Golf Blog by The Orlando Golf Blogger

If you’re looking for a good round of golf this weekend consider trying out Mystic Dunes Golf Club. Golfnow Orlando has some pretty cheap rates presently for the course.

I’ve played Mystic Dunes quite a few times and wrote a review on the course for FloridaGolf.com.

Check it out.

Orlando Golf Course Review – Mystic Dunes Golf Club

It’s a fun course that has some of the craziest putting surfaces you’ll find anywhere in Orlando as well as some crazy whiskey barrel “give me a gun” bunkers.

The facilities are great and the staff are friendly, courteous and knowledgeable, not to mention, last time I was out there, they had some pretty stellar beer specials… can’t beat that after a good or bad round!

If you’ve played there, I’d like to hear your opinion of the course.

-Dave

Received an email yesterday announcing that Black Bear Golf Club is now available on golfnow.com Orlando!

Here’s the link.

Black Bear Golf Club on Golfnow.com

If you’ve never played out there, it’s definitely worth the drive!

It’s a P.B Dye design, featuring four sets of tees with the tips playing 7062 yards. Course rating is 74.1 with a slope of 132.

While “daring the bear” you’ll encounter large waste bunkers, undulating greens and dramatic fairway elevation changes.

I recommend getting out there right after sunrise when the fog is still lingering, it’s a thing of beauty.

If you’re heading out there and looking for a 4th, feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email!

-Dave

Check it out, Victoria Hills Golf Club was voted as one of the top 50 public golf courses in the country by the readers of Golf World Magazine!

I told you it was one of the most under-rated golf courses in the area!!   They’re also one of the few walker friendly golf courses in Orlando.

A few months ago I wrote a review for FloridaGolf.com, here’s the link.

Orlando Golf Course Review – Victoria Hills Golf Club.

They’ve got some pretty good discounted tee times on Golfnow Orlando, so if you get an opportunity to head out there, I recommend it, it’ll be well worth the drive.

If you’ve played it, I’d like to hear your opinion of the course.

-Dave

Victoria Hills Named “Top-50 Public Course” by Golf World Magazine

(DELAND, Fla.) – Victoria Hills Golf Club – an award-winning, Ron Garl designed course owned by The St. Joe Company and managed by Billy Casper Golf – announces Golf World readers have voted it as one of the Top 50 public-access courses in the country in the 2010 edition of the weekly magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

An assessment of the overall golf experience, this ranking explores all variables that make a golf facility enjoyable including the quality and condition of the course, the amenities offered and the overall value provided to the golfer.

“Receiving this praise from the readers of Golf World is very rewarding, and goes to show the tremendous work that the staff at Victoria Hills are putting in on a daily basis,” says Stephen Hilliard, Vice President of Resort and Club Operations for The St. Joe Company. “This golf course is a special place and it is great to see it recognized by those who have enjoyed it throughout the year.”

The Golf World Readers’ Choice Awards are based solely on reader input gathered via an online poll conducted in 2008 and 2009. For a facility to be ranked, it must have received a minimum number of reader evaluations. Readers graded facilities based on various criteria using a 10-point scale and Golf World plugged those numbers into a formula.

While scoring high in all categories is necessary for inclusion on this prestigious list, Victoria Hills excelled in categories such as Quality of Course, Reputation/Prestige and Food/Dinning. One of only four facilities in Florida on the list, Victoria Hills appeared alongside such well known courses as Orange County National and TPC Tampa Bay.

Tucked away in the historic college town of DeLand, Victoria Hills is conveniently located off Interstate 4, less than a 30 minute drive for both Orlando-area and Daytona Beach golfers. The stunning layout boasts more than 50 feet of elevation change, taking advantage of the area’s natural rolling hills, foliage and wetlands. Tall pines and majestic oaks frame the course while sandy natural areas and pristine lakes make for inspiring sight lines.

Game improvement and player retention are at Victoria Hills’ core mission: the Garl-designed practice facility features 90 hitting stations, a large putting green and chipping area and practice bunkers that emulate true course conditions. The Victoria Hills Golf Academy opened in January, offering programs targeted to juniors, beginners, intermediate players and lower handicappers who can enroll in courses designed to match their experience and skills.

