Golfweek released it's ranking of best public golf courses in Florida and 2 SWFL golf courses made the list. The Naples course they recommend comes as no surprise, but another local course might. Port Charlotte has one of the top courses in the state.
Golfweek has released its annual list of best golf courses here in the Sunshine State. The list covers the private clubs, as well as the best public golf courses in Florida. Topping the list of private courses in the Seminole Golf Club on Juno Beach. Closer to home, the second highest rated private golf course in all of Florida is the Calusa Pines Golf Club in Naples.
Is the Calusa Pines exclusive? You bet. Membership is limited to 275 people. The initiation fee is reported to be $245,000 with annual dues of $33,000 for the course that's open 8 months out of the year. Even if you got the cash for that, you'll still need help getting in. Membership is by invite only. Naples National is also on the private course list at number 11.
The Best Public Golf Courses in Florida
So what do you do when you want some amazing golf but can't shell out a quarter of a million dollars? Public golf courses. But don't let the 'public' part fool you. The courses on this list are far from ordinary. 2 Southwest Florida courses made the list. Coming in at number 21 is the JW Marriott Marco Island (Hammock Bay).
There's 2 ways you can show up for a round of golf at Hammock Bay. To drive, the course is located just off 951 between Marco Island and the East Trail (41). Or, the Marco Island Executive Airport is located just behind the course. Yes, if you have the means, you can pull your clubs from the private plane and put them on a golf cart and hit the links. Better yet, stay on the Marco Island and maybe catch a sunset.
The Best Public Golf Courses in Florida - Number 26
Coming in at number 26 of the best public golf courses in Florida is Riverwood in Port Charlotte. An absolutely amazing place to play, some publications actually list this as the number one public course in Florida. And the price is right, too. Prime morning tee times around $65 and mid-day under $50. Keep in mind, this is Florida. If you're starting a round after noon you're certainly risking afternoon thunderstorms.
There's Great Golf Everywhere
Congratulations to Hammock Bay and Riverwood for being acknowledged by Golfweek. There's so many great golf courses in Florida, it has to be a near impossible task to rank them. Since it's subjective, here's how our local staff ranks our local SWFL courses.
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