Emerald Bay Golf Club

About
Located right along the water, Emerald Bay Golf Club was designed by Bob Cupp to be Destin's premier full-service, 18-hole championship course. Water is a prominent feature as the course overlooks the shores Choctawhatchee Bay and incorporates water features on 12 of the holes. Oftentimes golfers will face an intimidating shot across a lake or a pond. Emerald Bay Golf Club's sculpted fairways and tight greens are always in excellent condition. There are four sets of tees that make the golf course accessible to most players' abilities and no matter what skill level you are, the views are not to be missed. The views are especially breathtaking on the back nine, which borders the bay. There is also an expansive driving range at Emerald Bay that golfers can use before playing the golf course.
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|---|
I | 72 | 7050 yards | 73.9 | 143 |
II | 72 | 6620 yards | 71.4 | 141 |
III | 72 | 6209 yards | 69.8 | 132 |
Combo | 72 | 5735 yards | 67.7 | 124 |
IV (W) | 72 | 5481 yards | 71.9 | 132 |
IV | 72 | 5481 yards | 66.9 | 122 |
V | 72 | 4655 yards | 63.6 | 115 |
V (W) | 72 | 4655 yards | 67.2 | 123 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
I M: 73.9/143 | 427 | 424 | 164 | 313 | 399 | 430 | 562 | 232 | 529 | 3480 | 474 | 362 | 246 | 605 | 372 | 449 | 204 | 331 | 527 | 3570 | 7050 |
II M: 71.4/141 | 405 | 390 | 150 | 296 | 385 | 410 | 554 | 162 | 505 | 3257 | 455 | 348 | 215 | 580 | 352 | 409 | 178 | 318 | 508 | 3363 | 6620 |
III M: 69.8/132 | 376 | 378 | 138 | 284 | 365 | 380 | 515 | 152 | 485 | 3073 | 395 | 330 | 202 | 555 | 325 | 382 | 152 | 308 | 487 | 3136 | 6209 |
Combo M: 67.7/124 | 311 | 353 | 138 | 284 | 339 | 321 | 463 | 152 | 485 | 2846 | 332 | 330 | 202 | 504 | 261 | 313 | 152 | 308 | 487 | 2889 | 5735 |
IV M: 66.9/122 W: 71.9/132 | 311 | 353 | 115 | 264 | 339 | 321 | 463 | 140 | 418 | 2724 | 332 | 302 | 181 | 504 | 261 | 313 | 128 | 290 | 446 | 2757 | 5481 |
V M: 63.6/115 W: 67.2/123 | 267 | 304 | 91 | 227 | 298 | 289 | 387 | 85 | 378 | 2326 | 291 | 277 | 107 | 483 | 146 | 285 | 114 | 210 | 416 | 2329 | 4655 |
Handicap | 9 | 7 | 15 | 17 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 18 | 12 | |||
Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
Handicap (W) | 9 | 7 | 15 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 16 | 2 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
Food & Beverage
Bar, RestaurantAvailable Facilities
Clubhouse, Banquet FacilitiesReviews
Reviewer Photos
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Photo submitted by u00000104756 on 08/03/2023
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Photo submitted by u00000104756 on 08/03/2023
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Photo submitted by u314161774001 on 06/26/2023
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Photo submitted by jadynrodenbaugh on 04/29/2023
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Photo submitted by jadynrodenbaugh on 04/29/2023
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Hole 17 tee box Photo submitted by u314159413080 on 01/04/2023
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Photo submitted by u031622726 on 12/30/2022
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Photo submitted by u000006525749 on 10/03/2022
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Photo submitted by robertsfh on 08/26/2022
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Photo submitted by robertsfh on 08/26/2022
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Photo submitted by u559150047 on 05/26/2022
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Photo submitted by dcsjoc on 04/20/2022
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Photo submitted by vicboy72 on 01/14/2022
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Photo submitted by u314161167938 on 01/14/2022
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Photo submitted by absolutnt on 07/21/2021
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Photo submitted by absolutnt on 07/21/2021
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Photo submitted by absolutnt on 07/21/2021
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Photo submitted by absolutnt on 07/21/2021
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Great view Photo submitted by u314161619406 on 05/28/2021
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GPS Carts Photo submitted by u314161619406 on 05/28/2021
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Great Course Photo submitted by u314161619406 on 05/28/2021
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Photo submitted by u269527669 on 05/19/2021
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West Texas playing in Florida Photo submitted by dc612421510 on 05/09/2021
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Photo submitted by dc612421510 on 05/09/2021
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Photo submitted by u314161457624 on 04/20/2021
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Photo submitted by philcollinskc on 03/05/2021
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Photo submitted by u000006524012 on 02/25/2021
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Photo submitted by TomAndJudy on 02/04/2021
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Photo submitted by nutria1007 on 12/28/2020
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Photo submitted by u269527669 on 08/27/2020
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Photo submitted by dc445356294 on 06/18/2020
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Photo submitted by dc445356294 on 06/18/2020
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Photo submitted by dc445356294 on 06/18/2020
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Photo submitted by dc445356294 on 06/18/2020
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Photo submitted by TimSonefelt on 06/16/2020
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Photo submitted by u244873735 on 03/19/2020
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Photo submitted by u000005732332 on 07/01/2019
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Great looks tho! Photo submitted by Winna on 05/31/2018
Beautiful pics, very nice staff.
Course had a good layout. Staff seem somewhat confused as I was sent out on the back nine. Later, got behind people who got sent off on the front. Weather played a part, but the greens were a little sketchy. In fairness, I played another course two days later with sub par greens. I found the holes very challenging and was happy to make par.
No way this is a 4 star course
Many of the front 9 tee boxes chewed up. Thin grass on the fairways, greens are shaggy and several have bare spots or diseased. No ranger to enforce pace of play. There are many better options in Destin.

