Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida delivers a stunning golf experience. Magnificent landscaping, meticulous manicuring, shimmering lakes, tall pines with Spanish moss and stacked sod-wall bunkers combine to beautify two impressive course layouts by Hall of Fame golfer Greg Norman.
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort Naples is one of the finest golf resorts in Florida. The Italianate architecture of the main lodge with the Mediterranean villas and homes surrounding the course contrast with the lush green landscaping to create a unique tranquil feeling.
Tiburon Golf Club Courses
These are two of the most magnificent golf courses in all of Florida. With short rough, flat terrain and large undulating greens, normally one wouldn’t expect such superlatives. But Norman created a challenge by incorporating water hazards, adding difficult stacked sod-wall bunkers, and converting critical areas of rough into coquina shell waste bunkers.
Course conditioning is spectacular rivaling the finest private clubs. Stacked turf bunkers provide a memorable and challenging signature characteristic. The meticulous turf manicuring extends into the natural tidy areas while still providing shot challenges. Black has more trees and is tighter with a higher slope rating but is shorter. The Gold Course has wider fairways with larger greens and is longer but easier.
The Gold Course
The course meanders through pine and palm trees and wetlands. Beautiful native landscaping integrates well with the lush green fairways and the fluffy white sand. The greens are large, and the bunkering is numerous, sprawling, and severe. But fairways are wide, flat, and sometimes rolling. Water comes into play on thirteen holes prompting constant risk/reward decisions, such as the opening Par5 Hole #1. We faced an unnerving shot over the water to get home in two. Par 3s require solid shot-making to keep out of the trouble. Carries over water, marshland, coquina waste bunkers and short-sided pins are regular features. A variety of features made this an exceptional experience. Scenic drives over wooden bridges through marshland and over water, green-side bunker complexes with cool-looking steep dark sod-faced walls, massive waste bunkers comprising local crushed coquina shells, tall pine and palm tree groups intermixed, countless bunch grass bushes and well-positioned water features – in perfect condition.
The magnificent Tiburon Golf Club Clubhouse and the adjacent Ritz- Carlton hotel provide spectacular views from the 9th and 18th holes. They even have a photo-op sign on the 18th tee. I can see spectacular homes and Mediterranean villa complexes. In December, Norman hosts the annual Shootout with twelve two-man PGA tour teams in a mixed format. The LPGA Tour Championship plays here in November. The course is expensive, but we’ve paid more for a lot less. Each starting time includes a caddie (not including a $25+ tip per player).
Norman deftly integrates unique features into a robust shot-makers layout. Tiburon Golf Club invests in top magnificent landscaping and maintains superb conditioning. The result is memorable, scenic, and challenging. The Black course is tighter but shorter. Play both.
If You Go:
Course Info – Tiburon Golf Club is a semi-private golf club with two golf courses comprising the Gold Course, and the Black Course. Courses are open to the public and players do not have to stay at the Ritz Carlton resort for access. The courses alternate each day between public access and private member access.
Location – Southwest Florida Gulf Coast, about 30 mins south of the Southwest Florida airport (SWI) near Fort Myers, about 2 1/2 hours south of the Tampa airport and 2 hours west of the Miami airport. Google Maps Link
Lodging – The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort Naples is a Mediterranean-style luxury hotel and villa complex onsite and surrounded by the two golf courses. Find other high-resolution photos at:
By Chuck Fox, Owner, Quintessential Golf, Resident since 2012
Quintessential Golf (https://www.quintessentialgolf.com)
A source of golf travel inspiration, Quintessential Golf online magazine spotlights the most spectacular, enduring and scenic courses, resorts and golf adventures. Written from a players point-of-view, articles include magnificent high-resolution course images. Brought to you by Chuck Fox, single-digit golfer, writer and photographer based in Danville, California, he is fulfilling his passion and dream to play, photograph and share the romance and beauty of golf throughout North America.