If I could plan one big golf road trip through Florida, this is the route I would choose.
It begins near Jacksonville, moves through Orlando and Tampa, continues to Naples and Miami, and finishes in Juno Beach.
The driving distance between the listed stops adds up to about 680 miles. Once I include hotels, restaurants, and small detours, I would plan for roughly 700 miles.
But there is something important to know before leaving.
Nine of these stops can potentially be played by travelers, although several require a resort stay. Calusa Pines and Seminole are private dream courses that most visitors cannot book.
You Will Need a Car
These courses are spread across Florida, so having a car is almost essential.
If I needed a rental, I would compare prices through Discover Cars. It lets me compare several rental companies in one place.
Drive times below are estimates. Florida traffic, construction, weather, and the time of day can change them quickly.
1. TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach
Access: Public booking and stay-and-play packages
Known for: THE PLAYERS Championship and the par-3 17th island green
Designer: Pete Dye
I would start this trip at TPC Sawgrass, home of THE PLAYERS Championship.
Its Stadium Course was designed by Pete Dye. The par-3 17th, surrounded by water, is one of the most recognizable holes in professional golf.
The exciting part is that regular golfers can book it.
TPC Sawgrass currently offers direct tee-time reservations without lodging and advance stay-and-play packages through the Sawgrass Marriott. Prices and maintenance closures change by season, so I would check the official booking page before making other plans.
This will probably be one of the most expensive rounds of the trip, but it is also the kind of course many golfers dream about playing.
Next drive: Approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes
2. Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa, Palm Coast
Access: Resort guests and members only
Courses: Ocean Course and Conservatory Course
Designers: Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson
My next stop would be Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa.
The Jack Nicklaus-designed Ocean Course has six holes that play directly along the Atlantic Ocean. Its final four holes are called the “Bear Claw.”
The Tom Watson-designed Conservatory Course offers a different experience with rolling ground, streams, waterfalls, stonework, and deep bunkers.
Here is the important correction: these courses are not open to outside day players.
The resort’s official access policy says they are available only to registered resort guests and members. I would reserve a stay-and-play package before adding this stop to my schedule.
Next drive: Approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes
3. Grand Cypress Golf at Evermore, Orlando
Access: Public and resort play
Courses: Links Course and Cypress Course
Designer: Jack Nicklaus
In Orlando, I would stop at Grand Cypress Golf at Evermore Resort.
The resort now offers two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses with 36 holes in total.
The Links Course pays tribute to the Old Course at St. Andrews. It has double greens, stone walls, burns, gorse-style mounds, and deep pot bunkers.
The Cypress Course offers more of a Florida parkland setting and includes a redesigned island-green par 3.
You do not have to stay at Evermore to play. The public can currently reserve tee times up to 60 days ahead, depending on availability.
That makes Grand Cypress one of the easier major stops to add to this road trip.
Next drive: Approximately 20 minutes
4. Celebration Golf Club, Celebration
Access: Public daily-fee course
Designers: Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Robert Trent Jones Jr.
Just south of Orlando is Celebration Golf Club.
The course opened in 1996 and was the final course created together by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Robert Trent Jones Jr.
It moves through natural pine forests and Florida wetlands.
Celebration is a public daily-fee course, so I would place it between the more expensive resort stops. It could also be a good choice for travelers who want a recognized design without booking another hotel package.
The town of Celebration is worth exploring after the round if time allows.
Next drive: Approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes
5. Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor
Access: Overnight resort guests and members only
Known for: PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship
Designer: Larry Packard
Next, I would head west toward Tampa and the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook.
Copperhead hosts the PGA TOUR’s annual Valspar Championship.
Its pine-lined fairways and rolling land look different from many flat Florida courses. The final three holes—16, 17, and 18—are known as the “Snake Pit.”
This is another course where the access rules matter.
According to Innisbrook’s official guest information, its golf courses are available to overnight resort guests and members. A regular visitor cannot simply arrive and book Copperhead as a public day player.
I would reserve a golf package and confirm that Copperhead is included before paying for the room.
Next drive: Approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes
6. Streamsong Golf Resort, Bowling Green
Access: Resort guests and day players
Established courses: Red, Blue, and Black
Streamsong Resort would be one of my longest stops because choosing only one course here would be difficult.
Streamsong Red was designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.
Streamsong Blue was designed by Tom Doak, while Streamsong Black was created by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner.
The courses use large sand formations, lakes, rolling land, and unusual elevation changes. That gives Streamsong a look that many travelers do not expect to find in central Florida.
Both resort guests and day players can book golf, although their rates may be different. The resort publishes its seasonal prices on its official golf-fees page.
Streamsong is also developing its next 18-hole course, Bone Valley, designed by David McLay Kidd. Preview play is being offered before its planned 2027 debut, so I would check the latest schedule before traveling.
Next drive: Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes
7. LaPlaya Golf Club, Naples
Access: LaPlaya resort guests and club members only
Designer: Bob Cupp
After central Florida, I would continue south to Naples and LaPlaya Golf Club.
