Deciding which Walt Disney World golf course is the best is a lot like picking your favorite park - the real answer depends on what you're looking for. Instead of one definitive winner, the best course for you is the one that fits your skill level, your budget, and the specific kind of golf experience you want to have. This guide will walk you through each of the four Disney courses, breaking them down from a coach's perspective to help you find your perfect match on the Happiest Place on Turf.
Before we break them down individually, it's good to know what all the Disney golf courses have in common. Operated by Arnold Palmer Golf Management, you can count on outstanding service and championship-level course conditions no matter where you tee it up. These tracks are pristine. They are also all certified as Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries, meaning you'll be playing through beautiful, natural Florida habitats filled with local wildlife.
The "best" choice really comes down to the style of challenge you prefer. Are you a power hitter who loves bombing driver, a strategic player who enjoys picking a course apart, or someone just looking for a beautiful and relaxing round? Let's find your fit.
The Palm course is a classic Florida golf experience that was masterfully redesigned by the Arnold Palmer Design Company in 2013. Picture yourself winding through a landscape of majestic palm trees, tropical sand, and water that comes into play on nine of the eighteen holes. The modern design features strategically shifted bunkers and beautifully renovated green complexes, making it both gorgeous and challenging.
This isn't a mindless, bomb-and-gouge course. The Palm rewards shot-making and careful planning. You’ll be forced to make decisions on almost every tee box and approach shot. It's a layout that makes you think, with doglegs and hazards that require you to pick a specific target and execute a specific shot.
The Palm is ideal for the mid-to-low handicap player who enjoys a mental challenge as much as a physical one. If you get satisfaction from plotting your way around a course, thinking two moves ahead like a game of chess, this is your course. It's a place where a smart 220-yard drive into the correct part of the fairway is often much better than a 280-yard drive that finds trouble.
Golfers who are looking for a true "signature" experience will love it here. The redesigned 18th hole is a fantastic finisher, a par-4 where water guards the entire right side and front of the green, demanding one final, committed swing to end your round.
The most important tool for you to bring to the Palm isn't your driver, it's your course management. Before you pull a club, stand on the tee and build a plan for the hole. Where is the absolute "no-go" area? What's the best angle to approach the green from? Hitting to a specific yardage in the fairway is very important here. For example, leaving yourself a full 9-iron is almost always better than a tricky half-wedge from a poor angle. Think your way around this one and you’ll be rewarded.
If you have any memory of watching the PGA Tour play at Disney World, you were watching them a play the Magnolia. This is a classic tour-style course, and it has the pedigree to prove it. A host to the likes of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Payne Stewart, and Arnold Palmer, "The Mag" is a sweeping, parkland-style layout known for its elevated tees, wide, rolling fairways, and, of course, the 1,500 magnificent magnolia trees that line it.
At over 7,500 yards from the tips, it's the longest and arguably the toughest of the Disney courses. You'll have plenty of opportunities to hit the driver, and you’ll need the distance to reach some of its immense par-5s. Don't forget to take a picture at the iconic Mickey Mouse-shaped bunker guarding the green on the par-3 6th hole.
The Magnolia course is built for the golfer who loves the feeling of pulling driver from the bag and hitting a powerful, high drive down a generous fairway. If length is a strength in your game, you will feel right at home here. It’s also the perfect choice for lower-handicap players who want to test their skills against a layout that has challenged the world’s best.
Anyone who thrives on golf history and wants to walk a course with serious tournament prestige will find a round on the Magnolia to be a special experience. You're literally following in the footsteps of legends.
Don't be fooled by the wide fairways. The real teeth of the Magnolia are in its green complexes. The greens are huge, undulating, and protected by deep, tour-style bunkering. Your work is not done once you find the fairway. Distance control on your approach shots is everything. Hitting the wrong tier on a Magnolia green can easily lead to a three-putt. Focus on finding the correct portion of the green to leave yourself an uphill putt.
If the Palm is a strategic puzzle and the Magnolia is a tour test, Lake Buena Vista is a beautiful, classic country-club round. Winding through the idyllic Saratoga Springs and Old Key West resorts, this course offers a different feel. It's less isolated and more embedded into the resort scenery, with fairways flanked by canals, stands of whispering pines, and pastel-colored villas.
It’s a bit tighter and shorter than its neighbors, the Palm and Magnolia, a a true parkland classic. Its defining feature is a demanding island green on the par-3 7th hole that will test your nerves. The course has hosted PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, and USGA events, so while it's scenic, it has more than enough backbone to challenge you.
Lake Buena Vista is an excellent choice for a wider range of players. Its beauty and design make it accessible and enjoyable for mid-to-high handicappers, while its tight lines and tricky greens offer plenty of challenges for better players. If getting a great score isn’t as important to you as enjoying a beautiful, relaxing, and fun round of golf, this is the one for you.
It's also extrememly convenient for guests of Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, or even those coming from Disney Springs. It's a great "all-arounder" that provides a memorable Disney golf experience.
This is a second-shot golf course. Because it's tighter off the tee and has more defined doglegs, accuracy from the fairway is extremely important. You don’t need to be long here, but you do need to be precise with your irons. Players with a reliable draw or fade will enjoy being able to work the ball to find the best angles into the greens. Putting a premium on your a short game sharp will pay dividends and you can score really well here.
Oak Trail offers a completely different, and wonderful, golf experience. This is a 9-hole, par-36 walking-only course that's perfect for a pure and simple outing. No carts, no pressure, just you, your clubs, and a beautifully maintained course that rolls through a natural and serene landscape. Its smaller scale makes it feel intimate and relaxed.
It's also designed to be family-friendly, FootGolf (a hybrid of soccer and and golf) is available every afternoons which makes it a phenomenal option for a group with varied interests. And with junior tees on every hole, it's designed to be approachable so kids can easily enjoy playing without much of a struggle.
Oak Trail is the unquestioned best choice for beginners, juniors, and families. If you’re introducing someone to the game, this is the perfect venue. The shorter yardages and lack of forced carries make it fun and confidence-building. It’s also great for experienced golfers who want to sharpen their iron play or short game, or just want walking exercise a more relaxed nine-hole round. it’s also the most budget-friendly option, making it an incredible value.
Leave the scorecard in your bag. The best way to use your time at Oak Trail is to focus on fundamentals. For every shot, take a moment to double-check your grip and your alignment. Work on a smooth tempo. Since it’s a walking course, this slower pace is perfect for ingraining good habits without the pressure of a championship layout pushing you from behind. Concentrate on a great a shot, not on making a par.
Ultimately, your "best" course is a personal choice. Here’s a quick summary to make your decision easier:
From the tour-ready Magnolia to the charming Oak Trail, there is truly a course for every golfer at Walt Disney World. The right choice is simply about aligning the course’s personality with your own game and the experience you’re hoping to find. There are honestly no bad choices.
Playing a new or challenging resort course can sometimes feel a bit daunting, and making the right decision on the tee box can make 'all the difference in the world'. We provide Caddie AI to act like an expert right right on the course along side you so you that when you have that long par 5 on the Magnolia or you are deciding what the smart layup is on the Palm you can can just ask. Take a picture of an ugly lie, ask for a club recommendation…now you’re playing wit confidence, knowing you have a plan so all you need to so is commit ot the perfect golf gswing so 'youcan enjoy every single momen
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
