Hawk’s Landing Golf Club has got to be one of the most interesting of golf courses in the Central Florida area. Not to mention, it is also one the most beautiful. While unlike the others that are either too “man-made”, and some are too “natural”, this golf vacation destination is that one course that perfectly balances it. It is a 50-50 share of nature, with its wide selection of native Florida vegetation of queen palms, oaks, sand pines and beautiful jasmines and azaleas among others. The other 50 of human genius, is the magnanimous Orlando World Center Marriott Resort that is at the forefront of this exquisite facility. This is one course that perfectly suits what a ‘golf vacation destination‘ exactly is.

The course sits on a 220-acre property right outside of the hotel. Surprisingly, though, when the games are on, the hotel just sits at the background, that is so easily ignored. The beautiful features and the fun play are a golfer’s best distraction here. Hawk’s Landing Golf Club features a very flat layout that is common in Florida courses, but this should never lure golfers into thinking it’s going to be an easy ride. Trees, water and bunkers have been placed on this golf vacation favorite for a reason and it is nto just the aesthetics.

At over 6,800 yards from the longest tees, par 71, with three other sets of tees, the course gives an ultimate fun but fair challenge to golfers despite the skill level. Hawk’s Landing Golf Club is beautiful and playable – golf trips can never go wrong here. It brings the kind of golf that makes it worth the trip.

Most, if not all golf courses carry with them a “time” theme to their designs. Others are plain “new-age”, some are “classic”. But very rarely does the golfing world see a golf course that carries the grandeur of both the time yonder and today’s innovations. It is like seeing a time warp all at the same time and place. One such course is Orlando’s Shingle Creek Golf Club. The golf vacation destination carries with it a long and rich history embedded in its natural features, accentuated by the genius of a new-age designer.

Mark Harman designed this 18-hole, 7,213-yard, par-72 golf vacation favorite. The Shingle Creek Golf Club is named after the creek of the same name, which is a part of the headwaters of the scenic Everglades of Florida. Golfers are to expect quite a lot of waterholes on this course. Along with the waters, the sandy banks of this course also play a part in defining the challenge set by this course. And all that beauty is set against a backdrop and earth of pristine natural goodness. Unmoved, untouched, and maintained to always be at its prime all year round. These features of the course combine to create a stunning, mystical and unforgettably beautiful spectacle that is bound to make one forget Disney is but a short drive away.

To make matters even better than it already is, the course has five sets of tees to choose from. That is a gift to golfers with no discrimination whatsoever for the players handicap. It is an enjoyable, fairly challenging course from any tee. The Shingle Creek Golf Club is that rare golf course that brings the good ol’ days of golfing into any golf trips, without it feeling outdated at all.

A golf vacation to Orlando would surely never stop within Orlando, right? Surely, the outskirts of the theme-park city has a lot to offer for their golf loving guests. This is Florida! Golf is basically everywhere! All there is to do is drive a little further out of the city and voila! The rarest of gems are ripe and ready for the picking! What’s more surprising, these courses turn out to be even greater than the overrated ones in the city. One perfect example is the Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club in Haines City, just off of Highway 27.

The golf vacation destination boasts of a risk-reward game that is defined by five par-4 holes and several par-3s, extensive mounding with elevation changes of up to 100 feet, and more than a hundred strategically placed bunkers. From the longest tees, the Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club measure a good 7,200 yards and play for a par of 72. It plays with five sets of tees for yardage lengths that will suit any type of golfer. On top of it all, the greens are large and fast. Every feature of this course was made to provoke and challenge golfers.

Now, that said, it should not be surprising why quite a lot of golfers choose to take golf trips at the Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club. Neither should it be surprising that this course holds a 4.5 star-rating from Golf Digest, and ranks among Florida’s and the US’ top golf courses. Going out of the box – or in this case, the city – reaps some good things too. (Plus Disneyland is only 15 minutes away!)

The things that are hardest to find are the most valuable. That’s why the rarest gems are the priciest. The Harmony Golf Preserve in Florida is a rare one. What is so special about this golf vacation destination, and what is most loved is the fact that it has as much solitude as there is accessibility. Where else does one see a course that is actually part of a housing community with no houses in sight? And that is not because no one wants to live there! This had just been so well planned that perfect balance was created.

Well, not surprisingly though. The Harmony Golf Preserve is the handiwork of renowned golfing personality, Johnny Miller. This is his only one in Florida, thus, the additional merits on rarity. It is a golfer’s haven sitting on an 11,000 acre property that’s bordered by thick forests of towering southern pines and broad meadows. Not only do there features create a picture-perfect aspect to the course, it has also made a part in creating a real challenge for golfers of all skill levels. And like icing to cake, making things even more delicious around here, there are two large, sparkling lakes that make its way into several holes. The course is built wrapped in natural wetlands, thus the harmony between nature and human genius. The result is, without a doubt, superb. And golf trips here are never shortchanged.

The Harmony Golf Preserve measures a whooping 7,428 yards from the longest tees, par 72, with several sets of tees to satisfy all golfers of all skill levels. And downtown Orlando is just a stone’s throw away. A golf vacation here will turn out to be one of the most unforgettable for anyone. And most valuable.