Manatee Cove Golf Course

Overview: Manatee Cove Golf Course is an 18-hole parkland course at Patrick Space Force Base on Florida's Atlantic coast. The Sharks tees are listed at 6,655 yards for par 72, with additional tees from 5,022 to 6,346 yards. Lakes, river frontage, seashore paspalum greens and the flat coastal setting shape a military-base course that can be available to civilians when base-access requirements are satisfied.

History: The course was originally designed in the 1950s by Robert Trent Jones Sr.; current course records date the opening to 1959. Tom Fazio later reconstructed three holes to accommodate new base housing, while the greens were converted to seashore paspalum because it tolerates drought and salty conditions. A 2009 Space Force announcement documented public play, but civilian access still depends on approval to enter the installation.

Did You Know? Manatees can sometimes be seen in the cove beside the first tee, the natural feature that gives the course its name. The shoreline setting also explains why salt-tolerant paspalum was selected for the greens.