“The Greatest Green Ever Played!” is how they’ve cleverly introduced the new 18-hole putting course at Disney’s Magnolia, Palm and Oak Trail Clubhouse.
It’s open to all golfers who bring their own putters and balls, and you do not need a reservation to putt! It’s located just outside the back the pro shop and adjacent to the first hole of Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course. Scorecards and pencils are conveniently available to track your score, and engage in some spirited competition.
The name is a play on the biographical sports film, “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” released by Walt Disney Pictures, based on the early life of amateur golfer Francis Ouimet and his surprise victory at the 1913 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, MA. Directed by Bill Paxton, this film starred Shia LaBeouf as the caddie-turned-champion.
“Our vision was to create something unique and enjoyable, and our guests are as pleased as we are with ‘The Greatest Green Ever Played!’,” said Bruce Gerlander, PGA, General Manager, WaltDisney World® Golf operated by Arnold Palmer Golf Management.
Rather than a largely flat surface, the layout has been graded to give the area new contours and elevation changes providing a more realistic and challenging putting experience. The lush Bermuda grass surface will require the right combination of skill and luck as you navigate the course.
The hole locations are changed almost weekly to provide for ongoing challenges, while the lengths of the holes and their level of difficulty are varies daily by adjusting the starting positions.
Creation of ‘The Greatest Green Ever Played’ is just one recent example of how Walt Disney World® Golf operated by Arnold Palmer Golf Management 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 Arnold Palmer Golf Management are:
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. 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 Tour style layout by Joe Lee, Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course is the longest of the WaltDisney World® Resort courses, playing at 7,560 yards from the Classic tees during tournaments, 7,141 yards from green tees and 6,684 from the white tees for daily play. The course, which features magnolia trees along the fairways and elevated tees, is undergoing its most extensive redesign ever prior to reopening to the public in 2023. Holes 14 through 17 are being reconfigured and all 18 greens are being substantially enhanced.
• Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course
Designed in 1972 by Joe Lee, this course near Disney Springs winds 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 a par-3 seventh hole with an island green and 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.
The Walt Disney World Resort and Arnold Palmer Golf Management, which launched a 20-year strategic alliance more than a decade ago, are not resting on their laurels. Golf Inc. Magazine recognized the redesign of Disney’s Palm Golf Course in its 2015 “Renovation of the Year” awards and millions of dollars in course upgrades have already been made by APGM – with more to come – and these extend well
beyond the fairways and greens.
Guests can book tee times by visiting www.wdwgolf.com
A fleet of premium Yamaha golf carts was also introduced all three championship courses. Each is equipped with a cutting-edge touchscreen Yamatrack GPS system to provide overviews of every hole, along with yardage from the cart to the flagstick. These carts boast plush, cushioned seats and a suspension system to provide a comfortable ride, USB ports to power mobile devices and Bluetooth speakers for the musically inclined to enjoy.
Families can play and ride together as they interact with Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Pluto in Disney character-themed four-seater golf carts.
If woodland walking the course is your preference, state-of-the-art technology is available in the form of Robo-Caddies – a small, robotic golf cart that employs GPS and Bluetooth technology to transport your clubs and all your additional gear safely around Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course. Golfers clip the cart’s small transmitter to their belt, load their golf bag, and focus on their next shot as the autonomous cart follows a few paces behind at a walking speed.
Walt Disney World Golf also features a fleet of SoloRider individual adaptive carts to help facilitate pace of play and keep mobility-impaired golfers in the game.
