Emerald Bay Golf Club

Just got back from only being able to play 5 holes until it started pouring rain. They had a shotgun tourney starting once the rain was passing. So it was either skip half the course or get a refund from golfnow. It was great until it rained.

First rate from arrival through departure. Pro shop, food, to the course. Tee boxes, fairways, rough, and greens in great condition. All people were friendly and professional.

Emerald Bay Golf Club offers a solid golfing experience with a few highlights that stand out. The layout of the course is well-designed and provides a good mix of challenges for all skill levels. The condition of the course was average—playable but could use some improvements in certain areas. One of the standout features is the driving range and practice area, which is a great addition for warming up or fine-tuning your game. While the views are not as scenic as some other courses in the Destin area, a couple of the finishing holes do offer a picturesque setting that adds a nice touch to the round. Overall, it’s a good solid course. Not sure if it’s worth over $100 green fee But all other courses were even higher.

Course is in good condition with greens almost recovered from fall aeration/sanding, and the layout is fine. The staff was impersonal at best and left me thinking there are better options in the area. And it was a Tuesday? I guess they were having a bad day....

We played at Emerald Bay recently and the course was in pretty good shape overall. We were told that the range may or may not be open when we got there early for our tee time. It was a little challenging because we were coming from a little farther away and being told before hand the range might be open or might not be open was a little weird. They were mowing. We ended up getting to hit balls on the range and it was mats only. The mats were hard as a rock and were in rough shape. Once we started the starter was super great and we ended up teeing off a little earlier than the tee time. Once we were on the course I would say the course overall was in really good shape. Tee boxes, fairways, and greens were great and the greens rolled true. There was lots of water and the bunkers were also in great shape. Didn’t really feel like the course had many “signature” holes besides the one on the back with the ocean as the back drop. Overall I really enjoyed the course and felt the conditions and pace of play were really great! One more good thing is they had basically a 1/2 off Junior rate. Other courses in the area that I called didn’t have any Junior rate and that was one of the reasons I ended up coming here. The biggest negative about the course and the reason I gave it 4 stars was the knats. I think this would likely prevent me from coming back. Probably one of the worst experiences I have ever had with knats. They were all over us the whole entire day besides the few holes by the bay. There wasn’t any breeze and maybe that was the culprit. But it was almost unplayable at multiple times for my son and I because we were getting swarmed by knats all day long.

My one golf outing during our family vacation and it was great. The only complaint was that the driving range didn't open up right away so only got a couple of swings before the starter was calling for me on the 1st tee. They got us off a little early and we were never pushed and never waited, but had a nice steady pace the whole morning. The course was in great shape, there is lots of water and lots of trees and houses on some holes as well. The two bunkers I found on the day were near perfect and the greens were somewhat firm, but rolled great and not too fast, but near perfect for what I like to see. I played very well on the back nine, so I may be a little bias, but I loved the course and would definitely play it again. There was only one time that I felt like we got close to the highway and you could hear the traffic and see some signage (on picture I posted), but besides that never felt like you were on top of anyone especially on the back nine where it felt like we were the only guys out there. We stopped in and ate after our round and the food and drinks were great as well.

Course was in excellent shape this year! Greens rolled the best I've seen in the last 10 years. Clubhouse staff is always great, inside bar is always great, and cart girls are always super friendly!

Played today and really nice conditions. Greens ran true an smooth but my flat stick wasn't co-operating. Beautiful course not the hardest but many tucked pin locations made it challenging. Cups we're cut about 3 paces off a mound headed for water on a few holes so it made you aim for the middle of the green.

We had to play cart path only. Very understandable as we had heavy rain the night before. Not my complaint. We did have a 7:30 tee time and arrived ahead of time like good patrons. I went to the snack bar to get a cup of coffee. Before I could even say anything, I was greeted with "I'm not open yet." Thought that might prompt her to start making coffee, but her tone was incredibly rude. The greens were immaculate and I appreciated that. Lovely course, but maybe take some customer service lessons.

