Crooked Cat at Orange County National Golf Center & Lodge is a 7,388-yard, par-72 championship public course in Winter Garden, FL — a links-style layout with no surrounding housing, a world-class practice facility, and a tournament résumé that includes PGA Tour Q-School Finals and LIV Golf Orlando, all for roughly $69–$160 with cart depending on the season.
Keep reading for a complete breakdown of the course, pricing, what to expect on the ground, and how to get the most out of your round.
What Is Orange County National — and Why Crooked Cat Stands Out
Orange County National sits on more than 900 acres in Winter Garden, FL — and the first thing you'll notice is what's missing: houses. No rooftops, no backyard fences, no cart-path communities bleeding into the rough.
Every direction you look, you see golf, wetlands, oak hammocks, and native heather. For a facility this close to Walt Disney World, that's rarer than it sounds.
The property has 45 holes across three courses — Panther Lake (1997), Crooked Cat (1999), and the 9-hole Tooth executive course.
It was founded by Phil Ritson, the South African teaching legend who previously ran Walt Disney World's golf operations; the access road bears his name. Knight 39, the Davis family's multi-course management company, runs the operation today.
The two championship courses play very differently. Panther Lake is parkland — tree-lined, corridor fairways, steep-faced bunkers, up to 60 feet of elevation change.
Crooked Cat is the links-inspired counterpart: wide terraced fairways, native heather rough, dramatic mounding, and a routing that twists constantly so the wind hits from every direction.
That wind exposure is the course's defining feature, and it's also what gives Crooked Cat its tournament credibility. The course hosted PGA Tour Q-School Finals four times (2003, 2005, 2007, 2010) and LIV Golf Orlando in 2023, where Brooks Koepka shot 15-under to win the $4 million first-place prize.
Course Layout, Key Stats, and Notable Holes
Crooked Cat plays to a par 72 at 7,388 yards from the tips, with a course rating of 75.9 and a slope of 140. Five tee sets cover a wide range of abilities:
| Tee | Yards | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champ | 7,388 | 75.9 | 140 |
| Orange | 6,748 | 73.0 | 134 |
| Green | 6,226 | 70.4 | 130 |
| White | 5,733 | 67.9 / 73.7 | 124 / 137 |
| Tan | 5,052 | 64.8 / 70.2 | 117 / 123 |
The greens are Champion Bermuda Ultra Dwarf — regrassed in summer 2012 — and they're large, fast, and routinely two- or three-tiered. Getting on the wrong tier doesn't just cost you a birdie; it can easily cost you two putts before you're even in range.
Water and wetlands come into play on roughly half the holes, but the wind is the real test. Because the routing constantly changes direction, there's no single prevailing wind to account for — you're recalibrating on every tee.
Notable holes worth knowing before you play:
- #4 “Tanglewood” — 542-yard par 5, handicap #1. A straight tee shot opens up a genuine two-shot opportunity. It's one of the more reachable par 5s on the course and a hole where you can make something happen.
- #9 “The Bend” — 372-yard par 4 with a severe left dogleg. Driver is often the wrong club here. An iron off the tee keeps you out of the water and bunkers that punish anyone who tries to cut the corner.
- #12 “The Sweep” — 464-yard par 4, handicap #2. Water runs the entire right side and tightens all the way to the green's right edge. This is the hardest hole on the course for most players, and it demands a left-side tee shot and a left-side approach.
- #13 “Land O' Lake” — 207-yard par 3 from the tips, all carry over water. The front of the green is wrapped in bunkers. There's no bailout short — take enough club to clear the hazard.
- #18 “The Grey Mule” — 459-yard par 4 with the widest fairway on the course, which is a small mercy after what the back nine puts you through. The three-tiered green slopes back to front.
The back nine has a well-earned reputation as the best nine on the property — more demanding, more memorable, and where the course really separates players.
Green Fees, Booking, and When to Play
OCN doesn't publish a fixed rate card — pricing is fully dynamic through GolfNow and TeeItUp, so what you pay depends heavily on when you book and when you play.
What to expect by season:
| Scenario | Approximate Cost (with cart) |
|---|---|
| Peak season, weekday morning (Dec–Apr) | $132–$157 |
| Peak season, weekend afternoon twilight | $114–$119 |
| Shoulder / off-season | From $69 |
| Super-twilight (after 5pm, off-peak) | As low as $24 |
Cart is included in all green fees. Range balls are not — those are purchased separately.
How to book:
- Online: TeeItUp via ocngolf.com, or through GolfNow, GolfPass, or TeeOff
- Phone: (407) 656-2626 — preferred for groups of five or more
- Groups and stay-and-play: Contact Ray Herzog directly at rherzog@ocngolf.com
If you play regularly, the FL Elite Golf Card is worth looking into — it gives you discounted rates and a 14-day advance booking window, which matters during peak season.
When to play and when to avoid:
The best combination of conditions and value is a weekday morning between November and April, or a post-2pm twilight slot on any day. For the lowest prices, check GolfNow Hot Deals 24–72 hours before your round — that's when the steepest discounts tend to surface.
Peak demand runs from late December through early April. January is particularly busy during PGA Merchandise Show week, when the property hosts Demo Day and draws thousands of industry professionals — book well ahead if your trip falls in that window.
One thing worth knowing before you commit to a weekend morning tee time: pace-of-play complaints are common, with rounds regularly stretching to five hours or more. If that bothers you, a weekday or afternoon slot is the practical fix.
Practice Facilities, Instruction, and the Lodge
OCN's strongest selling point beyond the courses themselves is the practice setup. The centerpiece is a 42-acre, 360-degree natural grass driving range with nine target greens — a configuration that's genuinely uncommon anywhere in the country. Range hours run Tuesday through Sunday, 7am to dusk (Monday closes early for maintenance).
