Learning Golf at Disney using DVC Perks

[crisi]

If you're paired with others who are better golfers, they're not always upset. DH is a pretty good golfer (scratch or 1 handicap usually). However, at WDW he's often paired with beginners/experienced golfers alike. Generally everyone's got the same attitude-"We're at WDW, let's have fun!" That being said, please do yourself a favor and take the advice of other posters here-try an executive par 3, maybe Oak Trail (DS's first ever try at golf was there), go to a driving range. It's hard to relax around strangers when you're beginning. Then you'll enjoy the Disney courses more after you've done all those things at home.

If your husband is behind slow golfers (instead of playing with them and forming a relationship with them) and doesn't come home griping about the slow golfers in front of him - he's a saint. I'm not a great golfer, but I don't mind playing with people worse than I am, and have found that most people are gracious paired with me. But I also know that post golf griping is about three things - how bad your own game was, how slow the idiots in front of you were, and how the jerks behind you kept hitting into you (a sign you were too slow, btw). And sometimes how the girl in the beer cart wasn't cute at all

 

[nickspace]

If you had a gap between you and the group ahead of you, you were not playing at a fine pace. You should have let the next group play through. You might want to brush up on golf etiquette.

If you were slowing up play, you were in the wrong. The other golfer was just trying to get you to either speed up or let them play through.



You sound like an entitled DVC member to me.

I guess you had to be there to understand.

 

[JimMIA]

I stood up to a golf snob at Hilton Head and he quickly changed his tune. He told us we were slowing down the course and wanted us to speed up our game. I told him that we were playing at a fine pace and for the amount of money i was paying we were not going to rush our game.

I've personally seen guests who paid very high greens fees escorted off the property for behavior like this at Doral. I've also seen groups like yours hit over, or into -- not for playing slowly, but for refusing to let others play through.

One time I was on an adjacent fairway, next to a long par 5, and a group on the par 5 hit iron shots into a slow group scattered across the fairway piddling around with their next shots. We saw those guys later at the clubhouse and they were laughing about hitting 7-iron specifically so their balls would land among the other golfers.

Telling new golfers to ignore rules and courtesy and get into some childish macho contest with other golfers is bad advice, IMHO.

 

[Simba's Mom]

If your husband is behind slow golfers (instead of playing with them and forming a relationship with them) and doesn't come home griping about the slow golfers in front of him - he's a saint. I'm not a great golfer, but I don't mind playing with people worse than I am, and have found that most people are gracious paired with me. But I also know that post golf griping is about three things - how bad your own game was, how slow the idiots in front of you were, and how the jerks behind you kept hitting into you (a sign you were too slow, btw). And sometimes how the girl in the beer cart wasn't cute at all

Except for that last complaint about the "girl" in the beer cart (who's usually a retiree), he doesn't really complain much about the golfers at WDW. And the complaint about the girl in the beer cart is mostly jealousy-he wants that job. He's not a saint at the courses at home-he does his share of post golf complaining (actually more than his share). But at WDW, I guess he knows better than to complain-after all, he's getting to play golf at WDW!!

 

[JimMIA]

But I also know that post golf griping is about three things - how bad your own game was, how slow the idiots in front of you were, and how the jerks behind you kept hitting into you (a sign you were too slow, btw)

Yep. And usually, to get hit into, you have to be both slow and oblivious. Nobody really minds slow courteous golfers. It's the ones who are self-absorbed and oblivious that get targeted.

And sometimes how the girl in the beer cart wasn't cute at all

More often than that, the complaint is the girl in the beer cart was nowhere to be found for 18 holes! (Why do they always show up on the 9th and 18th fairways? )

 

[JimMIA]

Except for that last complaint about the "girl" in the beer cart (who's usually a retiree), he doesn't really complain much about the golfers at WDW. And the complaint about the girl in the beer cart is mostly jealousy-he wants that job. He's not a saint at the courses at home-he does his share of post golf complaining (actually more than his share). But at WDW, I guess he knows better than to complain-after all, he's getting to play golf at WDW!!

Another reason why you probably hear fewer complaints at WDW is that, from what I've seen, the courses are not really that busy. I don't really see big backups at WDW, although I rarely play there.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I've personally seen guests who paid very high greens fees escorted off the property for behavior like this at Doral. I've also seen groups like yours hit over, or into -- not for playing slowly, but for refusing to let others play through.

One time I was on an adjacent fairway, next to a long par 5, and a group on the par 5 hit iron shots into a slow group scattered across the fairway piddling around with their next shots. We saw those guys later at the clubhouse and they were laughing about hitting 7-iron specifically so their balls would land among the other golfers.

