Celebration Golf Club

It’s a celebration! At the Celebration Golf Club, players and lovers of the sport rejoice and celebrate the many wonderful things that makes this sport one of the best man has ever created, as well as the beauty of surroundings that only nature can give. The famed golf vacation destination, located in the town of the same name just outside of Orlando, in itself is a wonderful reason to be happy and delight in the sport.

The Celebration Golf Club is one of the collaboration projects of father-and-son golf design duo, Robert Trent Jones Senior and Junior. They have created one spectacle in golf that brings together the great features well-loved by most every golfer, set in a backdrop painted by Mother Nature herself. The course winds through a natural wetland environment – of old live oaks, pines and magnolias and shimmering lakes. The designers kept the natural topography untouched, thus golfers enjoy a layout of rolling terrain – generally challenging, utterly provoking, but fair. Fair enough, the course has five sets of tees to play from to keep things interesting for golfers despite their skill levels. The maximum yardage length is set at more than 7,200 yards, par 72. The course is so spectacular it not only is celebrated for golf vacations but for some of the best, most popular golf tournaments as well.

Topping the list are the US Senior Open Qualifier, the Robert Gamez Celebrity Invitational, the Florida State Public Links Championship and the Buick Scramble National Championships. And to complete the truly celebratory Orlando golf trip, the Celebration Golf Club is minutes away from the best themed-resorts in the country. In here, life is truly a celebration!

Royal St. Cloud Golf Links Course

27 holes, more than 7,000 yards, five sets of tees, and all the best of anything Orlando, Florida golfing – this sneak peek of what Royal St Cloud Golf Links Course has to bring in golf vacations are enough a reason to bring a tiara with the rest of the golf paraphernalia. Why, that’s some quality golfing worthy of the blue bloods! Well, it must really live up to its name, and to all the legendary golf courses it paid homage to in its many replica bunkers and holes on course.

The true links style layout has pot bunkers reminiscent in those of the European greats – Irish, Scottish, and even British (thus, the name for the nines). Some are even reminiscent of those in St Andrew’s. The rolling mounds, more sand dunes and treeless, wide fairways of the Royal St Cloud Golf Links Course make it an even more authentic links course, something that is mostly unheard of in Central Florida. The authentic part, at least. And the holes here are just as diverse from one another. Or from any other hole elsewhere. That’s one Florida golf trip that is unlike any Florida golf trip! And it doesn’t hurt that it’s beautiful too.

What’s more, there are no houses in sight! Na-da. Zilch. There is only the endless blowing of the Florida breeze and an array of 27 of the best holes in Florida bordered by world class bunkers that just brings the best features of the best links courses in the world. Now that is, without a doubt, one golf vacation destination that almost literally rolls out the red carpet. On this case, green carpet. Hear ye! Hear ye! Let the games begin at the Royal St Cloud Golf Links Course!

Providence Golf Club

Not a few golfers seek solace in the arms of Mother Nature when they head out on their golf vacations. Most, if not all, look for courses that have as much of nature without necessarily having to go into the woods or on a ten-hour drive outside the city. In Orlando, for example, finding a peaceful, decent, and beautiful course within close range may seem impossible. But it’s not entirely impossible. The Providence Golf Club is the answer.

This 18-hole, par 72 Mike Dasher creation is a mere 15-minute drive from the themed resorts of Orlando, but there is not a trace of the bustling city anywhere. There are, only healthy servings of natural wetlands, old-growth oaks and other forest trees, and a lot of nature’s sights and sounds that include but are not limited to gators, egrets, cranes, and otters. There’s a lot of golf here, too, and very few houses. The layout is a combination of European, some parkland, and some more Florida. Water plays on 13 of the 18 holes, and there are about 35 native sand bunkers on course that creates that generally fair play on whichever tee set it is being played on. And to complete the golf vacation package, the Providence Golf Club has made sure the service quality matches that of the layout and scenery.

Here, the staff and pros have both the right amounts of warmth and expertise to perfect the service. That brings the best of everything any golfer would desire for in a golf trip. As for the Providence Golf Club, it enjoys the best of both worlds: great golf course basking in nature’s glory and divine peace as well as the best of Orlando’s tourist favorites without one getting ahead of or over the other’s line.

Sanctuary Ridge Golf Club

It would actually be hard to define how to exactly feel when playing the Sanctuary Ridge Golf Club. It feels like Florida and Scotland and somewhere else in that little piece of golf heaven in Orlando. There is nothing like this anywhere else in Central Florida, and that alone is reason enough to actually pack that golf bag and head on a golf trip hereabouts. Breaking them down in details will leave golfers scrambling off already.

