Prior to my Florida trip I messaged with an Instagrammer who lives in Orlando. Last year we hoped to tee it up while I was in the area, but never were able to connect. This year we managed to tee it at one of Orlando’s best public courses, Orange County National’s Crooked Cat course.

I lived in Florida from 2004 to 2007 and during that time I managed to play close to fifty courses throughout the state. While I lived in Florida I never made it to Crooked Cat, so it has been high on my list of Florida places to play. I was excited to play Crooked Cat and I’d love to come back to review Panther Lake one day. Plus, there is a short course called the “Tooth” that I’d like to check out.

Anyway, Crooked Cat is probably best known for consistently hosting the PGA Tour Q-School Finals. If you go to the course’s website you can see those exact dates and all of the important events that have been held at Orange County National. The facility is top-notch and worthy of the praise that it receives.

One of the first things you’ll probably notice after playing a few holes at Crooked Cat is the openness of the course. The course is located next to State Route 429, in a mostly undeveloped area. A few homes are going up on the back nine here, but nothing that is too offensive. There is a mix of pines and oaks that help spruce up the course’s presentation.

From the tips Crooked Cat can stretch up to nearly 7,500 yards. We opted for the more manageable green tees which are 6,432 yards. From the green tees the rating is 71.4 and the slope is 126, so I think this is a course you can play to your handicap, even when traveling. I wasn’t sharp but kept thinking that if I could scratch out a birdie or two I might be able to go on a little run. Sadly, my game never decided to show up.

The biggest challenge at Crooked Cat will probably be its length (from the longer tees) and difficult par-3’s. The par-3’s on Crooked Cat are all quite the challenge, highlighted by the 8th and the 13th. The 8th is 173 yards and is tough because of the green complex. The green has a small tongue towards the front where the pin was cut the day we played. The right side of the green falls into a large bunker while the left side drops off into the rough. If you miss that little tongue with your iron shot it requires some deft touch for a makeable par putt!

At 163 yards, the 13th is the shortest of the par-3’s but it is one of the most visually intimidating holes on Crooked Cat! From the tee it is all carry over water to the green. The green hides behind some reeds and that made it tough to gauge just how much room was short of the green. Missing long is much better than short here. 

The par-4 12th is probably another hole worth mentioning on Crooked Cat. It plays somewhere around 400 yards and has a wetlands feel to it. The tee shot is downhill to a fairway that is guarded by water to the right. It is a nail-biter approach into the green, with more water lurking.

I paid $80 and the conditions were really nice, just what you’d expect for a premium course in Orlando. Everything was freshly overseeded and had that green glow to it. The turf under the overseed still offered those firmer bermuda lies, so it was tougher to get under the ball. Things should get more lush as the rye continues to grow. The greens were slick and pure.

Crooked Cat gets my vote as a course to check out on your Orlando golf vacation. The course is one of my Florida favorites. It can be a bit pricey – especially from January through March, but the design should keep your interest and be enjoyable to play.

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