Being home to the famous Walt Disney World, Orlando is now a city that is already heavily urbanized with the array of industries. Aside from the famous world of Mickey Mouse, the city also boasts of its other major tourist attractions including the Universal Orlando Resort, the SeaWorld Orlando, and Lake Buena Vista. These all-time favorite vacation spots served as the backbone of the city’s tourism industry that sees over 50 million annual visits from both the local and foreign vacation goers. But amidst the vast urban sprawl and theme parks are the finest championship golf courses that were designed by top golf course architects and designers. The International Course of Championsgate Golf Resort, the Stoneybrook West, the Disney’s Palm Golf Club, the Bella Collina Golf Club, and the Harmony Golf Preserve, are among the pristine greens that the Orlando golf industry boasts about.
Championsgate Golf Resort – International Course
World-class golf with unmatched golf facility designed by the famous golf champion Greg Norman is what the International Course of the Championsgate Golf Resort is all about. Just minutes off from the famous Disney World, golfers can now take challenging rounds of golf in a layout that reminds of the British Isles’ great golf courses. The entire layout features the thick and gnarly rough, fairways with mounding and waste areas on either of its sides, and the deep bunkers to add up to the challenge.
The Stoneybrook West has been considered as one of the finest greens in Central Florida that offers the best tests in golfing. A layout that stretches out 7,101 yards of play from the back tees, will allow each golfer to decide how much challenge would fit to make the best of their rounds. Designed by Arthur Hills, the course features the legendary greens that are seeded with Tif Eagle and the true rolling features. Golfers can also take warm ups on the layout’s full practice range equipped with fairway bunkers and greenside.
Rated among “America’s Top 75 Resort Courses”, the Disney’s Palm Golf Club offers the fourth-toughest 18th hole that the PGA Tour has. It also features the numerous tree-lined fairways, elevated greens and tees, 94 bunkers, and the fair share of sand and water with 9 water holes. The course was also cited by Golf Magazine as one of the “Top 25 Resorts in the United States”.
Exclusively designed by Nick Faldo, the Bella Collina Golf Club serves as the masterpiece of the of an all-time leading Ryder Cup point scorer. Set in the rolling terrain Highlands of Tuscany, the course features the sweeping dunes, the open fairways, and the majestic views overlooking the lush orange groves and two lakes.
The Harmony Golf Preserve is a complete golf course facility designed by Johnny Miller, the 1973 U.S. Open Champion. The course is conveniently located between Lake Nona, Melbourne Beach, and the airport in Central Florida that is home to diverse animal and plant life. This award-winning layout also features the complete practice facility comprised of a putting green, chipping area, and a driving range.