 The Sanctuary Ridge Golf Club, ladies and gentlemen, is a rare mountain course. The 270 feet elevation will tell this part of the story. And since there are a lot of sand on this golf vacation destination, naturally, designer Terrill LaGree created bunkers and a links style layout. He made sure too that there are no parallel fairways on course, thereby giving golfers true solitude while going at their game. The only thing, perhaps, that is more Scottish than this is a kilt. And at over 7000 yards from the longest tees, with five sets of tees to choose from, par 72, there is something to marvel at in this place.

On top of all its marvelous layout features, the course is surrounded with so much beauty it is heartwarming. And so close to other fun amenities, but without jeopardizing quality and almost holy seclusion that a game of golf promises its dear patrons. The Sanctuary Ridge Golf Club is located in Clermont, the heart of Florida where everything else fun about the Sunshine State is in close proximity making it perfect in general for all family getaways, not just golf vacations. Something as good as this should never be enclosed in a piece of reading material; it calls for revving up the engine and heading to this little piece of golf paradise.

Bella Collina

Big could not even begin to describe the Bella Collina Golf Club in Orlando, Florida. Neither could it fully encompass every aspect of it. This golf vacation destination is big on size yes, but that would be forgetting all the merits of its layout, scenery, and the totality of the incredible job that designer Nick Faldo did here. That would be unjust and unacceptable. Now all that needs to be done is to figure out where to begin describing this one of a kind creation.

The Bella Collina, to begin with, is yes, big. Massive. From the longest tees, it is more than 7,500 yards, par 72. And only to match its length, golfers are given six sets of tees to play from thereby accommodating pretty much most every golfer, handicap regardless. This layout sits on a rolling hill, a highland design that is nowhere near anything found in the Central Florida area – all 1900 acres of it. As golfers go through this course, they are taken in and around sweeping hillsides, thick forests and a former limestone quarry that adds a different flavor to the scenery. But what brings the ‘extra’ in extra special for golf trips here go beyond the 18-holes of the course.

Golfers will play in this course surrounded with views of orange groves and overlooking views of vineyards. If that is not visually stimulating enough, the sight of the two lakes, Apopka and Siena, will cover that. The Bella Collina is truly way beyond everything that anyone expects to see hereabouts. And golf vacations are exactly the same. Now, that makes ‘happy’ an insufficient adjective.

Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course

There is nothing too unlovable about anything that bears the name Disney. Especially not if it is in Orlando and part of the magical fantasy-come-true paradise of the Disneyworld. But this is not all about the glittery world of Disney fairy tales that only children and children-at-heart love. Golfers actually find their own paradise here at any of the five championship golf courses. Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course, lovingly called “The Mag”, is listed as the longest in yardage and is also known as among the most beautiful. This golf vacation destination at its finest, fairest.

Its name is a giveaway. Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course is dotted with over 1,500 magnolia trees that add as much beauty and challenge to the course. Apart from the elevated tees, greens, and rolling terrain, one of the highlights of the course is a Mickey Mouse-shaped sand bunker on the 6th hole. Seeing the iconic Mickey Mouse shape on the course is enough a reason to believe there is something so magical about this course. No amount of magic, though, could give anyone a great scorecard. It takes shot accuracy and working techniques to conquer the Mag’s 11 water holes and 97 bunkers – including the Mickey Mouse one. The Joe Lee-designed golf favorite measures a lengthy 7,488 yards, par 72. But golf vacations are not the only things magical here.

Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course is a PGA Tour staple, being the host of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. All that features have merited this course a four star rating from the prestigious Golf Digest’s Places to Play. And because this is Disney, not only are golf trips here award-winning and naturally beautiful; they are magical.

Grand Cypress Golf Course – East, South North Nines

The Grand Cypress Golf Course’s excellent set of nines East, South and North, are probably the best value for money anyone can get out of their Orlando golf trips. There is just so much to do on so little a course, and its three 18-hole options feels as if there is more to it. From the scenery to the features, there is so much to take in and so much to enjoy at these nines, each of them bringing a flavor and attitude distinct from the others.

Just like the Grand Cypress New Course, these nines are also Jack Nicklaus creations. The South and North, the older of the three, all share the same characteristics of having large mounds, terraced fairways, shaped bunkers, and generous landing areas. The newer East course is more forgiving and more generous, which, when played with either the South of the North nines, would perfectly contrast the tightness of the latter. These courses which, apparently, vary in length according to nine-on-nine combo, does not mind the length or strength of a golfer’s shot. What matters most in playing the East. South and North nines are the shot making skills and its foremost requisite is ACCURACY. But generally speaking, the foremost of foremost in the list of admission requirements at this golf vacation destination is a golfer’s desire of a great time with a sense of adventure.

