Sanibel golf: The Dunes, Sanibel Island Golf Club and Shell Point across the causeway
Sanibel golf: The Dunes' seasonal rates, Sanibel Island Golf Club after Ian and Milton, private Sanctuary, Shell Point on the mainland, and the causeway toll.
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Sanibel golf for visitors means two courses: The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club, a short par 70 in a wildlife preserve with clear seasonal rates, and Sanibel Island Golf Club, which is still recovering from Ian and Milton. The Sanctuary is private. Shell Point, on the mainland near the causeway, is the closest public course off the island.
Rates below were seen in November 2026 and change by season.
Quick facts
- Bookable on the island: The Dunes and Sanibel Island Golf Club. Private: The Sanctuary.
- Cheapest island window: The Dunes at $69 from November 1-15.
- Peak: The Dunes at $199 from January 15 to March 12.
- Causeway toll: $6 westbound with a transponder, $9 by plate.
- Drive: about 72 minutes from downtown Naples to central Sanibel, free-flow.
- Hurricane history: Ian (2022) and Milton (2024) damaged both public courses.
Sanibel golf courses compared
| Course | Access | Back tees (yds, rating/slope) | Fee seen | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club | semi-private | 5,606 (68.8/129) | $69-$199 by date (2025-26 card) | public 5 days ahead |
| Sanibel Island Golf Club | semi-private | 6,337 (70.2/128) | about $36-$71 (GolfNow hot deals, Aug-Sep 2026) | GolfNow and club |
| The Sanctuary | private | not published | members only | member's guest |
| Shell Point (mainland) | semi-private | not published | $125 from 10am (Nov 2026) | public 4 days ahead |
The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club
The Dunes is a membership club that sells public tee times. It is a short par 70 inside an Audubon-sanctioned wildlife preserve, with lagoons, mangroves and many forced carries over water. Tiny yardage hides a real test: 5,606 yards from the I tees still carries a 129 slope, and wind makes the water carries harder. Expect gators, ospreys and roseate spoonbills.
The public books 5 days ahead and members 14. Rates on the club's 2025-26 card, plus tax:
| Dates | 18 holes |
|---|---|
| October | $129 |
| November 1-15 | $69 |
| November 16-30 | $130 |
| December | $169 |
| January 1-14 | $189 |
| January 15-March 12 | $199 |
| March 13-April 30 | $189 mornings, $139 from noon, $69 from 3pm |
Nine-hole rates run $49 to $90 after 9 or 10am. Practice is the Aqua Range, a floating range open 7am to 5pm, at $15 for a small bucket and $20 for a large one. Guests of The Inns of Sanibel get a resort membership during their stay, and a member's guest paid $99.99 plus tax in January 2026.
Ian hit the course hard. It was regrassed with a salt-tolerant turf and its irrigation repaired in 2023, and a search snippet reported it as the last Southwest Florida course to reopen, with the front nine back in December 2023. A resurfacing closure ran until October 17, 2025. See the Dunes course guide.
Sanibel Island Golf Club
Sanibel Island Golf Club is a short, flat course through wetlands along the Sanibel River, a 1976 design credited to Truman Wilson and Bill Dietsch. Small back-to-front greens and narrow, watery corridors reward accuracy over length; it rates 70.2/128 from 6,337 yards, and the Red tees play 4,600. Carts are included in the green fee. There is no range, only a putting and chipping green.
It is open to the public by tee time alongside members, and it is the island's only course regularly bookable on GolfNow. GolfNow prepaid hot deals for August and September 2026 ran about $36 to $71 with cart; no rack rates are published. Groups under four may be paired, and riders are restricted.
Storm recovery is the caveat. In February 2025 the Santiva Chronicle reported the course still recovering from Ian and Milton, with lost turf and inconsistent irrigation after electrical damage, so conditions may lag mainland courses. It was selling tee times in November 2026. Read recent reviews before paying peak prices. See the Sanibel Island Golf Club course guide.
The Sanctuary: private
The Sanctuary Golf Club sits at the island's west end off Wulfert Road. It is a private member club, member's guest only, and it is not bookable by visitors.
