With year-round sunshine and abundant tropical foliage, Greater Miami & Miami Beach is ideal for a golf vacation. And while the destination has no shortage of exclusive golf clubs, some of which host big-time professional tournaments, Miami’s public courses are just as beautiful and often as challenging. Whether you want to get in 18 holes during a beach vacation or are in town on business and want to play a course close by, check out the area’s best public courses.

Greynolds Golf Course: The Perfect Course For Beginners

In North Miami Beach along the Oleta River, Greynolds Park is one of north Miami-Dade’s most-scenic swaths of nature, filled with mangrove thickets and exotic birds. Inside the park, you’ll find the nine-hole, par-36 Greynolds Golf Course. For beginner golfers, it’s a great place to get your game down. The fairways are long and relatively clear, and the greens fees are inexpensive. It has a nice clubhouse for relaxing between rounds and electric carts and clubs available for rent.

Lady takes a swing on the fairways of Crandon Park Golf Course — Elevate your game. Swing by Miami Beach Golf Club

Miami Beach Golf Club: A Golfing Oasis In The Heart Of It All

Back in 1923, when Miami Beach was being developed as a full resort destination, developer Carl Fisher created an 18-hole, par-72 golf course to enhance the area’s appeal. Today, you can catch an idyllic respite at the Miami Beach Golf Club. Play 18 holes then relax at the club’s gourmet restaurant overlooking the greens. If you want to use your vacation as an opportunity to learn the game, the club is also home to the Jim McLean Golf School, where you can schedule a group or private lesson.

Normandy Shores Golf Club: Scenic Views, By The Water

Miami Beach is home to two public golf courses, with the northernmost located inside a quiet residential neighborhood at the Normandy Shores Golf Club. The course is on an island between Miami Beach and the mainland and has gained a reputation for its stunning bayside views and many water hazards. The 18-hole, par-71 course is one of the most scenic in Florida, a place where you can tee off with the Miami skyline and Biscayne Bay glittering in the distance. You can also enjoy a meal at the club’s onsite restaurant, a fitting reward after a fun day on the links.

Man golfing at Crandon Park Golf Course with city skyline in the background — Test yourself on the fairways at Crandon Golf

Crandon Golf: An Acclaimed Public Course On The Bay

No course in Miami incorporates its surroundings quite like Crandon Golf, inside Crandon Park on the island paradise of Key Biscayne. The 18-hole, par-72 has appeared on countless lists of the best public courses in America, including ones from Golf Digest and Golfweek. The course borders Biscayne Bay and uses the bay as a water trap on several of its holes. The third hole almost requires you to hit your tee shot over the bay, and the seventh, eighth, ninth and 18th play right along the shoreline. You’ll also play over seven saltwater lakes, making this one of the more-challenging courses in Florida. That said, the views are priceless.

Miami Springs Golf & Country Club: Play Where The Greats Played

Miami-Dade’s oldest and most historic golf course is in the small city of Miami Springs, just north of Miami International Airport. The Miami Springs Golf & Country Club was a cornerstone of the city’s founding when it opened in 1923 as the Miami-Hialeah Golf Club. From 1925-1955, it was home of the PGA’s Miami Open tournament, where legends like Sam Snead, Byron Nelson and Walter Hagan played. Today, it’s a public course steeped in history, its 18 holes running over 6,755 yards on a par-71. If you want a preview of what you’ll be playing, you can see flyovers of each hole. You can even practice after dark, as the course boasts one of the only nighttime driving ranges in the area.

Miccosukee Golf & Country Club: Three Courses For All Abilities

Set near Kendale Lakes in western Miami-Dade, Miccosukee Golf & Country Club is ideal for a group with people of different golf abilities. Its three nine-hole courses offer various challenges and have fun aquatic names like Dolphin, Manatee and Barracuda. The Mark Mahannah-designed courses have hosted both PGA and LPGA events and remain among the most popular in the area. The club also offers tennis courts and a swimming pool (if part of your party would rather do something other than golf).  

Briar Bay Golf Course: For A Quick Round Any Time Of Day

If you like starting your day with a quick round of golf or need a golf break in the middle of the day, Briar Bay Golf Course might be the best course in Miami. The nine-hole, par-31 in Kendall plays remarkably quickly but offers just enough challenge so you can still work on your game. You’ll play along four water hazards and fairly straight fairways, and waits for tee times are never long. The course rents clubs too, so if you’re a beginner and don’t want to make a big investment, Briar Bay is a good place to start.

Country Club of Miami: Arnold Palmer Played Here

Two of Miami’s biggest and most storied courses sit in far northwest Miami-Dade at the Country Club of Miami in Hialeah. The club dates back to 1961, when the Robert Trent Jones-designed courses opened with Arnold Palmer as their first pro. Both the East and West courses are 18 holes, with East a 7,017-yard, par-72 and West a 6,353-yard, par-70. Both were popular hangouts for Jackie Gleason, who played here during his Miami heyday with the likes of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. The West course was also home of the National Airlines open and the Senior PGA Tour qualifying school.

Miami Shores Country Club: A World Away

The village of Miami Shores is one of Miami-Dade’s true gems, a residential area that feels like it’s a world away from Downtown Miami and Miami Beach. The Shores never feels calmer than when you're playing among the oak trees and rolling fairways of the Miami Shores Country Club, an 18-hole, par-71 wooded course where you can easily forget that you’re in a major city. The country club also has an historic clubhouse whose restaurant looks out on the course. It’s the perfect place to sit back with a sandwich and reflect on your day’s play.

Trump National Doral from across the greens — Tee off at Trump National Doral, home of the iconic Blue Monster

Play A Round At A Luxury Hotel

Miami offers several courses at luxury hotels that are open to the public. The Biltmore Golf Club, located at the historic Biltmore Hotel Miami – Coral Gables, is an 18-hole, par-71 championship course in Coral Gables designed by legendary golf course architect Donald Ross. It offers several programs for golfers of all ages.

The Miami Lakes Hotel on Main features access to the Miami Lakes Golf Club, a par-72 that welcomes public play and offers a driving range and practice area. With 500 tree-shaded acres, it’s a challenging but enjoyable place to play.

Trump National Doral, home to the famous Blue Monster course, at Golf Club at Trump® National Doral, Miami offers public tee times on its four championship courses as well as top-tier facilities. Additionally, the resort features a driving range and club fittings.

Explore more golf resorts for premier golfing experiences throughout the destination.

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