Destination: Orlando
Now and forever the Mouse reigns in Orlando. But golfers know this part of central Florida is a haven for vacationers looking to hit the links as well. In addition to theme parks, visitors to Orlando can enjoy world-class dining and - of course - golf courses by some of the top designers in the game.
Destination: Orlando
Orlando, of course, is known as the Florida home of Mickey Mouse with four Disney World theme parks that attract nearly 20 million guests per year, making it the most visited recreational site in the world. But since Disney World first opened in 1971, the Orlando area has attracted countless other theme parks, resorts, conventions and, of course, golf courses.
Along with Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, Disney also offers world-class golf that includes four 18-hole golf courses - Lake Buena Vista, Osprey Ridge, and the Magnolia and the Palm, the site of the PGA Tour's Children's Miracle Network played in the fall.
In addition to Disney World, the area is also home to Universal Orlando, where in the spring of 2010, visitors can check out the much-anticipated Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the resort's Islands of Adventure. You'll also find SeaWorld in Orlando as well as scores of other tourist attractions, many of them on the famed International Drive - a strip of hotels, restaurants and smaller attractions such as Ripley's Believe or Not, Wonderworks, Wet 'n' Wild and the world's largest McDonald's. I-drive is also the address of the nation's second-largest meeting spot, the Orange County Convention Center, which has more than 2.1 million square feet of exhibit space.
If you love baseball, then Central Florida hits it out of the park. It's the spring training home to the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers, and another half dozen major league teams within easy driving distance.
Of course, golf has grown exponentially with the tourist trade in Orlando, which now offers more than 120 golf courses and countless resorts. In addition to the Disney courses, there's the expansive Orange County National, perennial site of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament finals; the 45 Jack Nicklaus-designed holes of Grand Cypress Resort; Greg Norman's two courses at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate; and Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge, site of the PGA Tour's Bay Hill Invitational in the spring – just to name a few.
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