Florida
Tampa Bay Golf Courses & Tee Times
Tampa Bay's public golf goes back further than most people expect. Rocky Point in Tampa was started in 1911 by the Tampa Automobile Club, served as part of Drew Field during World War II, and came back to the city in 1953. Across the bay, Donald Ross built the Dunedin course that opened on New Year's Day 1927, and from 1944 the PGA of America ran its headquarters there. Sarasota's Bobby Jones Golf Club is another city-owned Ross course, reopened in December 2023 after a Richard Mandell restoration. The tour stop is Copperhead at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, a resort course that hosts the Valspar Championship every year.
Can't get a tee time in Tampa Bay? Yoink watches 116 public courses, from Bradenton, Tampa, Sarasota, Lakeland and Clearwater. Pick your courses, set the day and time you want, and get a notification when a tee time opens, cancellations included.
The longest layout here is Cabot Citrus Farms - Karoo at 7,562 yards; there are 4 nine-hole courses; there are 9 executive or par-3 courses for a quicker round.
Who runs public golf in Tampa Bay
In Tampa the city's three courses, Babe Zaharias, Rocky Point and Rogers Park, are managed by the Tampa Sports Authority, the same special district that runs Raymond James Stadium. St. Petersburg owns and runs its own three: Mangrove Bay, Cypress Links and the Twin Brooks par-3, and sells discount cards through the pro shops. Dunedin and Sarasota each own a Donald Ross course. Rates follow the calendar: St. Pete's posted 2026 rates are summer rates, running May or June through October 31.
Public courses worth knowing in Tampa Bay
- Rocky Point Golf Course: Started in 1911 by the Tampa Automobile Club, closed for Drew Field in World War II, returned to the city in 1953. Rebuilt to 18 holes in 1983; par 71, 6,328 yards.
- Babe Zaharias Golf Course: Opened in 1926 as Forest Hills, bought by Babe Didrikson Zaharias in 1949 and reopened by the city under her name in 1974. All 18 greens were redone with TifEagle in 2024.
- Rogers Park Golf Course: Built as nine holes in 1952 by African American caddies from Palma Ceia, with the mayor's permission. Ron Garl renovated it after the Tampa Sports Authority took over in 1976. On the Florida Historic Golf Trail.
- Dunedin Golf Club: Donald Ross course that opened January 1, 1927. The PGA of America moved its headquarters here from Chicago in 1944 and leased it as PGA National Golf Club.
- Bobby Jones Golf Complex - Ross Course (Sarasota): City of Sarasota's Donald Ross course, restored by Richard Mandell starting in March 2022 and reopened in December 2023. Par 71.
- Mangrove Bay Golf Course: The 18-hole course in St. Petersburg's city-owned group of three, with Cypress Links and Twin Brooks.
Booking tee times in Tampa Bay: the local rules
Rocky Point takes tee times seven days out, and groups of eight or more go through a request form. St. Petersburg's courses post seasonal rate cards; the 2026 summer rates run through October 31.
Yoink
Book on release day, then let Yoink watch the rest
Booking windows decide who gets first pick. After that, times come back one at a time as plans change. Yoink watches all 116 courses in Tampa Bay and tells you when a time that fits comes back, so you're not refreshing the page all week.
116 courses in Tampa Bay
Bartow
Bartow Golf Course
Locals call it the TOW. Nine holes in 1919, eighteen by 1926, and the routing still hops Idlewood Avenue: eight holes on the west side, ten on the east.
City of Bartow Golf Course
City of Bartow Golf Course in Bartow, — 18-hole play, par 72 at 6,623 yards. Par 72, 6,623 yards. A town course.
Bradenton
Heritage Harbour Golf Club (Bradenton, FL)
Arthur Hills' old Stoneybrook, rebuilt in 2022: six par 3s, five risk-reward par 5s, and elevated greens with collection areas that punish a short miss.
Manatee County Golf Course
Ron Garl's 1988 county course minutes from Anna Maria Island: wetlands and water on 11 holes but no forced carries, and TifEagle greens.
Manatee Golf Course
Ron Garl's 1988 county course minutes from Anna Maria Island: wetlands and water on 11 holes but no forced carries, and TifEagle greens.
