I am mostly a last minute golfer but I did have one round lined up in the Orlando area for this trip, on Tuesday. About 15 years ago I played the National Course here but have never made it back to play the International Course. So, this trip, I was itching to check out the International Course!
Further fueling my desire to play here has been the fact that I’ve played ChampionsGate Country Club on my last two visits to Florida. And, from ChampionsGate Country Club you can actually see a bit of the National Course and the gigantic Omni hotel! All that meant I was super excited to finally play the International Course.
ChampionsGate Golf Club is part of the Omni brand there are actually three courses here. There are two regulation courses (National and International) and then a short course called the Champions.
As usual, I was just there for the golf! My family lives in the area so I didn’t stay at the resort, but from what I saw everything looked very nice. The resort is massive and towers over the area. While golfing on the 7th hole I was surprised to find a wave pool as one of the resort’s amenities! I’m not going to lie, after some of the golf shots I hit up to that point in my round some time floating in the wave pool was tempting!
Just like at the other Omni courses that I’ve been able to play, ChampionsGate and the staff here worked hard to create a top-notch experience. Everyone from the bag drop attendants to the proshop staff to the on-course rangers treated me well. As an example, one of the rangers checked on me multiple times while I golfed as a single.
In Orlando during peak golfing season the courses get busy with many golfers out playing and that was the case on Tuesday. There were foursomes in front of and behind me while there was a twosome a hole or two ahead. The ranger offered to let me play through the foursome in front so I could join the twosome. I politely declined though as I don’t mind killing some time on the course, trying to get the best angle and lighting for a picture!
Greg Norman designed both of the courses at the Omni ChampionsGate. And, if you look through his design work he has created some high-profile courses. The Course at Wente Vineyards in California is a Norman design and it is one my personal favorites from when I was living in California! If you’ve played Wente Vineyards you’ll know that it is a tough course!
Norman continues that difficult theme with the design of the International! The course is routed through natural wetlands so the setting is great, especially compared to most of the Florida courses that I’ve played. There aren’t any homes nearby, which is a welcome sight in Florida!
The trade-off for the nice, natural setting is that water is in play on fourteen holes, which can grab wayward shots. Besides the water, smaller green complexes are the course’s other main defense. The greens are raised with false edges that lead to chipping areas. If you can give yourself a few birdie putts then the surfaces themselves are flatter and that could allow you to run in a few putts. For reference I played the blue tees which are 73.3/134/6735.
If you don’t hit the perfect iron shot then be prepared to chip from a tight lie! I tried a few things around the greens and had the most success with bump and run 8-irons. So, if you aren’t a pro then that would be my suggestion from the chipping areas.
There is a nice mix of yardages with par-3s ranging from 135 to 216 yards and par-4’s playing between 310 and 464 yards. There are also plenty of different angles from the tees and pot bunkers that add to the course’s look.
Speaking of the par-3’s, the long 14th and short 17th were my favorite holes on the International Course! The 14th is the 216 yard par-3 and it plays across a wetlands area to a raised green. It wasn’t tough to get my long iron up near the green but one greenside bunker affects play for those who bail to the right! I faced one of those tricky chips from a tight lie.
The 17th is the shortest par-3 on the course and it plays 135 yards. It sets up best for a fade as the green angles and slopes to the right, towards the water.
As you’d expect from one of the “attraction area courses”, the International Course was in really nice shape. The fairways were full and looked/played like non-dormant bermuda. There might have been a light ryegrass overseed, but I couldn’t quite tell. Everything looked plenty “green” this time of year. The greens were excellent, as the surfaces were quick and pure!
If you are looking to play a high-level course close to Disney then I’d make sure to put the Omni ChampionsGate courses on your list. However, be prepared that pars and birdies will be hard to find on the International Course!
Thankfully, the storms stayed away and I got some sunshine, which helped with my pictures. I enjoyed my morning on the International Course, followed by lunch in the grille. One day, I hope to get back to play the National Course again, just with my camera in hand!
Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):