
The Claw Course
University of South Florida Golf Club


About this course
The Claw at University of South Florida Golf Club serves as the home course for the USF Bulls golf teams and operates as a public facility in Tampa. Designed by William F. Mitchell and opened in the early 2000s, the course occupies land on the university's campus and provides both a competitive venue for collegiate golf and accessible play for students, faculty, and the general public. The layout reflects Mitchell's approach to creating strategic college-level golf within the constraints of university property and Florida's flat terrain. The course plays through typical west-central Florida landscape, with relatively level topography punctuated by water hazards, native vegetation, and strategic bunkering that defines playing corridors and green complexes. Mitchell incorporated wetlands and preserve areas into the routing, giving holes both natural framing and environmental challenge. The design emphasizes accuracy and course management over pure length, making it suitable for collegiate competition while remaining playable for recreational golfers of varying abilities. As a university facility, The Claw functions primarily as a practice and competition venue for USF's men's and women's golf programs, hosting collegiate tournaments and providing daily-fee access to the broader Tampa community. The course reflects the growing trend of universities maintaining their own golf facilities to support athletic programs while generating revenue through public play. Its location within the USF campus places it in a developing area of north Tampa, surrounded by academic buildings and student housing rather than traditional residential golf course settings.
Quick facts
- Location
- Tampa, FL, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1967
- Designer
- William F. Mitchell
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 71
- Length
- 6,863 yards
- Difficulty
- 73.6/135
Getting there
The University of South Florida Golf Club is most readily accessed via Tampa International Airport (TPA), situated just twenty minutes northwest of the property, or through the smaller but equally convenient Tampa Executive Airport (TIW) for private aviation arrivals. From TPA, the drive traces a direct path south and east through the urban landscape of Tampa, transitioning from interstate commerce to the quieter, tree-lined corridors that frame the university grounds and the club's secluded setting in the heart of the city's educational district. The final approach winds through the USF campus itself, a passage that shifts the sensibility from traveler to guest, arriving at a facility where collegiate tradition and championship golf architecture converge in understated elegance.

FAQ
Common questions about The Claw at University of South Florida Golf Club
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
The Claw was designed by William F. Mitchell.
Yes. The Claw at University of South Florida Golf Club is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at The Claw is 71.
The Claw plays 6,863 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at The Claw is 135.
The Claw is a 18-hole course.



