Discover the Mesmerizing Golf Courses at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida
Where Magic Meets the Fairway: Explore Walt Disney World's Enchanting Golf Courses in Orlando
By Sean Petersen
If you're planning a vacation to Orlando, Florida, with your family, Walt Disney World Resort is the perfect place for all of you to have fun and create unforgettable memories. As a 40-square-mile recreation and entertainment center, it boasts four theme parks, two water adventure parks, dozens of resort hotels, as well as three golf courses.
So, if you're a golf enthusiast, you can unwind while playing a few rounds at these picturesque courses, which are suitable for golfers of any skill level. For players who are still learning and families with young children, Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course is the best choice, as it is a 9-hole walking course.
Disney's Palm Golf Course, Hidden Amid the Natural Beauty of the Florida Woodlands
This championship golf course features shimmering lakes, palm trees, tropical sands, and sloping greens. Disney's Palm Golf Course has nine holes with water hazards and 59 bunkers, providing many challenges for novices and professionals alike. In 2013, the golf course was completely redesigned by Arnold Palmer Course Design.
The extensive work included building brand-new green complexes, newly shaped tees, and a bunker design that has modernized this iconic course. Recognized as one of the premier Orlando golf destinations, this golf course is a perfect choice for families, offering a majestic finish to a magical day in the Florida sun.
The natural Florida woodlands setting offers a dramatic backdrop to an exciting golf outing. Disney's Palm Golf Course is a Joe Lee masterpiece that was built in 1971. The eighteenth hole is considered one of the most challenging ones on the PGA Tour, with a lot of length and a green protected by sand and water. The course finishes strong at the 463-yard par-4 18th hole, where the approach plays over water, wrapping around the right side of the green.
Two solid and very precise shots will be required to find the green, which is set tight to the water on the right and guarded by four bunkers on the left. This hole is currently the 4th hardest on the PGA Tour.
Disney's Lake Buena Vista Golf Course, a World-Class Golf Course
This golf course was also conceived by Joe Lee and features elevated bunkered greens that put a premium on precise approach shots. The classic country club course winds through pastel villas, palmettos, pine forests, and sparkling lakes. Disney's Lake Buena Vista Golf Course will test your skills at the demanding 7th hole, which features a challenging island green.
The magic of Disney will surround you, along with the enchantment of nature in the form of splendid pines, reflection ponds, palmettos, and wildlife. Navigating the canal, teeing off over boats, and relishing views of a mesmerizing lighthouse is typical of the distinctive character of this golf course.
Disney's Lake Buena Vista Golf Course was used along with the Magnolia and Palm layouts when Tiger Woods won his second career PGA Tour event in 1996. Besides co-hosting the PGA Tour event, the golf course hosted the USGA's 1995 Women's State Team Championship. The layout of this golf course demands accuracy rather than sheer length.
The opening hole is very strong, a par-5 with water all the way down the left that eats into the fairway and then again at the green. Failure to warm up properly will definitely have an effect on your score on this hole. Disney's Lake Buena Vista Golf Course is a pleasure to play, and many familiar names have walked these fairways in the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, and USGA events.
Disney's Magnolia Golf Course, the Longest of the Walt Disney World Resort Golf Courses
Freshly renovated, this course features 14 holes showcasing reimagined green side and fairway bunkers and newly contoured greens for pristine putting surfaces. Designed in classic Tour style, the championship golf course is a paradise for serious golfers, as well as a thrilling challenge for players of all skill levels. The golf course was named for its majestic magnolia trees and features elevated tees, spacious greens, and challenging water hazards. The layout features wide fairways guarded by water, which lurks on eleven of the 18 holes. Although the fairways are wide, if you miss them, you might be blocked out by the magnolia trees lining many holes.
As the big brother to the Palm course, the Magnolia course packs a little more punch at 7,190 yards. Brightly colored crape myrtles and oleanders, along with beds of blue plumbago and seasonal flowers, add sparkle to a dense, natural forest. For 40 years, Disney's Magnolia Golf Course was a highly regarded end-of-season venue on the PGA Tour.
Moreover, as host to the final round of Disney's National Car Rental Golf Classic for the last 30 years, this mature, classic golf course exudes experience. Of all the Disney golf courses, the Magnolia supports a greater abundance of wildlife. At any given time, you're likely to spot deer, osprey, alligators, and turtles.
Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course, a Woodland Walking Course
This layout is a beautiful 9-hole course with rolling greens and exciting challenges. Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course will let you test your game with holes ranging from 132 to 517 yards from the tees. Holes 5 to 7 are routed around a deep canal and a breathtaking pond. This walking course features junior tees for young golfers and promises fun for the entire family.
The par-36 golf course offers a variety of tees - 2,913 yards for adults to 1,713 yards for kids - and includes access to the Magnolia driving range and putting green.
The golf course finishes with the par-4 8th hole and the par-3 9th hole. Shorter hitters will find that water is in play along the left side of the 8th fairway. The finishing hole is very short, but the greenside sand bunker is deceiving and intimidating. This hole is where you return to the familiar sounds of Disney as the Walt Disney World Railroad whistles in the background.
Club rentals, shoe rentals, and pull carts are available for use at Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course. For availability and pricing, check with the pro shop in advance.
While it's safe to say that golf isn't at the top of the priority list for most people who are planning a vacation at Walt Disney World, playing a round can definitely make for a fun and relaxing experience for the whole family.
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Revised: 11/05/2024 - Article Viewed 151 Times