Orange County National golf: Panther Lake, Crooked Cat, the Tooth and the Lodge

Orange County National golf means two public 18s in Winter Garden, Panther Lake and Crooked Cat, plus the Tooth, a $15 walking nine, and a 43-room lodge in the middle of it all. Panther Lake is the traditional, tree-lined course with real elevation change; Crooked Cat is open, links-style and windy. It is about 20-25 minutes from the Disney parks.

This guide compares the two courses, covers the Tooth, the practice ground and the Lodge, and shows what the files say about prices and the PGA Show week. Facts were read from OCN's site on November 4, 2026. Tee times are priced dynamically, so rates change by day and season.

Quick facts

• Courses: Panther Lake (18), Crooked Cat (18) and the Tooth (9-hole executive, walking only).
• Access: public daily-fee; book on OCN's TeeItUp site or call 407-656-2626.
• Rates: dynamic, none published in our files; the Tooth lists a $15 Tempo Walk.
• Lodge: 43 rooms on site, no resort fee found; stay-and-play $496-597 per player seen for spring 2026 dates.
• Practice: a very large range (the club says the largest in America), a lighted 22,000 sq ft putting green and the OCN Academy.
• PGA Show Demo Day: Tuesday, January 26, 2027.
• From downtown Orlando: 32-33 minutes, 22.5-23.1 miles (free-flow).
• Google rating: 4.4 from 2,113 reviews (shared listing).

Orange County National golf: the courses side by side

Tee yardages and ratings for the OCN courses are not in our files. Panther Lake has tour tees plus three forward tees, per the club.

Panther Lake

Panther Lake is the more traditional of the two: holes through native pines, wetlands and lakes on ground that moves up to 60 feet, which is a lot for central Florida. The greens are large, contoured and raised. The 10th is the famous one: the approach from 150 yards is the spot from the Tiger Woods and Nike "Frank" commercial. The research calls Orange County National the best-known public 36 on the west side, and Panther Lake is its tree-lined half. Read the Panther Lake course guide.

Crooked Cat

Crooked Cat is the open, links-look 18, with mounding, native heather, grass bunkers and big contoured greens. It hosted LIV Golf Orlando in March 2023, and the club calls its back nine perhaps the best nine on the property. It is wider than Panther Lake, so it is the friendlier choice for a mixed group, but the wind matters more; March is the breeziest month at MCO by NOAA normals. See the Crooked Cat course guide.

The Tooth and the practice ground

The Tooth is a walking-only nine that plays in under an hour, with gentle elevation, bunkers and a lake on four holes. The club page listed a $15 Tempo Walk rate (season not stated). Juniors from age 5 can play, with discounted junior rates, and it is an easy add-on after 36 holes or before a flight out of MCO.

The practice facility is the other draw: a range the club calls the largest in America, a lighted 22,000 sq ft putting green and short-game area, and the OCN Academy. The 22,000 sq ft clubhouse has the Orange 83 Pub and Grill. OCN also sells the Florida Elite Golf Card, a local discount card (terms not read).

The Lodge at Orange County National

The Lodge at Orange County National has 43 rooms inside the golf property, 2 minutes from the first tee at Panther Lake and 3 from Crooked Cat. You request stay-and-play by form on the lodging page.

Package prices swing by date. Rooms are simple and there is nothing to walk to off the golf property, but for golf-first groups the research says it is hard to beat: sleep at the course and play 36 holes a day. Compare it with other stays in Orlando golf resorts.

Orange County National golf and the PGA Show

The PGA Show runs January 26-29, 2027. Demo Day, on Tuesday, January 26, is held at Orange County National, and the courses and range are taken over for it. The show is trade only. The rest of the week fills International Drive and Universal-area hotels. If your trip overlaps, play OCN on other days and book rooms early. See Orlando golf events.

Booking tips

• Book early for January to April mornings. Rates are dynamic on TeeItUp, and peak-season mornings go first.
• Play both 18s in a day from the Lodge. The research suggests it.
• Use the Tooth as a buffer. If a round finishes early or a flight leaves late, the walking nine takes under an hour.
• Mind summer storms. June to September brings afternoon thunderstorms on 14-17 days a month at MCO, so take the first tee times.
• Fall overseed dates were not published for OCN in our files; ask if you are booking November or December.

A two-day Orange County National golf plan

• Day 1: fly into MCO, check in at the Lodge and play the Tooth in the late afternoon, then dinner at the Orange 83 Pub and Grill.
• Day 2: Panther Lake in the morning, lunch, Crooked Cat in the afternoon, with an hour on the range or the lighted putting green after.
• Day 3 (optional): replay your favourite of the two, or drive about 20-25 minutes to the Disney courses via SR-429.

For a family, the same base works with a twist: one parent plays Panther Lake at dawn while the kids sleep, and the whole family plays the Tooth together. For a bigger group, two 18s, a short course and a large practice ground on one property give everyone room to spread out. Read Orlando buddies golf trip for group logistics and the best time to golf in Orlando to pick your dates.

Staying nearby and pairing courses

If the Lodge is full, the SpringHill Suites at Flamingo Crossings, by Disney's western entrance, is 12 minutes from Panther Lake. Nearby public courses make a west-side week:

• Stoneybrook West: 15 minutes from the Lodge, 7,101 yards at 74.8/135, $49 with cart on August 2026 mornings and $35 twilight. Pair it with lunch on Plant Street in downtown Winter Garden.
• Forest Lake: an owner-run public 18 in Ocoee, 7,221 yards from the tips.
• Disney's Magnolia: 7,505 yards at 76.6/142, bookable 90 days ahead.

For more on the area, read Winter Garden golf courses, and for a full trip built around OCN, Orlando golf trip itinerary. Golf-first groups comparing destinations might also look at Myrtle Beach golf resorts.

Plan it on the map

Open the Orlando golf map to see the Orange County National golf courses, the Lodge and the west-side courses around them. The $49 plan can build a buddies trip around OCN or a winter stay with a weekly rotation from a Winter Garden base.