good list and good advice from others.
Wear sunscreen, bring bugspray, and carry lots of water. Also it should be noted that early September will still be summer rain season here in Florida so thunderstorms are almost a daily threat, but mostly toward the late afternoons. This means getting an early jump on courses will usually yield lower chances of rain.
Tampa/Clearwater:
Cliff Stephens is by far the better of the 2 popular courses in Clearwater.
Coachman is ok to skip completely if time is short or if its rained recently. Its a solid course for locals but not quite a "must play" for visitors. If it has rained recently, a lot of Coachman could potentially be under water around several tee pads and fairways. If you get an early start in the morning, you could play both Cliff and Coachman since they are very close, but make sure to leave time for Taylor Park.
Taylor Park is a better choice than Coachman if you don't have time for both and very "visitor friendly" with excellent navigation. It's also the most scenic park in the area. Taylor Park Sand Slugs (the local club) take great pride in providing all the little details that you won't find at many other courses. The tee signs are excellent, there is a bag hanger, bench, foot brush, and broom at every tee pad. Taylor Park is an excellent example of what other disc golf clubs should strive for in maintaining their home course. Its no wonder they get 70 - 80 people at their local handicaps every Sunday morning. The course itself is solid too and fun for all skill levels.
There is a pedestrian trail at Taylor that comes into play on several holes near the lake so just keep an eye out. Most local pedestrians are aware of the course and they may even stop and watch you throw before proceeding through.
Tocobaga @ Maximo Park is further south in St. Pete and is a decent fun course to play but they had to move a bunch of holes around (including their signature hole) a couple years ago and the flow and navigation has been made difficult ever since. A local guide is recommended here just to save you from wandering around and playing holes out of order or skipping some entirely. Its very close to the water so there is usually a nice sea breeze blowing throughout the course. I wouldn't make this course a top priority, but its enjoyable nonetheless.
Youth Park is a shorter course geared towards beginners-intermediate players and can be played quickly so as not to consume much of your day. Its nothing special and should be low priority, but if you pass near it, you may still enjoy it.
Cypress Point and
USF Waterfront would make a decent 1-2 punch on the Tampa side of town. If your hotel is in Clearwater you may drive out to USF and play it first and then hit Cypress Point on your way back.
When you are leaving Tampa and heading towards Orlando, I would make the trip into a full day and play the
Picnic Island 9-hole course right on the beach in Tampa, then get on the road and play
Ed Medard on the way to Orlando. Picnic Island is in the middle of an upgrade to 18-holes which will not be complete when you are there but the original 9-holes are still playable and the course is very unique and a must play for any visitors passing through.
I would prioritize the Tampa/Clearwater courses according:
1. Cliff Stephens
2. Ed Medard (more convenient to play on way to Orlando)
3. Taylor Park
4. Cypress Point
5. Picnic Island
6. Coachman
7. Tocobaga
8. USF
9. Youth Park
Orlando:
You've already played
Turkey Lake and that is pretty much the best Orlando has to offer and
Barnett is fun too. You should definitely drive up to DeBary and play
River City Nature Park. Depending on when you go, I may be out there to guide you. My office is a mile away from the course and I'm usually there after work on weekday afternoons around 5:30/6:00p.
A daytrip up to Ocala is something my friends and I do every once in a while. We usually drive up and play
Greenway early in the morning and then head over to
Pine Oaks and rent golf carts and play the rest of the day. There is an excellent little BBQ restaurant right near I-75 by Pine Oaks and we usually stop there for lunch before we play Pine Oaks.
Now, if you want to be really adventurous and do something very "Florida" like to tell all your friends back home about.. drive over to
F. Burton Smith park right near the St. Johns River near Cocoa, FL. Its only about 30-40 mins from Orlando depending on what part of town you stay in. Its one of my favorite courses and I believe it to be one of the most underrated courses in Central Florida. It's rather secluded, so a local guide would be helpful, but its a beautiful place and has 22 holes total, so plenty of golf to be played there.
F. Burton has the oldest baskets in Florida (originally from a course in Rockledge that existed since the 70's but closed several years ago) so its like experiencing some Florida disc golf history. When your disc goes through the rickety old chains and falls out the other side, we like to call that the "ghost of Rockledge" that makes that happen.
Wildlife is in abundance at F. Burton and you may see huge alligators, lots of snakes, wild pigs, and maybe deer, etc.. None of which will want anything to do with you and will likely run from you. The alligators I've seen there can be enormous and usually are on the opposite side of the ponds from where the disc golf course is so not to be a bother to anyone. The pond on hole 7 rarely has gators in it ever since they took away all the tall grass around it. If you're a bit weary of wildlife, its a lot safer than I make it sound but a guide or at the very least a map is recommended. I love it there. Very peaceful and a true example of what real natural Florida looks and feels like.
IF you do make the trek out to F. Burton Smith, on the way back into Orlando, right when you leave the park and cross the St. Johns River, there is a little tiny hole in the wall bar/restaurant on the river called the Lone Cabbage. It looks really old and run-down but sometimes those are the best places and Lone Cabbage is one of them. Try some gator tail or fried frog legs.. That place serves up some of the best southern food in Florida but its a well kept secret. It makes a nice pit stop after the round since there isn't much else around.
Try to go eat at 4Rivers Smokehouse at some point while in Orlando (3 locations) if you can appreciate really good American BBQ. Ask for a sample of the brisket and then I dare you to try to order something else.
Be safe, have fun and shoot well!
