Golf courses and golf hotels around Destin & the Emerald Coast, Florida

27 courses on the Emerald Coast, from Fort Walton Beach and Niceville to Destin, Sandestin and Scenic 30A, with tees, course ratings, slope, green fees by season, resort guest rates and booking windows.

Courses

• Bay Point Golf Club - Nicklaus Course, Panama City Beach: semi-private, 18 holes, par 72, 7053 yards, rating 74.5 / slope 137, green fees seen $76–$91
• Baytowne Golf Club, Miramar Beach: resort, 18 holes, par 71, 6804 yards, rating 73.2 / slope 138, green fees seen $45–$119. Sandestin's cheapest round: $99 public or $75 for resort and Hilton guests most of the year. Fine for a warm-up or a mixed-ability group; conditions have been the weak point in 2026 reviews.
• Blackwater Golf Club, Crestview: public, 18 holes, par 72, 6483 yards, rating 71.1 / slope 134
• Burnt Pine Golf Club, Miramar Beach: guests-only, 18 holes, par 72, 6996 yards, rating 74.5 / slope 147, green fees seen $115–$179. The best course at Sandestin and among the best on the Emerald Coast, but only for members and resort guests, after 1 PM, at $179 in season ($149 winter). Worth planning a Sandestin stay around if you want one top-tier round.
• Camp Creek Golf Course, Panama City Beach: guests-only, 18 holes, par 72, 7120 yards, rating 74.9 / slope 144, green fees seen $295–$295. Fazio's dunes course is the best of the St. Joe trio for most visitors. You can only play it as a member's guest or by staying at Camp Creek Inn or Watersound Inn, at $295 a round. Check that it has reopened after Hurricane Isaias.
• Emerald Bay Golf Club, Destin: semi-private, 18 holes, par 72, 7050 yards, rating 73.9 / slope 143, green fees seen $77–$140. A Bob Cupp layout on Choctawhatchee Bay, open to the public at about $97-$140. October 2026 reviews are mixed on greens and upkeep, so it is the third pick in Destin behind Kelly Plantation and Regatta Bay. The Guesthouse suits big groups.
• Fort Walton Beach Golf Club - Oaks Course, Fort Walton Beach: public, 18 holes, par 72, 6358 yards, rating 70.2 / slope 116, green fees seen $36–$58. The shorter, tree-lined second course at the city club. Cheap and easygoing, more about hitting it straight than far.
• Fort Walton Beach Golf Club - Pines Course, Fort Walton Beach: public, 18 holes, par 72, 6162 yards, rating 68.9 / slope 114, green fees seen $36–$82. The city's longer course, with new TifEagle greens from the 2025 renovation and dynamic rates that often sit in the $40s-$60s. A sound value round for a group based on Okaloosa Island or in Fort Walton Beach.
• Gator Lakes Golf Course, Mary Esther: military, 18 holes, par 72, 6894 yards, rating 72.2 / slope 129. A cheap, well-equipped base course that civilians can play after a one-time gate background check. Worth it for snowbirds or anyone staying west of Fort Walton Beach.
• Indian Bayou Golf Club, Destin: semi-private, 18 holes, par 72, 7078 yards, rating 74.4 / slope 132, green fees seen $74–$160. The value round in Destin: a mature, forgiving 18 (Seminole/Choctaw) five minutes from the harbor, fast pace, and afternoon rates near $75. The third nine (Creek) closed in 2018.
• Kelly Plantation Golf Club, Destin: public, 18 holes, par 72, 7099 yards, rating 74.6 / slope 141, green fees seen $70–$160. The most complete public course in Destin: a 2024 Bergin renovation, lots of water, a bay overlook and nine tee sets. Late-October 2026 GolfNow rates ran about $90-$119; early-autumn mornings were $160-$180. Book through GolfNow.
• Legacy Golf Club, Panama City Beach: semi-private, 18 holes, par 72, 6859 yards, rating 72.6 / slope 126, green fees seen $75–$112
• Origins Golf Club, Watersound: public, 10 holes, green fees seen $61–$61. St. Joe's only public course: a family short course with six or ten holes. Fine for a casual hour with kids, but not a substitute for a full round.
• Panama Country Club, Lynn Haven: private, 18 holes, par 72, 6573 yards, rating 72.9 / slope 137
• Regatta Bay Golf & Yacht Club, Destin: semi-private, 18 holes, par 72, 6840 yards, rating 74.2 / slope 147, green fees seen $90–$189. The toughest test in Destin (slope 147 from the tips) and the best-rated on GolfPass at 4.6/5. Target golf over water and marsh, with a good practice set-up and a late-day 9-hole option. Most players should move up a tee.
• Rocky Bayou Country Club, Niceville: semi-private, 18 holes, par 72, 6901 yards, rating 73.0 / slope 133, green fees seen $69–$109. The best-kept course on the Niceville side and open to visitors at $109 with cart. Lots of tee choices make it easy for a mixed group.
• Sandpiper Cove Par 3, Destin: guests-only, 9 holes, par 27. A free nine-hole par 3 for guests of the Sandpiper Cove condo resort. Not open to visitors.
• Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club, Santa Rosa Beach: private, 18 holes, par 72. Private member club since 2022 with a full membership list. Visitors cannot book it; mark it on the map as not open to visitors.
• Seascape Golf Course, Miramar Beach: resort, 9 holes, par 35, green fees seen $21–$34. Now a 9-hole resort course with very cheap rates ($22-$35) and poor recent condition reviews. Good for kids or a quick nine, not for a golf trip.
• Shalimar Pointe Golf Club, Shalimar: semi-private, 18 holes, par 72, 6818 yards, rating 73.5 / slope 135, green fees seen $33–$50. A solid 1960s layout with greens rebuilt in 2023. Prepaid times often run $35-$50, and the snowbird membership is one of the better winter deals around Fort Walton Beach.
• Shark's Tooth Golf Course, Panama City Beach: guests-only, 18 holes, par 72, 7246 yards, rating 74.6 / slope 130, green fees seen $295–$295. Norman's Lake Powell course is the easier of the two older St. Joe championship courses. You get on by staying at Camp Creek Inn or Watersound Inn ($295 a round). It is the scenic pick, though not the hardest.
• Signal Hill Golf Course, Panama City Beach: public, 18 holes, par 71, 5617 yards, rating 66.5 / slope 118, green fees seen $52–$75
• The Golf Club at Bluewater Bay, Niceville: public, 18 holes, par 72, 6555 yards, rating 71.8 / slope 141, green fees seen $36–$58. A Fazio-Pate layout on the bay, cheap and close to Destin over the Mid-Bay Bridge. Recent reviews describe poor conditions, so it is a budget round, not a showcase.
• The Links Golf Club at Sandestin, Miramar Beach: resort, 18 holes, par 72, 6710 yards, rating 72.2 / slope 135, green fees seen $45–$119. The bay-side original at Sandestin: short, windy and the most scenic of the three public courses, at $119 public or $95 for resort and Hilton guests most of the year and $89/$69 in winter.
• The Raven Golf Club, Miramar Beach: resort, 18 holes, par 71, 6931 yards, rating 73.8 / slope 137, green fees seen $65–$159. The best of Sandestin's three public courses: a Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout at $159 public or $130 for resort and Hilton guests in season, $109/$95 from November. Worth one round on a Sandestin trip; check recent reviews for green conditions.
• The Third Golf Course, Panama City Beach: guests-only, 18 holes, par 71, green fees seen $295–$295. St. Joe's newest course (2025, Davis Love III), sold to Camp Creek Inn and Watersound Inn guests at the same $295. No published ratings yet, so play it as the new one, not the proven one.
• Windswept Dunes Golf Club, Freeport: public, 18 holes, par 72, 7752 yards, rating 77.4 / slope 145, green fees seen $105–$129. The best public golf near 30A on value: a long dune-land course at Freeport for about $105-$130 with cart in fall. Choose forward tees; it is very long from the back.

