Grand Cypress Golf Club — New Course (Links)

Jack Nicklaus won two of his 18 major championships at St Andrews, and his affection for the Old Course is well documented. At Grand Cypress in 1988, he built the most faithful American tribute to that course, complete with double greens, stone bridges, 150 pot bunkers, a replica of the Swilcan Bridge, and a recreation of the Road Hole. The result is unlike anything else in Florida golf and unlike most courses in the country.

At 6,773 yards with a slope of just 122, the New Course plays shorter and technically easier than other premium Orlando layouts. The numbers, however, misrepresent the experience. This is a course that measures its difficulty in decisions rather than distance. Double greens create putting surfaces that can be 100 yards or more across, with pin positions that demand specific approach strategies. The 150 pot bunkers are placed at distances and angles that punish the specific misses Nicklaus anticipated based on his intimate knowledge of the Old Course's strategic architecture.

The ground game is the point. Nicklaus designed the course to be played along the ground as much as through the air, with running approaches and bump-and-run chip shots as legitimate tactical options on most holes. For golfers accustomed to the target-golf style of most American courses, the adjustment is substantial and illuminating. The course teaches a different way of thinking about approach play, which is part of its educational value and part of its charm.

The Swilcan Bridge replica and the Road Hole recreation are the most visible homages, but the tribute runs deeper than landmarks. The overall rhythm of the routing, with its shared fairways, blind approaches, and wide-open vistas punctuated by hidden hazards, captures the character of links golf in a setting that has no business producing it. Nicklaus acknowledged the inherent absurdity of building a links course in Orlando and committed to the concept anyway, and the result works precisely because of that commitment.

Now operated by Evermore Resort, the course remains accessible to both resort guests and outside visitors. Green fees ranging from $75 to $150 depending on season make it one of the better value propositions among Orlando's premium courses. The lower end of that range, typically available in summer, represents remarkable access to a Nicklaus design with genuine architectural significance.

The New Course is the Orlando layout that serious architecture enthusiasts should prioritise. It is not the most difficult course in the region, nor the most photogenic, nor the most obviously prestigious. It is, however, the most intellectually engaging, and the course most likely to change how a visiting golfer thinks about shot selection and course strategy. That kind of influence outlasts the memory of any individual round.