Where to stay in Orlando for golf: Disney, I-Drive, Kissimmee, ChampionsGate, the west side or the airport
Where to stay in Orlando for golf: eight bases compared, from Lake Buena Vista and ChampionsGate to Clermont and Lake Mary, with drive times and courses.
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Where to stay in Orlando for golf depends on whether the trip is golf-first or golf-plus-parks. ChampionsGate and Davenport put the most golf within 10 minutes; Lake Buena Vista is best for mixing Disney days with rounds; International Drive suits Universal; Clermont and Winter Garden suit pure golf groups; Lake Mary works for Sanford flights.
Courses on our map run from Mount Dora in the north to Haines City in the south, and I-4 traffic can add 15 to 45 minutes at rush hour, so the base you pick decides how much of each day you spend in the car. Below are eight bases with free-flow drive times from our research and the closest courses to the hotels on our map. Hotel rates were not published in our research; resort fees are from a November 2026 third-party list.
Quick facts
- Most golf within 10 minutes: ChampionsGate (Omni courses 5 minutes, ChampionsGate Country Club 9).
- Best for golf plus Disney: Lake Buena Vista, 2 minutes from Disney Springs.
- Best for Universal: International Drive and Grande Lakes.
- Best for golf-only groups: Winter Garden and Clermont, near Orange County National.
- Airport bases: Lake Nona for MCO, Lake Mary or Sanford for SFB.
- No resort fee: Disney-owned hotels; most chain hotels in this guide were not on the resort fee list.
Where to stay in Orlando for golf: the bases compared
| Base | To downtown | To Disney Springs | Closest courses from a hotel on our map |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Buena Vista | 29 min | 2 min | Disney's Lake Buena Vista 6-7 min, Grand Cypress 7 min |
| International Drive | 20 min | 15 min | Shingle Creek and Grande Vista 13 min |
| Kissimmee (US 192) | 32 min | 23 min | Falcon's Fire and Hawk's Landing 8-9 min |
| ChampionsGate | 34 min | 20 min | Omni courses 5 min, ChampionsGate CC 9 min |
| Winter Garden | 24 min | 31 min | Orange County National 2-3 min from the Lodge |
| Clermont | 38 min | 47 min | Clermont National 4 min, Legends 8 min |
| Lake Nona | 30 min | 27 min | Eagle Creek 10 min, North Shore 11 min |
| Lake Mary | 27 min | 49 min | Mayfair 10 min, Links of Lake Mary 12 min |
Drive times are OSRM free-flow estimates from approximate town centres, measured in November 2026. Course times are road minutes from the named hotels.
Lake Buena Vista and Disney: golf plus parks
This is the base for families and couples splitting days between rounds and parks. Disney's Lake Buena Vista reopens on November 9, 2026 with new greens; the Lake Buena Vista course guide has the tees. The Nicklaus Cypress course at Grand Cypress and Hawk's Landing are both within 10 minutes.
- Sonesta ES Suites Lake Buena Vista: suite kitchens (brand standard), 6 minutes from Disney's Lake Buena Vista; for a week-long group.
- Hyatt Place Lake Buena Vista: 7 minutes from Lake Buena Vista and Grand Cypress.
- Drury Plaza Disney Springs Area: walk to Disney Springs; included breakfast.
- Disney-owned resorts: no resort fee, and Disney's undated perks page lists a complimentary taxi to the four Disney courses. See Disney hotels near golf.
Bonnet Creek's Waldorf Astoria and Signia also sit here, with the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club between them; they are covered in Orlando golf resorts.
International Drive and Grande Lakes: Universal and SeaWorld
Rosen Shingle Creek puts Shingle Creek a minute away and may charge no resort fee, though parking is $32-36 a night. The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott at Grande Lakes share the Norman course but charge about $62 a night in resort fees. On a budget, the Holiday Inn Express International Drive is 13 minutes from Shingle Creek and Grande Vista.
Watch the convention calendar: the PGA Show (Jan 26-29, 2027) fills I-Drive, Universal-area and Grande Lakes hotels.
Kissimmee, US 192 and Celebration: budget and Disney's south side
US 192 is the classic budget strip, a short drive from Disney's south gates. The Hampton Inn & Suites South Lake Buena Vista is 8 minutes from Falcon's Fire and Hawk's Landing and 11 from Celebration. The Clarion Inn & Suites is the tightest-budget option; check recent reviews. The Gaylord Palms has no golf and a $51.53 resort fee, but Falcon's Fire is 6 minutes away. Our Kissimmee golf courses guide covers the area.
ChampionsGate, Reunion and Davenport: the golf-first base
The Omni ChampionsGate is 5 minutes from International, National and Reunion's Nicklaus course, and 9 from ChampionsGate Country Club. The Reunion Resort is the only way onto its three courses. Groups usually rent homes here; see Orlando vacation homes for golf.
For a hotel on points, the Holiday Inn Express Orlando South-Davenport is 7 minutes from ChampionsGate Country Club and 10 from Highlands Reserve. Animal Kingdom is the closest park.
