Great Golf Courses in the Tampa Bay Area

I do like to golf and I certainly have a few favorite courses located in and around the Tampa Bay area. Whether or not you can afford the more expensive courses or need something a little lower in price, check out these favorites of mine for a great day outdoors. Keep in mind that prices vary over the seasons and throughout the day. Now that the days are longer, it's a good idea to check the prices at these courses, or any course, as you will usually get the best deal by teeing off after 2pm. That still gives you plenty of time to get a whole 18 in before the sun sets.

The 18-hole Saddlebrook Golf Course is one of my favorite, but pricier courses in the area. Located at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Florida, this par 70 course is laid out over 6,603 yards from the longest tees. The course is always kept in as prime a condition as possible. The scenery is lovely and the course is excellent. The course and surrounding wilderness areas consist of palms, cypress and pine trees, not to mention you just might see a little wildlife. One thing you have to watch out here for is the water and there's lots of it. You may or may not see it, but it's there on seventeen of the eighteen holes as this course was carved out of a cypress swamp. A very challenging course as far as I'm concerned, but then again I really don't play the game all that well. The fairways are generally lined with trees and the course is pretty tight. The other course located here is the Palmer Golf Course. Actually, both courses were designed by Arnold Palmer, however the Saddlebrook course was originally designed by Dean Refram, but redesigned a decade later by Palmer. I find the Palmer course a little more difficult to navigate than the Saddlebrook course due to rolling greens and well laid out tees. There are also a lot of homes lining both courses, however they are really nice homes and beautiful to look at. You can easily expect to pay a minimum of $75 to play on either course and that's for a late day start. If you prefer to play early in the morning you could be paying up to and possibly over $100, but if you love to golf you may as well give these courses a shot. Check out more information here on these great golf courses.

The Links of Lake Bernadette is another wonderful option and for less money. The most it's going to cost here is still under $40 per person and that price goes down throughout the day. I might be a little bias on this course since I live on it and have played it many times. Not one of your more difficult courses overall, but it does have a few challenges. The fourth hole is quite a challenge with a huge dog leg to left encompassing a large water hazard in front of the tee. There are quite a few homes along the course, but most areas are set far back off the fairways so they don't really pose any threat. The course, like the Saddlebrook course, was designed by Dean Refram. It is pretty well maintained, however during the dryer months it does tend to get a little crispy, but still very playable. Just make sure you keep an eye out for wildlife. I have had to dodge birds, squirrels and armadillos and they have dodged my balls as well. You may even see an alligator out here so you might want to think twice about trying to get that ball back out of the drink. The sand traps here are also abundant and we have spent much time at "the beach" when playing this course. Overall, it is a fun and inexpensive course to play and is usually a pretty quick playing course.