We sincerely apologize for the issues you encountered during your visit. We appreciate your feedback and will make sure to address the concerns you raised to improve our course conditions and pace of play. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

We love hearing about our golfers' experiences, angel0214. Please tell us more about what you enjoyed during your round. Thanks for choosing Emerald Bay Golf Club!

Hello and thank you for your 5-star rating! We're delighted you enjoyed your round. Please book another round with us soon, and thanks for choosing Emerald Bay Golf Club!

Hello and thank you for your 5-star rating! We're delighted you enjoyed your round. Please book another round with us soon, and thanks for choosing Emerald Bay Golf Club!

We love hearing about our golfers' experiences, u364067677. Please tell us more about what you enjoyed during your round. Thanks for choosing Emerald Bay Golf Club!

We love hearing about our golfers' experiences, MikeHCovol. Please tell us more about what you enjoyed during your round. Thanks for choosing Emerald Bay Golf Club!
Great Course.. 'Almost' perfect.
Really nice course. Difficult layout/slope rating. The staff was very accommodating and friendly. The greens were aerated which made putting a little difficult. But also a few greens had damges areas(sand patches/no grass)near the edges. But overall , a Great course to play.

Thanks so much for the great review, dgut2006. We look forward to welcoming you back to our course soon. Thanks for choosing Emerald Bay Golf Club.
Has potential for sure
Played 9 holes this morning, was supposed to play 18 couldn’t possibly finish. I play for fun, but it isn’t fun when you are playing in a swamp. The course was absolutely drenched, and that wasn’t told to me ahead of time. The course was recently aerated, which is fine, and the greens were about what you’d expect. However, the fairways were just swamp land today. My first 5 drives literally plugged in fairways; just seems like something that should be made aware to players that the course doesn’t drain well. Played as cart path only which I wasn’t told until after I paid; obviously wouldn’t have played if told all ahead of time. By hole 2 it was pretty evident I wasn’t going to play the entire 18.
Layout was cool and challenging, I was a fan of the tee box layouts and course layout as a whole! GPS in the carts is useless when playing cart path only lol. Carts and attendants were great! The GPS hadn’t been updated for current pin placements, always fun to play to a back pin, only to find it’s a middle or front placement.
Clubhouse attendant was super nice, clubhouse is fully stacked with anything you could imagine.
There has been rain recently, but at full price, there’s zero justification to play the course right now. Aerated greens and standing water everywhere. Pins hadn’t been changed in a few days as most were caved, which is strange since the greens were punched this week…
Would be interested to play again during a drought or whenever course is completely dry.
I play at a 2-3 handicap, so the course was more annoying than anything, would be fun if it’s a family outing.

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review of your experience playing at our course. We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced due to the course conditions. We appreciate your feedback and will take it into consideration to improve our communication with players about course conditions. Thank you for mentioning the positive aspects of your visit and we hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a better experience in the future.
Could be good
Had a fun round, but the course condition was terrible. Staff was friendly, but they definitely need a better system to close out tabs after the round. Had to wait in line for nearly 45 minutes after my round ended to close a tab I had with the beverage cart.

We appreciate your feedback regarding your round and the friendliness of our staff, but we apologize for the poor course condition and the inconvenience you experienced in closing out your tab. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review.

