5 Day Florida East Coast Golf Itinerary
Florida's Atlantic coast strings together some of the most famous resort golf in America, from Pete Dye's island green at TPC Sawgrass to Jack Nicklaus's ocean holes at Hammock Beach and the Bear Trap at PGA National. This is the five day road trip down the coast, course by course, with the drive times and the 2026 numbers.
Photograph: PGA National, via Google
Who this trip suits
This is the itinerary for a buddies group or a serious pair who want to tick off the brand name courses of Florida's east coast in one efficient week: PGA Tour venues, Nicklaus ocean holes and the most photographed par 3 in the sport. It is a point to point road trip, so you fly into Jacksonville and out of Palm Beach, or reverse the route, and never double back. The driving is easy interstate, the warmth is reliable in the winter season, and a hire car and four sets of clubs is all the logistics it takes.
If five days is more than you have, the 4 day Florida itinerary trims it to the essentials, and the Palm Beach hub covers a stay put trip in the south. Context, rankings and where to stay live on our Florida golf hub, the best courses in Palm Beach list and the Florida golf holidays page.
The 5 day plan
| Day | The golf | The travel | The night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Fly into Jacksonville, settle at Ponte Vedra Beach, afternoon round on the Dye's Valley course at TPC Sawgrass, the quieter Pete Dye layout that makes the ideal warm up | Jacksonville airport to Ponte Vedra, about 30 minutes | Ponte Vedra Beach |
| Day 2 | The main event: the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass, Pete Dye's masterpiece and home of The Players Championship, finishing at the island green 17th, the most famous par 3 in golf | At the resort, minutes from the room | Ponte Vedra Beach |
| Day 3 | Drive south to Palm Coast and Hammock Beach, where Jack Nicklaus's Ocean Course plays six holes right along the Atlantic and finishes with the four hole Bear Claw | Ponte Vedra to Palm Coast, about 1 hour | Palm Coast |
| Day 4 | The long leg south to Palm Beach Gardens; afternoon settle in round on one of PGA National's five courses to find your feet before the headline finish | Palm Coast to Palm Beach Gardens, about 3 hours | Palm Beach Gardens |
| Day 5 | The Champion course at PGA National, Tom and George Fazio's design reworked by Jack Nicklaus, climaxing in the Bear Trap at 15, 16 and 17, before a late flight from Palm Beach | Palm Beach airport, about 20 minutes after the round | Homeward |
Course facts verified June 2026; green fees are indicative, seasonal and highest in the winter high season. Always confirm directly before booking. Check Florida tee time availability.
Why this routing works
The order builds toward the two iconic finishes. Dye's Valley loosens the swing before you take on the Stadium course and its island green, golf's most nerve testing short hole; Hammock Beach's ocean holes give the trip its salt air and scenery in the middle; and PGA National's Bear Trap is the climax, three water guarded holes that have wrecked Tour cards for years. Running north to south keeps the only real drive, the Palm Coast to Palm Beach Gardens leg, on day four, set up as a travel afternoon with a gentle round rather than a back to back marathon.
Time it for the winter high season, roughly November to April, when Florida is warm, dry and at its best; summer is hot, humid and stormy, so morning tee times become essential then. Book the resort stay and play packages where you can, since they usually beat paying rack rate per round (compare east coast Florida golf resort rates here). Study the courses in our profiles of the TPC Sawgrass Stadium course, Dye's Valley and the PGA National Champion, check the budget in the Florida green fee guide, and use the when to play Florida guide to pick your window.
Have us build this trip
Tell us roughly when and who is traveling, and one concierge locks the resort stays, the tee times at Sawgrass, Hammock Beach and PGA National, the hire car and the route, and costs the whole week to the head. We reply within one working day, with no obligation.
Florida east coast itinerary questions
How much does a 5 day Florida east coast golf trip cost in 2026?
Green fees on the marquee east coast courses swing hard by season. In the winter high season, indicatively January to April, the headline resort courses such as TPC Sawgrass and PGA National Champion can run into the high hundreds of dollars, while the summer and early autumn off season brings them down sharply. Most resort stay and play packages bundle room and golf for better value than paying rack rate per round. All fees indicative and seasonal; always confirm directly before booking.
When is the best time for a Florida east coast golf trip?
The winter high season from roughly November to April is prime, with warm, dry, comfortable days and the courses in peak condition, which is why it is also the busiest and priciest window. Late spring and autumn are pleasant shoulders with softer rates, while the summer months are hot, humid and prone to afternoon thunderstorms, so morning tee times are essential then. For the best conditions, travel in the winter season and book early.
What is the route for a Florida east coast golf trip?
This itinerary runs north to south down the Atlantic coast. It starts at Ponte Vedra Beach near Jacksonville for TPC Sawgrass, drops about an hour south to Palm Coast for Hammock Beach's Jack Nicklaus Ocean Course, then continues down to Palm Beach Gardens for PGA National, finishing on the Champion course and its famous Bear Trap. You fly into Jacksonville and out of Palm Beach, or reverse the route, so you never double back.
What is the Bear Trap at PGA National?
The Bear Trap is the stretch of holes 15, 16 and 17 on the Champion course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, named for designer Jack Nicklaus and considered one of the toughest finishing runs in golf. Water guards all three, and the par 3s in particular have wrecked many a card at the PGA Tour's Cognizant Classic, which the course hosts. Playing it is the dramatic climax of any east coast Florida golf trip.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.