Telling new golfers to ignore rules and courtesy and get into some childish macho contest with other golfers is bad advice, IMHO.

Yes, that can happen but it's hard to tell unless a person is there or the full situation has been explained. I've golfed since I was 10 yo. Played High School and College and my course would place me with anyone. And I've experience my share of expert golfers who hit into our groups through out the years - never recognizing why a group might be slowed down. That's why I mention etiquette for everyone - and there are many skilled golfers who have none. Shots should never be hit into a group no matter what. And you can get escorted off a course for doing that as well. The appropriate thing is to ask a group to speed up or to ask to play thru. The appropriate responses are to either speed up or allow the group to play thru. Or sometimes you just need to point out that the whole course is backed up and nobody is going anywhere.

Patience goes a long way in golf.

Now golf at Disney - it's a resort course and there will be a mix of all types and to suggest that beginners cannot play is putting too high of entitlement on people who have golfed for years.

I've worked at a resort golf course and believe me - the expert players do not always have the employees jumping for joy. In fact I'd say that percentage wise most would take beginners who are courteous over the other type. Experienced, courteous players are a joy. Courteous is the key - not the skill level.

 

[crisi]

Yep, its the courtesy. But part of the courtesy of golf is choosing courses to your skill level. Palm, Magnolia and LBV are not beginner courses. Oak Trail is.

In fact, golf is probably more about courtesy than it is about club selection or swing. And about a nice walk on a lovely day. But some of the courtesy are things picked up over time, not during a two hour clinic - like picking up your ball if you are playing slow. Or letting the next group play through. Or not stepping on someone elses putting line. There are a bunch of things you just don't know are poor form, unless someone instructs you not on the "rules" of golf, but how to play golf politely. And because golf can be such a game of politeness - you'll often find that people can be quite gracious when you are doing things that you later discover are appalling.

We have a dear friend we adore - but don't golf with. After several years he still hasn't figured out "don't talk during someone else's backswing."

 

[JimMIA]

And I've experience my share of expert golfers who hit into our groups through out the years - never recognizing why a group might be slowed down. That's why I mention etiquette for everyone - and there are many skilled golfers who have none.

Right, often the slow play has nothing to do with an individual group. One year I was playing in a big charity tournament at Doral. We had all of the courses, big shotgun start thing with over 700 golfers on five courses (which was WAY too many to start with). There were not supposed to be any other golfers on the courses, but some hotel guests raised a fuss and got wedged in between groups. Then they pitched a fit at slow play.

We fixed them, tho. We told our refreshment carts not to give them any more FREE beer or food! Since we had the whole place supposedly to ourselves, there were no Doral beverage carts out. They couldn't even get a bottle of water!

Shots should never be hit into a group no matter what. And you can get escorted off a course for doing that as well. The appropriate thing is to ask a group to speed up or to ask to play thru. The appropriate responses are to either speed up or allow the group to play thru.

Sure...and my response to attitudes like the one mentioned above is to ask, and if they won't move on or let us play through -- we simply go around to the next hole.

And call the pro shop.

 

[tmagg]

A couple of years ago I took a lesson (my first time golfing). It was simply at the driving range, and I was happy with the results, because I started out missing/hitting short, and by the time I was done I had increased my shot by about 5x from when I started. I think it was about $50 for the 1 hour lesson.

 

[pklein09]

As a Father's Day gift, I booked private golf lessons for DH and his brother (Boy's Morning out). Outside of mini-golf, DH had never picked up a golf club in his life. BIL had played golf in high school, but nothing recently. The lesson was $75 per person, and lasted approximately 45-50 minutes. The shoes and clubs were included. DH said they drove out on the range and were shown how to swing a 7-iron. Then they practiced hitting balls. He said he hit 8 good shots in that time frame. After an hour, he was sore from using muscles he didn't know he owned

He said he enjoyed it, but would never have gone out of the couse after a 1 hour lesson. Even BIL wouldn't have gone out, and he had played golf before. We did redeem Amex points to get him a set of clubs (couldn't just buy a 7 iron) so he could hit foam balls around our yard (we're on 2 acres). He said he'd like to continue practicing, go to a driving range, and maybe have more lessons. He just doesn't want to look like an idiot if he ever gets invited out to golf.

BUT, it's not a cheap sport, and as other PPs have said, you need to practice, practice, practice.

ETA: We did not use the DVC perk for the golf lesson. I just booked it according to our schedule.

Back to your original question, I think Disney is a great place to have a lesson. I didn't think the price was outrageous, and the equipment was very nice.