 Orlando
Bay Hill Club and Lodge
(866-883-5475)
The Bay Hill Club and Lodge is just ten minutes from the Walt Disney
World Resort in southwest Orlando. This 1961 Dick Wilson design
ranks among the finest in American public golf. It plays host the
PGA's Bay Hill Invitational, making it the pinnacle of prestige
in central Florida. Bay Hill has withstood the test of time as a
challenging layout among the scores of modern courses sprouting
up in Florida. The dramatic final three holes have brought the finest
golfers in the land to their knees on Sunday. Bay Hill actually
has three nines, the Challenger, Champion and the Charger. The Invitational
is held on the Challenger and Champion nines, which together play
7,209 yards. Bay Hill is open to members and hotel guests only.
Fast fact: Bay Hill sends a complimentary forecaddie out
with each foursome making everyone feel like a pro.
North Shore Golf Club (866-883-5475)
North Shore Golf Club is up and coming architect Mike Dasher's
successful effort in creating an aesthetic course out of some of
the most mundane Florida flatlands. The front nine is flat, bump
and run golf, rolling along the land's small undulations. The back
nine is largely considered is the more visually appealing of the
two. The terrain features more variety with holes winding through
oak forests and swamp, resembling classic Georgia layouts over the
typical central Florida front side. The course length of 6,898 yards
from the tips is fair, but not a pushover. While among the new kids
on the block in Orlando, North Shore has set its sights on matching
up with the upper echelon of courses in the area.
Fast fact: North Shore is architect Mike Dasher's fourth
solo design. He designed over 40 courses working with Arthur Hills.
Walt Disney World Golf Complex (866-883-5475)
In keeping with the Disney spirit, golf options at Walt Disney
World offer something for everyone. Even the bunkers adhere to the
theme. Some are sharp, deep and penal. Another is the shape of Mickey
Mouse. Disney has five championship courses on property and one
nine hole executive course. Three different facilities host these
courses.
The Magnolia and Palm tracts located across from the Polynesian
Village are Disney's original golf complex. It's also home to the
nine hole executive course, Oak Trail. Both the Magnolia and Palm
are used each year for Disney's PGA tournament. The Magnolia is
used for weekend competition. It's the longest of the Disney courses
at 7,190 yards and was designed by classic Florida architect Joe
Lee in 1971. Its sister course, the Palm was designed by Lee the
same year. The Palm is slightly shorter but requires higher precision
on shots, especially to its well-protected greens. The par-4 16th
at the Palm is rated one of the PGA's 50 hardest holes. Oak Trail,
Disney's nine hole walking course, is a full length par-36, 2,913
(2,532 from the red tees) and a preferred option for kids and beginners
over the two championship layouts.
The other multi-course complex is located at Bonnet Creek and is
home to Osprey Ridge and Eagle Pines, both opened in 1992. The stage
is much different at Bonnet Creek than at the classic Magnolia and
Palm courses. Arguably the two top minds in modern golf design designed
a course each: Tom Fazio at Osprey Ridge and Pete Dye at Eagle Pines.
Osprey Ridge is the more elevated of the two courses on the property,
but swampland is still abundant. The layout is penal, with excess
of 70 bunkers, and long at 7,190 yards. Eagle Pines has water in
play on 16 of 18 holes, but is on the easier side of the quintessential
Pete Dye championship course - one of his shortest at a mere 6,772
yards. It is home to tour qualifiers on the PGA, LGPA and Senior
PGA tours. Both courses at Bonnet Creek offer a much more secluded
feeling than those of the original Disney courses.
Finally the Lake Buena Vista course, designed in 1972 by Joe Lee
meanders through the Old Key West Resort. Lake Buena Vista is the
most upfront of all the Disney courses. It is short (6,749 yards)
and straight, with little trickery. The course is right in the thick
of the Disney property as well, nestled up against the Disney Institute
and down the street from Downtown Disney.
Fast fact: Lake Buena Vista is the only course at Disney
to have hosted a PGA, LPGA and USGA event all within a 12 month
frame.
Victoria Hills Golf Club (866-883-5475)
Opened in 2001, Victoria Hills Golf Club has all the potential
to become one of the finest courses in Florida. The mastermind behind
its design is Florida's architect guru Ron Garl. Two-thirds of Garl's
120 worldwide projects are located in the Sunshine state alone and
even he admits this course has great potential. The terrain of Victoria
Hills is extremely suitable for golf. Its sandy soil, dense ground
cover and thick surrounding vegetation roughly resembles the Pine
Barren's course at World Woods up the road. The variation in topography
is a scarcity in central Florida, but at Victoria Hills it's the
norm. The 2,000 yard difference between the four sets of tees also
makes Victoria Hills playable for anyone.