After the round, golfers can relax at Mulligan’s Tavern & Grille with a variety of options for all diners — an elegant dining room, tavern style bar and an outside dining facility with stunning views of the course. The highly-rated restaurant features former celebrity Chef Scot Choquette.

I’ve received multiple questions from the readership asking if I could give them a list of Orlando golf courses that allowed walkers to play the course. So, I did the leg work and called almost every golf course in Orlando and the list below are those that allow walkers to play.

I was a bit shocked at how few courses are “walker friendly” and I was pleasantly surprised at a few that were.

Casselberry Golf Club	407-699-9310
Disney’s Oak Trail (9hole)	407-938-4653
Dubsdread Golf Course	407-246-2551
EagleCreek	407-273-4653
Eastwood Golf Club	407-281-4653
Fairways Country Club	407-282-7535
Faldo Golf Institute	407-238-7677
Grand Cypress North, East South Courses	407-239-1975
Grand Cypress New Course	407-239-1975
Grand Pines Golf Club	407-239-6909
Harmony Golf Preserve	407-891-8525
Hawk’s Landing Golf Club	407-238-8910
Highlands Reserve Golf Club	877-508-4653
North Shore Golf Club	407-277-9277
Ritz Carlton Golf Club	407-393-4900
Sugarloaf Mountain	407-544-1104
Victoria Hills Golf Club	386-738-6000
Wedgefield Country Club	800-573-3118
Winter Park Country Club	407-599-3339

Amateur golf seems to have adapted itself to the laziness that taken over our country. Yes, I know, golf courses are a business and they need to push through as many people as possible in order to stay in business, but out of all the courses I called, only 18 were walker friendly… That seems wrong to me.

One of the primary benefits of golf is the fact that if you forego the golf cart and walk from hole to hole, you’re actually walking between three to five miles. Considering that many courses have an ever changing topography, you could be climbing uphill and downhill, working several muscles in the process.

Walking is a low-impact cardiovascular activity that gets the heart pumping. Many doctors advise walking over jogging because it isn’t jarring on the knees and feet. Walking is often an important part of a workout routine and can promote weight loss and a healthier heart. For golfers who do not have a caddy, carrying a bag full of clubs adds some resistance while walking.

Research has indicated that playing a round of golf has the same health benefits of a full 45-minute fitness class. It will burn fat and also improve your good cholesterol levels. Some estimates suggest that playing a round of golf and carrying your clubs can burn over 400 calories, while walking with a pull cart can burn over 300 calories.

Swinging clubs and putting are also physical workouts. Repetition can help tone muscles in the arms, back and shoulders. It may also improve flexibility and range of motion. Golf also helps to strengthen hand-eye coordination and balance. It can be a great way for older players to remain spry and active in a low-impact way.

Apart from the apparent physical benefits, playing golf also has some mental health benefits as well. Simply being outdoors on a beautiful day can boost a person’s spirits. Provided you’re not caught up with the competition aspect and gunning to win, golf can also be a relaxing endeavor that helps stress melt away. There’s also the camaraderie of golf: spending time with friends and other players and engaging in conversation.

Golf has many benefits, and despite not being as high-energy as baseball or football, for example, it still remains a sport that can prove beneficial to your health.

exerpt taken from FortWayne.com

I’m just as lazy as the rest of us, but I’ve decided to make a concerted effort to walk atleast 1/2 of the rounds I play. What brought all this about was a couple weeks ago when I played out at Winter Park Country Club. It’s a nine hole course that I played twice and when I got back to the clubhouse I felt like crap, I was completely drained, and I’m still a “relatively” young man!

Also, something I saw a couple do one time, if you’re playing a course that’s cart-only, you and your playing partner can alternate walking and riding, one drives the cart whilst the other walks to their ball.

Do you prefer walking or riding?

A little while ago,  I made my way to Grand Cypress Golf Club and to the TaylorMade Performance Lab located in the Academy of Golf. While out there, I played some golf, went through a custom club fitting and toured the facilities.

To sum the experience, let me say, “Grand Cypress is amazing.”

Grand Cypress Golf Club boasts 45 holes of Jack Nicklaus signature golf. There’s two courses, the Old course and the New course.

