Walt Disney World in Florida has temporarily shuttered its Magnolia Course, located near the Magic Kingdom, for the summer as each green is upgraded and holes 14 through 17 are renovated. The course is expected to reopen later this year.
Arnold Palmer Golf Management, which operates Disney World’s courses, hired One Club Limited and its head golf course designer, Ken Baker, to oversee the work at the course, which was designed by Joe Lee and opened in 1971. The work to the Magnolia follows extensive changes to Disney’s Palm Golf Course in 2013, Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course in 2014 and 2018, and Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course in 2018.
In a media release announcing the renovation, Disney unveiled the following changes:
- Hole 14: Currently a par 5, will become a par 4 with a new green location
- Hole 15: Currently a par 3, will shift location and become a long par 5 with a dogleg to the right
- Hole 16: Will shift location and remain a par 4 but will now have a dogleg to the left
- Hole 17: Currently a par 4, will become a par 3 with new tee box locations
“We were fortunate to have some existing property area available for the redesign of these golf holes,” Baker said. “It has allowed us to create a more dynamic collection of golf shots that also blends seamlessly with the surrounding natural environment. …
“From the first day we began reimagining these golf holes, we took great care in preserving the scenic beauty, challenge and thrill players have enjoyed as they’ve walked the fairways of Disney’s Magnolia. Joe Lee created much of the existing design dynamic of this course with ‘push-up’ golf feature areas. The existing tees, greens and bunkers typically rise above the surrounding terrain and create a classic look and feel to the course. The routing adjustments made to holes 14 through 17 have allowed us to maintain this classic appearance while also incorporating subtle design features that will create some new and exciting challenges for future guests.”
Baker also said a new sandy waste area will be added between Nos. 15 and 16, and similar features will be added at other areas of the course. A new bridge through a forest will be constructed to connect Nos. 16 and 17, several bunkers throughout the course will be renovated and new tees will be added on several holes.
The Magnolia was last updated in 2015, when its bunkers and cart paths were renovated.
“We’ve assembled an incredible team that is devoted to creating the best possible experience for our guests from around the globe who travel here for a championship-caliber golf vacation,” Bruce Gerlander, general manager of Arnold Palmer Golf Management, said in the media release. “For more than four decades, Disney’s Magnolia served as a favorite stop on the PGA Tour, and we have been methodically planning for this massive project for years.”
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