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World-Class Orlando
Hawk’s Landing Golf Club at The World Center Marriott |
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by Tom LaMarre
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 Conventional wisdom has it that Disney dwarfs every other resort experience in Central Florida. Given that, then consider the World Center Marriott.
And as part of Marriott’s golf initiative to become a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by the end of this year, course officials tend dutifully to the native vegetation to protect the plentiful wildlife, though none are named Mickey or Donald.
Focal point of this other resort in Orlando, Fl., is Hawk’s Landing Golf Club, which circumvents the hotel, situated on 220 lush tropical acres alongside Interstate 4—which bisects Florida between Tampa to Daytona Beach. And in this business, it’s all about location, location, location. “Many of our guests do come here to spend a day or two at Disney and the other theme parks in Central Florida, and we do have those packages for them because they are close by,” said Christine Peters, director of leisure accounts at the World Center Marriott.“But there are so many activities and dining opportunities at our resort that you don’t have to leave the property to have a great experience. And we feel our resort is a real value when compared to Disney and the other resorts in the area.” The World Center Marriott offers guests with active lifestyles six heated swimming pools (one indoors) and six whirlpools, four lighted tennis courts, two sand volleyball courts, a basketball court and a 24-hour fitness center. And right outside the lobby is Hawk’s Landing Golf Club, one of the best resort courses in Florida and home to the Bill Madonna Golf Academy. Madonna has been rated a Top 100 Instructor by Golf magazine. “I played Hawk’s Landing with a group of friends that I went to high school with in California,” said Clare Simpson, who lives in Reno, Nev. “It’s a beautiful course with a variety of interesting holes, particularly the first par-five (No. 4). “Even though the holes were very attractive and challenging, they were very forgiving for women, but not too short. The fairways were very lush and the greens were large and well-maintained. Everyone in our group really enjoyed the course, and I would go back and play it again.” |
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