Fast fact: A beautiful landscape like Victoria Hills can
be enjoyed on foot. Walking is allowed after 2 p.m.
Black Bear Golf Club (866-883-5475)
Located a half hour north of downtown Orlando is P.B. Dye's Black
Bear Golf Club. Between the small towns of Mt. Dora and Eustis,
not much competition exists, but Black Bear's design is something
unique in the flat, central Florida region. The many sand dunes
lining the fairways give players the feeling that the Atlantic just
might be on the other side, even though it's a 50-mile pitch away.
Another benefit to Black Bear is its quiet serenity away from the
bustling tourism of Disney and Universal Studios. Built in 1995,
Black Bear is new enough to provide modern design and amenities
but mature enough to have survived initial growing pains. Six different
sets of tees invite golfers of all skill levels, measuring just
over 7,000 yards from the back to 5,044 from the front.
Fast fact: Black Bear has hosted various tournaments including
a U.S. Amateur Qualifier and a stop on the Teardrop Tour circuit.
Errol Estate Country Club (866-883-5475)
Few areas can dub a course built in 1971 a "classic,"
but Orlando's recent boom of tourism and golf over the past two
decades make Errol Estate Country Club exactly that. Originally
one of the most prestigious private clubs in the Orlando area, Errol
Estate is now open to the public. Errol Estate has three nines.
The Highlands and Lake are the two original. The Grove opened two
years later. Joe Lee designed each nine. His staple -- low profile
bunkering and modest sloped greens - is prevalent throughout the
once contemporary, now classic design. The setting of the course,
among a 30-year-old community provides a charming rebuttal to the
mass of commercialism now prevalent in the Orlando metro area.
Fast fact: Of the three nines, none is extremely shorter
or longer than another. The Lake is the longest at 3,406 yards,
followed by the Grove (3,339) and Highlands (3,329).
International Golf Club (866) 883-5475
The International Golf Club, just minutes from Sea World in Orlando,
is a traditional Joe Lee layout. The course has just five holes
with water, but lush greenery lines each fairway, making accuracy
a premium. Three sets of tees are available, ranging from 6,725
yards to 5,077. The signature hole is the 2nd, a 665 yard behemoth
from the tips. Each guest to International is given the royal treatment
from parking lot to clubhouse. Also, among the fine facilities is
a lighted practice range for those looking to hit a few balls after
the parks close.
Fast fact: International is owned by Marriott Golf and the
course winds through the villas of the Marriott Cypress Harbor.
Stoneybrook East (866-883-5475)
Stoneybrook East is the original Stoneybrook Golf Club, until Stoneybrook
West set up shop across town. Stoneybrook East opened in 1997, built
by the Clifton, Ezell, Clifton Design Group, which built almost
as many Florida courses as Joe Lee. While the course winds through
the newly developed Stoneybrook community, the designers remained
privy to aesthetics. Homes weren't used as backdrops to greens.
Instead, they placed tree-lined holes side-by-side to keep the course
intact while avoiding construction and housing. The undulations
and tiers in the greens challenge the putter. All of the 6,820-yard
layout is kept in top condition.
Fast fact: The last four holes at Stoneybrook East have been
dubbed "The Final Four," due to the drama and toughness.
Stoneybrook West (866-883-5475)
The East course's little brother, Stoneybrook West, opened in 2000,
west of Orlando in Winter Garden. The landscape was originally a
thriving citrus grove. Architect Arthur Hills, whose work is better
known in the Midwest, turned this land into a course with a desert-like,
open feel to it. The installation of TifEagle greens has also given
the West course a reputation for some of the finest putting surfaces
in greater Orlando. The dispersing of hazards also favors players
with a full game, since trouble appears to shift from one side to
the other throughout the round. The set of four tees varies from
7,103 yards to 5,173.
Fast fact: Stoneybrook's citrus grove heritage is still in
sight. To the south and west of the course, citrus orchards can
be seen and the trees bear heaps of fruit at their roots.
Celebration Golf Club (866-883-5475)
Both Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and Jr. had a hand in the making
of Celebration Golf Club, relaxing on Sr.'s notion that a good hole
is a hard par and easy bogey. Celebration opened in 1996 and was
instantly heralded as an extremely playable course for all ages
and ability, not to say it lacks any bite. Celebration's reputation
for being playable comes from its five sets of tees (6,772 from
the tips) and ability to hit around or over hazards easily. Despite
being less than a decade old, the course has the maturity and feel
of a much older course, and the vintage clubhouse adds to the old
school flavor.
Fast fact: In typical Orlando fashion, Celebration Golf Club
was rated by American Junior Golf Magazine as the "Most Family
Friendly Course" and PGA Magazine approved it as "Junior
Friendly."
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