Boca Raton has a lot of golf, and most of it sits behind a gate. The city and the western communities hold a large number of private country clubs, and none of them are playable without a membership or a member’s invitation.
What matters for most golfers is the other list: the four public courses in Boca Raton itself, which run from a 27-hole county facility to a nine-hole family course between the ocean and the Intracoastal. That’s what this guide covers, along with an honest account of what you can and can’t get onto.
The Public Courses
Boca Raton has four courses open to the public. The city runs two of them, Boca Raton Golf & Racquet Club and the Alan C. Alford Red Reef Family Golf Course, according to the City of Boca Raton’s golf page. Palm Beach County runs the other two, Osprey Point Golf Course and Southwinds Golf Course.
Osprey Point Golf Course
The strongest public option in the city. Osprey Point is a Palm Beach County course at 12551 Glades Road that opened on November 6, 2010. It’s a 27-hole facility rather than a single 18, it backs up to a national wildlife refuge, and the National Golf Course Owners Association named it the No. 1 municipal golf course in the nation. There’s a driving range and an on-site eatery.
This is the one to book if you want a serious round and aren’t a member anywhere. Tee times in season go quickly, so plan ahead.
Boca Raton Golf & Racquet Club
The city’s 18-hole course at 17751 Boca Club Boulevard, open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. It’s the reliable middle option: a full-length municipal round that’s easier to get onto than a country club. City residents and registered frequent players can book tee times a few days further ahead than the general public, so visitors should book as early as the window allows.
Southwinds Golf Course
A pleasant, relaxed option in the western part of the city. Southwinds is an 18-hole Palm Beach County course on 135 acres at 19557 Lyons Road, with on-site beehives and Audubon International recognition for its community wildlife work. It’s the course to choose when the point is a relaxed round rather than a test, and for a mid-handicap player or someone getting back into the game, it’s an easy recommendation.
Alan C. Alford Red Reef Family Golf Course
The most distinctive course in Boca Raton and the one visitors should know about. The Red Reef course is a nine-hole, 1,357-yard layout at 1221 N Ocean Boulevard, on the Intracoastal side of A1A across the road from Red Reef Park. It sits between the Atlantic and the Intracoastal Waterway, with holes from 64 to 227 yards.
It’s short by design, which is the point. You can play it in well under half the time of a full round, and the setting on the barrier island is unlike anything else in the area. The course rents pull carts and clubs, which helps if you haven’t brought a bag. For a family, a beginner or anyone who wants to play golf and still have most of the day, it’s the easiest round in the city to fit in.
The Private Clubs
It’s worth being direct about this, because Boca Raton’s golf reputation rests heavily on courses most people can’t play.
The city and its western neighborhoods contain a dense concentration of private country clubs, many attached to gated residential communities where golf membership comes with the property. The resort course at The Boca Raton is also off the table for now: it closed on April 7, 2026 for a full renovation led by architect Brian Silva, and it’s projected to reopen in late fall 2026. During the closure, the resort points its own guests to Osprey Point.
If you’re visiting and want to play a private course, the realistic route is a member’s invitation. Otherwise the four public courses above are your options, and Osprey Point in particular is good enough that this isn’t the compromise it sounds like.
What It Costs and When to Play
Season pricing is the dominant factor. Green fees across south Florida rise from roughly November through April, when the weather is at its best and seasonal residents fill the tee sheets, and they peak from January through March. The same course can cost a fraction of its winter rate in August.
Summer is cheap and difficult. From June through September, rates drop, but the heat and humidity are serious. The rainy season runs from May 15 to October 15, and afternoon thunderstorms are common, so the workable approach is an early morning tee time that finishes before the worst of both.
The shoulder months are the sweet spot. November to mid-December and late April through May give good conditions without peak pricing or peak crowding.
Book ahead in season. Between January and March, weekend tee times at the public courses go early. Midweek mornings are far easier.
