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2 Florida Golf Courses Named Greatest In America

Author Kayla Morgan

Golf Digest dropped their annual list of America’s greatest golf courses and two courses in Florida made the list.

According to the golf magazine, the Florida golf courses named among the best are in Juno Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach. Since 1966, Golf Digest has published America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses. 1,800 panelists submitted more than 85,000 evaluations over their 10-year scoring criteria. Their experts evaluate candidate courses on six criteria on a scale of 1 to 10. These include shot options, challenge, layout variety, aesthetics, conditioning, and character.

Florida Golf Course Ranked Number 10

The golf course that ranked the highest in the state at number 10 is Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach. Previously, it was ranked number 11 by the golf magazine. Its highest ranking was number 8 in 1985 and 1989. Opened in 1929, it was designed by Donald Ross and is considered one of his masterpieces, along with Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. The private North Palm Beach golf course has half a dozen holes set by the Atlantic Ocean and measures 6836 yards from the longest tees, and has a slope rating of 145 and a 73.8 USGA rating.  “Seminole has long been one of America’s most exclusive clubs, which is why it was thrilling to see it on TV for the first time during the TaylorMade Driving Relief match, and then again for the 2021 Walker Cup,” wrote Golf Digest.

Next On The List

At number 41 is TPC Sawgrass: Stadium. This public golf course’s concept was the idea of then-PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman, said Golf Digest. The 1980 design was by Pete Dye, who set out to test the world’s best golfers by mixing demands of distance with target golf. Recently, Steve Wenzloff of PGA Tour Design Services remodeled several holes, most significantly the 12th, which is now a drivable par 4.

See the full list of the best golf courses in America according to Golf Digest here.

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The 9 Best Public Golf Courses in Southwest Florida: Ranked

The 9 Best Public Golf Courses in Southwest Florida. Fort Myers and Naples have some of the nicest golf courses in the country – the only problem is, to play these, you either need a rich friend who belongs at one of the courses, or you need to part ways with a couple hundred thousand to become a member yourself.

Don’t have either? You’re still in luck!   Southwest Florida has a litany of fun and challenging public courses open year-round to the average bloke. They may not offer the luxury amenities such as iced towels, golf carts outfitted with GPS and speakers, and Pro-V1 range balls, but the beers are just as cold and often times the cart girls are better looking!

I put these courses through a screening process and am basing this on certain criteria – first and foremost, they need to be open year-round for public play. After that, I judged them on: Layout (fun vs challenging), Condition and Amenities, Rates, Cart Girls (when applicable), and of course, the 19th hole. So, text your buddies, wash your balls, and tee up at these local favorites year round.  

These are The 9 Best Public Golf Courses in Southwest Florida

Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it. She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel. A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community. She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.

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