The Best Luxury Golf Resorts in Florida: 5 Elite Destinations

I've spent some time in Florida over the last couple of years visiting various resorts. Here are The Best Luxury Golf Resorts in Florida: 5 Elite Destinations. My criteria to qualify is that the resorts must have the following to qualify for an elite golf resort destination in Florida is as follows:

1. Must have modern luxury hotel accommodations.

2. Two or more 18 hole golf courses.

3. Multiple top quality restaurants on site.

Five Golf Resorts in Florida (no particular order).

I dont want to put these in any order, because it is truly about where you want to be. Do you want to be in south Florida or central Florida? Here are the five definitive destinations that set the gold standard for a Florida golf vacation. For my own personal preference, I prefer a modern hotel but not cookie cutter.

Streamsong Resort (Bowling Green)

Best for: The minimalist purist seeking architectural greatness. Located in the quiet landscape of Central Florida, Streamsong is an architectural marvel built on reclaimed phosphate mines. It eschews the typical "Florida swamp" aesthetic for towering sand dunes and sweeping vistas that feel more like the rugged coast of Scotland than the Sunshine State.

• The Golf: A rare trifecta of Top-100 courses—Streamsong Red, Blue, and Black—designed by the industry’s "Big Three": Coore & Crenshaw, Tom Doak, and Gil Hanse.

• The Dining: SottoTerra is the resort’s flagship restaurant, offering a sophisticated, subterranean Italian dining experience that is as visually stunning as the menu.

• The Luxury Factor: The Lodge is a masterpiece of modern design, featuring custom high-end furnishings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a world-class "grotto" spa carved into the earth.

PGA National Resort (Palm Beach Gardens)

Best for: Modern "Palm Beach Chic" and professional-grade challenges. Fresh off a $100 million transformation, PGA National has shed its traditional skin for a vibrant, high-design aesthetic. It remains the ultimate "bucket list" spot for those who want to test their mettle where the pros play every year.

• The Golf: Home to six courses, including the world-famous Champion Course and its notorious "Bear Trap." For a more modern twist, play The Match, which focuses on match-play strategy over stroke count.

• The Dining: The Butcher’s Club is led by Top Chef winner Jeremy Ford, serving succulent prime cuts in a 1950s-glam setting. For brunch, Honeybelle offers a bright, upscale Southern-inspired menu.

• The Luxury Factor: The resort now feels like a boutique fashion hotel on a grand scale, featuring lush velvet textures, gold accents, and one of the most comprehensive wellness spas in the country.

PGA National Resort - Top 5 Florida Golf Destination

Trump National Doral (Miami)

Best for: Palatial opulence and iconic championship history. Doral is a legendary name in the golf world, synonymous with "The Blue Monster." Since its massive renovation, the property has become a bastion of gold-leafed luxury just minutes from Miami International Airport.

• The Golf: Four 18-hole courses, headlined by the Blue Monster. Known for its punishing length and the high-stakes water hazard on the 18th hole, it is a quintessential Miami golf experience.

• The Dining: BLT Prime provides a classic American steakhouse experience with a terrace that offers the best "people watching" in golf, overlooking the 18th green.

• The Luxury Factor: The guest rooms are grand "villas" named after golf legends, featuring Italian marble, crystal chandeliers, and a level of white-glove service that caters to international royalty and CEOs.

The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón (Naples)

Best for: Refined service and a quiet, sophisticated sanctuary. In a city known for wealth and golf, The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón stands as the most polished option. It offers a more intimate, "clubhouse" feel than the sprawling resorts on this list, focusing on the legendary Ritz-Carlton service standards.

• The Golf: Two Greg Norman-designed masterpieces—The Gold Course and The Black Course. These courses host both the PGA and LPGA tours, offering meticulously manicured fairways and challenging greens.

• The Dining: Ria offers a sophisticated take on Latin American flavors. Guests also enjoy a "luxury shuttle" to the sister beachfront Ritz-Carlton for access to The Grill, a Michelin-recommended steakhouse.

• The Luxury Factor: From the "Golf Butlers" who handle your every need to the luxury pool cabanas and marble-clad suites, this is the most "hassle-free" luxury experience in the state.

JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa (Aventura)

Best for: Contemporary style and elite culinary "power scenes." Turnberry is a tropical playground that perfectly balances high-energy Miami vibes with serious golf. Following a massive recent expansion, it has become the premier choice for travelers who want a sleek, modern hotel tower over a traditional sprawling lodge.

• The Golf: Two legendary 18-hole courses, The Soffer and The Miller. The Soffer Course is particularly famous for its 64-foot waterfall on the 18th hole—the largest in the state—providing a dramatic finish to your round.

• The Dining: This is arguably the best dining resort on the list, featuring BOURBON STEAK by Michael Mina. It is a legitimate "power dining" spot where the service is as sharp as the steak knives.

• The Luxury Factor: The rooms are ultra-modern with a clean, coastal-chic aesthetic. While the resort features a world-class water park (Tidal Cove), the Âme Spa & Wellness Collective provides a serene, high-end escape for those seeking quietude.

Two options I did not include but are honorable mentions, Hammock Beach and Innisbrook, although the golf is top quality, the accommodations are a little rustic for me. They are upscale family/condo living. For my own personal preference I prefer upscale luxury/hotel style accommodations. There is nothing wrong with these above, just a personal preference.

TPC Sawgrass and Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa is also honorable mention. It offers championship courses but the accommodations is just a Marriott next door. Again nothing wrong, I'm just very particular with my hotels. TPC Sawgrass should be experienced and the Marriott is a great option, just not enough for me to put it into the top 5.

The Breakers - The Breakers is another one that meets the criteria, but it's ultra luxury. It's simply would be priced out of everyone's range. It's hard for me to put something in there that would be on the higher end budget. The above are all within range of your average golf weekend Thursday - Sunday type of trip, two rounds of golf, nice dinners.

Comment if you agree of disagree and suggest your top 5, let me know if I missed anything and why.