The Reserve at Orange Lake Resort
About
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|---|
Blue | 71 | 6505 yards | 71.8 | 137 |
White | 71 | 6031 yards | 69.4 | 128 |
Yellow | 71 | 5119 yards | 68.3 | 118 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Teal M: 71.8/137 W: 75.6/141 | 325 | 356 | 131 | 552 | 209 | 414 | 358 | 377 | 373 | 3095 | 534 | 369 | 155 | 367 | 218 | 559 | 392 | 432 | 384 | 3410 | 6505 |
White M: 69.4/128 W: 72.9/135 | 297 | 337 | 116 | 531 | 171 | 384 | 326 | 352 | 355 | 2869 | 504 | 338 | 128 | 334 | 196 | 537 | 353 | 410 | 362 | 3162 | 6031 |
Yellow M: 68.3/118 W: 66.2/111 | 256 | 274 | 96 | 430 | 126 | 354 | 271 | 285 | 333 | 2425 | 450 | 287 | 108 | 315 | 106 | 447 | 292 | 364 | 325 | 2694 | 5119 |
Handicap | 16 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 17 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 15 | |||
Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 35 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 71 |
Course Details
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RestaurantAvailable Facilities
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Swimming, BilliardsReviews
Reviewer Photos
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Photo submitted by LRQJ9FEXdstAxu71CgkP on 12/22/2023
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Photo submitted by LRQJ9FEXdstAxu71CgkP on 12/22/2023
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Photo submitted by LRQJ9FEXdstAxu71CgkP on 12/22/2023
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Photo submitted by LRQJ9FEXdstAxu71CgkP on 12/22/2023
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Photo submitted by jamesrwright on 03/28/2014
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Photo submitted by jamesrwright on 03/28/2014
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Photo submitted by jadam on 06/27/2013
The Negative Reviews Are Wrong
It's going to be tough for me to say anything negative about any OL course, but I will be honest.
The course is indeed the worst I have ever seen it. My dad and I have been owners at OL since 2001, and that was back when the Legends was new, and the Legends Walk course was well taken care of, and there were 3 9-hole courses. The Reserve wasn't even a thing yet.
In 2001, the golf was owned and operated by the resort. Somewhere around 2009, the golf portion at OL was sold or leased (not sure which) to a private golf course management company that has allowed it to go downhill. Legends Walk used to be appealing by itself - 5 sets of tees, very nice tee boxes, employees mowing and taking care of it every morning...this is no longer the case.
The Reserve I believe opened in maybe 2008, after the 3 9-hole courses were changed and turned into Crane's Bend and The Reserve.
Now for the actual review. You will be greeted by a bag drop representative who will put your clubs on a cart for you. The cashier checking you out inside the "Clubhouse" (The Marketplace) may not be a golf representative at all...he may be an everyday OL employee. This is much different than the experience down the road at The Legends.
You won't be given tees anymore like you were in 2001, or hot OL embroidered towels. You won't be given any sleeves of balls or range balls anymore either. It's a golf course on a resort that is no longer incredibly appealing to big snowbird golfers. If you are seeking a place that is going to give you more perks and more options for $30, you're probably at the wrong place - but let me know where you go because for $30 I'm happy to be able to get a cart with my round.
You will be checked in by a starter who will tell you the pin positions. You won't have a GPS in your cart like you do at other, more upscale courses. You may not have a pin position card in your cart. You may not have sod in your cart to replace divots, and you may not even have a cooler. I believe we had a cooler, but no divot replacement sand/sod.
You will head to the first hole and likely be delighted by the shorter distances; even from the tips the course is not very long. However it is challenging, and occasionally forces you to leave the driver in the bag. I have been playing for a long time, I carry a 3.7 handicap, and can drive the ball over 300 yards...I continue to find this course very enjoyable because I don't hit driver on every hole. There are some forced carries, and there are some serious bunkers out there.
As of this review, April 2017, the course is dry. Very dry. However - I'm not going to beat up OL the way that other reviewers did. We went and played 2 Disney courses, Mystic Dunes, and other courses in the area, and every single course had the same problems.
The fairways are dry at The Reserve, but they are not brown and beat up - yes, maybe on a hole or two, but they are not brutal. Four or five of the greens may have some patches, but every course in the area has the same problem. Do realize that they are not charging top rates, and I bet when the off-season comes in a few weeks, they will rip the greens out and make them what they once were.
Florida is going through an incredible drought right now. This is not the course's fault. The only fault I put on the course is the poor management and the decision to sell-out years ago. The place used to be something I couldn't wait to go play, and now its just Florida golf to me. They seeded too early, that's fairly obvious, but the lack of rain has hurt them too. There isn't much you can do about that.
I always enjoy my golf at OL. I enjoy being an owner here. I enjoy spending $30-$40 to play 18 holes with a cart when it's snowing at home.
Great course!