Peridia Golf and Country Club
An executive par 60 redesigned by Jed Azinger and Gordon Lewis: twelve par 3s, six short par 4s, and a round that fits inside three hours.
River Run Golf Links
Ward Northrup's 1987 par 70 along the west bank of the Braden River, where the City of Bradenton plays its five-event amateur championship series.
Rosedale Golf and Country Club
A Ted McAnlis layout through moss-draped oaks and pines. Look for the peninsula green at the 9th and the island tees at the 12th.
The Links at Greenfield Plantation
Chip Powell's 1998 layout of lakes, wetlands and woods. The 8th is a short par 5 that doglegs hard right along water: cut the corner or lay up.
The Preserve Golf Club At Tara
Ted McAnlis routed it through Florida wetlands: 52 lakes, water or wetland on every hole, and 7,000 yards from the Eagle tees. Pack extra balls.
The River Club - The Links at Greenfield Plantat
Chip Powell's 1998 layout of lakes, wetlands and woods. The 8th is a short par 5 that doglegs hard right along water: cut the corner or lay up.
The River Club - The River Club
Ron Garl's Lakewood Ranch course of big mounds and tree-lined fairways. The 12th is the par 3 to fear: a very small target.
Waterlefe Golf and River Club
Ted McAnlis ran it along the Manatee River through marsh and coves, with five holes on the water. It has hosted U.S. Open qualifying eight times.
Brooksville
Brooksville Country Club
Bobby Weed's back nine drops into an old limestone quarry, and Golf Digest named its 17th one of the 18 best U.S. holes built since 2000 (2020 list).
Hernando Oaks Golf and Country Club
Scott Pate lined the rough with native grasses and gave the back nine a secluded feel; the club rates its closing four the best finish around Tampa.
Sherman Hills Golf Club
Ted McAnlis built it in 1993 on rolling high ground: an open, links-like front nine with raised tees and greens, then a back nine framed by big oaks.
Clearwater
Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf Club
Chi Chi helped Griffiths shape it in 1989. His youth foundation is based here; water on twelve holes.
Clearwater Country Club
Herbert Strong in the twenties, the Maxwells in 1940. The railroad cuts through it and Stevenson Creek does the rest.
Cove Cay Golf Club
Along Old Tampa Bay inside a condo community, so ask about access.
The Landings Golf Club of Clearwater
The longest forced water carry asks 158 yards, and the long par three plays 195 yards.
Dade City
Hernando
Citrus Hills Oaks-Meadows-Skyview at Terra Vista - Meadows at Citrus Hills
The gentler of the Hartford Street pair: rolling fairways, soft doglegs and big undulating greens, and it plays tougher than 5,885 yards looks.
Citrus Hills Oaks-Meadows-Skyview at Terra Vista - Oaks at Citrus Hills
Rolling fairways between live oaks and loblolly pines, with real elevation change: closer to the Carolina sandhills than the Gulf Coast. Bring every club.
Citrus Hills Oaks-Meadows-Skyview at Terra Vista - Skyview at Terra Vista
The long course of the Citrus Hills group, 7,090 yards from the golds, and it starts hard: the opening par 5 plays 597 yards from the back.
Homosassa
Citrus National Golf Club
Hale Irwin laid it out in 1992 as Southern Woods: fairways that wind over hilly ground, and a short-game area with room for 30- to 60-yard pitches.
Southern Woods Golf Club
Hale Irwin's design, opened in November 1992 and now called Citrus National: winding fairways over hilly ground, 6,935 yards from the blues.
Sugarmill Woods Country Club
Once 27 holes, now the Cypress and Pine nines at 6,908 yards from the blues; the Oak closed in 2019, and new owners have been reviving it since 2022.
Lakeland
Big Cypress Golf Club - South Championship
Ron Garl's par 72 winds through cypress and lakes in Cypress Lakes Village. GolfPass named it one of Florida's best courses from 2020 to 2023.
Cleveland Heights Golf Course
William Flynn oversaw the 1925 build, and 16 original holes still play across three nines. It hosted Florida's first state high school golf title in 1927.
