Golfer's Guide Orlando Golf Courses Stories

As host of one of the PGA Tour’s most celebrated non-major tournaments, regular on every golf publication’s short list of America’s top golf cities and home to nearly 90 public golf courses, it’s reasonable for tourists and locals to have high expectations every time they tee it up here in Orlando.

Much like highly-touted college recruits or first round draft picks, Remington Golf Club and Kissimmee Bay Country Club had even more to live up to after both being nominated as one of America’s Best New Courses by Golf Digest in the 1990s.

These sister courses have met, even exceeded expectations, by giving golfers the opportunity to play unlimited golf for very reasonable rates on two distinct 18-hole championship courses, making “Stay and Play” easy and delivering the customer service and quality expected when paying a visit to one of the world’s most visited tourist destinations.

Some renovations simply alter or spruce up a golf course. Other ones, however, can drastically change the personality, playability and challenge of a single layout much for the better. Five years removed from a renovation by Steve Smyers, Grande Pines Golf Club is most certainly far more the latter than the former.

Located in the shadow of Sea World in the heart of Orlando just off International Drive, Grande Pines was already one of the better regarded layouts in Central Florida before the renovation began. Following Smyers’ redesign, this 18-hole Marriott Golf facility is in the discussion as one of the finest courses in the area; a significant statement given the world-class golf that is found throughout the Orlando region. The reigning Marriott Golf property of the year, Grande Pines was originally designed by Joe Lee and opened as the International Golf Club in 1986. In 2003 the club shut down for the considerable redesign, and opened a year later with a fresh new look, a new name and a new designer of record in Smyers, whose work at the course more than justifies that honor.

Picture this: The breezes are blowing across Central Florida (aren’t they always?), but unlike other courses in the area, Eagle Creek is firm and fast, with Scottish-style revetted bunkers between you and the pin 40 yards away. You shape a bump and-run shot within three feet and drain the putt to get into your buddy’s wallet. You’ve just experienced something you’ll find nowhere else in the Orlando area, the true Scottish golf experience of Eagle Creek Golf Club, located just southeast of Orlando International Airport.