Hotels

• Camp Creek Inn, Watersound / Inlet Beach
• Camping on the Gulf, Miramar Beach
• Destin RV Beach Resort, Miramar Beach
• Destin West Beach & Bay Resort snowbird monthly condos, Okaloosa Island, Fort Walton Beach
• Destin West RV Resort, Okaloosa Island, Fort Walton Beach
• Embassy Suites by Hilton Destin Miramar Beach, Miramar Beach
• Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village, Destin Harbor
• Four Points by Sheraton Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island, Fort Walton Beach
• Hampton Inn Niceville - Eglin Air Force Base, Bluewater Bay, Niceville
• Henderson Beach State Park Campground, Destin
• Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, Miramar Beach / Sandestin
• Holiday Inn Express Destin E - Commons Mall Area, Destin
• Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island, Fort Walton Beach
• Home2 Suites by Hilton Santa Rosa Beach, Santa Rosa Beach
• Hotel Effie Sandestin, Autograph Collection, Miramar Beach / Sandestin
• Hyatt Place Sandestin at Grand Boulevard, Miramar Beach
• Kelly Plantation stay options (rentals in the community), Destin
• Newman-Dailey Resort Properties snowbird monthly rentals, Destin, Miramar Beach, Okaloosa Island and 30A
• Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort (resort lodging), Miramar Beach / Sandestin
• The Henderson Beach Resort, Destin
• The Pearl Hotel, Rosemary Beach
• Topsail Hill Preserve State Park Campground, Santa Rosa Beach
• WaterColor Inn, WaterColor / Santa Rosa Beach
• Watersound Inn, Watersound / Inlet Beach

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