HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla.
Florida’s iconic El Campeón Golf Course at Mission Inn Resort & Club continues to enjoy its 100th anniversary by celebrating its latest honor as the No. 1 golf course in Florida, as ranked by Golf Advisor, an online resource for golf course ratings and reviews. Golf Advisor began its “Top 100” list in 2012.
El Campeón, which opened its first nine holes in 1917, also was ranked No. 16 overall in the nation based on Golf Advisor player surveys—joining an elite group in the Top 20 that includes St Andrews in Scotland, the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Hawaii, and Pacific Dunes and Bandon Trails in Oregon.
Golf Advisor is an online resource of golf course ratings and reviews by golfers who share their first-hand experience at thousands of courses worldwide. A more crowd-sourced list than other major golf course rankings, the Golf Advisor reviews are said to be scored more heavily on the total experience—accounting for staff, service, facilities, value and conditions—with less emphasis on course design.
An original member of the Florida Historic Golf Trail, El Campeón—the “The Champion”—was built on land formerly planted with citrus groves in central Florida’s rolling hills, designed by golf professional and architect George O’Neil of Chicago. The golf course, originally named the Florida Chain-O-Lakes Country Club, was one of the first in Florida with grass greens and one of only two courses in the state built to the regulation length of 6,300 yards. Two significant renovations occurred in 1926 and 1969.
Mission Inn Resort & Club has also expanded throughout the years. It now features 176 hotel rooms, fresh-water fishing, marina, full-service spa, three restaurants, and 30,000 square feet of group space.
A second course, Las Colinas, opened in 1992. Designed by former PGA Tour player Gary Koch, Las Colinas (“The Hills”) celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Las Colinas features wide fairways rolling over gentle rises. Its greens are surrounded by tropical vegetation, and several large water hazards.
Mission Inn is located 35 minutes northwest of Orlando. Planners who attend the Meetings Today Live! South event from Dec. 3-6, 2017, will be able to experience all that Mission Inn can offer groups.
