Orange County National Lodge

The only snag is that the range machine closes early on Monday. Otherwise, there's lots of room on the range, and you can bring your own balls to the chipping area. You can putt and chip all night, too. The 9 hole executive walking course is cute and fun. Panther Lake and Crooked Cat are the two 18 hole courses, and Panther Lake is my favorite for scenic sunset views in the afternoon. There's an academy with kids' enrollment and lessons from lots of instructors. It's got everything you need, and never feels crowded.

I played Panther on May 3 after having a good visit here last year. Check in was very positive, but when we reached the first green, it was clear they'd killed the greens before closing the course on May 4 to replace them. Nobody told us about the condition. Every green was dead, and the round was miserable. We paid $170, with no discount or apology. Why sell tee times at full price while starting construction prep? Very disappointing.

The course itself deserves five stars. The grounds were fantastic, the cart service came by every 2-3 holes, the starter was upbeat and easygoing, and Dunie from OCN brought our group fresh baked chocolate chip cookies on the course. That helped ease the poor check in with Mike, who checked in our party of six. I paid online through Golf Now, then found I still owed for two players. No big deal, but Mike asked, “are you playing”? I was confused. My first visit in November 2025 had gone much more smoothly. Staff showed my husband and me the range and practice grounds, and the green fees included free range balls. This time, customer service was lacking. After paying for a small bucket, I asked what had changed, and Mike rudely asked, “did you go to the yellow flag?” We had been directed to the white shack to buy balls, and nobody at check in explained that range balls were free before 1pm or where to get them. OCN is one of the country's largest practice and golf facilities, so the directions would've helped. We will be back, but Mike should bring more of a customer service smile. When people pay non Florida rates, they expect better than satisfactory service. Four stars because of one grumpy guy, and less than five for MIKE.

Check in was friendly, and we'd had a good experience here before. But on Panther Lake, by the first green, we saw that every green and the surrounding area had been killed off ahead of the course closing on May 4 for replacement. Nobody had told us, not even the starter. There was no discount or apology for the terrible conditions. Why prepare for construction while still selling full price tee times? Play was slow too, taking five hours, and we never saw a Marshall. The group in front was a hole behind the group ahead of them, and calling the Pro Shop got us nowhere. It was a disappointing trip after driving 1.5 hours from Florida's east coast. Never again.