Destin is known for sugar-white sand and emerald-green water, but it’s also home to some of the best golf courses along Florida’s Emerald Coast. From Destin and Miramar Beach to Sandestin and nearby Fort Walton Beach, golfers can choose from championship courses, public layouts, and resort courses designed for every skill level.
The Emerald Coast has more than a dozen courses, several designed by architects like Fred Couples, Rees Jones, and Robert Trent Jones Jr. The layouts run the full range, from wide, forgiving fairways built for first-timers to tight, water-lined holes that push low handicappers.
If you’re planning a golf trip to Destin, the hard part isn’t finding a course. It’s picking the one that fits how you actually play. This guide breaks down the best Destin golf courses by skill level, then covers public, private, and resort access, when to go, and where to stay.
What Makes Destin a Golf Destination
Destin sits on a stretch of the Florida Panhandle where courses wind through pine forest, coastal dunes, and saltwater marsh, sometimes in a single round. That mix is part of the appeal. You can play a links-style layout lined with sea oats one day and a tree-framed inland course the next.
The weather cooperates for most of the year. Mild winters and long stretches of warm, sunny days keep tee times open well outside peak season, which is why plenty of golfers plan whole trips around the Emerald Coast. Many of these courses also sit inside larger resort communities, so a round is often just one piece of the day.
How to Choose a Destin Golf Course for Your Skill Level
Not every course in Destin plays the same, and that difference is worth understanding before you book. Course difficulty here comes down to a few things: fairway width, water hazards, elevation changes, and how punishing the rough gets when you miss.
Beginners do best on courses with wide fairways and few forced carries over water. Intermediate players usually want a layout that rewards accuracy without penalizing every small mistake, something with a mix of open and tighter holes. Advanced players tend to look for length, firmer greens, and hazards that come into play on nearly every hole.
Before you book a tee time, it helps to know what you’re walking into. A few things worth checking:
- Course rating and slope. Higher slope numbers mean a more demanding layout.
- Water hazards. How often they come into play, and on which holes.
- Green fees and access. Public, resort, or private membership.
- Course length. Total yardage from the tees you’ll actually play.
Skill level is a starting point, not a rule. Plenty of golfers switch it up depending on who they’re playing with or how much time they have.
Best Destin Golf Courses for Beginners
New golfers need room to miss, and these three courses give you exactly that: wide fairways, forgiving rough, and layouts that build confidence instead of wearing you down.
Baytowne Golf Club (Miramar Beach)
Baytowne Golf Club sits inside Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort and plays from the beach to the bay, with some of the only real elevation changes on the Emerald Coast. Tom Jackson designed it in 1986 and returned to renovate it in 2005, and it has earned four-and-a-half stars from Golf Digest’s Places to Play more than once.
What makes it work for beginners is the range of tees. The forward set plays about 3,000 yards, short enough for new players and kids to find a rhythm instead of grinding through a course that’s too long. From the tips it stretches past 6,800 yards, so it still holds up as a full 18 when you want one. You can check current rates and tee times on Baytowne Golf Club’s website.
The Golf Garden of Destin
If you want to ease into the game before committing to a full 18 holes, The Golf Garden of Destin is the place to start!
This family-friendly facility includes a driving range, an 18-hole miniature-golf course, and a nine-hole executive course that winds past native wildlife, so there’s a low-pressure way to practice every part of your game.
It’s a popular stop for families staying nearby, and it’s easy to fold into a beach day since a round here takes far less time than a full course.
Beginners in particular benefit from the driving range, where you can work on contact and distance before heading out to play.
Indian Bayou Golf Club (Destin)
Indian Bayou Golf Club doesn’t get the same attention as the resort courses, but it’s built to challenge golfers at every level without overwhelming newer players. The layout spreads across three distinct nines, each with its own character, so beginners get variety instead of a run of back-to-back tough holes.
The practice facilities are open to anyone on the daily tee sheet, so you can warm up before your round. Between that and the low-key atmosphere, Indian Bayou is a strong pick if you want to build confidence on a course that still plays like a real test.
Best Destin Golf Courses for Intermediate Players
Once the fundamentals are in place, these four courses add variety and a little more bite. Expect tighter fairways, smarter hazard placement, and layouts that reward good course management over raw power.
Kelly Plantation Golf Club (Destin)
Kelly Plantation Golf Club, originally designed by Fred Couples and Gene Bates, winds through waterfront, bayous, and tall trees on what used to be a turpentine plantation. A recent update from Bill Bergin Golf Design refreshed the bunkers and tees for a cleaner, more precise look.
At more than 7,000 yards from the back, it can play like a championship course, but the forward tees keep it fair for intermediate players, with few forced carries and generous, manicured fairways. Contoured greens and views of Choctawhatchee Bay round it out. Your main job here is managing distance off the tee while staying focused through the scenery.
Regatta Bay Golf & Yacht Club (Destin)
Regatta Bay Golf Club was designed by architect Robert C. Walker and blends lush fairways, pristine greens, and water features against the backdrop of the Emerald Coast.
The course sits on a protected nature preserve, so you’ll play alongside native wildlife as much as golf hazards.
With strategic bunkering, well-placed hazards, and generous landing areas, Regatta Bay offers an engaging test of skill and strategy without punishing every miss. That balance makes it a favorite for intermediate players who want a challenge that still feels fair.
The Links at Sandestin
The Links is the original course at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, and it’s built around risk-and-reward decisions. It tops out around 6,700 yards from the back with three other tee options, so it favors shotmakers over big hitters. Wind off the bay adds another layer, which makes club selection as important as your swing.
