The Breakers Ocean Course

The Ocean Course at The Breakers is recognized as Florida's oldest golf course, with origins dating to 1897 when Alexander H. Findlay laid out the original seaside links for Henry Morrison Flagler's Palm Beach resort. Flagler expanded the course to 18 holes in 1901, establishing continuous golf on the site for well over a century.

Over the decades the course was updated several times, with notable work by Donald Ross in the 1920s and a redesign by Brian Silva in 2000 that reshaped the layout to create more strategic variety within the compact, oceanside footprint. Rees Jones completed a further renovation in 2018 that modernized the playing surfaces while honoring the historic coastal character.

The Breakers itself is one of America's most storied resorts, originally built by Flagler as a destination for America's elite. The Ocean Course remains a central part of the resort experience, offering guests the chance to play golf steps from the Atlantic on one of the most historic golf properties in the United States.

The Ocean Course is a shorter layout at 6,017 yards but compensates with creative green complexes, strategic bunkering, and constant coastal winds off the Atlantic. The compact routing allows for a pleasant walking round within sight of one of America's most iconic resort hotels.

Don't let the yardage fool you into thinking this is an easy course. Wind, firm greens, and Silva's creative design features create a genuine test of shotmaking and imagination. The resort atmosphere is elegant and the conditioning is excellent.

Wind is the primary defense on the Ocean Course. Check conditions before teeing off and adjust your strategy accordingly. The prevailing ocean breeze can turn a short par 4 into a genuine challenge.

The greens feature creative contours that reward players who study the slopes. Lag putting is important as three-putts come quickly on these surfaces. Take advantage of the shorter holes to attack, but respect the wind on exposed holes near the ocean.