Waldorf Astoria® Golf Club: Fact Sheet
OVERVIEW:
The centerpiece of the Waldorf Astoria© Golf Club is the 18-hole, 7,108-yard championship course created by acclaimed golf course designer Rees Jones. It is the first golf club for the Waldorf Astoria brand, and features a contemporary clubhouse.
Located at Bonnet Creek, the course is open to all golfers, including those staying at the adjacent Waldorf Astoria© Orlando or Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek and those who want to experience a piece of history. It is one of the few golf courses in Orlando to be free of real estate.
DESIGN OVERVIEW:
The challenging course is designed with a five-tee system for all playing abilities, winding through a large wetland preserve with a par 72, slope 139 and 74.6 rating from the professional tees. Holes are visually arresting from tee to green and require intelligent management of the game. Bunkers are carved to be reminiscent of the hazards designed on courses a century ago. Towering pine and cypress trees line the fairways. The style was dictated by the land's existing contours, which Jones enhanced, always mindful of the natural elements and environmental sensitivity.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Waldorf Astoria Orlando offers a total of 498 guest rooms including 171 suites with separate living rooms and spacious bathrooms. All rooms feature marble bathrooms, televisions, dual-line telephones, complimentary in-room premium cable, video check-out and Internet access.
Business and local newspapers are delivered each morning.
The original Waldorf Astoria is credited with popularizing room service, and the Waldorf Astoria Orlando offers it 24-hours daily with an extensive menu for palettes of all ages.
HOLE BY HOLE:
Hole One
385 yards, par 4
With the teeing area a few strides from the golf shop, the first hole on the outward nine is a gentle right bender framed on either side by mature trees and indigenous foliage. Easing players into the course, this manageable par 4 sets the stage for a tranquil round. Accuracy is required on the approach as the green is guarded on either side by bulging manicured bunkers. As is the case throughout the course, anything long makes for a touchy recovery from the thick Bermuda rough.
Hole Two
173 yards, par 3
It is the shortest of the course's four par 3s and the first of four holes on the outward nine with water directly in play. Club selection is critical as central Florida's prevailing winds change with the seasons and the back of the green is open to the elements and the next tee.
Hole Three
429 yards, par 4
The course flexes a bit with this long straightaway par 4, as water runs the length of the right side. The optimum landing area for the tee shot is pinched tight between the water and large fairway bunker. The green is further protected in front by two more traps.
Hole Four
556 yards, par 5
The first par 5 on the front nine provides some relief from the water. Big hitters can give it a go by carrying the fairway bunker on the right. As is the case with most of the course, golfers should not be long as the second of the course's three big lakes lurks precariously close to the back of the green.
Hole Five
393 yards, par 4
Favoring a right-to-left shape shot, this par 4 is a chance to shave a stroke. Despite bunkers and water running the length of the left side, there is ample fairway right. The green is open in the front allowing for multiple approach shot options.
Hole Six
478 yards, par 4
What this straightaway par 4 lacks in water it makes up for in length. Approach shots are beautifully framed on all sides with tall stately pines. The green is open to the front, making it receptive to longer iron shots.
Hole Seven
207 yards, par 3
The second par 3 on the front is both visually stunning and intimidating. Two gaping bunkers protect the left side, sloping down and away into the beginnings of a large lake. Anything short right or on the surface off the tee makes for a good chance at par. This hole also provides a look at the first of four impressive wooden bridges peppered throughout the course.
Hole Eight
508 yards, par 5
Easily one of the trickier holes on the course, this five-shotter is the first of only two holes that require tee shots to carry water. In this case, it's a lake that continues down the entire length of the right side and ends at the elevated green. It also boasts the only green entirely guarded in front by sand.
Hole Nine
417 yards, par 4
The tree-lined fairway gives way to a distractingly beautiful view of the resort. Players should keep approach shots right to avoid the beginnings of another large lake. There is ample room beyond the decoy fairway bunker for an approach to an oblong, sloping green.
Hole 10
372 yards, par 4
Tee shots away from the resort quickly return play to tranquil. Tall jetting pines along the fairway are joined by a series of undulating bunkers down the left side. But left is still the preferred route into the wide side of the green.