Huntington Hills Golf and Country Club
Ron Garl built it in his own backyard in 1992 on rare Florida elevation. During construction he could see the lights of Tampa, 40 miles away.
The Club at Eaglebrooke
Ron Garl's 1996 links-style layout rolls through more than 100 feet of elevation change, rare in these parts, with natural lakes in play on 11 holes.
Lakewood Ranch
Calusa 12 Hole
Gordon Lewis' par-48 short course: the 2nd is a cape par 5 where you bite off what you dare, and the 8th is a touch shot off a 200-foot-wide tee.
Calusa Country Club
A long championship layout in Lakewood Ranch; par 72 stretching 7,343 yards with water and preserve throughout.
Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch
Chris Wilczynski dug lakes out of flat land to shape it. The 17th, Big Oak, carries a lake to a tiered green beside the biggest oak on the property.
Land O Lakes
Plantation Palms Golf Club
An 18-hole daily-fee course in the Plantation Palms community of Land O Lakes, north of Tampa. Par 72, 6,831 yards.
The Groves Golf & Country Club
Gary Koch's par 66 inside 200 acres of protected wetland: holes from 105 to 350 yards, winding fairways, and trees, water and sand around the greens.
Largo
Lutz
Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club
Jed Azinger and Gordon Lewis laid it across marsh in 1999, so there's water and wetland to carry all day, and ospreys, herons and ibis watching you do it.
TPC Tampa Bay
Bobby Weed's 1991 PGA Tour build through cypress heads and lagoons, with Chi Chi Rodriguez consulting; it hosted a Champions Tour stop for 21 years.
Odessa
Silver Dollar Golf Club
Dan Maddox built three nines here in 1985, so you pick your 18. The Trap in the name is the shooting club, and there are three par-3 practice holes.
The Eagles Golf Club
Two 18s: the Forest, with Gary Koch and Ron Garl nines and an island-green par-3 sixth, and the Lakes, where water is in play on virtually every hole.
The Eagles Golf Club — Forest
Gary Koch built the front nine and Ron Garl the back: an island-green par-3 sixth, a drivable par-4 third, and a 13th everyone calls Lake Michigan.
The Eagles Golf Club — Lakes
One of two 18s at The Eagles Golf Club in Odessa, winding through a residential community dotted with lakes and canals. Par 72, 7,018 yards.
Palm Harbor
Lansbrook Golf Club
Lane Marshall built it in 1975, Ron Garl reworked it in 1991: tall cypress, water on 16 holes, no parallel fairways, an 11th that recalls Augusta's 16th.
Tarpon Woods Golf Club
Jan Stephenson, the 1983 U.S. Women's Open champion, bought it through her foundation, and it now hosts programs for wounded vets and blind golfers.
Palmetto
Parrish
The Club at River Wilderness
Ted McAnlis built it in 1985 on the Manatee River's north shore: 192 acres of mature woods, lakes and streams on 11 holes, and seven sets of tees.
The Club at River Wilderness - The Club at River
Ted McAnlis's 1985 layout on the Manatee River's north shore: old Florida woods, with lakes and streams on 11 holes and seven sets of tees.
The Club at River Wilderness 2.0
Ted McAnlis built it in 1985 on the Manatee River's north shore: 192 acres of mature woods, lakes and streams on 11 holes, and seven sets of tees.
Pinellas Park
Mainlands Golf Club
Par 67 with seven par 3s, a par 5 on each nine and a few par 4s big hitters can drive. Water on about half the holes, but only two short carries.
Mainlands Golf Course
A 4,540-yard par 67 where big hitters can drive several par 4s, and water touches about half the holes with just two forced carries, both under 100 yards.
Ruskin
Cypress Creek Golf Club
Steve Smyers laid it out in 1989 inside a 604-acre cypress preserve. Water on 14 holes; the 13th is 160 yards over it to a postage-stamp green.
Riverside Golf Club
A par 70 at the mouth of the Little Manatee River, inside a community with its own 48-slip marina, a river fishing pier and a waterfront bar and grill.
Sarasota
Bent Tree Country Club
Nancy Lopez won her first LPGA event here in 1978. Bill Lewis's oak-lined 1975 layout, where the 9th is a 511-yard double dogleg with water three ways.