Winter Garden and Clermont: the west side
The Lodge at Orange County National has 43 rooms 2 to 3 minutes from Panther Lake, Crooked Cat and the Tooth, with no resort fee found. The SpringHill Suites at Flamingo Crossings, by Disney's western entrance, is 12 minutes from Orange County National.
Clermont is farther out but quiet. The Hampton Inn & Suites Clermont is 4 minutes from Clermont National, 8 from Legends and 9 from Kings Ridge; the Fairfield Inn & Suites Clermont is similar. See the Clermont National course guide. Mission Resort + Club, farther north, is a golf resort of its own.
Lake Nona and the airport
Courtyard Orlando Lake Nona is 10 minutes from Eagle Creek and 11 from North Shore, both handy for arrival and departure rounds. Lake Nona Golf & Country Club is private. The Hampton Inn Orlando International Airport suits late arrivals and early flights. MCO is 28 minutes from downtown and 29 from Disney Springs.
Lake Mary and Sanford: north of Orlando
For Allegiant flights into Sanford (SFB), base north. The Courtyard Lake Mary/North is 10 minutes from Mayfair, a Donald Ross course that charged $53.95 Monday to Thursday before 11 am from November 15, 2026, and 12 from Links of Lake Mary. The Holiday Inn Express Sanford-Lake Mary is 9 minutes from Mayfair; see the Mayfair course guide. Disney Springs is about an hour away. Our flights to Orlando for golf guide compares the airports.
Resort fees and parking change the math
When you work out where to stay in Orlando for golf, compare the full nightly cost, not the room rate. On the November 2026 third-party list, the golf resorts charged $34.05 (Mystic Dunes) to $61.88 (Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes) a night in resort fees, and several add $38 to $58 a day for parking. The JW Marriott Grande Lakes, for example, adds $61.87 plus $42 self-parking, about $104 a night before the room. Disney-owned hotels charge no resort fee, and the chain hotels in this guide were mostly absent from that list, though that is not proof they charge none. Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties also add a tourist development tax on stays of six months or less. Our Orlando resort fees guide has every figure.
Where to stay in Orlando for golf, by trip type
- Mostly golf, a group, a week: ChampionsGate or Davenport homes, or the OCN Lodge.
- Golf around park days: Lake Buena Vista or a Disney resort.
- Universal and SeaWorld: International Drive or Grande Lakes.
- Snowbird month: vacation homes, Solivita or RV parks to the south; see Orlando snowbird rentals.
- Cheapest beds: US 192 and the chain hotels in Davenport and Clermont; see cheap hotels near Orlando golf courses.
For how other golf towns compare, see where to stay in Naples for golf.
Plan it on the map
Open the Orlando golf map to compare every base above with drive times to each course. The $49 plan builds a day-by-day trip from the base you choose, including golf around park days.
Courses in this guide
Questions golfers ask
What is the best area to stay in Orlando for golf?
For a golf-first trip, ChampionsGate and the Davenport side: two Norman courses, Reunion's three and ChampionsGate Country Club within about 10 minutes of the Omni, and vacation homes for groups. For a mixed park and golf trip, Lake Buena Vista, 2 minutes from Disney Springs and under 10 minutes from three courses.
Is it better to stay in Kissimmee or Orlando for golf?
Kissimmee and the US 192 corridor put Falcon's Fire, Celebration and Hawk's Landing 8 to 11 minutes from budget hotels, and Disney's south side is close. Downtown Orlando suits the Winter Park and Dubsdread courses, but the resort courses are 22 to 39 minutes away, free-flow.
Where should I stay for golf near Universal?
International Drive or Grande Lakes. The Holiday Inn Express on International Drive is 13 minutes from Shingle Creek and Grande Vista, and Rosen Shingle Creek has its course on site. Avoid I-Drive during the PGA Show (Jan 26-29, 2027), when hotels fill.
Where should I stay for golf if I fly into Sanford?
Lake Mary or Sanford. The Courtyard Lake Mary/North is 10 minutes from Mayfair and 12 from Links of Lake Mary, and the Holiday Inn Express Sanford is 9 minutes from Mayfair. Heathrow and Alaqua, the closest clubs, are private.
Is Clermont a good base for golf?
Yes, if you do not need the parks every day. The Hampton Inn & Suites Clermont is 4 minutes from Clermont National, 8 from Legends and 9 from Kings Ridge, and Orange County National and Mission Inn are within reach. Clermont is 47 minutes from Disney Springs, free-flow.
Do Orlando hotels charge resort fees?
Most non-Disney resorts do, from $34.05 to $61.88 a night on a 2026 third-party list, plus parking. Disney-owned hotels charge none, and most of the chain hotels in this guide were not on the November 2026 resort fee list, which is not proof of none.
Where should I stay for an early flight out of Orlando?
Near MCO. The Hampton Inn Orlando International Airport is 11 minutes from Ventura, and the Courtyard Lake Nona is 10 minutes from Eagle Creek and 11 from North Shore, so you can play a last round on the way to the airport.
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