When Andrew picked up golf around the age of 14, he instantly fell in love and began to play regularly ever since. While it is a big time hobby for Andrew, Julie also likes to play a little, and a day date on the green is so fun from time to time. One of Andrew’s favorite golf memories was being able to play a round with a group of friends and family at Disney’s Palm the week of our Disney Fairy Tale Wedding. He had been hoping to play a Disney course again, but hadn’t made it back until recently as a newly minted local.
Known as “The Happiest Place on Turf,” Walt Disney World Resort is home to four golf courses, all open to resort guests and the public. The championship golf courses by Walt Disney World Golf have garnered praise and prestigious awards for their superlative design, impeccable service, world-class amenities and overall playability throughout the years. While Disney’s Palm, Magnolia, Oak Trail, and Lake Buena Vista are all slightly different from each other, there is one thing they all provide: a magical golf experience. Read on for a full review of the courses and all the details you need to know for your next round.
NOTE: Disney World Golf also offers Lessons, FootGolf, and Golf Event Opportunities. We plan on checking out some of these additional offerings, so stay tuned for future articles!
Gawrsh, is that a Mickey bunker?
You will find Disney details in many places.
We love the branded tees provided!
Can you tell who Andrew’s favorite character is?
The Courses
Walt Disney World Resort has three 18-hole courses along with one 9-hole walking course. Lake Buena Vista Golf Course is located in the Disney Springs Resort area while the Palm, Magnolia, and Oak Trail are located in the Shades of Green Resort near the Magic Kingdom. In fact, these courses are so close to the park that golfers can hear the Ferry Boat whistle along with the Walt Disney World Railroad whistle.
These links also have a lot of magical history. From 1971 until 2012, The Magnolia and Palm Courses hosted the PGA Tour’s Walt Disney World Golf Classic which included big name winners such as Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Lake Buena Vista also played host to the PGA Tour 17 years of the 42 year history. However, even though these courses hosted the best golfers in the world, they are not overly tough and are very playable for golfers of every ability. One thing we wanted to point out was that these courses are challenging but in a fun way. They are not tricked out like some courses and everything is right in front of the golfer. There are no hidden bunkers or “gotcha” hazards to frustrate players.
You can find a lot of history with Disney Golf.
Disney’s Palm Golf Course
The Palm was redesigned during the summer of 2013 including building entirely new green complexes, newly shaped tees, and a completely new bunker design that has modernized this historic golf course. The changes are significant enough that several holes played entirely different since the last time Andrew played this course. Disney’s Palm Golf Course is rated 4 stars by Golf Digest and includes 9 holes with water hazards and 59 bunkers—providing plenty of challenges for novices and seasoned pros alike.
The course plays at 6,870 yards from the blue tees (which is where Andrew played from) all the way down to 5,213 from the red tees. There are also two more sets of tees in between so golfers have a good range to play from.
We recommend that players take their time and take in everything. This includes reading the sign next to every tee box that has a historic fact about that hole and how it relates to the eventual winner of the PGA Tour event.
Andrew found this to be the toughest of the three championship courses and shot the highest score of the three. The water comes in to play much more on Palm than it does on any other course. He also found the greens on this course the most undulating of the three and much harder to make putts on.
Notable Disney Views: The Polynesian and The Shades of Green Resort
The Palm is nicely manicured with colorful plants.
You will find plenty of Palms and water views here.
Check out this postcard worthy view from the 2nd tee.
Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course
Named for its majestic magnolia trees, this course has plenty of them dotting the area. (We are hoping to catch them all blooming some time!) Magnolia tends to have wider fairways than its sister course but does include 97 bunkers with 11 of the 18 holes boasting water hazards. However, the water doesn’t seem to come into play as much as it does on the Palm Course.
The Magnolia Course was the host course for the final round of the PGA’s Walt Disney World Golf Classic when it was played here. Admittedly, there is something cool about playing the same course that was played by the best to ever play the game of golf. Just like the Palm Course, there is a sign on every tee with a historic fact about that hole and the player who accomplished a certain feat on the way to winning the tournament.
The course plays to 7,073 yards from the blue tees (which is where Andrew played from) all the way down to 5,127 from the red tees. There are also two more sets of tees in between so golfers have a good range to play from. Unfortunately for those looking for the ultimate challenge, the course is not set up to the same distances as the pros. Some of the very back tees are maintained but not in use and there are a few holes where the blue tees are where the tips would be. While the scorecard does show a set of “Classic” or Black tees that play to over 7,500 yards, they are not set up during normal play. The course would be a monster for most from that distance.
