Emerald Bay GC: #18
View of the 18th hole at Emerald Bay Golf Club.
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Rating Index Rating
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4.1
2120 Reviews (2120)
5 Stars
992
4 Stars
821
3 Stars
212
2 Stars
57
1 Stars
38
Conditions
3.9
Value
3.9
Layout
4.4
Friendliness
4.6
Pace
4.2
Amenities
4.2
84.0%
Recommend this course
1895 out of 2120 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.4
55 Reviews (55)
5 Stars
31
4 Stars
17
3 Stars
6
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.1
Value
4.1
Layout
4.5
Pace
4.5
Amenities
4.4
StaffFriendliness
4.8
90.9%
Recommend this course
50 out of 55 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.2
134 Reviews (134)
5 Stars
66
4 Stars
47
3 Stars
12
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
8
Conditions
4.0
Value
4.0
Layout
4.4
Pace
4.2
Amenities
4.2
StaffFriendliness
4.7
87.3%
Recommend this course
117 out of 134 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
Exceptionally friendly staff and a challenging, well-designed layout consistently earn high marks from golfers visiting the Destin area. Fast greens, well-kept fairways, and attentive rangers contribute to a smooth and enjoyable round.

About

Holes 18
Type Semi-Private/Resort
Par 72
Length 7050 yards
Slope 143
Rating 73.9

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.

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Course Details

Year Built 1991
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens TifEagle Bermuda Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Bob Cupp (1991) Bob Cupp (2014)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
GPS Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Dress code Appropriate golf attire. No denim, collared shirt required.

Food & Beverage

Bar, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Banquet Facilities
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Reviews

4.1
2120 Reviews (2120)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 21
Watching the Game 11
19th Hole Scenic Views 10
Course Challenges Include:
Water Hazards 49
Bunkers 38
Forced Carries 29
This course/club is great for:
Advanced Golfers 29
A Weekend Splurge 22
Seniors 21
This Course's Location is:
Convenient to the City 34
Near Local Attractions 30
Worth the Drive 15

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 52
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Have seen course in better shape.

As an average golfer this is one of my favorite courses in the Destin area; however, I was just a little disappointed in the overall conditions. The greens appeared to maybe have been recently verticut and not quite healed. The fairways were not bad, but I wish they were just a little longer so the ball would sit up a little higher. Still, I always enjoy the layout and everyone there is really nice. I recommend playing it - but a hot deal makes it easier to overlook some of the flaws. We will be back in the fall and will play it again.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/01/2023

Hi. Thank you for reviewing the course. Let us first start by apologizing for the poor experience you had during your visit. Your feedback about the course is important to us. We are working to get everything up to par. We have projects ongoing to recover the fairways and greens. The current condition is by no means the standard we strive to achieve. We are going to escalate your feedback to our team so we can make improvements before your next game, and we will continue to work towards an excellent experience by using your comment for guidance. Thank you for playing Emerald Bay Golf Club. We hope to see you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played
Used cart

The bones are there

The course was much better in terms of condition going back to the early 2000s. The bones are there, but the maintenance has been lacking. Sand for several tee boxes. Bad patches on greens. Fairways are mostly in decent shape. Took off in cart and played hole 1 only to find empty sand bottles on each side of cart.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/01/2023

Hi. Thank you for reviewing the course. Let us first start by apologizing for the poor experience you had during your visit. Your feedback about the course is important to us. We are working to get everything up to par. We have projects ongoing to recover the fairways and greens. The current condition is by no means the standard we strive to achieve. We are going to escalate your feedback to our team so we can make improvements before your next game, and we will continue to work towards an excellent experience by using your comment for guidance. Thank you for playing Emerald Bay Golf Club. We hope to see you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Surprisingly poor conditions

We were shocked to find the course in such poor condition. We played 4 more rounds at courses in the area and their conditions were much better.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/02/2023

Hi Andrew. Thank you for reviewing the course. Let us first start by apologizing for the poor experience you had during your visit. Your feedback about the course is important to us. We are working to get everything up to par. We have projects ongoing to recover the fairways and greens. The current condition is by no means the standard we strive to achieve. We are going to escalate your feedback to our team so we can make improvements before your next game, and we will continue to work towards an excellent experience by using your comment for guidance. Thank you for playing Emerald Bay Golf Club. We hope to see you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 22
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Nice course and cheaper than comparable courses

Course was in pretty good condition. Some bad spots on the greens, but not too bad.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/01/2023

Hello. Thanks so much for your review. We appreciate your feedback, and we hope to see you again soon at Emerald Bay Golf Club.