Course is in terrible shape for $130. Not worth $50. Tee boxes have no grass and greens are full of fungus. Fun layout if in nice shape. Go play Kelly Plantation for same price. Best part of the round was bar tenders/cart girls are fun and pretty.

The course was fun and well maintained. The manager in the clubhouse was very abrupt and not friendly. It was not a welcoming or friendly experience.

Awesome experience. First class treatment. Even gave us a free polo for booking online.

Decent course, horrible management. On vacation with friends, and we rented clubs. We were planning on two people sharing a cart and one set of clubs to save some money, but were told "we're not allowed to share clubs". Never heard of that rule before. Total for me was ~$160 for golf club rental($30) the cheapest golf balls they had, and 9:45am golf cart tee time in September (recently plowed slow greens, and partially muddy course). We were there for my good friends bachelor party and had a party of 6. We were playing scramble match play (both teams just play the best ball) to keep pace with the required time. After two holes we were 2 minutes "behind pace", the manager drove down and told us to "pick up our balls now, premium members were waiting!" as we were finishing the hole and about to put in our final shots, even though there was no visible party behind us. He also told us we could not play as one party of 6, even with scrabble match play. We split up and followed his orders, but his demeanor was so incredibly rude, yelling at us like kids from the cart path after we'd paid the club almost $1,000 total. Four holes in one of our carts died due to negligent staff not charging it overnight, and we had to call the club and have them bring us a new cart. The new two party split was as actually slower than our combined party, and we were stuck behind another group in front of us. The clubs we were rented were all rusty, and some were bent and unusable. Some carts we were rented did not have sand to fill divots either. Overall the experience that the management is responsible for was horrible. Sad to see someone who has "been in the golf industry for 20+ years" doesn't even know the basics of customer service, and how keep paying customers happy on a basic level. The course itself was pretty nice. Challenging and creative course layout, pretty views. Overall nice balanced course. All lower level staff were very nice and extremely helpful. It was just the manager that checked us out, a party of six under the name Schultz, that left us with a really bad taste of the experience. If you're here on vacation, try to go somewhere else. This course just cares about club members, and obviously dislikes tourists. Im sure for the price you could find a nicer course nearby that is way more accommodating to people on vacation attempting to enjoy a nice round of golf.

Horrible condition, rude staff, especially the guy that check us in. Save your money and go anywhere else

This is a real nice course but the service was awwwwwful! We had the marshal get on us for being "slow" and that we needed to hurry up even though we had a group in front of us that we had to wait on! This happened three different times. It was ridiculous. Overall that really ruined the experience for us. Lastly the the cart boys were real rude and didn't want to take a photo of our group. He had a horrible attitude and we didn't tip because of it and then he continued to egg on asking where his tip was. Bad bad bad. Choose another course. It's not worth dealing with the service there.

The staff was very nice but the property needs to be updated and maintained. The greens were as long as the fairways and frustrating to putt. All the signs are worn out and difficult to read. The course was in ok condition. The experience was just ok. The upside to this course is the price so I guess you get what you pay for.

What can I say but "Holy Piece of Shit". Had to quit after 16 holes - in our 5th hour. 2 5somes were playing in front of us. Tee boxes were backed up 4 groups. No Ranger on the course. I spoke to the so called Manager after. He told me there was nothing they could do about them. They took my $200 with a smile, and laughed at me when I left. Very poorly Managed.....

Awesome place I even saw a snake which was just so Florida. Great experience! Will come again on any future trip

bought a soda yesterday. the expiration date is 7/11/22. no wonder I was flat. Check your drinks people!!!

Greens were horribly punched, conditions were pretty mediocre. The staff was not friendly at all. Multiple bad experiences all around.

