The Biltmore Golf Course

The Biltmore Golf Course in Coral Gables is one of the oldest and most historically significant courses in South Florida. George Merrick, the visionary developer of Coral Gables, commissioned Donald Ross to design the No. 2 course as part of the grand Biltmore Hotel complex that opened in 1926. The course is part of Florida's Historic Golf Trail and associated with the hotel's National Historic Landmark designation.

In 2018-2019, architect Brian Silva led a restoration to return the course to the spirit of Ross's original 1925 design. The project reconstructed Ross-style bunkers, restored the green contours, and re-established the course's character as a classic early-century design.

Playing The Biltmore Golf Course is a journey into early American golf history. Donald Ross's restored design challenges players with subtlety rather than length, emphasizing approach shot accuracy and precise putting on classic crowned and contoured greens. The backdrop of the historic Biltmore Hotel adds an atmosphere found nowhere else in South Florida.

Ross designs reward the player who uses the ground game — bump-and-run approaches often work better than high-lofted shots. The crowned greens will reject approach shots that are even slightly off-line. Study the green contours before every putt — Ross built subtle undulations that cause the ball to curve on seemingly flat putts.