Just the Facts: The Grand Cypress Resort
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What: Grand Cypress Resort, which was honored as one of 20 resorts nation-wide to earn a Gold Medal Award from Golf Magazine.
Address: One North Jacaranda, Orlando, Fla., 32836
Golf courses: 45 holes – the New course and the North-South-East design
Golf School: The Grand Cypress Academy of Golf is ranked as one of “America’s top 25 Golf Schools” by Golf Magazine. Two instructors there, former PGA pro Phil Rodgers and director Fred Griffin, are ranked among the top 100 teachers in the country by Golf Magazine in 2000.
Resort number: 1-800-835-7377 or 407-239-4700
Tee times: 407-239-1909
Places to stay: The Villas of Grand Cypress or the 750-room Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
Restaurants: The Fairways Restaurant and the Black Swan are in the main golf clubhouse with the La Coquina, Hemingways, White Horse Saloon, Cascade and the Palm Café and General Store in the Hyatt.
Other entertainment: The Grand Cypress features a Racquet Club with eight clay courts and four hard courts and two open air racquetball courts; an Equestrian Center with lessons, trail rides and a tack shop; a Nature Area and Aububon Walk, along with fitness and jogging trails; one of the world’s largest free-form outdoor pools at the Hyatt and another one at the Villas; a 9-hole pitch-and-putt course; Lake Windsong with sailboat, paddleboat and canoe rentals available; and an impressive spa/beauty salon and health club at the Hyatt.
Director of Golf: Bill Rowden
Website: www.grandcypress.com
Golf Course Notes: By the Numbers
Golf Course: The North-South-East design
Statistics from the tips: North-South Yardage: 6,983. Rating: 75.1. Slope: 137. South-East Yardage: 6,896. Rating: 74.7. Slope: 138. East-North Yardage: 6,955. Rating: 75.0. Slope: 139.
Year opened: North-South -- Feb. 1, 1984; East – Jan. 15, 1986.
Course designer: Jack Nicklaus
Tournaments hosted: The tournament course is the North-South design, which has hosted the LPGA HealthSouth Inaugural (1998-99), the LPGA Tournament of Champions (1994-96), the Shark Shootout, the World Cup of Golf, the Skills Challenge and the new LPGA.com Classic in January, 2001.
Best Hole: The South’s No. 7 hole, a 432-yard par-4, is ranked as one of the best 500 holes in the world in Golf Magazine’s “Par 2000” list.
Green Fees (2000 rates): $115 off-season from May-October; $165 in season from Jan. 1 to May 14 and October 2-Dec. 31. The club also rents clubs (about $60) and spikeless shoes ($15).
Golf Course: The New Course was ranked the 73rd best public course in the country by Golf Magazine in 2000.
Statistics from the tips: Yardage: 6,773. Slope: 122. Rating: 72.2.
Year opened: January, 1988.
Course designer: Jack Nicklaus
Green Fees (2000 rates): $115 off-season from May-October; $165 in season from Jan. 1 to May 14 and October 2-Dec. 31. The club also rents clubs (about $60) and spikeless shoes ($15).
If You Go
The Grand Cypress Resort
One North Jacaranda
Orlando, Fla., 32836
Phone: 800-835-7377 or (407)-239-470
Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed more than 400 courses and golf destinations for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. He got his start writing with the WorldGolf.com Network in 1999.
Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management.
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