Tiburón Golf Club — Restaurant in Bonita Springs

I lived in Fort Myers, FL for a few years and had the opportunity to play the Tiburón Golf Club on several occasions. There were several memorable holes; the finishing holes on each side and the first hole on the Gold Course, a reachable par five. More on that in a bit. Another memory that stood out in my mind about the course was the rough, or lack thereof. As I recall, the grass was the same length, whether you were in the middle of the fairway or rolling off the side into a palmetto bush. Any type of hook or slice – which was my game at the time – usually meant reaching into the bag for another ball. It also led to long rounds of golf; sometimes 4 ½ - 5 hours. Trust me, you didn’t want to be the group behind us!

That was about 7 or 8 years and several sets of clubs ago. A few months ago I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days at Tiburón and play both courses and my, how things have changed! There’s now a cut of rough which defines the fairways as well as areas around several greens where deeper Bahia rough has been recently planted and should fill in nicely before the 2020 season officially kicks off. For my money, both courses are a lot more playable and enjoyable.

As you play your way around either course, you’ll encounter numerous and various hazards. Towering pines form the boundaries on several holes and are often surrounded by coquina shell waste areas. You’ll also need to play around or over water on at least 13 holes depending on how bad you spray it. Many of the greenside bunkers have stacked sod walls which look great and can be very penal, although I hit into one on the 9th hole of the Gold Course and it shot around and out the other side like the high banked ovals at Daytona!

Of the two courses, the Gold Course is a little over 400 yards longer and can play a masochistic 7,382 yards, compared to 6,949 yards on the Black. However, the slope rating on the Gold is 137 vs 147 for the Black, making it considerably easier. There are enough sets of tees on each course that you’ll find a comfortable yardage regardless of your ability.

The Gold Course opens with a short risk-reward par 5 with towering pines in play the entire hole. The hole doglegs slightly to the right before bending back to the left as it winds around a large lake. A good drive down the right half of the fairway will leave a manageable distance to the green but be warned, the green is surrounded by trouble.

The closing holes on each nine are the most photographed on the course and evidenced by the signage near the tee boxes; the clubhouse and Ritz Carlton are in full view. They are both par 4s, with water in play off the tee on Number 9 and in play on your approach shot to the green on 18. There are also several sod walled bunkers around the green on 18. Par both of these and you’re probably shooting a pretty good round.

The Black Course has a very distinctive look with its pine straw-lined fairways, crushed coquina waste areas and undulating greens nestled amidst acres of pine trees and native Florida foliage. The Black Course offers six sets of tees and is similar in design and beauty to the Gold Course. As you make your way around, you’ll find lush playing conditions and wonderful views. The green complexes can be penal and some of the bunker complexes are massive. Play around your way around the layout without finding a trap and you’ve accomplished something.

The 9th hole is a par 5 that is a three-shot hole for most players. A tee shot that finds the fairway is a great start, but it’s just the beginning. You’ll need to hit a precise second shot, preferably in the middle of the fairway to have the best angle in to the green. Your approach shot will be over a large coquina shell waste area and a lake that protects the left side. Now that you’re skilled at playing over water, you’re ready to take on the par 3, 10th hole, that plays 188 yards from the back tees. A right-side pin placement can be tricky as it leaves only a sliver of green over a bunker. Par both of these holes and you’ve...

09/12/2022: I played the Black course one day before it goes into maintenance. It was a little wet for some holes due to the recent summer pouring. However, the course was in pristine conditions from tee to green. Everything was so beautiful and peaceful. The course wasn't crowded and I took my time to enjoy the course. The greens were in great shape althought I would prefer they are a little bit faster. Again, both courses are great althought I prefer the Black over the Gold in terms of its scenics and challenge levels.

08/03/2022: I finally played the Gold where the LPGA ladies play at the end of the year. It's a scenic course with some challenging holes at tee shot depending on which tee you're playing from. The greens are skinny with plenty of undulations. The course was just opened from a maintenance shutdown so the greens are little sandy. The greens will be much better in a week or so. The fairways are mostly generous. The range has enough balls and the helpers are deligently collecting balls from the field even during a very hot summer day.

09/04/2021: We stayed and played here during the 2021 Labor Day weekend. Given it's a well-known venue due to the PGA/LPGA tours, I was disappointed. The club house, the course layouts, the scenery, etc. are good. The range is one of the worst from a premium golf club perspective. The range balls run out quickly and no one refill them. Even after informing the pro shop of the range ball status, it would take the staff about an hour to fill the buckets because he has to collect the balls from the field. How ridiculous is that for a premium golf club? Members, resort guests, public players should not be treated like this when we pay a huge premium to play at the course. Only the Black course was available due to the Gold is on maintenance. The course conditions are good and expected even after the recent pouring. The green speed were average but smooth except #18. The damages of the #18 green should be temporary. It's a fun and challenge course but given the premium, there are plenty of much better courses...

I had an opportunity to play the Tiburon Black Course in Naples, FL for a reduced greens fee so I jumped at the chance. Normally this course charges $325 and is open to the public (or the 1% that can afford to spend that kind of money on golf). As a guest, I paid $125 and the course lived up to my expectations in terms of beauty, creative design and value. The greens fee includes a high quality practice facility with unlimited range balls, a large chipping area and several putting greens. The greens were about a 10 on the stimpmeter so they weren’t too fast but they did roll “pure” which took getting used to. I played the white tees on the Black Course which is approximately 6,100 yards. The first thing that struck me is how beautiful each hole is framed from each tee box. Both courses were designed by Greg Norman and I like his layout because it had generous fairways with second shots that always required shot-making. The risk/reward decisions on every hole added a level of excitement and fun, especially when I was able to pull them off (1/4 of the time :). There’s water that sneaks too close to the greens on several holes and if I get a chance to play this course again I would give more respect to these risks. They entice you to go for the flag when I should’ve stayed to the far part of the green and relied on putts. I would have scored better had I more experience on this course. There’s plenty of iced water and bathrooms available on the course as well as a well-stocked quench-cart driving around. The course is gorgeous with classic old-Florida flora and fauna. If you’re willing and able to get on this course with a member it’s worth the $125 greens fee. BTW, the food in Sydney’s Pub is wonderful. The chili might be the best...