ChampionsGate Golf Club - International

Always wanted to play and with golfnow special i made the hour and half drive. Really nice experience. All the staff including the cart girl made the round really nice.

International course has an amazing layout and pace was great for a resort 4 hours 20 minutes. Staff was spectacular per usual and facilities are great. Practice green and short game area was closed for maintenance but range is open and in great shape. Course conditions are great from tee to fringe but greens seem to be having trouble recovering from summer maintenance. No visible aeration holes as it's been over a month but they are bumpy and spotty. Yellow spots. They are still fast, probably 11 but bumps affect the roll and that is a minor issue. CG greens are always tour level firmness. Extremely receptive as evidenced by the spin on my irons which is normally minimal. Considering the reputation of CG I expect the greens will be perfect by fall and back to their prominence.

International is always a great course to play. Conditions are great and course will be fantastic in the winter months. I just hate that I have to drive from Tampa to play a good course.

Considering the rainy weather, this course was well designed allowing regular use of golf carts

Love this course. Wide open fairways. Receptive greens that are fast and true.

First time playing here, course in great shape. The greens are soft enough to spin the balls. Played during twilight and rain was coming so people in front were moving well. They provided 2 water bottles in the cart, which was very nice. Free balls at the practice range. Will definitely come back to try the National side.

All three Champions Gate courses are excellent in 2021. International is a great Links option. Hadn't played it in maybe 4 years. Super impressed.

Even with all the recent rain, the course was in perfect condition. It was exactly what you expect when you play at a “resort” course. The pace of play was excellent and only had to wait at the 17th hole. The rough had been trimmed and there was no standing water on the course. The greens were like putting on a pool table. The international was far and away the best conditioned local course I have played in the past 60 days.

After my first experience about a month ago, I played the International course again. It was in the same pristine condition even during the rainy season. It is a challenging yet fun layout. The staff was professional and friendly.

This course is by far one of the best in the area. You will pay a little more but it is definitely worth it. If you are an average or better player you will love this course. Fantastic turf conditions, challenging but not ridiculous course set ups. A legendary practice facility as this is the home of the David Leadbetter Academy. I enjoy myself every single time here.

Our group loved this course! It's completely different from the International, which we weren't particularly enamored with. After an opening hole that fronts the condos on the property, the course plays through a wooded area that feels like it is completely off the property. The holes seem to follow the terrain and nature, compared to a manufactured, links' feel to the International. The Par 5's are tremendous - just beautiful and challenging.

The only issue we encountered was the "members" Our group was careful to stay a hole ahead of the foursome behind us as it appeared they were backing up the course. But as we walked up to 10 green (par 3) we look back and see a single on the tee in the classic "hands on hips" pose of impatience. As we tee off 11 he races off the green to catch us in the tee box. Of course we wave him up. No acknowledgment to us as he tees off. After he tops his fairway wood I casually mention "it's tough to play with a gallery", his response was "it sucks having to play through people".

More member problems on 12 As I'm teeing off two members come racing up. My partner asked them to wait till I tee off, their response is "We are just trying to get to the clubhouse". wth.

Our group probably spent $500 on 36 holes, food/bev and merchandise. The attitude of the "members" who mistakenly think this is a private club is almost enough to keep us away but we loved the National and will return.

This round was our fifth round in a six-round Orlando trip for our foursome. I'm not sure what I missing, but it didn't feel like a high-end course or experience. We played early and perhaps things got off to bad start in the cart corral. We were told there was one water in the cooler for each of us. I asked if there was water on the course, and was told there would be "after a while, and the cart girl will be out later". I asked for a couple extra bottles and was told "that's what the cart girl is for." I was stunned at the response and he reluctantly gave us two more bottles of water. The range was shaggy, not impressive. Those Callaway branded buckets of balls look like they were new about 10 years ago. The first tee starter really seemed like he wanted to be someplace else. To his credit he advised us the putting green next to #1 tee "is nothing like the greens on the course." Any "resort" knows first impressions are critical, put the right people in the right job. One of our GPS units didn't work, we called for a cart replacement. Instead the Marshall comes out, and determines this "rental cart" is set for PGA National. So instead of a new cart, we are asked to swap all our stuff with all his stuff and take his cart. We have a couple 20+ handicappers in our group so we are already being careful about pace, but this puts further behind. We've got the course backed up now and decide to play partner best ball off the tee to pick up at the pace.

The course routing was decent but not terribly interesting. Very linksy, not a lot of features to define the holes. I could be missing something, our issues off the start and first few holes could have colored our opinion. And the cart corral crew working after the round was top-notch - charging our carts while we ate and restocking the carts for the afternoon - big plus. Too be clear, this was the International. My review for the National course is five stars.