Grand Cypress Closing Villas and Courses by End of Year

I was told that the Villas of Grand Cypress and golf academy as well as the North, South, East and The New Course will all be closed by end of year and the land will be cleared for houses!!!! I searched on line and could not find details on the course closing but a hotel website had the Villas listed as closing September 2019. Anyone else heard this???? This is one of the best maintained set of resort courses in Orlando. While they have not done much to cater to the locals over the last year or two I am shocked that they will be closing it down if its true.

While I can’t attest to the resort, I knew that the New course would be closed but only from May-October for a greens resurfacing that had been planned since at least last year. So it doesn’t make much sense to me to spend the time and money to redo them to plow them under before peak season arrives late 2019-early 2020.

They’re not accepting reservations past Sept 30, 2019. The website say they are not sharing future plans and will be getting redeveloped over the next 2 yrs.

That's a real shame, as the Grand Cypress Golf Villas hae always been my favorite resort in the Orlando Area. I have always enjoyed my stays there! The Golf and Suite Accommodations were always top notch, so the closing is very sad news to me!

That's really too bad. I really enjoyed the New course it's a fun unique course for an area of FL where everything else always feels the same. I played there most years around the PGA show.

I heard something about this a couple of weeks ago, but didn't catch the entire conversation. I believe (I could be wrong) that they also had people who had some sort of membership deal with the courses and that is done with (obviously).

They are facing the problem that golf courses are now facing...even if the golf course is profitable, if it's determined they can make more money by re-developing the land the course will be extinct.

Anyway, I liked the new course. The NSE were sorta 'meh.' Some good designs, but too many wacky green complexes.

RH

One of my buddy "was" a member.

they offered him keene's point which is nearby. Initiation waived. The land around Disney spring has become more valuable than amazon stock.

> @jerebear21 said:

> One of my buddy "was" a member.

>

> they offered him keene's point which is nearby. Initiation waived. The land around Disney spring has become more valuable than amazon stock.

Hope he jumped at it. Keenes is nice. Always enjoy playing there.

yeah, he'll probably take it.

Not a fan of the membership set up at cypress(limited tee time, over-crowded, not a true private, etc. etc.), but you can't argue with no cart fees and 3 golf courses that are always in good conditions. I won't miss the greens one bit and the par5s are some of the dumbest in orlando.

> @jerebear21 said:

> yeah, he'll probably take it.

> Not a fan of the membership set up at cypress(limited tee time, over-crowded, not a true private, etc. etc.), but you can't argue with no cart fees and 3 golf courses that are always in good conditions. I won't miss the greens one bit and the par5s are some of the dumbest in orlando.

Should have offered him the Wednesday lunch time Nona membership.

nah. It’s a privilege not many can handle.

A friend of mine works there and said only 9 holes are closing for good so will be a 36 hole facility. Also think he said filly private with Villa guests being able to play, something like a bay hill

I dont see them closing EVERYTHING....but...

Disney is going 110% into these 'on premise' housing developments. After they saw what they could charge for the homes around tranquilo (old osprey whatever course) they are money hungry. That neighborhood they built there is all $1m+ homes.

> @htownchaz said:

> A friend of mine works there and said only 9 holes are closing for good so will be a 36 hole facility. Also think he said filly private with Villa guests being able to play, something like a bay hill

So a less-nice version of bay hill, without the history, glamour, or PGA esteem. Seems legit.

Them being 'fully private' would surprise me....tranquilo is having trouble getting members. They practically begged for my wife and I to join; between them, orange tree, keenes point, bay hill, CCO, isleworth, lake nona - the orlando area has plenty of privates to choose from at any level already and some are already struggling without a new one opening.

Bay Hill at least gets a draw from visitors due to its storied history and being a PGA track.

The Arnold Palmer management company takes care of the palm/magnolia courses for Disney, so they have that going for them still I guess.

Orange Tree is getting some new members from the Grand Cypress shutdown. We also got a club pro coming from over there to work the shop. This tells me that they are probably closing down more than 9 holes and that they probably are not going fully private. More like something similar to Reunion where the guests of the villas have access to play the course.

ChampionsGate CC has been saying they are going to go fully private since it was built....but it hasn't happened and hasn't shown any signs of it happening. Of course, they didn't do themselves any favors by not building a clubhouse on the course.

Did they ever build anything on Grande Pines?

