Y’all ready for the golf trip of a lifetime? Well, grab your clubs and sunscreen ’cause we’re headed to the Emerald Coast of Florida! Why is the Emerald Coast of Florida a perfect stay-and-play golfing vacation destination? In a nutshell, our top four reasons you will find simply the best combination of Top-Rated Championship Golf Courses, Beachfront Resorts, World Class Beaches, and the Food is off the hook, if you know what I mean.
Forget what you know about Florida golf – the Emerald Coast is where it’s at, folks! Located between Panama City Beach and Pensacola Beach, this 100-mile stretch of paradise is home to some of the most spectacular golf courses you’ve never heard of. You’ll find over 50 golf courses just waiting for you to leave your mark (and hopefully not too many divots). And let me tell you, they’re just itchin’ to be discovered!
#1 Top Rated Championship Golfing and the Emerald Coast Award-winning beaches
With top-rated championship golf courses, the sun warming your face (about 320 days of sunshine a year, y’all), and just beyond the perfectly manicured greens lies beaches so white you’ll need those glare-blocking sunglasses. That’s right, and the Emerald Coast boasts award-winning beaches with sugar-white unique quartz sand particles from the Appalachians that go down the rivers and mix with crushed seashells makeup some of the Top Beaches you’ve ever seen.
Grayton Beach is rated the Top Beach in the US by foremost expert Dr. Beach, who uses 50 Criteria for choosing his top beaches. And that’s just one beach on Scenic 30A, which is just a stone’s throw from WaterSound’s Top-Rated golf courses. With Private Beach Club Access on 30A, it boasts a world-class golfing experience with southern hospitality “concierge-style service at the most beautiful beach in the world.”
WaterSound Club’s Top-Rated Shark’s Tooth Golf (a Greg Norman Course) and Camp Creek Golf (Tom Fazio) golf courses feature a high-end luxury Beach Club experience right on the Gulf of America. “Member for a Stay” at Camp Creek Inn is a must-play for an awe-inspiring golf getaway.
Why are beaches the unique and gorgeous of the Emerald Coast? The reflective properties and the absence of pollution give our beaches that stunning turquoise hue that’ll have you wondering if you’ve died and gone to golfer’s heaven, or as I like to say, “Fairways to Heaven.” It’s a golfer’s paradise for the whole family. See our Top 10 Best Beaches from Pensacola Beach, Gulf Breeze, Destin, Scenic 30A, to Panama City Beach, so no matter what courses you decide to play on the Emerald Coast Golf Trail, an award-winning beach is nearby.
#2 A Coastal Heaven for Golfers Looking for New Courses to Conquer
But wait, there’s more! Walton County’s Scenic 30A offers a luxury experience: a slice of coastal heaven, with 16 charming beach neighborhoods that’ll steal your heart faster than you can yell “Fore!” Pristine comes to mind with beach vacation homes dotting the Gulf Coast of Mexico. You can find top-rated Golf Resorts close to the beaches and other championship golf courses no matter what part of the Emerald Coast y’all wanna stay and play.
Plan the ultimate 30A beach vacation with our sister site SoWal Connections comprehensive guide. Discover the best resorts on Florida’s Emerald Coast, from Destin to Panama City Beach. Elevated boardwalks and flip-flops are in abundance here.
#3 Sandestin Golf Resort is a Fore-Play Golfing Buffet
Miramar Beach boasts Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort with a Fore-play of four championship golf courses that will test your accuracy. It has 2,400 acres of properties between the Gulf and the Bay! If you’re a romantic, this is a ca n’t-miss area full of scenic vistas, private places to walk, bike, picnic, and complete a perfect day at a rooftop bar. With Burnt Pine, The Links, Raven Golf Club, and Baytowne in a golfing buffet!
And don’t even get me started on Destin and Fort Walton Beach – they’re practically golf central, with courses hugging Scenic 98 with the picturesque Gulf and Choctawhatchee Bay. You’ll need multiple golfing getaway vacations to explore all the new golf courses to conquer.
Courses near Destin, FL. There are 27 courses within a 15-mile radius of Destin, 24 of which are public courses . –Best Golf Courses Near Destin Golf Digest
Within minutes of this coastal highway are another group of blue-chip golf courses: Emerald Bay, Regatta Bay Golf and Yacht Club, and local favorite Kelly Plantation Golf Clubs. Just north of 98 is Indian Bayou’s hidden gem, with beautiful Shalimar Pointe across the Bay in Fort Walton Beach.
Y’all got to see it; you look left and right, and golf is a thing here with PGA golf pros and golf academies. Golf Outings are available with most courses if you like to plan a charity tournament.
#4 Beachfront Restaurants, Beach Bars and Some of the Best 19th Holes on the Gulf of America
For you beach bums who also love to swing a club, find a 19th hole to celebrate a day on the links. The Gulf Islands National Seashore is calling your name. From Navarre Beach to Perdido Key, Along Coastal Highway Scenic 98, you’ll find places around Pensacola Beach to access more great golf courses like Tiger Pointe, Lost Key Golf Club, and The Club at Hidden Creek.
These beaches have some of the best southern food, and brunch at Ruby Slipper, with coastal seafood, Gulf-to-table restaurants, refreshing cold drinks, and the best beachfront restaurants and beach bars to watch a Florida sunset. Seafood is abundant with our Top 10 Best Seafood Restaurants in Destin with waterfront views!
Trust me, there’s nothing like celebrating a birdie (or commiserating over a bogey) at a 19th hole with a plate of your favorite dish and a cold drink as the sun sets over the Gulf.
So, what are y’all waiting for? The Emerald Coast Golf Trail is ready to show you some good ol’ Southern hospitality, serve up some world-class golf, and treat you to beaches so beautiful you might forget to keep score.
Come on down and see why the Emerald Coast is Florida’s best-kept golfing secret! We also have some Golfing hidden gems we thought you might wanna check out on the Trail. The Florida Historic Golf Trail has five golf courses on the Emerald Coast in close proximity to each other.
Where to Stay and Ways to Stay and Play
No matter where you intend to Stay and Play, it has the perfect property for your vacation destination. One way to stay for families or a large group of buddy golfers is to rent a home. Winter rates are excellent, and traffic is calm.
Select from various townhomes, condos, and beach vacation homes in Crystal Beach, Destin, Miramar Beach, Santa Rosa Beach neighborhoods, Panama City Beach, and the laid back atmosphere and beaches of Pensacola Beach that will have you