The Old Course is comprised of three nine-hole courses called the North, East and South Courses. Within these 27 holes, the Jack Nicklaus Signature-designed North, South, and East Nines provide three distinctly unique 18-hole masterpieces.

For the full round of 18, courses can be combined as the North-South, South-East, or East-North Course.

Each combination provides a distinctive playing experience, which will challenge even the best of golfers.

The North, South, and East Nines offer a variety of mental and physical stimuli that test accuracy rather than strength and distance. The original North-South combination, marked by sharp ledge fairways, tall shaggy mounds, and plateau greens perched above water or sand, is a demanding, target-style test. The sportier, more wooded East Nine is more generous, with less bunkering (particularly in front of the greens) allowing for more run-up shots.

I played the East-North combination while I was there. The East course was down right brutal, left me wondering if I was fit to wield a club. The North was much more forgiving and helped to offset the pounding dished out by the East. The course was in superb shape, not very crowded and presented many opportunities for a variety of shots. The greens were tough and a little tricky but for the most part, rolled true.

The New Course is Jack Nicklaus’ tribute and homage to the famed Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland. This Scottish links masterpiece is complete with double greens, stone bridges and walls, gorse mounds, burns, and pot bunkers as deep as 12 feet, all in the spirit of true Scottish original.

There was great care put into creating a course that was very similar, and to a certain extent, exactly like the Old course at St. Andrews.

They’ve created a replica of the Swilican Bridge that golfers for centuries at have trudged over on the 18th hole at the Old Course in St. Andrews. It’s said to be a very spiritual moment, as you cross the bridge, reflecting on just how many have come before you and will come after.

You can almost visualize the many golf’s “greats” that have crossed that very path, decades and centuries before. This is as close as it’ll ever get to the real thing, with the added benefit of the Florida sunshine!

While you’re there, you can also take advantage of the Academy of Golf, they offer so many different things, that I guarantee that there’s something for everyone. I can tell you from experience that the driving range is immaculate. There’s nothing I hate more than going to the range, and trying to work on your game on ground that’s both uneven and beat all to hell. I was very impressed with the care the give the range and how great the conditions were. They also offer range finders that everyone can use, free of charge, so you can better gauge your distances.

It’s been rated one of golf’s “Top 25 schools” since 1999 and because there’s so much to offer, they’re always running special packages and rates on lessons.

I highly encourage you to check out the TaylorMade Performance Lab whilst you’re there and see if Travis can squeeze you in, it’s well worth the investment.

For the fitting, they put twenty six sensors on your body which are read by the nine high speed (180 FPS) cameras that are strategically located throughout the room.

Once you’re all suited up, you stand in the middle of the room and they turn the cameras on and take a snapshot of your body structure and upload it to be used during your fitting. Thankfully, it’s rather slimming and does a good job of masking the expanding girth..

The whole club fitting process utilizes (initializing copy-paste) Motion Analysis Technology by TaylorMade technology (MATT) to provide golfers with an experience that far exceeds anything previously available to the public.

It gathers vital swing information and statistics using multiple high-speed cameras and distills that information to create a remarkably sophisticated three-dimensional computer-animated image of your swing viewable from every angle. MATT also executes a multitude of calculations and measurements to develop a data-driven personal club recommendation.

MATT provides a superior club-fitting and/or instructional experience by supplying club-fitters and instructors with an unparalleled level of practical data, giving them the power to analyze your swing and identify your needs with remarkable precision. Your clubs will fit better, improving your game — and your score. (end copy-paste)

For my fitting, I hit three clubs, a six iron, driver and putter. I hit about four shots with each club and after every shot we’d analyze the shot on the big projector screen they have set up. MATT captures every aspect of your swing and it can be viewed a couple of hundred different ways. Here’s a slightly complete list of the different aspects it captures.

