Many know Naples, Florida as the golf capital of the United States. With beautiful weather every month of the year, it is one of the hottest vacation destinations for golfers and beachgoers all year round. There are more golf courses in Naples than in any other city in America, and there are plenty of great public golf courses for visitors to take advantage of on their vacation. Here are some of the best public courses you should look into when taking a trip to Naples.
Most Breathtaking Golf Courses In Naples
1. Eagle Lakes Golf Course
One of the most well-known golf courses in Naples, Eagle Lakes offers a challenge for skilled golfers as well as beautiful scenery along the course. The course gets its name for the two American Bald Eagles that reside there.
While this course is a challenge, there are also five sets of tees for the casual weekend golfer to enjoy. This course comes with the full everglade experience, with water on all holes of the golf course. This makes the golf course known as a collector of many golf balls, so be sure pack a few extra.
The par here is 71 and it plays from 7,150 yards from the back tees. Rates on this course vary from $39-$89 in the winter and $20-$35 from May to October, offering an affordable rate for an absolutely stunning golf experience.
2. Arrowhead Golf Course
Arrowhead is undoubtedly one of the best public golf course options in Naples and is a popular destination for vacationers. Surrounded by 16 lakes, Arrowhead offers a beautiful experience for golfers and a good challenge as well.
Arrowhead is a par-72 course at 6,832 yards from the back tees. There are plenty of hazards to challenge golfers, but when on vacation, it’s all about the experience that the course offers. Arrowhead is known for a quicker pace of play than other courses, so it is a good option for golfers who would like to spend the rest of the day on the beach or exploring.
Peak rates in the mornings run for around $35 in the summer and $105 in the winter. After 4 p.m. you can play the course for a discount. Expect to pay $20 at twilight in the summertime after a day at the beach, or $39 during the winter twilight.
3 &4. Tiburon Golf Courses
Tiburon Golf Course at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples is comprised of two beautiful courses that golfers can enjoy on their vacation. Both the Black Course and the Gold Course were designed by golf legend Greg Norman.
The Gold Course is more popular between the two, because it is slightly less challenging despite its 7,200 yardage from the back tees. The Black Course plays more strategically at 6,800 yards. Golfers can make up distance on both courses with longer drives due to no rough, and wide fairways that make it a unique, fun experience...at least until you find yourself in one of the giant waste bunkers.
With the Black Course, tee shots must be played more strategically because water often surrounds both sides of the fairway and difficult navigation through trees. Public play is open every other day at the Tiburon courses, so make sure you call ahead for tee times. It’s an expensive course to play with a morning rate of around $125 in the summer months and $225 in the winter. While this is expensive, the rates decrease throughout the day, and the courses are well worth it if you want a high-quality and unique golf experience.
5. Flamingo Island Golf Course
Flamingo Island is one of the two public golf courses offered by Lely Resort in Naples. It opened in 1989 and was designed by famous golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr.
The sculpted fairways and large greens are a signature of Jones, and you’ll get a good experience of the beautiful design when playing Flamingo Island. It’s known as a more challenging course than The Mustang, a Lee Trevino design, and the great public course at Lely, but it’s a fair course for players. There’s plenty of natural beauty and wildlife to be found at Flamingo Island, making it a great option for travelers who love the game.
It’s a par-72 at 7,171 yards with rates that start at $159 in the morning and go down from there throughout the day.
6. The Mustang Golf Course
The Mustang Golf Course is the other public option for golfers traveling to Naples. It’s located at the Lely Resort and was designed by golfer Lee Trevino. It has more generous fairways than Flamingo Island, making it the better choice for golfers not looking to be too challenged while on vacation.
12 lovely lakes accompany the course, thereby making it a challenge, but the course gives golfers plenty of opportunity to recover from bad shots throughout their round. With plenty of tee options, The Mustang has been a favorite for many travellers and locals since it’s opening in 1996.
The course plays at just over 7,217 yards from the back tees, but just over 6,000 yards from the intermediate white tees making it a very diverse and playable golf course. Rates run the same as Flamingo Island starting at $159 in the mornings.
This article was written by Cameron Lafontaine.