Golf membership card is $50 plus tax and is good for a year and a little bit -- it always expires at the end of a month and thus if you purchase, for example, on February 13, 2009, it will be good until February 28, 2010. You can make tee times before getting the card (you can do it on-line at Disney's site or call 407-WDW-GOLF). You don't actually buy the card until you show up at one of the pro shops for your first tee time (and that is when the annual membership begins). You can rent clubs but there is no discount for those, $55 for graphite and $45 for steel shafts.
During summer the discounted price before 10 is $59 per person per round and $39 after 10. That applies to all four courses: Osprey Ridge, Lake Buena Vista, Palm, and Magnolia. The discount is thus highest on the Osprey which is otherwise the most expensive course and lowest on LBV and Palm which are the least expensive otherwise. A member can bring up to 3 guests and all get the discount. The price includes cart. You can make tee times for that time of year up to 90 days in advance (and usually can easily get a time about the time you want by calling 30 days in advance). They have a preference for sending out foursomes so if your party is less than four they usually automatically hook you up with others who reserve at the same time to make a foursome.
Osprey is by far the most impressive course and is always ranked in the top 100 resort courses every year but all are good to play. LBV is the easiest, Palm and Osprey the hardest but none is overly easy or difficult. LBV can be a risk in the summer because it does not drain as well as the others and with summer rains it is usually the first to be put on cart path only for carts.
