Local Public Golf Courses Make “Best” List

Photo: Dan Perry

More golf courses exist in Florida than anywhere else in the nation, and some of the very “best” are local. According to a recently released ranking from Golf Digest, of the 40 locations the publication considers the best public golf courses in the state, two are in Lee County, and the other two are in Collier County.

Gasparilla Golf Club

One of those courses that made the list is part of The Gasparilla Inn & Club in Boca Grande. Close to Charlotte Harbor, the Gasparilla Golf Club course is actually out on an island and that commonly means being exposed to coastal winds. In recent years, the course was revamped. This is a par 72 golf course.   

Tiburon Golf Club- Gold

The Gold Course at Tiburon Golf Club also snagged a spot on the list. Found in North Naples, The Gold Course serves as home to the PGA Tour’s QBE Shootout and the LPGA’s CME Group Tour Championship. Tiburon Golf Club actually has two, 18-hole golf courses and both were designed by Greg Norman. The Gold Course was the very first golf course to open at Tiburon in the late 1990s.

Old Corkscrew Golf Club

Found in Estero, Old Corkscrew Golf Club is yet another local golf course that made the list of the top 40. This golf course winds through wetlands, tall pines, and cypress trees and is said to be a challenging course. There aren’t any homes here, and that makes it a more natural setting. In the past, Old Corkscrew has also been honored as a top golf course in Southwest Florida from Golf Magazine.

Tiburon Golf Club- Black

Not to be overshadowed by its highly ranked Gold Golf Course, Tiburon Golf Club in Naples made a second showing on the list with its Black Course. The Tiburon Black golf course has six sets of tees and is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Not far away from both Tiburon golf courses is the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburon.