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Finer Fairways

Orlando, FL / USA – January 08, 2018: Shingle Creek Golf Club on a clear blue sky day surrounded with palm trees.

 

 

A round of golf can be both exhilarating and frustrating at the same time. And that’s the beauty of this game that you’ll never quite master, but will spend countless days on the course trying to exactly do just that. With golf season in full swing, we decided to take our annual trip around Central Florida to see what noteworthy changes have taken place since last year. From major renovations to new hires and new events, there’s no shortage of things to get golfers excited the next time they tee off at their favorite spot.

 

 

Public


Celebration Golf Club
Celebration is offering all Florida residents the 2023 Florida Elite Golf Card, which helps golfers enjoy the lowest rates available with lunch included. The plan allows for guests, discounts on merchandise, access to instruction and a complimentary round on your birthday.

Legends Golf and Country Club
Since its $2 million dollar refurbishment and grand re-opening two years ago, Legends continues to undergo a large-scale beautification process with recent additions of new signage, an improved driving range area with artificial turf, as well as the introduction of a members-only range.

Metrowest Golf Club
Golfers who play Monday through Thursday can enjoy a $7 lunch special when the order is placed before 4:30 p.m. In addition, the club is also now offering an Afternoon Golf Passport that allows players golf seven days a week after 3:30 p.m. for $99 a month.

Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge
Recent host of the LIV Golf league’s 2023 Orlando tournament, Orange County National will be hosting an “end of summer” golf camp for junior golfers of all ages. The camp runs from late July through early August and will be hosted by director of instruction Tony Keeton and lead instructor Michael Brunson.

Orange Lake Golf
This 54-hole club includes The Legends, an Arnold Palmer course featuring Scottish-style holes on the front nine and Carolina-style holes on the back nine. Off the course, the driving range at The Legends is currently under renovation with the range tees being resurfaced and Toptracer Range technology added. It is expected to be open for golfers of all skill levels in early August.

Resort


ChampionsGate Golf Resort
ChampionsGate features two championship 18-hole courses and a lighted nine-hole, par-3 course. Guests can look forward to a new golf entertainment complex called Eagles Edge, which will feature both indoor and outdoor event space while also including 30 golf hitting bays that will have Toptracer technology.

Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course
With the Magnolia course being closed for renovations earlier this year, many golfers headed to Lake Buena Vista to take advantage of the Joe Lee-designed course with the popular Mickey Mouse sand trap on hole No. 9. Recently, crews revamped the green on hole No. 15 to improve the quality and consistency of the grass.

Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course
After being shut down for a large-scale “re-imagination” project that began last year, the Magnolia course reopened as a 14-hole course in late July. Holes 15 through 18 continue to be closed with hopes to return to 18-hole play by the end of 2023. In the meantime, the course is offering a 33% discount to golfers looking to take advantage of the newly designed course.

Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando
Katie Husum was recently introduced as new club sales manager. Husum brings more than 14 years of experience in the golf industry with previous stints at Bay Hill Club and Lodge and NBC Sports. As it marks its fifth anniversary, club membership continues to grow and now an upgraded level of membership allows members to take advantage of the resort’s adults-only pool and private five-acre water park.

Grand Cypress Golf Club
Located within the gates of Evermore Resort, which has been semi-closed for the past three and a half years due to a massive expansion and renovation, Grand Cypress Golf Club boasts two courses that offer different experiences. The renovations being done include a brand-new, 18-hole course built by the Nicklaus Design team, which is replacing the north, east and south nine holes that have been there since the 1980s. The former clubhouse has also been demolished, with a new one being built in its place.

Mystic Dunes Golf Club
This course that ties together classic Carolina golf with the traditional characteristics of a British-style links course is getting a full renovation before reopening in September. All greens will be resurfaced and restored to their original shape, while all tees, fairways and the rough will be leveled and re-grassed using Celebration Bermuda grass. All bunkers and dunes will be overhauled and restored to their original shape and condition, while there will also be significant tree enhancements around the property to enable both native trees and wildlife to thrive.

Reunion Resort and Golf Club
Reunion Resort and Golf features three championship courses each designed by legendary pro golfers Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson. This summer, the whole family can get involved on the golf course: When guests stay for three nights or more, kids 15 and under can play any of Reunion’s signature courses for free with a paying adult.

Shingle Creek Golf Course
This season, Shingle Creek has redone all the sand and liners in the greenside and fairway bunkers; by the end of the season, golfers can expect to be hitting off new turf mats at the driving range, while also driving around in new golf carts that are expected to hit the course by the end of this year.

Worth The Drive


Saddlebrook Resort Tampa
Saddlebrook is home to two state-of-the-art, Arnold Palmer-designed golf courses. The Palmer Course and Saddlebrook Course offer avid and recreational golfers alike rolling fairways, well-maintained greens and wilderness areas rich in cypress, pine and palm trees.

Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club North Tampa
Both the North and the South courses span across leafy landscapes that are covered with mature oaks, lakes and ponds, making it an unusually hilly experience for Florida golf. The North course has even greater elevation than the South course, providing scenic views of the surrounding community to golfers.