Probably the best Florida golf destination I have ...

Probably the best Florida golf destination I have found (this includes resorts in the Orlando, West Palm Beach, and Naples areas). The packages are low cost but comprehensive. The accommodations are comfortable. The building is old but has had recent renovations/new furniture. There are on site restaurant options - one casual, one more upscale - along with a restaurant at the golf clubhouse. The resort is fairly isolated, but it is possible to drive to other dining options.

The five star review is mostly because of the outstanding golf experience. The hotel rooms are on the golf course - our balcony looked out over the #9 tee box. It is a short walk or shuttle ride from the hotel to the clubhouse. They will store your clubs and have them loaded on a cart for you in the morning.

My group always plays 36 holes a day, so we particularly like resorts that offer two full 18-hole courses. Mission Inn fills that requirement very nicely. Their premium course, El Campeon, is one of the top rated courses in the state, and has become one of my favorite courses anywhere. It is located directly beside the resort hotel. For a replay round, the Las Colinas course is routed through private residences on the property, but there is ample room for stray shots, I never felt the houses encroached on the golf experience. Both courses feature excellent conditions on all playing surfaces - tee boxes, fairways, greens, rough, and bunkers. El Campeon especially features a very creative and challenging layout, with several memorable holes.

I've been to a lot of golf resorts, and while there are certainly better courses, better hotels, better restaurant options at various places, there are few resorts I can think of that combine all these features at as high a level as Mission Inn. Howey-in-the-Hills is a little off the beaten path, but definitely worth the drive if you are traveling to Orlando-area golf destinations. In the dead of winter it will be chillier than the South Florida resorts, so I probably wouldn't schedule a trip there in Jan/Feb, but this is a go-to option for me in Fall or Spring golf season.