Luxury in Orlando with a lagoon and beach plus a St Andrews style golf course

As I placed my tee in the ground, squinted down the fairway at the winding burn in the distance and the green nestled worryingly close to the ribbon of water, I could easily have been in Scotland.

But the clear blue skies and lack of wind were the best clue that I was actually some 4,000 miles away from the home of golf at St Andrews.

In fact this was the Links Course at the Evermore Resort in Orlando which is based on the famous Old Course.

Now, replicating the most historic golf course on the planet is no easy task in Florida’s flat-as-a-pancake landscape but the originally-named Grand Cypress resort got the best man for the job when they hired Jack Nicklaus.

The American legend, winner of more Major tournaments in history than anyone, lifted The Open trophy twice at St Andrews and his love for the Fife links clearly comes through in the design.

The course opened for play in the late ‘80s and Nicklaus incorporated many of the quirks of St Andrews.

He copies the first and 18th hole, which share the widest fairway in golf, the distinctive white railings around the 18th green, bunkers up to 20ft deep with helpful steps to get you in and out, stone walls lurking for a wayward shot, double greens which could easily leave the player with a putt over 100 feet and a stone bridge across the winding burn.

For anyone who has played golf in Scotland, the illusion is only skin deep but the 18 holes are great fun and while there is hardly any rough and you can spray the ball about in many places the greens are still tricky and, yes, those bunkers certainly concentrate the mind. The Americans zooming about in the ubiquitous golf buggies before the temperature reached the 90s were all enjoying the very different challenge the Links offers.

Certainly different to the other course on the property – the Cypress. This opened in 2021 when the whole set up was reconfigured with many of the original 45-holes at Grand Cypress disappearing under new development.

The Cypress is a much more typical Florida course with lakes and carries over water. Make sure you stock up on balls at the pro shop before heading out.

It all made for a great day’s golf and on chatting to the starter at the Links he excitedly told me about an upcoming trip to London. He didn’t  seem to be including St Andrews in his itinerary – suppose he doesn’t feel he needs to!

Then with my golf experience completed, it was back to our accommodation at Evermore to cool down - thank goodness for US air conditioning - and enjoy the luxury of our surroundings. And luxury it certainly is. My wife and I, sans grown up children and grandchildren, who usually accompany us to the theme park capital of the world, were enjoying an adults-only break in this central Florida city that we have come to love.

Evermore is a revelation. It has an eight acre lake of crystal clear water with 20 acres of soft white sand beaches around its edge, where families can enjoy canoeing and other water sports, and nearby were activities for all levels of ability. Families of all ages can experience the classic arcade games, sports courts (basketball, bocce ball, pickleball, sand volleyball, shuffleboard and more). Evermore even has its own resident Master Sand Sculpture Artist. Professional sand sculptor Brian Wigelsworth creates his works of sand art along the resort’s beaches, as well as teaching classes in the craft to guests. 

We had been invited to try out a super spacious and stylish four-bed apartment which overlooked this watery view through floor to ceiling windows and outside from a spacious balcony. When we first arrived it was all we could do not to run around like excited kids, saying look at this! Look at this! Spacious and comfortable sitting room and sofa, huge TV, beautiful bathrooms, luxury kitchen and on and on. OK, it was amazing. Goat’s milk soap in the bathroom? I rest my case. The houses on the resort, ranging from 5-11 bedrooms with space for up to 32 people, have private heated pools too.

I also particularly enjoyed using the Evermore app on my phone to live chat with resort staff to ask questions or find out what’s going on. 

For us, travel-weary after being delayed for a whole day due to a cancelled flight, we enjoyed a pre-ordered ready-cooked meal which was delivered to our room ‘Evermore to your door’ style. This family-sized lasagne meal, plus salad and bread rolls, was so delicious. We felt really guilty not being able to eat it all, but ‘enough to feed an army’ remarks were warranted.

Our next stay was literally next door - at the Conrad Hilton Hotel, another step up in luxury and right next to the golf course. This is the world of personal service, fine dining, beautiful bedrooms and a full spa. We were lucky enough to enjoy a day by the pool in our own private cabana. We lounged in the sun and shade, enjoyed free soft drinks, and just sat and enjoyed privacy while we watched TV! 

A highlight of our stay here was a meal at the multi award-winning rooftop restaurant Ceiba. It has stunning views over the lagoon where we enjoyed a truly memorable meal choosing from sophisticated Mexican dishes while watching Walt Disney World fireworks in the night sky nearby. The menu is extensive and it was a delight to discover some new and exciting flavours. I chose the whole fish of the day - brenzino - a new one on me and very large. At $89 , it’s not cheap, but, as I said, a truly special place to eat. While this is the most high-end eatery at Evermore, there are many other options, both full service and casual, as well as takeaway plus an on site store for those who want to self cater. 

But while Evermore and the Conrad hotel had enough to keep us happy across our all-too-short stay in Orlando, of course, there are a few more things to do in this city - especially for adults on their own, free to discover some hidden delights.

Discover…

Winter Park: A charming, upmarket and sophisticated suburb that we’ve visited before and love. Pop into the boutiques and eateries along the main street of Park Avenue; take a scenic boat ride on beautiful Lake Osceola and two other lakes; wonder at the beauty of the Tiffany glass collection at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art and take brunch, lunch or dinner in one of many restaurants and cafes along the way. A really relaxing way to take a break from theme park thrills.

Drawn to Life Presented by Cirque du Soleil & Disney: This ‘love letter to the art of Disney animation’ is one of the biggest attractions at Disney Springs, a huge hub of fun and entertainment where we enjoyed this thought-provoking show at the La Nouba Theater. Be prepared for a lot of walking in this very busy Disney area with activities, eateries and shops. www.cirquedusoleil.com/drawn-to-life

Walt Disney World: Of course, most Brits coming to Orlando spend at least a week, if not two, squeezing every moment of exhilaration and fun from the theme parks. We had only two days and had to decide which parks to visit. Almost impossible, but our affection lies with Magic Kingdom and Epcot. www.disneyworld.co.uk

Magic Kingdom is the top theme park destination in the world. It’s ‘classic’ Disney and the image every child has in his or mind when they dream of visiting. 

Top attractions: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, an all-new attraction evolving from the reimagining of Splash Mountain; Pirates of the Caribbean; Space Mountain; Big Thunder Mountain; “It’s a small world”; Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan’s Flight.

Epcot: This is Walt Disney’s vision of showcasing not only different countries, but also the world we live in today and what it might be like in the future. There are 11 different nations in the World Showcase, including the United Kingdom and America.

Top attractions: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is Epcot’s first “other-world” showcase pavilion; Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure where guests shrink to the size of Chef Remy and race through Gusteau’s restaurant on a wild adventure; HarmonioUS, at Epcot, the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney park.

Shopping at Mall at Millenia: No luxury, child-free trip is complete without a good dose of high-end shopping. Stylish and sophisticated, The Mall at Millenia offers everything from the latest Apple gadgets to world class luxury brands such as Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Tiffany & Co. and Rolex. www.mallatmillenia.com

Fact box

For Conrad Orlando, pricing starts around $700 / £529 per night for a standard room. www.hilton.com/en/hotels/orlcici-conrad-orlando

At the Evermore Residences, a 4-BR flat in September starts at $1,067.63 / £806.82 per night, including taxes and fees. Guests of the Conrad Hotel and Evermore can enjoy reduced rates on golf. www.evermoreresort.com

For all the information you need on visiting Orlando, visit Visit Orlando | Hotels, Restaurants, Things to Do & Vacation Guide

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