Jacksonville Beach Golf Course

Detailed description of Jacksonville Beach Golf Course

Jacksonville Beach Golf Course is a Public, 18 hole golf course located in Jacksonville, Florida. Jacksonville Beach Golf Club is municipally owned and operated by the City of Jacksonville Beach.

The course opened in 1957. The course was designed by Sam Snead. Bob Walker redesigned the course in 1987. The course was redesigned in 2018 by Harrison Minchew.

During the redesign, Minchew's goal was to retain the challenge for low handicappers and adjust the challenge for high handicappers appropriate for their skill level.

One of the major changes will be a drastic reduction in the number of forces carries into greens. Under the old layout, players had to hit over water or other hazards for their second or third shots on par-5 holes or approaches to par-4s on six holes. Now, only one is left, the third shot (for most players) into the green of the par-5 13th hole.

The narrow pond that required a carry at the par-5 second hole was filled in and the green of the par-4 eighth hole has been moved to the tee side of the water hazard.

The sixth hole, formerly a par-5 in which players had to hit a long iron or fairway wood over a ditch — even with a good drive — is now a par-4 hole with the green moved, like at No. 8, to take the hazard out of play.
And the par-5 16th hole, which was renovated a few years ago to require a forced carry into the green, is now a long par-4 with no water in play for the second shot. The old 16th green is now the 18th green.

One of the par-5 holes was given back with the new 18th hole. Measuring 520 yards from the championship tees, the 18th requires a carry over water only for accomplished players who have hit drives in the neighborhood of 275 yards and can handle the second shot of around 190 yards. Most players will lay up and have a wedge shot into the green.

The most re-worked hole on the course is the shorter par-4 17th hole that can be made into a driveable 280-yarder with the prevailing east wind to the players’ backs.

Minchew has also added fairway bunkers on four holes and added distance on two par-3s, Nos. 4 and 12, while, at the same time, taking out the severe undulations on those greens.

Jacksonville Beach Golf Course is a par-71 challenge that plays to 6,570 yards.

Blue tees: par-71, 6,570 yards

White tees: par-71, 5,800 yards

Red tees: par-71, 5,245 yards