Orange County National Golf Center hosted our final round of golf on our Orlando golf trip. Orange County National features 2 18 hole courses, Panther Lake and Crooked Cat. It also features a 9 hole course called the Tooth Course. We decided to play Crooked Cat. This is the higher ranked of the two 18s. This is a municipal facility but its amenities are far beyond most city owned courses. Crooked Cat was renovated in the summer of 2012 with all of the greens being redressed with Champions Bermuda Ultra Dwarf turf. This is the best approximation to bent grass that can be grown in the south.
The Orange County National web site describes Crooked Cat as a links style. I would not agree with that. The course offers some significant elevation changes and offers plenty of trees throughout the course. This course, more than any other I played in Orlando, reminded me of a Minneapolis area course. The back nine is the more challenging of the two nines.
Before I get to the course, I have to talk about two outstanding features of Orange County National.The pro shop and the practice area.
Orange County National has been home to the PGA Merchandise Show Demo Day since 2003. Their pro shop is larger than a lot of golf retail stores I have seen.
The other outstanding thing is the practice area. Orange County National has the largest driving range in America. It is truly enormous. With stalls on three sides, it must be 900 yards across at least. It is just unbelievable. Apparently it is 42 acres in size!
If you cant find a spot on this driving range, forget about it.
My dad preparing to warm up on the range.
A myriad of pitching areas are also available.
As are numerous bunker complexes.
I think this is probably the best practice facility I have ever seen. One reason for this may be the fact that Orange County frequently hosts both PGA tour and Champions tour Q-School qualifying and final events..
There are even lodging options on-site with the rooms right next to the practice putting green. That green, BTW, is 22,000 sq. ft. and is lighted so you can practice into the night.
Crooked Cat offers 5 different tee options:
- Black- 7,493 yards 76.0/139
- Orange- 6,927 yards 73.7/132
- Green- 6,432 yards 71.4/126
- White- 6,020 yards 68.8/122
- Tan- 5,122 yards 69.6/120
Hole 1 Par 5
The Wild
544 | 506 | 482 | 470 | 413 yards
Hole 2 Par 4
The Pecan
483 | 439 | 400 | 357 | 325 yards
The second hole is a dogleg right, A forced carry is required to reach the fairway area. Favoring the right side allows you to clear the trees and provide a short second shot in.
The green is well protected front my a grouping of 9 bunkers. A swath of rough also separates the fairway from the green, requiring a carry the entire way on your second shot. The green is uphill from the fairway as well.
A shot from the corner of the dogleg, looking towards the green.
The green slopes from back to front, as you can see from this image taken back down the hole.
Missing deep or right here will find your ball falling off behind the elevated green.
Hole 3 Par 4
Nags
400 | 370 | 345 | 335 | 252 yards
Another dogleg left. The play here off the tee should be played right down the middle to avoid the trees lining either side of the hole.
At the corner of the dogleg, the hole turns towards the green which is surrounded on three sides by bunkers. The approach into the green is flat, though the green does slope from left to right.
Hole 4 Par 5
The Tanglewood
542 | 508 | 500 | 445 | 397 yards
The Tanglewood is a longer par 5 that turns gently left as it runs towards the hole.
The shot into the green needs to take the slope of the green into account. The green runs from left to the right, towards the only bunker protecting the green, which is short right.
Hole 5 Par 4
The Tidewater
451 | 403 | 374 | 360 | 289 yards
A pretty par 4, this is a slight dogleg right, finishing at the green just short and to the right of the flowering tree in the distance.
Trees line each side of the fairway off the tee. The best play is right down the middle.
You can see there are bunkers running up the left side of the fairway.
The fairway undulates in the landing area, leading to some uncomfortable potential lies for your second shot into the green. The fairway also does not run all the way to the green, a swath of rough separates the primary fairway from the green
The bowl shaped green is elevated from the fairway and protected short right, as well as deep by a couple bunkers.
Hole 6 Par 3
The Princeville
204 | 190 | 165 | 140 | 122 yards
A really nice looking par 3 requiring a carry over a sea of sand to reach the green.
The green slopes gently back to front, though the extreme back edge of the green falls off behind the green. Long is definitely better than short on this tee shot.
Some beautiful scenery abounds on this course, lots of birds and we were here in perfect time for the flowing trees.
A view from back and left of the green.
Hole 7 Par 4
The Tarken
455 | 416 | 389 | 360 | 324 yards
A tight driving hole, with trees lining each side of the hole. The hole is made even narrower by three large bunkers sitting on the right side
Your second shot must traverse a large bunker running up the right side of the hole to the green. The green is also elevated from the fairway.
Once again, the fairway ends prior to the green, requiring a good carry to reach on your second shot.
Hole 8 Par 3
The Pit
218 | 199 | 173 | 166 | 111 yards
A long pars 3, the tees are slightly elevated from the green. Your tee shot must carry "the pit" short, as well as the large bunker guarding nearly the entire front side of the green.
The green slopes from back right to front left. A series of bunkers behind the green collect any shots hit too far.
A view of the green from the far left of the green.
Hole 9 Par 4
The Bend
400 | 375 | 365 | 320 | 276 yards
The final hole on the front is a big dogleg bending around a lake on the left. Down the left, between the fairway and water, runs a river of sand. The right side of the hole is dominated by numerous bunkers sitting scattered on the sloping edge of the hole. These bunkers are in play off the tee.
