Play the Best Golf Courses in Orlando Florida

Snowbirds and vacationers tend to head to Orlando to hit the links, and Orlando does not disappoint. Visitors can choose from the total immersion and convenience of staying in a golf resort, explore and visit several of the beautiful and challenging public courses, or get a little more family Disney time in choosing one of the Disney golf courses. 

Our best list is based on various criteria, including course conditions, design, guest experience, location, and playability. Orlando offers more than 100 public courses. Check out our take on the best golf courses in Orlando.

Walt Disney World offers four of the best golf courses in Orlando. You don't have to be staying at a Disney Resort or be visiting a Disney theme park to play. Walt Disney World Golf offers three 18-hole championship courses and one family-friendly 9-hole course for those who want to have a quick game or choose to walk. And yes, you may get to play with Mickey Mouse if you request it. Expect the same impeccable and imaginative design and service that Disney always delivers. The games on you! 

Disney tee times can be set up as a day guest online on the Walt Disney World Golf site or by telephone. Book in advance! 

Disney's Magnolia Course is a beautifully designed course that is blessed with the scent of 1,500 Magnolia trees. This classic design is full of challenges with 97 bunkers and water on twelve holes. The fairways are wide and rolling and get ready for the Mickey-shaped sand-trap on the sixth hole. At 7,516 yards, Magnolia is the longest course. 

Disney's Palm Course is beautiful and challenging. Enjoy the beauty of the shimmering lakes, tropical palms and sands, and sloping greens. But be ready to reckon with nine holes with water hazards and 59 bunkers prepared to challenge any golfer. 

Disney's Lake Buena Vista has hosted the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, and USGA events. This classic country-club-style course winds through villas, pine forests, palmettos, and shimmery lakes. Lake Buena Vista is certified by Audubon International as a Cooperative Wildlife Sanctuary. The course features elevated bunker greens that reward accurate approach shots. The test of skill awaits on hole number 7 with its challenging island green. 

Disney's Oak Trail is a family-friendly 9-hole course with rolling greens and plenty of challenges. Holes range from 132 to 517 yards from the white tees. Several holes are routed around a deep canal and pond. This is Arnold Palmer Golf Management-operated and features junior tees for the younger golfers. This is a great family golf course. Golf carts are not allowed on this walking course. However, pull carts are available for rent. 

Reunion Resort is the only resort that can boast design layouts from Nicklaus, Palmer, and Watson. Located just southwest of Orlando, Reunion Resort is lovely. The Watson course is the most highly respected of the three, with natural elevation changes and lots of bunkering, but all three courses are great fun. 

PRO TIP - Check out a luxury rental at Reunion Resort, where there are plenty of bedrooms and baths to go around (up to 15), a private pool, tons of luxury touches, and all the community amenities of a luxury resort. For more on Reunion Resort.

Ritz Carlton Golf Club at Grande Lakes Orlando is considered the best luxury golf experience in Orlando. It is set within the Headwaters of the Florida Everglades and surrounded by towering pines, palmettos, and oak trees. Designed by Greg Norman, it is a fair but challenging test of your game. The player will need to play a "head'' game to think his way through the water hazards, bunkers, and demanding greens. This is considered to be one of the most challenging golf courses in Orlando. Ritz is a pricey round but well worth the splurge. 

Waldorf Astoria Golf Course offers pristine playing conditions and classic course design. The service is predictably first class. The Rees Jones intricately designed championship course ranks it as one of the top 10 courses in Orlando. There are more than 100 bunkers, and water looms on almost every hole in this naturally beautiful and secluded course. If cost is not important to you, book this one now. 

Marriott's Grande Vista is located on the headwaters of the Florida Everglades and is surrounded by magnificent oaks and cypress trees. They offer a nine-hole par 32 course designed by Ion Garl with 35 acres of dedicated practice areas, offers a full schedule of instructional opportunities, and custom club-fitting from the Marriott Golf Academy. 

Grand Cypress Golf Club boasts 46 holes of Jack Nicklaus Signature golf, with three nines of North, South, and East requiring precision and accuracy. The course is modeled after classic Scottish links and is an homage to the Old Course St. Andrews with double greens, stone bridges, and 150 pot bunkers. This is great for a golf vacation. 

Tranquilo Golf Course at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando is one of the newer luxury courses in Orlando. It is pricey, but the conditions and quality are indisputable. The course was recently redesigned and renovated. It is surrounded by wildlife in a tranquil and peaceful setting with challenging topography that is unique to Central Florida. There are elevation changes, meticulous fairways, and gorgeous Southern Live Oak trees to navigate. 

Shingle Creek Golf Club is considered one of the top courses in Orlando. They have great design, tournament-level conditions, and outstanding service. Sitting just one mile from the Orange County Convention Center, the location makes it a visitor's favorite. Shingle Creek offers a modern yet classic resort experience and has won the Greens of Excellence award. They are considered one of the most scenic courses in Orlando, on a lush, green oasis offered at a reasonable rate. It is a test for even the best golfers, such as their signature hole 17, a 220-yard -par-three with bunkers to th left and right, and a significant water hazard looming. 

Orange County National features two outstanding courses, Panther Lake and Crooked Cat, for 36 great holes of golf well set in nature. They have hosted the PGA Tour for multiple years. Be prepared for pristine fairways, natural water hazards, and a very picturesque setting. They are located only a few short minutes from Walt Disney World attractions in the heart of the entertainment district. The playing conditions are impeccable, and this course will not disappoint. Designed by the team of Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jr., this is one of their very best efforts. This is the place for a true gold junkie. 

With over 100 public golf courses, an unequaled array of accommodations from budget to the most luxurious, subtropical climate year-round, and lots of sunshine, Orlando is a golfers paradise. Check out some of our favorites for the best golf courses in Orlando, call up your buddies, and get booking. Lots of great golf awaits you in Central Florida. 

Before you go, check out these Golf View and Golf Access Rentals. 

PRO TIP - Have your concierge book your tee times and get the Golf Now app for last-minute golf discounts. Afternoon rates can really drop.