 Orlando
Golf Guide
Don’t overlook
golf when in Orlando
Why, given its status as one of the most popular entertainment destinations in the U.S., its 300-plus sunny days a year, its thousands of hotel rooms, and a tourism industry that rivals any in the world, has Orlando had such a hard time establishing itself as a golf destination?
"Our greatest asset may also be our biggest hindrance to being
a true golf destination," says Todd Howard, Director of Golf at
the International Golf Club. "Most people come to see Disney World
and Sea World, and they will golf while they are here. Hey, we
can't complain about that, but golf does exist in the shadow of
Mickey."
Depending on whom you ask, there are between 100 and 150 golf courses
in the greater Orlando area. The most accurate assessment is somewhere
in between, but the fact remains that any town with this many golf
tracks and 110,000 hotel rooms should be considered a major, national
golf destination.
"Since 1998, there have been 14 new golf courses built in and
around Orlando," says Howard. "That is more than have been built
in Myrtle Beach, or
maybe anywhere other than Las
Vegas. But because there are so many other things to do here,
we aren't always mentioned as one of the major golf destinations."
Let the mentioning begin. World-class architects such as Jack
Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Arnold Palmer, Tom Fazio, Rees Jones, Robert
Trent Jones, Dick Wilson and Joe Lee validate Orlando as a golf
destination with the quality to match its eye-popping quantity.
Further proof that this is truly one of America's golf capitals: Orlando plays
host to two PGA Tour events and an LPGA tournament -- something
few cities can claim. All three tournaments (The Bay
Hill Invitational, the Walt Disney World National Car Rental,
and the JC Penny After school Open) are held at courses open to
the public. In fact, private courses are the exception around
"O-Town" and not the rule.
 Oh,
and did we mention that Orlando is the home of the Golf Channel,
Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, top-notch golf schools, and the annual
PGA Merchandise Show, which attracts nearly 50,000 industry professionals
each year? The PGA headquarters and the World Golf Village are just
a morning road trip away, as are the golf rich towns of Tampa and
Daytona.
Perhaps there is an irony in Orlando that is lost on Mickey and friends: one
of the game's greatest domestic destinations is also one of its
best kept secrets. Full
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