The 11 Best Golf Resorts in Florida
From Orlando to St. Augustine, these are 11 of the best golf resorts in Florida.
When it comes to golf resorts, Florida is not shy about its love for a good links. After all, it's home to more golf courses than any other state in the country. These courses can be found throughout the Sunshine State with a variety of resorts with top-notch amenities for kids like water parks and lazy rivers and non-golfing companions like spas and beach access.
As golf aficionados may already know, Florida is also home to the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine. This museum chronicles the sport's history while displaying artifacts of famous golfers past and present. Visitors also have a chance to take aim at the TPC Sawgrass island green on a replica of that famously difficult 17th hole at the Tournaments Players Club Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Even if you don't make it to the Hall of Fame, these golf resorts bursting with amenities are ideal family vacation destinations. Here are 11 of the best golf resorts in Florida.
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Ponte Vedra Beach
This luxurious resort overlooks the Atlantic, offering ocean views from guest rooms and suites, many of which also have private balconies and fireplaces. Its sister property, The Lodge & Club Ponte Vera Beach, shares its amenities, including a stretch of white-sand beach, tennis courts, an expansive spa, pools, and daily children's activities. Two golf courses — the seaside Ocean Course, with its island green on hole number nine, as well as the lush Lagoon Course — are available for guests at both properties.
Innisbrook, a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort, Palm Harbor
Set on 900 wooded acres about a half-hour from Tampa, Innisbrook features four exceptional golf courses, including the Copperhead Course, home of the PGA Tour's annual Valspar Championship. The Salamander Spa, pools, beach, tennis courts, bike rentals, and children's activities are on offer to keep everyone in the family busy or relaxed, whichever they choose. Plus, there are a variety of accommodation sizes from simple guest rooms to suites and vacation home rentals for large groups.
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Orlando, Grande Lakes
Approximately 15 miles from the airport in Orlando, this grand resort will call to mind Florida's golden age of hospitality. Contemporary guest rooms and suites, a spa, salon, fitness center, pools, multiple restaurants, and children's activities make it an ideal family-friendly destination. Golfers will enjoy the Greg Norman-designed course and its natural Central Florida landscape that includes ponds, wetlands, and live oaks.
Reunion Resort & Golf Club, Kissimmee
This family-friendly resort, just a few miles from Walt Disney World and Orlando's theme parks, boasts 10 pools, a water park, tennis and pickleball courts, footgolf (a blend between golf and soccer), miniature golf, and three signature golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Tom Watson. Accommodations include one- to three-bedroom villas with fully equipped kitchens, as well as spacious vacation rentals.
World Golf Village, St. Augustine
Visitors heading to the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine will not only enjoy being immersed in the game's history but will also have an opportunity to play two courses created by golf legends. The King & Bear is the world's only course co-designed by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, and the Slammer & Squire shows off the work of Hall of Fame members Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen with architect Bobby Weed. You can stay at the World Golf Village Renaissance, which offers a spa, pool, game room, and a convenient nearby location to the Hall of Fame.
The Biltmore, Coral Gables
This Miami area classic features the Biltmore Course, which was originally designed in 1925 by golf course architect Donald Ross, but has since been updated for contemporary gameplay. The stately resort's 23,000-square-foot pool is one of the largest in the country, and poolside furnished cabanas add to the experience. The resort also offers an expansive spa, traditional English afternoon tea, a courtyard restaurant, cooking classes for adults, and a culinary camp for kids.
LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, Naples
Located in southwest Florida on the Gulf of Mexico, this resort has white-sand beaches, a pool with luxurious private cabanas, guest rooms and suites with shoreline views, and the beachfront SpaTerre. The 18-hole links-style course winds among lakes, rolling green fairways, and lush landscaping. Childcare and kid-friendly amenities like babysitting services and complimentary beach toys make LaPlaya a great family destination, and the area's water sports include kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, sunset cruises, and more.
PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach Gardens
At the PGA Resort in Palm Beach, there are five PGA Championship courses to choose from. Golfers have a range of challenges from The Champion, (home of the annual Honda Classic) and The Palmer (named for its designer) to The Staple (a nine-hole course). Childcare, supervised kids' activities, beach volleyball, bikes, and lawn games only add to the family-friendly atmosphere and amenities include tennis courts, pools, fitness studios, nearby beaches, eco-tours, and luxury shopping. Inside the rooms are tropical and cozy and you can opt for a private balcony overlooking the course or the pool.
JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa, Aventura
This elegant Miami resort offers spacious rooms and suites and a variety of restaurants that include Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak as well as casual options and poolside dining. The resort's two championship courses, originally designed by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and reimagined by Raymond Floyd, are both scenic and challenging. Additional amenities include a spa and a waterpark with a cabana-lined lazy river.
Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa, Palm Coast
The Lodge at Hammock Beach has two award-winning golf courses the Conservatory Course, designed by Tom Watson, and the Jack Nicklaus-designed Ocean Course, with six holes bordering the Atlantic. Here you'll find an oceanfront boutique hotel featuring 20 rooms with views of the beach or the course and amenities include a spa, a spacious indoor pool complex, and an outdoor pool with a waterslide and lazy river.
Streamsong Resort, Bowling Green
This Central Florida golf resort in Bowling Green, approximately 65 miles from Tampa, has three spectacular 18-hole courses as well as an entertaining putting course and a seven-hole short course. Guests can stay at the Streamsong Lodge or the Clubhouse for modern, stylish accommodations. After golf, there's a spa, an infinity pool overlooking the lake, bass fishing, archery, a sporting clay course, and 16,000 acres to explore.
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