Destin, Florida may be best-known for its glistening Emerald Coast, but avid golfers treasure it for its wealth of lush golf greens. In fact, there are so many golf courses splayed across the Destin peninsula that unless you stay for a month or so (by all means!), you’ll have a hard time hitting them all on your golf getaway. Learn the details of each course and then get ready for tee time!
Kelly Plantation Golf Club
Semi-private course
18 holes
Par-72 course
7,099-yard course
When you cross the Choctawhatchee Bay into Destin’s Miramar Beach, the first golf course you’ll come across is the Kelly Plantation Golf Club.
This picturesque course, once a turpentine plantation, is now a bay-side premium golf course designed by Fred Couples and Gene Bates. The course, which is consistently top-rated by Golf Digest and the Zagat survey, is flanked by beautiful magnolias and palmettos and miles of waterfront. There are 11 lakes, the largest of which surround holes 9 and 18. Kelly Plantation makes for a stunning and rewarding day of golf.
Regatta Bay Golf & Yacht Club
Semi-private course open to the public
18 holes
Par-72 course
6,894-yard course
Destin, Florida’s only Golf Academy with over 1,200 square feet of covered practice area
Deemed one of Golf Digest’s “Top 200 Places to Play in North America” and “Top 15 Courses in Florida”, Regatta Bay Golf & Yacht Club is a top-rated Destin golf course tucked away among the Choctawhatchee Bay nature preserve on the opposite side of Highway 293 from Kelly Plantation Golf Club. This exquisite golf course was designed by the esteemed Robert C. Walker who was a course designer and former lead architect for the iconic Arnold Palmer.
The golf course is considered suitable for all players. You can explore by taking a virtual tour on the Regatta Bay Golf & Yacht Club’s website.
Emerald Bay Golf Club
Premier, full-service championship course
18 holes
Par-72 course
7,050-yard course
Renovated in 2014, the Emerald Bay Golf Course is located on the shores of Choctawhatchee Bay and is reputed as one of the finer golf courses in Destin. The Emerald Bay Golf Course was designed and redesigned by legendary golf course architect Bob Cupp.
The Golf Garden of Destin
Public golf course
9 holes
Par-29 course
1,630-yard course
The Golf Garden of Destin is a family-friendly golf center positioned along the stunning Emerald Coast and is the perfect public course for beginner golfers to hone their game. The Executive Golf Course is a par-29 course with 9 holes; there’s also an 18-hole par-62 course for putters. The putting course is an outstanding spot to practice your short game. It’s also a perfect place to bring young and emerging golfers who want to have fun and learn a thing or two about the game of golf.
Seascape Golf Course
18-hole and 9-hole golf course
Par-70 course
6,100-yard course
Positioned adjacent to the Destin coast’s iconic coastal dune lakes and the Gulf of Mexico, this lush course is a pleasure to play through. With 15 of the course’s 18 holes having water features, there’s plenty of excitement to be had at Seascape. The course, designed by famed course architect Joe Lee is as beautiful as it is challenging.
Raven Golf Club at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
18-hole course
Par-71 course
6,900-yard course
Tucked away in the pines and marshes of the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, the Raven Golf Club designed by Robert Trent Jones Junior is a “modern traditional” course. The Raven was home to the Boeing Championship, a stop on the PGA championship tour in 2006 and 2007. With accolades too numerous to list from Golf Digest, Florida Golf News, GOLF Magazine, and many others, the Raven Golf Club is indeed a great place for “tee” when in Destin.
The Links Golf Club at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
18-hole course
Par-72 course
6,710-yard course
Deemed to have the best views of any Destin golf course, The Links Golf Club at Sandestin designed by course architect Tom Jackson follows a winding layout against the backdrop of the Baytowne Marina and the Choctawhatchee Bay.
Five of the course’s 18 holes run along the bay. The true challenge in playing at The Links is outwitting the coastal breezes that make playing through here such a trick and such a treat.
Baytowne Golf Club at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
18-hole course
Par-71 course
6,805-yard course
U.S. Kid’s Course
Also designed by Tom Jackson, the Baytowne Golf Club is one of the longest-standing of Sandestin’s exquisite golf courses. Despite its long-standing tradition, this course was redesigned by Jackson in 2005 to renovate and to modernize the golf course with water features on over half the course.
This course, which is the only of Destin’s golf courses to extend from the Gulf of Mexico to Choctawhatchee Bay, is Sandestin’s most family-friend course with a set of U.S. Kids tees to make the course accessible for players of all skills and ages.
Burnt Pine Golf Course at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
Semi-private golf resort
18-hole golf course
Par-72 course
7,001-yard course
Deemed by Golf Magazine the “Crown Jewel of Florida Golf”, the Burnt Pine Golf Club offers a dynamic golf experience. Designed by acclaimed course architect Rees Jones, this most-revered of Sandestin’s four golf courses features 9 holes running along the lush pine forests and 9 that are adjacent to the Choctawhatchee Bay.
This stunning course of rolling fairways and multiple water features is among the more challenging. It requires strategy, and it’s for these reasons that Burnt Pine Golf Course is consistently deemed one of the best golf courses in Florida.
Indian Bayou Golf & Country Club
Semi-private course
18-hole golf course
72-par course
7,078-yard course
West of highway 293 on Scenic 98 is the Indian Bayou Golf & Country Club designed by architect Earl Stone. One of the longest-standing courses in Destin, Indian Bayou Golf and Country Club survives as one of the most accessible, fun, and challenging Destin golf courses.
With 10 golf courses, there’s plenty of time for tee in Destin, which is why Destin, Florida is one of the most popular destinations for a golf vacation in the country. Contact us at My Vacation Haven and start planning your Destin golf experience today.