Confession: It’s been 20 years since I came to The Mission Inn to play El Campeon and Las Colinas. Back then, “El Camp” (or “The Champ”) as we called it, was just turning 80 years old. Its neighbor, Las Colinas, was a toddler at five. A birdie (rare for me) after a near-eagle chip (unheard of ) on El Campe-on’s 7th has been on a mental loop ever since that epic weekend. So this is embarrassing.

Real Escapea t M I S S I O N I N N R E S O R T & C L U B

G O L F G E T A W A Y S I S S U E

PLAY THIS #1

COURSE IN ITS 100TH

YEARp . 2

P R O D U C E D B Y S T O R Y I M P A C T M E D I A , L L C • S T O R Y I M P A C T M E D I A . C O M • A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D

To disappear for 20 years. Relying on that mental loop. I could blame the long lapse on child-rearing and work. But the fact is, I live 35 minutes away. I’ve spent that much time on one mindless Instagram scroll. It took a challenge to come for El Campeon’s 100th anniversary and Las Colinas’s 25th to draw me back with some buddies ... and to leave me wondering why I’ve been gone so long.

BUCKET-LIST GOLF GETAWAYA fresh perspective of Florida’s best buddy trip

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Orlando: 35 minutes Tampa: 80 minutes Jacksonville: 130 miles

J A C K S O N V I L L E

O R L A N D OTA M P A

Mission Inn Resort & Club

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Tucked among hills, groves and a chain of quiet lakes, the 100-year-old El Campeon (“The Champion) lives up to its name as #1

PLAY DURING THE CENTENNIAL

YEAR

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Real Escape a t M I S S I O N I N N R E S O R T & C L U B

Bud BeuCher has proBaBly hit more golf shots at El Campeon and Las Colinas than anyone. “Not all good ones either,” he admits. Duck hooks. Hill toppers. Air mail-ers. Bud has hit enough balls to fit a thousand descriptions. He was a boy when his dad, Nick Beucher, bought the golf and resort property in the 1960s and renovated it into the pre-mier golf destination in central Florida.

“I spent a lot of time picking up trash,” says Bud, who eventually turned in his Hefty bags for a chair in the general manager’s office.

“Early on I learned to pause and look around because there are amazing things to see.”

1 Today’s No. 14 fairway on El Campeon was my favorite. I could top a tee shot

and watch it roll down that big hill, and feel OK about it. You don’t have that luxury on very many golf courses in Florida.

2 Even as a kid I’d stand on the 13th green next to No. 14 and look across what looks

like a valley to the west — miles of it. Some-times I’d see smoke from campfires off in the distance. You can daydream in a spot like that.

3 I’ve seen unbelievable wildlife mo-ments. Once, on No. 16, there were 15-

20 ospreys gathered talon to talon in a column of air, spiraling down. Over and over. Unreal.

4 Our family spent time on the water, especially after the marina became part

of the property. Lake Harris leads to a chain of lakes that can take you anywhere in the world. To be honest … Dad liked boating more than golf.

5 You can see a lot from the Presidential suite. That was Mom and Dad’s home

when they moved here full time in the 1970s. The huge balcony on one side overlooks No. 9 and the balcony on the other side had a great

view of the lake before the trees matured. Now there’s a view down to the tennis courts. Sto-ries about the suite? Those stay in the family.

6 There are family heirlooms around the property. Above the doorway at Nickers

[restaurant and bar] is an old saddle. It’s the one Dad used when he rode across Mexico in 1939. He and a friend drove from the Chica-go area to Del Rio, Texas, crossed the border and found four wild horses. They rode into the mountains where people had never seen an American. Slept outside for over a month.

7 The Spanish architecture around the property was Dad’s idea. The mosaics

and tile and fountains, it was all inspired by that crazy ride across Mexico. The remodel of the resort was supposed to be done in Co-lonial style, but Dad changed it at the last hour. It’s a good thing because this is timeless.

THE 360-DEGREE SCENIC TOURWith the man who’s seen it all.

GolfAdvisor’s top-ranked course in Florida and the second-ranked course in America — with more stories than you can imagine.

