Thursday,
December 1, 2005
Golf in Orlando: Attending the Legendary
Father Son Challenge Tournament at Champions Gate
After our exciting round at Mystic
Dunes, it was only mid-afternoon on a gorgeous day with blue
skies, so we decided to take a 10 minute drive and drop in on the
Father Son Challenge at Champion's Gate, which has been held for
the last 3 years at this golf course in the South part of Orlando.
You can't miss Champion's Gate, when you first get off exit 58 on
the I-4, the impressive main entrance gates to Champion's Gate are
right there.
The Father Son Legend is truly a walking Hall of Fame of Golf,
and it's a celebration of the sport as well as of the bonds of family.
Famous golf professionals of the present and the past play with
their talented sons and daughters, and all of them share a passion
for the game.
This year's line-up included Jack and Jackie Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and his grandson Sam Saunders, Vijay Singh and 15 year old son Qass,
Mark and Shaun O'Meara, Craig and Chris Stadler, Bob and David Charles,
Raymond and Robert Floyd (Raymond has won the Father Son Challenge
5 times since 1994 together with his sons Robert and Raymond Jr.),
Hale and Steve Irwin, Tom and David Kite, Bernard and 15 year old
Stefan Langer, Davis Love III and his 12-year old son Dru, Johnny
Miller and Johnny Miller II, Larry and Josh Nelson, Curtis and Tom
Strange, Lee and Daniel Trevino, Fuzzy Zoeller and his daughter
Gretchen.
We parked our car and approached the club house. Just as we were
walking towards the stands on the 18th hole, Davis Love III had
finished his round and was coming towards the club house. It is
really an amazing experience, seeing all these world famous celebrities
and icons of the sport, up so close and so relaxed in this unique
tournament format.
Vijay Singh, after his last putt
The rules of playh are based on a Scramble Format, which means
that on each hole, each player drives and the best drive is selected.
Each player then plays a second shot from the spot where the selected
drive lies, and the best second shot is selected. This process is
completed uniti the hole is completed.
Mark O'Meara lines up his putt
When we were there we also saw golf greats like Vijay Singh, Mark
O'Meara and Lee Trevino finish their rounds. It was great seeing
Vijay, relaxing after his final putt with a coffee in hand, awaiting
the arrival of his son on the last hole and watching his son's last
putt of the day. Because this tournament pairs up the great players
of golf with their sons or daughters, it really gives you a much
better feeling of these professionals as human beings, and according
to Allan Findley, General Manager of Champions Gate, many of these
players truly relish this event, which allows them to celebrate
their sport as a family away from the pressures of the PGA Tour.
We really enjoyed the atmosphere at the Father Son Challenge, and
it would have been great to see some of the other legends of golf,
like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, in person. Unfortunately we
have an extremely tight schedule and will be unable to come back
on a second day, but it was a great experience, getting a first
person look at this "Walking Hall of Fame" of the game
of golf.
Related Articles on Golf in Central Florida:
A first-hand
look at ChampionsGate
A first-hand look at the
Royal St. Cloud Links
A first-hand look at Timacuan
Golf and Country Club
Attending the Father
Son Challenge at ChampionsGate
An overview of golf in the Orlando area:
Orlando- Golf's Ultimate Theme Park
Orlando and Central Florida travel stories:
Orlando Off the Beaten
Path
A visit to the Orange
County Regional History Center
Exploring Orlando's African
American Heritage at the Well's Built Museum
A lovely evening walk around downtown
Orlando's Lake Eola
Visual delights served
up on the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour
A walking tour through quaint
historic Winter Park
Our high-speed adrenaline adventure
at Boggy Creek Airboat Tours
Our picnic lunch by the Kissimmee
waterfront
Exploring picturesque Mount Dora
on the "Herbie Express"
Orlando's Loch Haven Park:
Center of culture and arts
Exploring downtown Orlando's
historic neighbourhoods and parks
Learning about citrus at
Florida's Natural Visitor Center
Architectural and natural
beauty at the Bok Historic Sanctuary
Central Florida: a haven
for naturalists and plant lovers
Central Florida's wildlife:
surprising ecological diversity..
Driving home through St. Augustine:
the oldest city in the US
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