Bonita Bay Club sits on 2,400 acres of preserved land in Bonita Springs, and it runs 90 holes of championship golf across five distinct courses. That number alone separates it from nearly every private club in Southwest Florida.
But the courses themselves, designed by Arthur Hills and Tom Fazio, are what keep members coming back season after season.
Key Takeaways
- Bonita Bay Club offers 90 holes of private golf across five championship courses in Bonita Springs, Florida.
- Arthur Hills designed the three original courses, Marsh, Bay Island, and Creekside, built in the 1980s and early 1990s.
- Tom Fazio designed the two East campus courses, Cypress and Sabal, which opened in the mid-1990s.
- Membership and community ownership are separate arrangements; ask the club about current resident and non-resident eligibility.
- Beyond golf, the club includes a marina, fitness center, tennis, pickleball, and multiple dining venues.
- The club's scale and course variety make it one of the most complete private golf communities in SWFL.
Five Courses, Two Campuses
Most private clubs in Southwest Florida give their members one course, occasionally two. Bonita Bay Club gives them five.
The club is split across two campuses: the original West campus along US-41 in Bonita Springs, and the East campus a few miles inland. Together, they cover more than 2,400 acres of protected wetlands, wildlife corridors, and manicured fairways.
Five courses provide variety, but they do not guarantee a particular tee time. Ask how reservations and seasonal maintenance affect access.
That variety, combined with the overall quality of design, is the core reason Bonita Bay Club carries the reputation it does in the region.
The Arthur Hills Trio: Marsh, Bay Island, and Creekside
Arthur Hills designed the three courses on the West campus, and each one plays differently from the others. Hills was known for working with natural terrain rather than against it, and nowhere in SWFL does that philosophy show up more clearly than here.
Marsh Course is the club's flagship layout. It weaves through tidal marshes and preserves, with wide landing areas off the tee that narrow considerably as you approach the greens. The par-fives are reachable in two under the right conditions, but the greens complexes demand precision. Expect to deal with significant breaks, the putting surfaces slope in ways that are hard to read until you've played the course a few times.
Bay Island Course plays along the western edge of the property near the Imperial River. The water views are among the best on any private course in Bonita Springs, and several holes put the water directly in play. Bay Island rewards players who work the ball, straight hitters can sometimes be penalized by the angles Hills built into the fairway corridors. It's the most visually striking of the three Hills courses.
Creekside Course is the most forgiving of the Arthur Hills designs, though that's a relative term. Creekside has more generous fairways and slightly shorter carries over water, which makes it a good starting point for members hosting guests or playing their first rounds after a long off-season. The creek systems that give the course its name come into play on at least six holes, and the routing feels more relaxed without being easy.
All three courses play from multiple sets of tees, typically ranging from around 5,000 to 7,000 yards. That flexibility lets the courses work for a wide range of handicaps without dumbing down the challenge for stronger players.
The Tom Fazio Courses: Cypress and Sabal
When Bonita Bay Club expanded to its East campus in the 1990s, the developer brought in Tom Fazio, at the time already established as one of the most sought-after course architects in the country. The result was two courses that feel like a completely different club from the West campus, which is exactly the point.
Cypress Course is the more demanding of the two Fazio designs. The routing moves through cypress stands and wetland preserves, with forced carries that require commitment off the tee. Fazio gave Cypress a classic feel, fewer dramatic elevation changes, tighter corridors, and greens that reward approach shots from specific angles in the fairway. Members who play the Cypress Course regularly tend to be the more competitive golfers in the community.
Sabal Course carries Fazio's trademark aesthetic: broad, flowing fairways, strategic bunkering, and greens that look approachable but play tricky. The Sabal is named for the palm trees that frame much of the routing, and it has a more open feel than Cypress. That openness is somewhat deceptive, the wind can become a major factor on exposed holes, and the back nine features a stretch of consecutive water-adjacent holes that can unravel a round quickly if you're not careful.
Fazio's fingerprints are all over both layouts: the bunkering is dramatic without being punitive, the greens run fast and true, and the courses have aged gracefully since they opened. You can read more about the East campus courses at Bonita Bay Club East.
Membership at Bonita Bay Club
Bonita Bay Club membership is separate from buying a home in the community. Ask the membership office about current categories, resident and non-resident eligibility, and any waiting list.
Do not assume a property purchase automatically includes golf privileges.
Request a written explanation of the courses and playing windows included in the membership offered.
The club also offers social memberships for residents who aren't primarily interested in golf but want access to the other amenities.
Compare initiation costs, annual dues, carts and assessments using the club's current written schedule, not a price-per-course estimate.
For a broader look at how private club membership works in this region, the Private Golf Clubs in Naples membership guide covers the key considerations across the market.
Guest access is limited, as you'd expect from a fully private club. Members can bring guests, but outside play is not available.
