to be 4" deep anyway, so hit straight and hit the greens in regulation and just enjoy planning your game strategy and seeing the wide open woodsy scenery. I think I'll play tommorrow, it's been a week, miss it.

This course was in horriable condition. I would not pay $1 to play this course. No grass on the greens and no grass on the fairways. The only grass on the course was in the bunkers. This course is a disgrace to the game.

three of us played 18 holes with carts for less than $50. nice long course and super friendly staff. will be back

The new owners have been there since April they have a lot of work to do to get the course back in shape but it has potential !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!