* Clubhead Path
* Swing Planes
* Speed Planes
* Center Of Gravity
* Body Line on Shoulders, Hips, Knees, Toes, and Spine
* Face Angle
* Target Line
* Ball Position
* Head Position
* X – Factor ( Relationship between Shoulder Turn and Hip Turn)
* Shaft and Shoulder Plane
* Wrist Cocking Angle
* Shaft Line
* Shaft Deflection
* Posture Lines
* In/Out Path of Club
* Up/Down Path of club
* Hand Speed
* Clubhead Speed
* Effective loft of the club at impact
* Ball Speed
* Launch Angle
* Backspin
* Side spin
* Ball Trajectory
* Computed Distance and Roll

Evaluating my swing, Travis concluded a couple things; On ALL of my clubs (driver, irons, putter) my clubface is open at contact, my swing plane varies pretty significantly from the take away plane to the downward motion plane, and he surmised that it was probably due to the fact that I’ve been hitting clubs that were too short for me. So instead of going straight back and straight forward, I’m taking the club back and while doing that, I’m pushing my hands forward which is causing my head to drop a bit and then i’m pulling the club in at impact which is causing my open club face and causing me to come across the ball putting some sideways spin on it.

Not only was Travis able to identify my swing troubles, he showed me how to fix them. Soooo, real quick, totally awesome club fitting session AND golf lesson! It’s been some solid advice too.

Once the fitting is done, the system uses some sophisitcated algorithm and compares your swing to 1,500,000 others and comes up with a recommended set of custom TaylorMade clubs for you. The master club fitter then looks it over, makes any corrections he/she deems necessary and then sets out to build a set of demo clubs for you to go to the range with. The recommended driver for me was the TaylorMade R9 460, 10.5 degree loft and the clubface closed two degrees. The irons were the 2009 TaylorMade Burner Irons 3I-PW -.5 degree flat.

We went to the range to hit these custom fitted clubs and after a couple swings, I was bombing them down the range. It was such an awesome feeling! Needless to say, I’ve since ordered a full set of TaylorMade Burner irons that I’ve been very pleased with. Now, I’m not saying that every shot is straight and perfect, but custom clubs have made my misses ALOT more manageable.

After the fitting was over, he burned all my swings onto a CD as well as the club recommendations for me to take home. I spent a good while just replaying my swing and checking out the different components.

Regarding lodging, there’s two options that are on site, the Villas of Grand Cypress and the Hyatt Regency at Grand Cypress. Both have tons of amenities and activities for you and the family to engage in. The location is perfect for families as well, for those who aren’t crazy about golf, you’re right next to Walt Disney World, so send them to the attractions and head to the links!

For all of you locals, just an FYI, they’re starting an initiative to get more of us out there, so you should definitely inquire about what sort of special rates they’re running for Orlando residents.

For further reading, check out the Travel Guide Orlando

Just saw on Golfnow that you can play ChampionsGate tomorrow for only $18 dollars!

The only requirement that I saw was it had to be atleast a twosome.

Check it out.

Orlando Tee Times – ChampionsGate Golf Club

-Dave

Photo by Nile Young Jr.

On October 1st, 2009, Orlando’s newest luxury resort, Bonnet Creek will be opening it’s doors. The property will be featuring two new hotels,  the new Waldorf Astoria Orlando and the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek. The property will be just a stones throw away from Downtown Disney, Epcot and the Walk Disney World Resort. This is some very exciting news since this is the first newly built Waldorf Astoria since the original was built in New York.

Bonnet Creek is set on 482 beautiful, wooded acres and boasts plenty of amenities to keep you and/or your family occupied for days.  There’s a spa, jogging trails, restaurants, four swimming pools, bicycles, fitness centers, personal fitness trainers, shopping centers and most important of all (and the reason for this article ) a Rees Jones designed championship 18-hole golf course & clubhouse!

For the entire month of September, To celebrate it’s grand opening, they’re doing nightly drawings for a free night stay at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek. All you have to do to enter is become a fan of their Bonnet Creek Facebook Fan page.

Photo by Nile Young Jr.

Back to the golf course, through some awesome twist of fate, I’ve been given the opportunity to attending the grand opening ceremony on October 1st and be one of the first people to play the new course!

Not too much is known about the course, but knowing it’s a Rees Jones design leaves me with little doubt that it’ll not only be challenging but will blend nicely with the natural contours of surrounding landscape. He’s designed over 100 golf courses, many of which have hosted golf’s Majors.

There’s a couple other Rees Jones courses in the area, Falcon’s Fire Golf Course and LPGA International.

Photo by Nile Young Jr.

