Golf @ Oak Trail

[fletch1027]

Going down with my 14 yr. old son in March. We are staying at an AKL studio and are going on a Spring Training tour and playing some golf.

Any tips or experiences regarding Oak Trails GC? It looks like the least expensive and geared towards more recreational golfers compared to the other courses. My son and I are definitely more on the recreational side...

 

[dvcbrad]

A group that I went with once played this in the afternoon after having played on of the other Disney courses in the morning. It was a nice little layout, not quite as manicured as the others, challenging without being over-the-top - in a word, enjoyable. Probably would be perfect for a 14 year old if he's not TOTALLY into golf. One nice aspect of it is that it's only nine holes and, if memory serves me correctly, might only be walking - which from my avitar you might tell that I would enjoy!

 

[ChelleinNC]

My son (10) and I have played Oak Trail a couple of times. It is a nice layout, and it is walking only. The first time we played with the whole family in June in the afternoon. It was hot to say the least. When we were in the middle of the 5th hole, the skies opened up. The nearest shelter was at the end of 6 and we all got drenched.

This last trip (December), my son and I played it alone. We had a very enjoyable outing.

The course is nice, with a good layout. While it is only 9 holes, don't think that it is an "executive" course. It is full length. The par 5 #5 is a bear of a hole with a double dog leg (missed my birdie putt on that one this last time).

In December, I would rate the course conditions at about a 7 out of 10. The greens were a little rough around the fringe and the fairways were in "winter" condition, but this is to be expected. By biggest beef with this course is that the tee boxes are mostly "crowned" in the middle to promote drainage. This makes it hard sometimes to find a good level spot to tee off.

As a plus, the scorecard for OT does supply "Junior Par" numbers for different age ranges. This certainly helped make it more enjoyable for DS. As a 10 year old, that par 5 #5 (517 yards from the back, 438 from the reds) is a "Par 8" for age 11 and younger, Par 6 for 12 and over. I have the scorecard right next to me and the course is par 36 for adults, 40 for 12 and over juniors, and 52 for 11 and under.

Considering that with the DVC golf membership, I paid less than $35 for the two of us combined, I think it is a great value and a great way to get out and enjoy weather.

Be sure you look for wildlife. We saw many deer, and even gators (stay out of the water!).

Jon

 

[DISNEY4FUN]

OP. What's the Spring Training tour you mentioned?

 

[fletch1027]

OP. What's the Spring Training tour you mentioned?

It's a homemade spring training tour.

We are going down on a Wednesday and coming back on a Sunday and catching a couple of Braves games @ WWOS, an Indians game in Winter Haven, and an Astros/Tigers game in Kissammee...

 

[fletch1027]

My son (10) and I have played Oak Trail a couple of times. It is a nice layout, and it is walking only. The first time we played with the whole family in June in the afternoon. It was hot to say the least. When we were in the middle of the 5th hole, the skies opened up. The nearest shelter was at the end of 6 and we all got drenched.

This last trip (December), my son and I played it alone. We had a very enjoyable outing.

The course is nice, with a good layout. While it is only 9 holes, don't think that it is an "executive" course. It is full length. The par 5 #5 is a bear of a hole with a double dog leg (missed my birdie putt on that one this last time).

In December, I would rate the course conditions at about a 7 out of 10. The greens were a little rough around the fringe and the fairways were in "winter" condition, but this is to be expected. By biggest beef with this course is that the tee boxes are mostly "crowned" in the middle to promote drainage. This makes it hard sometimes to find a good level spot to tee off.

As a plus, the scorecard for OT does supply "Junior Par" numbers for different age ranges. This certainly helped make it more enjoyable for DS. As a 10 year old, that par 5 #5 (517 yards from the back, 438 from the reds) is a "Par 8" for age 11 and younger, Par 6 for 12 and over. I have the scorecard right next to me and the course is par 36 for adults, 40 for 12 and over juniors, and 52 for 11 and under.

