Sanibel Island Golf Club (Sanibel Island, FL)

Sanibel is a barrier island off the west coast of Florida. It is known for its wildlife sanctuaries and beautiful beaches along with the best shelling in the country. Bird watchers can spend the entire day at Ding Darling peering through their binoculars at the hundreds of species that make their way to San Marcos Bay. The Island prides itself on being in harmony with nature. The long and short is one doesn’t come to Sanibel for the golf. 

(152 yard par three third hole) 

The Island Club is a relatively short golf course playing just over 6000 yards but to a par of 70. Water is in play on fifteen holes and is the primary defense. The small greens keep you on your toes and require well struck iron shots to score. In a modest breeze, the player will fight to keep it close to his handicap. 

(The 371 yard par four second doglegs left to this small target. Water guards left and behind the green making the approach a very precise shot.) 

(The 285 yard par four tenth is a driveable length but you’ll have to carry the tree in the picture. The hole doglegs about 200 yards off the tee and the prudent play is to hit it down the right for a short shot in.) 

The Island Club has a tropical feel to it. Tall pineapple trees and plenty of banyan trees are found throughout the course. More impressive is the wide variety of wildlife. There’s so many different types of birds flying overhead or in and out of the water. It’s a great distraction and will help lighten the mood when you hit a poor shot. 

(The 325 yard par four eleventh doglegs around the water. There’s no reason to challenge the hazard and a wide fairway is incentive to hit it straightaway.) 

While the Island Club provides an opportunity to golf, it should be noted that there’s not any meaningful architecture. It’s average in its design but  does fulfill its requirement as another activity to enjoy on Sanibel. If the price tag was $50 or $75 then that would be fine, but they charge a hefty $120 dollars. Considering you can play some of the best courses in the country for that amount, I’m stating emphatically that it lacks value. 

(The 165 yard par three sixteenth) 

Condition wise, the course played fine. The greens were top dressed when I played it, but they putted well. It should be pointed out that the island is basically a collection of seashells. The crushed shells give the turf a firm foundation to play on. Some of the looks from the tee boxes reaffirms this. 

(The view from the 433 yard par four fifteenth tee box.) 

The last four holes play beside the Sanibel River and along with 2,3,10,11 are the highlight of the round. There’s moments where the river is visible but overall the vegetation stiffles the views. The par threes are a nice set of holes. 

(Looking backward on the par three sixteenth hole.) 

Sanibel is a beautiful place and it’s low key character makes it a perfect getaway to relax. The Sanibel Island Club fully embodies the island’s motto of harmonizing with nature. I guess for golf fanatics like myself just the fact that you can play is a win. I give Sanibel Island Golf Club a 3 (average)(worth driving 15-30 minutes to play). 

(Walking down the beach or wading into the water is the best way to find some very cool shells. We saw starfish, blue crab, and dolphins during our stroll.)