Designed with a five-tee system for all playing abilities, yet quite challenging, the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club 18-hole Rees Jones-designed championship course winds through a large wetland preserve and measures 7113 yards with a Par 72, Slope 130, and 72.5 Rating from its Professional Tees. Holes are visually arresting from tee to green and require intelligent management of the game. Bunkers are carved to be reminiscent of the hazards designed on courses a century ago. Majestic stands of pine and cypress trees line the fairways. The style was dictated by the land’s existing contours, which Jones then enhanced, always mindful of the natural elements and environmental issues.

In addition to playing the new golf course on October 1st, I’ve also been given the privilege of the opportunity to interview Mr. Rees Jones regarding his latest and potentially greatest golf creation!

I’d like to share this opportunity with you, my most awesome readers, so if you’re interested, leave a comment on this post with any questions you might have for Mr. Jones regarding the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club. I’ll pick the best and most relevant ones and ask those questions during the interview. I’m planning on video taping the interview so I’ll have some awesome footage to post up.

Please spread the word and as always, thanks for reading!

-Dave

Book Your Next Discounted Tee Time on GolfNow.com

I had the opportunity to play Victoria Hills Golf Club recently and the review I wrote is now posted up on FloridaGolf.com.

Orlando Golf Course Review – Victoria Hills Golf Club

I really enjoyed this course and I think it’s one of the most underrated courses in the area. I like how it flows through the natural terrain and the serene feel of the place. If you’re looking for a meditative round, I recommend checking them out.

They’ve got some great facilities too, nice clubhouse and a funky meatloaf panini that was terrific.

If you’ve played the course, I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on it.

9/2/09 – UPDATE: I just received an email from the GM out at Victoria Hills, the first 10 folks who refer to this review when they go to play will receive a free small bucket of range balls. It’s a little incentive to go check out one of the most underrated courses in the area

-Dave

Kitson & Partners Clubs and the Orlando Magic have partnered to bring you the 2nd annual

“FREE”
GOLF DAY!

MONDAY
July 27th
6:45 am – 6:00 pm

The participating Orlando Golf Clubs are:

Highlands Reserve Golf Club
(863) 420 – 1724

Stoneybrook East Golf Club
(407) 384 – 6888

Stoneybrook West Golf Club
(407) 877 – 8533

Timacuan Golf Club
(407) 321 – 0010

ALL FOUR CLUBS WILL OFFER FREE GOLF AND WILL ACCEPT DONATIONS TO THE:

The Orlando Magic Youth Fund (OMYF) is committed to helping every child in Central Florida realize their full potential, especially those most at risk, by supporting programs and partnerships that empower families and change lives.

COME OUT AND MEET THE “MAGIC DANCERS” AND TAKE PART IN THIS COMMUNITY WIDE OUTREACH PROGRAM.

Call now and reserve a tee time!

Beverage carts will be available

Each course will be supported by local businesses offering
give-aways.

Hey Guys!

If you are looking for a FREE golf club to join, Stracka.com has afforded it’s members the opportunity to do so.  They have local area golf clubs for pretty much all of the US.

These golf clubs, once approved provide their members with official USGA Handicaps.

I’ve been asked and accepted to be the chairman of the Orlando Area #424 Golf Club.  The club became USGA compliant yesterday.  Presently we’ve got 29 members and I’m looking to for more.

Since it’s a type 3 golf club, there are a couple of requirements that must be met.

-You must play at least three rounds a year with another member of the club and one of those rounds has to be in a club sponsored round.

-Each individual must provide proof of identification and residence to the golf club in order to be a member of the club.

-In order to be able to utilize the USGA Handicap System, the golf club must have group cohesion. Group activities should go beyond playing in tournaments. There should be a group orientation policy and other functions, such as group meetings, award banquets and the like.

-Contact information about each member of the golf club must be made readily available to all members.

I’m very excited about this!

So, if you want a free way to get an official USGA Handicap, feel free to sign up.  Stracka.com is a free golf website featuring tons of really cool stuff and they’re giving us all free handicaps!  If you do the math, free+free = AWESOME!

If you do sign up, send me a friend invite, here’s the link to my profile.

Happy Wednesday!

-Dave

Golfnow – Discount Online Tee Times