Orlando
Eighty courses in the shadow of the theme parks, shaped by Palmer, Nicklaus, Watson, Norman, and Faldo.
State
Florida
Courses
15
Green Fees
$59–$475
Best Months
Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
Airport
Orlando International (MCO) (20-40 minutes)
Sixty million tourists visit Orlando every year, and the overwhelming majority of them never pick up a golf club. They come for the theme parks, the convention centres, the attractions along International Drive. The golf exists in the margins of this tourism economy, which is precisely what makes it interesting. While the rest of the world queues for roller coasters, Orlando quietly operates roughly 80 courses within a 45-minute radius of the International Drive corridor, several of them designed by...
Read our full editorial guide →Quick Facts
- Best months
- Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
- Courses
- 15
- Green fee range
- $59–$475
- Nearest airport
- Orlando International (MCO) (20-40 minutes)
- Rental car
- Essential
Courses Worth the Trip
15 courses across Orlando
Bucket List
Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge
Orlando, Florida
Arnold Palmer's living room, and the only Orlando course with genuine PGA Tour history.
USD 105–475PrivateDick Wilson (1961), refined by Arnold Palmer
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Premium
ChampionsGate Golf Club — International Course
Orlando, Florida
The highest course rating in Florida, and the closest thing to links golf that Orlando produces.
USD 275ResortGreg Norman, Matthew Dusenberry & Tad Burnett (2000; remastered 2016)
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ChampionsGate Golf Club — National Course
Orlando, Florida
Greg Norman's parkland counterpart to the International, with 80 bunkers winding through former orange groves.
USD 275ResortGreg Norman (2000)
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Grand Cypress Golf Club — New Course (Links)
Orlando, Florida
Jack Nicklaus built a tribute to the Old Course at St Andrews in the shadow of Walt Disney World.
USD 75–150ResortJack Nicklaus (1988)
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Reunion Resort — Nicklaus Course (Tradition)
Orlando, Florida
Jack Nicklaus's precise demand for iron play, with pot bunkers and small greens that accept nothing casual.
USD 101–223ResortJack Nicklaus (2004)
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Reunion Resort — Palmer Course
Orlando, Florida
Arnold Palmer's signature elevation changes bring hill-country drama to flat Florida.
USD 101–223ResortArnold Palmer (2004)
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Reunion Resort — Watson Course
Orlando, Florida
Tom Watson's strategic test on rolling terrain, and the most cerebral of Reunion's three designs.
USD 101–223ResortTom Watson (2004)
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Premium
Waldorf Astoria Golf Club
Orlando, Florida
Rees Jones routed through a wetland preserve to produce Orlando's most visually immersive resort course.
USD 325ResortRees Jones (2009)
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Mid-Range
Bella Collina Golf Club
Orlando, Florida
Nick Faldo's only North American design, built into lakeside terrain with elevation changes rare for Florida.
USD 99–175PrivateNick Faldo & Steve Smyers (2008)
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Mid-Range
Orange County National — Crooked Cat
Orlando, Florida
The tougher sibling at Orange County National, with a 76.0 rating that tests accomplished players.
USD 209PublicPhil Ritson / Dave Harman / Isao Aoki (1997)
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Mid-Range
Orange County National — Panther Lake
Orlando, Florida
A 900-acre golf-only facility that consistently ranks among the best public courses in Florida.
USD 149PublicPhil Ritson / Dave Harman / Isao Aoki (1997)
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Mid-Range
Providence Golf Club
Orlando, Florida
A public course ten minutes from Disney with greens that punch above its price point.
USD 100–119PublicMike Dasher (2007, renovated 2018)
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Mid-Range
Shingle Creek Golf Club
Orlando, Florida
Water on 15 of 18 holes along the headwaters of the Everglades, redesigned by the Palmer firm in 2016.
USD 199ResortDavid Harman (2003), redesigned Thad Layton/Arnold Palmer Design (2016)
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Hidden Value
Falcon's Fire Golf Club
Orlando, Florida
Rees Jones conditioning at a public-course price, quietly reliable since 1993.
USD 145PublicRees Jones / Greg Muirhead (1993)
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Hidden Value
Royal St. Cloud Golf Links
Orlando, Florida
Three British Isles-themed nines at a price that makes five-round Orlando trips possible.
USD 59–64PublicChip Powell (~2001, third nine 2009)
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Where to Stay
14 options near the courses
Vacation Rental
ChampionsGate Resort Villas (Vacation Rental)
Orlando, Florida
Full kitchens and multiple bedrooms adjacent to two Greg Norman courses, booked through VRBO.
From $150/nightOn-site golf
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Resort
Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Resort
Orlando, Florida
All-suite rooms with complimentary breakfast and evening reception, three miles from Grand Cypress.
From $130/nightGrand Cypress (~3 mi)
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Vacation Rental
Marriott's Cypress Harbour Villas
Orlando, Florida
Two-bedroom villas with full kitchens and no resort fee, a quiet advantage in Orlando's surcharge culture.
From $176/nightShingle Creek GC (~5 mi)
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Lodge
Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge
Orlando, Florida
Seventy rooms on Arnold Palmer's private estate, with PGA Tour conditioning outside the door.
From $265/nightOn-site golf
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Hotel
JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes
Orlando, Florida
A thousand rooms, a Greg Norman course, and a water park that keeps companions occupied for days.
From $286/nightOn-site golf
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Resort
Waldorf Astoria Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Five-star scale with a Rees Jones course on site and eleven dining venues under one roof.
