Golf - Resort Public Course · 18 Holes · Par 72
Howey-in-the-Hills, FL
Website
Review of Mission Inn Resort El Campeon Golf Course
Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howie in the Hills Florida is home to lots of interesting history, beautiful landscaping, friendly service, good golf stay and play packages, plenty of fun amenities, and some excellent food. Best of all are the two 18 hole golf courses, each of the courses has it's own unique personality and characteristics:
The "Champion," El Campeon.was designed by George O'Neil of Chicago in 1917 and further enhanced in 1926 by Charles E. Clarke of Troon, Scotland. In 2010, new Ultra Dwarf Bermuda greens were completed and ready for play. Some of what makes playing El Campeon both fun and challenging includes:
El Campeon has some outstanding holes that we won't soon forget. For example:
Because of all that, it's not surprising that El Campeon was ranked in the top 10 of Florida's 1,400+ courses and voted the #1 Golf Course in Florida in 2009.
The fairways range from tight to ample, all are tree lined, and several have some significant ups and downs. When we played they were in very good shape with a playable rough.
The greens at El Campeon were small to average size and all had some slope and subtle breaks. Most were showing some weather stress damage - normally they are in very good shape and run around a 9.5.
The bunkers were all sizes and shapes, the lips were manageable, and the sand ranged from perfect with fine fluffy white sand to thin and hard packed.
Bottom line - a very fun and demanding 18 holes that you should go out of your way to play. The Stay & Play at Mission Inn Resort is very good - read our review to learn more (this review is still being worked one - come back in a couple days)
Tee Box | Yardage | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|
Black | 7,001 | 73.8 | 136 |
Blue | 6,242 | 70.3 | 131 |
White | 5,624 | 67.4 | 121 |
Gold | 6,601 | 72.0 | 135 |
Red | 4,811 | 68.2 | 129 |
Approximate Weekend
Rates: $45.00 to $95.00
Service is good, the pro shop is huge and stocked with everything you need to look good and score well, and the practice range and putting green are adequate. Nickers, next to the pro shop, has an excellent bar area and some great food.
Here's How Texas Outside Determines the Scorecard RatingThe Texas Outside rating scale ranges from 1 to 10 – a perfect 10 course would be something like this: links along a cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean and bordered by tall trees; lush fairways on rolling hills with lots of natural hazards; water (which is crystal clear) on most of the holes; immaculate greens (but they are undulating and tough); lots of variety and character (each hole is completely different and includes blind shots, elevation changes, doglegs, and significant challenges); perfectly manicured traps with the whitest and prettiest sand you’ve ever seen; a nice club house with great food and a 19th hole; a GPS; plenty of beverage carts or your own cooler and ice; and it only costs $40 bucks! What this means is that you probably won’t find any 10s in Texas – try Cabo San Lucas, Pebble Beach, or some of the Hawaii courses!
All of the above determines the overall score for the golf course. In other words, we like courses that are pretty, fun, very challenging with a lot of variety, and fairways and greens in excellent condition – all for $40. We also tend to play the courses that are affordable for the masses, which means in the $30 to $80 range. We rate hard and we haven’t found a 10 in Texas yet – don’t worry we haven’t given up and we’re still looking.
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