Orlando, Florida
Shingle Creek delivers one of Central Florida’s top resort golf experiences, combining lush conditioning and bold, modern architecture. It’s a must-play for visitors looking for a test with serious shot variety, surrounded by water, but remains accessible and playable for a broad range of skill levels.
Visit the putting course beside the clubhouse, where creative practice setups change daily and locals challenge guests to evening putting games.
Shingle Creek Golf Club boasts a thoroughly modern resort-golf identity—lakes, sprawling fairways, and dramatic green sites define the experience. The Arnold Palmer Design Company renovation reimagined corridors, incorporated new land, and layered in a shotmaker’s sensibility without squeezing out playability. Elevated greens with closely mown slopes, bold bunkering, and clever use of water ensure there’s challenge for low handicappers and entertainment for everyone else, all sitting on a flat but subtly contoured piece of prime Orlando land.
Thad Layton and the Arnold Palmer Design Company’s 2016 work set out to build a bolder, more varied test while fitting the requirements of a rapidly evolving resort property—they delivered a playable championship course that gives options to every skill level.
A lengthy par 3 demanding a laser-precise long iron or hybrid to a generous but well-defended green, with water lurking nearby. The center or right side is safe, but aggressive swings at tucked pins can mean big trouble.
Aim for the middle and avoid getting greedy with pin-seeking; the smart play is never long or left.
Miss left and you bring water and cavernous bunkers into play, with a treacherous up-and-down.
Top-tier conditioning with smooth greens, closely mown surrounds, and lush fairways all season.
Generally good, though resort outings and corporate play can make for occasional waits.
Upscale, lively, and friendly—modern resort golf that isn’t stuffy.
Standard golf attire; collared shirts recommended and enforced.
The resort-quality range features multiple target greens and top-shelf practice balls to dial in your swing before tackling water-lined holes.
With water in play on over a dozen holes, even good players can rack up a lost ball or two.
Central Florida weather is hot and exposed—plenty of water stations are out, but sunblock and a hat are a must.
Resort and corporate play sometimes cause bunching; early or late afternoon slots mean faster rounds.
Original David Harman-designed course opens at Shingle Creek
Thad Layton / Arnold Palmer Design Company complete major redesign and rerouting
New holes and 25-acre expansion incorporated alongside Rosen resort development
Course reopens to high regional acclaim after renovation
The course sits on land at the headwaters of the Everglades, shaping both its name and the water-rich, natural feel that permeates the layout. This environmental touch adds a hidden sense of place to every round at Shingle Creek.
The 2016 Arnold Palmer Design Company remodel wasn’t just a tweak—it overhauled the routing, shifted holes for the expanding Rosen resort, and added a strategic edge that’s evident on every shot. The transformation is visible in every sweeping corridor.
While not a tour venue, Shingle Creek has quietly hosted notable amateur qualifiers and traveling professional practice rounds due to its central location and championship-caliber conditions, further burnishing its competitive reputation.
The complex, multi-tiered greens, with closely mown runoff and bold internal slopes, are a recurring theme in post-renovation reviews. Miss in the wrong spot here, and you’ll get a short-game lesson in Florida resort golf.
Shingle Creek is named for the cypress-lined stream that was historically used to float shingles to market.
The 2016 redesign incorporated 25 new acres and re-turfed nearly 70% of existing holes.
Non-golf guests can join evening putting games on the practice green beside the clubhouse.
Greens feature TifEagle Bermuda for year-round speed and consistency.
Golfers often spot herons, cranes, and signature Florida wildlife near the water’s edge.
Premium, modern take on resort golf with superb conditions
A perennial Orlando favorite with championship pedigree
Famed for its variety and player-friendly design
Accessible, fun layout minutes from Disney and resorts
Historic Arnold Palmer flagship if you can snag a tee time
International Drive/Universal area or on-site at Rosen Shingle Creek for quickest access.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: Charlotte Country Club is a natural next stop after Shingle Creek Golf Club: it offers similarly polished playing surfaces.
Why it matches: San Francisco Golf Club is a natural next stop after Shingle Creek Golf Club: it offers similarly polished playing surfaces.
Why it matches: If Shingle Creek Golf Club is your kind of course, Knickerbocker Country Club is worth a look because it puts the same premium on presentation.
Community Sentiment
See something inaccurate in this listing?