March 2021 Ohio Golf Journal

Affordable (Public) Golf in Orlando During our annual trip to Florida in January, we had the opportunity to play three public golf courses, in the Orlando area and thoroughly enjoyed each one. Dubsdread Winter Park is a bustling suburb just north of downtown Orlando and the home of Rollins College. We found twowonderful historic courses there, Dubsdread and the Winter Park 9. Dubsdread was designed by Tom Bendelow and opened for play in 1924. Golf courses in Florida must have water hazards and the low areas at Dubsdread are environmental necessities for nearby I-95, as they provide adequate runoff areas for heavy rains in the area. Side note: Dub- sdread is derived from the intent of instilling dread in “dubs,” or novice golfers as they were called in Scotland. In the 1940s, Pete Dye played Dubsdread, while attending nearby Rollins College, where he was captain of the golf team. He would later become one of Golf’s most noted golf designers and a member of the World Golf Hal l of Fame. During his time at the course, he happened to mee t Alice O’Neal, who was on the Rollins Women’s Golf Team . She later became his wife and actively worked with Pete on his famous golf creations. Dye said of his time at Rollins, “I wasn’t the greatest student , but I met my bride there and played some good golf.” We won’t guarantee that you will meet the girl of your dreams at Dubsdread, but we can guarantee you will have an enjoyable day on the links. For more, watch this interview with Brendan Sweeney about Dubsdread. By Fred Altvater Ohio Golf Journal