Hole 11
240 yards, par 3
There is more than meets the eye to this stunning layout, the longest par 3 on the course. The elevated, hourglass-shaped green is almost completely surrounded by a massive, meandering ribbon bunker.
Hole 12
624 yards, par 5
The longest hole by more than 60 yards, this leggy par 5 intimidates off the tee with a long wavy bunker that hugs the right side. There is ample landing area left and water doesn't come into play until the front left side of the green. Final approach shots from the right are preferred here and set up well to the open front green. Patience here will be rewarded with a par.
Hole 13
322 yards, par 4
This left-turning hole brings play out of the trees and wraps around one of the course's many water features. The shortest par 4 on the course, lucky 13 demands accuracy off the tee to an abbreviated landing area. Three sizable, crescent moon-shaped bunkers protect the right side. Three more greenside traps stand guard around the green, requiring a firm decision on the approach.
Hole 14
432 yards, par 4
Two separate water features come into play down the right side on this par 4. However, right is still the preferred angle on approach. Open to the elements, there are no trees to wrestle with, allowing for another good chance to shave a stroke.
Hole 15
391 yards, par 4
Maximizing visual impact, the fifteenth offers expansive views of the entire backside of the resort complex. Water runs the length of this fun par 4's left side, but there's room right off the tee. Players should avoid being long on their second shot. Recovery from the thick Bermuda sloping away from the green can quickly turn a likely par into a disappointing double.
Hole 16
172 yards, par 3
This photo-op three-shotter is one to be remembered. To the right there are jetting pines, and to the left a beautiful lake running the length of the resort. Accuracy and high arcing tee shots are needed here to carry the front bunker and raise the probability of par. The long sloping green has multiple distinct landing areas. However, anywhere on the green off the tee is good.
Hole 17
484 yards, par 4
The longest par 4 on the course is also the second that requires a carry over water from the tee box. All the best elements of the course can again be found here: a view of the resort over your shoulder, an impressive bridge leading to the fairway, trees lining both sides of the hole, and fairway bunkers stuffed with character. It may be long but the odds of carding par are still good.
Hole 18
530 yards, par 5
The picturesque finale plays into a peninsula green, with the resort and setting sun serving as the backdrop. The green slopes back to front with two distinct landing areas separated by a formidable spine. While it's not the shortest of the course's par fives, it poses few problems. A decent tee shot sets the stage for a final birdie attempt and a desire to start again.
PRACTICE FACILITY:
The practice range features several target greens, enabling golfers to hone their accuracy with a number of different clubs. There is also a chipping area to fine-tune the short game and a putting green is maintained in the same condition as the ones on the course. Professional instruction is available for individuals and small groups.
DESIGNER:
Rees Jones was born into the game of golf. He learned to play as a youngster and competed as a junior golfer, in college and while in the army. He grew up traveling with his family to golf courses all over the world and worked in the summers for his father, renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones. After college at Yale and graduate studies at Harvard, he went to work in 1964 as a principal in Robert Trent Jones, Inc. Ten years later, he founded his own design firm, Rees Jones, Inc., headquartered in his hometown of Montclair, New Jersey.
In the last 30 years, Jones has become renowned in his own right, designing more than 100 courses, primarily in the United States. His remodeling skills have been applied to seven U.S. Open venues, six PGA Championship course and four Ryder Cup sites.
CLUB HOUSE:
A reflection of the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club and its hub of activity, the course's distinguished clubhouse is rich in amenities and handsomely furnished.
The golf shop is well stocked with the latest golf equipment and apparel. Club rentals are also available.
Golfers often gather before or after their round at the clubhouse's restaurant, featuring a menu including juicy burgers, chicken sandwiches and healthy salads with farm-fresh produce.
GOLF DIRECTOR:
Rob Turner
RATES:
$125 (seasonal)
RESERVATIONS:
Reservations: 1-888-WA-GOLF (1-888-924-6531)
CONTACT INFORMATION:
14224 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane
Orlando, Florida 32821
(407)597-3783
WEB SITE:
www.WaldorfAstoriaGolfClub.com
