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Golf is trying to take a page from the Whole Foods playbook and convince us golfers that "earth-friendly courses" with worse conditions and higher green fees are the noble, righteous play.
Full story | Also: Defending men-only golf
Golfers in Orlando always know they are just a quick drive to quality golf at a low price. In fact, the Sunshine State is loaded with quality municipal courses and Central Florida helps lead the way with courses like Ironwood Golf Course and Cleveland Heights Golf Course, both a short drive from Orlando. As this list shows you, Florida is the perfect state to get in a quality round of golf for much less than a C note.
Ever since the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail started pouring money into Alabama's state retirement system, copy-cat concepts have popped up sporadically. Florida has its own golf trail in the Orlando area that includes 17 courses, 12 restaurants and five lodging facilities, and gets members discounts on golf and other products potentially worth hundreds of dollars a year. All this makes the Florida Golf Trail a great way of getting good deals on golf in the Sunshine State.
Looking for an ideal place for a golf getaway? Then head to The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, Southwest Florida's only beachfront resort to feature an on-site championship golf course, award-winning tennis center and world-class spa. Ideally situated on the white sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, just blocks from Naples' renowned shopping districts, the 125-acre resort has all the makings of truly memorable golf vacation destination.
Also: St. Andrews: no fishing but great golf
The Golf Club at Bridgewater is younger than new — it hasn't even been born yet. This course not far from Orlando in Lakeland is raring to go, it just needs someone to play it. This Steve Smyers design has the looks of an instant classic, and is scheduled to make its grand opening either later this year or early next year, but it is basically ready to go now, though some planting of native grasses remains to be done. Tim McDonald played the course and lets you know that you should too when it finally opens.
Just 45 minutes from Orlando, Highlands Reserve near Lakeland likes to highlight its elevation, which makes sense, because in the bursting Florida golf scene, sometimes a golf course needs to go the extra distance to stand out from the crowd. Highland Reserve does just that, sitting up high with elevated tees and spectacular views of Orlando to give golfers a quality scenic golf outing.
Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club in Haines City has won several awards from most of the major golf magazines, and it is indeed a wonderful day of golf. The course boasts a whopping 182 bunkers, but Southern Dunes is much more than just a giant sand trap. The greens are large and very fast, with good undulation, so even if you can survive the bunkers, you have quite an adventure waiting for you at Southern Dunes.
Orlando can be a great place for a family golf vacation, but with expensive attractions such as Disney World and the Mall at Millenia, the wife and kids may run through your wallet so fast there's little money left over for greens fees. But don't sweat it. The Orlando golf scene doesn't just offer high-priced resorts and upscale daily-fee golf courses. You can play in Orlando on the relative cheap and still have a challenging, fun time.
Set out in the wide, empty spaces of rural Polk Country, Diamondback Golf Club in Haines City is a punishing parkland course. The track squeezes itself into these wide-open spaces, with its tight, narrow, tree-lined fairways with tiny, hard-to-hit landing areas. The first time you play here, you'll lose many golf balls, unless of course you're Fred Funk or a laser-guided smart bomb - so better leave your driver at home.
More Orlando golf course reviews >>
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