History
Orlando’s transformation into a golf destination gathered real momentum in the 1980s, as the region’s resort corridors began adding courses to serve the growing tide of vacationing golfers. Hawk’s Landing opened in 1986 as part of that wave, built to give a resort property its own championship-caliber golf amenity rather than to anchor a residential community or private membership.
The commission went to Joe Lee, a Florida-based architect whose name appears on dozens of courses across the state and who had, by the mid-1980s, become something of a go-to designer for resort golf in the region. Lee’s work at Hawk’s Landing reflects that resort mandate: a layout built to accommodate a wide range of visiting golfers, with a par of 70 and a championship yardage of 6,255 that keeps the course accessible without demanding the length of a tournament venue. His routing here was shaped by the practical needs of resort play — pace, variety, and a course that could welcome golfers of differing skill levels on any given week.
Over nearly four decades, the course has continued in its original role as a resort amenity, maintained today with Diamond Zoysia greens as part of its ongoing upkeep. It has not chased major championship hosting duties or significant redesigns, instead settling into a steady identity as a reliable resort layout in a market crowded with newer, higher-profile developments — a course built for guests rather than for headlines, and one that has held to that purpose since Lee’s original design opened for play.
Playing notes
At 6,255 yards from the tips with a slope of 133, Hawk's Landing plays tougher than its modest length suggests, so expect the trouble to come from accuracy demands rather than sheer distance. Water works its way into the round often enough that club selection on approach shots matters more than swinging for max distance, and the Diamond Zoysia greens run smooth and true, meaning putts that look straight will hold their line more than you might anticipate on a scrubbier surface. Carts are the standard way around, and the layout opens up in most stretches, giving you room off the tee, but that room narrows near the greens where bunkers and water pinch in to protect the pin. Bring extra balls for the wetter holes, sunscreen for the exposed stretches, and a two-club buffer on approach shots if the Florida wind picks up in the afternoon, which it often does.
Tee boxes
| Tees | Yardage | Par | Slope | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | 6,255 | 70 | 133 | 70.2 |