This Bob Cupp-designed course has rolling fairways, large landscaped areas, and 17 acres of lakes.
LaPlaya is private, but registered guests of LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort can play. It is not open for general public tee-time booking.
I would contact the resort before reserving a room to make sure a tee time is available during my stay.
Next drive: Approximately 15 minutes
8. Tiburón Golf Club, Naples
Access: Bookable tee times and resort packages
Courses: Gold and Black
Designer: Greg Norman
Also in Naples is Tiburón Golf Club, home to two Greg Norman-designed courses.
Tiburón hosts the LPGA Tour’s CME Group Tour Championship, the mixed PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour Grant Thornton Invitational, and the PGA TOUR Champions’ Chubb Classic.
This gives visitors a chance to play a course used for major professional events.
Tiburón offers online tee-time booking and stay-and-play options through The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón. I would compare both choices before reserving.
Next drive: Approximately 15 minutes
9. Calusa Pines Golf Club, Naples
Access: Private; do not expect public booking
Designers: Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry
Calusa Pines is not a normal book-and-play road-trip stop.
The course was designed by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry. Large amounts of earth were moved to build hills and elevation on land that had originally been much flatter.
The club does not offer public tee-time booking.
I would treat Calusa Pines as a private dream course and would not build my travel schedule around playing it unless access had already been personally confirmed.
This is still an interesting stop to know about because it shows how golf-course designers can completely reshape a Florida landscape.
Next drive: Approximately 2 hours
10. Miami Shores Country Club, Miami Shores
Access: Public booking
Opened: 1939
Known for: Florida Historic Golf Trail
After crossing to Florida’s east coast, I would play Miami Shores Country Club.
The course opened in 1939 after receiving partial funding through the Works Progress Administration.
The Biscayne Canal crosses the property, while mature trees and gently rolling ground give it a classic feel.
Miami Shores is included on the Florida Historic Golf Trail.
Visitors can reserve tee times online. The club currently allows online bookings for up to eight golfers as far as five days ahead, although its booking rules can change.
This is one of the most accessible stops on the trip and offers a strong contrast to the private clubs around Naples and Palm Beach County.
Next drive: Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes
11. Seminole Golf Club, Juno Beach
Access: Private; no regular public tee-time booking
Designer: Donald Ross
Opened: 1929
I would finish the journey at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach.
Donald Ross designed the course, which opened for play in 1929. Its layout uses two natural dune ridges—one near the Atlantic Ocean and another farther inland.
Seminole is known for protecting its privacy. It does not offer regular public tee times, so most travelers will not be able to play it.
However, the club has hosted major events, including the 2021 Walker Cup. The USGA has also selected Seminole to host the 2046 Curtis Cup and 2052 Walker Cup.
The USGA’s official history confirms its Donald Ross design, 1929 opening, coastal dune setting, and long connection to leading golfers and U.S. presidents.
For most of us, Seminole is a dream course rather than a bookable final round. Still, it gives this Florida golf journey a memorable ending.
My Practical Planning Tips
Reserve the restricted courses first
I would begin with Hammock Beach, Innisbrook, and LaPlaya because they require a resort stay.
After confirming those dates, I would book TPC Sawgrass, Streamsong, Tiburón, Grand Cypress, Celebration, and Miami Shores.
Check maintenance schedules
Florida courses often close sections of the property for aeration, maintenance, or professional tournaments.
TPC Sawgrass, Hammock Beach, Streamsong, and other resorts publish closure dates online. I would check again before making any nonrefundable hotel reservation.
Be careful with summer weather
The National Weather Service says Florida summers are warm and humid, with frequent showers and thunderstorms.
Winter and early spring usually bring cooler conditions and less frequent rain in South Florida. However, weather can vary across the state, so no season guarantees a dry round.
During summer, I would choose morning tee times when possible and stop playing immediately if thunder is heard.
Compare seasonal prices
The idea that every Florida course is cheaper in summer is too broad.
However, official pricing from TPC Sawgrass and Streamsong shows that some major courses charge less during parts of the hotter season and more during popular cooler months.
I would compare the live rate with the weather, maintenance schedule, and cancellation policy before deciding.
Florida Golf Road Trip Summary
- TPC Sawgrass
- Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa
- Grand Cypress Golf at Evermore
- Celebration Golf Club
- Copperhead Course at Innisbrook
- Streamsong Golf Resort
- LaPlaya Golf Club
- Tiburón Golf Club
- Calusa Pines Golf Club
- Miami Shores Country Club
- Seminole Golf Club
Estimated distance between listed stops: About 680 miles
Safer total planning estimate: Approximately 700 miles, plus local detours
This route mixes public courses, golf resorts, PGA TOUR venues, historic layouts, and private clubs most golfers only dream about seeing.
If I were planning it, I would not try to rush through every stop.
I would choose the courses I could genuinely book, leave room for weather delays, and enjoy the drive through several very different parts of Florida.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
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