Dubsdread Golf Course

Dubsdread Golf Course sits in the heart of Orlando, occupying land that has hosted golf since 1924. Tom Bendelow, a prolific early American golf architect who designed hundreds of courses across the country in the 1920s and 1930s, laid out the original routing. The course takes its name from the Scottish term "dubs dread," referring to poor golfers who fear their shots, though the property has proven challenging enough for players of all abilities over its century of operation. The course plays as a municipal facility within a mature urban setting, bordered by residential neighborhoods and College Park. Its compact routing fits traditional parkland characteristics common to Bendelow's work from this era, with tree-lined fairways and modest elevation changes typical of central Florida terrain. The layout has undergone various modifications over the decades to accommodate modern equipment and maintenance practices while preserving its accessible, straightforward design philosophy. Dubsdread holds significance as one of Orlando's oldest continuously operating golf courses, predating the region's transformation into a major metropolitan area. The property includes a clubhouse that serves as a community gathering point, reflecting the course's role as a public amenity rather than an exclusive private club. The facility maintains a reputation for affordability and walkability, characteristics that connect it to the democratic ideals of municipal golf from the early twentieth century. Its survival through nearly a century of urban development speaks to its established place in Orlando's recreational landscape.