Easier Florida Golf Courses

Related Cities & Topics:

View Full Size

Put your golfing skills to the test at Ponte Vedra Inn and Club.

Photo Credit: Contributed Photo

View Full Size

Grab your club and head to Ponte Vedra Inn and Club for some golfing fun with friends.

Photo Credit: Contributed Photo

View Full Size

The No. 17 hole at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte Vedra Beach is a par 4.

Photo Credit: Frank Fenton

9 Player-Friendly Golf Courses

How many times have you dragged yourself off the golf course, thinking you’ll never break 90, or even 100? You’re not alone, my duffer friend. Nearly half of all adult amateur golfers shoot 100 or more and only about one in four breaks 90 consistently, according to a report by the National Golf Foundation. Hey, maybe it’s not you! Maybe it’s the course! Well, probably not. In any case, let’s go to the scorecard: Here are nine courses in Florida that have some very player-friendly attributes that might help you finally break through.

Venetian Golf and River Club, Venice

Tees Yardage Slope rating
 1 6,931 129
 2 6,553 124
 3 6,028 118
 4 5,447 120
 5 5,023 115
Practice facilities: Driving (aqua) range, putting green, chipping green and bunkers.
Need to know: The Venetian has some of the widest and most forgiving fairways in Florida. Generous landing areas offer multiple routes to the green. www.venetiangolfandriverclub.com

Bay Point Marriott Golf Club, Nicklaus course, Panama City Beach

Tees Yardage Slope rating
1 7,152 143
2 6,430 132
T3A 5,445 116
T3 5,972 124

Practice facilities: Driving range, putting green and chipping green.
Need to know: Formerly one of the toughest courses in the state, this course was renovated by Nicklaus Design and now has wide, sweeping fairways with wide-collar greens and bail-out areas. marriottbaypoint.com

Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Lagoon course, Ponte Vedra Beach

Tees  Yardage  Slope rating
Blue 6,022 118
White 5,542 113
Green 5,105 111
Red 4,511 114
Practice Facilities: Three putting greens, pitching/chipping green, bunker and driving range.
Need to know: This very short course was only recently lengthened to more than the 6,000-yard mark.
A superb irrigation system allows play here when other courses are wet and closed. www.pvresorts.com

Golf Club of Amelia Island

Tees Yardage Slope rating
Gold 6,696 140
Blue 6,119 127
White 5,741 121
Red 5,039 121
Practice facilities: Driving range, two putting greens and bunkers.
Need to know: A lushly landscaped beauty that plays through ancient oaks, the course is relatively
short, and the greens are fairly small and flat with no tricky slope or undulation. www.golfclubofamelia.com

Heron Bay Golf Club, Coral Springs

Tees  Yardage  Slope rating
Gold 7,268 133
Blue 6,781 130
White 6,123 120
Green 5,580 115
Red 4,961 117
Practice facilities: Three separate hitting areas, target greens and two putting greens (two with bunkers).
Need to know: The course was designed to be played in the wind. It has multiple bunkers, but it’s easy to miss them with the wide fairways. www.heronbaygolfclub.net

Kelly Plantation, Destin

Tees Yardage Slope rating
Couples 7,099 144
Plantation 6,521 136
Palmetto 5,983 124
Magnolia 5,138 113
Sterling 5,522 115

Practice facilities: Driving range with target greens, chipping green with bunkers and a 10,000-square-foot putting green.
Need to know: Adding a set of intermediate tees helped an already top-tier, playable course with
views of Choctawhatchee Bay. The course is always immaculately groomed for easy lies. www.kellyplantation.com

Mission Inn, Las Colinas course, Howey in the Hills

Tees  Yardage  Slope rating
Black 7,230 139
Blue 6,829 137
White 6,365 130
Gold 5,608 122
Practice facilities: Driving range, putting green, bunker and chipping area.
Need to know: Las Colinas has forgiving fairways and soft, receptive greens. It’s much flatter and friendlier than El Campeon, the other course at Mission Inn.
www.missioninnresort.com

Falcon’s Fire, Kissimmee

Tees  Yardage  Slope rating
Gold  7,015 138
Blue 6,365 132
White  6,080 125
Red  5,417 126
Practice facilities: Driving range with target greens, putting green, chipping areas and bunkers.
Need to know: Falcon’s Fire has fairways as wide as Orlando International Airport. Most of the
greens are open in front, and they roll fast and true. www.falconsfire.com

Eagle Creek, Orlando

Tees Yardage  Slope rating
Tour 7,198 130
Championship 6,857 128
Guest 6,407 122
Forward 5,929 115
Beginner 5,324 124
Practice facilities: Double-sided driving range, chipping area, two putting greens and bunkers.
Need to know: Co-designed by an American and an Englishman, the course has the American trait of wide fairways and generous landing areas. There are five par-5s, and most are reachable in two. www.eaglecreekgolf.info