Happy New Year! Probably to no one’s surprise I started out 2022 on a golf course. After exploring a couple courses on the Space Coast yesterday I was back in Central Florida to try out Legends Golf & Country Club, in Clermont. I booked a 9:40 AM tee time for $45 on New Years Day and was excited to finally get a chance to play Legends. Let me explain.

Legends first opened in 2001 but sadly the course closed in 2018, after operating for only seventeen years. The course is in Clermont and holes can be seen from U.S Route 27 while driving past. I’ve driven this section of road probably fifty plus times over the years and saw the signature hole (the par-3 15th) every time I drove past. I always figured I’d play the course one day, and then it closed.

Well, Legends re-opened about six months ago and with so many courses closing these days, it is great to see another golf course available for play. The course is in a community so the homeowners association purchased it and brought it back to life. A lot of work has taken place and it shows. The greens are new and I think all the bunkers were re-done as well. I believe the association purchased the course to help with property values so it seems like everyone, including golfers like me, might win with that decision.

While there are still some rough around the edges areas, mainly the rough, the conditions were good for the green fee. The tees and fairways were quite playable. Some spots were lush while others were firm with a thinner layer of grass – not a big deal to me. The greens were excellent just slower than they looked, probably because they are newer. The rough was a mix of different grasses, dirt and sandy sections so those parts still need some work.

From what I could see from the highway over the years, Legends looked like a solid course. And, after playing here, I’d agree. Lloyd Clifton – a familiar architect in Florida – designed the course. This part of the state is hilly so the best thing about Legends is all the elevation change. The 1st and the 5th have significantly downhill tee shots while many other holes have a gentle up and down to them. The land movement makes the course unique for Florida.

I found the first six holes and the last six holes at Legends to be the most interesting. The middle section of holes have more houses close by and felt a bit bland compared to the rest of the layout. The 4th, 5th and 6th are a good stretch on the front nine while the 13th through 15th are good holes on the back nine.

The 4th – which tops out at 191 yards – is a fun par-3 that plays into a hillside. The green is tucked onto a plateau with steep banks both behind and short of the green. Any shot not making it all the way to the green will roll back down the slope. The 15th, a 145 yard par-3, is the signature hole. It is the shortest par-3 on the course and also plays into a hillside. The green is deep and has a couple tiers so getting the distance right is important to avoid a three putt. The course’s name is displayed in landscaped shrubs behind the green.

I played the blue tees which are 71.2/131/6474 and struggled to find my way around the course. The elevation change had me guessing which club to hit and there is more hidden trouble than I prefer. If you don’t hit it the right distance then water hazards can easily catch a decently struck shot. There are many large bunkers and the greens are challenging to putt.

As long as someone keeps in mind the reasonable price to play Legends I don’t think they will be disappointed. I wouldn’t build a golf trip around playing here, but if you are in the area playing some of the other courses on the west side of Orlando then Legends is certainly worth a look. I came away impressed and while I don’t think the course is a “hidden gem”, it isn’t too far from that status.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):