The hardest golf courses in Vero Beach, Florida
The hardest 18-hole golf courses within about 25 miles of Vero Beach, Florida, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 10 courses have complete, verified tee data.
Also covers Indian River Shores and Fort Pierce.
Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club
Vero Beach, FL, USASlope rating 153, 75.6 course rating, Black tees, 7,126 yds
PrivateArnold Palmer & Ed Seay
- 5.0Conditions
- 4.3Layout
- 4.0Scenery
- 4.1Facilities
- Driving range
- Must play
- Pristine
Hawks Nest Golf Club
Vero Beach, FL, USASlope rating 149, 74.6 course rating, Tournament tees, 7,046 yds
PrivateJim Fazio
- 5.0Conditions
- 5.0Layout
- 4.0Scenery
- NRFacilities
- Driving range
- Pristine
- Hidden gem
West
John's Island Club
Indian River Shores, FL, USASlope rating 143, 74.3 course rating, Tournament tees, 6,863 yds
PrivatePete Dye & Jack Nicklaus
- 5.0Conditions
- 5.0Layout
- 3.0Scenery
- NRFacilities
- Driving range
- Pristine
- Restaurant
RedStick Golf Club
Vero Beach, FL, USASlope rating 139, 75.6 course rating, Black tees, 7,208 yds
Private
- 5.0Conditions
- 4.0Layout
- 4.5Scenery
- 4.8Facilities
Conditions are mint. A very tough start (1-4) before getting slightly easier the rest of the way. A great set of green complexes, many are raised, making up and downs really tough.
Written by
@BirdiesAvenue
- Driving range
- Pristine
- Grass range
The Windsor Club
Vero Beach, FL, USASlope rating 137, 77.2 course rating, Black tees, 7,078 yds
PrivateRobert Trent Jones, Jr.
- 4.0Conditions
- 3.5Layout
- 3.5Scenery
- NRFacilities
- Driving range
- Pristine
- Fast greens
(North) John's Island Club
Indian River Shores, FL, USA
Slope rating 134, 73.7 course rating, Tournament tees, 6,953 yds
(South) John's Island Club
Indian River Shores, FL, USA
Slope rating 132, 72.5 course rating, Tournament tees, 6,592 yds
(The Lakes) Sandridge Country Club
Vero Beach, FL, USA
Slope rating 132, 69.6 course rating, Gold tees, 6,262 yds
Fairwinds Golf Course
Fort Pierce, FL, USA
Slope rating 124, 73.2 course rating, Championship tees, 6,849 yds
The Moorings Yacht & Country Club
Vero Beach, FL, USA
Slope rating 119, 63.2 course rating, Gold tees, 4,434 yds
How we rank
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Vero Beach, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club is #1 on Course Vaults in and around Vero Beach, Florida at Slope 153 (75.6 course rating · Black tees · 7,126 yds). 10 courses qualify for this list.
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Vero Beach, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
Slope rating is the USGA measure of how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, from 55 to 155 (113 is average). Course rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer from the same tees.
Yes. It includes qualifying courses within about 25 miles of Vero Beach, not only courses whose address is in the city.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 3:39 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
