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4.5
2026 Reviews (2026)
5 Stars
1470
4 Stars
394
3 Stars
104
2 Stars
33
1 Stars
25
Conditions
4.3
Value
3.9
Layout
4.7
Friendliness
4.7
Pace
4.4
Amenities
4.5
91.2%
Recommend this course
1895 out of 2026 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.5
138 Reviews (138)
5 Stars
93
4 Stars
32
3 Stars
9
2 Stars
3
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.0
Layout
4.7
Pace
4.4
Amenities
4.4
StaffFriendliness
4.7
92.8%
Recommend this course
128 out of 138 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.5
232 Reviews (232)
5 Stars
146
4 Stars
65
3 Stars
14
2 Stars
5
1 Stars
2
Conditions
4.4
Value
4.0
Layout
4.7
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.4
StaffFriendliness
4.7
93.1%
Recommend this course
216 out of 232 reviews
Read Reviews

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.

Book a Tee Time at
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
2026 Reviews (2026)

Reviewer Photos

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 44
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 49
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great Course but Too Pricey

I love this course but with the construction going on and the time of the year, too much is being charged. 4 temporary tee boxes and two holes not being able to play due to construction, rates are too high. It's no wonder very few players were on the course.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 21
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Member privilege

I could handle the two holes that were closed and the other three that were under renovation but playable. What bothered me were the two member fivesomes and three foursomes in front of me. Their pace of play was very slow. It would have been nice to have been informed of the groups on the course.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Great Course

First, let me start by saying we were very aware of the course having three holes closed. We were made aware of it at bag drop. We were made aware of it at check-in and we were made aware of it from the starter. So all these jack wagons that are leaving reviews saying they didn’t know about the course having maintenance being done are all not being truthful. There are signs on every door as well explaining the course conditions. None of those people paid full price either, this is not my first time playing Kelly Plantation golf course their normal rates are 189+ tax. Right now they are charging $90 and $79 to play this course while it’s under construction. So if you’re looking to play a great course, even though it is under construction, you can’t beat this course for $90.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 18
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Once a year

We only come here once a year to play, had no idea 4 holes were closed and 3 holes moved much closer than usual distance due to ground problem. If we knew we wouldn't booked this course. No prior notice or told us at check in time. Anyway, love playing here, unfortunately came in at wrong time!

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 02/03/2025

Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad to hear you enjoy playing here and appreciate your continued visits. We make every effort to communicate course conditions in advance, including a required acknowledgment on GolfNow, verbal confirmation at check-in, and signage posted at the clubhouse entrance and the register where golfers check in. Our staff and hosts ensure every golfer is aware of the temporary adjustments before they tee off.

To clarify, only two holes were temporarily closed, and three were played from adjusted tee locations due to ongoing improvements. We understand that timing can sometimes be unfortunate, but these enhancements will lead to an even better experience in the future. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you back!

Played On
Reviews 3
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 02/03/2025

Thank you for your review! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed your round and that our pace of play, staff friendliness, and value met your expectations. We appreciate your feedback on course conditions and amenities and are always looking for ways to improve. We hope to see you back again soon for another great experience!

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Kelly Plantation

We love Kelly Plantation. People are great. Beautiful neighborhood. We love seeing the bald eagles on property.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 02/03/2025

Thank you for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear that you love Kelly Plantation and enjoy the beauty of the course and neighborhood. The bald eagles are certainly a special sight, and we’re glad you get to experience them during your visits. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon!

Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 20-24
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Nice course

First time playing and three of the holes were closed for remodeling, but the staff provided different options to get a full 18 round and discounted the rate as well. Course is well maintained, staff was very friendly and practice ranges (driving, putt and pitch) were what you'd expect for a course in this price range. Course is fun, moderately challenging, and greens have enough character to make putting more fun than a simple left/right line but without driving you crazy.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 02/03/2025

Thank you for your review! We’re glad you enjoyed your first round with us and appreciated the course conditions, friendly staff, and practice facilities. While renovations can be an inconvenience, we’re happy we could provide options to ensure you still had a great 18-hole experience. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you back for another fun and challenging round in the future!

Played On
Reviews 11
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

15 holes but full price !

Like Kelly but when I made the tee time a few weeks before, or reconfirmed the week before, or at check in that day, there was no mention that the course was only 15 holes ! It was the very young starter that passed along that news.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 02/03/2025

Thank you for your feedback. We apologize for any miscommunication regarding the temporary course adjustments. Our goal is always to provide clear and timely updates, and we regret that this information wasn’t conveyed earlier in your booking process. We do have notifications in place through our online booking system, signage at check-in, and verbal confirmation from our staff. However, we will review our communication process to ensure all guests are well-informed in advance.

