Florida Keys golf courses are completely different from the ones on the mainland. Think about starting your round of golf with the ocean in the background. While you plan your next swing, picture native birds watching you from the mangroves.
The island landscape grandeur combined with exquisitely built courses is the envy of other course management from Miami to Maine – which is simply unbeatable. It can best be described as playing golf in paradise.
Find out below the Florida Keys golf courses we recommend. See where you can play golf, from Marathon to Key West and more!
Florida Keys Golf Courses That Are Open To Everyone
Golfing options in the Florida Keys include the 18-hole Keys West course, the 9-hole Marathon course, and mini-golf. Whatever level of excitement you have for golf, the Florida Keys golf courses can accommodate you!
The few Florida Keys golf courses that have been created are private due to the high cost of real land in the island chain. You must either be a Member or play with one in order to take advantage of the perks at these golf courses. The likelihood of knowing someone with a golf membership is about as likely for most visitors to the Florida Keys as winning the lottery or getting hit by lightning.
Key West Golf Club
Location: 6450 College Rd, Key West, FL 33040, United States
The Key West Golf Club is a full-service venue with rental clubs, a driving range, PGA Professional teaching, a fully stocked Pro Shop, and seating for 150 guests. Getting to this public golf course on Stock Island from 24 North takes only five minutes by car. The Historic Seaport District, Duval Street, the beaches, and the museums are all adjacent to the golf course. You can consider trying golf along with these free activities and sites in Key West.
Golfers visiting Key West can easily combine their round of golf with other activities, including fishing, diving, snorkeling, and cultural events. The City of Key West approved bonds for the course’s development in the early 1920s. In 1923, the city purchased land on Stock Island and started planning the 200-acre public golf course.
If and when you want to test your golfing prowess in the Florida Keys, you’ll see a lovely residential neighborhood tucked between the fairways and greens of the course. Imagine you’re fortunate enough to live in the Key West Golf Club rental neighborhood or know someone who does. Then you’ll be able to enjoy all the wonderful amenities, such as the community center, butterfly garden, and opulent resort pool.
Every nine-hole course has one par-5 and two par-3s for players. Players should expect to pull out their drivers because there are plenty of fairways and open drives. Recognize that there are several water hazards, sand pits, and merciless mangroves, making this course, not the simplest to complete.
The Key West Golf Club, created by Rees Jones, the renowned Robert Trent Jones’ son, is the most difficult course in the Keys. This is especially true of its iconic “Mangrove Hole,” which extends 143 yards over a grove of interlaced mangrove trees. But don’t worry, you can head over to Hogfish to get some beer and conch fritters after you’re done.
If you take your golf seriously and happen to be in the Key West, Florida, area, you should schedule some time at the Key West Golf Club. This golf course is the ideal location for your upcoming business event or competition.
Take a tour of the Key West Golf Club by watching the video below.
Key Colony Beach Golf & Tennis Club
Location: 8th St, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051, United States
A modest but lovely 9-hole golf course is situated in lovely Key Colony Beach, just across the Sadowski Causeway from Marathon, Florida. You can go to Key Colony Beach Golf & Tennis if you’re seeking a public golf course in Marathon. You’ll be glad to know that this course offers golf club and cart rentals if you’re a visitor to the Florida Keys.
This municipal course would be the best vacation for novices, despite not being in Key West. The Key Colony Beach Golf Course has just nine holes and reasonable yardages and is worth the journey for a few rounds with friends. You might be better suited to staying at the Key West Golf Club if you seek a more difficult course because the focus at Key Colony Beach is relaxation.
Key Colony Beach is situated at milepost 53.5 on US Highway 1, also referred to as the Overseas Highway, in the center of the Florida Keys. The Keys start around mile marker 106 in Key Largo, all the way down to mile marker 0 in Key West, while traveling south on US 1 from Miami. The “Gem of the Florida Keys” is located on an island south of the Overseas Highway and is joined to the mainland by a causeway and a very narrow bridge.
By hauling, pumping, channeling, constructing roads, and building motels, apartments, and homes, Phil Sadowski built Key Colony Beach in 1957. He started constructing a golf course, and it was stated in 1959 that the course is a full 18 holes and one of the best par three courses in the country. According to reports, the entire job required dredging, sodding, fertilizing, re-sodding, scraping, planting, and watering.
