The Biltmore hotel in Coral Gables, Florida, celebrated its 100th anniversary in January, and so did its iconic Donald Ross golf course, which opened for play on Jan. 2, 1926.
Ross was one of the game’s legendary course designers, most famously known for designing Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina and Seminole in Juno Beach, Florida, among his nearly 400 golf courses.
When land developer George Merrick, who created the city of Coral Gables and also helped establish the University of Miami, decided in 1924 to build a showpiece hotel with Biltmore hotelier John McEntee Bowman, he hired Ross to design an equally impressive golf course.
Merrick’s stated goal was to build “a great hotel … which would not only serve as a hostelry to crowds that were thronging to Coral Gables but also would serve as a center of sports and fashion.” Besides golf, The Biltmore had tennis courts, polo fields, and a giant swimming pool that, at the time, was the largest in the country.
The course, which was restored in 2007 by architect Brian Silva, is true to the traditional Ross design, especially the undulating greens’ turtleback contours.
In excellent condition, the course is challenging, but fair, and fun to play. It’s even more enjoyable when a golfer considers the age of the course – there aren’t that many South Florida golf courses even half as old – and those who played it way back when, such as baseball star Babe Ruth. According to the Donald Ross Society, which promotes the recognition of Donald Ross and his architecture, The Biltmore course “remains one of (his) finest designs.”
Home to the University of Miami’s women’s golf team, the course is open to hotel guests and the public for a daily fee that includes greens fee and electric cart rental for 18 holes. The Biltmore’s golf shop staff can also organize corporate and group outings and tournaments.
Tee times can be booked online at biltmorehotel.com/miami-golf-resort. Prices vary; lower rates apply after 2 p.m. Annual memberships are also available.
Classic Ross contours framed by Coral Gables charm — The Biltmore hotel’s historic course delivering timeless, strategic golf at every turn.
The par-71 course, which is 7,112 yards from the back tees, has a driving range, a practice putting green and a well-stocked pro shop that offers top-quality rental clubs – Titleist woods, hybrids and irons, Vokey wedges and Scotty Cameron putters.
The Jim McLean Golf School is at the golf course and offers private lessons from McLean, who has worked with major championship winners on the PGA, LPGA and Champions tours, and his staff. The golf school also conducts clinics and junior programs.
Given the history of The Biltmore, a National Historic Landmark, it’s remarkable that Ross’s signature golf course survived.
From its opening 100 years ago, The Biltmore was a must-stay experience for celebrities ranging from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to Bing Crosby, an avid golfer, Judy Garland, President Franklin Roosevelt, and gangster Al Capone.
A century-old splash of glamour — The Biltmore hotel’s legendary pool still shines as one of America’s most iconic resort escapes
During the Great Depression, the hotel hosted aquatic galas featuring synchronized swimming and platform diving. Johnny Weismuller was a swimming instructor there before he headed off to Hollywood for his role as Tarzan.
With the onset of World War II, the Department of War converted the hotel into the Army Air Forces Regional Hospital. The Biltmore remained a VA hospital until 1968.
The City of Coral Gables was granted ownership of the hotel in 1973 through the Historic Monuments Act and Legacy of Parks program. For 10 years, the hotel was dormant, then the city undertook a full restoration of The Biltmore to its heyday. The hotel reopened in 1987 on New Year’s Eve, but closed in 1990 during uncertain economic times.
During all of those times, the golf course was open and operational. The military even used golf as a source of rest and relaxation for hospital patients.
SeaWay Hotels Corp. took over operation of The Biltmore in 1992 and began a major renovation of the property that included additional work on the golf course to restore it to Ross’s original design.
The hotel now has 271 guest rooms, including 173 suites of varying sizes. Among the latter is the two-story Everglades Suite, which features Michelangelo-like paintings of wading birds and palm trees on the ceiling and is believed to be where Capone and his buddies would hang out.
The three-bedroom Presidential Suite, which was George Merrick’s residence, has hosted Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. The golf suites feature balconies offering panoramic views of the golf course. And another great view of the course is from the outside dining area of Fairways, the hotel’s newest restaurant, which, depending on where you sit, overlooks the first tee, the 18th green, or the practice putting green.
Photos courtesy of The Biltmore Hotel.
