Inside the courses: Disney's Magnolia and Palm

text size

Serota/Getty Images

A secnic view of the 10th hole on the Palm Golf Course at Walt Disney World Golf Resort.

Nov. 10, 2010

The PGA TOUR will play the Children's Miracle Network Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., at Walt Disney World Golf Resort. Learn more about the courses:

Fast facts: Magnolia Course

Original architect	Joe Lee (1971)
Course superintendent	Scott Welder
Number of PGA TOUR events as host venue	32 (including 2010)
Par value	72
Yardage history	7,516 yards (2005-present)
	7,200 (2002-2004)
	7,201 (2001)
	7,243 (2000)
	7,190 (1979-1999)
Grass	Bermudagrass (tees, fairways, greens, rough)
Tournament Stimpmeter	11 ft
Sand bunkers	107
Water hazards	15
Course tour	Click here

Course record

Player
Payne Stewart

Year
1990

Round
3rd

Finish
T21

Holes-in-one

There have been 16 aces recorded on the Magnolia Course

Player	Hole	Year
Vaughn Taylor	3	2004
Duffy Waldorf	6	2003
Paul Claxton	3	2002
Rich Beem	3	2002
Davis Love III	12	2002
Danny Ellis	15	2001
Glen Hnatiuk	15	2000
Mark Brooks	6	1999
Sean Murphy	12	1999
Jimmy Green	3	1997
Nolan Henke	15	1996
John Adams	3	1994
Buddy Gardner	6	1994
Jay Overton	6	1992
Jim McGovern	3	1992
Lyn Lott	3	1983

Fast facts: Palm Course

Original architect	Joe Lee (1971)
Course superintendent	Scott Welder
Number of PGA TOUR events as host venue	32 (including 2010)
Par value	72
Yardage history	7,010 yards (2007-present)
	7,015 (2004-2006)
	6,957 (2002-2003)
	7,193 (2000-2001)
	6,967 (1998-1999)
	6,957 (1996-1997)
	6,941 (1972-1995)
Grass	Bermudagrass (tees, fairways, greens, rough)
Tournament Stimpmeter	11 ft
Sand bunkers	95
Water hazards	10
Course tour	Click here

Course record

Player
Justin Rose

Year
2006

Round
1st

Finish
4th

Holes-in-one

There have been two aces recorded on the Palm Course

Player	Hole	Year
Tim Clark	No. 3	2004
Larry Rinker	No. 12	1999

Course origins

Scott Welder is the first, and only, golf course superintendent at Walt Disney World Golf Resort, having begun his career at the course in 1971 when the facility was built.

The first and second rounds will be played on both the Palm and Magnolia courses. The third and fourth rounds will be played solely on the Magnolia course. Named after the more than 1,500 magnolia trees that surround it, the Magnolia course was designed for big hitters and has all the earmarks of a golfer's paradise. Elevated tees and greens, rolling terrain and water on 10 of the 18 holes. The par-3 sixth hole pays tribute to Mickey Mouse with a bunker shaped to form his silhouette.

The Walt Disney Golf Resort complex was named by GOLF Magazine to its 1998 list of "Silver Medal Resorts." This course has elevated tees and greens, and was built on rolling terrain. The Palm Course was ranked 61st by Golf Digest on its 1992 list of "Top 75 Resort Courses" in the U.S. Locals consider it to be the toughest of Joe Lee's Disney course. -- Source: Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

Tournament course history

Course	Location	Years
Walt Disney World Resort (Magnolia)	Lake Buena Vista, Fla.	1971-present
Walt Disney World Resort (Palm)	Lake Buena Vista, Fla.	1972-present
Walt Disney World Resort (Lake Buena Vista)	Lake Buena Vista, Fla.	1985-1993, 1995-1997
Walt Disney World Resort (Eagle Pines)	Lake Buena Vista, Fla.	1994

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-4, 485-yard 17th at Magnolia Golf Club
LAST YEAR: The 17th played to a stroke average of 4.149, with players recording 1 eagles, 29 birdies, 184 pars, 39 bogeys and 16 double bogeys.
DESCRIPTION: "The most dangerous hole on the course: Tee shot over water, then a long mid-iron to a well-protected narrow green. Give me a 4 here and I'll run to 18!" -- Lanny Wadkins (Click here for Magnolia tour)