The Nest is also private, not a semi-private visitor alternative. For bookable options, compare Stoneybrook, Spanish Wells and Bonita Fairways in our Bonita Springs and Estero guide.
Beyond Golf: The Full Club Experience
Bonita Bay Club is not a golf-only facility, and for many residents, the other amenities are just as important as the courses. The club operates a full-service marina on the Imperial River, which gives members access to the Gulf of Mexico.
Boat storage, fuel, and dock rentals are all available on-site, a meaningful amenity for residents who treat Southwest Florida's waterways as seriously as its golf courses.
The fitness and wellness center is one of the better private club facilities in the Bonita Springs area. It includes a full gym, group fitness classes, spa services, and access to a resort-style pool complex.
Tennis and pickleball courts round out the racket sports options, and the programs for both are well-organized with resident pros available for instruction.
Dining at Bonita Bay Club covers multiple venues, from casual poolside options to more formal dining rooms that work well for events and special occasions. The club has invested steadily in its food and beverage program over the years, and the quality is consistently mentioned by members as one of the club's strengths.
All of this sits within a broader planned community that includes miles of walking and biking trails, nature preserves, and gated residential neighborhoods ranging from condominiums to single-family estate homes. The infrastructure of the community itself supports an active lifestyle well beyond any single amenity category.
How It Fits Into the SWFL Golf Landscape
Southwest Florida has no shortage of private golf clubs. Naples alone has dozens, and the stretch from Bonita Springs north through Estero and Fort Myers adds several dozen more. So what separates Bonita Bay Club from the rest of the field?
Scale is the most obvious answer. No other private club in SWFL offers 90 holes within a single membership. The closest comparisons, Grey Oaks, Mediterra, Pelican Bay, top out at two or three courses. The sheer volume of golf at Bonita Bay Club is genuinely unusual.
Designer pedigree matters too. Having both Arthur Hills and Tom Fazio courses in the same club is not common at any price point. Both architects are associated with high-end private club work, and both produced courses here that rank among their more thoughtful regional projects.
The community itself adds a layer that standalone clubs can't replicate. Bonita Bay is a self-contained ecosystem, you can live, golf, boat, dine, and work out without leaving the development.
For residents who want that kind of integrated lifestyle, there's not a direct competitor in the Bonita Springs and Estero corridor. The Complete Guide to Golf in Bonita Springs and Estero puts the club in full context alongside the other options in the area.
For course-level details on the West campus, the Bonita Bay Club course profile covers the layout information, slope and rating data, and contact details for the club.
"Have played here several times and course has always been in excellent shape. Staff is the nicest around!"
Rosemarie7982129, GolfPass review
According to the Golf Digest Best Courses in Florida rankings, private clubs with multiple Fazio and Hills designs consistently appear among the state's most respected facilities, and Bonita Bay Club's dual-campus setup puts it in genuinely rare company.
The Bottom Line
Bonita Bay Club is a membership decision, not a public tee-time purchase. Establish eligibility and the total commitment directly with the club.
But for residents who want 90 holes of Arthur Hills and Tom Fazio golf, a marina, a world-class fitness center, and a fully integrated private community, there's nothing else in the region that competes on the same terms.
If you're seriously evaluating private club membership in Bonita Springs, Bonita Bay Club belongs at the top of your list, not as a luxury to consider once other options fall short, but as the benchmark against which other clubs should be measured.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many golf courses does Bonita Bay Club have?
Bonita Bay Club has five championship golf courses totaling 90 holes. The West campus features the Marsh, Bay Island, and Creekside courses designed by Arthur Hills. The East campus has the Cypress and Sabal courses designed by Tom Fazio.
Who designed the courses at Bonita Bay Club?
Arthur Hills designed the three original West campus courses, Marsh, Bay Island, and Creekside. Tom Fazio designed the two East campus courses, Cypress and Sabal, when the club expanded in the 1990s.
Can you play Bonita Bay Club without being a member?
No. Bonita Bay Club is fully private, and outside play is not available.
Members may host eligible guests under club rules. The Nest is private too; use the public-access directory when planning a visitor round.
How does Bonita Bay Club membership work?
Contact the membership office for current categories, eligibility and fees. Community ownership does not automatically confer club membership, and residency rules should not be inferred from the club's equity structure.
Different membership tiers offer varying levels of access to the golf courses and other club amenities.
What amenities does Bonita Bay Club offer beyond golf?
Beyond its five golf courses, Bonita Bay Club includes a full-service marina on the Imperial River, a fitness and wellness center, spa services, resort-style pools, tennis and pickleball courts, multiple dining venues, and an extensive trail system throughout the community's nature preserves.
Is Bonita Bay Club the same as Bonita Bay Club East?
They are part of the same club but represent two separate campuses. The original West campus on US-41 has the three Arthur Hills courses. The East campus, a few miles inland, has the two Tom Fazio courses. Both campuses fall under the same Bonita Bay Club membership structure.
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