by Jennifer Eblin

Created on: September 25, 2007

Florida is home to some of the best golf courses in the country, and unfortunately some of the worst. It can sometimes be difficult to determine the great golf courses from the worst golf courses. Sometimes the course that looks beautiful from its website pictures turns out to be overrun with alligators and nearly sinking into the swamp. The only way to tell the truly great and luxurious golf courses from the others is to look at reviews and see what other golfers think.

The Doral is one of the oldest and most luxurious golf courses in Florida. Opening in 1962, this Miami course is known as "The Kingdom of Golf" for its five championship golf courses and five extraordinary restaurants. The Blue Monster is one of the oldest courses at The Doral, and was designed by Dick Wilson with a later restoration by Raymond Floyd. The course has a signature water fountain at its last hole, which was listed as one of the top 100 holes in the world by Golg Magazine.

The Great White Course features a par 72 course with over 7,000 yards and uses coquina (crushed shells) on every hole, making it one of a kind in the southeastern United States. With 14 holes designed around water hazzards, this can be a challenging course for even experienced golfers. The Gold Course features a par-4 island green on hole number 18 and has some challenging holes. The Red Course has two island greens and is known as one of the more challenging courses in Florida. The last course at The Doral is the Silver Course, with water hazzards on 16 holes and elevated greens. It also has an island green on hole number 14, making it a difficult course.

For a different luxury golf course in Florida, consider the Camp Creek Golf Course. This Tom Fazio designed course is just ten minutes away from the Gulf Coast and the Water Color Inn and Resort. The course is private, and only available to guests of the Inn or Water Sound vacation rentals, but well worth the rental price. Camp Creek Golf Course has been named the #1 Golf Course of the New Millennium in Florida, and one of the best in the country. The course is extremely quiet, with a personal feel, and offers the Origins Course for beginners and families. There is also an 18 hole par-72 championship golf course for intermediate and expert golfers sitting on over 1,000 acres of land.

Or try The Ginn Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Springs. The Resort offers a few golf courses, all designed by former players like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. This new resort was built in 2003 with luxury in mind, and delivers for golfers with multiple courses for varying skill levels.

There's many luxurious golf courses in Florida, but the key to finding a good way is to read reviews and look for the ones picked often by frequent golfers.

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