Even though this course is slightly longer than the other two championship courses, it didn’t seem to play all that long. The greens on Magnolia were a little flatter than Palm which made for slightly easier putting. However, Andrew did find them tricky to read due to a bit of small break in places that was hard to see.
Notable Disney Views: The Grand Floridian and The “Mouse Trap” on the 6th Tee
One of many historic signs that adorn each tee.
16th at Magnolia with the Grand Floridian in the background.
The Mickey Bunker on the 6th Hole at Magnolia.
Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course
Don’t let the fact that this is a walking course that tips out at 3,000 yards fool you. While not as tough as the other courses on property, Oak Trail is no pushover and promises a fair challenge and a good time. Another great detail is that this course is not treated as some afterthought. While there may not be fancy signs, the playing conditions are identical to the three championship courses to included smooth and fast greens, well maintained bunkers, and nicely kept fairways and tees.
Playing to a par 36, Oak Trail is nearly 3,000 yards from the white tees, 2,552 from the red tees, and 1,713 yards from the junior tees.
Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course is walking only so no carts allowed. Pull carts can be rented, and are available for $7 per person per round. Andrew has walked this course multiple times and thoroughly enjoyed it, finding it to be a very easy, flat walk.
Notable Disney Views: Disney Topiaries and another Mickey bunker
NOTE: This course also offers FootGolf! Learn more about this fun activity here.
The Topiaries at the start of the course are really impressive.
You can find a little Mickey bunker here too.
This course looks more simple, but plays great.
Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course
Lake Buena Vista winds through several Disney Resort properties: Saratoga Springs Resort, Old Key West Resort, and the Tree House Villas. There are also plenty of tree-lined holes with no buildings on them. However, at no time did the Villas seem to take away from the course or make us feel like they were encroaching (except for maybe the back tees of number 7). As a matter of fact, the buildings most in danger of getting hit seem to be the Tree House Villas on the 17th hole and they are tucked into the trees nicely and harder to notice.
Certified by Audubon International as a Cooperative Wildlife Sanctuary and rated 4 stars by Golf Digest, Lake Buena Vista features elevated bunkered greens that put a premium on accurate approach shots. This holds true as some of the greens have unusual sight lines that make it difficult to tell where the edges are from the fairway. However, just like the other courses, everything is right in front of guests with no unusual design traits to frustrate golfers.
Keeping everything consistent, Andrew played from the Blue tees which measure 6,745 yards. The red tees play to 5,177 yards with two additional sets of tees in between. While this is the shortest of the three championship courses, that didn’t seem to play in to why we thought this was the easiest of the three (Andrew scored lowest at Lake Buena Vista). The fairways are generous here and the water doesn’t come into play as much as the other courses. Even the beautiful par 3 7th island green had some room to miss. We would also say this course has somewhat of a more secluded feeling than the other property and was also very quiet and peaceful.
Notable Disney Views: Disney Springs, Old Key West Resort, Saratoga Springs and Port Orleans French Quarter
This course featured many trees and plants.
Julie putting on one of the greens.
Fourth hole at Lake Buena Vista with Old Key West lining the fairways.
Golf Carts
Walt Disney World invests in the best, and the golf carts were no exception. In fact we learned the electric fleet is brand new with our Lake Buena Vista golf cart being one day old the last time we played. In addition to comfy seats you will find useful accessories such as:
an attached cooler
a sand bucket for divots
a large rain cover for the clubs
Another feature we appreciated was the inclusion of two USB ports. They are easy to miss since they have a spring loaded cover but they are there and come in very handy for phones or speakers.
The carts are also equipped with touch screen GPS units. For golfing purposes, they show you the entire course, your hole, and a zoomed in picture of the green with distances to all bunkers, water hazards, and other features. Golfers can also use the touch screen option to get distances to specific points and what the remaining distance is from there.
The GPS units are so reliable and accurate, the course uses them to notify you when you are about to cross a street or pedestrian walkway, when you are approaching a steep hill, or when the cart is off the path when it is not supposed to be (think cart path only or getting too close to the green). The units also keep track of carts not in your group so you can see if the group ahead of you is out of sight but still within striking distance.
