The best golf courses in Destin, ranked with the trade-offs

The best golf courses in Destin, on our research, are Burnt Pine at Sandestin, Kelly Plantation and Regatta Bay, with Camp Creek on 30A close behind. The catch is access: Burnt Pine and Camp Creek need a specific resort stay, while Kelly Plantation and Regatta Bay sell public tee times to anyone.

So this list ranks courses on the golf, then tells you plainly what it takes to get on and what you give up. Fees were seen in October 2026 unless stated, and rates change often.

Quick facts

• Best overall: Burnt Pine (members and Sandestin resort guests only).
• Best public: Kelly Plantation.
• Hardest: Regatta Bay and Burnt Pine, both slope 147 from the back.
• Best value: Indian Bayou.
• Best stay-and-play splurge: Camp Creek, $295 for inn guests.
• Watch out: Hurricane Isaias (October 9, 2026) closed or shortened some 30A courses.

The best golf courses in Destin at a glance

1. Burnt Pine: the best, if you stay at Sandestin

Burnt Pine is a 1994 Rees Jones design (with Greg Muirhead) with water, forced carries and the back nine along Choctawhatchee Bay. From the #1 tees it plays 6,996 yards at 74.5/147, the hardest course on the Sandestin property.

The trade-off: the public cannot book it. You need a club membership or a stay in Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort lodging, and resort-guest tee times are after 1 PM only. The Hilton Sandestin says its guests have access too; confirm when you book. Booking is by phone, 850-267-6500. In November, a 1 PM start needs a steady pace to finish before dark. Read who can play Burnt Pine before you plan around it.

2. Kelly Plantation: the best course anyone can book

Fred Couples designed Kelly Plantation with Gene Bates in 1998, and Bill Bergin rebuilt the tees and bunkers and upgraded the greens in 2024. Eleven lakes, a 7.5-acre lake framing the 9th and 18th, and a bay overlook at the 4th make it the most complete public course in Destin.

The trade-off: price swings. GolfNow deals ran about $90-$119 in late October 2026 but $169.99-$179.99 on early September mornings. Nine tee sets from 7,099 down to 4,096 yards mean every player in a group has a sensible option. The Kelly Plantation course guide has the card, and our Kelly Plantation golf guide covers booking.

3. Regatta Bay: the hardest public round

Robert C. Walker's target-style course runs over water, wetland and marsh in an 800-acre bay community. Its Black tees rate 74.2/147, the steepest slope in Destin, and even the Blue tees carry a 141. GolfPass reviewers rate it 4.6 out of 5, the best score in Destin.

The trade-off: it punishes misses. Mid-handicaps should play White (5,965 yards, 136). In its favour: the best practice facilities in town, including a covered area with greenside bunkers and Trackman, and a late-afternoon nine-hole option. See the Regatta Bay course guide.

4. Camp Creek: the 30A splurge

Tom Fazio's 2001 course near the Gulf at the east end of 30A is the pick of the three private Watersound Club courses for most visitors: rolling fairways, sandy waste areas and water on about 11 holes, 7,120 yards at 74.9/144 from the Black tees.

The trade-off: access and distance. Rounds are $295 per golfer and sold only to guests of Camp Creek Inn and Watersound Inn, or to members and their guests. It is 48 minutes from Destin Harbor. After Hurricane Isaias, only the front nine was open from October 17, 2026, and a maintenance closure was scheduled for November 2-5. It is closed every Monday.

5. The Raven: the best of Sandestin's public three

Robert Trent Jones Jr.'s 2000 course runs through pines and wetlands inland from Baytowne Wharf, with a 631-yard par-5 7th. It is open to the public at $159, or $130 for Sandestin resort and Hilton guests, from March to early November 2026; from November 2 the rate falls to $109 and $95.

The trade-off: late-summer 2026 reviews complained about slow, bumpy greens, though October reviews were better. Avoid the May and August aeration weeks. Our Raven Golf Club guide has the full rate table.

6. Indian Bayou: the best value

Indian Bayou is a mature, tree-lined Earl Stone course from 1978 with wide fairways and light rough, about 9 minutes from Destin Harbor. GolfPass rates it 4.5 out of 5 from 2,565 reviews, and it ranked 14th in the GolfPass Top 25 for pace of play in 2020.

The trade-off: it is forgiving rather than dramatic, and the range is only for members and booked players. Afternoon deals started at $74.99 in late October 2026, about half a prime morning. Ignore Creek-nine scorecards online: only Seminole and Choctaw are in play.

7. Windswept Dunes: the long one, inland

Doug O'Rourke built Windswept Dunes in Freeport in 2004 through white sand dunes, some about 20 feet high, with heavy waste-area bunkering. From the Championship tees it is 7,752 yards at 77.4/145, among the longest in Florida.

The trade-off: it is 59 minutes from Destin Harbor. It suits a 30A base better. Choose your tee carefully: the 6,533-yard Emerald tees still carry a 133 slope. GolfNow deals with cart ran $105-$129 in mid-October 2026.

8. The Links: the bay holes

Sandestin's original course by Tom Jackson has five holes along Choctawhatchee Bay by Baytowne Marina, then heads inland. It is short at 6,710 yards from the Gold tees, so the wind off the water is the defence. It costs $119 public or $95 for resort guests most of the year, and $89 and $69 in winter.

The trade-off: summer and early-fall 2026 reviews reported weedy, slow greens, while mid-October reviews were positive. It closes November 3-9, 2026 for overseeding.

9. Rocky Bayou: the best-kept course on the Niceville side

A member-owned club east of Niceville that takes public golfers, with five spring-fed lakes and ten tee sets down to a 4,135-yard Teal set. That makes it one of the best courses here for mixed groups and seniors.

The trade-off: at $109 with cart and a bucket of balls, it costs about double most Fort Walton Beach-area public rounds. Active-duty and retired military get 10% off. It is 30 minutes from Destin Harbor.

10. Emerald Bay: good bones, check conditions

Bob Cupp's 1991 layout has water on 12 holes and part of the back nine along the bay. It rates 73.9/143 from the tips.

The trade-off: October 2026 reviews were split, with several complaining of weedy greens and worn tees. Check the latest before paying top rate. Groups of up to 16 can rent the club's Guesthouse, which comes with golf discounts here and at Seascape.

Also worth knowing

Shalimar Pointe rebuilt its greens to TifEagle in 2023 and its October 2026 deals ran $33.99-$50.99, so it is the best cheap round in the Fort Walton Beach area. Shark's Tooth, Greg Norman's Lake Powell course and 53rd in Golf Digest's Florida list for 2025/26 per Where2Golf, would rank here, but it was closed after Isaias until further notice in late October 2026.

For every course side by side, read our guide to Destin golf courses. For where to stay to unlock the guest-only rounds, see Destin golf resorts, and for a budget, cheap golf in Destin.

Plan it on the map

Open the Destin golf map to see the best golf courses in Destin with their tees, drive times and the stays that unlock them. The $30 plan builds a trip around the rounds you care about most.