scottlilly

Last time I played Deer Island in November, it had been over seeded about two weeks previous to my round and was showing significant signs of improved growth. Now, the benefits of the overseeding are more than evident with much improved tee, fairway, and green conditions. The greens are rolling about a 9 on the Stemp and are smooth and true. No. 5 green is still not in very good shape but is much improved from November. The bunkers appear to have fresh sand and are absolutely perfect. The best feature of Deer Island, however, is the layout. There is not an unfair or easy hole on the golf course! Good shots are rewarded, bad shots are penalized and that, in a nutshell, is the very definition of a great layout. So long as you don’t overestimate your skill level and play the correct set of tees, you will find that Deer Island is a fun but challenging track at a very reasonable price. Go and enjoy!!

OCN is my favorite golf destination in the Orlando area. Both courses are consistently excellent. Even during necessary maintenance OCN quality is only slightly affected. Today, Panther Lake’s greens were the best I’ve played this Fall; smooth, quick, and consistent. Fairways and tees were also in good shape. The overseeding of the course has grown in nicely and the rough is starting to become more dense. Overall, there is no better value for your golf dollar than Orange County National.

Recently overseeded Deer Island was particularly difficult today with the cool weather and steady wind. The overseeding has taken well and the course is in pretty good shape. Greens are running true at a reasonable speed. Several greens are still suffering from the effects of earlier disease/drought. This course is always a challenge given the amount of water that comes into play, especially around 3 of the 4 par threes. A very fair but stern challenge to your golfing skills that should be undertaken by true aficionados..

I have played Hawks Landing several times and it is a a great layout that tests all your golf skills. There are a number of forced carries over water but none of them are unfair but tempt you to ignore the bail out area and go pin seeking. In other words, there are a lot of risk/reward challenges that make you honestly assess your skill set. The first couple of times I played HL, I barely broke 90 because I was too aggressive but recently I’ve just barely missed breaking 80 because I’ve been more judicious in taking risks. The course is in terrific shape and the greens roll smooth and true at the perfect speed, not too fast but quick. If you play the right set of tees for your skill level, you will love this golf course!

I’ve played here before and, as I remembered, the back nine is more difficult than the front but both nines challenge your shot making ability. Hawks Landing is in terrific shape from tee to green. Green speed is perfect... not too fast but definitely quick. Played in a little less than 4hours which would have been faster but for the foursome two groups ahead of our threesome slowed the back nine considerably. Nonetheless, a very enjoyable round enhanced by the the friendly and helpful HL staff!

Within the past week, I have played both Crooked Cat and Panther Lake. Having played both several times, I will admit some bias but with good cause. The staff is invariably friendly and helpful from the pro shop to the cart staff. Per usual, both courses are in terrific shape from tee to green. The greens on the Cat are a bit faster but are not quite healed from aerification so Panther’s roll a bit more true. Nonetheless, both courses are immaculate and offer a truly fair test of your golfing skills so long as you play the correct set of tees. The only fault I could find is not due to any oversight of OCN but attributable only to the rude and inconsiderate golfers who FAIL TO RAKE THE BUNKERS!! Apparently, rakes are a needless expense at OCN and most of the other local courses. Regardless, BOTH courses are terrific and a great value for your golfing dollar.

Course was in excellent shape and, as usual, presented a true golfing challenge. The great thing about Campeon is that pin placements change your strategy and shotmaking to the extent the course is always fresh and different. You would be hard pressed to find a better place to play at a more reasonable price. Tees, fairways and greens are all terrific and more than worthy of your golfing dollar!

Full disclosure: OCN is my “go to” golf facility so I’m a bit biased. Further, I pretty much know the maintenance schedule and know what type of conditions to expect at various times of the year so I’m not disappointed when conditions are not as pristine as they are most of the time. When I played Crooked Cat last week, the greens were probably 10 days post aeration and the tees looked as if they had been recently verticut. Such maintenance is to be expected this time of year, thus, I knew going in conditions would not be perfect. On the positive side, the greens still rolled very true and were a fair speed. The fairways and rough were in good shape with the exception of the intermittent divot left by lazy/ignorant golfers. My one consistent caveat for tourist golfers is to play one tee forward from your usual “home” yardage. One, you lose approximately 5% of your distance at sea level and, two, the hazards around the greens require precise approach shots so the shorter club the better. If you follow this advice, you will have an exceptional and most enjoyable golf experience at Crooked Cat and OCN!!

OCN is my favorite place to play in central Florida. The condition of both courses is consistently excellent other than the few times a year it is necessary to aerate the greens. Green speed at Panther Lake this time was quick but not unfairly so. Tees and fairways were uniformly good and the rough was not very dense at all. There is no better place to play golf in the Orlando area than the 36 holes of OCN. However, I would like to remind all players to PLEASE RAKE THE BUNKERS! There is nothing more frustrating than to find your ball in an unraked footprint!!

As an Orlando area resident, I have played the Palm several times in the last couple of years and have always been impressed with the condition of the course. This time was no exception but for the fact the greens were the slowest I can remember. I can only assume the AP Management Group has determined that slower greens will expedite play, especially for higher handicap players. I’m not sure I agree with this school of thought as it has been my experience slow play is not so much the result of poor putters as it is golfers playing from a longer set of tees than their skill level, too many practice swings, not playing ready golf, and stubbornly insisting on holing out regardless of the number of strokes taken. Despite being slow, I must say the greens were lush and smooth and I hope to play them again when they are a faster speed. The fairways were a bit thin in places but were, overall, in very good shape as were the tees. Given the large number of players on the course, I thought the pace of play was pretty good and we finished in about 4:40. Everyone from the pro shop staff to the cart person were courteous and helpful. All in all, the Palm was a very enjoyable golf experience I hope to repeat in the near future.

