Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course Review

This is a hard course for me to review. There is a lot to consider when going to a golf course and rating it. And of course I was super excited to be playing golf at a Disney course.  

There are high expectations that come with anything Disney.  

They have been in the business of providing quality fun for decades.  And when it comes to golf I expected nothing less.

When we first arrived at Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course everything was perfect.  There was a bag drop with someone to take our bags, put them on a cart and pull the cart to the backside of the clubhouse. That made it very easy to pay for golf and get the cart to the first tee or the driving range. 

Then at the clubhouse everything was well organized, well stocked and easy to proceed to the payment counter.  The clubhouse had everything you needed to play golf and….of course it was mostly Disney-fied. 

Everyone that you came in contact with – from the very first person to the last – was helpful, kind, and wanted to do what they could to make sure you had a great day.

Kathy and I were excited to play!

We decided to split a small bucket of balls to get a little warmed up.  When we got to the driving range, it was crowded – more because it was small rather than there being a lot of people using the range.  We had to take turns hitting a few balls each at one spot. Not a problem.  We just wanted to hit 15 or 20 balls each, so it was’t an issue.  We just thought it was strange.

Then we made our way to the first tee.  The starter was great.  He gave us some tips, told us the course rules and let us start a few minutes early because the group before us didn’t show. 

I was going to play the blues (7073 yards). But our playing partner, J.C., wanted to play the whites (6558 yards).  I do like to play from wherever the other person wants to play from so we can tee off together.  It helps the pace of play.

The first thing we noticed was that the fairways were a bit brown and anything not fairway was brown for sure.  The grass was all there and in Florida there are times of the year that the grass is brown and healthy.  But all the other courses we drove past to get here were green. 

Then there were the bunkers.  

Kathy had a bad bounce from a good hit (I hate that), and it went right in the center of a bunker.  When she hit the ball, she immediately said that the sand was hard and shallow.  I started to take note of the bunkers to see if it was a trend.  Of course, before I finished my round I put one in the bunker too.  

She was right – the bunkers were hard and shallow.  

They didn’t have good golf sand.  It was grey Florida ground sand.  When it gets wet, it is like cement.  On top of that, it was shallow. Very shallow.  Getting the club under the ball meant you were bouncing off the hard sand.  Not good for any course….Especially a Disney course.

As we stepped on the greens the grass was very green.  Almost too perfect.  From the very first one I noticed that they were very bumpy.  Not just around the hole because people are not careful when getting their ball.  It was all over the greens.  As I played I noticed that it was on every hole.  Then when I repaired my divots, the grass just fell apart.  

I realized that the greens were painted.  That is why they were so perfectly green. 

It was not all bad.  The course layout is a good one.  Of course Disney wants everyone to have a good time.  So Magnolia has a little of everything – water, sand, trees, and of course layout that requires some planning on some of the holes.  There are chances to loose a ball or two as well.  But with good course management you can avoid loosing your ball.  And to be honest, you can work your way around the course without getting into any trouble – if you are careful.  The only thing that you are almost sure of is having to play are the bunkers.  There is sand around every green and in some cases – a lot of sand!

We had a great day.  Of course we did – we played golf at Disney! 

Here is the hard part of the review.  Would I play this course again?  Short answer – No. There are enough courses in this area that are in better condition for the same price. And….if price isn’t an issue, there are some really nice courses in the area.  If you are in the area and want to play golf, look around.  There are several courses and I would give one of the others a try.

Of course if you want to play a Disney course, do it.  You will have a good time.  They just don’t have the finishing touches on the course that you may expect.

For me – this is a bogey course.

It could easily be a birdie course with some TLC on the grounds.  If they did that, Magnolia would be one of the better courses in the area.  But, right now, this is not a track that I want to come back to.

Fairways and Greens Everyone! – We are 18 Holes and Counting!

Written by Marc Festa

Course: Disney Magnolia Golf Course

Type: Resort Golf Course

Date Played: 21 January 2021

HOLE	PAR	SCORE	COMMENTS
1 – Tee Time Availability	4	4	We made our tee time on line at the Magnolia site. Easy
2 – Cost of Green Fees	4	4	At 30 dollars, you get what you pay for.
3 – Starter/Marshal	3	3	There was a starter. He was informative and got us started a little early.
4 – Condition of Tee Boxes	4	5	The forward tee boxes need attention. The others were ok.
5 – Condition of Fairways	5	6	The fairways are in good shape. A bit brown and the rough was all brown.
6 – Condition of Greens	4	6	The greens were a mess. Bumpy, pitted, painted and not really cared for as well as I am used to seeing.
7 – Length of Course	5	5	Good length and layout. Fun to play. No out of bounds.
8 – Hazards	4	5	Sand was hard and needs to be freshened.
9 – Women Friendly	3	3	There are different tee boxes for the all skill levels. Enough bathrooms on the course.
OUT	36	41
10 – Practice Area	5	5	There is a driving range, practice area and putting green.
11 – Locker Rooms	3	3	Everything is clean.
12 – Pro Shop	4	3	Nice shop. Everything you need to play golf.
13 – Location	4	4	You have to drive a bit on the Disney complex to get to the course.
14 – Rental Equipment	4	4	They have sets available.
15 – Resturant/Food Cart	4	4	They had a Food Cart. We did not eat at any of the restuarants.
16 – Club House	4	3	Fantastic staff.
17 – Parking	3	2	Parking lot right in front of clubhouse.
18 – Customer Service	5	4	Friendly staff that will get you on the course.
IN	36	32
TOTAL	72	73

PLAYER:: Marc F. ATTESTAED BY: Kathy F