Back
The "Happiest Place on Earth" is not exactly the cheapest.
A day at Disney or Universal is a big-ticket item for families, making a family vacation to Orlando, Florida a trip never to be taken lightly.
So it goes, typically, for golf in and around the Mouse's House, which entices more than 70 million visitors each year. If your budget for golf and lodging is shy of, say, $500 per day, you would be forgiven for assuming you're priced out of Orlando.
But it's not necessarily true. There are some very solid Orlando value golf courses where you'll pay less than $100 even at peak times of year. You just need to know where - and how - to look.
Tips for saving money on golf in and around Orlando
Explore the periphery. Especially if you are willing to drive up to 45 minutes or so away from the tourist chaos in a few different directions, greater Orlando golf has some enticing, affordable possibilities. Plus, this will give you a much better local flavor than you would get from sticking close to the parks and chain restaurants. You can do better than that, and you should.
Shoulder season strategy. From Christmas to Easter, you're not going to find many green fee bargains in and around Orlando. But if you can squeeze in a mid-fall trip, that can open up some cash-saving possibilities at certain courses. Note: the driest month of the year in Orlando is November, with an average of less than two inches of precipitation. And obviously, if you are willing to brave the heat and humidity of the summer and skate around aerification schedules, you can save big.
10 best bargain Orlando golf courses
This list is a mix of my personal experience with Orlando golf courses (I live 100 miles away, so I've played plenty), recommendations from trusted colleagues and friends who live and play there and research into thousands of GolfPass reviews from golfers like you. If you have experience playing golf in and around Orlando, please hit the comments section below and share your recommendations.
Winter Park Golf Course
Green fee: $34 (non-resident)
A sensational redesign a decade ago by experienced architect-associates Riley Johns and Keith Rhebb provided a blueprint for other communities looking to improve their existing courses without drastic expense. Rustic bunkering and old-school pushed-up greens on this walking 2,400-yarder in the middle of one of the area's most pleasant neighborhoods is a big draw for locals and a must-play for any golfer looking to explore the area...if you can get a tee time.
Deltona Club
Green fee: $47
When it comes to affordable golf, I am willing to overlook rough-around-the-edges conditioning for a course with strong design features. That is precisely the case at Deltona, which Bobby Weed redesigned in the 2000s. "If they get the fairways in order with less dirt around the greens they will have a gem to play," reads a recent GolfPass review - a typical sentiment about the course. For an interesting course to play for less than $50 on peak-season weekends, Deltona can be well worth the drive north and east of Orlando. Like Winter Park, it is on my personal top-10 list of overall Orlando golf courses on the strength of its design and value proposition.
Mount Dora Golf Club
Green fee: $58
Genuinely quirky golf courses can be hard to find in and around Orlando because so much of the golf in town is modern and sanitized for resort guests. Mount Dora is a cure for all that. Situated on less than 100 acres, it tips out at less than 6,000 yards but is nonetheless a challenging and fun ride through some of the state's more dramatic topography. The history of the course is fascinating, too: it was laid out and built in 1947 by returning World War II veterans. It's an homage to golf's healing properties and is worth seeing with an open mind.
Deer Island Country Club
Green fee: $94
A recent fixture on Florida's Golfers' Choice lists that has even cracked the U.S. Top 50 a couple of times, this mid-'90s Joe Lee design enjoys an interesting setting, within a community on an island wedged between two of central Florida's many lakes. Its overall GolfPass Rating Index of 4.5 includes an average score of 4.6 for Value.
Stonegate Golf Club (Oaks)
Green fee: $97
"Good value for such a good course in this area at this time of year," reads a January review of this 2000 Ron Garl design, whose Value rating of 4.6 exceeds its strong overall 4.5 GolfPass Index score across nearly 500 all-time reviews. That's high praise given the peak-season time frame. The property's sister Cypress course also gets good marks from visiting and local golfers.
Royal St. Cloud Golf Links
Green fee: $80
Although pace of play tends to reflect the quantity of rounds this 27-holer handles, many reviews tout the staff and the course's three nines, their design inspired by links golf courses overseas.
Dubsdread Golf Course
Green fee: $70
I am a little ashamed that I have not yet played Orlando's muni of record, but I have on good enough authority that it absolutely belongs on this list thanks to its century-plus of history and distinct local flavor. I'll go play it eventually and leave my driver in the car (the fairways are famously narrow). "Great place to play golf any day of the week," reads a recent 5-star GolfPass review. "Highly recommended!"
Ventura Country Club
Green fee: $79
This sporty golf course - just 6,000 yards but with four 200+-yard par 3s - was redesigned in 2022 by the up-and-coming firm of Carlton Marshall and has earned solid reviews of late, including a Value Score (4.3) that exceeds its overall GolfPass Index rating (4.2). An early March review speaks to a good overall experience: "Solid local course. Tight fairways create the ideal challenge. Shorter overall course is great for newer players to build confidence. The pizza at the 19th hole is amazing."
Wedgefield Golf Club
Green fee: $55
This 1960s course in a mature community east of town is lauded for its welcoming staff and reasonable green fees, with its average Value rating exceeding its average GolfPass Index rating, 4.3 to 4.1. GolfPass reviewer 'Wildwilly' called it "a good place for your money" earlier this month.
Twin Rivers Golf Club
Green fee: $65
"In the best shape I have seen it in years and set at a good rate while others are crazy with their price," reads a recent review of this Joe Lee design that opened in the late 1980s. Slower Pace ratings seem to hold this course back among GolfPass raters but once again the Value score outpaces its overall number, 4.0 to 3.9.
Comments (0)