Anyone know where I can get info on the 18-hole courses at WDW? I tried a search but not much came up. My husband is going to play 2 times when we stay during our upcoming trip next week. We will be at YC for 5 nights and GF for 4 nights. The course near shades of Green (Magnolia) will be closed. Is bringing his own clubs on the plane a PIA? Any other recommendations? Will it be hot when he is playing?
Check out golfwdw.com or wdwgolf.com (they both point to the same site). It's the official WDW golf webpage. You can book tee times online.
Golf operations are no longer handled by Disney directly. Arnold Palmer Golf Management handles the Palm, Magnolia, and Oak Trail courses.
Yes, bringing your own clubs on a plane is a PITA. You'll have to pack your golf bag in a soft or hard case, and although airlines won't charge you extra for oversized luggage, they still treat it like a piece of checked luggage so it will count towards your allowance (and you'll have to pay the checked bag fee). There's certainly a risk of damage, and then you'll also have to deal with transporting the clubs to your hotel/resort. That said, I always bring my own clubs when going to WDW and haven't had a problem checking them in.
Your other options include:
- Renting clubs. Disney courses actually rent some pretty decent equipment (Taylormade brand). If your husband is only going to play twice then he might consider renting. The obvious disadvantage is that they're not your clubs, so if you're used to playing with a customized set of clubs, you may not play as well. Rates are currently $40 for 18 holes or $25 for 9 holes for people staying on Disney property. Your husband could also consider renting from a third party like clubhub.com or orlandogolfclubrentalstogo.com.
- Golf club delivery service like Ship Sticks, which will pick up your clubs from your home and deliver them wherever you want. Pricing depends on distance and desired speed of delivery. I think Ship Sticks pricing starts at $39 each way.
Since you're staying on property, any of the courses will be happy to store your clubs for you and have them delivered to any other course on property at no charge. Also, the valet at your resort will store clubs for you.
As mentioned above, you also get free transportation from your resort to the course and back. Just go to the front desk, tell them you have a tee time, and they'll call a taxi for you and give you a voucher to give to the driver - the voucher not only pays for the taxi ride, but also includes a tip for the driver.