Bobby Jones Golf Complex - Ross Course
Donald Ross laid it out in 1926. Richard Mandell restored it and it reopened in December 2023, part of a park the city protected for good.
Gillespie Club - 9 Holes
Richard Mandell's par-3 nine has two routings, holes from 75 to 188 yards, and a name that honors the Scot who brought golf to Sarasota in 1886.
Meadows Golf Club
A mature course at The Meadows in Sarasota; par 72 at 6,716 yards, tree-lined and water-guarded.
Misty Creek Country Club
Ted McAnlis ran it through 350 acres of preserve, lakes and hammock forest, so expect deer, bobcats and gators, plus 70-odd bird species, along the way.
Serenoa Golf Club
David Martin Alden put water in play on every hole; the par-3 2nd plays 190 yards over it, with a pot bunker short left and the wind picking the club.
Tatum Ridge Golf Links
Water borders thirteen of the eighteen — the longest forced water carry asks 152 yards.
The Palms Golf Club at Forest Lakes
Gordy Lewis rebuilt old Forest Lakes as a par 64: a regular par-35 front, then a par-29 back with seven par 3s. TifEagle greens, and a range on the water.
Village Green Golf Club
A par 58 built on an old orange grove in the 1960s: 2,810 yards of irons and wedges past water and sand, and you can walk it any time of day.
Spring Hill
Oak Hills Golf Club
Chuck Almony Sr. laid it out in 1981, a par 72 on Bermuda grass with a 72.2 course rating from the back tees.
Seven Hills Golfers Club
Closed. Named for rolling ground rare in Florida, Denis Griffiths' par 72 has sat unused for years while neighbors fight plans to rezone its 149 acres.
Silverthorn Country Club
A Joe Lee design owned by five-time PGA Tour winner Jerry Heard. The 5th is the hole people remember: a par 3 with water all the way around.
Sun City Center
Club Renaissance Golf at Sun City Center
Water borders seventeen of the eighteen, and the front nine plays 391 yards longer than the back.
Freedom Fairways Golf Course
Nine par 3s and nine par 4s make a par-63 short course you can get around in about three hours. The only executive layout in the retirement community.
Tampa
Babe Zaharias Golf Course
Babe Didrikson Zaharias bought it in 1949 and ran it until she died; the city revived it under her name in 1974. All-new TifEagle greens in 2024.
Countryway Golf Club
Steve Smyers drew this par 61: eleven par 3s, seven par 4s, water on 14 holes and rolling greens. Owned by a family with two generations of NHL players.
Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club
Lewis and Azinger design, wetland on fifteen acres, the only range in New Tampa.
Northdale Golf & Tennis Club
A Ron Garl design that winds past ponds and mature oaks on rolling fairways. Golf by day, then the pickleball courts and the bar take over at night.
Pebble Creek Golf Club
Closed since July 31, 2021. Bill Amick's 1967 par 71 is now vacant land, and the county has refused to rezone it for 250-plus homes.
Rocky Point Golf Course
Laid out for the Tampa Automobile Club in 1911, turned into part of an Army airfield in World War II, and handed to the city for a dollar in 1953.
Rogers Park Golf Course
Caddies built it by hand in 1952, when it was the only course open to Tampa's Black golfers. The Hillsborough River wraps three sides.
Temple Terrace Country Club
Tom Bendelow's 1921 figure-eight through the old orange groves; Billy Graham settled on preaching on the 18th green in 1939. A private club today.
Westchase Golf Club
Clifton design through wetlands, with the bridges to prove it.
Tarpon Springs
Crescent Oaks Country Club
Steve Smyers cut it through untouched pine woods at the top of Pinellas County: cypress along the fairways, firm and fast greens, and plenty of sand.
Crescent Oaks Golf Club
Steve Smyers and Jim Colbert cut it through untouched pines in 1991: cypress-lined fairways, firm and fast greens, and a different test from the tips.
Tarpon Springs Golf Course
Florida's oldest municipal: golf here dates to 1912, Stiles and Van Kleek rebuilt it in the 1920s, and Gene Sarazen prepped here for the 1936 Masters.
