Review on Madison RV and Golf Resort, Madison, FL
Located in northern Florida near Tallahassee, Madison RV and Golf Resort is one of the best campgrounds we’ve stayed at. We found this resort three years ago when searching Florida for RV campgrounds associated with golf courses. In 2021, we decided to try Madison for a month. We went back in 2022 for 2 months and then in 2023 for 3 months.
Why We Stayed Here
We were looking for an area that is not super crowded where we could enjoy warmer weather and golf. This campground located in the small town of Madison, FL, has met those needs and more.
Key Points About this Campground
- Nicely sized and spaced apart RV sites
- Well managed
- Large dog park
- Decently priced to include a golf package with cart
Campground Review
There’s signage as you get close to the campground (CG) to guide you in. We arrived and checked in with no problems. As this was our third time here, we did not need an escort to our site, 60a, to meet up with our travel partners who were in site 60. Sites 60 and 60A are the buddy sites by the pond. Our nightly rate of $41 was based on the monthly rate, electricity, and a golf package with the cart. The CG area is adjacent to their well-maintained 9-hole course. WiFi is better than normal for this sized CG, and we got two bars on Verizon. We had a clear shot of the northern sky for Starlink, and there were several OTA channels. As this is a newer CG with not a lot of interior mature trees, there is no problem with satellite reception. Connected to the office are 3 very nice individual shower rooms and a laundry room with 4 washers and 4 dryers. If a washer or dryer breaks, they get it repaired quickly. Firewood & propane were available, including free propane pickup (set the tank at the end of your site) and firewood delivery if requested. The CG has a nice mix of back-in and pull-thru sites. Our buddy site was spacious, but would rate the other sites as “nearby.” They also have three cabins for rent. This CG is definitely not a kids’ destination (big pro for us) as there is no playground nor much to do for the young ones, including they aren’t allowed to operate the golf carts. The CG is more adult-oriented, with a pickleball court and activities such as group walks or special events like golf tournaments/leagues, karaoke, and potlucks. This year they added a very nice Tiki Bar at the pool. A huge bonus for us is the large (about 2 acres) fenced dog park. There’s a smaller fenced-off area for small dogs. We also enjoyed daily walks around the CG and along the front of the golf course. If you are allergic to train noise, there is a train track adjacent to the CG. Trains didn’t run every day, but when they did, they have been during daylight hours. Otherwise, this was a quiet park considering its size. Madison has your basic amenities and a few restaurants. Valdosta, GA, is about 30 minutes away with the major amenities such as Walmart and big box stores. If you’re a foodie or desire a robust touristy experience, this is probably not the destination for you.
Attractions & Eats
- We stay here mainly to golf, so that’s our main attraction.
- We biked the Four Freedom Trail that starts at the northeast side Madison.
- There are a few restaurants in town with Grumpy’s being worth a try, especially their pies.
Dawg Haus Rating
We publish CG reviews on RV Life Campground Reviews, Campendium, The Dyrt, and RV Parky. To date, we have provided over 200 reviews of private and public CGs. Here’s our opinion and rating based on what we like and dislike about a particular CG. We rate CGs differently depending on if we are just stopping for an overnighter or a few day rester or if it’s a destination type CG. Our subjective ratings are The Best (Five Paws), Very Good (Four Paws), Good (Three Paws), It’ll Work (Two Paws), and Not Impressed (One Paw).
Madison RV and Golf Resort deserves our “The Best” rating, which we do not give out very often. This campground is a destination for us and hits a lot of items we like such as a spacious site with a water view (okay, it’s a pond with a fountain, but it works for us), a large dog park, golf, golf cart, biking, not a lot of kids, fishing, etc.
After Blush
The first time at Madison, we stayed from February to March; the second year, mid-January through mid-March; and this year, we stayed from mid-January through April. In January and February, we could golf most days as the temp got into the low 70s. As we got into March and April, we did get temps in the high 80s. We thought it would be buggier in April, but it was not bad. Most of the seasonal or snowbird residents arrive in December, with a mass exodus on 1 April. The campground was not full after 1 April, as well. The golf course was not as crowded as well. If we would go solo, we would not be able to book group site 60/60A. Looking at the campground map, we would first try to get one of the premium golf course sites 2-5. We know that site 5 will be booked from December to 1 April for the next few years by a seasonal patroon from Wisconsin. Another good choice for us, would be back-in site 37-39, which are gravel sites. The other 30 series sites that back up to the small pond had an alligator visit in the wee morning hours. Having dogs, we do not need that surprise. A lot of people like the cement pad pull-through sites, which are available in both the old section by the office and across the big pond in the newer area.