Because rates change with the season and with residency, confirm current pricing with the course rather than relying on a published figure. If you’re booking a trip around those swings, our best time to visit Boca Raton guide walks through how the year here divides up.
Playing Beyond Boca Raton
The wider region adds considerably to the options. Palm Beach County to the north runs several other public courses through its parks department, and Broward County to the south has plenty of daily-fee golf too, both within a short drive. Our day trips from Boca Raton guide covers the geography.
For a golf-focused trip, the practical approach is to base yourself in Boca Raton, play Osprey Point and Boca Raton Golf & Racquet Club locally, and drive 20 to 40 minutes for variety.
Storing Golf Equipment in Boca Raton
Golf in Boca Raton is a year-round sport, which changes the storage question from seasonal to spatial. A serious golfer in Boca Raton accumulates equipment: multiple sets, a push cart, shoes, travel bags, practice nets and often a second set kept for guests.
Value Store It’s Boca Raton facility rents month-to-month with no long-term contract. A 5×5 unit, about the size of a small closet, holds boxes and seasonal gear, which is plenty for several bags, shoes and accessories. A 5×10 is about a small walk-in closet and takes the contents of one room, with space for a practice net and bicycles. A 5×15 holds the contents of two rooms and has the length for paddleboards and kayaks.
When the clubs are sharing space with household overflow, the larger sizes take over. A 10×10 unit holds a one-bedroom apartment. A 10×15 holds a two-bedroom apartment. Past that, a 10×20 holds a three-bedroom home in the middle of a move. A 10×30 holds a four-bedroom home, or a small business’s stock.
For clubs specifically, a climate-controlled unit is the right choice and not an upsell. Grips harden, leather bags mildew, and adhesives in clubheads suffer in sustained south Florida humidity. Anyone who has opened a bag left in an uncontrolled space over a Florida summer knows the smell. The facility also offers car storage, which suits seasonal residents leaving a vehicle behind between visits, and boat storage for the same pattern on the water.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the public golf courses in Boca Raton?
There are four: Osprey Point Golf Course, Boca Raton Golf & Racquet Club, Southwinds Golf Course and the Alan C. Alford Red Reef Family Golf Course. Osprey Point is the strongest of the group, a 27-hole county facility named the No. 1 municipal course in the nation by the National Golf Course Owners Association. Red Reef is a nine-hole course on the barrier island and the most distinctive.
Can visitors play golf in Boca Raton?
Yes, at the four public courses, which take tee times without a membership. The city’s many private country clubs aren’t accessible without a member, and the resort course at The Boca Raton is closed for renovation until its projected reopening in late fall 2026. Osprey Point is good enough that visitors aren’t missing much by staying public.
What’s the quickest round of golf in Boca Raton?
The Alan C. Alford Red Reef Family Golf Course, a nine-hole, 1,357-yard layout on the Intracoastal side of A1A, is the quickest round in the city. Southwinds is the relaxed choice for a full 18 holes. Rates across all courses drop in summer, from roughly June through September.
When is the best time to golf in Boca Raton?
The shoulder months, November to mid-December and late April through May, offer the best combination of good conditions and reasonable pricing. January through March has the best weather but the highest green fees and the busiest tee sheets. Summer is cheapest but hot and humid with frequent afternoon storms, so early morning tee times are essential from June through September.
Are there oceanfront golf courses in Boca Raton?
Not strictly. The closest thing is the Red Reef course, which sits on the barrier island between the Atlantic and the Intracoastal, across A1A from Red Reef Park. It’s nine holes from 64 to 227 yards, and it’s an unusual thing to find on public land in south Florida.
Getting a Round In
The straightforward plan for a visiting golfer is Osprey Point for the serious round, Southwinds when you want something relaxed, and Red Reef when you have two hours and want to play near the ocean. Book midweek if you can, go early in summer, and expect to pay considerably more between January and March than in October.
Boca Raton’s best-known golf may sit behind gates, but the public four are better than the city’s private reputation would lead you to expect.
