I've spent some time in Florida this winter and thought I'd leave some reviews. These aren't in any particular order.

I lived in Florida years ago and managed to play the Panther Lake course while ... Continue »

I've spent some time in Florida this winter and thought I'd leave some reviews. These aren't in any particular order.

I lived in Florida years ago and managed to play the Panther Lake course while living there. However, I never made to Crooked Cat. Orange County National has to be one of the top public facilities in Orlando and I loved my round on Crooked Cat! The course is probably best known for hosting the PGA Tour Q-School Finals.

The layout is open, the driving areas are large and there isn't a ton of trouble - just on a few holes. The wind was howling when I played and I never thought it was too tough like some modern designs can be.

The par-3's are difficult here and the par-4 12th is one of the better par-4's that you'll find in Florida. It is a really solid hole that plays somewhere around 400 yards from most of the tees and has a wetlands feel to it. The tee shot is downhill to a fairway that is guarded by water to the right. The water cuts across the fairway so ideally you will want to hit the tee shot as close to the edge of the fairway as possible! From there it is a nail-biter approach into the green, with more water lurking.

The conditions were top-notch, just what you'd expect for a premium course in Orlando during peak season. Put this on your list of courses to play on your Florida golf vacation! It is well worth the $100ish green fee.