Tee Off at These 5 Great Golf Courses | Activities | AnnaMaria.com

Bask in the Florida sun and enjoy the summer air as you play your best game of golf ever. After all, isn’t that what vacation is all about?

Picture this: waking up bright and early for a round of golf, then returning to your Anna Maria Island vacation rental for a sunny afternoon on the beach. Whether it’s the year-round warm weather or the beautiful Florida scenery, one thing’s for sure: Southwest Florida is a great place to play golf.

With five courses within a 15-minute drive from Holmes Beach, there is plenty to choose from when it comes to golfing near Anna Maria Island. Here is a guide to some of the best golf courses to keep you on top of your game while on vacation.

golf courses near anna maria island

Key Royale Club

Anna Maria Island golf courses might be few and far between, but the one it does have is top-notch.

Located in Holmes Beach on the north end of Anna Maria Island, Key Royale is a great place to work on your short game. This members-only club is home to a tight-knit community of golfers, an excellent restaurant, and, of course a beautiful, well-designed course.

Bradenton Country Club

As one of the closest mainland golf courses to Anna Maria Island, the Bradenton Country Club is located just 10 minutes east of the island. Known for its Donald Ross-designed 18-hole course, this beautiful layout features fountains, lagoons, and plenty of trees.

The club also offers a variety of other social sports, such as tennis and pickleball, as well as events and family activities.

Timber Creek Golf Course

Timber Creek is a nine-hole course located 15 minutes southeast of Anna Maria Island – perfect for beginners and families looking to get out and play. This course is one of the more budget-friendly places to go golfing near Anna Maria Island. Depending on the season, a round of golf will cost you anywhere from $10 to $16.

Fun fact: the course’s original owner was known to coach many celebrities, including Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, and Johnny Carson.

Manatee County Golf Course

Manatee County Golf Course is located in West Bradenton, about 15 minutes from Anna Maria Island. It offers a challenging public course that recently underwent a $100,000 facelift. Rates range from $15 to $26 for nine holes, and $35 to $54 for 18 holes, and they are time of day and season dependent.

Pinebrook Ironwood Golf Course

This Bradenton golf course boasts greens made from Champion Ultra Dwarf Bermuda, a putting surface much superior to traditional grass. Located about 15 minutes from Anna Maria, the public course offers a design that’s challenging enough for advanced golfers, but enjoyable for beginners.

IMG Academy Golf Club

The IMG Academy is located on the south side of Bradenton, along the shores of Sarasota Bay – about a 20-minute drive from Anna Maria Island.

The club has a challenging layout and offers excellent value. It has plenty of trees for shade, and it’s a great place to spot birds, like eagles and osprey, while teeing off. It has a nice restaurant to enjoy a meal after your round of golf with attentive staff, and a professional, well-stocked pro shop.

The Rolling Green Golf Club

The Rolling Green Golf Club is an affordable, friendly public course in north Sarasota, about a half an hour from Anna Maria Island.

The course is quite open, making it an accessible course for new golfers. While it can be busy during the summer months, the course has reasonable fees and tasty food. The best part? Lunch and a beer are included in the fee.

Legacy Golf Club

Though a little further afield, Legacy Golf Club in Lakewood Ranch is about 40 minutes from Anna Maria’s white-sand beaches.

This award-winning Arnold Palmer Signature 18-hole golf course is one of Southwest Florida’s finest. It’s a public course, convenient for both local and visiting golfers. It boasts elevations, wide corridors, and holes framed by water and sand for an additional challenge.

With so many courses to choose from, you could spend the better part of your vacation golfing near Anna Maria Island. The Gulf Coast of Florida is home to world-class courses from easy to challenging, perfect for players of any level. Take a break from the beach on your next vacation to play some of the best courses in the region and U.S. for that matter – all within a short drive from our vacation rentals on Anna Maria Island.