Every year I go to the PGA Show in Orlando.
It’s exciting, exhausting, engaging, and draining – simply put the whole week is a whirlwind.
It’s always great to see old friends and discover new products, but the whole experience can be a bit overwhelming.
If you’ve never been, the PGA Show is at the Orange County Convention Center right on International Drive.
The primary hotel for well-heeled attendees is the Hyatt Regency. Its a large resort that’s located directly across the street from the convention center, and is very much a “scene” when it comes to the show.
For as convenient as it is to stay there, it also books out nearly a year in advance, and let’s face it, I’m not that organized.
The rest of the hotel options near the Show range from passable, to we’ll say, less than ideal.
So as I was figuring out where to stay for this year’s show, I noticed something while doing some research.
The Grande Lakes Resort which features a JW Marriott and a Ritz Carlton was a mere 10 minutes away.
And they had a golf course.
It didn’t take long to decide that the trade of walkability for a luxury retreat during the most chaotic event of the year was one that was well worth making.
I booked 4 nights at the Ritz Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, and it was absolutely the best move I could have made. The service, accommodations, and activities at Grande Lakes are all second to none.
The downside is that because most of my time was spent at the Show itself, I didn’t get to really experience a lot of what Grande Lakes and the Ritz had to offer.
With one very notable exception.
I was able to sneak out for 18 holes at the beautiful Ritz Carlton Golf Club one afternoon before the show started.
And, boy am I glad I did.
What was the experience like? Is it worth considering if you’re looking for an Orlando golf course?
Read on to find out.
First Impressions of the Ritz Carlton Golf Club in Orlando
You can’t talk about Ritz Carlton Golf Club, without first mentioning Grande Lakes.
The Grande Lakes property sits across 500 acres of property in Orlando. With two resorts, a golf course, trails, and lakes – it’s very impressive.
The grounds are actually located at the headwaters for the Everglades, so there’s an abundance of wildlife and beautiful scenery transports you to a place that feels decidedly “un-Orlando.”
The golf course clubhouse is a short 2-minute drive from the Ritz Carlton, and has everything you’d expect from a high-end resort golf course.
You’re greeted by an attendant as soon as you pull up who helps with your clubs. Service is as good as any resort I’ve been to.
Your cart and range balls are all included as part of your greens fee – and this is the kind of place you’ll want to show up early.
The practice area and range are fantastic and have plenty to keep you busy while you warm up or hone your game.
One of the hallmarks of the course is its superb conditioning and you can see that from the moment you arrive.
But all of this will only get you so far. What’s it like to play the course?
Let’s find out.
Playing Golf at Ritz Carlton Golf Club
As I hopped in my cart and meandered over to the first tee, I was impressed by the landscaping of the grounds.
Tropical foliage abound, it was clear that playing here would be a nice reprieve from the chaos of International Drive and the convention center.
And it only gets better as the round goes on.
The opening hole gives you some indicators of what you can expect from the course.
There’s a generous fairway and massive white sand bunkers, that while big, aren’t quite as scary as they might appear at first glance.
This is definitely a resort course at its heart, despite hosting the unique PNC Championship each year – more on that in a minute.
There’s not a ton of elevation change on the course, but designer Greg Norman found other ways to keep the course fun and interesting.
Whether it’s through bunkering, unique landscape environments, strategic design around lakes, or even the backdrop of the resorts themselves – I never found myself bored throughout the round.
Were it not for the faint backdrop of highway noise on the first 7 holes or so, it’d be easy to forget where you are.
In keeping with the Ritz-Carlton name, there are a handful of luxury elements to the experience.
One of the most notable is the fact there’s no drink cart.
Rather than something as pedestrian as a drink cart, at any time you can call the halfway house, tell them what you’d like, and they will hand deliver it to wherever you are on the course.
The “airstrike” as it’s often called at high-end private clubs, allows you to focus on your golfing experience without being interrupted until you decide you’d like something.
This was the first round of the year that I played. The week prior our house went without power for 7 days, and some freezing pipes led to my house flooding.
So to escape all of that to 70-degree weather and 4 hours of golf on a beautiful course truly led to one of the most enjoyable rounds I’ve had in a while (even if the sun decided not to come out).
It reminded me of solo rounds I played at the Bahia Course at Punta Mita and the Four Seasons Hualalai. In each case it felt like I had the course to myself, I got to create the content I wanted, and just tune everything else out for an afternoon.
