Why South Florida Is “Championship Territory”
If there’s a stretch in the United States where golf isn’t treated as a hobby but as a culture, it’s here: Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. The game operates at two speeds at once—high-end resort golf (service, polish, experience) and old-school private club golf (ritual, tradition, standards). That creates something rare: courses that can be extremely enjoyable for amateurs, yet are designed—without apology—to make competitive players uncomfortable.
South Florida is also a laboratory of architecture and agronomy. Paspalum in coastal corridors, firm greens in real heat, true ocean wind, water used as strategic defense (not decoration), and bunkering that actually punishes. The courses here don’t “look hard”—they are hard. And the best part is that the difficulty comes with real stories: legendary exhibitions, professional tour venues, major redesigns by top architects, and long tournament runs that shaped generations.
To build this ranking, I used six criteria, weighted the way a competitive player would:
- Design quality (risk/reward, variety, strategy).
- Condition and consistency (greens, fairways, rough, drainage).
- Identity (does it have a “signature,” or could it be anywhere?).
- Competitive weight (tournaments, reputation in serious golf).
- Complete experience (pace, practice facilities, caddie program, service).
- Accessibility (private vs. public; true value per dollar/time).
Expert Ranking: Top 12 Courses (Miami-Dade → Broward → Boca Raton → West Palm Beach)
1) Seminole Golf Club (Juno Beach) — The Elite Benchmark
Seminole is the definition of “pure golf”: a club where everything revolves around the game. It doesn’t need marketing; it has reputation. Its competitive weight is backed by major events and the fact that it has hosted significant competitions (for example, the 2021 Walker Cup). What’s the secret? Coastal wind, surfaces that demand trajectory control, and a design that won’t let you survive on power alone—it forces you to think, choose angles, and respect every green.
Best for: advanced, competitive players; lovers of classic golf. Uncomfortable truth: if you don’t own your approach game and pressure putting, the course will make it obvious.
2) PGA National – Champion Course (Palm Beach Gardens) — The Test with a Name
Very few courses have a finishing stretch with a global nickname. The Champion Course lives under the shadow (and fame) of the “Bear Trap” (holes 15–17)—a closing stretch that can wreck scorecards in minutes, and it’s part of the course’s competitive DNA. The venue remains tied to the PGA Tour (the event currently known as the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches), which speaks to its caliber and demands.
Best for: anyone who truly wants to measure themselves. Championship note: you don’t win here with inspiration—you win with discipline.
3) Trump National Doral – Blue Monster (Doral, Miami) — Power, Water, and Tour Legacy
The Blue Monster is a monument to modern Florida golf: long, stern, loaded with water in play, and a professional history that made it synonymous with “par is good.” Its competitive story includes decades as a PGA Tour stop and a meaningful era as a WGC venue. And as a high-impact calendar note, the return of top-level PGA Tour competition to Doral in 2026 has been reported/confirmed—reinforcing the place’s historical weight.
Best for: players who love “big golf” (real yardage + real punishment). Technical advice: if your driver isn’t stable, play it like chess, not boxing.
4) The Bear’s Club (Jupiter) — Nicklaus in Perfectionist Mode
Founded by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, The Bear’s Club was built with a clear idea: create a top-tier private club experience centered on serious golf. This is a course where details rule—visually elegant, strategically demanding, with a club “tempo” you feel from the warm-up onward.
Best for: players who value precision and a premium experience. Short story: luxury doesn’t replace difficulty here—it underlines it.
5) Trump International Golf Club (West Palm Beach) — Tournament Caliber, “Show” Aesthetics
Designed by Jim Fazio and opened in 1999, this course was conceived for championship-level play. It’s a place where the design is visible from the first hole—elevation, framing, water, and a stage-like presentation that intimidates anyone who arrives without a plan.
Best for: golfers seeking private, demanding, highly polished golf. Competitive tip: the strategy is to avoid the big number; bogeys are acceptable, doubles are expensive.
6) The Park at West Palm Beach (West Palm Beach) — The Municipal That Plays Like a Private Club
This matters: The Park isn’t just a golf course; it’s a model. It’s a public-private partnership project designed by Gil Hanse with a community-first philosophy—yet it sets an extremely high bar for public golf. The result is open-access golf with a serious mindset. It gives you nothing. And for a municipal course, that’s almost revolutionary.
