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Rating Index Rating
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4.5
2110 Reviews (2110)
5 Stars
1513
4 Stars
417
3 Stars
113
2 Stars
37
1 Stars
30
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.0
Layout
4.6
Friendliness
4.7
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.4
91.0%
Recommend this course
1965 out of 2110 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.1
82 Reviews (82)
5 Stars
41
4 Stars
23
3 Stars
9
2 Stars
4
1 Stars
5
Conditions
4.0
Value
3.8
Layout
4.5
Pace
3.8
Amenities
4.3
StaffFriendliness
4.6
82.9%
Recommend this course
68 out of 82 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.4
210 Reviews (210)
5 Stars
129
4 Stars
53
3 Stars
16
2 Stars
6
1 Stars
6
Conditions
4.3
Value
3.9
Layout
4.6
Pace
4.2
Amenities
4.4
StaffFriendliness
4.7
90.0%
Recommend this course
189 out of 210 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
Kelly Plantation's zoysia fairways, well-maintained greens, and challenging layout consistently rank it among the top courses in the Destin area. Attentive staff, a well-stocked pro shop, and smooth pace of play make every visit a rewarding experience.

About

Holes 18
Type Semi-Private
Par 72
Length 7099 yards
Slope 137
Rating 74.6

Formerly home to a turpentine plantation, the site now offers one of the most environmentally sensitive courses in northwest Florida, Kelly Plantation. The golf course sits along the shores of the Choctawhatchee Bay, sprawling across a waterfront landscape of towering trees and swampy bayous. The course features large, contoured greens and wide, manicured fairways that are in excellent condition but can also be tricky to navigate. The strategically placed hazards also require some careful maneuvering. In addition to being a challenging round, the golf course is also known for its stunning scenic appeal. Throughout the layout, golfers can enjoy panoramic views across the bay to the abundant magnolias and palmettos that are native to Florida's northwest region. For these reasons, Kelly Plantation has received high praise from publications such as Golf Digest and Golf Magazine.

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Kelly Plantation Golf Club
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Course Details

Year Built 1998
Golf Season Year round
Architect Fred Couples (1998) Gene Bates (1998) Bob Cupp (1998) Michael Riley (1998)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
GPS Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes - "Strano Golf Academy"
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover
Metal Spikes Allowed No

Food & Beverage

Snacks, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Banquet Facilities

Accolades

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Reviews

4.5
2110 Reviews (2110)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 34
19th Hole Scenic Views 15
Brunch 15
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 75
Water Hazards 68
Undulating Greens 42
This course/club is great for:
Advanced Golfers 55
A Weekend Splurge 51
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 49
This Course's Location is:
Convenient to the City 67
Near Local Attractions 45
Worth the Drive 37

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 25
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Questionable pace of play-

The course was full, but a Marshall still needed to keep pace of play better!

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great round of golf at Kelly Plantation

Excellent all around. Quality course, efficient staff, and great amenities.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

For Conditions

For conditions that the grass was not very green yet, it was very good. Greens were quite fast but in full green...no brown spots. Staff was very friendly. Ony dowside was that pace of play was slower than one would like because people were started too close together. Our Group was 4 minutes behind after 8 holes and we were asked to pic up the pace. Unnecessary in my view and especially for the rate charged.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 25
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
gvt
Played On
Reviews 63
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Amazing views!

I have been coming to Destin many years and have a condo in the area. Kelly Plantation is the #1 course I always want to play. The staff and accommodations are always the best of any around. Ashton Crowe, the past golf pro for Kelly has always been great to work with. I contacted him and he set my girlfriend and me up and we felt very special. This was the first time we had not brought our own clubs to play. I am so happy we decided to leave our clubs in KY. Ashton reserved clubs for us to have when we arrived and our experience was amazing. The course is absolutely in the best condition ever, for this time of year. I think Ashton ordered a perfect day for us. The new golf pro onsite, John Townsend, went out of his way to come introduce himself to us. While I will always think of Ashton Crowe when I play Kelly, I am happy to have a new friend in John. I would recommend playing Kelly over all other public courses in the area. Thank you Ashton Crowe for a perfect golf experience.

Jackie Jones

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Great Course

Beautiful views of the Bay on holes 3 and 4. Greens and tee boxes are well maintained and the course has a few challenging holes. The staff could not be more friendly. Well managed course. Cannot wait to play again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 25+
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Beautiful course with challenging greens

Course is well kept though not the green in the pictures since the grass is in winter dormancy. The greens were very challenging and waved like the ocean. Staff were fantastic and welcoming.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Fantastic service and great golf course layout.

We had our best friends coming all the way from Columbus Ohio just for the weekend . Did our research at a lot of courses and finally decided to play Kelly Plantation. Talked to with the pros ,John and Ashton. They said they would be glad to take care of our Friends and us.

They certainly did. Personally greeted our guests and made sure everything went perfectly smooth for us.

The course is in great shape and really is beautiful and we think has a great layout. We would have highly recommend for anyone visiting Destin that this would be the first choice to visit and play.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

This course has great features

I had to write a review to bring down the customer service stars. This is not a 4.7 star course. After paying in the pro shop we were given little information for it being our first time to play. We found the warm up

area, then found the starter. The starter told us to wait a few minutes before heading to the first tee and that he would let us know when to go, but then he took off in another golf cart and we were to tee off in 5 minutes! The course has some great features and is fun to play, but based on the stars given in the part the service is average compared to the other courses in the area.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Beautiful course!

Loved this course. Friendly staff. Excellent service and amenities. Water views.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

What a great layout first time playing here would highly recommend someone coming to Destin Florida to must play. The entire golf staff was so nice and very helpful if you needed anything. Course was in great shape greens were extremely fast. Will definitely be back next year to play.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Winter golf

Played in the afternoon hoping pace of play would be better but it was very slow. Greens were ok but lots of poa annua sprouts on the back nine. Staff was nice and helpful.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Highly Recommend in Destin

Extremely friendly and good staff. I was a single and starter (and a courteous local member in the group in front of me) allowed me to tee off as first group of the day. Fun round at a pace of play that would have made Georgie Bush happy. Will definitely go back again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Awesome

Pro shop was closed when we finished but the head pro had just pulled up and let us in the pro shop to buy a shirt and was super nice!!! Awesome course!!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
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