And Golf Too!
Author: Mike D'Auria
We have to give credit to Mr.Walt Disney, whose ability to
manifest his dreams is second to none. Walt, or out of respect,
I should say Mr. Disney, opened Disneyland in Anaheim,
California in the mid-fifties, at just about the time the
Brooklyn Dodgers were leaving their fans in Brooklyn and heading
for Los Angeles, California. His vision was not yet complete
though, he had found a perfect piece of property in Orlando,
Florida where he would initiate the creation of the most Magical
Land on the face of the planet. This was also the place where
another and maybe final portion of his dream would be realized.
In the spring of 1990 I had planned my first golf vacation ever
to Myrtle Beach and it was such a wonderful trip I was soon
ready for another. While I was contemplating my next golf and
vacation destination, slated for the fall or late summer of
1990, my significant other came up with what later turned out to
be an excellent suggestion. How about Disneyworld? I said, "I
have never been to Disneyworld or Disneyland for the that matter
but what about golf?" I was reminded that the Buick Classic,
which I think it was called at the time, was played at
Disneyworld so "Duh", there must be golf courses there, right?
Yes, there were. In fact, Disneyworld was a stop on the PGA Tour
since opening in 1971, if I'm not mistaken. The Magnolia and the
Palm were the two courses that high lighted the tournament.
There is also Lake Buena Vista, a course less known but one that
turned out to be very enjoyable to play. I was convinced that we
should give it a shot, what could we lose?
In September of 1990 we were headed for what turned out to be
one of the best vacations ever. We booked our hotel right on
Disney premises at, "The Disney Inn", a quiet little section of
the resort adjacent the two main golf courses, The Magnolia and
The Palm. A few years later, the Inn was turned over to the U.S.
Government and from my perception, it is now utilized for the
armed services entertainment and supplementary needs. We were
disappointed when we couldn't make our future reservations there
because it was an out of the way place where we could enjoy
peace and quiet. We now frequent the other resorts, especially
Port Orleans, which is centrally located and reasonably priced.
Although not quite as sequestered as The Disney Inn, it provides
a certain amount of privacy, beauty and and just the right touch
of ambiance in the surroundings to be enjoyable as well. In the
process of booking our golf reservations, we were advised that
there were two other newer courses at The "Bonnet Creek" Resort,
not too far from where we were staying. They were named Eagle
Pines and Osprey Ridge, and were designed by two of the premier
architects of the time, Tom Fazio and Pet Dye respectively.
Having kept up with my Golf Digest subscriptions, I was well
versed in the reputation of these two golf architects, and it
dawned on me that I had just recently read about the openings
and rave reviews received when they had first opened a short
while ago. Since we were able to visit Disneyworld for six days,
it allowed us enough time to play a different course every day
and one course twice if we chose to. Luckily, we were able to
reserve tee times at the two new courses at Bonnet Creek. So,
our room, airfares, rental car and tee times were booked as we
waited impatiently for the next few months to go by so we could
venture off to another unforgettable golf vacation.
Unforgettable is just what it turned out to be. Our days there
commenced with awakening in a magnificent suite at the Disney
Inn Resort, which included a view of Snow White and The Seven
Dwarfs carved into the hedges outside our room, enjoying the
sunrise each morning with an overview of a water feature in the
courtyard area outside adjacent our room, which was landscaped
with beautiful and exotic plantlife and fauna, then off to a
cheery musical breakfast fare at The Contemporary Resort where
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy entertained and joined
us for some fun. Last, but certainly not least, the anticipation
of playing golf on any one of five magnificent golf venues, each
one better than the next and then onto the magical park settings
every afternoon and evening completed our day. It was an
incomparable experience? We enjoyed every one of the golf
courses, especially the two new Bonnet Creek courses, Eagle
Pines and Osprey Ridge. After golf, we enjoyed a quick lunch at
the Clubhouse Dining Room, which overlooked the golf course and
then, the fun had just begun, it was off to one of the Magical
Parks that are part of the Disneyworld Resort.
We visited every park, Magic Kingdom, MGM, Animal Kingdom amd
Epcot and like the golf courses, I enjoyed each one more than
the next. I was 38 years old when I first visited Disneyworld
but age did not matter. Whether some of us want to admit it or
not, we are all children at heart, and that is a good thing. It
allows us to enjoy the rides, exhibits, entertainment,
characters, parades, fireworks and the rest without the
inhibition of feeling foolish. The high points of my Park
experiences were the fireworks over Cinderellas Castle and "The
Carousel Of Progress" in Magic Kingdom, where I reminisced of my
pre-teen years and when I first viewed it at the "World's Fair"
in Flushing Meadows, Queens in 1963 -64, "Fantasmic" and the
Sci- Fi restaurant at MGM, The Laser Light Show and Pavillions
Of The World at Epcot, and The Tree Of Life, It's A Bugs Life
3-D show, and "Tarzan" at Animal Kingdom, which was awesome and
a must see if you visit Animal Kingdom during your stay at
Disneyworld. There are so many other wonderful things to see and
do at the parks too numerous to mention. If you are planning a
family vacation, or just a getaway for yourself or for you and
your significant other, make Disneyworld a choice for your next
trip. If golf is on your itinerary, I can attest from my own
experience, "You won't be disappointed". Note: If you stay on
premises, and book your tee times after a certain time, around
10:00 am, you may be able to receive discounted rates on green
fees. There are also twilight rates in the afternoon that are
priced at a reduced rate.
While on vacation at Disneyworld, my daily agenda included
playing golf and then visiting the parks in the afternoon after
golf (between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm),and staying well into the
evening and enjoying the nightly parades, light shows and
fireworks displays. Since this was my first trip there, I did
not want to miss out on any of the Magic that Disneyworld has to
offer. I have tried to make Disneyworld an annual or bi-annual
stop since my first visit and I never tire of the excitement and
Magical experiences that the resort has to offer. Bravo to Mr.
Disney! - He had a wonderful dream that we all can share and
benefit from thanks to his fortitude and determination to make
that dream come true! Happy Golfing and Vacationing To All!
Visit http://guideforbeginninggolfer
golf tips and info
About The Author: My name is Mike and I grew up in Brooklyn,
NY. I now live in Sayreville, NJ and play golf as often as
possible. It's a great game and I hope you learn to enjoy it as
much as I do. Happy Golfing To All !