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Real Escape a t M I S S I O N I N N R E S O R T & C L U B

WORLD OF CUISINEIt’s all right here, in these hills.

exeCutive Chef danny Connolly is on a roll. “I love the pressure of the kitchen,” he says, hustling a platter into the dining room at El Conquistador. On it is a 42-ounce rib-eye with a bone extruding so far out that the whole thing could pass for a mandolin. “I’m not one of those super chefs who sits in a chair. I like to be in the action. I like the adventure of cook-ing.” If he weren’t wearing the chef ’s coat, Chef Danny could fit nicely into the suit of armor on display at the entrance of El Conquistador.

→ Where did you learn to cook? Everywhere. I left Detroit as a teenager and worked in high-end kitchens in New York, New Orleans, Port-land … all over the place. Learned all different types of cooking. The variety taught me to be creative. It’s why we change the menu so often.→ You were all over the country. Why settle in Howey-in-the-Hills? It’s a beautiful place. Very different from what you expect to find in Florida. I like different. We can grow our own produce right out here, and then we invent. This is also a great place to raise a family.→ What’s your specialty? I don’t have one. We do everything because of my background. Asian. Italian. Greek. We had an Indian wed-ding and the ladies said the food was as good as their grandmothers’. That’s a big compliment.

→ Speaking of big. This rib-eye. I call it a “Tomahawk Longbone.” You ever see anything like it? It’s a conversation piece. But I guarantee you’ve never tasted anything like it either. → You’re the guy everyone wants at the backyard grill.Steaks should be fun. We go through 16,000 pounds of New York strips a year. So we change things up. I love the challenge of making a small space like a plate interesting.

“We come up with things on the fly.

Like this 42-ounce ribeye with a six-

inch bone. Make the experience fun.”

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“We drove over last night from The Villages. You know, we have more than 500 holes of golf there, less than an hour away. But we came

here for variety. Hills. Doglegs. Blind shots. There’s more variety on these 36 holes than there is on all of our courses put together.”

El Campeon was one of the first Florida golf courses to have grass greens instead of oiled-sand greens.

T R OT T I N G As a fitting nod to the terrain, the

original country-club taxi power on the property was a horse-drawn surrey. It was no gimmick. Horseback was the

transportation of choice in Howey-in-the-Hills and for some it still is.

GETTING UP, DOWN &

AROUND

H U M M I N G Lake County has a maze of picturesque drives. Under oak canopies. Over hills

and lakes. Through orchards. The prettiest drive of all might be the golf-

cart ride on the boardwalk between No. 3 and No. 4 on Las Colinas.

P OW E R I N G The testosterone can run high on these golf courses, never more so than when

a sports-car commercial was shot at No. 7 on El Campeon. The car sprinted downhill, spun a donut around the pin and came to a rest: retired in paradise.

DRIVING THROUGH 100 YEARS

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TOP 10 RE ASONS

For the Top-10 Ranking

at Las Colinas

We’ ve played the undulations and tropical-island greens at El Campeon, Florida’s top-ranked course on GolfAdvisor. Enter a lunch buffet at La Hacienda. Followed by a one-hour nap in a club suite. Refueled and recharged, we head to El Campeon’s sibling: Las Colinas. Because, where else can you play two of Florida’s top-10 courses in one day?

1 _ For Starters Staff members keep telling us to pay attention to the surroundings. It isn’t a rule. It’s a tip. Sure enough, just before we arrive at the first tee an eagle is arriving home. It will be the only eagle of the day.

2 _ The Fairway on No. 1 Right away we know this is going to be different from El Campeon. The fairway is so wide with such a view over the signature lake that it once hosted a Festival of Speed car showcase. The story makes us push every gram of power from the 8-mph golf cart.3 _ The Green on No. 2 Moguls around the fairway lead to a narrow green that rolls down and away. “Florida’s rare version of a ‘Redan green,’” says course pro Joe Lewandowski. Yeah, that’s what we were thinking, too.4 _ Melting Pot of Trees You need to carry an Audubon book with your yardage book. Along the course are palm trees from the tropics.

PLAY DURING ITS 25TH YEAR

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A N O T H E R B E S T → Las Colinas is recognized among the “Best Places to Play” in North America by Golf Digest.