Favorite Holes at Ritz Carlton Golf Club
There are some memorable holes at Ritz Carlton Golf Club, and one of my favorites on the course comes early on in the form of the par 5, 3rd hole.
It’s a reachable par 5 that’s nestled at the base of the JW Marriott hotel – the larger of the two hotels at Grande Lakes.
The tee shot over water and a bunker (that should be an easy carry for most golfers), reminds me of the 14th at Banff Springs. Both have you in the shadow of a massive hotel. While this might not seem like a good thing, I really enjoyed seeing the different views of the hotels across the 18 holes and found they add to the scenery and experience as opposed to detracting from it.
Fun fact, the 3rd hole is where Tiger Woods’ son Charlie had his first ever eagle, during the 2023 PNC Championship.
I also really like the 5th hole. You’ll need to be strategic with your tee shot, as there’s a tree center left of the fairway. Should you hit left and get beyond the tree (as I was), you’ll have to decide how much of the lake you want to bite off. Clear it all and go for the green? Strategic layup to a favorite distance? It’s your choice, and a fun one at that.
10 is another favorite. It’s a mid-length par 4 that asks you to be precise with your tee shot. A shorter shot that favors the left side the fairway will give you the best angle to the green, but brings sandy waste areas into play.
A longer drive to the right will set you up for a short approach, but with a bunker fronting the right 2/3 of the green, you’ll need to make sure you have your approach distance dialed.
It’s as fun to play as it is scenic.
I’m a sucker for a good short par 4, so the dogleg left 13th which plays a mere 313 yards from the blue tees gives you the opportunity to hit any club you want off the tee.
The 16th may be the most visually exciting hole on the back 9, with a lake surrounding the right side, bunkers down the left, and the JW towering above providing a fun backdrop.
So while those were some holes that stood out to me, the entirety of the round was truly enjoyable.
Holes 6-14 were an especially nice stretch, where you get the peak nature experience of the course.
Host of the PNC Championship
One of the most notable features of Ritz Carlton Golf Club is the fact it hosts the PNC Championship each December.
This is one of the most unique tournaments in golf because it pairs some of the most accomplished pros in the game with one of their kids in a two-day scramble event.
The only people eligible to play are those who have won a major or the Players Championship. But even cooler, is that this includes both men and women.
Where else will you see Annika and Tiger in the same tournament?
This last year saw Tiger and Charlie Woods, John and John Jr. Daly, Petr and Nelly Korda – and numerous other household names.
Certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary
I never expected this to be the case, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so much wildlife on a golf course as I did during this round.
Ritz Carlton Golf Club is certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, and the wildlife that makes its home here is one of the hallmarks of the course.
I saw countless unique birds, deer, and even a fish that jumped out of the water to say hi.
Throughout the round, you can see the resorts, and you can hear some road noise from the nearby freeways, but I never expected to find such a beautiful sanctuary in this part of Orlando.
Should You Play Ritz-Carlton Golf Club?
There’s no doubt that Ritz Carlton Golf Club at Grande Lakes is one of the best high-end golf courses in Orlando.
The service and experience is commensurate with the Ritz Carlton name and is exactly what you’d expect from the brand.
The downside is that the other expectation that comes along with that name is a high price tag – which this course does indeed have.
The day I played it, the cost for a round was $375, but it creeps up as high as $425 during peak golfing periods.
It wasn’t long ago that you could play world-class bucket list resort courses like TPC Sawgrass or Spyglass Hill for that amount of money (although both of those have gone up significantly in recent years).
Even now in 2024, you can play any of the courses at Bandon Dunes in peak season for less than the cost of a round at Ritz Carlton Golf Club.
If you’re taking a high-end Florida vacation with your family and can carve out one day to play golf and stay away from the nearby amusement parks?
Go play here. Sure you’re paying a premium, but you’re getting a very fun, wonderfully maintained, scenic golf course in the process.
Not to mention with the PNC Championship here each year, it’s pretty cool to be able to play the course and go back and watch it on TV each year and see how the pros (and their kids) do compared to your experience.
Is this course the best value in golf? No, it isn’t.
Is it a place you’re likely to want to pay the rack rate to play every weekend?
Probably not.
But is it worth playing when on vacation in Orlando, staying at Grande Lakes, or just want the occasional splurge golf round? Definitely.
And if you’re more interested in the rest of the resort, here’s my Ritz Carlton Orlando review.