When you charge a premium tp play, the course should be in premier condition. Celebration is a wonderful layout with well conditioned fairways and impeccable, quick greens BUT the tees are in terrible shape as many have little or no grass. Otherwise, the golf course has no flaws and is a great test for all skill levels so long as you play the correct tees. The greens are very quick and roll perfectly true. The bunkers are consistent in both texture and density although several had not not been raked as is, unfortunately, the norm during the season when inconsiderate and ignorant snowbirds descend upon us. Nonetheless, other than the unfortunate condition of many tees, Celebration is a terrific track that fairly tests every aspect of your golf skills.

Deer Island is a very well designed track that demands precision shots. Tees and fairways are in good shape but the greens are thin and spotty which makes them rather quick and difficult. The course demands, and rewards, accuracy.The scenery and wildlife are truly exceptional. However, pace of play on this day was unacceptable.. After a 2:10 front side, we ran into 3 groups waiting on the 10th tee, another in the fairway, and a group on the green.. Such a backup is both inexplicable and unacceptable. All I know is that the group directly in front of us was not at fault but some or all of the other groups in front of them bear responsibility for this ridiculous delay which spoiled an otherwise enjoyable round because the back nine took 2:35 to play. GOLFERS, TAKE NOTE: The ONLY acceptable stops at the turn are for bathroom use,, readily available beverages and snacks, and should take no longer than 5 minutes!! ANY stop longer than that is simply rude, crude, and socially unacceptable!! BE CONSIDERATE OF THE PLAYERS BEHIND YOU!

North Shore has a very enjoyable layout that tests the skills of the player without being unduly difficult. While the greens rolled true and are fairly quick, the fairways and rough are pretty thin and lead to some exceptionally tight lies, especially in the fairways. However, as the weather warms, the course should fill in nicely. My only suggestion is that there needs to be another set of tees which is a “combo” of the blue and white tees and plays around 6100 yards. Like many senior golfers, 6500 yards (blue tees) is too long but 5800 (white tees) is not much of a challenge and takes the driver out of play on several par 4’s. Overall, though, North Shore is a an enjoyable track with great greens that I would certainly recommend to all.

Deer Island is the epitome of precision shot making. Literally every hole has water, some of it more intrusive than in other places, which makes target golf all the more imperative. The par 3’s are particularly impressive and require forced carries over hazards. The tees and fairways are in fair shape but the rough is very thin which often allows shots that ordinarily wouldn’t to wander into the water. The greens are a bit firm but are very quick and roll true. Overall, Deer Island is quite an impressive layout and a terrific value that shouldn’t be missed even if it is a bit out of the way!

Played here numerous times and have never been disappointed in the conditions. Today was no exception even with the unusually cold and windy conditions! Fairways, tees and greens were very good despite the extremely bad weather of the last couple of weeks. Terrific layout with consistently quick, but not unfairly so, greens. Highly recommend El Campeon!!

First time at Eagle Dunes and was pleasantly surprised by the rolling nature of the course as well as the strategic placement of the waste areas. As with all good tracks, good shots are rewarded and bad shots are penalized but none of the problem areas are hidden from view. The fairways and tees are a bit thin as is true with most courses this time of year. The greens are a very nice speed and the bunkers have a nice sand consistency although it is clear some golfers are allergic to rakes!! Overall, Eagle Dunes is a very enjoyable course to play.

First time playing Rio Pinar and was impressed with the layout of this former home of the PGA’s Citrus Open that eventually evolved into the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. The course is like an aging beauty queen; regal in carriage but showing the ravages of age. It is very well-designed with no tricks and all the trouble is readily apparent. The greens are small and exceedingly quick, but not unfairly so, and they roll very true. However, the fairways are thin and extremely tight lies are the rule. The rough is certainly not intimidating as the grass is sparse in most locations. Similarly, the tees are spotty at best. Nonetheless, it is a good value due to the great design and the terrific greens. I would recommend this course but don’t expect pristine conditions.

I recently replayed the North/South nines at Grand Cypress resort. Along with the East nine, these 27 holes are an excellent example of what resort golf should be. Any issues off the tee are readily visible, bunkers around the greens are well defined, and there are enough sets of tees to accommodate every level of player. Course conditions are terrific with the tees and fairways uniformly excellent. The greens are not overly fast but given their undulating nature, they are challenging without being unfairly quick. My only minor complaint regarding course conditions is no fault of Grand Cypress but the inconsiderate and lazy “guests” who fail to repair fairway divots and pitch marks on the greens! Given the not inconsiderable cost to play such a wonderful course, it is apparent many players have an abundance of money and a glaring lack of golf etiquette! Nonetheless, Grand Cypress is a real treat and should be at the top of every golfer’s list of places to play in Orlando.

Solid layout with no tricks or unseen hazards. Tee to green, it is not a particularly difficult layout but once on the green, watch out! The greens are very quick and undulating so bring your “A” putting stroke! The course is in pretty good shape although there are some weed/invasive grass issues and drainage problems. Overall, it is a good value for the money and a fun layout!

As with most resort courses, W-A has good news and bad news. The good news is the course is in excellent shape and the greens are uniformly smooth and quick but not overly slick. The bad news is it is populated, for the most part, by mediocre-to-bad golfers on vacation that don’t understand “ready” golf and picking up when one reaches 3 strokes over par. To compound this problem, we were relegated to “carts on the path” due to the heavy rains the night before. As a result of this perfect storm, pace of play was initially abysmal (55 minutes for 3 holes) but we were saved by an understanding staff that rerouted us around the log jam. Thereafter, things moved smoothly, we enjoyed ourselves and were able to go back and play the holes we skipped. Kudos and many thanks to the W-A staff for their understanding and assistance! Great layout and wonderful staff so looking forward to coming back!,