🏌️♂️ Course Review: Orange Lake Resort - Reserve Golf Course 🏌️♂️
Part 2️⃣ of my Orange Lake review series takes us to the Reserve Golf Course. Spoiler alert: It’s a stunner!
⛳ Course Conditions: With the recent rain the Reserve’s fairways were definitely soggy but impressively smooth and well kept. Kudos to the grounds crew for their hard work! CPO (Cart Path Only) didn’t hinder our pace one bit due to not having to walk around large areas of standing water. The layout allows for easy access to the main landing spots on the course.
🏌️♂️ Layout & Design: If you like a course that has you strategizing instead of bombs away, you’ll love the Reserve. It’s got this way of gently suggesting, “Maybe leave the driver in the bag?” There are several holes you can take driver but the tight fairways mean the risk is real.
🍃 Greens: They rolled a touch faster than over at Legends, but still had that smooth, true feel. Each green has tons of character and is a true test of one’s short game.
⚖️ Difficulty & Enjoyment: The Reserve might be the more forgiving sibling, but it’s got its own brand of challenge. It’s shorter, sure, but it makes you think and gives you a serious mental workout!
🌞 Overall Experience: The back 9 really shines here – it’s like the course’s personality unfolds as you play. Paired with stellar weather and great company, this round was a standout.
It’s rounds like these – where the joy is in every shot and the company is just as good as the game – that remind me why I love this sport.
Great for seniors. A few levels better than a muni...
Day 2 at Orange Lake. The Reserves is the older course and was in good condition with very nice greens. Lots of slopes on the greens and some with 2 tiers. Greens were larger and much more accessible than the Reserve course.
The course was overpriced at $60 but maybe average for this area as I was on vacation. The course is open and perfect for seniors...short and easy to play. The only challenge is putting.
sweet
wow, like golfing at a private club. i forgot that a course should be like this. i have gotten use to bare greens, divoted tees and fairways and weeds. no ones using it right now. its real nice. dont tell anyone.
Overall good experience
Only complaint was pace of play, it's listed on the card that four and a half hours is the expected pace which is an absolute joke. This is only listed that way so that people don't have a legitimate complaint about standing and waiting on every single shot. Tee times are scheduled every 8 minutes so this causes backups all the time and the slow pace. I would only recommend this course to anyone that's willing to get out early ahead of the crowd.
Disney area busy so way over charge
Just as my title reads, it is a 20-25$ 18 holes at best!!!
The course layout is cool, but the starter was rude, and the fairways are dry, and worst of all the greens needed to be cut and were full of weeds. I will not return. Better courses in the area for similar $$$
Orange Lakes Reserve Course - Nice Track
A very nice layout with enough water to make it difficult for the first timer. Local knowledge would have helped immensely. Not a fan of playing through a resort. Only hit a screen door once. :-) Played the white tees hoping for 6000 yards. But all tees moved up which led to many 300 yard par 4s. Not a ton of driver holes. Still, tee boxes, fairways, bunkers, and greens in great shape. A pleasant round. Decent value given it's March and prices are high.
The Reserve
Very short course, which leads to slow play. Fairways were in poor condition, lots of spots with no grass. Not great for those of ya who like to play the ball without rolling it.
Staff from pro shop to starter were friendly and helpful.
Saw Gators
The staff was friendly, the course was in good shape, we got to see a couple of alligators and were very happy about that. Our only complaint would be not enough bathrooms along the course (unless we just missed them.) Would play here again.
Busy time of year
All as expected. Bever expect a quick 18 in Florida between Christmas and Easter. Played the Reserve many times and love the design. Good condition considering the wear and tear.
Big G
Nice course for the money. Very convenient. Easy to play.
Not a bad course. But difficult to find
I missed my tee time by 3 minutes and pushed me back a half an hour. Difficult to find you pay for your round in the marketplace.
A bit wonky
Greens and tees in poor condition. Villas are lined up on every fairway. Villa are not attractive. Staff were friendly and competent. All said, the green fees are not high and most likely matches the course quality.
Expected Better
Regular price would have been $94 - this is NOT a $94 course! We got spoiled playing most courses down here with overseeded rye fairways, which were lush and green. Here, all dormant Bermuda grass. Some patch greens. Overall, the layout was very nice, great people, pace was decent on the front nine and turned into a crawl on the back nine. No ranger so the pace just slowed. Challenging greens and they did role nice.
Fair price and a nice course layout
The staff were very friendly and helpful. The course layout is interesting if slightly flawed on a couple of holes. There is a par 3 where you must return to the tee to get to the next hole. That is both dangerous and there is not enough room to pass the waiting golfers. Another hole has very poor signing for the white and longer tees. Otherwise, it was a nice track. Our group would give it an overall 3, not 4 star rating. The standard fee is fair for this course. It was a fun day and the greens were very nice with consistent speed from hole to hole.
Enjoyed the day
Pace of play is my only disappointment. Course in real good condition staff great fun to play. I will be back