A Guide to Professional Golf Tournaments on Florida’s Paradise Coast
A visit to Florida’s Paradise Coast promises perfect weather, refined hospitality and surroundings so gorgeous you may never want to leave. But for golf enthusiasts, there’s yet another treat — you can play where the pros play. And you can even watch them play!
Every year, three professional tournaments are held at Tiburón Golf Club, part of The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, making the Paradise Coast a premier destination for those who appreciate the game at its elite level.
The facility is home to the LPGA Tour’s CME Group Tour Championship; the PGA TOUR Champions Chubb Classic; and the Grant Thornton Invitational, an event co-sanctioned by the PGA and LPGA.
Golf Digest and Golf Magazine consistently rank Tiburón among the Top 20 golf facilities in Florida — not surprising when you consider that Tiburón’s Gold and Black courses were designed by legend Greg Norman.
So if you like to watch top-level golf in person as well as play, here’s an overview of the three professional tournaments held annually on Florida’s Paradise Coast.
And as you’ll discover, there’s more than watching or playing golf that will keep you coming back.
Chubb Classic (PGA TOUR Champions) — February
The 54-hole, stroke play tournament, played on Tiburón’s Black Course, celebrates legends of the game in a relaxed, prestigious setting. It’s one of the premiere events of the PGA TOUR Champions schedule, which features golfers 50 and over. First held in 1988, the Chubb Classic is the tour’s longest-running event held continuously in the same city.
The golf legends play through acres of tall pines and manage huge bunkers flanking the fairways. Some of the greatest names of all time have competed in the Chubb Classic, including Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer and Davis Love III. The tournament truly represents a “who’s who” in golf history!
Spectators get an up-close look at these household names, as well as the magical golf moments they can still create. The 2026 purse is $1.8 million.
CME Group Tour Championship (LPGA Tour) — November
Played on Tiburón’s 7,382-yard Gold Course, this season-ending event of the LPGA Tour showcases more than 60 of the world’s top women golfers competing for an $11 million purse and $4 million winner’s check, the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf.
As of 2026, the tournament has a back-to-back champ: Jenno Thitikul bested the field in 2024 and 2025. Excitement is already building to see who can dethrone her. Other players you’re likely to see include Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko and Lilia Vu.
The Gold Course is a great place to watch these shotmakers play, as it was designed to reward precision over power.
Grant Thornton Invitational (PGA + LPGA Co-Ed Team Event) — December
With 16 men and 16 women pairing off into teams, you get a one-of-a-kind event where PGA and LPGA stars play for equal prize money and shared glory. The format is particularly unique: Round 1 is a scramble; Round 2 features foursomes; and in Round 3, both teammates play their own ball. The team score is based on a modified best-ball format.
The Grant Thornton Invitational, which debuted in 2023, has already featured such prominent names as Rory McIlroy, Nelly Korda, Justin Thomas and Lydia Ko. The most recent champions (2025) were Lauren Coughlin and Andrew Novak, who together posted an incredible 28-under par.
The Grant Thornton Invitational has quickly become a beloved event among top pros and galleries alike.
What to Expect as a Spectator
The best way to experience any of these tournaments is to book a stay at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, the luxury resort that hosts and sits right next to the courses. When the world-class golf ends for the day, the world-class resort experiences are just beginning. The hotel, with 295 ultra-luxe rooms and suites, offers a variety of stay-and-play packages. Consider a visit during a tournament as a stay-and-spectate experience.
Besides the top-drawer restaurants and terrific amenities the resort offers, visitors get to soak up the tournament atmosphere. Hotel guests walk or take a short shuttle ride to the viewing areas. The fairways, practice ranges and 27,000-square-foot, Mediterranean-style clubhouse become part of the “festival grounds.” The resort maintains its luxury calm, but in the days leading up to the tournament and during the competition itself, the golf energy is constant.
Tiburón is unique on the tour circuit because it’s one of the few venues where the courses and the hotel are on the same golf-centric property. Tiburón was designed for tournament viewing, with wide sightlines on key holes, elevated viewing areas built into the landscape and easy spectator flow between holes.
Beyond The Game — A Weekend Escape
During a golf-watching visit to The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, there’s more to enjoy than simply watching the world’s best players ply their craft. You can eat and drink in the finest style, of course. Next to the resort pool is a water park called The Reservoir, which includes waterslides, a lazy river and a splash pad. Perhaps you can squeeze in a set at the tennis center. And should you suddenly desire a spa treatment, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples is just four miles west and sits right on Vanderbilt Beach.
Finally, if you care to leave the grounds and explore, downtown Naples is just a short drive away. There you’ll find eclectic dining, shopping and more on 5th Avenue South and Third Street South. Don't forget the Paradise Coast’s 30 miles of breathtaking, white-sand beaches.
One thing to remember: Watching pro golf will probably give you the urge to play. So why not extend your stay and play a round or two?. Along with Tiburón, Florida’s Paradise Coast is home to a vast selection of top-notch golf courses. So bring your clubs, your A-game, and see for yourself while golf here is Paradise in Every Sense.
Click here for information on Tiburón Gold Club; and click here for a closer look at the hotel.