Favorite Golf Courses at WDW

[bmalonef45]

Since it is has been 100 + degrees here almost everyday for the past 3-4 weeks my thoughts have been taking me to my first golf trip at WDW in January. Since playing here (On the surface of the sun!) right now is just no fun. My question to any of the golfers out there is which courses would you choose to play if you could only play a couple on your trip. The DVC discount is a great benefit, especially during January so we are hoping to play 2 or 3 times on our 4 day trip.

Thanks in advance!

[withdisneyspirit]

I am not a golfer but hopefully Niki will see this thread soon and answer it! :beaniepro

[Niki]

January is a great time to golf at WDW! The weather is beautiful. Don't knock the blistering heat, though. Tee times are easy to get and the price is really cheap. DH and I have played in August when the temps were 100+. You can always drive the cart around in circles to give you instant AC :idea: One thing I like about Disney's courses is that there are rest stops every few holes with ice, your cart has a cooler, and there is always a guy coming around with cold towels to put on your neck. Personally, I fill them with ice and stuff them down my shirt. AHHHHHH!

DVC membership is always a great discount. Sometime around then, the greens fees go up. I mean WAY up. During the hot time of year, fees are only $35. Fall is $50. Somewhere around January or February, peak season, the fees are $95:scary: Sorry, I don't know when that is. We went the 1st week of January a couple of years ago and it was still $50. Whenever you go, you will still save $$$ as long as you play more than once. I have heard from buddies of mine that the greens fees can be in excess of $120 during peak. Yikes.

As for my favorite courses, I LOVE Osprey Ridge and Eagle Pines.:lovestruc The trees are beautiful. The sand traps are EVIL. (I do better out of the sand than DH, so I like these courses better. LBV has lots of water and narrower fairways. Hit it straight there and a loss of distance won't hurt you. Palm and Magnolia are nice, too. They don't seem to be as well maintained as the others (except when the pros are playing in the classic) and is wet much of the time. Every time I have played Magnolia it has been cart path only. These are by far the most difficult courses, at least for my game. It is also awe-inspiring to think that I am playing a hole the pros play.

Have fun on your trip. It's nice to hear of another mouseowner that uses DVC for a golf vacation at the World.

[bmalonef45]

Thanks for the great reply Niki. I was just talking about the golf trip today. I am going to be making tee times on Tues. of next week. I am continuing the research process but will use your feedback as a guide. The Price jumps like the 21st or close. We just make it at the $50 price. I think we are going to be playing 3 times on our 4day trip so hopefully we can get started right around 10am so we have time for other things. Do you rent clubs or bring your own? We are leaning on bringing our own but was just curious what others do. It is a pain to travel with clubs. Thanks again for the help.

[nono]

Bryan,

Are you using Magical Express? If so, then bringing your clubs is only 1/2 as painful as it normally is! :)

Also, we found that going to the parks in the morning and teeing off after noon was a GREAT way to work it...generally Jan. isn't great pool weather...having golf on the agenda worked well. Just another thought...

Anyway, have a great trip and report back, OK????

[Niki]

I usually play at 10, so I can sleep in and have plenty of time at the parks after (or at the hot tub LOL) as we are usually back in the room by 3. Noon is good, too, though. My experience is that the later you start, the longer it takes to get the round done. Sometimes the courses get backed up. Especially EP. Don't know why. Maybe the traps Hee Hee.

As for clubs, DH and I typically drive and have always brought our own. I'm really wierd, and only like to play with my own. Kinda like a security blanket.

Last year, DVC members got free club rental. Don't know if they still are running that perk. The clubs they offered were King Cobra SS, the same ones I have. They had them in all three flex. I use senior, as I have a faster swing for a girl, so I would have been happy. Some courses only carry men's or women's. Would have missed my Burner 420 driver, though. I think they also have Titelist and Mizuno. Not really sure.

If you bring your own, one great perk is to have your clubs transported for you. When you finish your round, tell the cart guy your tee times. They will clean your clubs and transport them to your next course. When you check in, your clubs are right there waiting for you.

:tinker: :dust Pixie Dust you get the tee times and courses you want.

[bmalonef45]

Just a couple of days until we make our reservations. Thanks for the help. We are thinking of The Magnolia, Lake Buena Vista, and one other. We are going to try to play at 10 am. I think we will bring our clubs. I agree, even though the clubs they rent are better there is a comfort level hitting your own. Just hope I can hit them straight enough while we're there.

Thanks again for all the help everyone!

[nono]

Noon is good, too, though. My experience is that the later you start, the longer it takes to get the round done. Sometimes the courses get backed up. Especially EP. Don't know why. Maybe the traps Hee Hee.


Absolutely our experience too! But, for some reason, we didn't care and no one else seemed to ever be in a hurry either. And, since we'd already "done" some stuff at the parks, we didn't feel the need to press. We used to call it "vacation golf attitude." :cool2:

Also, for me, golf was one thing I loved to do in the heat of the day...so you can imagine how perfect an early afternoon tee time was for me in WDW! :) I can understand how that's not for everyone! Just ask me to do almost anything else in full sun in the summer. LOL

ETA: Oh and regardless of your start time, try to eat at the club at EP/OR...we loved having an early lunch there before heading out.

[Niki]

If golfers aren't in a hurry, I want to golf with you, nono:doublekis The last time we played EP and it was backed up, I almost got my ankle broken.:mad: Everyone was backed up. The guys ahead of us were on the green. We were waiting to make our second shot. The guy behind me, playing from the pro tees, teed off. The guys ahead moved, and I was beginning my backswing. DH suddenly yells, "NIKI WATCH OUT" I stopped, looked backwards and saw a ball land about 10 feet behind me and had to move IMMEDIATELY. If I had not, the ball would have hit me in the ankle. This was a line drive that went past me about another 20 + feet! I was really scared, then really @#%$@!%#ed off. When we got to the next tee, it was so backed up that Driver @$$hole drove up to us. I gave him a piece of my mind, :drillserg at which point he apologized (then made a comment about women golfers. Ha, didn't think I could hear. DH pulled me away and I kept my mouth shut.

I know this is a really bad story, and my ONLY bad golf experience at WDW. I just wish everyone could be as nice and sweet as you and not try to hurry. So, thanks from me and, I'm sure, other duffers out there, for being a patient person.:lovestruc

[bmalonef45]

Just got my tee times booked for our trip. Had to change the order we are playing the courses but got all of them when I wanted them time wise. 1/15 - Magnolia (nothing like starting with hardest one first). 1/16 - LBV, and 1/17 - Osprey Ridge.

Called in to get them and it couldn't have been easier. Thanks to everyone for the input and I will report back after I return with all the fun details of our trip.