Miami has a reputation as one of the great seaport cities in the world and has become a destination city for golfers due its tropical climate and quality golf courses. The city has hosted major championships from the PGA and attracts golfers from around the world looking to combine a good day of golf with the exciting Miami nightlife. In this review we will look at four courses that showcase four of the best golf courses in Miami.
Trump National Doral Miami
This prestigious golf course has come under the spotlight recently when its current owner became the President of the United States. No matter what your feelings are on Donald Trump there is no denying that the Trump National Doral Miami is one of the world’s best courses. The original course was built in 1962 by Alfred Kaskel. The Golf Blogger explains that the course quickly became known as the Blue Monster due to fact that the people believed that Kaskel was creating a “monster” in the middle of a swamp and the ‘blue’ was added because of the amount of water hazards dotted around the course. The course was redesigned in recent years with several of the holes changing. For example hole #16 is 30 yards shorter but now has an added water feature making it harder for players to drive the green.
Crandon Golf at Key Biscayne
For golfers near downtown Miami, Crandon Golf is a mere 10 minutes away. The course is known as the third toughest course in the USA behind Torrey Pines and Bethpage Black. It is also considered one of the most beautiful courses and has been rated as a top course by many golfing publications including Golfweek. The course has seven saltwater lakes and is the only course with a subtropical lagoon in North America. Due to its location in Key Biscayne the winds coming off from the sea can play a large factor in many holes. According to World Golf, the 7,180-yard track carries a slope rating of 129 from the black tees. Alongside negotiating the holes and weather conditions, players will also have to contend with the wildlife with regular sightings of alligators that make the term water hazard take on a whole new meaning. For experienced golfers looking for a challenge Crandon Golf is one of the best in the state.
The Biltmore
Built in 1925 the Biltmore is a step back in time to the era of the more traditional game and has remained almost untouched since the opening. The legendary golfer and course designer Donald Ross designed the course. It is fairly open with little trees or foliage to catch the balls. The Biltmore’s director of Total Performance Golf School when on record as saying, “the Biltmore’s seventh hole is where things get thought provoking. The canal follows the entire fairway route on the left on this 399-yard par 4. The golfer must choose a layup distance then cross the canal on the approach.” The course is situated in Coral Gables which Discover Homes Miami listed as the number one golfing community in the city and one that attracts avid golfers from across the United States and beyond.
Normandy Shores Golf Club
Located on a small island just off Miami Beach is the Normandy Shores Golf Club. According to Florida Golf Magazine, the golf club was renovated in 2008 for $9 million and brought in renowned course designer Arthur Hills to redesign the 18-hole course. The course has a reputation of a fast green among golfers. Like Crandon Golf it has become known for the ocean breezes that can be felt on every hole making it a challenging course for beginners. It also has several tough holes such as hole #12 which is the shortest of the Par-4s. The hole requires a player to be aggressive, otherwise the ball will end up short of the fairway bunkers and they will face a difficult second shot. It also doesn’t allow for over hitting which will send the ball past the bunkers and into bigger trouble. Normandy Shores Golf Club is very close to South Beach making it the ideal place to spend the day before hitting the famous Miami nightlife.
