Golf History

To fully appreciate the true history

and roots of golf in Florida, pay a visit to Miami-Dade County. There, you’ll find seven of the 53 golf courses along the Florida Historic Golf Trail. Those seven courses are the Miami Beach Golf Club, Miami Springs Golf & Country Club, Miami Shores Country Club, Normandy Shores Golf Club in Miami Beach, Biltmore Golf Course in Coral Gables, Granada Golf Course in Coral Gables, and the Redland Golf and Country Club in Homestead. Each golf course has a historical past worth reading, researching and reviewing. Playing each course is fun, too.

The Miami Beach GC opened for play in 1923 and was originally called the Bayshore Golf Course. There was star appeal at the grand opening when golfing legend Gene Sarazen played the first 18 holes in November 1922. During World War II, the course became a training ground for the U.S. Army. Then, in 2002, the course underwent a $10 million renovation, a new clubhouse was built, and the course’s name was changed to the Miami Beach Golf Club. The Miami Springs G & CC is the oldest golf course in Miami-Dade County. Originally called the Miami-Hialeah Golf Course, this layout was the original home of the Miami Open. From 1925 to 1955, the beginning of the winter professional golf circuit – the Miami Open -- started here at Miami Springs.

The Biltmore Hotel

Miami-Dade County

The ‘Capitol’ of the Florida Historic Golf Trail

Miami Springs Golf & Country Club

Redland Golf & Country Club

Normandy Shores Golf Club

The Miami Shores CC opened in the fall of 1939 and was originally called the Miami Shores Village Golf and Country Club. Two of the unique attributes of this golf course are two hazards – a waterway and railroad tracks -- which help make it stand apart from other golf courses. The waterway is the Biscayne Canal Number C-8, while the railroad tracks are now classified as out-of-bounds. Here, golfers will cross that canal on five occasions.

Normandy Shores GC opened for play in December 1941, but its roots can be traced to the early 1920s when developer Henry Levy and his associates started a massive dredging and landfill project in Biscayne Bay. This golf course was built on North Island/Normandy Shores which is built from 100% reclaimed land from the dredging and landfill efforts.

The strength of the Biltmore GC, a championship Donald Ross design, is its superb collection of par 4s. They range from drive-and-pitch gems to longer holes like the 450-yard 17th, which calls for a solid drive followed by an accurate approach over water to a bulk-headed green. In 2007, golf course architect Brian Silva implemented a comprehensive restoration of the golf course, as he recreated the authenticity of this 1925 design. BTW, Babe Ruth played golf here in 1930.

Owned and operated by the City of Coral Gables, the Granada GC is the oldest continuously operating ninehole course in Florida. After golf, many golfers eat at Burger Bob’s Restaurant. It’s a community favorite that looks like an old-school diner from the 1950s.

And, the Redland G and CC is impacted by a steady breeze, many palm trees, pearly white sand traps, and a few lakes and ponds – typical of a south Florida golf course. The course remains in tip-top shape 12 months a year because of its talented superintendent – Samuel Martinez.

For more information about these seven golf courses and other Florida Historic Golf Trail courses, check out www.FloridaHistoricGolfTrail.com.

MIami Beach Golf Club