Tiburon Gold
The Gold Course at Tiburon is the headline round of golf in Naples, a 1998 Greg Norman design at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort that hosts the LPGA's season ending CME Group Tour Championship. Norman stripped out conventional rough and edged the bunkers with stacked sod walls, giving southwest Florida a course that plays firm and clever rather than long and lush.
Photo via Google, contributed by Tiburon Golf Club.
The verdict
Tiburon is Greg Norman's signature statement in Naples, and the Gold is the better and more demanding of its two courses. Opened in 1998 and playing to a par 72 of about 7,382 yards from the championship tees, it replaces the usual thick Florida rough with coquina waste and tightly mown chipping areas, and rings many bunkers with stacked sod walls in the British style. The effect is a course that asks you to control spin and angle, not just to hit it far.
Our verdict: the Gold is the most complete resort championship round in the Naples area, a true Tour venue you can actually book through the Ritz-Carlton. It hosts the LPGA's CME Group Tour Championship each autumn and for years staged the PGA Tour's off season QBE Shootout, so the conditioning and the finish carry real pedigree. For the wider area see our guide to golf in Naples and southwest Florida and the best courses in the region.
Tiburon Gold Course at a glance
- Opened
- 1998
- Designer
- Greg Norman
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 7,382 yds
- Host
- CME Group Tour Championship
- Access
- Resort, public
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Tiburon and LPGA records: a Greg Norman design that opened in 1998, playing as a par 72 of about 7,382 yards and hosting the LPGA's CME Group Tour Championship. The Gold is a resort course open to Ritz-Carlton guests and visitors; green fees are seasonal and use dynamic pricing, often above 250 to 300 dollars in 2026 high season, so they are indicative and you should always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Tiburon Gold plays differently from the moment you leave the first tee. With no rough to stop a ball, errant shots run into coquina waste and onto tightly mown surrounds, so recovery is a matter of imagination rather than a hack out, and the firm turf invites the run up. The stacked sod bunkers are steep and penal, the price for missing the wrong side of a fairway or green.
Norman routed the course over gently moving ground with water in play on several holes and a strong set of par 4s that ask for position off the tee. The closing stretch is the one television knows best, where the CME Group Tour Championship is decided each November, a finish that rewards the player willing to attack with a clean strike and punishes the one who bails out into sand.
On a southwest Florida trip the Gold pairs with the Pete Dye championship of TPC Sawgrass Dye's Valley on the First Coast and the Donald Ross classicism of Seminole across the state, giving a group a varied week of Tour caliber Florida golf.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A resort course open to Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort guests and visitors, managed by Troon |
| Green fee | Seasonal dynamic rate, often above 250 to 300 dollars in high season; indicative for 2026, always confirm directly before booking |
| Booking window | Reserve through the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort or Troon; book well ahead for the winter high season |
| Handicap and dress | No formal handicap requirement; a standard resort dress code applies, soft spikes only |
| Getting there | In north Naples, about 35 minutes from Southwest Florida International Airport at Fort Myers |
| Best months | November through April are prime in Naples; summers are hot, humid and stormy |
Access and fee details verified June 2026 from Tiburon and Ritz-Carlton information. The Gold uses real time dynamic pricing that moves with demand, season and tee time, so treat all figures as indicative for 2026 high season and always confirm directly before booking.
Where to stay nearby
The obvious base is the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, the on site hotel that packages stays with Gold Course tee times and is the simplest route to a prime weekend slot. Its sister beach property puts the Gulf sand within a short shuttle.
Downtown Naples and the wider coast add a deep choice of luxury hotels, beach resorts and rentals within a short drive, so a group can mix championship golf with one of Florida's most polished dining and beach scenes.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Naples.
Build a Naples golf trip
Tiburon Gold is the Tour venue we love to anchor a southwest Florida trip on, with a stay at the Ritz-Carlton and the tee times handled. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Tiburon Gold Course questions
Who designed the Tiburon Gold Course?
The Gold Course is a Greg Norman design that opened in 1998, built with no conventional rough and stacked sod wall bunkers in the British style.
What is the par and length of Tiburon Gold?
The Gold plays as a par 72 of about 7,382 yards from the championship tees, a firm, strategic test rather than a brute.
Can the public play the Tiburon Gold Course?
Yes. The Gold is a resort course open to Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort guests and visitors, most easily booked as part of a stay and play package.
What tournament does Tiburon host?
Tiburon hosts the LPGA's season ending CME Group Tour Championship each November and for years staged the PGA Tour's QBE Shootout.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par, yardage and tournament host verified June 2026; resort green fees use dynamic seasonal pricing, so confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.