As summer ends and  the days turn shorter and colder, the good times on the golf course, by necessity, must occur somewhere other than in the North.  Start planning your winter golf trip to Central Florida, where one of the Sunshine State’s grandest courses will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2017. History -rich El Campéon golf course at Mission Inn Resort, just 35 minutes from Orlando in Howey-in-the-Hills, has announced their “100th Anniversary Golfers Getaway Package” allowing visitors to play this very special parcel of Americana at significant savings.

From October 1 through January 15, 2017, the golf package—with its two-night minimum stay—includes daily golf, unlimited use of all practice facilities, deluxe accommodations, breakfast buffet each morning, and a three-course wine dinner for two at the  El Conquistador lakeside restaurant. The package also offers commemorative 100th anniversary merchandise gift set, club storage, and on-site savings coupons for merchandise, spa, and more. The price is $197 per person, based on double occupancy, 35% off the 2017 published price, and third and fourth nights are available for $155 per person.  Resort fee and taxes are extra.

Originally known as the Floridian, it was designed by George O’Neil, a golf professional and noted architect from the Chicago Golf Club. The Floridian quickly became a hot spot for vacationers and top golfers. Christened “El Campéon”—The Champion— in 1964, the course sports 85-foot elevation changes, unique to central Florida, on six holes of former rolling citrus groves and hardwood forests. El Campéon has been rated # 2 nationally in the most recent Golf Advisor.com Top 50 player surveys.

Mission Inn is a four-season resort  featuring classic Spanish Colonial architecture, 178 luxurious guest rooms, a second championship golf course—Las Colinas, 1992, by Gary Koch—three restaurants, two lounges, and  poolside bar. Recreational amenities include tennis courts, trap and skeet shooting, outdoor pool, lakefront marina, and Spa Marbella.  For more information, call (800) 283-6363 or visit the resort’s Web site at  www.missioninnresort.com.