As part of the ongoing reimagination by Arnold Palmer Golf Management which operates Walt Disney WorldGolf, the practice putting green adjacent to Disney’s Magnolia, Palm and Oak Trail Golf Course clubhouse has been given a massive makeover.
The net result: a brand new 18-hole grass putting course which has been graded to give the area contours and elevation changes not seen before. Hole locations are changed each week, while the lengths of the holes and their level of difficulty will be amended daily by adjusting the starting positions.
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Photo: Russell Kirk for APGM
“Our vision was to create something unique and stunning, and our guests are thoroughly enjoying it,” said Bruce Gerlander, PGA, General Manager, Walt Disney World Golf. “We take our golf seriously, and we wanted to also emphasize how much fun this putting green is.”
Creation of this new attraction is just one example of many others in Arnold Palmer Golf Management’s overarching mission to create the most magical experience possible for guests and visitors to Walt Disney World Golf.
The PGA Family Golf Championship will provide a perfect opportunity for first-time visitors at Walt Disney World Resort to appreciate fully what the resort has to offer. The inaugural tournament, held last year at PGA West in La Quinta, CA, attracted nearly 150 competitors from 24 states.
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“PGA of America Golf Professionals are helping families create meaningful memories and connect through the game for a lifetime with PGA Family Golf,” said PGA of America President John Lindert, PGA Director of Golf at the Country Club of Lansing (Michigan). “The PGA Family Golf Championship is a reflection of what we see at golf courses every day— families enjoying the game together—and it’s sure to be an unforgettable experience at Disney’s Palm Golf Course.”
Scheduled for September 27-29 on Disney’s Palm Golf Course, the PGA Family Golf Championship will feature teams of 2-4 players who are either biologically or legally related. All will make full use of the new amenity as it will serve as the picturesque backdrop for a welcome reception on the eve of competition.
“The family nature of this tournament makes it the ideal event to be held at Walt Disney World Resort which is passionate about bringing family fun to the game of golf,” said Alex Forsyth, PGA, Director of Sales and Marketing, Arnold Palmer Golf Management. “We have a long history of hosting a plethora of extraordinary events, from youth tournaments to PGA TOUR, LPGA and Senior PGA (of America) events, so the PGA Family Golf Championship will add another new chapter to our story.”
Visitors to the Walt Disney World Resort have multiple world-class options to consider if they wish to play golf. Disney’s Magnolia, Palm and Lake Buena Vista Championship Golf Courses are open for play 365 days a year, along with Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course, a nine-hole walking layout. Additionally, driving ranges are open to the public, and there is the attraction of FootGolf, a relatively new hybrid sport between soccer and golf, which continues to grow in popularity and appeals primarily to the non-golfers.
Complimentary transportation to the golf courses is available for guests who stay at select Walt Disney WorldResort hotels. The resort golf experience is literally tailor-made for travelers with TaylorMade equipment and Adidas golf shoes available to rent.
Walt Disney World Golf has made it a priority to continually upgrade and enhance the facilities available to all golfers at what has come to be known as “The Happiest Place on TURF!”
The four Walt Disney World Resort golf courses operated by APGM are:
• Disney’s Palm Golf Course
Picturesque natural beauty featuring shimmering lakes, majestic palm trees and tropical sands make Disney’s Palm Golf Course a pleasure to play and a challenge to conquer. Redesigned in 2013 by Arnold Palmer Design Company modernized this original Joe Lee designed masterpiece. Tee options vary between 5,213 yards (red tees) and 6,870 yards (blue tees). The par-4 18th hole – which features a well-protected, elevated green – was always one of the most difficult on the PGA TOUR.
• Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course
Designed as a classic Florida tour style layout by Joe Lee, Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course is the longest of the Walt Disney World Resort courses, playing at 7,560 yards from the Classic tees during tournaments, 7,141 yards from the green tees, and 6,684 from the white tees for daily play. The course, which features magnolia tree lined fairways and elevated teeing grounds, is undergoing its most extensive redesign ever, and is scheduled to fully make its debut early in 2025. Course Architect Ken Baker is reconfiguring holes 14 through 17, and all 18 greens are being substantially enhanced. The new design and theming are sure to fascinate our Guests for decades to come!
• Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course
Designed in 1972 by Joe Lee, this course located near to Disney Springs winds its way through several of the resort properties, including Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and Disney’s Old Key West Resort. The course, which plays between 5,177 and 6,745 yards, includes many tree-lined dogleg holes, as well as the par-3 seventh hole with an island green. A Mickey Mouse-inspired bunker that was added to the rear of the ninth green in 2018.
• Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course
A nine-hole walking course, Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course is well-suited for families and casual golfers. This course, originally only six holes, and known as “The Wee Course”, was expanded in the 1990s by Ron Garl who designed the fifth, sixth and seventh holes to feature water hazards around a canal and pond. The par-36 layout can be played from junior tees (1,713 yards) or close to 3,000 yards (including a 517-yard par-5) from the white tees. For the non-golfers, this course also features FootGolf, available on select afternoons each week!
