Saltleaf Golf Preserve: Luxury Course with Stunning Views

by | Feb 2, 2025 | Where to Play

Southwest Florida’s Tamiami Trail – Highway 41 – between Naples and Bonita Springs is rich in golf. But as it is on the Southeast side of the Sunshine State, the sun shines brightest on the high-end private golf clubs and country club communities.

That’s why finding a place like Saltleaf Golf Preserve in Bonita Springs is a treat. Renovated in 2023, the former Raptor Bay Golf Course –  just a short shuttle ride from the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point – is making its case as one of the top public courses in Florida.

“Saltleaf fills a public golf need in this area,’’ said Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Director of Sales and Marketing Rhett Wilson.

“All of the courses in this area are bundled golf communities lined by condos or homes,’’ Saltleaf Golf Preserve General Manager Mark Wilhemi. “Out here, it’s just you and Mother Nature. Players love seeing all the native wildlife.’’

Mother Nature and course designer Raymond Floyd – who did the original Raptor Bay layout 25 years ago – now provide the Bonita Springs area, which includes Fort Myers and Naples, a terrific daily fee golf course with the feel of a private club, located beside Florida’s oldest aquatic preserve, within the 500-acre coastal village of Saltleaf on Estero Bay.

London BayDevelopment Group, which owns the village, is expected to offer limited memberships later this year in preparation for the 2026 opening of the first of two 22-story Ritz-Carlton residences within the village of Saltleaf on Estero Bay. The second tower is expected to open in 2027.

Saltleaf Golf Preserve

Sunset at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa (Hyatt Hotels)

Since opening in 2001, the 462-guestroom Hyatt Regency Coconut Point has been an almost hidden gem among Southwest Florida resorts. The resort features eight food and beverage outlets, including the locals’ favorite Tarpon Bay, a Lazy river water park, a private island beach, private poolside cabanas, and Stillwater Spa. A nine-hole, par-3 course, The Leaf,  is a fun walking course that can serve as a nice warm-up for The Preserve or an entertaining, judgment-free evening with family and friends.

The resort retains tee times at Saltleaf Preserve for each of its guests. It also seamlessly integrates with the course, providing services such as bag storage and shuttle service.

“Part of our ‘secret sauce’ is our slower pace and a kind of out of the way setting,’’ Wilson said. “The hotel has been on an evolution the past half-dozen years. People are starting to realize the luxury we have here. That’s why we think Saltleaf is such a good addition.’’

This summer, the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point is planning a $15 million renovation of its events and ballrooms.

“A cherry on top of everything else,’’ Wilson said. “We want to be more approachable but with a luxury feel.’’

saltleafgolf.com

Feature Photo Courtesy of Saltleaf Golf Preserve

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About the Author

<a href="https://golfonemedia.com/author/steve_pike/" target="_self">Steve Pike</a>

Steve Pike

Steve “Spike” Pike is a lifelong journalist whose career covers Major League Baseball, the NFL, and college basketball. For the past 26 years, Spike has been one of the more respected voices in the golf and travel industries, working for such publications as Golfweek, Golf World, and Golf Digest for The New York Times Magazine Group. In 1998, Spike helped launch the PGA.com website for the PGA of America. As a freelance travel and golf writer, Spike’s travels have taken him around the world. He has played golf from Pebble Beach to St. Andrews, walked the Great Wall of China, climbed an active volcano in the Canary Islands, been on safari in South Africa, and dived with sharks off Guadalupe, Baja California.