What makes golf vacations hereabouts are the ability of the East, South and North nines to bring out the adventure that golfers come to seek. And it does not hurt, too, that the course provides it in a visually appealing manner. With variety and beauty as great as this, it is every cent that is without a doubt well-spent.

Ritz-Carlton Golf Club – Grande Lakes

Nothing could ever be more grand than the Grande Lakes Course at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club in Orlando. Well, this is the Sunshine State after all. Golf comes rather easily, hands down. Not to mention, it’s the Ritz-Carlton. That is the name that easily gets associated with fun, memorable, exclusive, wonderful vacations. And, this is a Greg Norman signature course. Greg Norman is Greg Norman, and excellence is almost synonymous. It almost comes naturally. It does not come as surprising that golf vacations here are so effortlessly excellent and memorable.

The Grande Lakes Course is a lengthy 7, 122 yards from the longest tees, par 72. The thing that makes it stand out is that Greg Norman has made optimum use of these natural characteristics and terrain to create a very challenging spectacle. It is located at the headwaters of the Florida Everglades and the banks of the Shingles Pond, and these are the assortment of things that every golfer needs to brave in trying to conquer this golf vacation destination and bears the typical features of a Florida course – water, palms, palmettos, pine trees, old live oaks, the works.

But despite the generic Floridan features, there is no room to believing that this is ‘just like any other Florida course’. Greg Norman’s value for excellence simply could not allow that, thus he made this course to bear an attitude. And that is unabashedly revealed in the signature bunkers strewn on pretty much the entire course. All that paired with all the natural wonders of Orlando scenery and the service brand of a Ritz-Carlton, there is not a reason to believe every golf trip at the Grande Lakes Course will be exactly that – grand.

Orange County National Golf Club – Panther Lake Course

“The best of everything” might sound a little too uppish to most people, but when the Panther Lake Course of Orange County National Golf Club makes the claim, there is much truth to it. It’s pretty accurate. Why, everything it has is at its best conditions. From the views to the layout to the conditioning, this golf vacation destination knows how to spell ‘perfection’ and ‘best’.

Scenery wise, guests at the Panther Lake Course are never shortchanged on their golf trips. Quite on the contrary in fact. This course was made without the impaling views of housing projects. There is nothing here to see but the best of what nature endowed Florida with. And if that’s not enough beauty naturelle yet, the course is for the most part, preserved natural terrain. Layout wise, golfers are taken to a golf course that spells the best in variety. The 7,350-yard layout feels tad longer for the massive distinction of one hole to another. There is just no telling what or how the next hole will be like as they go through natural oak hammocks, wetlands, other water features, and pine forests. And as for the conditioning, the newly installed Championship turf greens would very well answer any query as well as ease frowned foreheads.

The Panther Lake Course did well in making the best out of its offerings. Whilst others may be able to offer something different, or something it cannot match up to, this course promises and delivers the best of what it has. And what it has is basically what every golfer needs in a golf course. Should one expect any different for their golf vacations here?

Orange County National Golf Club – Crooked Cat Course

The Crooked Cat Course may sound wild and needs to be tamed. While wild may not mean crazy, cannibalistic wild, it is true that golfers can dance their own tune on this course. Golfers may choose to be as wild on their golf vacations here. This Orange County National course gives the golfers a stronger sense of freedom and yes, fun.

This golf vacation destination makes up in part the 45-hole Orange County National Golf Club. The other 18-hole facility, the Panther, is known for its tough unforgiving layout. The Crooked Cat Course, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. It is more forgiving and more playable with wider fairways, fewer trees, and easier shots – NOT! The course’s easy links style course is defined by quite a lot of grassy areas that won’t make a wayward shot recovery any easier. Not to mention, there’s an incessant blowing of the Floridan wind that makes its presence felt big time. The course is actually perfect for golfers who are either having too good of a time or too serious and is inching up on their games. Either way, it will always be a crazy fun ride…every single time.

 That’s the reason why golf trips here are worth taking. It’s all 7,000++ yards of excellent golfing according to what suits one’s taste, and can be played from any of its five sets of tees. That’s the Crooked Cat Course. For something called ‘crooked’, it has gotten the path to fun the right way. But then again, it might as well be appropriate. It’s wild, it’s fun, it’s unforgettable.