El Campeon Course at Mission Inn Resort & Club: One of Florida's great historic golf escapes
HOWEY IN THE HILLS, Fla. -- Located just northwest of Orlando, Mission Inn Resort & Club is one of Florida's great historic golf escapes.
The main attraction for golfers is Mission Inn's El Campeon course, which was designed by George O'Neil in 1917. The course sits on a former citrus estate in the central Florida highlands and features far more elevation change, up to 85 feet, than you'd expect around Orlando.
The result is many elevated tees and greens, while many fairways sit below. Also in tune with the classical nature of the parkland course, there is virtually no real estate presence on the course, instead a natural mix of hills, trees and wetlands.
The design of El Campeon has been altered over the years, including changing the routing when the new clubhouse was built in the 1990s. The course plays 7,001 yards from the championship black tees.
Located just around the corner from the golf clubhouse, the Mission Inn Resort is a Spanish mission-inspired main building, as well as a spa and numerous tennis courses. In addition to El Campeon, also on site is the Las Colinas Course, a newer complement designed by Gary Koch and opened in 1992.