Shell Point: the mainland option
Shell Point Golf Club is a tidy, water-heavy Gordon Lewis par 71 near the causeway approach in Fort Myers, and the closest public course to Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach. Members get the early times; public 18-hole rates start at 10am and the public books only 4 days ahead. November 2026 rates were $125 from 10am to 1pm, $115 from 1 to 3pm, nine holes after 1pm $70 and walking after 3pm $60. It is about 19 minutes from Sundial Beach Resort, without the toll if you are staying on the mainland side. See the Shell Point course guide and Fort Myers golf courses.
The causeway and the drive
The Sanibel Causeway is 3 miles long and charges a toll only westbound onto the island: $6 with SunPass, LeeWay or an interoperable transponder, $9 by plate and $3 per extra axle. Ian broke it in five places in 2022; permanent repairs were completed in 2024, with FDOT finishing remaining work by 2027.
In season, the causeway approach along Summerlin Road and McGregor Boulevard backs up badly, and beach parking on Sanibel fills by mid-morning during spring break, Canadian March break and Easter. Central Sanibel is about 72 minutes from downtown Naples, free-flow, so a Naples-based group should treat Sanibel as a day out.
Where to stay for Sanibel golf
- Sundial Beach Resort & Spa: back after Ian, with kitchens and multi-bedroom units, 2 minutes from Sanibel Island Golf Club and 8 from The Dunes. No golf perk found.
- Casa Ybel Resort: reopened on the quiet west end after three years; 10 minutes from The Dunes.
- Marriott Sanibel Harbour: at the foot of the causeway on the mainland, 8 minutes from Shell Point, with no toll to reach Fort Myers courses.
- Hampton Inn & Suites Fort Myers Beach/Sanibel Gateway: a mainland value base between the two islands.
More in where to stay in Naples for golf and, for beach days and the rest, things to do in Naples.
When to play Sanibel
Early November is the island's sweet spot: dry weather and $69 at The Dunes before the rate nearly doubles on November 16. NOAA normals for nearby Fort Myers show November highs of about 81F with about 7 rain days at RSW.
Snowbirds have a few options. The Dunes offered 2026 summer memberships (prices not read), and its late-afternoon rate from March 13 to April 30 is $69 from 3pm. Shell Point sells annual memberships, at $6,125 single for non-residents of Shell Point plus a $2,500 initiation, plus tax. January to mid-March is the most expensive, and summer brings daily storms. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and the islands took the worst of Ian and Milton; see hurricane season golf in Florida and Naples golf in November. Across the river, more bookable courses are in Cape Coral golf courses.
Plan it on the map
Open the Naples golf map to see Sanibel golf, the causeway and the stays on both ends. The $30 plan can fit a Sanibel round into a Fort Myers or Naples trip, or a winter rotation.
Courses in this guide
Questions golfers ask
Can visitors play golf on Sanibel?
Yes, at two courses. The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club sells public tee times 5 days ahead, and Sanibel Island Golf Club takes public bookings, including GolfNow hot deals. The island's third course, The Sanctuary, is private, member's guest only.
How much does The Dunes on Sanibel cost?
On the club's posted 2025-26 card, plus tax: $69 from November 1-15, $130 from November 16-30, $169 in December, $189 from January 1-14 and $199 from January 15 to March 12. From March 13 to April 30, mornings are $189, early afternoons $139 and 3pm to 5:30pm $69.
Is Sanibel Island Golf Club in good shape after the hurricanes?
It was still recovering in early 2025, with lost turf and inconsistent irrigation after electrical damage from Ian and Milton, according to the Santiva Chronicle. It was selling tee times in November 2026. Check recent reviews before paying peak prices.
How much is the Sanibel Causeway toll?
The toll is charged only westbound onto the island: $6 with SunPass, LeeWay or an interoperable transponder, or $9 by plate, plus $3 per extra axle. The causeway was rebuilt after Ian broke it in five places.
Does any Sanibel hotel include golf?
Guests of The Inns of Sanibel receive a resort membership at The Dunes during their stay, per the club site. No golf perk was found for Sundial Beach Resort or Casa Ybel.
What is the closest mainland course to Sanibel?
Shell Point Golf Club, near the causeway approach in Fort Myers. It posted $125 for 18 holes from 10am in November 2026, books the public 4 days ahead and is 8 minutes from the Marriott Sanibel Harbour at the foot of the causeway.
Is there golf on Captiva?
OpenStreetMap names a course called The Clutch on the South Seas Island Resort grounds at the north end of Captiva, but whether it is a resort-guest course and whether it reopened after Ian is unverified. Its status is unclear, so call first.
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