If you feel the itch to hit the greens, you can do so on this 9-hole, par-54 course that is well-maintained.
Boondocks Grille & Drafthouse & Miniature Golf
Location: 27205 Overseas Hwy, Ramrod Key, FL 33042, United States
Visit Boondocks to experience a mini-adventure in the Florida Keys. Boondocks is a terrific spot for groups and children of all ages because it provides a variety of entertainment options in addition to dining!
With a putter in your hand, strolling around the Boondocks mini golf course is similar to strolling through a verdant garden. As Mom, Dad, and all of their friends enjoy a cocktail or bottle of wine while they watch the children play or bring them along, this family-friendly course is the ideal outing.
Boondocks began as a modest ice cream parlor more than 25 years ago. The entire building served as the existing kitchen. The original proprietors quickly realized Ramrod Key needed more than just ice cream, so they added sandwiches to the menu. Later, they also introduced beer and wine.
In actuality, the transition didn’t start until 2001. The first person to reach the Florida Keys and investigate Boondocks was Lanny. He instantly summoned his father, Larry, and longtime friend and colleague, John, to take the next trip down and visit their new house after seeing past the overgrown trees and broken tables.
Boondocks has become one of the most well-liked stops on the Overseas Highway, thanks to Lanny’s vision, John’s restaurant knowledge, and Larry’s tireless work ethic.
Plan on taking a few mulligans and getting a cool tiki beverage or beer from the 19th Hole, the full bar at Boondocks. The last few seasons have seen amazing growth in tropical plants and trees. There are a few new twists and turns if it’s been a while since you last played the course.
Note: You never know when an iguana will want to play through, so pay attention.
Boondocks also offer golf parties for kids. For each birthday celebration, they offer:
- Playing one hole of miniature golf
- Children get to choose whether they want chicken fingers or a hot dog with fries and a soda that comes with unlimited refills
- Balloons are used to decorate the Party Zone
- 2 hours at Party Zone’s miniature golf course
- A goody bag filled with candies, toys, and a free pass for a subsequent golf course visit for each child
Parents can provide the cake and candles if they want to. Boondocks also has a fantastic selection on the platter menu, with the majority of them serving roughly eight people.
Open from 10 am to 10 pm, this putt-putt golf park features a “caveman” theme. If you’re not into miniature golf, you can always explore the gift store, have a bite to eat or unwind with a cool drink.
All the courses will take you through beautiful tropical landscaping, including palm trees and vibrant tropical flowers. However, the greatest time to play golf in the Florida Keys may be during the cooler winter months when the tropical climate is more temperate.
Watch this video to feel the vibes of Boondocks Grille & Drafthouse & Miniature Golf.
Depending on the island you choose, Florida Keys golf offers you a championship-rated course in Key West, a free par-3 hole in Marathon, and a kid-friendly miniature golf course. You can enjoy playing golf while on vacation in the Florida Keys any time of year.
Indulge as much as you like from May to October if you enjoy having a golf course. Although there are golfers (and other people) playing throughout the year, you’ll notice a decline in both during these months. The reason for this is, of course, the warmer weather in addition to the fact that northern golfers may now play on their home courses, which have been buried in snow for many months.
Florida Keys Golf Courses FAQs
Yes, you can. Florida Keys golf courses are completely different from the ones on the mainland. Think about starting your round of golf with the ocean in the background. While you plan your next swing, picture native birds watching you from the mangroves.
Whatever level of excitement you have for golf, the Florida Keys golf courses can accommodate you!
Golfing options in the Florida Keys include the 18-hole Keys West course, the 9-hole Marathon course, and mini-golf. We recommend these three public golf courses:
- Key West Golf Club
- Key Colony Beach Golf & Tennis Club
- Boondocks Grille & Drafthouse & Miniature Golf
The few Florida Keys golf courses that have been created are private due to the high cost of real land in the island chain.
According to Steve Ousley, Director of Club Membership for The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, a distinctive variety of grass known as Bermuda, predominates Florida. Particularly from April to November, when it’s growing, the grass is a little wirier. As in the north, you must play the golf ball more in the air than on the ground.
