Florida is somewhat of a disadvantage when it comes to “classic” golf courses. In this case, “classic” really means old.
Compared to courses in the Northeast and Midwest, where in many cases the 18-hole layouts are more than 100 years old, Florida’s plethora of golf courses are tied to growth and development much later in the 20th century.
So, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that Florida is a bit of a lightweight when it comes to Golfweek’s 2023 Top 200 Classic Golf Courses in the US At the top of the criteria for ranking these courses? They had to have opened before 1960.
Florida ended up with four courses on the list. Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach was the highest rated, coming in at No. 12. Pine Valley in New Jersey is No. 1 overall.
Naples recognized: Twice as nice: Naples doubles up on the 2023 list of best private golf courses in Florida
The hundreds of members of an international panel continuously evaluate courses and rate them based on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce these rankings.
What are Florida’s best classic golf courses according to Golfweek?
Here is a closer look at Florida’s fantastic four:
Juno Beach
RATING: 8.50 Year opened: 1929
Lake Wales
RATING: 7.29 Year opened: 1917
Boynton Beach
RATING: 6.69 Year opened: 1956
Best private courses in the US: Golfweek’s 2023 list of the 30 best private Florida golf courses. You can look, but only members play
166-Timuquana County Club
Jacksonville
RATING: 6.59 Year opened: 1923
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida golf: Four courses recognized among the best in the US by Golfweek