On Wednesday February 26, 2025 we got to play one of our favorite courses here in Florida, Eagle Creek Golf Club, which is located in Lake Nona a great community that is actually a fairly quick drive from the Orlando airport (MCO). As always, we got an early tee time, 7:20am and were actually able to tee off a little early just by ourselves, which is always fantastic. You can see by the pictures that the mist was rising as we teed off directly into the sun, and the dew was still on the greens – but hey, we love to be dew sweepers. The temperature when we teed it up was around 60 degrees and when we finished, in roughly 3 hours and 15 minutes, the temperature had reached the upper 70’s. In addition to this being one of our favorite golf courses, there is a restaurant just up the road that we actually love as well. It is called the Nona Blue and it is owned by x-PGA and current LIV professional golfer Graeme McDowell. Their food is fantastic, especially the Mama’s meatloaf served with mashed potatoes and cream corn. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating area can get pretty loud so we decided to stay inside this time, which is nicely decorated. The service is always fantastic. Okay, back to golf now that I am hungry.
Here are my caddie notes:
The first tee is a pretty straight away par 4 with a green that runs from back to front. If you are a long ball hitter off the tee, say maybe 250 – 275 yards, just bomb away and you will have a short iron into the green. If shorter than 250 yards drive, play to the left middle of the fairway to position your next shot into the green. As already stated, the green runs back to front so a nice iron shot to the middle will more than likely not run off the back. Regardless of where they put the flag, which is always either middle or back, play it a little short to give yourself and uphill putt. Hole 2 is a shortish par 4 that doglegs to the right. Make sure to play your tee shot to middle left of the fairway. Hitting it long straight will get you into trouble due to water being on the left side, which you won’t be able to see until you get up there. Far right is OB, and many have hit a fade that veers to far right and comes into contact with the condominiums that run along the right. Your second shot is a short wedge into a green that has a couple of levels, but mostly runs again back to front. A long approach shot will leave you with a difficult downhill breaking putt, so better to play it a little short and putt uphill. Hole 3 is probably one of my favorite holes on the course. The hole is a dogleg right, with a very wide fairway out in front of you as you stand on the tee box. You will not be able to see the flag, however, a good tee shot down the middle, to middle right, will leave you again with an iron into the green. Take note, the green is fronted by a small hill that makes you think your approach shot hit the front of the green only to get to your ball and find that you have missed the green and come up short. The green is kind of deep and is shaped a little like a dome. The flag is usually middle to front, so a middle of the green shot is your best bet for a chance at a birdie. Hole 4 is a fairly long, up to 570 yards, par 5 that is snake shaped. From the tee box, it is best to hit a long fade to the top of the rise in the middle of the fairway. Your next shot will be a long approach shot that you will need to keep to the right of the rough that runs along the left. Left is not good. You will either end up in deep rough, or find the water. Once you have hit your second shot to the right, you will have a nice wedge or short iron into a fairly small green, which is guarded by mounds on the right, sand in front, and water left. The entry to the green is about 10 to 15 feet wide, if you plan to run it on, good luck. Most of the green runs back to front, with some slight breaks from left to right. Best bet is to again play it short and putt uphill. Hole 5 is a long par 3. I have hit anything from a 3 hybrid to a 6 iron on this hole. From the tips it is over 200 yards. The green is fairly large, but it is guarded by multiple bunkers left and mounds on the right. Long is no good as it will end up in a wild land area with very little hope of finding the ball. The green is fairly flat but there is some rise from front to back allowing for the ball to hit and roll out a little. However, if you are like me and hit a long iron or a hybrid, if you don’t get enough height on it, it may run off the back. If the flag is in the back, take enough club to get to the middle, if up front or middle, land up front if possible. This will allow you to putt or chip uphill for your second shot. Take a par and move on. Hole 6 is a somewhat long par 4 that plays uphill the entire way, (as if there are hills in central Florida – okay, it is an incline). Your tee shot should be middle left, however, there is a bunker on the left that catches a lot of golf balls making reaching the green in regulation impossible. Your second shot will be a long iron or hybrid for most. The green is somewhat a small target and is protected by bunkers and mounds on the right, mounds on the left that will force your ball towards the water that is just behind the green. This is a tricky green with many undulations, so if you can get a par, feel good about your game and move on. Hole 7 is a short, fun, par 4. It is a dogleg to the right. A good tee shot will leave you a short iron or wedge into the green, which is one of the largest on the course. Have fun on this hole and go for a birdie if possible. Note, there is some trouble, mostly with landscape features causing you to play it too safe, but don’t. Just hit it long to the middle right of the fairway and go for it. Hole 8 is one of my least favorite holes. It is pretty, but it can ruin a good front 9. It is a longish par 3, with OB left, water and cart path right, bunkers on both sides, with a two tiered green. This is a tough par 3. If you are on green, you have a good chance of making a birdie, if on the right tier, or at least par. However, it is a tough par 3, so be happy with a par. Hole 9 is a long fairly straight away par 5. Two good shots, one from the tee box to the middle of the wide fairway, the second to the middle left of the fairway, will leave you with a wedge to the green. The approach to the green is actually from the left and the green sits a little to the right of how the fairway was laid out. If the flag is in the front, you can play to the middle and let the ball take the slope in the middle to a front bowl, leaving you with a fantastic chance at a birdie, for long hitters an eagle. If the flag is in the back, take enough club to reach the middle or even upper level of the green. This will leave you with an uphill, or potentially, a flat putt. Great hole to finish the front on.
