By Carling Nolan
Golf Digest ranked the Top 35 Courses in Florida, and there are six public courses that made the list. From excellent service to die-hard design, the best public golf courses in Florida are sure to please any visiting golfer.
2. TPC Sawgrass - Stadium Course
Ponta Vedra Beach, FL
7,215 Yards, Par 72
Pete & Alice Dye Design
Headquarters to the PGA Tour and home of The Players Championship. The Stadium Course can hold up to 36,000 spectators. The 17th Island Hole is one of the most recognized in the world -- and it's one of the best public courses in Florida.
18. Camp Creek Golf Course
Panama City Beach, FL
7,159 Yards, Par 72
Tom Fazio design
The 18-hole championship course is a blend of short and long holes with wide fairways, which reward long driving. The course is cut through thick trees which block wind and separate each difficult hole.
19. World Woods Golf Course - Pine Barrens
Brooksville, FL
6,458 Yards, Par 71
Tom Fazio Design
Named for the many pine trees that line the course, the layout is sculpted from an expansive pine forest with surprising changes in elevation. The large fairways framed by waste bunkering create an incredible golf experience. The course's style has been compared to that of Pine Valley in New Jersey, the consensus No. 1 course in the world. It's easy to see why it was picked as one of the best public golf courses in Florida.
24. Hammock Beach Resort - Ocean Course
Palm Coast, FL
7,201 Yards, Par 72
Jack Nicklaus Design
The Ocean Course at Hammock Beach has six holes directly boarding the Atlantic Ocean -- more holes on the ocean than any golf course in Florida. This Jack Nicklaus-design golf course has hosted the two PGA Champion Tour events and the Ladies Publix Championship when Michelle Wie was champion.
25. Doral Golf Resort & Spa - Blue Monster
Miami, FL
7,288 Yards, Par 72
Dick Wilson Design
The Blue Monster played host to the Doral Open on the PGA Tour from 1962 to 2006, and since 2007 the WGC-Cadillac Championship. After a $250 million renovation in 2013, the PGA tour lost 318 golf balls in the 2014 WGC-Cadillac Championship, a new record on the PGA Tour. There's a reason why it's called The Blue Monster.
Hit 'em straight!
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