Golfin' Around Mission Inn by Bill Cuebas with Randy Tantlinger

Just thirty-five minutes from Orlando and roughly one hour from Tampa, Mission Inn Resort offers the perfect play and stay golf getaway in Central Florida.  Along with 2 world class golf courses, Mission Inn provides a variety of getaway options ideal for weddings, corporate outing or a simple romantic getaway. I was recently excited to experience two of the Top 25 rated courses in the US when I played El Campeon (rated #9) and Las Colinas (#3) while recording for a future episode of Golfin Around.


 
To begin, I was immediately greeted with 1,100 acres of rolling hill, groves of orange trees, lakes and the elegant Spanish Colonial architecture of the Mission Inn Resort.  The accommodations available include Golf Resort Villa as well as deluxe hotel accommodations which in single and double rooms as well as a variety of suites. I was fortunate to stay in a one bedroom suite that had a separate living room, full kitchen and dining area, screened in porch and elegant bathroom.  The amenities at Mission Inn were not only beautiful but they were beyond what I needed. I was able to cook myself breakfast before hitting the course and cook myself dinner once I returned as well as sit at a comfortable desk and work on my computer or sit on my balcony which overlooked the El Campeon golf course.
 
  ​Along with access to 2 world class golf courses, guest have access to try trap & skeet shooting, freshwater fishing, hike nature trails, take a tennis clinic, enjoy a day in at the pool  or bicycle throughout the resorts’ 1,100 acres.
 Day one, I was able experience the beautiful El Campeon Golf Course. The El Campeón 18-hole championship course was designed by Chicago-based course architect, George O’Neil and built in 1917 – with further enhancements in 1926 by Charles E. Clarke of Troon, Scotland. El Campeon is one of Florida’s oldest golf courses and has elevation changes up to 85 feet over it’s rolling fairways and greens. This course’s signature hold is the par 5 of #17 which is a double dogleg with more obstacles on it then some entire courses!
 
Las Colinas is considered to be a more classically designed course than El Campeon.  Designed by architect, Gary Koch, Las Colinas which is spanish for “the hills” was built in 1992 and has received recognition for “Best New Resort Course,”  “Best Places to Play,” and “Top Fairways” by Golf Digest and Golf For Women. This 18-hole course was designed with wide open fairways, rolling hills and undulating greens that provide a variety of challenges along the way.  The signature hole at Las Colinas is called “Alligator Alley”. The 12th hole is a par 5 that spans 493 yards along a tree-lined fairway and demands complete accuracy from the tee box to the flag in order to be successful.

 If you’re looking for a beautiful resort and golfing opportunity easily accessible from many large cities in Florida than the Mission Inn Resort is a wonderful idea. 

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