Few municipal golf courses possess as grand a location as Crandon Park in Key Biscayne does. Situated across the bay from Miami, the course enjoys a tropical atmosphere full of wildlife. It plays over inland saltwater lakes, through mangroves, and alongside Biscayne Bay. The Champions Tour called it home from 1987-2004 when it held the Royal Caribbean Classic. Both Lee Trevino and Gary Player won here.
Robert Von Hagge and Bruce Devlin designed Crandon in 1972. The runway tees are some of the longest you’ll see, specifically the 104 yard par four second tee box and the 159 yard par five eighteenth tee box. It has an unusual routing compiled of five par fives, five par threes, and eight par fours. The bunkering is extensive with capes and bays covering almost every opening to a green while tall, abrupt mounding frames several putting surfaces.
(The 188/168/160 yard par three third plays over a saltwater lake with sand guarding front, left, and right. The beautiful setting is only enhanced when looking back to the tee from the green…
…it is not unusual to see birds of multiple variety wading through the water. A pin located on the left is partially blind from the tee.)
(The short 136/135/122 yard volcano par three eighth plays to a table top green with fall offs all around. Anything left will roll into the hazard. Note how the mangroves on the left are slowly chocking the hole and impeding what is a one of a kind pitch shot. I’m very impressed that Von Hagge and Devlin designed it.)
The par threes are the standout holes here. They’re beautifully intertwined with the inland lakes and are imbued with the qualities that make this a special place. The par fours are long and difficult with five of the eight playing over 390 yards from the regular tees. The par fives are the scoring holes. They enjoy the most interesting drives with angled shots over mangroves and/or water hazards to find position “A”.
(Crandon mingles with the inland lakes in various ways. Here at the 370/369/360 yard par four ninth, one is driving over the water with the mangroves pinching in, making this a tougher than need be tee shot.)
(One of the best holes on the course is the 554/530/489 yard par five tenth. This cape hole tempts players into taking a line that is foolhardy. An aggressive tee shot that is successful makes this reachable in two.)
(Arguably the best par three, the twelth is 179/175/158 yards to an angled green hard against the water. With bunkers and mounding behind, there is little room for error. The putting surface slopes towards the water and to the rear so a tight draw will funnel back to the left.)
What prevents Crandon from being in the upper echelon of municipal golf is its conditioning. At best it’s average with soft soil and less than desirable drainage. While the greens are fine, the fairways are thin with bare spots in multiple places. The course is very difficult so expect a 5+ hour round on the weekend. It’s also a shame that the mangroves that border the course block out the incredible views of the Miami skyline. Holes 1,7,8,9,10,11,17,18 would all improve instantly and push this into a rare experience. As is, it’s still one of Miami’s best courses and is easily a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).
(The 550/511/481 yard par five eighteenth is straightaway with the mangrove to the right and saltwater lake to the left. A good drive brings the green into reach but note all the sand traps that await any ball not hit perfectly…
…a few peekaboo spots reveal the awesome view that the thick mangroves hide.)
(I played the white tees at 6,424 yards. I treated it as a practice round as I prepared for the South Florida Ryder Cup tournament. It wasn’t a particularly good day with 6 fairways and only 3 greens hit. I actually was in more sand traps (7). I up n downed 3 times including a bogey save. Cost was $200. Look at the course and slope ratings from all the tees! Nasty!)
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