Hello and thank you so much for taking the time to leave an excellent rating! We really appreciate your business. Please let us know what we can do for you in the future to earn that last star and thanks for choosing Emerald Bay Golf Club!
Will definitely play again
Great course, nice layout, and in great condition. Bunkers were some of the best I’ve been in in a very long time . Challenging but fair course . Staff was very friendly and helpful. Went out 8:30 am and finished in just over four hours. Will recommend and will play again when back in town.

Wow! We are so happy you enjoyed your round, nblknirvana! We look forward to seeing you again soon at Emerald Bay Golf Club.
The heat
Great course and fit our ability as hackers ⛳️⛳️⛳️

u314159455864, thank you for your kind words! The team has worked very hard to get where we are, and we appreciate golfers like you taking notice. We hope to see you again at the course very soon for another 5-star experience. Thanks for choosing Emerald Bay Golf Club

We love hearing about our golfers' experiences, tnmussels. Please tell us more about what you enjoyed during your round. Thanks for choosing Emerald Bay Golf Club!
Course & Support Staff
Course was in great shape & the staff could not have been “more courteous” in helping with additional ice for the hot weather and flexibility with our tee time.

Thank you so much for the great review. We are glad you had an incredible time, and we hope to see you again soon! Thanks for choosing Emerald Bay Golf Club.
Nice Course, excellent pace of play
Pros- fairways and greens were in good shape A few very pretty holes, this course is just challenging enough with the amount of water along the sides of holes as well as some forced carrys over water. Pace of play great, we never waited and were never pushed. Employees were great, from the clubhouse, to the beverage cart to the grill, all very nice, friendly and happy. Very fair track.
Cons- Coming from Texas, the lack of roll on shots, because of the lush and damp bermuda. It took a few holes to get used to, but, it also saved a few shots from rolling into the water (which is why i call it fair). The tee boxes were brutal, really the only true negative.
We played at 11am, it was horribly hot and humid. However, the frequency of the bev cart and alot of shaded areas made it bearable.
Enjoyable course, will play again.

Thanks so much for your wonderful review, B5aTAljBBwWC926OZGeS. We are thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed your time with us. Please visit again soon. Thanks for choosing Emerald Bay Golf Club!
Playing Tomorrow Again
Just make sure the clowns from the Southern Gentlemen Sports Show are not in my way when I am playing.

Thanks so much for your wonderful review, iSabsr2Qd8GsA4kRvbNd. We are thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed your time with us. Please visit again soon. Thanks for choosing Emerald Bay Golf Club!
Don’t Waste Your Time or Money
DO NOT VISIT THIS COURSE!
Where do I begin with this review. We were extremely disappointed with the course and our overall experience. The staff is completely rude and unprofessional. I saw this on several reviews in the past. The past reviewers were spot on. When you book online, the cost is $110. When I called the pro shop 2 weeks prior, they confirmed my tee time and did not state a cost. We assumed the price was $110. When checking in, I was told the price was $150 per golfer. I asked about the $110 price and I was told that was the internet price. Now get this. The gentleman in the pro shop told me whoever answered my call should have told me to book online and save $30. He said “I always tell people to book online. Let me see who took your call.” Then he went on to say “oh, I took your call and just laughed.” Now I’m out $30 per golfer as he just continues to laugh. I asked him if we could get the internet price and I was told “no with more laughter”. Very unprofessional of the pro shop staff. We rented clubs that were junk and over 5 years old. The staff continued to push other sales on us…balls, tees, etc.
Tee boxes were awful. Completely beat up and filled with the green mixture everywhere. Crab grass filled the tee boxes and the greens, making the greens very slow.
There are no water stations on the course. The one by the practice green was empty. We played on a day when it was 98 degrees and only saw the cart girl once.
The pace of play was slow at times and we had several people jump in front of us on the back nine. Did not see one Marshall on the course all day.
The maintenance crew on the course continued with their work as we took fairway shots, tee offs, and putts. Normally staff would wait as you played through. Not here.
This is probably a $65 course at best! The layout was interesting and has potential. But the staff attitude and unprofessionalism made this a terrible experience. If August is truly the “offseason” why are the prices not reflected to be the off-season prices.
I can’t recommend anyone visit this course. Save your money and visit another course in Destin.

We apologize for the negative experience you had at our course. We appreciate your feedback and will address the issues you mentioned with our staff and management. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
We love hearing about our golfers' experiences, u314164535478. Please tell us more about what you enjoyed during your round. Thanks for choosing Emerald Bay Golf Club!