Golf Near Clearwater Beach: Public Courses, Green Fees and Drive Times

Which golf courses near Clearwater Beach can visitors play?

Nine 18-hole courses within about 25 minutes of Pier 60 say on their own websites that the public can book. Innisbrook is added for comparison, and the list is sorted by drive time. The access column uses each course's own wording. Fees are for 18 holes with a cart unless noted, from each course's rate page as of October 2026. Two courses price by demand and post no rate sheet, so for those we give the range their booking engines showed for October 6 to 12, 2026.

Yardage is from the longest tees. Drive times assume empty roads. In season and at rush hour, the Memorial Causeway and U.S. 19 can add a lot.

Belleair Country Club, Countryside Country Club and Feather Sound Country Club look close on a map, but their own websites describe them as private clubs. Tarpon Springs Golf Course, Lansbrook Golf Club and Tampa's Rocky Point Golf Course routed at 33 to 34 minutes, just past our cutoff. Seminole Lake Country Club in Seminole (about 22 minutes) lists 18 holes on the TeeItUp booking engine, but we couldn't reach its own website to confirm public access, so it isn't in the table. Call (727) 391-6255 to ask.

Which course should you pick?

• Closest: Clearwater Country Club, about 4 road miles from Pier 60 over the Memorial Causeway. It's semi-private, but the public can book a week ahead. The club says "built in 1920" on one page and "opened in 1921" on another. The state's historic trail page squares the two: voters approved the course in April 1920, and the first nine opened January 26, 1921. A CSX rail line cuts through the middle of the layout.
• Cheapest round: Largo Golf Course, a city-run par-62 executive course, at $17 walking after 4 p.m. The Landings (par 63) runs $30 to $37 with a cart.
• Best value at full length: East Bay Golf Club in Largo. Par 71, 6,451 yards, and $45 with cart and tax in the morning through October 31.
• The historic one: Dunedin Golf Club, the Donald Ross course covered in the next section.
• The longest test: Bardmoor in Seminole, 7,015 yards from the back tees. The club says it hosted the PGA/LPGA JCPenney Classic for more than a dozen years.
• The famous one: Copperhead at Innisbrook, home of the PGA Tour's Valspar Championship. Expect to play it as a resort guest or member (see below).

Why do golfers go out of their way for Dunedin Golf Club?

History. Donald Ross designed it, and the club says it opened on January 1, 1927. The Florida Department of State's historic golf trail agrees: work started in 1926, and the course opened with a drive from the first tee on New Year's Day, 1927.

Then there's the PGA connection. According to the state, the PGA of America leased the course from the City of Dunedin in 1945 and ran it as PGA National Golf Club. It moved its national headquarters there in 1956 and left for Palm Beach Gardens in 1962. The club calls itself the PGA's home from 1945 through 1962 and says it hosted 18 Senior Tour Championships in that stretch. In 2024, the club says, architect Kris Spence completed a full restoration back to Ross's original design.

Dunedin is a municipal course, open 7 a.m. to dark, and the pro shop is at (727) 250-1046. Carts are included, and drivers must be 16 with a valid license. In season, 9-hole tee times are available only after 1 p.m. The Highland House restaurant on site is open to the public. For more options nearby, see our guide to Dunedin restaurants near Clearwater.

How much more does golf cost in winter?

A lot more at the one course that publishes its numbers. Dunedin Golf Club posts three seasons, all with cart, plus 7% tax. The club also says green fees fluctuate with demand and that all rates are subject to change, so treat these as list prices:

That makes a winter morning round at Dunedin 65% more expensive than the same tee time in August. Dunedin residents, property and business owners, active and retired military, and active first responders get 25% off.

Every other course posts summer or current prices only. East Bay's $45 rate runs May 1 through October 31, 2026. Largo's new seasonal rates start November 1. Clearwater Country Club's sheet is dated June 1, 2026, and Chi Chi Rodriguez says its rates vary by month. If you're planning a winter trip, check each rate page after November 1 instead of budgeting from today's figures. Our guide to month-by-month crowds and prices at Clearwater Beach covers hotel rates and busy weeks.

Winter also brings crowds. The Landings warns that groups of fewer than four will likely be paired in the busy season, and Cove Cay says high-season and weekend rounds take 4 to 5 hours. Snowbirds staying a month or longer can ask Clearwater Country Club about the seasonal and short-season memberships it advertises. Our Clearwater Beach snowbird guide covers the rest of a long winter stay, and the Clearwater Beach in winter guide covers the weather.

Can you rent clubs, and what should you wear?

