Bobby Jones Golf Club: Main Course

The original 18 holes at this affordable public facility in Sarasota were designed by Donald Ross in 1926 and first called Sarasota Municipal Golf Course. The following year the course was renamed Bobby Jones Golf Course. New nines were later added in the 1950s and 1960s, and these were each coupled with one nine from the Ross course to create what were known as the American and British courses. In the late 2010s, the city of Sarasota embarked on a major re-imagining of the public property and hired architect Richard Mandell to restore the original core Ross 18, in large part based on old photos and Ross’s blueprints. The newer nines were converted into one of the largest practice facilities in the region compete with a wild Himalayas putting course, and the rest of the space reestablished as a nature area with walking and biking paths around a newly created chain of ponds. Mandell also revamped the 9-hole Gillespie short course, punching up the fun factor. The course is a great model for public golf, a walkable, spacious design with interesting green complexes and everything a player could want for game improvement.