We appreciate your visit and hope to welcome you back soon for a full 18-hole experience once renovations are complete!

Played On
Reviews 33
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

KP

Nice course. They have 3 holes shut down however at the time

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/02/2025

Thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear you enjoyed the course. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the three holes being temporarily closed, as we’re in the process of making improvements. We appreciate your understanding and patience during this time. We hope you'll come back once the course is fully ready and enjoy the full experience! Thank you again for your review.

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Under construction

It would have been worth it at 50$. The greens are pretty good. Tee boxes are under construction as well as 3 holes. They teed us off in front of 3 groups of members bent on playing in 3 hours. Which they did not. We waited ok then after letting them through after they hit into us. Rude. The members made sure we knew they were in charge and no one from the clubhouse ever checked on pace of play or us during the round. They could have cared less if we were there. The cart staff and bag drop team was great.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Fair
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/02/2025

Thank you for sharing your feedback, and we’re sorry to hear about your experience. We truly appreciate your understanding regarding the ongoing construction and the impact it had on your round. We are committed to making improvements to the course and are working hard to complete the updates as quickly as possible.

We also apologize for the issues with pace of play and the interaction with the members. We aim to create a welcoming atmosphere for all players, and your comments are taken seriously as we work to improve this aspect of our operation. We will address this with our team to ensure better communication and oversight going forward.

We're glad to hear that you had a positive experience with our cart and bag drop staff, and we appreciate your kind words for them. We hope you'll give us another opportunity to provide a better experience in the future. Thank you again for your input.

Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/02/2025

Thanks for your review, we hope to have the opportunity to exceed your expectations on your next visit.

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
1.0
Previously Played

Not coming back

Booked a last minute tee time. They mentioned they had 3 temporary tee boxes on golfnow. Which still should mean you play 18 holes right? I know its right but the manager wanted to argue with me. I will keep it short but paid 105 bucks and 3 holes were completely closed. The guys at checking in to pay mentioned nothing of it and also the chatty starter. Its a money grab just be honest.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/02/2025

Thank you for your feedback. We apologize for any confusion during your round. While three holes were closed, we reduced the rate from our standard $149 to a lower rate since only 15 holes were available for play. Our staff has been diligent about informing guests of course conditions, and we regret that this information was not communicated clearly to you at check-in. Please know that our goal is never to "money grab." We aim to offer a fair and enjoyable experience, even when conditions are less than ideal. We take your concerns seriously and will continue to ensure our staff is well-prepared to communicate important details to all guests. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Played On
Reviews 11
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

15 holes

No one mentioned that it was a 15 hole course when I made the reservation 3 weeks ago, or when I confirmed 2 days ago, or when I checked in and paid full price — it was only the starter who said, “by the way, holes 6-8 are closed, but feel free to pick 3 holes to play when you are done if you want.”

Kelly Plantation has long been a favorite — not professional to not be upfront about the situation and offer a discount or 9 hole rain check.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/02/2025

Thank you for sharing your feedback, and we sincerely apologize for the lack of communication regarding the course's current condition. We understand how disappointing it must have been to find out about the closure of holes 6-8 only upon checking in, especially after making your reservation and confirming the details.

We strive to be transparent with our guests, and it’s clear we missed the mark in this instance. We will review our communication process to ensure that such important information is shared upfront at the time of booking and confirmation.

We genuinely value your feedback and appreciate your long-standing support of Kelly Plantation. We hope you’ll consider returning in the future to experience the full course and the level of service we aim to provide. Thank you again for your input, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Default User Avatar
Commented on 12/31/2024

Thank you for sharing your feedback with us, and we truly apologize for the inconvenience you experienced during your visit. We understand your frustration, and we agree that clear communication is essential, especially when it comes to changes that may affect your round of golf.

We regret that you were not informed in advance that holes 6-8 were closed due to ongoing renovation work. It is never our intention to surprise or disappoint our valued guests. We do our best to communicate updates through reservations and check-ins,

Our standard golf rate is $149 this time of the year. Due to the hole closures the rate was dramatically reduced for your golf so that you could enjoy the course at a great value. I apologize that was not clearly communicated to you.

We appreciate your loyalty to Kelly Plantation. Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back soon to enjoy the full experience that Kelly Plantation has to offer.

Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Excellent course

Challenging course for all levels.

Greens are great.

Only drawback was pace of play. Too slow. Long waits on everyhole.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 12/30/2024

Thank you for your review! We’re glad to hear that you found the course challenging and enjoyed the greens. We apologize for the slow pace of play during your round and understand how long waits can be frustrating. We will look into ways to improve this, such as better managing tee times and encouraging a faster pace. We appreciate your feedback and hope you'll give us another opportunity to offer a smoother experience in the future.

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