Considering that with the DVC golf membership, I paid less than $35 for the two of us combined, I think it is a great value and a great way to get out and enjoy weather.

Be sure you look for wildlife. We saw many deer, and even gators (stay out of the water!).

Jon

That sounds like a lot of fun, as well as much less expensive than the signature courses. Since we won't be going to any parks, the walking will be good for us. How is that course, crowd wise?

 

[ChelleinNC]

We have not had an issue with crowds on any of the courses yet. Our rounds have always finished in a reasonable amount of time (one exception- got stuck behind a really slow 4-some once).

OT from my experience is less crowded than the main course though.

 

[fletch1027]

We have not had an issue with crowds on any of the courses yet. Our rounds have always finished in a reasonable amount of time (one exception- got stuck behind a really slow 4-some once).

OT from my experience is less crowded than the main course though.

For those that have played it before, what is the usual time start - finish for 9 holes? Just curious if a round will fit inside of a 3 hour window?

 

[gmboy95]

You can definetly play oak trail in under 3 hours.....i love this course as long as the teperature is below 90....we had a great time, and it didn't wipe us out physically for the rest of the day

 

[chickie]

My husband and I played this course a couple of times. It is a nice walking course. We are by no means good golfers, but we loved this course. The holes in the middle of the course, I believe 5,6 and 7, are very difficult for us(well, at least for me). There is a lot of wildlife on this course, so it is fun to look around at all the turkeys, ducks and other animals. This course wasn't crowded either time we played, unlike Buena Vista course, which was very crowded when we played last February.

 

[tgropp]

I have also always wanted to play here and this December, I will have two other people that want to also. Do they rent clubs and if so , how much?

 

[ChelleinNC]

I have also always wanted to play here and this December, I will have two other people that want to also. Do they rent clubs and if so , how much?

This is for Oak Trail:
Golf Club Rentals
Adult Standard Size Steel Shaft (partial set) $15, Junior No charge
(Requires photo ID)

Check the golf info out on the Dis: http://www.wdwinfo.com/recreation/golf_main.htm

You'll find course prices, rental prices and so on

 

[chickie]

When my husband and I played last year, we brought both of our sets of clubs, but only one bag, on the plane.
When we got there, they had extra bags they let us borrow so we would each have a bag. There was no charge for this at either of the courses we played.(I'm left handed and he is right handed, so we couldn't use the same clubs anyway).
Just a helpful hint to make travelling by plane with clubs a little easier.

 

[deej696]

While I play the regular Disney courses often, my fiance is learning the game, so I took her to play Oak Trail a couple months back. It was a nice stroll, and definitely worth the price in comparison to the other courses. The course is not very difficult, but then again I wasnt really playing for the course. Someone mentioned the wildlife, and I agree there are tons of animals on this course. We saw a few groups of turkeys, and many deer. In fact we had a doe walk down an entire hole with us about 15 yards away. She would stop to eat for a second, and then as we walked she came with us. It was really neat. You'll enjoy your day, and have fun at the baseball games!

 

[gmboy95]

While I play the regular Disney courses often, my fiance is learning the game, so I took her to play Oak Trail a couple months back. It was a nice stroll, and definitely worth the price in comparison to the other courses. The course is not very difficult, but then again I wasnt really playing for the course. Someone mentioned the wildlife, and I agree there are tons of animals on this course. We saw a few groups of turkeys, and many deer. In fact we had a doe walk down an entire hole with us about 15 yards away. She would stop to eat for a second, and then as we walked she came with us. It was really neat. You'll enjoy your day, and have fun at the baseball games!

Completely agree, for the price, it is a great bargain. it is not an executive course, and their are some challenging holes

 

[Saratoga Filly]

My BIL and FIL played a round in Feb. They liked the course and said it was challenging. FIL thought it was going to be a "chip/putt" course. You can book an early tee time here as well. Course can be completed under 3 hrs. Disney will provide you with free transportation to the course. Contact Bell services. They call you a taxi and provide a voucher to cover the ride to and back to your resort.