grantruple

In most respects, Atlantis is a typical Florida course, but the ground and turf are firmer than I expected, particularly after the amount of rain we’ve had here recently. Getting some roll on tee shots was a pleasant surprise. Greens had been aerified recently, but still had nice speed and rolled well. The holes aren’t memorable, and except for the first hole everything seemed to be a dogleg left. Staff is laid back and helpful. Men’s locker room is nice and pretty clean. Carts are good - and fast. With an open course, a foursome could easily buzz around in 3 hours. Pace of play is good, although I was told it can be 5 hours on the weekend. 7 minute spaced tee times will do that! A little more expensive than some other options in the area.

From the white tees, this is a pretty easy course. Not a criticism, just stating a "fact." Other than #10, every hole is a birdie opportunity, which makes for a fun round. Several short par 5s (watch out for the hidden ponds on the back nine) are particularly birdie-able. From the tee, the course often appears tighter than it actually is. I hit a few wayward drives I thought would be in trouble only to find my ball in good position. That makes for a largely stress-free round, and if you are playing well, you can shoot a low score. Really enjoyed my round here. Tee-to-green conditions are probably only a 2.5, but the greens are a 4.5 (save for #2, which is healing from some damage). If you are a public-course golfer and don't need perfectly-manicured fairways and tees, you will have fun.

Apparently the Florida Club re-opened just a few weeks ago after being renovated. Whatever they did, they did it right. The course is in great shape. I thoroughly enjoyed a Saturday afternoon round, playing in just under 4 hours. They make it clear before you begin that pace of play is important, and they have a ranger who assists in keeping things moving. Large waste bunkers frame almost every hole, but they are fairly easy to recover from. The staff could not have been friendlier. Also has a nice driving range to warm up. I expect to play the Florida Club many times in the future.

The course is in excellent condition. The greens aren't super-fast, but they are smooth and run at a good speed - and are appropriate for some of the more undulating greens. Driving areas are usually wide, although strategic bunkering makes the two short par 5s on the front considerably narrower. I described the course as "relatively easy," but understand that is from the blue tees (~6500). There are two sets behind the blues, and if you go to the backs (~7600), you'll probably have a whole different experience.

Course was in good shape despite recent heavy rains. The greens, in particular, were excellent. Truly the best greens I've seen this year, by far. Anyplace on the course that wasn't water-logged was in excellent condition.

This is a wonderful golf course. Conditions are immaculate - fast, smooth greens; turf-dense fairways; sharply-cut bunkers. Definitely a diamond in the rough, and by "rough," I mean industrial parks and truck-repair facilities. It is an amazing oasis. HOWEVER, the average player here is not good. In fact, the average player is terrible, which means you're looking at 2:30 (at least) to play nine. If you have your own group and accept that it is going to be an all-day event, then you're okay. If you're expecting a "quick 9," you're going to be sorely disappointed. From what I've been told, they cut back the fescue rough to about 3-4 inches, but finding balls in it is still difficult (which is a cause of the slow play). And echoing comments on #8, the necessary carry from the tee is ridiculous.

As of October 2015, the course is in fantastic condition. Fast greens, checkerboard fairways. Truly a pleasure to play this course. Played on a Sunday at 9:30, so it was crowded. It took us about 2:00 to play the front, but the back was log-jammed, so overall about 4:30. But this course was worth it. Plays considerably longer than the card as you drive into significant upslopes on half the par 4s and 5s. Leaves in the rough will make finding off-line shots difficult in the next few weeks, but the scenery is great. I'll definitely be back.

Got a great "hot deal" pre-paid time on GolfNow for $68. The young man behind the counter was so upbeat and chipper, I was sure he had been indoctrinated by Disney. The starter was also a friendly guy. Both raved about the condition of the course. The starter actually told us (in a whisper) that in March 2015, Celebration was among the top-10 highest-rated courses on GolfNow. Ooookay... Perhaps it would be better to set more realistic expectations. The Gold first tee was beat up and covered with sand. In fact, many of the Gold tees (which are undoubtedly the most popular), showed a lot of wear.

But the fairways and greens were in excellent condition. The RTJ course design is fun and varied, with a couple of short par-5s on the front nine. For what we paid, I would definitely return, but for the standard asking price of near $100, I would probably look elsewhere.

Bella Collina is not your typical Orlando-area course. It reminds me of courses in central Texas - firm and hilly with scrub-brush if you stray well off the fairway.

This place is in the boondocks, but GPS navigation makes it easy to find. It's clear upon arrival that Bella Collina has aspirations of being a highly exclusive golf club. The clubhouse is wonderful and almost like a small village. Must have cost at least $5 million to build. Staff is friendly and abundant, practically falling over each other there are so many.

The course design is interesting and challenging. A few blind shots, but nothing to worry about. Out of 6 sets of tees, 3 of them measure 6900+, which seems like a waste. Bunkers aplenty, especially off the tee. The course conditions are good, but nothing to brag about. Tons of annual bluegrass at this time of year; I suppose it will die off as the weather gets hotter.

Paid $75 on GolfNow, which I consider a good deal. Rack rate is $125, which would be a little steep for what you get.

Very enjoyable round of golf. Would definitely play it again.

Played on a beautiful Friday morning at 9:00. We were the first group out and the staff actually seemed surprised to see golfers arrive. Why? Probably becuase Architects apparently doesn't believe in discounting rates. I've got to believe that if they discounted rates 20%, they would get three times the number of players - but obviously that's not their strategy. So, we paid the "rack rate," but we had the course to ourselves. Wonderful day of golf. The course was in great shape, the different architect styles were interesting, and we played in 3:15. Generous fairways prevent the need for ball hunting. Course seems to play longer than the card. Took the advice of the golf shop and played from the blue tees (6200) rather than the gold tees (6500) and glad we did. Enjoyed the round, but not sure I'll be back given the price.

I heard great things about Jack Frost, so my expectations were high. The course, and especially the greens, lived up to their billing. Played in the afternoon on a damp day, but the greens were still very fast (and smooth). The slope and speed of the greens make it tough to get the ball up and down, and I found that to be the biggest challenge. Interestingly, a lot (half) of the greens seem to slope from front to back, so that is another wrinkle. Wide driving areas and managable rough allow you to swing away from the tee. Driving range and putting green are very nice. Jack Frost is definitely off the beaten path, but it might be the best value I've ever come across.