Rio Pinar CC, my new home away from home

[Mike_Golden]

I joined Rio Pinar CC in Orlando today and feel like I've found a new home for golf.

Orlando may be a golf destination for many but, for those like me who hate golf carts, it's the pits.  There are virtually no courses in the area that encourage walking and it's pretty much taken away my urge to play golf for the past few months.

Rio Pinar, which hosted the Citrus Open from 1966-1982 (the PGA tour stop in Orlando before Bay Hill), is a solid yet unspectacular course that has a significant walking membership (probably about 1/3 according to the club manager).

I've played both nines (back last week, front this morning) and enjoyed both of them even though they are quite different-the front has a number of doglegs, a stream meandering throught the property, and several fairly interesting shorter par 4's while the back is longer and straighter.  The green complexes are pretty good, the course is well conditioned and did I tell you that walking was encourgaged.

On top of that, because of all the competition in Orlando, Rio Pinar is short of members so still have about 20 introductory memberships available for the princely sum of $2500 for the next year-that's all you pay for unlimited golf plus, at the end of the year, you can convert to an regular membership with no initiation fee.  On top of that there is a 30 day clause in the agreement so you could back out within 30 days and only pay for the golf you have played.

Anyone in the Orlando area or who is visiting Orlando is welcome to join me there.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Wow, that fee structure is very un-Bay Area-like!  

Sounds like a good setup, Mike.

[Andy Doyle]

Mike:

Rio Pinar - that's a name out of my distant past.  I grew up in Orlando (Maitland, actually).  My dad loved golf and always got tickets and took us to the Citrus Open in late 60's and early 70's.  Attending this tournament, along with fun times at the local driving range and the 9-hole course near my home (Winter Park Golf Club) cultivated my life-long love of golf.

I remember absolutely nothing about the course itself, but have 2 lasting memories from attending the tournament.

I was sitting around the 9th green and was hit by a Johnny Miller approach shot.  He must have really been having an off day, because this was the early 70's when he was in his heyday on the Tour.  The ball glanced off my foot and hit the person next to me as well.  After finishing out the hole, Johnny comes over and gives the ball to the person next to me with an apology and a big smile (completely ignoring me in the process) - one of my first times to realize the advantages of being an attractive young lady instead of a dorky teenage boy.

The second memory was the result of my fumbling attempts to understand the autograph thing.  I was probably only 10 or so and clearly did not understand the protocol and etiquette of asking for autographs.  I saw people getting Palmer, Nicklaus, etc to sign as they were coming and going from the putting green, but was too shy to try this in the midst of the big crowds.  Later, out on the course I found my courage and planted myself between green and next tee, resolved to ask the next golfer for his autograph - not knowing that such a request on the course during the tournament was not a good idea.

Just my luck - the next golfer to come my way was none other than Tom Weiskopf.  With a "get the f**k outta my way kid," he blew right past me - and I've never asked for an autograph since.

Anyway, congratulations on your new golf home.  Sounds great.

Andy

[Bob_Huntley]

Andy,

He treated you better than his fellow competitor in the US Senior Open.  

Bob

[Andy Doyle]

Bob:

Good thing for me he was 5 under at the time.  

Andy

[Scott_Burroughs]

I'd never heard of the club before.  Good on ya, Mike:

http://www.riopinar.com/

[Mike_Golden]

Kevin,

It's a pretty good deal and seems like a good bunch of members as well-very much a low key golf club, not a country club although they do serve dinner a couple of nights a week.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

I see that they have a grape juice appreciation society there at the club.

Way to go Rio Pinero!

[Mike_Golden]

Oh Great Emperor,

You'll just have to get your rapidly diminishing tokhis down to Orlando and have some of that vino when it cools down a little.  And, while you're here, I'll take you to a Fast Food Burger place that blows away In and Out

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Hopefully they do it wrapped in lettuce!

Soon, very soon!

[Mike_Golden]

Sure, whole wheat lettuce, you got it!!!

And french fried lettuce that just happens to look like great fries, that too

[John_Conley]

Mike, I think you'll like Rio Pinar.  The course is enjoyable, very walkable, and always has the tough finish to make you earn any good score you have going.  It just keeps getting tougher and tougher.

One thing that makes it attractive for competition actually winds up being a drawback for member play.  You will always have flat lies in the fairway so it is very fair.  The flip is that there isn't a lot of character.

I was a summer member for 90 days about 8 years ago.  I really enjoyed it, but it isn't too convenient for me.  I'd join for sure if I lived over there.

They still have a core of older coots that remember the club's glory days.  It is a trip to hear them tell you about so-and-so going over the trees to cut the dogleg on #6.  Gee, don't suppose the trees were half the height of what they are now!

Unlike many courses, they actually thrive during drought.  I think it is an older strain of common bermuda or something in the fairways.

Let me know if you get bored and we'll go down to North Shore, which always let me walk.  A very enjoyable course near the airport.  The problem with walking in Orlando when they do allow it at places like CC of Orlando, Casselberry, Winter Pines, Dubsdread, and Winter Park is that it is just too darn hot the entire summer and the omnipresent thundershowers can really disrupt your plans.

Did you move to Orlando or something?

[Mike_Golden]

John,

I moved to Orlando in May, haven't played too much since then because of the cart issue.  

Let's get together and play some golf sometime soon.

Mike

[Craig Sweet]

They have a wine society...nice.

[Bill_McBride]

So Mike, how does Rio Pinar stack up against Scenic Hills or Solutia or Stonebrook?  

[Mike_Golden]

Bill,

I think somewhat better as a golf course than Scenic Hills and Stonebrook.  Significantly better than both as a place to play golf.  Solutia gets a 'Does Not Qualify' because it's a potentially really good course that just isn't a good place to play because of management and conditioning.

Rio Pinar is much more like PCC than any of those.  Apparently a good membership, course is well conditioned, and, as John Conley said above, a good test of golf-plays 6800 yards from the Gold tees (over 7000 from the Black, which is not for me) and about 6400 from the Blues.  They also share a common heritage of being a former tour stop.

I guess we'll just have to do a home and home after PCC reopens.