Emerald Bay Golf Club (Destin)
Emerald Bay Golf Club sits along Choctawhatchee Bay between Destin and the Beaches of South Walton. The Bob Cupp design was renovated in recent years, and because it anchors a gated residential community, it tends to feel quieter and more polished than the busier public options nearby.
The layout asks for consistent ball-striking without demanding the pinpoint precision of a championship track, which makes it a comfortable step up for intermediate golfers.
Best Destin Golf Courses for Advanced Players
These three courses reward precise ball-striking and expose everything else. Expect tight fairways, firm and demanding greens, and hazards that stay in play from the first tee to the last.
Burnt Pine Golf Club (Miramar Beach)
Burnt Pine Golf Club, designed by Rees Jones, is the most exclusive course at Sandestin and the toughest test in the group. It carries the highest slope rating of the Sandestin courses, which tells you how much the layout demands relative to par. Tight corridors, water, and native areas frame nearly every hole, and the greens leave little margin for a miss.
Access is limited, since Burnt Pine is a semi-private club with access generally limited to members and registered Sandestin resort guests. If you can get on, it’s the kind of round that rewards a sharp, disciplined game and punishes a loose one.
Raven Golf Club (Miramar Beach)
Raven Golf Club was carved through the marshes and pine trees of Sandestin by Robert Trent Jones Jr., stretching 6,900 yards to par 71.
Fun fact: It hosted the Boeing Championship, a PGA Tour Champions stop, in 2006 and 2007.
Large, undulating greens make club selection critical on nearly every hole. That combination of length and green complexity is exactly what advanced players come looking for. More details are available on their site.
Shalimar Pointe Golf and Country Club (Shalimar)
Shalimar Pointe sits a short drive west, near Fort Walton Beach along the Santa Rosa Sound. The public 18-hole course is designed with a links-style layout that won’t overpower you with length, but the wind off the water and the number of holes with water in play turn it into a genuine shotmaker’s course.
Knowledgeable players will appreciate how much it rewards a controlled ball flight and a clear plan off the tee.
Public, Private, and Resort Golf in Destin
Destin’s golf scene covers a wide range of access types, which is part of what makes trip planning here so flexible. Most courses fall into one of three categories:
- Public courses: open to anyone, no membership required, and usually the easiest to book on short notice
- Resort courses: tied to specific resort, often prioritizing guests but still open to outside play
- Private or semi-private clubs: limited access through membership, stay-and-play packages, or member sponsorship
If you’re staying in a vacation rental rather than a resort property, you’ll have the most flexibility booking public courses. That said, several resort courses also welcome outside guests.
Best Time of Year to Golf in Destin
Destin golf runs year-round, but a few seasons stand out. Spring, from March through May, brings warm days, lower humidity, and courses in top shape, which also makes it the busiest and priciest stretch. Fall, roughly September through November, offers similar conditions with thinner crowds once summer travel winds down.
Winter stays mild enough to play, and it draws snowbirds escaping colder states, so popular courses can still fill up. Summer is hot and humid, and afternoon thunderstorms are common. If you play in summer, book an early tee time to beat both the heat and the storms.
Tips for Planning Your Destin Golf Trip
A little planning goes a long way when you’re building a golf trip around Destin’s course lineup.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Book tee times early, especially during spring and fall when demand peaks
- Check tee time windows for outside guests if you’re eyeing a resort or semi-private course
- Pack for wind, since Gulf breezes can affect club selection more than expected
- Confirm the dress code, as many clubs require collared shirts and restrict denim
Note: It helps to group courses by location so you’re not driving across town between rounds.
Where to Stay for a Destin Golf Getaway
The right home base makes a golf trip easier, and that means somewhere central, comfortable, and stocked for a group.
Gulf Style Rentals manages Destin vacation homes and condos that put you within easy reach of Baytowne, The Links, Kelly Plantation, and the rest of the courses in this guide.
Our properties like Destin Retreat and Emerald Dunes offer the kind of space a golf trip actually needs. Multiple king bedrooms for a group, a private pool, and a fully stocked kitchen so you’re not stuck eating out every night.
Whether you’re planning a golf weekend with friends, a couples getaway, or a longer Emerald Coast vacation, Gulf Style Rentals offers professionally managed vacation homes and condos throughout Destin and Miramar Beach—just minutes from many of the area’s top golf courses. Our local team is always happy to recommend courses, restaurants, and things to do before or after your round.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best golf course in Destin for beginners?
Baytowne Golf Club and The Golf Garden of Destin are both strong starting points. Baytowne’s forward tees play around 3,000 yards, and The Golf Garden’s driving range and executive course give new players a low-pressure way to build a game before taking on a full 18.
Are Destin golf courses open to the public?
Many are. Kelly Plantation, Regatta Bay, Indian Bayou, Emerald Bay, Shalimar Pointe, and several Sandestin courses offer public tee times. Availability and advance-booking windows vary, especially at resort and semi-private courses. Burnt Pine is the main exception because access is generally limited to members and registered Sandestin resort guests.
What is the most challenging golf course in Destin?
Burnt Pine Golf Club is widely considered the toughest, with the highest slope rating among the Sandestin courses and hazards on nearly every hole. Raven and the back tees at Kelly Plantation also give advanced players plenty to handle.
Which golf courses are closest to Miramar Beach?
Some of the closest golf courses to Miramar Beach include Baytowne Golf Club, The Links Golf Club, Raven Golf Club, Burnt Pine Golf Club, and Emerald Bay Golf Club. All are within a short drive of many Gulf Style Rentals vacation homes and condos.
When is the best time of year to golf in Destin?
Spring and fall offer the best mix of comfortable weather and course conditions. Winter is mild enough for year-round play, while summer means early tee times to stay ahead of the heat and afternoon storms.
