USA Travel Guide

There’s nothing sadder than a golfer with frozen balls. Grab your clubs and head some place warm for the winter, some place where the bright green beauty of summer never goes out of style, some place like Cocoa Beach, Florida on the Space Coast.

The golf courses of Cocoa Beach and surrounding areas welcome golfers novice-to-pro for serene and scenic outings at any time of year. What’s more, the average green fees aren’t as pricey as you’ll find even a little bit south near the Palm Beaches or Miami. For Florida golf vacations, winter or summer, it really can’t be beat.

Here are a few favorite Cocoa Beach golf courses:

Cocoa Beach Country Club
5000 Tom Warriner Boulevard
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
321-868-3361 | Web site

Beset on all sides by the inky blue Banana River, the Cocoa Beach Country Club provides some of the best aerials in the industry. It also provides a great game of golf. A trio of 9-hole courses challenge your long game and twitch skills as sand and water hazards wraps their way into nearly every hole. If you time it right, you can even see a shuttle take to the sky from Cape Canaveral.

Favorite Course: River Course

Viera East Golf Club
2300 Clubhouse Drive
Viera, FL 32955
321-639-6500 | Web site

The smooth, beguiling slopes of the Viera East’s 18 holes hide a subtle challenge that seems to reward more experienced players. Designed by architect Jon Lee, Viera East offers equals chances to power through the ball and hone that chip shot. The game proceeds well over 18 holes, the design growing only more robust as you reach the latter half of the course. Spotted with towering palms, Viera East offers a fresh and, most importantly, fun game of golf.

Turtle Creek Golf Club
1279 Admiralty Boulevard
Rockledge, FL 32955
321-632-2520 | Web site

Few golf courses in Florida offer more varied play than the 18-hole course at Turtle Creek Golf Club. Unlike the others, the course at Turtle Creek is heavily wooded, winding tirelessly – dogleg after dogleg – through dense clusters of trees stemmed only by amoeboid water hazards. Counting your wedges, you could have 10-12 irons in your bag. Turtle Creek finally gives you a chance to use them.

Stay and Play
There are just three of our favorites. There are dozens more golf courses in Cocoa Beach and the Space Coast, courses attuned to every level of play and right for every budget. (But really, start with these three, and we’re sure you’ll be satisfied.)

Heading in? One of our favorite Cocoa Beach hotels is the Holiday Inn Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Resort. This surprisingly affordable property is located just minutes from the Cocoa Beach Country Club, and just a few miles more to our other suggestions. Plus, if you don’t get enough sun out on the course, you can walk to the beach.

Have fun golfing the Space Coast!