Golf

The Northeast Florida climate is well suited for year-round play, and over the past three decades, the environs around Jacksonville have transformed into a golfing mecca. The area is home to over 60 courses, many of which are renowned for their beauty and layout. Perhaps the most famed is the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course, the annual site of The Players Championship, one of the PGA Tour’s most prestigious tournaments. Each spring the world’s best professional golfers gather in Ponte Vedra Beach to compete for more than $9.5 million in prize money.

The presence of World Golf Village in northern St. Johns County, home of the World Golf Hall of Fame and the PGA Tour Golf Academy, further cements the region’s reputation as a prime duffer’s destination. World Gold Village is home to two courses, one open and one wooded: the King & Bear, designed by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, and the Slammer & Squire, designed by Bobby Weed with design consultants Sam “The Slammer” Snead and Gene “The Squire” Sarazen.

Jacksonville offers an abundance of course choices, ranging from plush oceanside resorts to popular public courses. In all, the area’s 1,400-plus holes of golf offer challenges for players of all skill levels. Visitors can choose from dozens of quality public and semiprivate courses, with price ranges to fit every golfer’s budget.

Sure, it gets hot in the summer, making afternoon play brutal, but the relatively mild winters compensate by allowing temperate play throughout the cooler months. Jacksonville’s courses are mostly flat terrain with plenty of water and marsh hazards. The abundance of marshes, especially at courses nearer the ocean, provides habitat for all kinds of wildlife, including osprey, egrets, and even the occasional alligator.

All the courses listed below are open year-round unless otherwise noted. All distances are from the men’s white tees.