Golf at JW Marriott Marco Island: Playing Hammock Bay and The Rookery

What separates a good golf trip from an exceptional one? For the team at JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa, it starts with having two courses—both of which are certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries—that ask golfers to play two very different games. Spend a day at The Rookery and another at Hammock Bay, and you'll quickly understand why so many visitors plan trips around both. The courses sit just a few miles apart, yet each presents its own strategy, scenery, and personality. To understand what makes them special, we talked to the people who know them best.

The Rookery: A Shot-Maker's Course Surrounded by Wildlife

Originally built in 1991, The Rookery has evolved through updates by Robert Cupp Jr. and later by Peter Jacobsen and Jim Hardy. Today, many golfers consider it the more demanding of the two golf experiences available to guests of the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa.

Scott Lein, PGA Director of Golf, doesn't hesitate when describing the challenge. "I think with Rookery, you have to think your way around the golf course," he says. "A right-to-left shot isn't always going to play. You're going to have to hit a cut. You're going to have to hit a draw in order to score here."

Phil Ott, Head Golf Professional at Hammock Bay and The Rookery, points to the water hazards that influence nearly every round. "A lot of forced carries over water going into greens," he explains. "It rewards those who play well, but those who aren’t playing well? They'll find themselves in some trouble out there."

The course's signature 16th hole offers a fitting example. According to Ott, golfers face a tee shot over water to a green protected by bunkers where "hitting the right club is paramount to making a good score."

Yet many visitors leave talking about something other than their scorecard. As Lein notes, "you're going to see the wildlife. You're going to see the birds. You're going to see gators. You're going to be a part of nature throughout the 18 holes."

Hammock Bay: Golf Away From the Neighborhoods

Hammock Bay opened in 2004 as a private club before becoming part of the JW Marriott golf portfolio in 2011. Created by Peter Jacobsen and Jim Hardy, it presents a noticeably different experience from its sister course.

What separates Hammock Bay from many other courses in the state is what you don't see. "The typical Florida golf course is going to be built around condos and houses, where from hole number eight through 16, you're not going to be around any of that," says Lein.

Ott points to the coquina shells and the back nine as defining characteristics. "You kind of feel like you're playing desert golf because of the white shells out there," he says. "It's beautiful in the back nine. It's kind of back in the Everglades. You don't see a whole lot of people. It's just yourself and the golf course."

The signature 11th hole captures much of what golfers remember about Hammock Bay. A ravine separates the tee from an elevated green, creating a shot that requires commitment from the moment the club comes out of the bag. Lein describes it as "a beautiful hole, especially during the fall when the pink muhly grasses are in bloom."

For golfers who enjoy taking on risk when the opportunity presents itself, Hammock Bay offers several opportunities to attack. Lein points specifically to the reachable par fives and a potentially drivable 13th hole as examples of the course's risk-reward character.

Why JW Marriott Marco Island Is Perfect for Golf Getaways

Anthony Schmid, General Manager of Golf and a former golf professional himself, believes the greatest strength of the experience at JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa is the variety, which extends beyond the fairways. Guests can spend the morning on the course, return to the resort's white-sand beach, book time at the spa, or head out into the Ten Thousand Islands for fishing charters, airboat tours, wildlife viewing, or other outdoor excursions.

Schmid also points out that the destination works exceptionally well for group travel, from bachelor parties and couple’s getaways to meetings and corporate retreats. "There are a lot of groups that specifically look at the JW Marriott hotel as a great opportunity to come in, host their meetings, and then get two different great golf experiences at Hammock Bay and the Rookery."

For Schmid, the ideal golf weekend is simple: play The Rookery one day, Hammock Bay the next, spend time enjoying the resort in between, and leave having experienced two of the best golf courses on Florida's Paradise Coast. Combined with the resort's beachfront setting, top-tier spa, and on-site dining, this formula has made the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa one of Florida's premier golf vacation destinations.