Orlando Trip Review- Celebration Golf Club

After a few hours after landing at Orlando International Airport, we made our way to Celebration Golf Club. Celebration was a fun course. Nothing overly long, or tough. It was a good place to have a round after a half day of traveling. Check-in was easy but don’t expect too many range balls to warm up with. The range at Celebration used floating golf balls. You will warm up hitting them into the lake that is the driving range. Very different and cool unto itself.

The first tee shot won’t have you pull out driver. A hybrid or long iron should suffice for this par 4 starter hole. Followed by a second par 4 that will take an accurate drive to make the approach easier. Hole 3 is a par 3 that you cannot see the surface of the green. A good shot will be rewarded with one of the least sloped greens on the course. Hole 4 is a par 5 that you can get to in 2 with a good drive. Be aware of the water on the front and left side of the green and not much room behind either. Hole 5 is the shortest par 3 on the course so take advantage here. Hole 6 is another par 5 that your can get there in 2 with a great drive but will require a longer 2nd shot into the green. Water is left but there is plenty of room right and behind. Hole 7 is a tough hole with a large sand trap in the middle of the fairway that longer hitters off the tee will have to deal with. You will have to decide to challenge the bunker to have a shorter approach, or hit short with a much longer approach. Hole 8 is a narrowing par 4 with water creeping up the right. Driver will need to be placed accurately with 3 woods or hybrids having more room for error. Hole 9 is not a long par 4 but driver will bring in danger right and left. Challenge it if you want to or club down to stay out of danger. The approach still isn’t bad if you decide the latter.

The back starts very similar to the front in that you won’t need to hot driver. Be my guest if you want to but a hybrid or long iron is really all you need. Hole 11 is another tough 4. Walk away with a par and move on to the next hole. Don’t be too long on your approach as the green drops of heavily off the back. Hole 12 is another par 5 that you can get to in 2 only if you have a good drive. Be aggressive off the tee and stay left. If you decide not to go for it, stay short of the large trap that is short of the green and give yourself a full shot. Hole 13 is a nice par 3 over water. It’s not too long but hit the green on this one or end up short to be able to get up and down. Hole 14 is a hole you need to score on. Pretty short and sweet. Just avoid the tree of the left and missing the green right where there is water. Hole 15 may be short but that doesn’t mean it is easy. If you play a fade then you can hit driver, but club down if you hit a draw as the hole bends slightly to the right. The green is elevated so make sure you get the right club. Coming up short isn’t much fun.

The 3 finishing holes are a challenge and a good way to finish the round. Hole 16 is a long par 3 over water with water running along the right side of the green. Hole 17 is a shorter par 4 but water will make you have to club down if you’re a longer hitter. Hit a good tee shot to have a good approach as there is water along the right side of the green again. Hole 18 is a par 5 that will likely take 3 shots to make the green with the back tees playing at 556. With the green guarded on the right with water, the smart play is to lay up and hit a wedge into the green. But if you need eagle for the round of a lifetime or having the worst round of your life and have nothing to lose, then make sure you take dead aim. The bunker left is just a bit better than the water right.

Celebration was a great track and fun to play. With all of the choices in Orlando I would keep this one to the day of arrival or day of departure for an easy round, but I would play it again.