The screens can also be used to send a message to the clubhouse and to order food. When golfers reach the ninth and eighteenth tees, a prompt comes up on the screen which allows guests to order food with a touch of a button to be ready at the turn.
Upon special request, families can request the four seat golf cart that also hold four sets of clubs. They don’t appear to have too many of these so if you are interested, it is best to inquire about them as early as possible.
Riding in style near The Grand Floridian.
Each cart features a character on the front.
We appreciated the well designed storage and the GPS.
Driving Ranges
There are three driving ranges on property. The Magnolia and Oak Trail courses share a range while Palm and Lake Buena Vista each have their own. There is an extra cost for a bucket of range balls, even with the purchase of a round of golf. All three driving ranges boast large grass hitting areas which is ideal for healing. There are targets and the facility provides a sign updating the distance to each based on where on the grass range you are hitting from. Each range also has a station where golfers can clean their clubs.
Lake Buena Vista driving range features some water as well.
On-Course Facilities
All three championship courses have nice facilities throughout the property. There are comfort stations dotting each course that include Men’s and Women’s restrooms, an ice machine, water fountain, and cups. These also have a covered area to take shelter during the frequent afternoon summer thunderstorms. Both Lake Buena Vista and Palm have one station on each nine and the Magnolia Course has one on the front nine and two on the back.
Restrooms on the Magnolia course.
On Lake Buena Vista, the building even matches Old Key West.
Wildlife
One thing that absolutely stands out at the Walt Disney World Golf Courses is the wildlife. We were lucky enough to see a vast array of animals including hawks, deer, fox, turkey, turtles and even an alligator. For those that may be nervous about alligators, they very much keep to themselves. We have only ever seen them on the banks of the lakes really close to the water. As long as you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you.
For those that really enjoy seeing various wildlife and can only choose one course to play, we recommend playing Magnolia. Palm has some wildlife on it but not quite as much and Lake Buena Vista had much less than the other two.
There are plenty of turkeys.
We found where Bambi now lives.
Marge the Peacock.
Transportation
Complimentary transportation via taxi is available to guests of select Walt Disney World resort hotels. Guests may request a ride at the Valet Desk or from Bell Services at select Resort hotels, and in the Pro Shop or from any golf operations staff members at the golf courses.
For golfers looking to follow their round with a nightcap or meal, there is a complimentary water taxi to Disney Springs from Disney’s Lake Buena Vista golf course. Watercraft are located behind the Carriage House, adjacent to the golf clubhouse area.
The main Club House for the Palm, Magnolia, and Oak Trail.
The Practice Putting Green at the Palm and Magnolia.
Don’t be late for your tee time!
Lake Buena Vista Club has its own building.
Clubhouses
Pro Shop
The Pro Shop has a great selection of Disney Golf Merchandise including many items with favorite characters on them. This includes polos, hats, head covers, balls, divot repair tools, etc. They also have more reserved items that feature a simple Disney Golf logo, or course specific logo. Most of the merchandise you will find in the shops are exclusive to the Walt Disney World Golf Shops and cannot be found online, in stores, or even elsewhere on Walt Disney World property. Our advice: if you see something you like, it would probably be a good idea to get it as it may not be there the next time around. Trust us, we have made this mistake in the past. (You can also stop by to go shopping here even if not golfing.)
Guests should take the time to walk around the Pro Shop as there is a wall in the back with a plaque for each winner of the Walt Disney World Golf Classic. There is also a shadow box that includes an outfit worn by Payne Stewart along with other memorabilia.
Disney Golf Balls.
Lake Buena Vista entrance.
Plenty of magical merch.
The Main Pro Shop near the Palm and Magnolia.
Minnie’s Boutique at the Main Club House.
Lake Buena Vista Golf Course Pro Shop.
Locker Rooms
Both locations offer full Men’s and Women’s Locker Rooms which are perfect if planning on heading to the parks or Disney Springs afterwards. The Men’s Locker Room at the Palm and Magnolia is not just a place to shower and change, it also provides a cool history of the facility and the PGA Tour’s Walt Disney World Golf Classic. Each winner has their own locker with the years they won on it. Most importantly, there is a locker with a glass cover that allows guests to see inside. This is Payne Stewart’s locker which includes his signature outfit, the golf balls he used during that era, his golf glove, and the program from his memorial service.