University Park
Valrico
Venice
Capri Isles Golf Club
Rebuilt in 2003 with a new routing, reshaped greens, more water and more bunkers. One membership also gets you Calusa Lakes and Waterford.
Jacaranda West Country Club
Water borders eleven of the eighteen — 60 bunkers are in play.
Venice East Golf Course
Roy Albert Anderson laid it out in 1961; in 1983 the golfers bought it and formed their own association. After May 1 you don't need a tee time.
Weeki Wachee
Glenlakes Golf & Country Club
A tidy semi-private community course in Weeki Wachee; par 72 at 6,782 yards with rolling fairways and water.
Heather Golf Club
Live oaks and pines squeeze the narrow fairways, so accuracy beats length, and there's a bunkered pitching hole to sharpen your wedges before you tee off.
Wesley Chapel
Zephyrhills
Links of Lake Bernadette
Water borders thirteen of the eighteen, and eight of the eighteen bend.
Southport Springs Golf Club
Only about 5,081 yards at par 70, but narrow fairways, well-placed bunkers and guarded TifEagle greens make it a precision test, not a pushover.
Zephyrhills Golf Course
Par 68 on 65 acres at the edge of the city airport: short, low-cost and a winter favorite, with snowbird season pushing it toward 6,000 rounds a month.
Other
Cabot Citrus Farms - Karoo
Kyle Franz rebuilt Fazio's old Pine Barrens into a sea of sand, eight split fairways and bold greens. The par-3 3rd plays 292 yards from the tips.
Cabot Citrus Farms - Roost
Fazio's old Rolling Oaks, reworked by four designers: 50-foot swings in elevation, moss-draped oaks, and a short par 3 over a 40-foot-deep sinkhole.
Calusa Lakes Golf Club
Water borders twelve of the eighteen, and the longest forced water carry asks 176 yards.
IMG Academy Golf Club
Gene Bates' 2003 rebuild flipped 10 and 18, and No. 10 now plays to an island green. Pines, oaks and lakes, and it's home to the IMG Academy golf program.
Moccasin Wallow Golf Club
Ted McAnlis routed it through 200 acres of woods and 16 lakes. The 9th, a 580-yard par 5 bending around Imperial Lake, is the hole locals talk about.
Pinebrook/Ironwood Golf Club
Dean Refram's 1970 par 61 is short but not soft: water runs along 16 fairways and more than 30 bunkers guard the greens. Bring your irons.
Plantation on Crystal River Golf Course
Mark Mahannah's 1950s layout opened as Paradise Country Club; Snead, Palmer and Trevino played it, and Tommy Bolt was a regular. Pines, oaks and water.
Schalamar Creek Golf Club
Ron Garl's layout saves its drama for 13, a green with water in front, left and behind, and both nines finish on one double green shared by 9 and 18.
Scotland Yards Golf Club
Florida golf with a European flair: an old-style links on rolling hills, built by a PGA pro to play like the old courses of England and Scotland.
Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club
Only 6,210 yards, but water or OB is in play on every hole and all four par 3s carry water. A tight front, a longer and more open back.
The River Club Golf Course
Ron Garl's layout of big mounds and tree-lined fairways, where the par 3s do the damage: 8 over water in the wind, and 12 to a very small target.
What we've seen on tee sheets in Tampa Bay
From the tee sheets Yoink has been reading. Booking window is how far ahead each new day's tee times appear online. Green fees are the range most 18-hole tee times were listed at. Each course page says when and how often we looked. Courses without enough data aren't shown, and residents or members may have different windows and rates.
| Course | Booking window | Green fees (18) |
|---|---|---|
| Manatee County Golf Course | – | $39.95 to $49.95 |
| Manatee Golf Course | – | $19.95 to $44.95 |
| Moccasin Wallow Golf Club | 5 days ahead just after midnight | $39 to $65 |
| Rosedale Golf and Country Club | 7 days ahead just after midnight | $49 to $105 |
| Summerfield Crossings Golf Club | – | $42 to $65 |
| The Links at Greenfield Plantation | 8 days ahead just after midnight | $34.99 to $44.99 |
| The River Club - The River Club | – | $34.99 to $54.99 |
| TPC Tampa Bay | – | $95 to $185 |
| Waterlefe Golf and River Club | 7 days ahead just after midnight | $59 to $99 |
Why tee times in Tampa Bay are hard to get
Tampa Bay is a winter golf destination. The months other places shut down are the busiest here, so November-through-April mornings go first, weekdays included.
