T
Thanks to the vision of
Walt Disney, Orlando, the
epicenter of central Florida,
has morphed into a major Sun Belt
metropolis and golf destination, with nearly
150 courses found within an hour’s drive
of downtown.
At the top of the list is Arnold Palmer’s
Bay Hill Club & Lodge, a big hitter’s
ballpark that appeals to swashbuckling,
go-for-broke players, like Arnie in his
prime. The layout has been tweaked by
Palmer over the years to sharpen the
strategic challenge of each hole, notably
at the dangerous par-4 18th hole. Bay
Hill, flanked by citrus groves and a chain
of lakes, presents the firmest test of
championship golf in the area.
The Orlando area’s bench strength
is impressive. Orange County National in
Winter Garden, founded by swing guru
Phil Ritson, features a pair of courses,
Panther Lake and Crooked Cat, routed
through pines and oak hammocks on
rolling terrain with a near-mountainous
(for Florida) 65-foot elevation change.
Very quietly, the entertainment kingdom
at Walt Disney World boasts 61 holes of
golf, including Oak Trail, a pleasant nine-
hole walking course that’s perfect for a
casual family outing. Traditionalists can opt
for the Palm and Magnolia courses, each a
Joe Lee design circa 1971 with plenty of
sand and water in play.
Among the region’s top newcomers is
Waldorf Astoria Golf Club, centerpiece
of the Bonnet Creek resort development
near Disney. This classically-styled layout,
designed by Rees Jones, is seamlessly
integrated into the terrain, with stately
pines, cypress trees and numerous ponds
lining well-groomed fairways.
If you prefer the work of Rees’ father,
Robert Trent Jones, MetroWest Golf
Club in Orlando recently underwent a
$1.5 million renovation resulting in newly
surfaced greens, upgraded teeing grounds
and a strategic bunker renovation. For
experts and duffers alike, the course is
better now than when it opened in 1987.
Purists can drive 85 miles southwest
from Orlando to rural Polk County to
experience Streamsong Resort, the new
‘Bandon of the East’ complex set within
a depleted phosphate mining site. Decide
for yourself if Tom Doak’s Blue Course,
marked by massive bunkers and abrupt
elevation changes, is the equal of the
boldly contoured, lake-dotted Red Course
designed by the collaborative team of Bill
Coore and Ben Crenshaw. As of January
2014, visitors can secure accommodations
at the Streamsong Lodge, a sleek, modern
hotel made of wood, stone and glass.
The 216 guest rooms and suites feature
floor-to-ceiling glass panels oriented to
surrounding lakes, wildlife habitats and the
natural Florida horizon. The lodge offers
four casual and fine dining restaurants
(don’t miss the stone oven-roasted duck
breast in Sotto Terra). Those looking to
unwind are can find instant relaxation at a
7,000-square-foot grotto-style spa with six
unique pool experiences, and Fragmentary
Blue, a rooftop bar and lounge that serves
pub-style small plates. With lakes on both
its sunrise and sunset sides, the lounge is
a perfect place to begin or end the day,
or return after dark to stargaze the inky
black sky.
Golfers can also head to Palm Beach
Gardens, home to PGA National Resort
and Spa and its windswept, watery
Champion Course, site of the PGA Tour’s
Honda Classic.
At PGA National, the Champion Course provides
a test at nearly every turn.
Orlando, Fla.
HOME TO LEGENDS AND COURSES THAT SHINE BRIGHT
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