[Dan Kettler]

Guys - great feedback so far.  Thanks.  A couple points of clarity.  We will be staying on the north side of Orlando and taking lessons early in morning most days and then will have the remainder of the day to play, so travel more than 90 minutes would have to be for something special.  We both have played the World Woods courses and loved them, but have taken them off the list given that reason and distance.  I have played the Nicklaus course at Hammock Beach and enjoyed that as well, but looking for new courses, so that is off the list.  For the privates recommended are they reasonably accessible.

Again, thanks for the quick input.  Good time of year to be thinking about warm weather golf.

[Will Peterson]

Dave - Harmony has fallen on hard time.  I played there this summer, and it was really rough.  Unlike Sugarloaf, where the condition isn't ideal, but the greens are smooth and fairways playable, Harmony is awful.  Super slow and bumpy greens, bunkers in complete disrepair, and spotty fairways.  We did only pay $35 which helped ease the pain, but it's a huge pain to get to from anywhere in Orlando.

CC of Orlando is one of the better ones in town if you can get on.  

Southern Dunes is worth the drive.  It is probably the best value in town.  It was in great shape this summer, it's a fun layout, and very inexpensive.  

I like the Watson course at Reunion.  Heard the Nickluas is good, but haven't played it.  Palmer is terrible.

I like Grand Lakes (Ritz).  It's on the high end price wise, but one of the better tracks in town that isn't private.

Bella Colina is a love hate kind of place in my opinion.  Half the people I talk to love it and the other half hate it.  I wasn't impressed.  It is easy to get to since it's close to the turnpike.

[Gary Slatter]

If you a re a Steve Smyers fan you must visit Bella Collina which is just down the road from Sugarloaf Mountain in Apopka. Steve also designed Southern Dunes which is just southwest of Orlando. Either way make sure your sand game is honed!

In November we played Grande Pines which is a superb Steve Smyers course just off International Drive at the Marriott (also has the Faldo practice nine and range, good value).  We had planned to play orld Woods again but ended up enjoying Grande Pines so much we played four rounds.  Great green sites, options off the tees, overall a great surprise in Orlando.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

If you're north of the city, then Vic Hills, Deltona and Red Tail are my choices.

[Jay Flemma]

How about a trip up to Sawgrass?

[jeffwarne]

How about a trip up to Sawgrass?

I heard the four courses in Bandon were pretty good.

Seriously though, if you're taking lessons in the morning, I wouldn't recommend a lot of driving, and I'd gravitate toward something user friendly.
Lessons take a lot out of you as focusing on new positions and making practice motions is WAAAAYYY more tiring than playing.

I'd say Deltona and Victoria would be best the nearby options, and Mayfair CC looks to fit the purpose of a classic course nearby and open off the tee (and very affordable)
Anybody played it?

[John_Conley]

It's a four hour drive.  Are you telling me that matters? 

No.

But he did.

[John_Conley]

Dan, when people ask for recommendations around Orlando (like you did), the responses on the board make it pretty clear that members of this site don't like golf around Orlando.  I assume the purpose of your trip is to take instruction from Bender.  If it were just to play golf you probably wouldn't have booked lessons.

In no particular order, within 25-30 min from where you'll be:

Timacuan (I think Bender still teaches there)
Deltona Club - easy to get to, fun to play, just N of Orlando
Victoria Hills - as good as any course, private or daily-fee, within 45 min of downtown
Eagle Dunes - less flash, more substance than nearby Red Tail
Have not seen it, but Sobieski's suggestion of Deland is worth considering.

If you expand the drive a bit to 45-60 min:

Mission Inn (El Campeon)
Sugarloaf Mountain
Bella Colina
LPGA International (Art Hills course)
GC at Cypress Head in Port Orange

An hour from you on the other side of Orlando you can hit Champions Gate (2 courses), Orange County National (2 courses), or Reunion (3 courses).  But since you are nowhere near the tourist's side of O-town, why not keep your life sane and avoid those like the plague?