Yes, and at some courses you'll have to. East Bay, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Largo and Mainlands require every golfer to have their own set, so a couple can't share one bag. Rentals as of October 2026:

• Chi Chi Rodriguez: TaylorMade RBZ sets (men's and women's, right- and left-handed) $40 plus tax; generic sets $15 plus tax.
• Clearwater Country Club: $45 for 18 holes, or a TaylorMade RBZ set for $79.95.
• Cove Cay: Ping $50, Top Flite $30, plus tax, first come, first served.
• East Bay: $28 a set, men's and women's, both hands.
• Largo Golf Course: $25 a set.
• Mainlands: a premium Cleveland Launcher men's right-handed set, $35 for 18 holes.
• Dunedin: by advance reservation; call for price.

Pack golf clothes. Beachwear won't pass. Dunedin requires men's shirts with a collar and sleeves, and women's shorts and skirts no shorter than 5 inches above the knee. Cove Cay bans T-shirts, denim and workout clothes. Chi Chi Rodriguez bans denim, gym wear, bathing suits, cut-offs and tank tops. It's also alcohol-free, because the golf club is part of the Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy, a Pinellas County public school. Personal coolers aren't allowed there, at Largo or at Cove Cay.

When should you tee off in summer heat and storms?

As early as you can. Our Clearwater Beach summer guide analyzed ten summers of weather reports from St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (June to September, 2016 to 2025). On 79% of those days, the station reported no thunder between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m. Between 1 and 6 p.m., it reported thunder on 44% of days, rising to 55% in July and August.

Chi Chi Rodriguez asks golfers to finish within 4.5 hours, and Cove Cay says a round rarely takes more than 4 hours (4 to 5 in high season and on weekends). Work back from 1 p.m. and you want to be on the first tee by about 8:30 a.m. in July and August. Dunedin and The Landings start at 7 a.m. Twilight rates land in the stormiest part of a summer day. In winter they're a bargain. In August they're a gamble.

Read the rain-check policy before you book a late round. Chi Chi Rodriguez gives no rain checks for tee times at 3 p.m. or later, or once you've finished the 14th hole. Cove Cay gives no rain checks for slow play. The City of Largo says its course has a Perry Weather lightning detector for real-time lightning alerts.

Can you play Copperhead at Innisbrook?

Plan on staying there. Innisbrook (36750 U.S. 19 N., Palm Harbor) is about 28 minutes from Pier 60 with no traffic and has four courses designed by Larry Packard. Copperhead (par 71, 7,209 yards) hosts the PGA Tour's Valspar Championship. The resort's website sells golf through overnight packages and club memberships. One package bundles a round per night of stay with daily breakfast and unlimited practice-facility access. The resort's FAQ says its golf courses are available to overnight guests and members only, and that only overnight guests may use its pools and amenities, though Packard's Steakhouse and Market Salamander Grille are open to the public with a reservation.

Booking a spring stay to play Copperhead? Read the fine print first. The resort says Copperhead goes cart-path-only on March 1 and stays that way through the 2027 Valspar Championship, and that it's closed Monday through Thursday afternoons over the same stretch. The tournament's official site lists the 2027 event for May 3 to 9, 2027. For other big dates near the beach, see our Clearwater Beach events guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a golf course on Clearwater Beach?

No. Every course in this guide is on the mainland. The closest is Clearwater Country Club on N. Betty Lane, about 3.9 road miles and 8 minutes from Pier 60 with no traffic.

What is the cheapest golf near Clearwater Beach?

Largo Golf Course, a par-62 city course, posts $22 riding or $17 walking after 4 p.m. as of October 2026. At full length, East Bay Golf Club charges $45 with cart and tax in the morning and $39 after noon through October 31.

Is Clearwater Country Club open to the public?

Yes. It calls itself semi-private, but the public can book one week ahead. Its rate sheet dated June 1, 2026, shows $64.95 to $74.95 before 1 p.m. with cart, plus 7% tax.

Is Dunedin Golf Club public?

Yes. It's a municipal course, and its site says the public is always welcome. Green fees include a cart: $85 before 1 p.m. through October 18, 2026, $105 for the rest of fall, and $140 from January through April, plus 7% tax.

Can the public play Innisbrook's Copperhead Course?

Not as a walk-in. Innisbrook's FAQ says its courses are available to overnight resort guests and members only, and Copperhead is sold through overnight golf packages and memberships. Plan to stay at the resort.

What time should I tee off in summer?

By about 8:30 a.m. in July and August, so you finish before the afternoon storm window. On 79% of summer days from 2016 to 2025, the airport weather station reported no thunder between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m.