A private Tom Fazio layout that has hosted the Solheim Cup, the Tavistock Cup and five straight LPGA season openers
Lake Nona Golf & Country Club is a private golf club in southeast Orlando whose 18-hole course was designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1986. The par-72 course plays 7,215 yards from the back tees, with a course rating of 74.6 and a slope of 138. It hosted the inaugural Solheim Cup in 1990, the 1993 World Cup of Golf and four Tavistock Cups. Since 2022 it has hosted the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, the LPGA Tour's season opener, and the 2027 edition is scheduled there for February 1–7. Play is limited to members and their guests; the club offers golf and social memberships to residents and non-residents.
Most of Lake Nona's neighborhoods were built after 2000. Its golf club is older: the course opened in 1986, a decade before Tavistock bought the land that became the rest of Lake Nona.
This post is about the course: who designed it, how it rates, which professional events it has hosted and how you get a tee time at a club that doesn't sell them. For the homes around it, see the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club neighborhood page.
Who designed the Lake Nona golf course, and how does it rate?
Tom Fazio designed the course, which opened in 1986 and plays 7,215 yards at par 72 with a 74.6 rating and 138 slope from the back tees.
Golf Digest ranked it 76th on its 100 Greatest list in 1991–92 and placed it inside Florida's top 10 in the early 1990s. On the magazine's 2025–26 Best in State list it sits 33rd, up from 53rd in 2023–24. The club itself describes the course as one of the top 100 in the world.
It is the longest of the three Lake Nona-area courses, and its 138 slope is second only to North Shore's 140. Members practice at The Workshop at Lake Nona, the club's performance and practice facility.
Which professional tournaments has Lake Nona Golf & Country Club hosted?
The club has hosted the 1990 Solheim Cup, the 1993 World Cup of Golf, four Tavistock Cups and, since 2022, the LPGA's season-opening Tournament of Champions.
| 1990 | Inaugural Solheim Cup (United States vs. Europe) |
|---|---|
| 1993 | World Cup of Golf |
| 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012 | Tavistock Cup |
| 2010 | U.S. Senior Amateur |
| 2021 | Gainbridge LPGA |
| 2022–2026 | Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, the LPGA Tour's season opener |
| Feb. 1–7, 2027 | Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions (announced) |
The Solheim Cup, the women's answer to the Ryder Cup, was first played here. The Tavistock Cup was a team event between tour players based at Lake Nona and at Isleworth, both Tavistock clubs. Lake Nona hosted four of them.
What is the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions?
It is the LPGA Tour's season opener, played each January or February at Lake Nona since 2022, with a field of recent tour winners and a separate celebrity division.
The tournament moved to Lake Nona from Four Seasons Golf & Sports Club Orlando in 2022, after Hilton Grand Vacations took over the title sponsorship. The LPGA players play 72 holes of stroke play with no cut. Alongside them, up to 50 sports and entertainment celebrities compete for their own purse under a modified Stableford format.
| 2022 | Danielle Kang |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Brooke Henderson |
| 2024 | Lydia Ko |
| 2025 | A Lim Kim |
| 2026 | Nelly Korda |
For most people, tournament week is the only chance to see the course in person. Check the tournament's official site for spectator tickets and parking before the February 2027 event.
Can you play Lake Nona Golf & Country Club if you're not a member?
No. The course is private, and only members and their guests can play it.
The club offers local, non-local, international and corporate golf memberships, plus a social membership that covers the non-golf facilities. You do not have to own a home in the community to apply. The club does not publish membership pricing; ask the membership office for current terms.
Golf members get the full club. The 40,000-square-foot clubhouse includes an 18-room guest lodge, and the Bath & Racquet Club has four Har-Tru tennis courts, three hard courts, a lighted multi-use court and a Technogym fitness center. There is also a lakeside pool and a youth center. Members also receive preferred rates at the Lake Nona Performance Club and the Lake Nona Wave Hotel.
Which tour players are members at Lake Nona?
Lake Nona has long been a base for touring professionals; a 2023 club release counted 14 tour pros among its members.
Players named as members in Lake Nona releases include Annika Sörenstam, Lydia Ko, Leona Maguire, Nasa Hataoka and Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn. Membership rolls change, so treat any list as a snapshot rather than a current roster.
The reason is practical. A private course with year-round weather, a full practice facility and Orlando International Airport close by suits players who travel for a living.
How does it compare with other golf courses near Lake Nona?
Lake Nona Golf & Country Club is the only private course of the three in the area; Eagle Creek and North Shore both take public tee times.
| Course | Lake Nona Golf & Country Club | Eagle Creek Golf Club | North Shore Golf Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access | Private (members and guests) | Public, daily fee | Semi-private, public tee times |
| Designer | Tom Fazio | Ron Garl and Howard Swan | Mike Dasher |
| Opened | 1986 | 2004 | 2001 |
| Par | 72 | 73 | 72 |
| Back-tee yardage | 7,215 | 7,196 | 6,898 |
| Rating / slope (back tees) | 74.6 / 138 | 74.1 / 132 | 73.8 / 140 |
| Pro events | LPGA season opener since 2022 | 2006 Florida Open | None on record |
If you want to play regularly without a private membership, Eagle Creek Golf Club is the closest championship-length public course. See our Lake Nona golf courses guide for the full list.
Pros, Cons and Our Take
Pros
- A Tom Fazio course with a long tournament record, including the LPGA's current season opener.
- Private play means an uncrowded tee sheet compared with public courses.
- Non-residents can join; you do not have to buy a home in the community.
- Golf members get the full club: tennis, fitness, pool, dining and a guest lodge.
Cons
- No public tee times; you need a member or a membership to play.
- Membership pricing is not published.
- Its Golf Digest state ranking has moved around, from the top 10 in the early 1990s to 53rd in 2023–24 and 33rd in 2025–26.
- Tournament week each winter brings crowds to a normally quiet club.
Our Take
For a serious golfer who wants a private club in southeast Orlando, this is the one with the pedigree, and the tournament history is real rather than marketing. For someone who plays a few times a month, the public courses nearby cost far less and are good tests of golf. Go to the Tournament of Champions first and see the course before you talk to the membership office.
What the Neighbors Know
Locals know the club mostly through the LPGA opener each winter, when tour players and celebrities fill the course and the rest of the year's quiet disappears for a week.
If you are shopping for a home here, note that properties record as Lake Nona Estates rather than the club name, so search both. See the neighborhood page and current golf course homes for sale, and our Lake Nona sports and athletics guide for the rest of the sports scene.
Official Sources
- Lake Nona Golf & Country Club: membership
- Lake Nona Golf & Country Club: amenities
- Golf Digest: Lake Nona Golf & Country Club
- LPGA: Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions
- Hilton Grand Vacations: 2027 Tournament of Champions
Looking at homes on or near the course? Call/Text David Myers at 407.801.3286 or use the contact form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club course?
Tom Fazio designed the course, which opened in 1986. It plays 7,215 yards at par 72 from the back tees.
Can the public play Lake Nona Golf & Country Club?
No. It is a private club, and only members and their guests can play. The club offers golf and social memberships to both residents and non-residents.
What LPGA event is played at Lake Nona?
The Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, the LPGA Tour's season opener, has been played at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club every year since 2022. The 2027 edition is scheduled for February 1–7, 2027.
Do you have to live in Lake Nona Golf & Country Club to be a member?
No. The club offers local, non-local, international and corporate memberships, so you do not need to own a home in the community to join.
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