Moving to the back 9. Hole 10 is a dogleg left. Play your tee shot over the fairway bunker on the left or aim directly to the middle of the fairway to the right of this bunker. If you hit it long here, you will get rewarded with a downhill run off that will leave you with a wedge or short iron into the green. If, like some of us, you fade the ball, you will be middle right of the fairway, missing this downhill run off, leaving you with a mid to long iron for your approach shot. The green is guarded by mounds on both of the sides and back, while also a sand bunker on the left and a grass bunker on the right. This green is fairly large and has a couple of tiers on it. The upper back is hard to get to, so, if the flag is back make sure to take enough club to reach the upper level. If the flag is middle front, play it short to give yourself an uphill putt. Hole 11 is a great little par 3 hole that can play pretty long, up to 215 yards. It is guarded by two very deep bunkers, think St. Andrews, on the left, which if you land in either you will be playing your sand shot backwards or sideways. Better to leave your tee shot short or right if you are to miss the green. The hole is tougher than it looks, but a par is a good score. Hole 12, is a slight dogleg to the left that plays fairly long. There are some big trees down the lefthand side so aim your tee shot to the middle left. The left side can cause issues if you don’t hit the fairway as there is a fairway bunker about 220 yards out, and if landing in the rough, there are multiple mounds so you more than likely will not have a level stance. If there is wind, it will usually be blowing directly into your face. This will cause your drive to come up short, leaving you a long iron or hybrid for your approach shot. The green is mounded in the middle, so your approach shot will be determined by where they have placed the flag. If the flag is in the back, be careful to hit the middle from a high approach shot. If too far, it will run off into the rough. If too short, it might roll back to the front of the green, leaving a very long putt for birdie. A 2 putt par is good on this hole. Moving to Hole 13 you are faced with a fairly long, 545 yards, dogleg left, par 5. You are also faced with a decision from the tee box. There is a penalty area that runs along the entire left side of the fairway. If you think you can cut the corner of the penalty and get the ball in the fairway, you might actually be able to get to the green in 2. However, if you are short on your tee shot, it can really cost you some strokes, even if you play out of the penalty area, as it is really steep and you will not have a secure stance. Also, if you don’t clear the penalty area, under the rules, you would have to play your third shot after taking a drop, from approximately 75 to 100 yards from the tee box. Not a good start on this par 5. Additionally, if the wind is blowing it will more than likely be blowing in from your left, causing any fade shot to really fade (i.e. slice). You may still find the fairway but it will take 2 really good shots from there to hit the green in regulation. The green is pretty large, runs front to back uphill, with a smallish runoff area to the back right. It is best to get your approach shot to the middle of the green to have any chance at a birdie or par. Hole 14 is an interesting hole. Standing on the tee box, you will see the fairway that runs out in front of you, a little to the left. On the right you will see bunkers and on the left you will see rough. If you are a long hitter, you will want to go just left of the bunkers with your tee shot as if you clear the incline your ball may run all the way to the bottom leaving you with a wedge to the green. If you land middle or middle left in the fairway, not clearing the incline you will be able to see the green, but it will leave you with a long to mid iron into the green. The green runs uphill from front to back and is guarded by bunkers left and mounds right. Overall, an interesting hole due to the incline in the middle of the fairway. Should be a fairly easy par for most. Hole 15 is a short par 4 that doglegs to the right. A good tee shot to the middle or middle right will leave a short iron, or maybe even a wedge, into the green. The green is deep, but not really wide. It is protected front left with a bunker and front right and back with mounds. This should be an easy par, however, beware, that if your tee shot is to far right, you will be in trouble with rough, fairway bunkers, and a tough approach angle to the green. Better to stay middle or middle left. Hole 16 is a straightaway par 5 that is a birdie hole if the wind is calm, and can be a bogey or maybe worse if the wind is blowing. However, 2 good shots will leave you with a doable approach shot with a wedge or short iron. The green is pretty large and has bunkers front left and right, with mounds around the back. This is a fairly flat green which is easy to read. It runs a little uphill front to back, but again, there is not a lot of trouble to read breaks on this green. Great way to get an eagle or a birdie, which is great as hole 17 is a tough little par 3 that is just begging to take more shots than suggested. Hole 17 is a daunting par 3 that is long, up to 195 yards, pretty much 100% over water. It is additionally guarded by bunkers left and right, with mounds in the back. However, if you go over, the ball is gone. Play your tee shot to the middle of the green and 2 putt for par. Anything less than par is icing on the cake. Hole 18, some people’s least favorite hole as it can ruin a good round, is a very challenging par 5 that is pretty much straight away and only 540 yards. But the hole provides some challenges. First, there are fairway bunkers in your sight from the tee box. Most everyone can clear these however, as they were put there to cause you to think too much, don’t over think it and play your tee shot to the right. As there is rough and water all the way down on the right side, your tee shot should be to fly the bunkers in your view and stay middle to middle left. You will need to make a decision on your second shot. Most of us normal duffers hit our tee shot roughly 200-230 yards. If that is you, the decision is to lay up for your third shot. If you are a long ball driver, say 275-300, you might be able to go for the green. However, although the green is large, it is fronted by a pond that seems to catch a lot of balls. So, when contemplating your third shot, try to land you shot in the middle of the fairway to a yardage that you feel comfortable hitting. For me, that is anything around 120 – 100 yards. Stock shot with a wedge. Don’t try to push it too far up as the ground gets hard, or so it seems, and the ball may run all the way to the pond. Your third shot, being a short iron or a wedge will leave you feeling pretty good, however, there is the water. Again, it is put there to make you think too much about it. Just play your third shot to the green, 2 putt for par, or if you are lucky, get a birdie and call it a round.
Remember, have fun out there and enjoy the walk.
Course Price – 
(winter rates)
Course Condition – Par
Course Amenities – Birdie
Course Personnel – Birdie
Overall Course Rating – Birdie