The Men’s Locker Room at the Palm and Magnolia.
A little piece of history.
The Women’s Locker Room at Lake Buena Vista.
Pricing
Just like with any other course, green’s fees vary depending on the time of year. The three Championship courses all follow the same rate schedule with winter being the most expensive season and summer being the cheapest. During the winter, the rates run from $119 Monday through Thursday to $129 Friday through Sunday. During the summer, those same times are $75 and $89. The rates decrease from there at Noon and during twilight and super twilight times. Oak Trail starts at $19 during weekdays in the summer up to $35 Friday through Sunday during the winter. You can view a full list of rates here.
Discounts
The above rates are for day guests only (non-Florida residents not staying on property). Resorts guests save a little bit off the rack rates. There are also additional discounts for:
Disney Vacation Club
Annual Passholders
Military
AAA Diamond
and Florida Residents
For us, the local resident rate is best and available for residents of Orange, Osceola Polk, Lake, Seminole, Volusia, and Brevard Counties.
Free Golf
The best deal we have been taking advantage of comes with certain park passes. A Platinum Plus Annual Theme Park Pass or a Park Hopper Plus/Water Park Fun and More pass comes with these benefits:
Complimentary Green Fees for Oak Trail
Free FootGolf (Learn more about FootGolf)
The Player’s Club
There are two separate programs that can save golfers money if they plan on playing often at any of the Disney courses. The first is the Player’s Club, which consists of three different tiers, Silver ($29/month), Gold ($39/month), and Platinum ($69/month). Members can pay monthly or pay one yearly fee which equates to getting the twelfth month free. Benefits include:
driving range privileges
complimentary instructional clinics
discounts on food/drinks and merchandise
and more
DVC Golf Membership
The second option is open to Disney Vacation Club Members and costs $99/year. Benefits for this program are for one year and include:
Rates 15–20% lower than the already discounted DVC Member rate.
6 complimentary baskets of range balls
4 complimentary rounds on Oak Trail
6 guest passes at the DVC rate
Complimentary rounds of Footgolf
and more
Members also get an exclusive hat and bag tag and access to special golf events and instructional programs. You can learn more about the DVC Golf Membership here.
Discounts let us take advantage of more day dates!
Rental clubs and equipment.
Rental Equipment
For guests that are traveling and don’t want to deal with the hassle of bringing their clubs with them on vacation, Walt Disney World Golf Courses offer high quality rental equipment.
Men’s Clubs (in right and left handed)
TaylorMade M5 Stiff Set: 9.0 Driver, #3 Fairway, #3 GAPR Hi, M5 4-PW, AW, Iron Steel Shafts, 56 Degree MG Chrome Wedge and a Spider #3 Putter.
TaylorMade M6 Regular Sets: 10.5 Driver, #3 Fairway, #5 Fairway, #4 Rescue, M6 5-PW, AW, SW Iron Steel Shafts and a Spider #3 Putter.
Women’s Clubs (in right and left handed)
TaylorMade 10 Pc Kalea Set: Driver, 3-wood, 4h, 5h, 6I, 7I, 8I, 9I, PW, SW, and a TaylorMade Spider Tour Putter.
Junior Clubs
They also offer U.S. Kids Junior Rentals in various lengths and sizes. Junior rentals are complimentary (balls not included).
Rentals run $45 for 18 holes and $25 for 9 holes. (Discounts are also available for Oak Trail and Twilight golf). Golf club rentals include two sleeves of TaylorMade Project (a) golf balls (one sleeve for 9 holes). Guests can also rent Adidas Golf Shoes for $10.
Food & Beverage
Beverage Cart
Each course has a beverage cart roaming the property and they are fairly well stocked. Just like the player golf carts, these are brand new and upgraded with GPS to show where all other carts are on the course so they can better serve the golfers. Soft drinks, sports drinks, coffee, domestic and import beer, as well as cocktails are available. Both breakfast and lunch sandwiches are also served throughout the day. The beverage cart accepts both cash and credit card. (To view the full beverage cart menu click the image below.)
A friendly CM ready with drinks and snacks.