From $350/nightOn-site golf
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Resort
Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate
Orlando, Florida
Two Greg Norman courses, a wave pool, and nine dining outlets on one sprawling ChampionsGate campus.
From $149/nightOn-site golf
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Resort
Reunion Resort & Golf Club (Hotel)
Orlando, Florida
Three championship courses by Watson, Palmer, and Nicklaus, all accessible without starting a car.
From $123/nightOn-site golf
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Vacation Rental
Reunion Resort Villas (Vacation Rental)
Orlando, Florida
Group-sized villas with private pools and access to Reunion's three-designer golf collection.
From $200/nightOn-site golf
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Vacation Rental
Villas of Grand Cypress
Orlando, Florida
A boutique property with 45 holes of Nicklaus golf and a dedicated academy on site.
From $200/nightOn-site golf
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Resort
Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
Orlando, Florida
AAA Four Diamond quality one mile from Waldorf Astoria Golf Club, at a lower nightly rate.
From $180/nightWaldorf Astoria GC (~1 mi)
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Hotel
Comfort Suites Maingate East
Orlando, Florida
The savings here fund an extra round of golf, and the breakfast is included.
From $90/nightFalcon's Fire (~4 mi)
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Hotel
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Orlando — International Drive
Orlando, Florida
A functional I-Drive base with free breakfast and Shingle Creek Golf Club four miles away.
From $80/nightShingle Creek GC (~4 mi)
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Hotel
Red Lion Hotel Orlando — Kissimmee Maingate
Orlando, Florida
The floor of the Orlando accommodation market, with free breakfast and four pools at $60 a night.
From $60/nightFalcon's Fire (~5 mi)
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Off the Fairway
Non-golf activities and companion experiences
Dining
2-4 hours
Disney Springs
Orlando, Florida
Free-admission dining, shopping, and Cirque du Soleil on Disney property, no park ticket required.
Free entry (Cirque du Soleil and select experiences priced separately)
PartnerBook activity
Cultural
1-2 hours (tour duration)
Everglades Airboat Tour
Orlando, Florida
Alligators in their natural habitat, 30 minutes from the tourist corridor.
$37 — $95 per person (varies by duration and operator)
ViatorBook activity
Cultural
2 hours
Glass-Bottom Kayak Eco Tour
Orlando, Florida
Clear kayaks over crystal springs, with near-perfect Viator ratings and a side of Florida most visitors miss.
$84 — $115 per person (varies by location)
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Scenic
1-2 hours
ICON Park Orlando (The Wheel)
Orlando, Florida
A 400-foot observation wheel on International Drive, paired with dinner and evening entertainment.
$40 per person ($21.99 FL residents)
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Scenic
5-7 hours
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Orlando, Florida
Space Shuttle Atlantis, launch pad tours, and astronaut encounters 45 minutes east of Orlando.
$64 — $75 adult (1-day general admission)
ViatorBook activity
Cultural
Full day per park
Walt Disney World
Orlando, Florida
Four theme parks that solve the companion problem more completely than any other golf destination.
$119 — $209 per person (single park, single day; varies by park and date)
ViatorBook activity
Cultural
2-4 hours
Wild Florida Drive-Thru Safari & Airboat
Orlando, Florida
Drive your own car through a safari park with zebras and giraffes, 45 minutes south of Orlando.
Safari $28-$40; Airboat $80-$95; combos available
ViatorBook activity
Scenic
1 hour
Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour
Orlando, Florida
A narrated pontoon cruise through lakefront mansions and Rollins College since 1938, for $20.
$20 adults, $10 children (2-11)
ViatorBook activity
Restaurant Row / International Drive Dining
Dining
Evening
Restaurant Row / International Drive Dining
Orlando, Florida
Orlando's best dining concentration, with 100 restaurants across two corridors near every golf-trip hotel.
Free to browse (meals vary)
PartnerBook activity
Universal Studios Florida
Cultural
Full day
Universal Studios Florida
Orlando, Florida
Thrill rides and the Wizarding World, with broader adult appeal than its Disney neighbour.
Starting at ~$119 (single park, single day; dynamic pricing up to $354.99 for multi-park)
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Plan Your Trip
Pre-planned itineraries for Orlando
Best Value Trip
Best Value: Three Nights at Orlando's Public-Course Core
Four rounds at Orlando's strongest public courses for roughly a third of the resort-tier price.
4 daysUSD 1200–2000/person
Bucket List Trip
The Bucket List: Five Nights with Palmer, Watson, Nicklaus, and Norman
Five rounds across five designer signatures, from Palmer's private lodge to Nicklaus's St Andrews tribute.
6 daysUSD 3500–5500/person
Long Weekend
The Long Weekend: Two Nights of Norman and Watson
Three rounds across two resorts in two days, with Norman and Watson 15 minutes apart on I-4.
3 daysUSD 1500–2500/person
Planning Your Trip
Airports, rental cars, seasonal pricing, and local knowledge for Orlando.
From the Editorial
Articles covering Orlando
Opinion
Orlando vs Myrtle Beach: Family Golf Trips
Comparing Orlando's theme park infrastructure with Myrtle Beach's beach-and-golf combination for family golf vacations.
Opinion
Orlando vs Naples: Florida Golf Beyond the Beach
Comparing Orlando's resort golf with Naples' upscale courses for visiting golfers planning a Florida trip beyond the beach.
Opinion
Myrtle Beach vs Orlando: Budget Golf Trip Face-Off
Comparing America's two best-value golf destinations for groups seeking quality courses without breaking the budget.
Trip Planning
Course Guide
Destination Guide
Course Guide
Course Guide
Destination Guide
Destination Guide