The hardest golf courses in Lake Wales, Florida
The hardest 18-hole golf courses within about 25 miles of Lake Wales, Florida, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 11 courses have complete, verified tee data.
Also covers Winter Haven.
Tradition (Nicklaus)
Reunion Resort
Kissimmee, FL, USASlope rating 148, 75.7 course rating, Gold tees, 7,244 yds
PublicJack Nicklaus
- 3.0Conditions
- 4.0Layout
- 5.0Value
- 4.0Scenery
- 4.7Facilities
International
Champions Gate Golf Club
ChampionsGate, FL, USASlope rating 143, 76.8 course rating, Black tees, 7,490 yds
PublicGreg Norman
- 2.5Conditions
- 2.5Layout
- 3.5Value
- 2.0Scenery
- 2.3Facilities
- Driving range
- Putting area
- Restaurant
Legacy (Palmer)
Reunion Resort
Kissimmee, FL, USASlope rating 142, 72.8 course rating, Black tees, 6,916 yds
PublicArnold Palmer
- 1.5Conditions
- NRLayout
- NRValue
- NRScenery
- NRFacilities
Independence (Watson)
Reunion Resort
Kissimmee, FL, USASlope rating 141, 74.9 course rating, Black tees, 7,154 yds
PublicTom Watson
- 1.0Conditions
- NRLayout
- NRValue
- NRScenery
- NRFacilities
The Club at Eaglebrooke
Lakeland, FL, USASlope rating 140, 74.6 course rating, Black tees, 7,030 yds
PublicRon Garl
- 4.0Conditions
- NRLayout
- NRValue
- NRScenery
- NRFacilities
Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club
Haines City, FL, USA
Slope rating 138, 75.5 course rating, Black tees, 7,227 yds
(National) Champions Gate Golf Club
ChampionsGate, FL, USA
Slope rating 138, 75.2 course rating, Black tees, 7,128 yds
Mountain Lake Golf Club
Lake Wales, FL, USA
Slope rating 135, 72.7 course rating, Black tees, 6,677 yds
ChampionsGate Country Club
ChampionsGate, FL, USA
Slope rating 134, 74.4 course rating, Pro tees, 7,058 yds
Providence Golf Club
Davenport, FL, USA
Slope rating 131, 73.3 course rating, Black tees, 6,929 yds
(Lake Region) The Country Club of Winter Haven
Winter Haven, FL, USA
Slope rating 128, 73.5 course rating, Black tees, 7,021 yds
How we rank
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Lake Wales, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
Tradition (Nicklaus) at Reunion Resort is #1 on Course Vaults in and around Lake Wales, Florida at Slope 148 (75.7 course rating · Gold tees · 7,244 yds). 11 courses qualify for this list.
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Lake Wales, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
Slope rating is the USGA measure of how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, from 55 to 155 (113 is average). Course rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer from the same tees.
Yes. It includes qualifying courses within about 25 miles of Lake Wales, not only courses whose address is in the city.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 3:40 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
