Kissimmee Bay Country Club

Kissimmee Bay Country Club was once nominated as one of America's "Best New Courses" by Golf Digest and is a favorite of the locals. This semi-private, 18-hole facility is within easy striking distance of the Orlando theme parks, just in case dad wants to escape "the fam" for a few hours.

Lloyd Clifton designed the Kissimmee Bay Country Club which opened in 1990, and plays 6830 from the back (gold) tees with a par of 71. From the back, it carries a course rating of 72.4 and a slope of 132. Yardage drops dramatically if you move up one set of tees to the blues (6317) or the whites (5891). There are a total of five sets of tees which makes the course challenging and manageable for golfers of all skill levels.

The course winds around numerous water hazards as well as century-old oaks and massive cypress trees; the wooded areas are quite unique and not something you would typically see in Florida.

Practice facilities at Kissimmee Bay include a small aqua range that is deep enough to hit every club in the bag as well as a practice putting green. The pro shop carries the latest styles and models of golf equipment and is very competitively priced. There is also a complete selection of logoed apparel.

On the dining side, a visit to the country club isn't complete without a visit to the Kissimmee Bay Bar and Grille; a lively gathering place for golfers. You don't need to have just finished a round of golf in order to enjoy the camaraderie of this establishment. All food orders are cooked to order and are carefully prepared.

The clubhouse is also home to the Langley Golf Museum, which has some very unique exhibits, including a story about Tom McAuliffe, the World Champion Armless Golfer. It's definitely worth checking out.

Memorable Holes - (All yardages are from the Blue tees: 69.9/123)

Number 1: Par 5, 541 yards. This dogleg left par 5 requires an easy carry over water off the tee. Play your tee shot out to the right to take the large trees on the left out of play but be sure to avoid the fairway bunker on the that side as well. The landing area for the layup shot is narrow and features a lot of moguls, which can leave an interesting lie for your approach shot. The green is small and guarded by sand on the left. Par is a good score on this opening hole.

Number 6: Par 3, 205 yards. Not a whole lot of trouble to get into on this hole, except for the sand bunkers that guard the front of the green. Make sure you take enough club to get there as the hole can sometimes play longer than advertised.

Number 7: Par 4, 447 yards. Don't let the length here fool you. This dogleg left is more like a left turn and requires a tee shot of at least 230 yards to make the dogleg. Long and left off the tee can easily land you in the water which is not visible off the tee, or in a fairway bunker. Your approach shot features a waste bunker and palm trees lining the left side of the fairway as well as greenside bunkers on either side. The green slopes down from the back left side. A par here will look very impressive on the scorecard!

Number 9: Par 5, 567 yards. Water, water everywhere! An interesting par 5 dogleg left, which keeps going left and keeps going left. A long straight drive can again be penalized by water. Water comes into play on both sides of the fairway for your layup shot and you will most likely be hitting over a pond with your approach shot into a large, well-protected green. It will take three good shots on this hole if you want to score well.

Number 14: Par 4, 397 yards. The water on the left side off the tee really shouldn't be a factor, however the wetlands just past it can be another story. The same is true of the water and sand on the right side. Most players will face a fairly lengthy approach shot into a green that slopes severely from back to front.

Last Word: Kissimmee Bay Country Club offers a great value for Florida golf. Their rates are low year round, which is probably why they see as many rounds each year as they do. The course is well taken care of. It has its share of wide open holes and some that require a little more precision, especially off the tee. The course provides a challenge, no matter how good your game is.

Kissimmee Bay's par 5 holes are long and challenging. Unless you are a long ball hitter, they are three shot holes. Leaving yourself an approach shot from a manageable distance goes a long way to scoring well here. Other than number 6 at 205 yards from the blue tees, the par three holes are short (127, 125 and 130 yards respectively). At 447 yards, the par 4 number 7 is a little intimidating on the scorecard. However once you play it, you'll see that a good drive will leave a manageable approach.

All in all, Kissimmee Bay is worth playing. Of particular interest is the All-U-Can package. Start out the day with a breakfast sandwich and coffee, then head over to the practice facility and take advantage of unlimited use including range balls. Then play as many holes of golf as the day (or your body) will allow, plus a hot dog and soda after your first nine.

For more information on the course and booking tee times, you can visit them online at www.playgolfinkissimmee.com or call the pro shop at (407) 348-4653.