Planning a Destin golf trip: areas, season, resorts and public courses

A Destin golf trip works best as three to five days on one stretch of US 98: four strong courses in Destin, Sandestin's resort courses 20-odd minutes east, and value rounds in Fort Walton Beach and Niceville. Base in Destin or Sandestin, go in October or mid-April to mid-May, and book the resort-only rounds first.

This guide shows how the pieces fit: where the courses are, when to go, which rounds need a resort stay and how to get there. Fees were seen in 2026 and change, so check them for your dates.

Quick facts

• Courses open to visitors: 16 on our map, from Fort Walton Beach to the east end of 30A.
• Stay-to-play rounds: Burnt Pine (Sandestin guests), Camp Creek, Shark's Tooth and The Third (Camp Creek Inn and Watersound Inn guests).
• Peak golf: March to May and October.
• Time zone: Central Time.
• Airport: VPS, about 33 minutes from Destin Harbor.
• Hurricane season: June 1 to November 30.
• Grass: bermuda; some resort courses overseed greens in early November.

How a Destin golf trip is laid out

The Emerald Coast golf map runs west to east along US 98, with Choctawhatchee Bay to the north.

• Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island (west): the city's two courses, FWB Pines and FWB Oaks, plus Shalimar Pointe and Gator Lakes at Hurlburt Field. Cheapest golf; beach hotels on the island.
• Destin: Indian Bayou, Kelly Plantation, Regatta Bay and Emerald Bay, all within 15 minutes of the harbor.
• Miramar Beach and Sandestin: The Raven, Baytowne, The Links and Burnt Pine, 21 to 27 minutes from the harbor.
• Niceville (across the bay): Bluewater Bay and Rocky Bayou, reached by the Mid-Bay Bridge (toll).
• 30A and Watersound (east): the three private Watersound Club courses (Camp Creek, Shark's Tooth and The Third) and the public Origins short course, 48 minutes or more from Destin.

Our guide to Emerald Coast golf walks the coast area by area, and Destin golf courses lists every course side by side.

Drive times from Destin Harbor

These are free-flow router estimates. On spring-break and summer Saturdays, add 20 to 60 minutes or more on US 98 and the 331 bridge.

Resort courses vs public tee times

Most Destin rounds are open to anyone. Kelly Plantation is public, and Indian Bayou, Regatta Bay and Emerald Bay are member clubs that sell public tee times every day.

Sandestin's three public courses charge the public more than resort guests. In 2026 the Raven was $159 public against $130 for Sandestin resort and Hilton Sandestin guests from spring to fall. Baytowne and The Links were $119 public and $95 for guests in spring. Resort guests can also book six months ahead, against 14 days for the public.

Two sets of courses need a stay:

• Burnt Pine: members and registered guests of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, after 1 PM, at $179 in season. The Hilton Sandestin says its guests have access too; confirm when booking.
• Camp Creek, Shark's Tooth and The Third: $295 a round for guests of Camp Creek Inn and Watersound Inn. After Hurricane Isaias, Camp Creek was front nine only from October 17, 2026 and Shark's Tooth was closed until further notice.

If you want Burnt Pine, base at Sandestin. If you want the St. Joe courses, spend at least one night at one of the two inns. Otherwise, stay wherever suits your group and pay public rates. The Destin golf resorts guide compares the options.

Where to base

• Destin: closest to the four Destin courses and the harbor restaurants. The Henderson Beach Resort is the luxury beach option, about 7 minutes from Kelly Plantation; Holiday Inn Express Destin E is the budget one, with free breakfast and parking.
• Sandestin: four courses, a tram and Baytowne Wharf for dinner. Watch the reported $40 nightly resort fee and 10 AM check-out.
• Okaloosa Island: beach hotels such as the Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach, about 16 minutes from the Fort Walton Beach city courses.
• Niceville: the Hampton Inn Niceville is 9 minutes from Bluewater Bay and Rocky Bayou, away from beach traffic.

Read where to stay in Destin for golf for the full comparison.

When to go

Spring is the best golf weather, but college breaks run through March and Southern school breaks fall in late March and early April, so condos fill and traffic jams. Mid-April to mid-May is the sweet spot, apart from the Sandestin Wine Festival weekend in April.

October is the other peak: about 81F days, 63F nights and the driest month of the year. The Destin Fishing Rodeo runs all month on the harbor. Note that Baytowne and The Links close in early November for greens overseeding (November 2-8 and 3-9, 2026). Our best time to golf in Destin guide goes month by month.

Getting there

VPS is the default, with Allegiant, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and Sun Country listed in October 2026. ECP is closer for the east end of 30A. Routes change, so check with the airlines. See flights to Destin.

Booking order

1. Resort-only rounds first. Burnt Pine is phone-only (850-267-6500) once you hold a Sandestin reservation; the Watersound courses are booked through the inn concierge.
2. Sandestin public courses. Guests can book six months out; the public gets 14 days.
3. Destin public rounds. Kelly Plantation books through GolfNow, Indian Bayou and Emerald Bay through TeeItUp, Regatta Bay on its own GolfNow-powered page. Groups of nine or more at Regatta Bay go through the sales office.
4. Value rounds. The Fort Walton Beach city courses book on Teesnap, where the rate locks when you book; a no-show or late cancellation costs 50% of the booking.

A sample four-day Destin golf trip

• Day 1: Indian Bayou in the afternoon, the cheapest window.
• Day 2: Kelly Plantation in the morning (see the Kelly Plantation course guide).
• Day 3: The Raven, then dinner at Baytowne Wharf (the Raven course guide has the card).
• Day 4: Regatta Bay, or Burnt Pine after 1 PM if you are staying in Sandestin.

Our Destin golf trip itinerary has more detail, and Destin golf trip cost puts numbers on a value and a splurge version.

If you are weighing the Gulf Coast more widely, our Gulf Shores golf trip guide covers the Alabama side.

Plan it on the map

Open the Destin golf map to see every course, the stays that unlock the private ones and the drive between them. The $30 plan turns a Destin golf trip into a day-by-day schedule, with the right course on the right day and the closures already worked around.