Only One Florida Course Makes Global Top-100 — What That Says About SWFL Golf

A Global Ranking That Skimmed Florida Clean

The recently released global “Top 100 Golf Courses in the World” list from Golf.com includes many of the usual heavyweights — but only one Florida course cracked the ranking.

That lone survivor is Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, landing at No. 32 worldwide.

Despite Florida’s reputation as a golfing haven — with dozens of high-end private and public courses — this result shows just how exclusive and competitive the upper echelon of global golf remains.

Seminole’s Legacy: Why It’s the Sunshine State’s Flagbearer

Seminole isn’t riding hype or tourism dollars. It’s built a decades-long legacy: designed in 1929 by legendary course-architect Donald Ross, this 18-hole private club features a dune-ridge routing and layered bunkers that test even the best golfers.

The course’s clever design — fairways that shift with every hole, greens that funnel toward back-pin positions, undulating terrain that plays with wind and elevation — remains widely respected. That helps explain why it still gets national and now global recognition when so many Florida courses do not.

What This Means for Golf in SWFL

For the Southwest Florida market — including Naples, Marco Island and Fort Myers — the low Florida representation on the global list sends a clear message: many local courses remain excellent for play, but only a handful rise to “world-class” standards.

That doesn’t diminish local courses — many remain top in Florida. Courses such as Calusa Pines Golf Club in Naples still appear in Florida-wide rankings and offer serious golf value. But for golfers chasing legacy design, competitive challenge, and prestige that matches evergreen names like Pine Valley Golf Club or Augusta National Golf Club, the playing field in SWFL feels like a notch below.

For serious players or visiting golfers wondering “where’s world-class in Florida?” — Seminole remains the top pick.

Why Sunshine State Favorites Often Don’t Make “Top 100”

Many Florida courses — public, resort-style, or community-based — score high on amenities, playability, and beauty. But global top-100 lists tend to prioritize design pedigree, shot-making variety, historical significance, and architectural challenge.

Florida’s flat terrain, warm climate, and high water table shape course design differently — often emphasizing resort-style convenience, playability, and access over traditional “links or classic” layout philosophies.

That design difference tends to favor courses from more varied terrain — dune or island links, rolling hills or variable elevation — often outside Florida.

As a result, even well-maintained premier courses in SWFL don’t always align with the criteria that count for global prestige.