"A stay-and-play option, not a drive-up tee time — members need to be resort guests (or know a member) to play. Note it closes seasonally for summer maintenance, so check dates before recommending."

Golf travel press credits the original routing to William Mitchell, opened around 1960-61 as the Islandside course on the Gulf-front tip of Longboat Key near Sarasota; the layout wound through oak, pine and palmetto before Ron Garl's 2014-15 renovation stripped out the pines, rebuilt every green, and replanted roughly 5,000 palms along salt-tolerant Platinum Paspalum fairways. Garl's rework favors grassed collection areas over deep bunkering, so a missed green still leaves a playable pitch. It has since collected Golf Digest 'Best Places to Play' recognition and remains the resort's marquee Gulf-side test.

Resort guests and members wanting a breezy, photogenic coastal round; good for intermediate players who want strategy without punishing rough.

The Gulf-adjacent holes on the back nine are the visual highlight, where palm-lined corridors open to water views that make the renovation's grassed run-offs pay off around the greens.

Forgiving off the tee thanks to Garl's collection-area design, but water touches every hole, so a new player should club conservatively into the greens rather than chase pins.

It was long known as Islandside before the 2014 rebrand and redesign, so older scorecards and reviews may still reference that name.

Flat coastal terrain with no forced carries makes it a fast-playing, low-drama sim round; the visual draw is the palm-lined Gulf backdrop rather than elevation change.

Resort/stay-and-play only, not a public tee sheet -- guests of the Longboat Key Club resort or members, roughly $$$$ resort green fees, and it closes seasonally for summer maintenance.