Alright, let me tell you about this Orlando golf trip we put together. It wasn’t my first rodeo planning a golf getaway, but Orlando always seemed like the big leagues, you know? So, a couple of buddies and I decided it was finally time.
Getting the Ball Rolling
First thing, we had to figure out when to go. We looked at the calendar, trying to avoid the crazy summer heat and the peak snowbird season prices. We landed on late April. Seemed like a decent balance. Then came the hard part: picking courses. Man, Orlando has a ton. We spent a few nights just scrolling through websites, looking at pictures, reading reviews – felt like homework, honestly. We weren’t looking for the super expensive PGA Tour spots, just good, solid courses that wouldn’t break the bank entirely.
We ended up shortlisting about six possibles. Had a little back-and-forth over beers one night, weighing pros and cons. We decided on three courses we definitely wanted to play. Booking tee times wasn’t too bad; did most of it online directly with the courses about two months out. Seemed easier than using some package deal, gave us more control.
Finding a Place to Crash
Next up: accommodation. Hotels felt kinda stuffy for a group trip. We wanted a place where we could hang out, maybe grill some burgers, you know? So, we started looking at rental houses or condos. Found a decent-looking place on one of those vacation rental sites, not too far from the courses we picked. Had a pool, looked clean enough. Booked it.
Then it was just logistics – booking flights, figuring out who was bringing what clubs, renting a minivan big enough for us and the gear. That minivan rental was key, trust me. Cramming four guys and four golf bags into a regular car? No fun.
Hitting Orlando
Fast forward a couple of months, and we finally landed in Orlando. Got the minivan, which thankfully was actually big enough, and headed to the rental house. It was pretty much as advertised, which was a relief. Unpacked our stuff, grabbed some groceries and beer, and basically just settled in that first evening. Felt good to finally be there.
Let’s Talk Golf
Okay, the main event: the golf. Day one, we hit the first course on our list. Weather was perfect, sunny but not scorching. The course was in great shape. Greens were faster than what we’re used to back home, took some adjusting. My game was… well, let’s just say inconsistent. Had some good holes, had some shockers. But honestly, just being out there with the guys, playing a nice course, that was the point.
- Course 1: Pretty layout, lots of water (found it a few times). Good challenge.
- Course 2: A bit more open, forgiving off the tee which was nice. Played better here, maybe got used to the greens.
- Course 3: This one was tougher. Narrower fairways, lots of bunkers. It really tested us. Had a blast though, despite the scorecards.
We played three rounds over four days. Gave ourselves a day off in between to just chill by the pool, maybe hit a driving range, grab some decent food. We didn’t do the theme parks or anything, this was strictly a golf mission.
Wrapping Up
The trip went pretty smoothly, all things considered. The courses were good, the rental house worked out great, and hanging with the buddies was top-notch. Driving around Orlando wasn’t too bad either, though we tried to avoid peak traffic times.
Was it worth it? Yeah, definitely. It’s a great spot if you want variety in your golf. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Might try some different courses next time, maybe find a rental even closer to a specific course we really liked. The planning took some effort, sure, but doing it ourselves meant we got exactly the trip we wanted, without paying for extras we didn’t need. Good times.
