Tiburón Golf Club - The Gold Course

I play here once per week and it’s sad to see what’s happening to the course. The fairways are full of un-repaired divots. The greens have dozens of ball marks and shoe scuff and a few have damage from club strikes. The pace of play is terrible as the course has been oversold, tee times are spaced out every 10 mins. The practice facility is also in rough shape there’s no grass to hit from at the range it’s completely destroyed. To pay $250 plus per round the course should be immaculate and the pace of play should be 4 hours or there about.

Played the Gold course, incredibly well maintained, we have been playing golf throughout the south since Oct 15th. This is the best course we have played, and we have played multiple TPC courses and championship course layouts. The Greens are incredibly fast and difficult to read, however that is probably mostly the player.....Would highly recommend playing this course if it is your budget.

I’m a quality over quantity type of guy.. you can’t really play a public course in the Naples area that is worth playing for more than $20 it’s a sad sad public golf scene. (Old Corkscrew Golf Club as the ONLY exception) if you don’t have a private club membership, you will find yourself playing courses where conditions are almost embarrassing and being price gouged for it. If you’re a golfer, and want a real GOLF experience at a public venue, Tiburón is unmatched. Both courses have impeccable greens (the black course noticeably faster, gold course was a bit sandy) perfect fairways (black is a little tighter can’t just grip and rip) and all surroundings including bunkers are perfectly manicured.

This is the place to golf in Naples

This place is absolutely gorgeous. The clubhouse is very large. Driving range is nice. They have a dedicated chipping/sand area. They also have a couple putting greens. I played the Black/White hybrid tees. I'm a 9 handicap and the Black/White plays 6400 yards. It was actually too short. I had to keep my driver in the bag on 4 of the par 4s on the back. I was rewarded for playing hybrid off the tee. I've never played a course with the sandy cart path/trail along the course on every hole. I had to play off of it a few times and it plays much like fairway. No real rough in site. Being from Chicago, it's taking me a while to get used to the Florida greens. The ball just stops on a dime out here. I"m used to a bit of a roll out. My round took 3:15 on a weekday 11AM tee off. Two twosomes in front of me kept this from being an even faster round. I love this course!

I lived in Fort Myers, FL for a few years and had the opportunity to play the Tiburón Golf Club on several occasions. There were several memorable holes; the finishing holes on each side and the first hole on the Gold Course, a reachable par five. More on that in a bit. Another memory that stood out in my mind about the course was the rough, or lack thereof. As I recall, the grass was the same length, whether you were in the middle of the fairway or rolling off the side into a palmetto bush. Any type of hook or slice – which was my game at the time – usually meant reaching into the bag for another ball. It also led to long rounds of golf; sometimes 4 ½ - 5 hours. Trust me, you didn’t want to be the group behind us!

That was about 7 or 8 years and several sets of clubs ago. A few months ago I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days at Tiburón and play both courses and my, how things have changed! There’s now a cut of rough which defines the fairways as well as areas around several greens where deeper Bahia rough has been recently planted and should fill in nicely before the 2020 season officially kicks off. For my money, both courses are a lot more playable and enjoyable.

In case you’re not familiar with the property, Tiburón Golf Resort is located in Naples, FL and features two 18-hole, Greg Norman-designed golf courses that are consistently rated among the top 20 golf facilities in Florida by Golf Digest and GOLF Magazine. Each year The Gold and The Black Courses play host to the LPGA Tour's CME Group Tour Championship and the PGA TOUR's QBE Shootout (formerly the Shark Shootout). Tiburón – which by the way is Spanish for shark - Golf Club has been designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International.

As you play your way around either course, you’ll encounter numerous and various hazards. Towering pines form the boundaries on several holes and are often surrounded by coquina shell waste areas. You’ll also need to play around or over water on at least 13 holes depending on how bad you spray it. Many of the greenside bunkers have stacked sod walls which look great and can be very penal, although I hit into one on the 9th hole of the Gold Course and it shot around and out the other side like the high banked ovals at Daytona!