Nice course; fairways were fair and greens were in dormant season. The 3 of us have handicaps under 10 and are very experienced players. The most disappointing issue is that we had a 2pm tee time for 3 of us and checked in at 1:15. Pro shop didn't say anything when we paid, but the starter let us know when we got to the tee that they were behind by 30 minutes to tee off. No weather issues the entire day so it turns out this is a factory course that puts too many players out and likely added a few foursomes that didn't have tee times. They overpacked the course and we only completed 13 holes in 3 hours and played in the complete dark last two holes. No Rangers out to help move the pace along. Everyone was waiting on everyone. Just packed. And no one at the pro shop when we returned to see about a partial refund or credit for the coming days. Boo. $50/pp including cart.

Great course, for a great price. Tee box's and greens are very well maintain for this time of year and the staff was very friendly. Great place for a scenic round of golf.

This place is in really good shape. I played after Labor Day In about 2:30 hours for 18 holes. I am sure pre-labor day this course is packed.

Booked a tee time online and, when arrived, we received a free shirt. It was a nice surprise! The course is very pretty. There are some challenging holes with water. Greens are well maintained. Pro shop, cart girl and inside bar staff were all extremely nice. We played in December and it was still packed - definitely get a tee time! (obviously online as you get a perk with it!)

Played a round while on Vacation in Alys beach. Not a bad drive to the course and easy 40 minute but highway the whole way. The course staff was great, very accommodating. Actually got a free Golf Shirt with our greens fee! Beautiful course in great shape. Bermuda greens were tough to gauge speed but were in great shape and pretty straight putts on every hole. A couple holes had great views of the bay. Would definitely play here again when we come back to the beach!

We came up from Tampa to play with friends visiting Panama City. Should have been an enjoyable day on a beautiful day except that apparently Emerald Bay allows FIVESOMES! There was another fivesome in front of us as well. Not the way we wanted to spend the day waiting on every shot.

I played three rounds at Emerald Bay during the past several months...it remains my favorite golf course in the Panhandle for multiple reasons... 1) The course was designed to preserve the native vegetation that existed prior to its construction. 2) The appealing views of Choctawhatchee Bay and the Mid-Bay Bridge from the back nine 3) The holes are challenging (but not impossibly so) 4) The entire course is impeccably maintained (tee boxes, fairways, greens, and traps) 5) The entire staff appeared genuinely eager to accommodate us during each visit.

Quality course for the money. Booking a tee time online came with a free shirt which ended up being a "you pick" from the retail rack - a nice surprise. Very well maintained, and although on my latest round over Memorial Day I saw announcements noting renovations, I didn't pick up on any significant changes than when I played ~8 months ago. At any rate, still a great course. Carts are GPS-equipped.

This is a great course! Folks are very friendly and helpful and the course is challenging enough to really make for a fun day.

This is probably the most poorly maintained golf course in the Destin area. The cart paths have cracked concrete, pine cones are not cleaned up and many areas are so covered with them that golfers risk twisted ankles if they try play out of them?, and so many pine trees have dead limbs that golfers risk getting hit by dead falling branches. If you want a classic course try Regatta Bay or Kelly plantation.

We loved playing here. They are so much friendlier than Regatta Bay, which gave us attitude and left us parched on the course. Emerald Bay is our favorite course in the Destin area by far.

Great and challenging layout with a good amount of water present. However the Course maintenance is that of a good local public course and the $120 greens fee is NOT worth it. Plenty of other good value courses in Destin for 1/2 the cost and Regatta/Kelly for a great experience for not much more money.

Very disappointed. Greens were ok, but fairways extremely rough with weeds and bare spots. Many courses dry out quickly, but this one doesn't. Two days after a rain it was cart path only. Played down the street at Kelly Plantation day after 2.5" rain and we were on fairways!

Love this course. One of the more challenging you'll play on in the area. #3 a short par 3 is a "sleeper" of a hole. Only about 135 but you'll be challenged to hit the green. Reminds me of #10 at Riviera as far as tough to hold. When you get back to #15 green, #16 and #17, Choctawhatchee Bay comes into view and it's just crazy awesome. The staff here is super nice, will do anything to take care of you.

