Summer 2006 Florida
Golf Magazine ©Copyright 2006 Florida Golf Magazine, All
Rights Reserved
"Orlando's #1 Must Play
Hole", the 9th hole at MetroWest is a
405-yard (back tees) par four that doglegs sharply left around
a lake.
MetroWest Golf Club
By Joe Stine
MetroWest
Golf Club, in Orlando, Florida offers golfers a rare chance to
experience the charm of a genuine Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed
masterpiece. Situated near Universal Orlando Resort and just
25 minutes from the Orlando International Airport, this 7,051
championship golf course is within view of the heart of Orlando.
 Built
in 1986, and managed by Meadowbrook Golf, MetroWest is one of
Orlando's finest public golf courses, and an absolute joy to
play. Designed by one of the world's greatest master golf course
architects, and home of the MetroWest School of Golf, MetroWest
truly has it all.
In
Florida Golf Magazine's 2005 Readers' Choice Survey, MetroWest
was voted #2 Best Course in the 8 counties of East Central Florida.
Also, among the many awards and accolades touted at www.metrowestgolf.com,
MetroWest has received Golf Digest's Pace of Play Commendation
and was rated Four Stars in Golf Digest Places To Play issue.
Known
for its meticulously maintained fairways and greens, the course
provides tournament playing conditions every day. The staff at
MetroWest specializes in group outings, and has a dedicated on-site
Tournament Coordinator. It has been the location of choice for
many prestigious golf events through the years, including: Champions
Tour Qualifying Site (since 1997) and U.S. Open Qualifying Site
(since 1999).
 This
upscale Orlando golf course boasts world-class services including
complimentary valet parking and the highly acclaimed Westerly's
Restaurant. MetroWest has also recently underwent a 1.1 million
dollar clubhouse renovation which included the complete remodeling
of the dining room, bar, restrooms, locker rooms, patio, and
main foyer entrance which were all completed in April 2006. Renovations
are currently under way to relocate the Golf Shop into a new
2400 sq. ft. space with spectacular elevated views of Orlando's
#1 must play hole, (#9 pictured above). The stately clubhouse
is a complete banquet destination and an excellent choice for
weddings, meetings, parties, etc.
Marc
Guiseppi, PGA, General Manager and Director of Golf has embraced
"Excellence as the Standard" as the theme of MetroWest,
ensuring an unmatched golf experience unlike any other in Orlando,
starting with a warm sense of arrival, a great sense of departure
and everything in between.
An
icon of golf architecture, the late Robert Trent Jones, Sr. (1906-2000),
designed Metro West near the end of his nearly illustrious 70
year career as a golf course architect.
A
fine golfer in his own right, Jones was well known for being
the first person to study expressly for a career as a golf course
designer. He fashioned his own program of study at Cornell University,
consisting of, among others, courses in landscape architecture,
agronomy, horticulture, hydraulics, and surveying, and was a
founding member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects
in 1947. He designed (or redesigned) some 500 golf courses in
over 40 states and 35 countries. He also worked on Augusta National,
transforming the 11th and 16th holes there, from indifferent
to bold and memorable.
Robert
Trent Jones Sr. was also known as "The Open Doctor"
- the man to whom clubs turned in prepping their course for a
U.S. Open. In quick succession, he worked such major venues as
Baltusrol-Lower Course, Olympic-Lake, Southern Hills, Oak Hill,
and Congressional. He was also famous for his bold style of employing
earth-moving equipment. If the site was completely flat, holding
nothing back, he would create massive lakes on the property and
use the excavated earth to elevate tees and greens.
Conservative
by today’s standards, the gentle touch of this master architect
is certainly the reason for the mature ambiance of the MetroWest
layout. The routing of the course and the way in which it flows
over the distinctive features of the land, is uncomplicated and
follows logic. Even with its many stunning elevation changes,
compared to most golf courses opened since 1986, the MetroWest
design seems fluid, graceful, and understated. However, MetroWest
provides more than enough opportunity for a challenging round
of golf. In addition to Jones’ tactfully thought out bunkering,
water comes into play on nine holes. Both the front and back
nines have solid, challenging holes that provide a Jonesian combination
of heroism and beauty.
The
Ninth Hole, in particular, makes its presence felt in the golfer’s
mind from the moment he or she steps onto the 9th teeing area
and peers down the 9th fairway toward the clubhouse. This 405-yard
(from the back tees) par four doglegs sharply left around a lake.
The tee shot is slightly downhill and the extra yardage this
provides is much needed for the heart pounding second shot. A
successful drive on this hole, leaves a mid-to-short iron shot
that must cut a corner of the lake to a green that extends precariously,
into the water. There is absolutely no room to miss left, and
the bailout on the right is no picnic either, with its course
rough and a pot bunker.
The
back nine is exhilarating, with each hole more exciting and beautiful
than the previous. At the highest point, the 13th green, the
beauty of the Orlando skyline is inspiring. From there, it’s
back down the hill on the great, opportunistic 14th, a 562-yard
par five. Drives will roll considerably as the fairway drops
toward a green at the very bottom that is bracketed by water,
long and short, and bunkers. Going
for it will be tempting for the longest hitters. Four more solid,
striking holes take the round home, culminating with a carry
shot over a leg of water to the 413-yard par four 18th green.
With
impeccable playing conditions and extraordinary customer service,
MetroWest is truly a memorable golf experience and we highly
recommend it. |