The Gold Course opened in 1998 and the Black Course in 2001. Both courses follow Norman's philosophy of blending the course in with the natural allure of the land. Tiburón is a semi-private golf club meaning memberships are available and guests of the hotel and the general public are welcome to play. Although Tiburón’s average age is probably in the mid-60s - low for this part of the country - they do cater to a younger crowd by offering Golfboards – a motorized type of skateboard with a golf bag attachment - as an alternative to golf carts.

Of the two courses, the Gold Course is a little over 400 yards longer and can play a masochistic 7,382 yards, compared to 6,949 yards on the Black. However, the slope rating on the Gold is 137 vs 147 for the Black, making it considerably easier. There are enough sets of tees on each course that you’ll find a comfortable yardage regardless of your ability.

The Gold Course opens with a short risk-reward par 5 with towering pines in play the entire hole. The hole doglegs slightly to the right before bending back to the left as it winds around a large lake. A good drive down the right half of the fairway will leave a manageable distance to the green but be warned, the green is surrounded by trouble.

The closing holes on each nine are the most photographed on the course and evidenced by the signage near the tee boxes; the clubhouse and Ritz Carlton are in full view. They are both par 4s, with water in play off the tee on Number 9 and in play on your approach shot to the green on 18. There are also several sod walled bunkers around the green on 18. Par both of these and you’re probably shooting a pretty good round.

Within Tiburón's 27,000 square-foot Mediterranean-style clubhouse you’ll find private locker rooms for members with lounge areas and an award-winning golf shop. There are also three dining rooms including Sydney’s Pub, which has a full liquor bar and features daily drink and happy hour specials. They also offer a rotating selection of local draft beers. The non-member dinner menu includes a wide variety of items including meatloaf, chicken pot pie, and braised short ribs. The Ritz Carlton Golf Resort is located on the property as well. As a Tiburon Club Member, you’ll have access to the tennis courts at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort as well as the fitness center, pool, and spa.

Becoming a member at Tiburon is easy; they offer several options that will meet anyone’s needs and budget. Medallion, Associate Club and Signature Memberships are available to both residents and non-residents of Tiburón communities and also include the use of Tiburón Golf Club's Member Concierge Program. The Medallion Membership is by invitation only. There’s also a Preview Membership if you’re not 100% sure, but with everything Tiburón has to offer how can there be any doubt?

From my first impressions. Staff is friendly and accommodating. Course is in good shape,. Sand traps excellent, fairways all so excellent, greens would be the only thing I would give a minus too. Hard and couldn’t get any in coming shots to stop. Pitch and run Shots were hard to judge. Make sure you left putts on the bottom side of the hole.

Troon knows golf and this is one of the flagship venues for a reason

The Gold Course at Tiburon provided a fantastic day. The layout is very pleasing to the eye and the holes are fun to play. Plenty of tees to choose from for every skill level and fairly generous fairways to invite you to use your driver. The greens were fast and large with a lot of undulations making for some exciting putts. I’ve played both black and gold and 3 out of every 4 rounds I’d choose to play it over the black. It’s just prettier and I liked the green complexes better. We had lunch at Tiburon after and it too was very good. Sat outside and enjoyed the view and the weather. Only downside is it is not cheap. At $279 a round in peak season it’s easily the most expensive course in Naples.

If you want to play Tiburón, play the Black Course. The Gold does not offer enough to justify it’s price. Be aware that booking a Tee Time before 10:00 am will result in getting a fore caddy - whether you want one or not. Mine paid more attention to the other players, so I know I did not get any value from it. They do it for pace of play, but we played faster without one the day before with a 10:00 am Tee time. It’s still a good experience, just not worth the price. Enjoy the 19th Hole and staff - they’re great.

Played for the 1st time here along with a partner. We both thoroughly enjoyed the course & our round.
Course is meticulously maintained with a wonderful layout. Very picturesque.
We played as a threesome in under 4 hours.
Expensive round but didn’t disappoint.

Enjoyed playing the course and the fore caddy was very helpfull

Played on this courses as part of a large group but it was obvious that they try to keep a good pace of play. Enjoyed playing this course and would definitely play again. Ate at restaurant and food was good.

Course was in great shape. Value tremendous through the GN app

Not have a good time today as 1. The bathroom being locked without any code provided to use; 2. The 10th hole is far away from 9th, and directions to find the hole is not sufficient. sign s