Mosquitos are terrible here. Hole number 4 by the green has standing water. Has not rained in 2 days and still had standing water. This issue needs to be fixed ASAP. Possible Zika Virus from mosquitos?!?!

Been playing Emerald Bay since it opened and will continue to do so. Always in great shape, always great service, and the course is all you can handle from the back tees. Throw in gorgeous views of Choctawhatchee Bay on the back nine and you've got a great round of golf. Head Pro Jearl McCall has done a fantastic job keeping this course among the best of the Emerald Coast.

Just got through playing 18 & would recommend to anybody worth the time playing. Challenging but not crazy. Course is in great shape Steve D

We had a great experience playing this course. Starting before we ever got to the area, the pro shop suggested golfnow.com to save money. I messed up and booked the wrong day, but after a call to golfnow they moved us up a day at the same rate and saved us thirty dollars per person. We also added a third at the course without any hassle. Better yet, they didn't add a single to our group which can sometimes be awkward. Everyone at the course was friendly, polite, and professional. Free balls at the driving range was a bonus for warming up since I haven't played for four months. The carts are equipped with GPS to take out the guesswork. The starter was cordial, humorous, and gave us more information than 99% of the starters I've come across. Nice course with a lot of water, bathrooms are spotty but plenty of bushes. The greens are fast and hard but roll true. The course was in great shape and well maintained. I enjoyed the ambiance on the 19th hole while I waited for my ride. All in all, a fantastic day in the links

Great course with some challenging holes. Some fairways narrow then others wide. Greens were hella fast yesterday. Rental clubs for ladies sucked though so that's why I've docked them one star. Definitely worth the $45 green fee after 1:00.

Course was great shape for the $$. We paid $59 each for a 9:15 tee time on a Saturday. Free sleeve of golf balls too. Challenging course! Docking you a star for insufficient water stations and another star for only having one cart girl. It's a holiday weekend...be prepared with regards to staff...you certainly had enough guys unloading bags from cars!

Awful experience! Letting a large group of golfers play is understandable, but 5somes slow down the whole course and other players. Having to wait 10 minutes between every shot is and was not worth $85! When we called the pro shop, and asked the employee was there a large group playing, he said no, and would send a marshal out to speed up the play.... yeah right! Should've played at Regatta Bay, or Sand Destin.

Let me start by saying my experience here was terrible. I would call myself an veteran golf player. I stayed at this courses associated condominium which entitle me to a free round of golf. I'll just be honest I would have rather went somewhere else and paid. Worst experience I have had golfing. The course is all right a lot of unfixed divots. The golf carts are really nice they have GPS. The staff is atrocious and extremely unfriendly. Maybe because we looked like we weren't going to tip well enough I'm not sure, and after the way they treated us they ended up being correct because they didn't deserve it. Extremely rude, very uninterested in even making from the smalltalk while waiting on a cart just the common courtesies. The snack cart worker openly laugh at my buddies golf swing and game which is just rude even if it is terrible lol. Would not recommend this course to anyone unless you don't care about being treated well. I will end on a high note the carts are the high point but everything else is awful.

Worst green complex I have ever seen. I would say three of the greens on the front nine are so small that they do not qualify as greens. Probably 20 or 30 feet wide shaped like a hot dog bun, if it was not muddy no chance of getting the ball to stay on the green. If it is free to play I would still go somewhere else

If your an intermediate to expert golfer, you will find this just a basic public course. The earlier review about extremely small greens is correct. I think they reduced the size to make it more competitive which really doesn't work the way it's intended. Still somewhat fun, excellent customer service, GPS in carts, a free sleeve of balls and driving range balls for rack rate of 85 give it a 3 stars.

Beautiful course! Can't complain about the price for what you get. You get free driving range, balls, and heck they clean your clubs after your done. This course is not for the faint of though; it is very challenging.

Yes it is winter time, but courses down here usually have decent greens and tee boxes at this time of the year.. This place has serious issues with its' greens; bare patches, dirt/sand surfaces, crude attepts at patching with sod. The price is the best on the beach, but you'll get what you paid for.