Orlando, America's Golf Capital
GolfNow.com:
“Orlando is not only the home of Mickey Mouse but also an abundance of PGA Tour players who relish central Florida's easy gateway access as well as the area's stellar golf scene. In fact, golf has been a staple of Orange County long before Disney World, with courses still open that date back to the 1920s. Today's tourist can choose from a vast array of 200 courses, ranging from lavish five-star resorts far from the screams of any roller coasters to bargain and familyfriendly courses. Also home to PGA Tour events, countless golf colleges, mini tours and the PGA Merchandise Show, Orlando can very well make the argument as America's golf capital.”
Golf.com:
“If you have kids, or still feel like one yourself, Orlando means one thing: Walt Disney World. If you’re a golfer at heart, then Orlando means a slew of outstanding public, semi-private and resort courses. It seems like half of the PGA Tour makes Orlando home, thanks to an international airport, wonderful climate and superior golf facilities. And don’t forget Florida’s lack of a personal income tax, too. The pros live mostly at private enclaves like Isleworth and Lake Nona, but you never know when you’ll run into one of them at a restaurant or grocery store. But your chances are much better of running into a quality public access courses in the Orlando area rather than meeting someone you have seen play on television.”
Isleworth
Isleworth is a community northwest of Orlando. It is desirable for its proximity to the city's downtown, its location within the Butler chain of lakes, and as a local status symbol of wealth and grandeur. Isleworth traces its roots to the Chase family and was purchased by Tavistock in 1993. Isleworth is home to a championship 18-hole golf course originally designed by Amold Palmer. The course consistently ranks as the longest and toughest course in Florida. It complements another Tavistock development on the other side of Orlando, Lake Nona. In 2014, Isleworth hosted Tiger Wood’s Hero World Challenge.
Lake Nona Golf & Country Club
Lake Nona Golf & Country Club is a private residential golf club community in southeast Orlando. The 600-acre community features an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Tom Fazio. Set amidst freshwater lakes and oak, pine and cypress trees, it offers a range of custom-built estate homes. Lake Nona's golf course offers five sets of tees for all levels of players. It has hosted a variety of professional and amateur golf tournaments including World Cup of Golf, U.S. Open and PGA Tour. It is a popular residence for top professional athletes, including Annika Sörenstam, Jim Courier, Carlos Gonzalez, Lou Holtz. It is centered in Tavistock's 11,000 acres of Lake Nona development, home to a Life Sciences Cluster, Medical City, and a Sports & Performance District
Must Play Courses in Orlando
Bay Hill Club & Lodge (bayhill.com)
Golf Magazine’s third best public course in Florida is the winter home of Arnold Palmer. The Challenger/Champion nines make up the layout that has hosted the PGA Tour since 1979. It’s full of long, flat, no-nonsense, boldly bunkered holes that play over and around seven massive lakes. There’s no drop-dead scenery here, just one challenging, breeze-fueled hole after the next, where the relentless shot-making demands have been conquered by Tiger Woods five times, including a four-peat from 2000-2003. Visit Bayhill.com.
Reunion Resort (reunionresort.com)
Three worthy layouts (open to resort guests only) designed by three golf legends. The Tom Watson/Independence course is the best of the property’s three choices (Golf Magazine’s eighth best public course in Florida, but the flower-laden Arnold Palmer/Legacy course is close behind (the pair both opened in 2004). The water-splashed Jack Nicklaus/Tradition course, which debuted two years later, typifies the essence of Florida golf. Instruction is available at the Annika Sorenstam Golf Academy. Visit reunionresort.com.
Waldorf Astoria Club (waldorfastoriaorlando.com)
Technically not a Disney property, but it’s surrounded on three sides by the Disney Resort. The Rees Jones-designed course, with water in play on more than half of the holes, serves guests of two onsite hotels: the Waldorf Astoria Orlando and the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek.
Grand Cypress Resort (grandcypress.com)
Jack Nicklaus’ homage to the Old Course at St. Andrews features no trees, minimal water (in the form of winding burns), semi-blind shots, double greens and more than 140 bunkers, some as much as 12 feet deep, where a ladder provides access. When the wind is up and the course is playing firm, it’s like Scotland in sunshine. There’s also 27 other holes and an extensive practice facility, including a three-hole practice course. Visit grandcypress.com.
Southern Dunes Golf & Country Club (southerndunes.com)
Located in Haines City, this Steve Smyers design features more elevation changes than you would expect in central Florida. Water is only in play on two holes, but bunkers and waste areas are predominant throughout. Visit southerndunes.com.
Walt Disney World
The premier Disney course is Tom Fazio’s Osprey Ridge, distinguished by its mounds, wetlands and huge, very threeputtable greens. The Joe Lee-designed Palm and Magnolia courses made their big-league debut in 1971, when Jack Nicklaus won the first of three straight. The Magnolia tips out over 7,500 yards, but there’s big fun to be had from any tee at the par-3 6th, which features a green protected at the right-front by a bunker shaped like Mickey Mouse’s head. The Palm is the slightly tighter of the two, with many holes edged by jungle-like forest, with wildlife to match.
Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes (ritzcarlton.com)
Tiger Woods once testified that this layout contained some of the finest greens he had ever putted. The low-profile Greg Norman design eases past oaks, lakes and wetlands, but it’s the service, facilities and conditioning that make it worth a visit. Visit ritzcarlton.com.
ChampionsGate (championsgategolf.com)
The National and the International course are both flattish Greg Norman creations, but it’s the latter that used to host the Del Webb Father/Son Challenge, where PGA Tour legends paired with family members in a 36-hole competition. The on-site Omni hotel is a plus (especially the reduced green fee for guests), as is one of golf’s greatest institutions of higher learning, the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, which has its headquarters there. Visit championsgategolf.com.
Orange County National (ocngolf.com)
Crooked Cat and Panther Lake both served as challenging PGA Tour Q-School tests and comprise perhaps the best values in the Orlando area, though they’re often overlooked. The practice facilities, including a 42-acre circular driving range, are also superb. Visit ocngolf.com.
Celebration Golf Club (celebrationgolf.com)
One of the final collaborations between Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jr. opened in 1996. The hugely sloped greens and strategically deployed water hazards let you know quickly who designed this one. Visit celebrationgolf.com.
Streamsong Resort
Streamsong Resort, a 75-minute drive southwest of Orlando, opened two stunning courses. The Blue Course by Tom Doak and the Red Course by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore. The Red Course was named Golf Magazine’s “Best New Course You Can Play” in 2012)