Home to THE PLAYERS Championship and the most famous hole in golf—the island-green 17th—this Pete Dye masterpiece is a “bucket list” essential designed to test every club in the bag. To stay in the heart of the action, book the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, which provides exclusive guest access to the course, a luxury spa to soothe post-round nerves, and a shuttle to the private Cabana Beach Club.

Steeped in history as the winter home of “The King,” Bay Hill is a classic, demanding layout that finishes on one of the toughest par-4s on the PGA TOUR. For the full experience, you must stay at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, where guests are treated like members and the intimate, 70-room lodge is adorned with memorabilia from Arnie’s legendary career.

Known as the home of the “Bear Trap” (holes 15, 16, and 17), this Jack Nicklaus-redesigned course is one of the most penal and exciting stops on the tour. After surviving the water-heavy back nine, retreat to the PGA National Resort, which recently underwent a $100 million renovation and features a stunning “Waters of the World” mineral pool complex and high-end dining at The Butcher’s Club.

Designed by Greg Norman, the Black Course at Tiburón features a unique “no-rough” policy, instead using crushed coquina shell waste areas to create a visually striking and fast-playing environment. To match the prestige of the venue, stay at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, a sanctuary of luxury that overlooks the course and offers a massive water park for families and an elite-level spa.

Formerly known as World Woods, the newly reimagined Karoo course by Gil Hanse has quickly become a modern Florida icon with its bold, sandy waste areas and rugged, “Nature Coast” aesthetic. The best way to experience it is by staying in the Cabot Citrus Farms Cottages, which are designed with a modern-meets-rustic flair to keep you fully immersed in the wilderness surroundings.

Set in a remote area of Central Florida on a former phosphate mine, Streamsong Red features dramatic elevation changes and towering sand dunes that feel more like the dunes of Ireland than the Florida coast. You should stay on-site at the Streamsong Lodge, a sleek, ultra-modern lakeside retreat where the rooftop bar offers the best sunset views in the state over the sprawling 16,000-acre estate.

The “Blue Monster” is famous for its length and its formidable water hazards, specifically the gruelling par-4 18th hole which is consistently ranked among the hardest finishes in golf. The definitive stay is the Trump National Doral Miami, a massive 800-acre resort featuring world-class villas, a sprawling “Royal Palm” pool, and four additional championship courses on the property.

A favorite among PGA TOUR pros for its “Carolina feel,” the Copperhead course features pine-lined fairways and rolling terrain that is a rarity in flat Florida. The closing three-hole stretch, known as the “Snake Pit,” is a true scorecard-wrecker. Stay on-site at the Innisbrook Resort, where the spacious, low-rise lodge suites are tucked into 900 acres of quiet woodland near the Gulf Coast.

This Jack Nicklaus Signature design features six holes that play directly along the Atlantic Ocean, offering salt-sprayed fairways and dramatic seaside views. For a coastal getaway, stay at the Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa, which offers multi-bedroom villas perfect for golf groups and a sprawling multi-level pool complex featuring a lazy river.

While the Red Course is known for its drama, Streamsong Blue (designed by Tom Doak) is celebrated for its massive, undulating greens and strategic bunkering that rewards creative shot-making. Since the resort is isolated, you’ll want to stay at the Streamsong Lodge to take advantage of the on-site activities like guided bass fishing and clay shooting between rounds on the Blue, Red, and Black courses.

Florida’s public access and resort course offering is exceptional. TPC Sawgrass’s Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra is the most iconic, home to the Players Championship and that famous island green par-3 seventeenth. Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Streamsong Resort in central Florida with three highly rated layouts, World Woods in Brooksville, and the courses at Tiburón and Lely Resort in Naples all regularly feature in best-of Florida lists.

For most itineraries, yes, a hire car is strongly recommended. Florida is a driving state and the distances between courses, hotels, and attractions are significant. Orlando is the exception to some extent, as many resort properties have multiple courses on site or within easy shuttle distance, but even then a car gives you far more flexibility.

For most UK and European travellers, the window from mid-October through to late April offers the most reliable combination of good weather, playable conditions, and manageable humidity. January through March is peak season and peak pricing. October, November, and early December can represent the best overall value, with warm temperatures, lower green fees, and quieter courses.

The volume and quality of courses is the obvious answer, but it goes further than that. Florida combines genuinely world-class golf with superb resort infrastructure, reliable warm weather, an extremely well-developed tourist economy that makes logistics easy, and a range of off-course options that make it viable for mixed groups and families.