Range pricing:
| Bucket | Balls | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 25 | $8 |
| Medium | 40 | $11 |
| Large | 70 | $15 |
| Jumbo | 140 | $28 |
Beyond the range, the short-game complex covers a 22,000 sq ft lighted putting green laid out as an 18-hole putting course — playable after dark — plus a dedicated chipping area and practice bunker. If you're coming specifically to work on your game, this setup is hard to match at a public facility.
Instruction runs through the Golf Academy, managed by Mike Funk with roughly a dozen on-site teaching professionals holding PGA and LPGA credentials. Formats include private lessons, women's clinics ($50 for a 2-hour session), junior summer camps, and customizable schools. Golf Studio 360 handles custom club fitting and building on-site, with SIK putter fitting also available.
The Lodge is a 43-room, no-frills golf inn directly adjacent to the clubhouse — some rooms are literally steps from Crooked Cat's first tee. Rooms run approximately 322 sq ft with two double or queen beds, a mini-fridge, Keurig, free Wi-Fi, and free parking. Nightly rates fall in the $86–$140 range. There's no pool, but BBQ grills and a firepit are available on the grounds.
For groups, hospitality suites are available at roughly $100 per night extra — two bathrooms, a sitting area, and a full-size refrigerator make them a practical option when you're traveling with four or more players.
The stay-and-play package runs approximately $665 per player and covers 2 nights, 3 rounds across both championship courses, daily breakfast, and pre-round range balls. It's the most efficient way to structure a dedicated golf trip here — everything is on-site, and the practice facility alone justifies the extra nights.
On-Site Amenities and What to Expect Day-Of
The 22,000 sq ft clubhouse holds a well-stocked pro shop that regularly gets called out as one of the better golf shops in the Orlando area — worth a browse before or after your round. If you need rental clubs, TaylorMade Qi10 sets (men's, stiff and regular flex, both hands) and TaylorMade Kalea sets (women's, right-hand only) are available at $59 plus tax. These are first-come, first-served, so call ahead if you're counting on them.
One thing to note before you arrive: range balls are not included with your green fee. Budget an extra $11–$15 for a medium or large bucket if you plan to warm up, which you should.
Orange 83 Pub & Grill is the on-site restaurant — a roughly 200-seat space with a bar, TV setup, and an outdoor patio that works well post-round. Breakfast and lunch are served daily from 7am. Per-person spend typically falls between $10 and $25. Two regulars worth knowing about: the $5 lunch special and the Friday burger night at $8.95, which includes a burger, side, dessert, and drink.
Getting there and getting around:
- Address: 16301 Phil Ritson Way, Winter Garden, FL 34787
- From Walt Disney World: ~15 minutes
- From Orlando International Airport (MCO): ~30–35 minutes via SR-417/SR-429
- Parking: Free, with plenty of space on-site
Once you're there, parking to clubhouse is straightforward. The one exception is the Tooth course — signage to its first tee is poor, so allow yourself an extra 5–10 minutes if that's part of your day.
Practical Tips for Playing Crooked Cat Well
Start with tee selection. This is the single decision that most affects your experience here. The slope of 140 from the Champs is not marketing — it reflects a genuinely difficult golf course from the back. A honest breakdown:
- Champ (7,388): Single-digit handicaps who are also consistent ball-strikers
- Orange (6,748): The right call for most men in the 8–14 handicap range
- Green (6,226): Higher handicaps, seniors, or anyone who wants to enjoy the round rather than survive it
- White/Tan: Newer golfers and juniors
Respect the wind — every single hole. The routing was designed with no prevailing direction, which means the wind you had on the previous hole tells you nothing about the next one. Check it fresh on every tee. This isn't a course where you can pick a stock yardage and commit; wind club selection is half the game here.
Manage the #11–#13 stretch carefully. This is where rounds unravel. The Sweep (#12) demands a left-side tee shot and a left-side approach — water runs the full length of the right side and pinches in at the green. Land O' Lake (#13) is all carry over water with bunkers wrapping the front of a three-tiered green. There's no safe miss short on either hole. Play conservatively to the correct side and take enough club.
On all the dogleg holes, follow the yardage book's recommended line. Each hole specifies a favored side for a reason — the course was designed so that playing to the correct side of the fairway opens up the approach and keeps you away from trouble. Trying to cut corners on doglegs here tends to end badly.
A word on the greens: Landing on the correct tier matters more than being on or off the green. A chip from the fringe on the right level is often easier than a 40-foot putt across a ridge. Before your round, spend time on the practice putting green — speed varies day to day, particularly after any top-dressing, and you want a feel for it before the first hole.
A few logistical points worth knowing:
- Arrive 45–60 minutes before your tee time. The range and short-game complex are too good to waste.
- A large bucket ($15, 70 balls) is a reasonable warm-up benchmark.
- Beverage carts run infrequently, particularly on weekends and during summer. Carry your own water — June through September especially, this isn't optional.
- Post-round, the Orange 83 patio is the natural landing spot. If you want dinner beyond pub fare, downtown Winter Garden is about 10 minutes east and has solid options.
Conclusion
Playing Crooked Cat is a legitimate test of golf in a setting that's rare for Central Florida — no housing, serious acreage, and a practice facility that gives you every reason to show up early.
Whether you're planning a single round or a multi-day stay, the combination of course quality, on-site lodging, and world-class practice infrastructure makes OCN one of the better pure-golf destinations in the region.
Pick the right tees, account for the wind, and you'll walk off the 18th with a round worth repeating.
