By The Gettings Group
Golf Digest once ranked Panama City Beach among the top three golf towns in the country, and the courses here make the case clearly. With 320 days of sunshine annually and layouts stretching from lakeside wetlands to salt-water marshes along St. Andrews Bay, this stretch of the Panhandle rivals far better-known golf destinations.
The courses are one of the lifestyle features that consistently draws buyers and owners to this part of the Gulf Coast.
Key Takeaways
- Bay Point Golf Club: Home to the only Jack Nicklaus-designed course in Northwest Florida, with panoramic views of St. Andrews Bay
- Camp Creek Golf Club: Tom Fazio design along Highway 30A, ranked 46th in Golf Digest's Florida Best in State list, about 20 miles from Panama City Beach
- Signal Hill Golf Course: The oldest course in Panama City Beach, open since 1962, directly across from the Gulf
- Shark's Tooth Golf Club: Greg Norman design along Lake Powell, Florida's largest coastal dune lake, within the Wild Heron community
Bay Point Golf Club
Bay Point Golf Club is the marquee name that players return to year after year. Situated within a nature preserve along the Grand Lagoon, it offers two championship 18-hole layouts: the Meadows Course and the Nicklaus Course, the only Jack Nicklaus design in Northwest Florida.
- Nicklaus Course: The only Nicklaus Design in Northwest Florida
- Meadows Course: A classically designed complement to the flagship layout
- Practice facility: Full driving range, putting green, and a well-stocked golf shop on site
- Bar 72: The on-site restaurant and bar, a local gathering spot after rounds on either course
The Nicklaus Course plays to 7,152 yards with a slope of 143 and five tee options from 4,100 yards up. Travel+Leisure Golf called it one of the most worthy redesigns in Florida for its illusory bunkers and holes carved through salt-water marshes and scrub oak canopy.
Camp Creek Golf Club
Camp Creek Golf Club, a Tom Fazio design along Highway 30A in Watersound, is the most decorated course in the region. The design holds a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary designation and is accessible to Watersound Inn guests and properties within the WaterColor and WaterSound communities.
- Tom Fazio design: Among the most cited courses in the Fazio portfolio, with elevation changes unusual for the Panhandle
- Three ecosystems: Coastal dunes, lakeside holes, and a pine forest loop
- Golf Performance Center: Trackman technology, professional instruction, and fitting services in a 5,000-square-foot facility
- Forest loop standouts: The reachable par-5 12th, the par-4 13th to a tabletop green, and the downhill par-3 14th along the water are among the most discussed holes in Northwest Florida
Highway 30A is one of the most scenic drives on the Emerald Coast, and the round is worth planning a full day around.
Signal Hill Golf Course
Signal Hill Golf Course opened in 1962, the oldest course in Panama City Beach. Designed by John Sherman, it plays to 5,617 yards, par 71, slope 118, directly across the street from the Gulf with coastal views throughout the round.
- Yardage and par: A manageable length with a focus on precision over distance
- Location: 9615 N. Thomas Drive, directly across from the Gulf beach corridor
- Instruction: Dewsweepers Golf offers hourly and full-day lesson packages with video analysis
- Atmosphere: A relaxed, community-oriented club with a pro shop and snack bar on site
Signal Hill ranks among the most accessible of the best golf courses Panama City Beach FL offers. The relaxed atmosphere and public access make it one of the easiest courses on the Panhandle to simply show up and play.
Shark's Tooth Golf Club
Shark's Tooth Golf Club, a Greg Norman design, plays along Lake Powell within the Wild Heron community west of Panama City Beach.
- Designer: Greg Norman — signature bunkers, coquina shell waste areas, and lakeside holes
- Setting: Wild Heron community along Lake Powell, Florida's largest coastal dune lake
- Character: Five holes playing directly along the marshy lake shoreline
- Access: Located west of Panama City Beach, making it a short drive from the primary beach corridor
Norman's signature elements are throughout: wall-to-wall fairway cut, bright white bunkers, coquina shell waste areas, and slick-shouldered greens.
Five holes play along the marshy shore of Lake Powell, giving the course a character distinct from the Bay Point layouts, and Golf Digest's Places to Play panelists consistently rate it among the region's standouts.
Five holes play along the marshy shore of Lake Powell, giving the course a character distinct from the Bay Point layouts, and Golf Digest's Places to Play panelists consistently rate it among the region's standouts.
FAQs
What is the Best Season for the best golf courses Panama City Beach FL Has to Offer?
December through April offers the most comfortable conditions: lower humidity, mild temperatures, and consistent sunshine. Summer rounds are possible but call for early tee times given the heat and afternoon humidity from June through August.
Are the top courses open to the public?
Bay Point, Hombre, and Signal Hill all offer public tee times. Shark's Tooth is within the Wild Heron community but accessible through resort and stay-and-play arrangements, and confirming current access policies before booking is advisable.
How do Panama City Beach golf courses compare to Destin and 30A?
Each corridor has its own identity. Camp Creek along Highway 30A earned Travel+Leisure Golf's recognition as Florida's No. 1 Course of the New Millennium, accessible to guests in the WaterColor and WaterSound communities. Shark's Tooth and Bay Point hold their own against anything in the region in terms of design pedigree and conditioning.
Contact The Gettings Group Today
Panama City Beach delivers a golf and real estate combination rare on the Gulf Coast — championship courses within minutes of the water and a property market that reflects how many people have decided to stop visiting and start owning.
Reach out to us at The Gettings Group, and we will walk you through current inventory, what the neighborhoods near these courses look like, and why buyers who came for golfing near Panama City Beach keep coming back to own here.
Reach out to us at The Gettings Group, and we will walk you through current inventory, what the neighborhoods near these courses look like, and why buyers who came for golfing near Panama City Beach keep coming back to own here.
