Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club

Overview: Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club is an 18-hole private course in Tampa’s Palma Ceia neighborhood. The club was founded in 1916, and the current course record is a compact par 70 measuring 6,332 yards from the back tees. The routing is associated with Donald Ross and is known for demanding shot placement, crowned greens and narrow fairways rather than sheer length.

History: Palma Ceia is Tampa’s oldest private golf club and has hosted the Gasparilla Invitational since 1956. Course histories identify Tom Bendelow with the original 1916 layout and Donald Ross with a later redesign, with further work by other architects recorded over the decades. The club’s official history also recalls visits from Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Walter Hagen and Babe Zaharias.

Did You Know? The Gasparilla Invitational has been part of Palma Ceia’s calendar since 1956, giving the short Tampa course a long connection with serious amateur golf. That tournament tradition fits the layout’s character: a par-70 card where precision and recovery skills matter more than simply overpowering the course.