Location: Juno Beach, Florida, USA | Ranking: #88
Designer: Donald Ross (1929) | Type: Coastal Heathland | Access: Introduction only
Editor’s Note: Seminole Golf Club is America’s finest private course that no one has ever seen on television — it hosts no tournaments, allows no photography and operates in complete seclusion on the Florida Atlantic coast. Donald Ross designed it on coastal sand scrub in 1929 and created a masterpiece of wind-golf: the ocean breeze affects every hole, the crowned greens are as demanding as any Ross built and the conditioning rivals Augusta. Ben Hogan practised here before the Masters every year. That is recommendation enough.
Access & Course Information
- Access: Members and guests only — no visitor access under any circumstances. | Rating / Slope: 74.9 / 140 | Airport: Palm Beach (PBI) — 20 mins.
Championship Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | OUT |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 |
| Yards | 404 | 395 | 195 | 509 | 422 | 385 | 168 | 425 | 532 | 3,435 |
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | IN | TOTAL |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 408 | 385 | 175 | 525 | 415 | 392 | 172 | 418 | 530 | 3,420 | 6,899 |
Par 4Par 3Par 5
Key Notes
- Hogan’s Practice Ground: Ben Hogan stayed at Seminole for two weeks before every Masters, using the Atlantic wind exposure to sharpen his ball-striking. The members’ respect for the game’s history is total.
- The Atlantic Wind: With the ocean directly adjacent, Seminole plays entirely differently depending on wind direction — the same hole can require a 6-iron one day and a 3-iron the next. Ross designed every green to accept the correct approach angle for each wind condition.
- Palm Beach: The most glamorous coastal town in Florida — Worth Avenue shopping, The Breakers hotel and the finest dining on Florida’s Atlantic coast. Palm Beach hotels via Expedia →