Between races, Key West's mangrove-lined course beckons sailors

Race World Offshore's Key West World Championships return from November 1 to 8, 2026, and teams, crews and spectators looking to fill the gaps between race days have an obvious detour on their hands: Key West Golf Club, the southernmost course in the continental United States.

Set on Stock Island just outside the main township, the championship layout was designed by Rees Jones, one of golf's best known course architects. It winds through more than 200 acres of Florida Keys foliage, with wildlife and thick Keys bush lining much of the fairway. The course plays to a par 70 over 6,500 yards across 18 holes.

Its signature hole is the Mangrove Hole, a 143 yard par 3 played entirely over a field of densely tangled tropical mangroves. The hole photographs well and plays harder than the yardage suggests.

For visiting race teams without clubs in their luggage, the club has rental sets from Srixon and Cleveland available. Single players are welcome too, and a phone call is enough to get paired into a game, useful for anyone travelling solo for the regatta.

The course has a longer history than most visitors would guess. Nine holes officially opened on 3 September 1924, and by the 1950s President Dwight Eisenhower was playing it regularly during his time in Key West. A further nine holes were added in the 1960s to complete the 18 hole layout, and in 1983 Rees Jones returned with Keith Evans to fully redesign the course into its current form.

Tee times can be booked online or by calling the club directly on 305-294-5232. The course is located at 6450 East College Road, Key West, FL 33040.