Spa Marbella man-ager Teresa Roberge makes two revelations on a quiet Tuesday afternoon. “Some guests don’t realize this truly is a golf and spa resort.” She oversees five rooms and 14 therapists. So she has a point. “And half of our clients are men.” Now we’re getting somewhere. Three more pointers:

Golfer’s MassageThis treatment focus-es on the shoulders, lower back and ham-strings. Sounds like a great way to relax after a round. “No, no,” says Teresa. “We recommend getting one before a game to really loosen up.”

Bamboo TreatmentThe sticks look like clubs in her hands. Don’t worry. The masseuse firmly rolls these warm bamboo sticks over the muscles to knead the knots away. You won’t hear a thing, but you will feel it.

Longer DrivesYes, players come off the course claim-ing a massage gave them more length off the tee because of improved torque and rotation. “We get a lot of repeat customers,” says Teresa, “and tells us all we need to know.”

Real Escape at M I S S I O N I N N R E S O R T & C L U B

Pine trees from the mountains. Magnolias from the Carolina coast. And oak trees fram-ing greens like Ents from Lord of the Rings.5 _ Blind Tee Shots “You know what I love about playing against someone unfamiliar with this course?” a guy asks his playing part-ner who is, yes, unfamiliar with the course.

“The blind tee shots because of the hills. They have no idea what they’re hitting into.” 6 _ A Cameo from Scotland Carry the ridge on No. 8 (yep, another blind tee shot), find your ball and look up. Straight ahead is a stone bridge that looks borrowed from St. Andrews. 7 _ Alligator Alley It’s unlikely to see a gator on

No. 12. The fairway was given its name because it’s encased in trees, like a popsicle stick in ice. 8 _ The Man-Up Shot on No. 14 You can play a safe iron into the elbow of the dogleg ... or launch one over the trees and win respect — even if your ball winds up in the grapefruit trees.9 _ The Rides Some of the distances between holes require Clif Bars from the beverage cart and a camera. It’s vacation-land out here. 10 _ Coming Home Playing No. 18 is like play-ing through a scrapbook of everything we’ve just experienced. Moguls. Creeks. Beaches. Pines. A ridge. And there, over the clubhouse, the eagle’s nest waits for a friend to come home.

I M P R OV E YO U R G A M E W H I L E L AY I N G D OW N

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THE FULL-TIMEGE TAWAY

Everyday life or vacation life: It’s hard to tell the difference.

P R O D U C E D B Y S T O R Y I M P A C T M E D I A , L L C • S T O R Y I M P A C T M E D I A . C O M • A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D

Real Escape → Two nights deluxe accommodations → Daily golf with shared cart → Unlimited use of practice facilities

→ Daily breakfast buffet at La Hacienda → Four-course dinner at El Conquistador → Commemorative gift set

→ Special on-site discounts → Club storage and cleaning → $194.50 per person (based on double occupancy)

100TH ANNIVERSARY

GOLF PACKAGE

↑“Sitting above the courtyards reminds us of having dinner

and drinks at a taverna in Spain.”

NOTES FROM THE 37 TH HOLETrivia and awe from one more hot spot

We’ve climbed bridges and fairways. We’ve stood at the high-throne known as El Campeon’s 14th tee. Now we’re perched on a balcony above Plaza de la Fontana, ordering drinks and swapping notes from the scorecards:→ Lost Three balls in water, four in forest, and one in darkness. A little history: Tree trimmers were cutting back fronds from a palm tree on El Campeon a few years ago when nearly 100 balls fell from the tree like apples from a basket. “They were good balls, too,” says one player who witnessed what happened and proceded to stock his bag.

→ Found Just on El Campeon: The bald eagle on No. 1, an otter on No. 3, a squadron of turkeys on No. 18, and (what’s this?) a group from To-ronto on No. 15. A little history: Since 1917 there have been sightings of black bears, bobcats, and players named Babe Didrikson-Zaharias, Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer.→ Takeaways A hat from the only 100-year-old course we’ve ever played and a thousand reasons to come back. A little history: The founder of The Mission Inn has a drink named after him — Nick’s Manhattan — for this spot about as high as you can go in central Florida.

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