RH

> @RichieHunt said:

> Orange Tree is getting some new members from the Grand Cypress shutdown. We also got a club pro coming from over there to work the shop. This tells me that they are probably closing down more than 9 holes and that they probably are not going fully private. More like something similar to Reunion where the guests of the villas have access to play the course.

>

> ChampionsGate CC has been saying they are going to go fully private since it was built....but it hasn't happened and hasn't shown any signs of it happening. Of course, they didn't do themselves any favors by not building a clubhouse on the course.

>

> Did they ever build anything on Grande Pines?

>

>

>

> RH

Regarding Grande Pines, if you look at google maps, it looks like they built apartments on what used to be holes 11-15. I was really bummed when this course closed, I always enjoyed the challenge of playing there.

Hope this is not true, the new course is a staple on our yearly golf trips to Orlando.

They plowed a Pete Dye course under to build the Four Seasons right down the road. I guess we shouldn't be surprised they're doing it here too.

> @"rufus mangler" said:

> They plowed a Pete Dye course under to build the Four Seasons right down the road. I guess we shouldn't be surprised they're doing it here too.

That was to build a neighborhood of $1m+ homes adjacent to the Four Seasons, and FS kept the old Osprey Ridge and renamed it to Tranquilo - I believe? But either way, a neighborhood such as that to make a one-time revenue on the land with home parcels doesnt seem feasible to me but we'll see.

Very sad if true, but it seems there have been rumors of this for a while now.

I've been on many an annual trip to GC. Lots of fond memories there.

I could take or leave the E/N/S nines, never seen so many bizarre greens but the New Course was fun to play and something a little different.

That’s unfortunate, thought it was a good deal around the Orlando area. Having visited Orlando in 2010 and 2019, it’s crazy the contrast in development.

Anyone in the area heard more about this? - on their website they don't mention anything about closing soon?

I'm going to be in Orlando Thanksgiving week - was thinking to play the New course. On the website it says the New was closed May-Oct for major work...surprised they would do that if the whole place is closing down soon?

The course is not closing for good. I was told that they are going to keep the New Course and one of the 9 holes and get rid of 18 of the holes.

RH

> @RichieHunt said:

> The course is not closing for good. I was told that they are going to keep the New Course and one of the 9 holes and get rid of 18 of the holes.

>

>

>

>

>

> RH

I’m glad the New Course +9 will still be open. Think about the growth there is in the Orlando area. Are other golf courses at risk to be developed? I dunno, but I don’t think this is the last golf course to shut down part or all of its operations. Too much money in condos, permanent homes or vacation homes.

> @Hybrid said:

> > @RichieHunt said:

> > The course is not closing for good. I was told that they are going to keep the New Course and one of the 9 holes and get rid of 18 of the holes.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > RH

>

>

> I’m glad the New Course +9 will still be open. Think about the growth there is in the Orlando area. Are other golf courses at risk to be developed? I dunno, but I don’t think this is the last golf course to shut down part or all of its operations. Too much money in condos, permanent homes or vacation homes.

>

Other courses are going to be at risk. I believe Grand Pines was making a profit, but the lure of more money to use the land for re-development was too great. There was a course in Las Vegas that was very profitable, but was shutdown and re-developed due to the location being too profitable to pass up.

The issue for these land development companies is that many of the properties are deed restricted and zoning laws will not allow them to re-develop. Eastwood wanted to be re-developed years ago and the land developers argued that the course was losing money (likely so) and they had Stoneybrook East next door that the golfers could use instead. But, it's not going to be re-developed because of it being a deed restricted community and there are wildlife and zoning laws preventing it as well.

The problem is that now the owners of the course will do the bare minimum to keep the course alive.

So my guess with many of these courses is it depends on the land around the course. If it's surrounded by actual houses they'll have a difficult time shutting a course down and re-developing it. But if it's surrounded by condos and time shares, that's a different story.

RH

Can anyone tell me if the Links course is open? It allowed me to make a tee time online but I haven’t been able to contact anyone there to confirm and set up club rental for one of the other people in my group. 

On 2/24/2022 at 9:00 PM, bkress86 said:

Can anyone tell me if the Links course is open? It allowed me to make a tee time online but I haven’t been able to contact anyone there to confirm and set up club rental for one of the other people in my group. 

I played the links course two weeks ago on a trip to Orlando. Course was open and the condition was good. Amenities were bare bones as the construction is going on