I write this post with unbridled enthusiasm as a trip to Florida is imminently approaching, one that will take the WiscoGolfAddict team from the frozen tundra to a couple of the Sunshine State’s most elite public properties and the PGA Show.

What a great time to reflect on my last trip to the area just a couple months ago, an annual Disney-focused excursion with my wife’s family.

I love Disney, but over the years I’ve built golf into these trips to get breaks from the crowds and enjoy the beautiful sunshine.

While most of these rounds take place on Disney property, I do trek offsite from time to time, always on the lookout for a solid place to play in a golf-rich region.

When the opportunity to review Mission Resort and Club came up last fall, I was naturally intrigued having stayed and played at the property many years ago.

About an hour north of Orlando, Mission Resort is a little off the beaten path in the heart of Lake County, a marshy area wedged between Orlando and The Villages.

The destination has a rich history going back to the early 20th century, occupying an interesting plot with above-average topography for Central Florida. From my first visit, I recalled a set of dramatic holes bounding up and down a steep slope on its eastern flank, an oddity for Florida golf which is typically set to flat swampland.

The topography adds character and variety to its original El Campeón layout (one of two courses on site), while the other half of the course tours a more prototypical Southern landscape, weaving between water hazards and palm trees.

The El Campeón course was built at a time when development in Central Florida was in its infancy. In a bid to attract visitors to the newly-established Howey-in-the-Hills community, land was set aside for a high profile golf course and Chicago-based architect George O’Neill was enlisted for the design.

As an original architect at Beverly Country Club in Chicago, O’Neill is also credited with several other designs in Illinois and Indiana, as well as Maxwelton Braes in Door County.

Eventually, the property would expand to encompass a colonial-style resort and a second 18-hole course, Las Colinas, and was known as Mission Inn for a long while.

With beautiful lodging and two affordable, challenging golf courses, this remains one of the Orlando area’s best stay-and-play values.

El Campeón encompasses bold design elements to challenge the golfer and add visual drama. With deep sand traps and ponds closely guarding elevated greens, the course will punish weak iron play but reward sound shotmaking. You’ll find excellent variety over the entire round, with unique hole designs and strategic placement of hazards from start to finish.

Course Overview

The El Campeón Course at Mission Resort and Club

Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida

Architect: George O’Neill (1917)

Par 72; 6977/6628/6234/6034/5584/4816 Yards

Course/Slope Rating: 74.6/142, 73.0/139, 71.1/135, 70.2/134, 68.1/128, 64.7/120

Featured Holes

After three somewhat tame holes to kick off the round, the tough par four 4th heads up into the hills. Clocking in above 400 yards with a tight tee shot over water, this beast threatens to inflate the scorecard in the early going, and it’s crucial to stripe two solid shots into a semi-blind green to avoid a potential double bogey.

The fifth features a dramatic downhill tee shot before ascending to a heavily bunkered green perched on a hillside. The bunkers and slopes gave my playing partners fits, but I managed to secure my first GIR and par of the day after two pure shots.

The seventh is a lengthy par four bounding downhill with options off the tee. A cross hazard diagonally cuts across the landing zone, which will likely prompt longer hitters to lay up. However, drives short of the water will set up a ~200 yard approach to a well-bunkered, elevated green.

Yes, five is a good score here.

The nearly bunkerless 11th stood out as a unique challenge with encroaching trees providing defense against par. This mid-to-long par four bends slightly to the left with one of the wider tee shots on site, followed by a tight approach to a tiny green encircled by steep runoffs.

You won’t toil in sand or water here, but without crisp iron play and execution around the greens, double bogey is very much in play.

The closing stretch at El Campeón is quite memorable, descending out of the hills one last time for several showdowns with water hazards.

The 15th is a short par three with a pond bordering three sides of a railroad tie-lined green. Even with wedge in hand, you’ll probably feel nervous about the drink laying in wait to crush your scorecard. Indeed, I succumbed here with one of my worst short iron pull-hooks in memory, sending my ball deep into the abyss and eventually carding a double.

The 16th is another adventure adjacent to water, a short par four finishing on a postage stamp island green with sand on all sides. The tee shot is wide and inviting, encouraging players to bite off as much distance as they dare without running it too far and into the hazard. Long and short hitters alike can place a tee shot in wedge range, though, which is crucial given the intimidating approach.

I’ve never seen a par five like the 17th. Playing through a tight, tree lined corridor and with a gnarly oak placed in the middle of the fairway about 175 yards from the green, it’s virtually impossible to get home in two.

The layup shot is no picnic, though, as the centerline tree must be accounted for either with a lofted iron over the top or a low punch under the branches. To make matters even more complicated, a cross bunker and pond lay at the bottom of a slope, making precise distance control essential.

Three uncanny shots are needed here to walk away with a par, and with every shot closely stalked by trees and water, big numbers are definitely in play.

Closing Thoughts

El Campeón was every bit as enjoyable as I remembered from my first visit a couple decades ago. It’s a refreshingly charming classic property in a region dominated by modern courses, a course that will keep you on your toes with punishing features but will also offer scoring opportunities due to shorter length.

With peak greens fees just north of $100 and excellent stay-and-play rates, this is one of the greater Orlando area’s best values I’ve seen, and makes for a solid option on a Central Florida golf trip.

I certainly hope to return in one of my next Florida visits and would love to play all 36 next time, including the Las Colinas course which looks like it has some intriguing holes in its own right.

Where are some of your favorite, lesser-known places to play in Florida? We’d love to hear all about it in the Comments section!

Mission Resort and Club Website