Best for: golfers who want quality without a membership barrier. Practical recommendation: book early; demand is sustained by merit.
7) Biltmore Golf Course (Coral Gables, Miami-Dade) — Living History (with Bobby Jones in the Script)
Biltmore isn’t “just another course”: it’s a historical piece. Designed by Donald Ross, it carries Golden Age stories, including the opening exhibition in 1926 featuring legendary names (Bobby Jones, Tommy Armour, Gene Sarazen, Leo Diegel). Is it great golf? Yes—par 71, classic, with subtle defenses where mistakes accumulate quietly… until you look at the score.
Best for: golfers who love playing and “reading” classic architecture. Key: patience. Ross beats you on 16 if you rush on 6.
8) Crandon Golf at Key Biscayne (Miami-Dade) — Public Golf with Views and a Resume
Crandon is special by location and history: golf surrounded by water and mangroves, widely recognized as a standout public course, with a long track record of hosting Senior PGA Tour events. And for those following the course’s current status, Miami-Dade announced its reopening after a $5M renovation (January 2025), putting it back into serious conversation.
Best for: golfers who want a “destination round” without private-club barriers. Realistic advice: wind here isn’t an excuse—it’s the design.
9) Miami Beach Golf Club (Miami Beach) — Total Renovation, Solid Golf
This course was completely transformed through a major redesign led by Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest, turning it into a modern, competitive product for the city. It’s a strong choice for golfers who want a serious round in an urban setting, with polished aesthetics and city pace.
Best for: players who want accessibility without sacrificing quality. Technical point: fast greens + breeze = learn to “kill” the ball on approach shots.
10) The Boca Raton – Club Course (Boca Raton) — Historic Resort with Real Upgrades
In Boca Raton, this club/resort doesn’t survive on nostalgia: it has seen meaningful renovations and reconstructions over the decades (including work associated with architects like Robert Trent Jones, Joe Lee, and a major rebuild in the 1990s). You feel that in the playability: today it’s enjoyable, but still serious enough to demand distance control.
Best for: golfers who want resort experience with real golf. Recommendation: play from honest tees; the course is more enjoyable when you’re attacking with the right irons.
11) Osprey Point Golf Course (Boca Raton) — 27 Public Holes That Don’t Apologize
Osprey Point is a public gem by structure: 27 holes across three nines (Raven, Hawk, Falcon), creating combinations that change the character of your day. For training, it’s gold: you can return without feeling like you’re taking the same exam.
Best for: golfers who want volume, variety, and strong value. Tip: use Osprey to practice strategy—define “safe zones” off the tee and commit.
12) Jacaranda Golf Club (Plantation, Broward) — Consistent Semi-Private, Ideal for Local Competition
Jacaranda offers 36 holes, a reputation for solid operations, and layouts featuring water and canal corridors typical of the area. It’s perfect for local tournaments, competitive practice rounds, and golfers who want a serious test without paying the “premium branding” tax.
Best for: serious golfers who train and compete at the amateur level. Advice: you win here with the mid-game—hit greens, two-putt, move on.
How to Choose “Your” Best Course (by Player Profile)
- I want the highest level (dream/elite): Seminole, The Bear’s Club.
- I want to feel PGA Tour pressure: PGA National Champion, Doral Blue Monster.
- I want world-class public golf: The Park (WPB), Crandon, Miami Beach GC.
- I want resort + history + full experience: The Boca Raton, Biltmore.
- I want to train and play a lot with strong standards: Osprey Point, Jacaranda.
Three Short Stories That Explain This Region
- Golf here isn’t “summer”: it’s year-round calendar. Climate and culture keep competitive rhythm alive, pushing high course standards all year.
- Coastal architecture runs the show. Wind isn’t a side note—it dictates shots, clubs, trajectories, and forces disciplined margins.
- South Florida blends two worlds. You can play a municipal course built with “world-class” ambition (The Park) and, 40 minutes later, face a private club with myth-level stature (Seminole). That coexistence is rare.
The Honest Ranking
In plain terms: Seminole is the standard, PGA National and Doral are the exam, and The Park is the surprise that changes the rules. The rest isn’t filler—it completes a real map of South Florida golf, from historic anchors (Biltmore) to credentialed public options (Crandon, Miami Beach, Osprey).
