DVC and Golf

[ebenmax]

My DH is planning to purchase the DVC Golf Membership on our next trip (a school conference at WDW ), and wants to take our principal who is an avid golfer. So,he needs some advice on the courses. Can you play nine holes at any of them or just Oak Trails? Which one is the toughest? Most picturesque? Most impressive? On the PGA? Any personal recommendations or preferences?

Any advice would be much appreciated from all you golfers!!

TIA

PS - What is the approx. price of a cart?

 

[ChelleinNC]

My DH is planning to purchase the DVC Golf Membership on our next trip (a school conference at WDW ), and wants to take our principal who is an avid golfer. So,he needs some advice on the courses. Can you play nine holes at any of them or just Oak Trails? Which one is the toughest? Most picturesque? Most impressive? On the PGA? Any personal recommendations or preferences?

Any advice would be much appreciated from all you golfers!!

TIA

PS - What is the approx. price of a cart?

DVC Golf Membership is fantastic! It paid for itself our first time playing and we've used it multiple times since.

You could most likely play 9 holes, but the rates are all published at 18 holes. Oak Trail is a walking course, it's nice, but not at the same level as the others.

Toughest: I've heard Osprey Ridge is, but that's the only course I haven't played yet.

Most picturesque: DH & I both say Magnolia, LBV 2nd

PGA plays on the Magnolia, used to play on the Palm & LBV as well years ago.

Carts are included in the price

 

[bmalonef45]

I agree the DVC golf membership is great. We used it twice last year for 6 total rounds for 3 players and saved a bundle. You have to wait until after 10:00 but we played in January and Dec. so heat wasn't a problem. The great thing about the membership is that its good for a year so if you can use it on more than one trip.

I'm sure you can play 9 holes on any of the courses but I think you pay the same. I've played all the 18 hole courses and my favorite is LBV. OR was hard but very nice. The Mag. was a lot of fun and my favorite over the Palm for the two the PGA plays but when we played the Palm it was cart path only so I'd like to give it another shot.

 

[drusba]

There is no nine hole rate that I am aware of for the four 18 hole courses. There is a twilight rate, after 2 p.m. this time of year, which is usually close to half the regular rate and you can play less than 18. Also, Osprey would be difficult to play just nine. Unlike the others, you don't come back to the clubhouse area with the ninth hole. Instead, you go away from the clubhouse for the first none holes and return to it with back nine, meaning if you finish the ninth hole, you will be as far away from the clubhouse as you can possibly be on the course.

The best course by far, with the most memorable and picturesque holes and two of the best finishing holes you will ever see, is Osprey Ridge. If you can play only one course there, it's the one. As far as difficulty, the Palm and Osprey are the most difficult of the group although none is overly difficult or overly easy. Though it is close, I consider the Palm somewhat more difficult than the Osprey (I am an 8 handicap) because the Osprey allows a lot more forgiveness for the tee shot and has larger greens. The Palm has the narrowest fairways and most water hazards, the Magnolia is the longest course but has the widest fairways (it also has the par 3 sixth hole that has the Mickey ear shaped trap that you see in ads for Disney golf), Lake Buena Vista is the easiest of the group and meanders through part of OKW and SSR. All are nice courses that will not disappoint.

The PGA tour event was played on the Palm and Magnolia until last year (but only the Magnolia on Sat and Sun); now it is just the Magnolia (they can't get tour approval for use of the Osprey because there are significant distances to travel between some of the holes and thus a cart is essentially a necessity).

 

[DisFlan]

The Golf Card makes playing cheap enough that if you only want nine holes, go ahead and try it. If you're comfortable doing only nine holes, tell the folks at the clubhouse that's what you want to do. The worst they can say is no, or more likely that you have to pay for all 18 holes even if you play just nine. It's probably not the first time they've been asked this question.

My husband is a golf nut so we have the Golf Card, too. It's definitely worth it if you play a couple of rounds or more on a trip. Our card has turned out to be a real money saver.

DisFlan

 

[Simba's Mom]

DH is also a golf nut-to him, WDW is a golf resort that has theme parks to keep the non-golfers entertained while the "real" visitors golf! This website-
www.wdwgolf.com
has lots of good information. Dh hasn't met a golf course at WDW that he doesn't like. And all the people who work there (the ones he's met anyways) are friendly and knowledgeable. Although he hasn't played Oak Trail in many years, his experience there makes us big on that course. He's a 1 handicap, it was DS's first attempt ever at golf. The course was easy enough for DS to enjoy, not too frustrating, yet it was difficult for DH to enjoy, not overly easy. Any course that can entertain two extremes in golf ability gets our vote as a pretty good course.

 

[DisFlan]

DH is also a golf nut-to him, WDW is a golf resort that has theme parks to keep the non-golfers entertained while the "real" visitors golf!

Yes! It's nice to know there's another Disney golf widow out there. We schedule ADRs around tee times, not park visits.

DisFlan

 

[deej696]

I've played all the courses many many times, and they are all great. Osprey Ridge, as others have said, is the most picturesque and the hardest. If the principal is a golf nut, tell him its a Tom Fazio design and he should know what that means The Mag and Palm play host to the PGA tournament each year, and are also both great courses. I enjoy them all, because from all 3 you can hear the whistle for the train at MK in the background Not sure if Osprey is closed with the Four Seasons development, but if its open I would try there first. LBV, while still a great course, is the easiest of the 3, and the least unique in my opinion.

 

[PADisFam2]

You are asking many of the same questions that I to needed to answer when we made our first trip to Disney in Aug. 07. One of the things that I used to learn a little about the courses was the Disney web site. It shows all the rates for all five Disney courses and there is also a virtual tour with yardages and tips for each hole. I ended up playing the Palm course. It was not my first choice, but I was not disappointed. The Palm course is narrow and a has more water and sand than Daytona Beach. No matter what course you choose, you can't go wrong.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Yes! It's nice to know there's another Disney golf widow out there. We schedule ADRs around tee times, not park visits.

DisFlan

LOL, that's exactly what we do too! We ate at Kona because that's the day DH was at Palm in the morning, so it was a convenient lunch "rendevous" spot.

 

[MarkyMouse]

Love golfing at WDW. I have played all the courses except Osprey Ridge. Although, it is not the most difficult I enjoy LBV the most. It has an island green right next to OKW, which is our favorite resort. You can't go wrong with any of them, really.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Yes, for any golfers/DVC owners, I really recommend staying at OKW and planning for someone to be a the villa when the family golfers go by. Most years, I've been able to take a picture when DH comes by. I think I know that island green, but unfortunately the year we stayed near there, I was out doing the parks that day.