Mike Dasher posts on this board and is the designer of Eagle Dunes.  He also was the lead field guy (I'm pretty sure) on the project when Cypress Head and the LPGA were built as he worked for Art Hills for a long time.

Finally, you will be just around the corner from Mayfair.  Once a PGA Tour stop, it is possibly worth a play only to tell your friends about the million-dollar lawsuit.  Thought to be designed by Donald Ross, the present owner is claiming it wasn't.  Do a search on this site for Mayfair and you might find the story.

Have fun.  Hope we have some good weather for ya'.

[Dan Kettler]

Dan, when people ask for recommendations around Orlando (like you did), the responses on the board make it pretty clear that members of this site don't like golf around Orlando.  I assume the purpose of your trip is to take instruction from Bender.  If it were just to play golf you probably wouldn't have booked lessons.

In no particular order, within 25-30 min from where you'll be:

Timacuan (I think Bender still teaches there)
Deltona Club - easy to get to, fun to play, just N of Orlando
Victoria Hills - as good as any course, private or daily-fee, within 45 min of downtown
Eagle Dunes - less flash, more substance than nearby Red Tail
Have not seen it, but Sobieski's suggestion of Deland is worth considering.

If you expand the drive a bit to 45-60 min:

Mission Inn (El Campeon)
Sugarloaf Mountain
Bella Colina
LPGA International (Art Hills course)
GC at Cypress Head in Port Orange

An hour from you on the other side of Orlando you can hit Champions Gate (2 courses), Orange County National (2 courses), or Reunion (3 courses).  But since you are nowhere near the tourist's side of O-town, why not keep your life sane and avoid those like the plague?

Mike Dasher posts on this board and is the designer of Eagle Dunes.  He also was the lead field guy (I'm pretty sure) on the project when Cypress Head and the LPGA were built as he worked for Art Hills for a long time.

Finally, you will be just around the corner from Mayfair.  Once a PGA Tour stop, it is possibly worth a play only to tell your friends about the million-dollar lawsuit.  Thought to be designed by Donald Ross, the present owner is claiming it wasn't.  Do a search on this site for Mayfair and you might find the story.

Have fun.  Hope we have some good weather for ya'.

John - for sure the trip is mostly about spending time with Bender on instruction.  My buddy is a long time student and has convinced me to meet him there and get a lesson or two as well.  Maybe a not so subtle hint about my game.  If it wasn't for Bender being there, Orlando would be toward the bottom of the list for golf course exploration.  That being said, we will have our clubs, time and a bunch of new swing thoughts, therefore we will play. 

Appreciate the recommendations and comments.

[Ed Brzezowski]

Good Lord played Bella Colina today, nightmares. Faldo should be shot. Four nice drives on 18 hit where the guide indicated, all balls lost.

Ugh!

[Terry Lavin]

Good Lord played Bella Colina today, nightmares. Faldo should be shot. Four nice drives on 18 hit where the guide indicated, all balls lost.

Ugh!

Classic.

[Ed Brzezowski]

It was a freak show, the manager nice  kid, asked me what it was like to play a top ten  national course. Ummm .  Merion is still safe.

[Howard Riefs]

Good Lord played Bella Colina today, nightmares. Faldo should be shot. Four nice drives on 18 hit where the guide indicated, all balls lost.

Ugh!

To induce flashbacks:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,51312.0.html

[Mark Saltzman]

Ed, 9 and 18 aside (both of which Bryan mentions as awful) was it really that bad?

I played there the year it opened and remember little other than I enjoyed it and hit had very hilly terrain for Florida.

Amazing how overselling (as the pro did) can make one look foolish.

[Ed Brzezowski]

Well honestly yes it was that bad.  Fairways are impossible to hold, a fair amount of blind tee shots. Just an uncomfortable course. Shot an 81 but felt like the Battan death march. I am part of a 20 guy group, none of which cared for the course. I was floored by the managers idea that it was a " top ten course".

Some nice par threes and some unusual four pars. All in all I would have rather gone to Space Mountain, you expect weird stuff there.

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