• Northern Florida and southern Georgia are home to many excellent public golf coursesGolf cart on golf course image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com
  
  Southwest Georgia and northern Florida, a region commonly referred to as the Florida Panhandle, offers a wide range of public golf courses open to anyone. The area receives ample sunny weather all year long, making it ideal for golf. Many courses offer golf club rentals and affordable lessons with pros, so they can be good places to learn for beginners.
  
  

Golf Club at Fleming Island

• Designed by local Jacksonville architect Bobby Weed, the Golf Club at Fleming Island is an award-winning public golf course offering scenic wetlands and wooded areas. The 18-hole, 71-par course boasts over 6,800 yards of green links and is ideal for players of all abilities. This public club also features a putting green, sand trap and big practice tee with five target greens. Opened in 2000, the course is run by golf pro Robert Dugger.
  
  Golf Club at Fleming Island
  
  2260 Town Center Boulevard
  
  Orange Park, FL 32003
  
  904-269-1440
  
  flemingislandgolf.com
  
  

Don Veller Seminole Golf Course

• Featured in Golf Digest’s annual list of the “Best Places To Play,” this Tallahassee course is owned and operated by Florida State University, home of the 2008 ACC Champion men’s golf team. Built in 1962 by architect Bill Amick, the course was more recently renovated in 2004, expanding its 73-par links to 7,147 yards. The course also has a 21,000 square-foot chipping green, 29 driving range boxes, and a 10-acre practice facility used by the Florida State University golf teams.
  
  Don Veller Seminole Golf Course
  
  2550 Pottsdamer Street
  
  Tallahassee, FL 32310
  
  850-644-2582
  
  seminolegolfcourse.com
  
  

Kinderlou Forest Golf Club

• Located just across the Florida state line in Valdosta, Georgia, this long, challenging course offers 7,781 yards of pristine links. Travel Leisure Golf Magazine listed Kinderlou Forest as one of the 30 best new golf courses in 2004. Here you’ll find wiregrasses, broomshedge, big blue stem, common Bermuda, cord grass and over grass planted throughout Kinderlou’s 160 acres.
  
  Kinderlou Forest Golf Club
  
  4005 Bear Lake Road
  
  Valdosta, GA 31601
  
  229-219-2300
  
  kinderlou.com
  
  

Pines Golf Course

• Located in the town of Bainbridge, Georgia, Pines Golf Course is an 18-hole course that’s open to the public 365 days a year. Popular with beginners and recreational golfers, Pines offers affordable lessons, rentals, and equipment purchases. First lessons are always free, and if you want to play a round of golf on your birthday, you get a free game with a valid ID proving your age. For just $50 a year, you get unlimited use of Pines’ driving range.
  
  Pines Golf Course
  
  183 Davis Avenue
  
  Bainbridge, GA 39817
  
  229-246-8545
  
  bainbridgega.com/