Naples Golf Scene

Just as every round of golf is a story unto itself, every golf course has its tale, its identity, its niche in the area golf landscape. In an area where great private golf courses abound, Stoneybrook Golf Club has carved its niche as the public cours in the Estero/Bonita Springs area with the qualities of a private one, one with a 4-Star rating from Golf Digestï's Places to Play.

Centrally located almost exactly halfway between Naples and Ft. Myers, just five minutes south of the airport off I-75, and within three miles of a half-dozen hotels, Stoneybrook truly is the course for everyone in Southwest Florida. With seven different sets of tees ranging from a burly 7,353 yards for the longest of players to a much more manageable 4,672 for less-experienced ones (and 3,211 yard USGA Jr. tees), Stoneybrook has a place for your game, at a price that'll likely bring you back. And it is one of the first 200 courses in the country to be certified as "Beginner Friendly" by the National Golf Course Owners Association.

Undulating fairways, multi-tiered greens, water on each hole but still a consistently excellent pace-of-play are the hallmarks of Arrowhead Golf Club. Voted Naples “Best Public Golf Course 2005” by the readers of the Naples Daily News.

Located just east of I-75 off Immokalee Rd. in northeast Naples, Arrowhead, which opened in 1998, is growing into its Gordon Lewis design, offering up his signature spacious landing areas and forgiving collection areas around oversized greens (averaging 10,000 square-feet). Players at Arrowhead have to navigate over and around 16 lakes, and water is in play on all 18 holes, but most of the hazards are lateral and you’ve got to seek it out to find real trouble. 

Royal Palm Country Club, a member owned Private Club, is one of Naples best kept secrets. Nestled between downtown Naples and Marco Island, people are always surprised to discover this championship golf course. Located in the original Lely Community and easily acessed by Collier Blvd (SR 951) or Tamiami Trail US 41, with no onsite living requirements, Royal Palm members come from every corner of the Naples area.

Royal Palm was literally carved out of a pine forest, creating a lush secluded feel and a sweeping loop for each nine holes, thus eliminating parallel fairways. Another aspect in the construction of Royal Palm was minimizing the distance between green and the next tee, making Royal Palm the most walker friendly course in Naples. Golfer Gene Sarazen once stated, “Royal Palm is the best layout in the Naples area”.

Designed in 1976 by David Wallace and redesigned by Gordon Lewis in 2000 this Championship golf course sits in a mature old Florida setting. With a multitude of trees, from towering pines to live oaks and mahoganies, ample shade is provided from the Florida sun. It features TifEagle greens, Bermuda grass fairways, 5 sets of tees and 30 acres of lakes that are scattered strategically throughout the 18 holes. 

Southwest Florida golfers may have heard a sonic boom recently but it wasn’t the space shuttle touching down in Cape Canaveral. To the delight of both local and seasonal golfers everywhere, the ‘boom’ was the recent explosion of world-class golf bein brought to Lehigh Acres by Greentree Resorts and its recent acquisition of three championship facilities; Majestic Golf Club, Mirror Lakes Golf Club and the Admiral Lehigh Golf Resort. Managing members Jere Carrick, Tony Paradiso, Keith Campbell and Brian Owens made the announcement this past fall and have been steadily been bringing improvements to the already popular facilities; both inside and out. “We wanted to restore the charm and character to the courses while adding improvements, upgrades and a bit of polish too.” said Carrick. 

Offering pristine vistas with no homes encroaching on the course and uncrowded conditions allowing brisk play, Crown Colony Golf & Country Club, offers a challenging round of golf where players can effectively use every club in their bag.

Designed by acclaimed golf course architect Ron Garl, this 18-hole, par 72 course is routed through lush nature preserves and measures 7,013 yards from the tips. Devilish white sand waste bunkers sprinkled with tufts of cord grass border quite a few fairways and guard many pins.

This is definitely a shot makers course; but still, the average golfer playing from the forward tees often has a good chance to par many holes.

Naples is the land of the country club community. Each community has a trademark that makes it unique in it’s own special way. Some have 55000 square foot clubhouses designed and decorated to impress royalty. Others offer multiple outstanding golf corses, multiple clubhouses and million dollar lots for multimillion-dollar homes. Beautiful entrances are carefully landscaped with exotic plants and flowers to set the tone for the experience each individual community is attempting to project.

Palmira Golf Club celebrates the perfect combination of tradition, excitement and beauty all in one magnificent setting. Superbly designed by Gordon Lewis, the acclaimed Palmira Golf Club features a 27-hole gorgeous championship golf course enhancedy exceptional facilities including: TifEagle greens, PGA professional golf staff, full-service pro shop, three-day advance tee times, five sets of tees, non-resident memberships (for a limited time) and daily luncheon specials at our elegant clubhouse. 

West Bay Club’s website promises “360-degrees of inspiration” and it is easy to see why. To the south less than a half-hour away is Naples, to the north just 30 minutes away is Fort Myers. Above is the gorgeous Florida sky that creates the unbelievable Gulf sunsets. Beneath your feet are 18 great holes of Pete and son P.B. Dye-designed golf course and all around you is nature.

More than half of West Bay Club’s development has been set aside and will not be built on, but will be preserved as home for hundreds of species of wildlife, away from the wilder life in the bigger cities of Florida. Nestled in this natural setting are the signs of home, and the sites of homes ranging from estates and villas to carriage homes and high-rises.

Grandézza has been sizzling in 2004. Record breaking sales, new neighborhoods, new models and the honor of being chosen as the site for the 2005 LBIA Parade of Homes are just a few of the grand things happening at Southwest Florida’s most exciting country club community. Grandézza showcases exquisite luxury homes with stunning vistas, championship golf and exceptional cuisine.

All of these are packaged in a prime location just minutes from the beaches, shopping, the arts, sports and top medical and educational facilities. With all of this to offer, it is little wonder that the Lee Building Industry Association selected Grandézza as the site for the 2005 Parade of Homes, one of Lee County’s most prestigious events.

Golfers are always on the lookout for a new challenge, breathtaking scenery, and an extraordinary golfing experience. While there are literally thousands of courses worldwide to choose from, discovering one that distinguishes itself from the masses can be a discerning task. Fortunately, that difficult job has been undertaken for you, and we are pleased to introduce you to a course that is both new and noteworthy. One of the most outstanding courses to be built in the last few years is located at Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club.

The course, designed by renowned architect Arthur Hills, is his only “Signature” Championship course in the region. Mr. Hills has masterfully combined natural and man-made water elements with lush striped fairways, greens that putt quickly and smoothly, and tropical landscaping that will have you believing you’re in paradise!