Waldorf Astoria Golf Club

The “Waldorf Astoria” brand elicits thoughts of old money luxury, but the golf course at the resort chain’s Orlando location is anything but old, having been laid out by Rees Jones in just 2009. That said, the student of the game’s history and go-to renovator of Golden Age courses for the USGA aimed to base this central Florida design on more historic sources than modern.

There are clues in the names of the holes, such as No. 9 “MacKenzie” and No. 13 “Sir Harry” is perhaps whimsically a reference to Colt (but most likely some British explorer), although it’s tough to touch which historic figure this short par four cape hole is a tribute too. Sometimes Jones lets the design tell the history for him, of course. One great example is the No. 7 “Biarritz,” which true-to-form plays as a long par three with a significant dip in between two putting platforms.

Those visiting the nearby Disney World development will get their fill of classic film and television, and the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club will provide a significant treatise on classic golf.