I was recently in Lakeland and played BridgeWater, which was recently profiled in Golfweek by Brad. It was not yet "officially" open, but they had players out there. It is a design by Steve Smyers within approximately 30 minutes of the Disney resorts (Exit 38, and I think the Highway 192 exit for Disney is Exit 62). Given all of the "Where to play in Orlando" threads, I want to make sure it gets on everyone's list for good course/good value. Plus it's VERY conveniently located, approximately a half mile off I-4 for those that are trying to minimize their time away from the family at Disney!!
I won't go into all the details (check Brad's review for an in-depth analysis, where his rating would place it in the top 20 daily fees in the state). A couple points, however.....
- The greens have A LOT of contour for a Florida golf course, creating a great deal of fun.
- It may be the most walkable routing of ANY modern Florida golf course. When you walk off the first green, the back tee on #2 is an extension of a chipping area on #1. This type of feature continues throughout the golf course. And unlike many Florida courses, you don't have countless water hazards to circumnavigate as you are walking trying to get to the fairway. It's a straight shot with no exceptions. I don't know their walking policy, but I believe it's an option at times.
- I believe the rates are lower than most of the public options in the immediate vicinity of Disney and the surrounding resort areas.
From the back tees, it's plenty of golf course, yet if we played it up at 6600 yards, we'd have had an equally good time given all the strategy required. If you are making a trip to Orlando, I strongly suggest you check out The Golf Club at BridgeWater (
www.golfatbridgewater.com).