The fairway is widest in an area short of driver, encouraging a tee shot with irons. This requires a forced carry over the water though on your next shot, if played this way. Using woods off the tee cuts the water out of play but brings in all the bunkers down the right into play. A well designed hole.
The shot into the green requires precision. Likely water will be in play, as well as bunkers behind, and down the left side of the green. The green slopes pretty severe right to left towards the water, or from this angle that is back to front.
Hole 10 Par 4
The Sunrise
459 | 426 | 382 | 339 | 320 yards
The start of the back offers a wide open fairway on the tee shot. There are bunkers on the edge of each side of the fairway, a good shot down the middle is all you need on this long par 4.
The approach to green must avoid the pair of bunkers short that choke down the alley into the elevated green. The green here slopes back to front.
Crossing the road after 10, I thought this sign was a funny representation of a golf cart.
Hole 11 Par 4
The East Way
448 | 415 | 380 | 370 | 318 yards
Another straight ahead tee shot on this par 4. Trees frame the hole for your tee shot. The hole turns to the left on your second shot.
Here you can see a better view of your aiming line, the 150 marker, or to its left.
A single large bunker protects short left of the green. The green slopes from back left to front right.
Hole 12 Par 4
The Sweep
461 | 417 | 379 | 350 | 273 yards
My favorite hole on the course. A real challenging tee shot here! You are hitting to an almost island fairway on your tee shot. The left side of the hole is OB. Down the right is water. Tough.
Beautiful.
A view of the fairway curling around the marsh on the left, as it rises to the green.
Another view showing the problems you must avoid on your second shot into the green.
The green is raised slightly in front. It has a single bunker protecting the back left and is two-tiered.
A view back up the hole from behind the green.
Hole 13 Par 3
Land O' Lake
212 | 185 | 163 | 152 | 90 yards
The second tough hole in a row. This tee shot is nearly all carry from the back tees to the green. The green is also ringed on its terrestrial side by four bunkers.
From the forward tee, the view is slightly less daunting, but the carry still remains.
The green here has three levels, two lower levels in front and a raised plateau in the center back portion of the green.
Hole 14 Par 5
Pine Lake
529 | 500 | 465 | 460 | 385 yards
A straight ahead par 5 here. A single bunker on the left, along with an area of rough juts into the fairway slightly narrowing down the landing area.
The hole rises from the tee slightly all the way to the green.
As you approach the green, come in from the left to avoid the chain of bunkers that sit short right of the green.
The green is otherwise unprotected once you clear the front bunkers. It is slightly elevated from the fairway but the putting surface is fairly flat, with a slight back to front tilt.
Another view back down the hole from behind the green.
Hole 15 Par 3
Lily Pond
237 | 210 | 183 | 159 | 150 yards
Another long par 3 that plays downhill. With a pair of bunkers short and trouble ringing behind the green, this is a demanding shot, though not as much as 13!
Hole 16 Par 4
Saddle Hill
454 | 432 | 405 | 379 | 364 yards
An uphill semi-blind tee shot on this par 4. The proper line is to the left of that single tree in the center of the photo.
A trio of dinosaurs meanders across the fairway.
This green is again elevated. A long bunker sits down the left side of the green.
I hit my approach shot tight, nearly making eagle. I had a kick-in birdie though.
Hole 17 Par 5
The Windy Ridge
538 | 506 | 480 | 470 | 372 yards
A right angle dogleg par 5. Your tee shot is requires a carry to the fairway landing area that begins near where the hole turns right.
It is possible to hit through the fairway on this hole so club selection is important.
Trying to cut the corner of the dogleg is probably not smart. There are many trees lining the right side, as well as a large bunker on the short side of the trees.
If you find the fairway, your second shot is fairly open. A large deep bunker does sit short right of the green.
Playing down the left side takes the bunkers out of play and gives an good angle into the green that exposes its length from there.
A view from behind the green, showing once again how the green is elevated.
Hole 18 Par 4
The Grey Mule
458 | 430 | 402 | 388 | 341 yards
The final hole is played straight towards the clubhouse in the distance. This fairway is the widest landing area on the course. Down the right several trees penalize wayward shots. Down the left side a series of grass bunkers come into play in the rough.
The approach shot on this hole is best played up the left side to avoid the three bunkers on the right edge of the green.
The left side does fall off away from the green if you come up short and this three-tiered final green.
I really enjoyed my final round in my Orlando trip. I felt very comfortable playing Crooked Cat. This course felt the most like the courses I play back home. Conditions here were very nice. The greens rolled smooth, and the fairways and rough were in very good condition. I had the good fortune of avoiding any of the bunkers but they looked to be of good quality sand and well maintained. The practice facilities here are first rate, probably the best I have ever seen. My dad and I enjoyed a drink out on the clubhouse patio. They have several Adirondack chairs out there overlooking the 18th green.
I finished with my lowest round of the year (all of which were played in Orlando). I shot a 39-38 for a round of 77.
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Orange County National
http://www.ocngolf.com/
407 656 2626
16301 Phil Ritson Way
Winter Garden, FL 34787-6200
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