History
1971 marked the arrival of one of the earliest golf offerings along this stretch of the Emerald Coast, a period when Miramar Beach was still finding its identity as a resort destination rather than the built-up corridor it would later become. The Links Golf Club opened as part of that early wave, giving the area a golf course years before the region’s tourism boom took full hold.
Tom Jackson, the North Carolina-based architect responsible for dozens of Southeastern courses through the latter half of the twentieth century, took on the design work here. Jackson built his reputation on routings that worked with modest, sandy coastal ground rather than fighting it, and his imprint at The Links reflects that same practical hand — a course sized and shaped for the resort golfer without excess or extravagance in its layout.
Over five decades of operation, the course has remained fundamentally the Jackson design golfers found upon opening, a rarity for a resort property of its age in a region that has seen near-constant redevelopment. It continues to play to a par of 72 across 6,710 yards from the championship tees, a set of numbers that has proven durable rather than requiring the kind of wholesale renovation common to its Panhandle neighbors.
Playing notes
At 6,710 yards from the tips with a slope of 135, The Links Golf Club plays tougher than its yardage suggests, and the Bermuda grass covering both fairways and greens sets the tone for the day — expect firm, fast conditions that reward a running game off the tee and putts that can slide away from you on the slick, grainy surfaces. Being this close to the Gulf, wind is the variable you can't practice around; bring extra club selection strategy and be ready to flight shots lower when the breeze picks up off the water. The course leans on carts to cover the distance between holes, so don't plan on walking it, and pack sunscreen and plenty of water given the exposed Florida heat. Ball-striking accuracy matters more than sheer length here — with a slope this high, missed fairways and approach shots that land above the hole on these Bermuda greens will cost you strokes quickly, so dial in your short game and lag putting before you tee off.
Tee boxes
| Tees | Yardage | Par | Slope | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | 6,710 | 72 | 135 | 72.2 |