Ponte Vedra Inn & Club (Ocean)

Overview: The Ocean Course at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club is a historic coastal layout on Florida's northeast shore. Its par-71 routing uses expansive fairways, seaside wind, lagoons, bold bunkering and newly shaped green complexes to create a course that looks inviting from the beach but asks for careful control once the wind moves across the property. At 6,811 yards from the back tees, it is not defined only by length: the changing coastal air and the relationship between fairway angles and elevated greens are central to its character. The result is a modern seaside presentation built on a much older course identity.

History: The Ocean Course first debuted in 1928, designed by Herbert Strong as Ponte Vedra's original major golf course. Robert Trent Jones Sr. redesigned it in 1947, and Bobby Weed Golf Design led substantial restorations in 1998 and again in 2020. The later work rebuilt greens, fairways, bunkers, drainage and irrigation while seeking to recover the bold contours and wind-swept character associated with the historic layout. Those layers explain the current architect listing: Strong established the course, Jones changed its mid-century form, and Weed shaped its modern restoration.

Did You Know? The Ocean Course was selected as the site of the 1939 Ryder Cup, but the matches were cancelled before they could be played. The unrealized event remains one of the most intriguing episodes in Ponte Vedra's long golf history.