The Top 10 Best Public Golf Courses in Orlando

With that said, here is our ranking of the 10 best golf courses open to the public, including some resorts that require a stay, in the Orlando area.

1. Bay Hill Club & Lodge Champion/Challenger Course
2. Waldorf Astoria Golf Club
3. Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Grand Lakes
4. Southern Dunes Golf & Country Club
5. ChampionsGate Golf Club International Course
6. Orange County National Crooked Cat
7. Grand Cypress Golf Club Links Course
8. Reunion Resort Watson Course
9. Shingle Creek Golf Club
10. Tranquilo Golf Club

A stunning golf course designed by Rees Jones and Steve Weisser, the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club has a beautiful, classic layout. The course weaves through cypress trees, around ponds and streams with impeccably conditioned rolling fairways, windswept bunkers, and interesting greens complexes. Each hole is beautifully framed, and the course is even walkable. Also, Jones came back in 2022 to expand some of the playing corridors and restore the greens to their original sizes.

This is a first-class experience, from the practice facilities, to the starter on the first tee, and patio dining afterwards at the clubhouse, where you’ll also find an expansive golf shop. The Waldorf Astoria also has an excellent golf academy, so if you need a little help with your game, they’ve got some of the best teachers in the area, plus all the tools to help you with your swing.

Southern Dunes has a unique origin story. Originally a citrus grove, the crop was lost to a freeze, but instead of replanting, the owners hired architect Steve Smyers to build a golf course. The course is anything but typical Florida golf. Instead of water everywhere, Southern Dunes has rolling fairways with elevation change up to 100 feet. The bunkers can be difficult, and the greens are challenging too.

In addition to a top-notch golf course that’s always in good condition, Southern Dunes also offers Toptracer on its range, which means you can see all your numbers like yardage, path, spin rate, etc., while firing at lighted targets after dark.

There are two excellent Greg Norman-designed courses at the Omni Orlando ChampionsGate Resort, but the International, with its windswept Australian coastal links look, is the slightly better one of the two (the other is the National Course). The course, which was recently renovated to include new Champion Bermuda greens and paspalum fairways, plays firmer and faster than it used to. And with ever-present winds, you’ll definitely want to be able to flight the ball.

As for the holes, there are a lot of fun ones and some pretty difficult ones, too. The 498-yard par-4 sixth is one of the toughest, with water off the tee and a carry over the water on the approach to one of the smaller greens on the course. The finishing stretch is also memorable, ending with a great risk-reward par-5 with wetlands, high fescue, and water in play.

One of two 18-hole courses at Orange County National — the other is Panther Lake — we’re going with the more playable of the two layouts; it's the most enjoyable. But the real draw at Orange County National is the 360-degree driving range. Claiming to be the largest in the country, the range has all natural grass and dozens of target greens. And the 42-acre golf facility also includes an expansive short-game area with putting and chipping greens as well as practice bunkers. Host of the annual PGA Merchandise Show Demo Day, it’s hands-down one of the best places to practice in the Orlando area and maybe in the whole country.

Crooked Cat, which played host to a LIV Tour event in 2023, has an open feel, almost links-style, and is always in great shape. Wind always plays into your shots, and the course gets more interesting on the back nine. The 12th, a long par-4 with a carry over water off the tee, is probably the hardest hole on the course. The 17th is a terrific risk-reward par-5.

The former Grand Cypress Resort is now rebranded as Evermore Orlando Resort. In late 2023 the resort opened the new Cypress Course, a completely new design, contracting the former 27-hole layout down to 18 holes. I haven't had a chance to play it yet, but I’ve played the Links Course many times over the years and always enjoyed it.

For the Links Course, Nicklaus drew inspiration from one of his favorites, the Old Course at St. Andrews, to create this gem. The first and 18th holes on the New Course are basically the corresponding pair at the Old Course, which means left is just fine on both tee shots, and the 18th has its own Valley of Sin in front of the green. As for the rest of the course, it’s fairway everywhere, pot bunkers, and magnificently contoured large greens that make this experience a blast and a different experience every time you play it.

This is a convenient quality play for anyone attending meetings or a trade show at the giant Orange County Convention Center. One of Orlando’s most popular daily fee courses, the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel next door is just minutes from the OCCC.

The course was renovated in 2016 by Arnold Palmer Design, and got several new holes, including the 610-yard eighth, as well as more undulating terrain and 18 new greens. The integrity of the course, with its water features on all but three holes, and bunkering, didn’t change, though.

Located at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando near the Disney theme parks, Tranquilo Golf Club offers a very enjoyable Tom Fazio-designed golf course. Originally opened in 1992, Fazio’s design team renovated the course in 2014, and it’s never been better.

This course is also Certified Audubon Sanctuary, so it’s not uncommon to see plenty of wildlife among the manicured turf, oaks, and water features. 

The 16.5 acre practice facility is impressive with all-grass driving range stations to target greens as well as an extensive short-game area.

There are a couple of municipal layouts that didn’t make our list, but well worth considering. Dubsdread Golf Course, which goes back to 1924, is an excellent test of golf and fairly reasonable green-fee wise, especially compared to many of the expensive resort courses.

A real local favorite is the nine-hole Winter Park Golf Course, which is known as “WP9.” The course was renovated a few years ago to near perfection with super interesting greens complexes and terrific conditions. It’s just 2,500 yards or so, and the perfect place to play if you’re looking for a quick nine. 

If you’re going to Orlando and can build in a couple of extra days or so, consider getting out to Streamsong Resort. It’s a little more than 90 minutes from Orlando toward Tampa, so it’s outside a reasonable radius inclusion on our Orlando list, but it’s a special experience to say the least. Some incredible links-like courses built on towering sand dunes by Tom Doak, Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, and Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner await, as well as a new short course called The Chain.