News

Jan 03, 2024

Two Palm Coast golf courses make Golfweek's list of Top 30 in Florida

Whether you are a Top-10 player on the PGA Tour or a weekend hacker, one of the

Whether you are a Top-10 player on the PGA Tour or a weekend hacker, one of the attractions of the game of golf is getting to play different golf courses. People living in Florida or visiting the Sunshine State can never be disappointed by the numerous golf course options.

Florida is also a mecca for some of the very best golf courses in the country and the world. Many of these courses are off-limits because of their private membership status or they are in gated communities and not open for public play.

When it comes to playing what are considered elite, high-end courses, Golfweek makes it a little easier by ranking the best public access courses in the U.S. That includes a list for each state.

Florida had 30 courses on this year's list, including two in Flagler County: Hammock Beach Resort (Ocean) and Hammock Beach Resort (Conservatory) courses in Palm Coast were ranked at No. 10 and 11, respectively.

Golfweek uses a nationwide network of raters to compile the rankings.

According to Golfweek's website, the hundreds of members of its course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce all our Golfweek's Best course rankings.

The courses on this list, according to Golfweek, allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there's a will, there's a tee time – no membership required. (There are a handful of courses on this list that some players might consider to be private, but they do allow non-hosted, non-member guest play in some limited form, normally through a local hotel or similar arrangement.)

Ponte Vedra Beach

Bowling Green

Bowling Green

Bowling Green

Orlando

Miami

Palm Beach Gardens

Tarpon Springs

Watersound

Palm Coast

Palm Coast

Aventura

Miramar Beach

Naples

Haines City

Dunnellon

Port St. Lucie

Ponte Vedra Beach

Port St. Lucie

Winter Garden

Fernandina Beach

West Palm Beach

T22. Orange County National (Crooked Cat)

Winter Garden

Miami

Key Biscayne

Ponte Vedra Beach

St. Augustine

Destin

Boca Grande

West Palm Beach

Staff Writer Jim Abbott contributed to this story.