Each course releases its tee times on its own schedule, commonly a week or two out, with residents of town and county courses often booking first. Leagues, outings and members claim chunks of the sheet in advance, and whatever prime weekend times are left tend to go on release day.
When tee time cancellations happen
A full tee sheet rarely stays full. Many courses let you cancel without a fee up to 24 or 48 hours before your time, so spots tend to reappear in the last couple of days. A bad forecast shakes more loose, and a foursome that drops to three opens a single. None of it is announced. The time just shows up again on the booking page, and whoever looks first gets it.
How to get a tee time in Tampa Bay
Yoink
Watch all 116 courses in Tampa Bay. Hear the moment one opens.
Pick the courses you'd play and Yoink keeps an eye on all 116 courses in Tampa Bay. You see what's open in one place, and you hear about it the moment a time that fits your day, window and group turns up, cancellations included.
Doing it by hand? Here's what works.
- Know the booking window. Find out how many days ahead each course releases times, and whether residents get an earlier window. Be ready the morning it opens.
- Look again 24 to 48 hours out. That's when most cancellation deadlines pass and spots come back.
- Be flexible on group size. Singles and twosomes fit into gaps a foursome can't.
- Try twilight and weekday afternoons. They're the last to fill and often cheaper.
- Keep a quicker course in your back pocket. Nine-hole and executive courses are easier to get on and play faster. Around here that includes Cleveland Heights Golf Course, Countryway Golf Club and Freedom Fairways Golf Course.
Read the full guide to getting a tee time when everything's booked
Tee times in Tampa Bay: questions
How do I get notified when a tee time opens up in Tampa Bay?
Set a watch in Yoink for the courses you want, the days you can play, a time window and the number of players. Yoink checks those tee sheets every few minutes and sends a notification as soon as a matching time appears, cancellations included. You book it directly with the course.
When do tee time cancellations usually show up?
Mostly in the 24 to 48 hours before the tee time, as golfers cancel ahead of the course's cancellation deadline, and whenever the weather forecast changes. They appear without notice and tend to be rebooked quickly.
How far in advance can you book a tee time in Tampa Bay?
It depends on the course. Many public courses open bookings 7 to 14 days ahead, and town or county courses often give residents an earlier window. Each course's own booking page has its policy.
When is golf busiest in Tampa Bay?
Demand is highest from roughly November through April. Weekend mornings are always the hardest tee times to get.
Which courses in Tampa Bay are quickest to play?
Nine-hole and executive courses such as Cleveland Heights Golf Course, Countryway Golf Club and Freedom Fairways Golf Course take less time and are usually easier to book.
Does Yoink book the tee time for me?
No. Yoink tells you when a time opens; you book it with the course on its own booking page, at the course's price, with no extra fee.
More golf in Florida
- Orlando · 144 courses
- South Florida · 67 courses
- Fort Myers & Naples · 65 courses
- Jacksonville · 35 courses
- Destin & the Panhandle · 27 courses
- Palm Beach · 18 courses
- Space Coast · 18 courses
- Gulf Shores & Pensacola · 9 courses
- Sebring & Lake Placid · 9 courses
- Ocala, Gainesville & Nature Coast · 6 courses
- More Florida · 6 courses
Sources
Facts on this page come from these pages, checked 2026-09-28. Rates and booking rules change, so confirm with the course.
- tampa.gov · government
- en.wikipedia.org · media
- rockypointgolf.net · official
- dos.fl.gov · government
- golfstpete.com · official
- golfstpete.com · official
- dos.fl.gov · government
- golfcoursearchitecture.net · media
- innisbrookgolfresort.com · official
Tee times in Tampa Bay, without the refreshing
Watch as many courses as you like. When a time opens that fits your day, window and group, Yoink tells you first.