Post by Richie3Jack on Jun 6, 2011 12:59:31 GMT -5
Shingle Creek is a resort style golf course located in Orlando, FL, right down the street from Sea World. The city of Orlando has 3 'main parts' to it. It has the downtown Orlando area which is right in the heart of the city. Then it has the Disney World area which is in the SW section of the city. Then there's the International Drive section where most of the Disney World tourists tend to stay and hang out and that is about 15-20 minutes away from Disney. Shingle Creek is located near the International Drive (aka I-Drive) section of Orlando.
The course was designed by David Harman and plays to about 7,100 yards from the championship tees. It features water on 16 of the 18 holes and plays to a 74.7 rating from those championship tees.
Probably what stands out at first about Shingle Creek is the price. Come summertime, one can usually play just about any course in the Central Florida area for $35 or less in the afternoon, but Shingle Creek's rate is at $45. However, it's well worth the money because not only is the course well designed and in immaculate condition, the service is about as good as it gets.
With that, you will see a lot of wealthy businessmen playing Shingle Creek. The types that have the brand new R11 driver, but can't hit it more than 75 yards. But it's easy to see why it attracts that type of customer because the service is downright impeccable. When you go into the parking lot you are meeted by a bag drop attendant who will take your clubs, clean them, and then valet park your car. Followed by the pro shop and restaurant people who go out of their way to greet you with a hello and have everything running efficiently. Then there's the starter who will work to find the best place for your group to tee off. Since my dad and I were a twosome, he had us tee off on #11 and we wound up finishing the round in 2 hours and 50 minutes. The driving range is also complimentary.
As I stated, the condition of the course was rather immaculate. The fairways are very lush and soft, so the ball doesn't roll too far. You'll probably wind up with 1/2 the roll you would normally get off the tee. They were 1 week removed from aerating the greens when I played there and they looked more like they were 3 weeks removed and I was able to sink a bunch of downhill putts with my hot putter. So as well manicured the course was, I would love to see it when the greens are at their finest.
Design wise I found the front 9 more difficult than the back 9. I could cruise on the back 9 for the most part with some moderate difficulty on #14, #15 and #17, but even those holes weren't crazy in their difficult. And there was the 498 yard par-5 #16 where I hit a so-so driver and was still able to hit 3-iron over the green.
The front 9 has some really tough holes with #3, #5 and then #6 thru #9. For me, I had to use a lot of 3-woods off the tees on the front 9.
The course if very much a resort design. Relatively open. Lots of water and bunkers to beautify the course. Somewhat long and requires the golfer to carry the trouble instead of directionally avoid it. Along with a lot of large greens and scenic views.
I think Harman did the course well by having the first par-3's on each side starting on #5 and #15. That helps speed up the pace of play instead of having a par-3 on the 2nd hole and immediately having to wait just after you teed off. He also starts off with two relatively simple starting holes on #1 and #10 so the golfer doesn't have to start out the gate with a tough drive.
The best holes IMO are #3 (par-4), #4 (par-5), #5 (par-3), #8 (par-4), #9 (par-4), #15 (par-3) and #18 (par-4). But the best thing is that there are no gimmicky golf holes, just hit decent golf shots and you'll do okay.
And while the price to play there is high...in peak season it's up to $129 a round. It's still cheaper than a lot of high end courses in Orlando, Myrtle Beach and Pinehurst and I believe it's a better value than many of those courses. So I highly recommend giving it a look.
3JACK