Discover Dunedin Golf Club: Historic Beauty Meets Modern Play

Published on August 19, 2026

Dunedin Golf Club Update.png

Within the City limits of beautiful Dunedin, Florida, golfers can enjoy the fully restored, historic Dunedin Golf Club. Designed by world-renowned golf course architect Donald Ross, the club first opened in 1927. Today, Dunedin Golf Club is one of the top clubs in the Tampa Bay area.

Ross stated in the 1927 Dunedin Times that the site was the finest in all of Florida for a golf course. He also referred to the course as his masterpiece, attributing it to the ideal combination of rolling hills, waterways and natural hazards that allowed him to achieve his idea of course perfection. Today, those same features remain an important part of the Dunedin Golf Club experience.

A Historic Golf Legacy

In 1939, the City of Dunedin took ownership of the course, and in 2024, it took over management operations. From 1945 through 1962, Dunedin Golf Club was the home of the PGA of America. During that time, the club hosted 18 Senior PGA Championships, helping lay the foundation for what would become the Senior PGA Tour. At the time, the organizations known today as the PGA of America and the PGA Tour operated as one corporation.

In 2014, the course was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As the years rolled on, however, Dunedin Golf Club needed updates and repairs. Several renovations had taken the course further away from Ross’s original design, including green complexes that had shrunk by 25 to 35 percent. The time was right to invest in the golf course and restore its historic character.

Restoring a Donald Ross Masterpiece

In 2024, Dunedin Golf Club underwent a complete restoration led by architect Kris Spence, a noted Donald Ross design restoration expert. TDI Golf Construction, with experience in Donald Ross course reconstruction, joined Spence as part of the design/build restoration team.

The project returned the course to nearly the same design Donald Ross first drew on his drafting table while adapting it for modern play. The restoration project included:

  • Restoration of the original Donald Ross green design, adapted for modern play
  • A new, water-efficient golf course irrigation system
  • New drought-resistant grasses, including TifTuf Bermuda on the fairways and TifEagle Bermuda on the greens
  • New fairway and greenside bunkers
  • New championship-length tees
  • Leveling of all tee boxes
  • Improved drainage

During the restoration, Spence discovered that Ross’s original greens had never been destroyed. Instead, they had been buried beneath material added during previous renovations. This provided a special opportunity to uncover and restore the actual greens Ross originally created.

As a Tree City USA community, the City of Dunedin required an inventory of all trees potentially impacted by the restoration. The work required approximately 49,000 linear feet of tree-protection fencing and taping, along with a replanting plan that included 432 trees. The golf course will have beautiful greenery around it for years to come. 

The $6.2 million project was completed in late 2024 with funding that included American Rescue Plan Act funds and a historic preservation grant. Dunedin Golf Club officially reopened for play in December 2024. 

National Recognition for the Restoration

In 2026, Dunedin Golf Club continues to earn national recognition for its restoration. The club received an honorable mention from Golf Digest for Best Restoration among courses at all levels. Golfweek also ranks Dunedin Golf Club No. 23 among public-access golf courses in Florida and No. 2 among the municipal courses on the list.

These accolades build on the recognition the course received in 2025, when Golf Inc. named Dunedin Golf Club its “Renovation of the Year” in the public course category. The award recognized the City’s vision, Kris Spence’s careful restoration work and the return of the greens and bunker complexes Donald Ross originally intended.

These honors place Dunedin Golf Club among Florida’s top municipal golf courses. Once again, the course is the jewel envisioned by Donald Ross, preserving an important piece of golf history while providing a course that will stand the test of time.

Dunedin Residents Save 25% at Dunedin Golf Club

Did you know that Dunedin residents, property owners and business owners receive 25% off the applicable daily rates at Dunedin Golf Club? Active and retired military members and active first responders also receive a 25% discount.

Learn more about current rates and book a tee time.

For additional information about Dunedin Golf Club, visit the City of Dunedin website.

 

 

 

Back to top