Played On
Reviews 5
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/01/2023

Hello. Thank you for visiting us at Emerald Bay Golf Club. We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.

Played On
Reviews 1
2.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Unimpressed

Nice layout. Tee boxes poor, greens average at best. Lots of upside but needs management attention to quality.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Amenities Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/24/2023

Hi,

We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. We are going to pass on your feedback to the teams in charge so they can work to make changes.

Your feedback helps us do better. We are looking into this issue and hope to resolve it promptly.

Thank you for visiting Emerald Bay Golf Club. We hope you'll give us another try in the future.

Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

4/20/23

Decent course. Fairways could use a little love. Greens were nice for the most part but a few were a little “weedy”. Nice course and we’ve played it for several years but the price keeps going up and it’s not worth what they’re charging.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/01/2023

Hello. Thanks so much for your review. We appreciate your feedback, and we hope to see you again soon at Emerald Bay Golf Club.

Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Nice course

Very good for the money staff super friendly, course really nice

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/01/2023

Hello. Thanks so much for your review. We appreciate your feedback, and we hope to see you again soon at Emerald Bay Golf Club.

Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/20/2023

Hi! We would love to hear more about your 4-star experience on our course. Please tell us what we can do to earn that last star, and thanks for golfing at Emerald Bay Golf Club!

Played On
Reviews 17
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Destin Golf

Emerald Bay Golf course is my favorite course in Destin. I love the layout and the service is always great.

The course is in good condition and drains very well.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/20/2023

Thank you for taking the time to review us. Your feedback is valuable, and we look forward to delivering you excellent service again soon. Emerald Bay Golf Club thanks you!

Played On
Reviews 23
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/20/2023

Hi! We would love to hear more about your 4-star experience on our course. Please tell us what we can do to earn that last star, and thanks for golfing at Emerald Bay Golf Club!

Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/17/2023

Hi. We would love to hear more about your 4-star experience on our course. Please tell us what we can do to earn that last star, and thanks for golfing at Emerald Bay Golf Club!

Played On
Reviews 39
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Give it a try

Greens are not the best this time.

Did play the afternoon so it may be why they were bumpy

You need to go and play it yourself and make the decision

It has five different tee boxes. Great idea

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/12/2023

Hi,
Thank you so much for leaving us with your feedback. We value our customer experience, so your review is important to us. Please know the current conditions are by no means the standard we strive to achieve. We will continue to work towards a 5-star experience and we hope to see you back!

Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/11/2023

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!

Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 25+
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Used cart

Great course

Great course, professional staff. The course's overall condition was great except some tee boxes that were maybe a little to sandy.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/11/2023

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!

Played On
Reviews 32
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Course has gone downhill since last year

First time I played it this year and it’s not in great shape. Nice layout but the course needs some tlc.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/11/2023

Thank you so much for leaving us with your feedback. We value our customer experience, so your review is important to us. We will make note and we hope to see you back at Emerald Bay Golf Club!

Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/10/2023

Hello,
Thank you for visiting us at Emerald Bay Golf Club! We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.

Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

The course was in the worst condition I have experienced at emerald bay.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/10/2023

Hi

We’re sorry to hear of your less-than-satisfactory experience and hope you will accept our sincerest apologies.

We value our customers' opinions and would like to make things right and determine how we can provide a solution that makes you smile.

Please contact us directly at the pro shop. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Played On
Reviews 107
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 1000 Contributor
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

Emerald Bay 4.5.23

First time playing the course. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. Teed off about 12:30 and played in 4 hours and 10 minutes which we thought was good pace. The greens have a lot of poa annua growing in making the greens a little bumpy. Tees were about 50% grass / 50% dirt (we played the III tees). Fairways had some bare spots. It is early April and they have not had much warm weather for growing grass.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/10/2023

Hello,
Thank you for visiting us at Emerald Bay Golf Club! We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Emerald Bay

I made a big mistake in my booking thinking I had a tee time on Tuesday but it was actually Monday! The staff was very friendly and accommodating and got us on our way only 20’ after original tee time. The course is in good shape and we enjoyed the entire round. The only criticism is the tee boxes are rough. Afterwards, cold beer and a good lunch- had a small town feel to me which I appreciated.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/10/2023

Hello,
Thank you for visiting us at Emerald Bay Golf Club! We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.

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