Beverage Cart Menu (Click to enlarge)
Snack Shacks
Both facilities are also home to Chip ‘n’ Dale’s quick service restaurants serving Breakfast Sandwiches, Deli Sandwiches and Wraps, and other snacks. They also have a full lineup of drinks including soft drinks, sports drinks, beer and cocktails. The Chip ‘n’ Dales Deli at Palm’s and Magnolia is right next to the practice putting green and as golfers come off the ninth green of Magnolia. (Also, be on the lookout for Marge, the local peacock that patrols the area!)
At Lake Buena Vista, Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Cafe is right next to the Pro Shop. Golfers can make a quick stop as they pass it between the ninth green and the tenth tee. Both locations are fairly similar but there are some differences between the food offerings. (To view the full Chip ‘n’ Dale’s menus for each location click the images below.)
Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Deli Menu at Palm, Magnolia, & Oak Trail (Click to enlarge)
Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Cafe at Lake Buena Vista Menu Part 1 (Click to enlarge)
Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Cafe at Lake Buena Vista Menu Part 2 (Click to enlarge)
We tried a few items during our rounds at both facilities and enjoyed everything. Everything is simple and quick but still a good value. While the hot dog was typical for a golf course we were really impressed with a few other items. The tuna sandwich was larger than we expected for the price. And the chicken and bacon quesadilla was a delicious favorite. It’s also good to note this may be the cheapest place to get a beer on property!
A tasty quesadilla.
Beers always seem to taste better on the course.
A plentiful tuna sandwich.
The Disney Difference
The People
We have already mentioned plenty of reasons to play at one of the Walt Disney World Golf Courses, but for us, there is one thing that is hard to put a price on and that is the Disney top notch service. When guests pull up, they are greeted by Cast Members who gladly take your clubs out of your car and load them onto the carts. At both facilities, you walk out of the back of the clubhouse and your cart is ready to go with your clubs on them. Every Cast Member in and around the clubhouse are very friendly and happy to help in any way they can. On one occasion, we asked the starter if they could get us out sooner and they were happy to help with our request. After the round, golfers are greeted by Cast Members asking how the round went as they cleaned the clubs before unloading them for you.
We are always amazed with the connections we find we have with various Cast Members, whether it be that Andrew worked at the same golf course in West Virginia as the Cast Member who checked us in or the fact that we had already unknowingly met the wife of the starter in Epcot while purchasing something in the Norway Pavilion. There just always seems to be a connection with Cast Members that other courses can’t replicate.
Also, being such a large tourist destination with an astounding number of national and international travelers, we have met some very nice people from all over the country while playing on the Disney courses. Andrew has played with folks from Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and California. These pairings always lead to fascinating and fun conversations.
A Mickey shaped drop area.
The iconic Mickey Golf Cart.
Mickey shaped tee box markers.
The Details
There are also the little Disney Character touches throughout the course, from the Mickey shaped tee markers and drop areas, the characters that adorn the front of each golf cart, to the character signs throughout the property guiding golfers to their next hole or advising them that a drop on the other side of the hazard would be a better and less frustrating option. These little touches seem minuscule but really are neat and appreciated by those of us that are big Disney fans.
Last but not least, The Mickey Bunkers!!! There are actually three on property. One is behind and to the right of the ninth green on Oak Trail. The second Mickey bunker is behind the ninth green on Lake Buena Vista golf course. This is actually a really good picture opportunity as it is also right next to the first tee. We asked Al the starter if he would take our picture next to the bunker and he was more than happy to do so. The third and probably the most photographed one is on the par three sixth hole of the Magnolia Course. It is right in front of the green and makes for a great picture from the tee.
The Mickey bunker at Lake Buena Vista.
Final Thoughts
Any Disney fan who loves golf should make sure to experience Walt Disney World Golf. We have really enjoyed being able to now play all four Disney courses. We love the Disney details and appreciating the differences with each location. Even though it is a little bit of a drive for us to get to property and there are quite a few golf courses that are closer to the house, we will continue to make the drive to property to play. The value for us as Orange County Residents makes it an incredible deal that a lot of local courses can’t match. The high quality offerings and Disney service guests experience in the parks carries over to the courses flawlessly and is a joy to experience. We hope to see you out on the links soon. Fore!
Disclaimer: This post was written in collaboration with Walt Disney World Golf. All thoughts are our own.
We got the opportunity to play Bay Hill Golf Club thanks to winning a charity auction a few months back. Here are our thoughts on playing a course where some of the best to ever play the game have competed and won.