After a five-year delay, Gary Ramsay finally enjoys spring golf in Florida
What a trip to Florida we had planned! Travelling with two good friends – Chris Stonock and Graham Bennett, and staying at Chris’ house in Davenport – we were set to visit TPC Sawgrass for The Players Championship, play some golf locally, then end our trip with a round with tour professional and Northern Golfer columnist Chris Paisley at the world-renowned Lake Nona – host venue of several tour events and home to players including Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell and Annika Sörenstam.
The flight to Orlando from Manchester passed relatively quickly and we arrived on what could have been any other Wednesday in March ready to travel to Sawgrass on Friday morning.
By Thursday evening, our plans were in tatters. It was March 2020 and Coronavirus was just beginning to be taken extremely seriously around the world. The Players was cancelled after the first round – Hideki Matsuyama having equalled the course record. Things gathered pace in the following days, social distancing began in restaurants, and Lake Nona was closed to visitors. We managed to play some golf, but in the end, we were just happy to get a flight home the following Saturday – the day after the first lockdown began in the UK. It was a surreal experience, driving back to the North East from Manchester on empty roads and seeing screens up in the service stations.
Five years on, we got to do the trip we had originally planned. The only change was going a week earlier, which meant we’d be in town for The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill instead of The Players. With Chris Paisley set to host us at Lake Nona, we had six rounds of golf planned over nine days.
We enjoyed two rounds at Orange County National, and I’d recommend visiting both courses. It’s a fantastic setup with a huge driving range and practice facility, and it’s worth getting there early to warm up. The Crooked Cat course is slightly easier than its neighbour and proved a good test with huge, heavily contoured greens and fewer trees. The front nine ends with a great hole with water to test your nerves on the second shot, while the back nine is a more difficult proposition with a downhill par four finish.
We played the second course, Panther Lake, during our second week and this was my favourite of the two. There are some great holes here and well-guarded, elevated greens – many with water. It’s just over 6,000 yards from the white tees, with two par threes in the last four holes presenting scoring chances for good iron players. There’s also an abundance of wildlife and we encountered alligators basking by the lakes – and a raccoon doing an inspection of the various bins on the course.
We also enjoyed our round at Royal St Cloud – a links-style course with plenty of water and wide, forgiving fairways. There are 27 holes here and at approximately $50, it’s good value.
My least favourite of the courses we played was at Stonegate Golf Club at Solivita. There are two courses here and we played The Cypress. The weather probably didn’t help as there was torrential rain after our front nine, while there were also some extremely long drives between tees and greens as the course is set in a huge housing complex. If returning, I’d probably try The Oaks course.
Bella Collina was totally different with a beautiful hillside setting and a course designed by Sir Nick Faldo. Overlooking Lake Apopka in Montverde, it’s set within a gated community. You could be in Tuscany as you look out over the hills, and the clubhouse area continues the Italian feel. The course is a real test and very enjoyable with vast greens, and after your round you can relax in the steam room and leisure area. Generally a members’ club, it’s well worth a visit if you can get a tee time.
The highlight of our trip was undoubtedly the opportunity to play with Chris Paisley at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. Living close to where Chris grew up, I’ve followed his career closely and love the insight that he gives in his Tour Life column – from the highs of winning the South African Open in 2018 to the struggles of retaining his tour card, I love the way he tells it as it is. Five years on from our ill-fated attempt to play, I was delighted we managed to get a game together. I was a little bit apprehensive about playing with him as a 12-handicapper, but as soon as we met up at the practice facility near the clubhouse, Chris put us at ease. He’s undoubtedly one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, and a brilliant golfer too. He made everything look easy and gave us all some tips as we played the course, which all seemed to instantly work!
Lake Nona was impeccable and I understand why some of golf’s greats have made their homes there. The fairways were like greens, and the greens were lightning fast – way too fast for us mere mortals. Beautifully shaped with a lot of water and surrounded by some magnificent homes, the whole experience was incredible. A private club, it’s not easy to get onto and was a real treat to end our trip.
Away from playing golf, being in Florida in late-February and March is great as the PGA Tour is in town for its four-event Florida Swing.
With a bit of planning, you can take in one or two events and combine it with playing some great courses – of which there are more than 1,250 in Florida.
I’d recommend prebooking your golf as it’s a busy time of year, but it’s a trip worth taking and will set you up perfectly for the golf season back home.
Florida positives
Weather – usually 20-25 degrees in March
Choice of golf courses – there are more than 1,250 courses to play
Good restaurants which are reasonably priced
Wildlife – a great variety including alligators, raccoons, and a multitude of birds
Florida negatives
Traffic – The I-4 and gets busier every year
Price of golf – some of the courses are extremely expensive, particularly in the peak time of February and March
Tipping – average 20% is expected at restaurants and bars
Wildlife – I nearly stood on a snake basking in the sun
Courses we played
Orange County National
Home to two championship courses – Crooked Cat and Panther Lake and a nine-hole short course (The Tooth)
Premier Golf Academy
The largest driving range and practice facility in America
Rates – Crooked Cat and Panther Lake each around $99 per round in March including cart
www.ocngolf.com
Royal St Cloud Golf Links
Links-style course, 27 holes
Public course – same rates whether resident or visitor
Can be busy but a good, enjoyable test
Rates – around $50 per round
www.royalstcloudgolflinks.com
Bella Collina
Championship course designed by Sir Nick Faldo
Fantastic clubhouse and amenities including steam room, sauna and pool
Great practice area
Private course with only some limited tee times for the public at certain times of the year
Contact club for rates
www.bellacollina.com
Lake Nona
A beautiful course in stunning surroundings
US Open Qualifier and venue for the inaugural Solheim Cup
Fastest greens we’ve played on – they were running at 13 on the stimpmeter
Members club – a variety of opportunities available
www.lakenona.club
