Special Places - Walt Disneyworld Orlando - Palm and Magnolia courses

Course Review - Walt Disneyworld Orlando - Palm and Magnolia courses

The PGA Tour regular season comes to an end with the Children's Miracle Network Classic at Walt Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida, when the money title will be decided and also the top 125 who will receive full playing privileges. The event is played in pro-am format over the first two days on the Magnolia and Palm courses which both opened for play when Disneyworld started in 1971, with the business end of the tournament reserved for the Magnolia Golf Course on the weekend.

The Palm Course is a short par 72 at only 6350m but is loaded with many challenges. The fairways are tight and heavily wooded, and water is in play on nine holes. The first is a moderate par 5 of 460 metres that can kick start a solid round if the trouble on the left can be avoided off the tee. The tree-lined finishing hole is a deceptively difficult 420m par 4 that has ranked in the past in the top 5 most difficult holes on the Tour, and walking off the well-bunkered green without dropping a shot is a cause for celebration. Justin Rose holds the course record with a 60 in the first round in 2006.

The Magnolia Course is the longest of Disneyworld's four golf courses, and like the Palm Course was designed by Joe Lee. There is a feeling of spaciousness and tranquillity on this beautifully manicured layout that is named for the abundance of fragrant magnolias dotting the landscape. This 6800m par 72 course with wide and inviting fairways suits the eye of the big hitters, but with almost 100 bunkers, water in play on 11 holes, and large undulating Bermudagrass greens that can accommodate devilish pin placements, respect is called for. Snaking through 70 hectares of Florida wetlands with the obligatory alligators on view, the design can yield a hatful of birdies as was the case in 1990 when the late great Payne Stewart carded a course record 61. Fast forward 24 hours to the final afternoon with prevailing Florida winds and the pins tucked away, Stewart limped home with a humbling 76.

With the Mickey Mouse-shaped Mouse Trap bunker fronting the par 3 6th hole and the towering spires of Sleeping Beauty's castle as a backdrop, the stage is set for a fairy-tale ending on Sunday afternoon.

Golfweather Editorial