Inside the courses: Magnolia GC and Palm GC

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magnolia_scenic.jpg
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The Magnolia Golf Course has hosted the PGA TOUR event for almost 30 years.
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Dec. 17, 2008

The PGA TOUR will play the Children's Miracle Network Classic presented by Wal-Mart at the Magnolia GC and Palm GC. Learn more about these courses:

MAGNOLIA GC

Fast facts
Original architect Joe Lee (1971)
Course superintendent V. Scott Welder
Number of PGA TOUR events as host venue 38 (including 2008)
Course ranking Ranked 40 (out of 55) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2007
Par value 72
Yardage history 7,190 (1971-1999)
  7,243 (2000)
  7,201 (2001)
  7,200 (2002-2004)
  7,516 (2005-present)
Grass Bermudagrass (tees, greens, fairways, 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 at Magnolia GC.
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
2007 Rankings
Most Difficult Hole
The par-4 492-yard fifth
"I play this hole with a cut driver. Downwind, I use a 3-wood. Important to be in fairway, which makes approach shot straight forward to a well-bunkered green." - Ray Floyd
2007: 0 eagles, 26 birdies, 189 pars, 88 bogeys, 6 double bogeys, 0 others
Easiest hole in 2007
The par-5 526-yard 10th
"I've had my share of luck here. Eagle in '83 pushed me to victory. After a good drive, green is very reachable with wood or long iron. Hit it high to hold smaller green." -- the late Payne Stewart
2007: 12 eagles, 154 birdies, 132 pars, 11 bogeys, 0 double bogeys, 0 others
Magnolia GC 2007 rankings Last 24 years
Hole Par Yards Avg. Score Rank Avg. Score Rank
1 4 428 4.074 5 4.068 3
2 4 417 4.023 9 3.983 8
3 3 170 3.052 6 2.910 11
4 5 542 4.828 15 4.632 17
5 4 492 4.239 1 4.118 1
6 3 231 3.091 4 2.999 7
7 4 422 3.958 11 3.910 10
8 5 614 4.874 13 4.846 14
9 4 500 4.191 2 4.025 6
10 5 526 4.46 18 4.479 18
11 4 399 3.838 14 3.834 15
12 3 169 2.994 10 2.921 9
13 4 384 3.728 17 3.768 16
14 5 592 4.812 16 4.888 13
15 3 203 3.042 8 3.042 4
16 4 450 3.939 12 3.909 12
17 4 485 4.049 7 4.041 5
18 4 492 4.188 3 4.071 2
Course origins
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 courses. The Lake Buena Vista Course meanders through a pine forest and is well bunkered. This course has narrow fairways. The Eagle Pines Course is a Pete Dye design. This low profile target course features St. Augustine grass bunkers. In place of the grass rough, you'll find pine straw and many sand bunkers. The Osprey Course is a Tom Fazio links-style design. Golf Digest rated this course as the seventh "Best Public Course" in the state for 1996. It was built on rolling terrain and features high-mounded greens that will challenge most players. One of the goals in the building of this course was to change as little of the natural vegetation as possible. You will find oak forests and dense vegetation throughout its entire design. The Oak Trails Course is a nine hole walking 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

PALM GC:

palm_scenic.jpg
Greenwood/Getty Images
Justin Leonard plays a shot on the Palm Golf Course, which is located near Walt Disney World.



Find out everything you wanted to know about the Palm Golf Course, the other course that hosts the Children's Miracle Network Classic.

Fast facts
Original architect Joe Lee (1971)
Course superintendent V. Scott Welder
Number of PGA TOUR events as host venue 37 (including 2008)
Course ranking Ranked 54 (out of 55) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2007
Par value 72
Yardage history 6,941 (1972-1995)
  6,957 (1996-1997)
  6,967 (1998-1999)
  7,193 (2000-2001)
  6,957 (2002-2003)
  7,015 (2004-2006)
  7,010 (2007-present)
Grass Bermudagrass (tees, greens, fairways, 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 at the Children's Miracle Network Classic.
Player Hole Year
Tim Clark No. 3 2004
Larry Rinker No. 12 1999
2007 Rankings
Most Difficult Hole
The par-4 454-yard 18th
"TOUR Tough" - The PGA TOUR's best players will attest this is one tough finishing hole. Ranked as high as fourth overall on the PGA TOUR's toughest hole list, it requires two rock solid shots. Fairway is lined both sides with woodlands. Approach shot is all carry to a well-bunkered green. Making par here calls for celebration!
2007: 0 eagles, 7 birdies, 86 pars, 34 bogeys, 3 double bogeys, 2 others
Easiest hole in 2007
The par-5 532-yard seventh
"Sandy Par 5" - A sweeping dogleg right, with two deep fairway sand bunkers looming right. Second shot must negotiate a long and short sand bunker right. Green is well protected with four other sand bunkers. It all adds up to eight sand bunkers that test you all along the way.
2007: 11 eagles, 78 birdies, 41 pars, 2 bogeys, 0 double bogeys, 0 others
Palm GC 2007 rankings Last 24 years
Hole Par Yards Avg. Score Rank Avg. Score Rank
1 5 495 4.447 16 4.415 18
2 4 419 3.886 13 3.949 9
3 3 165 2.894 11 2.893 13
4 4 422 3.924 10 4.068 4
5 4 403 3.894 11 3.916 12
6 4 412 4.106 3 4.127 2
7 5 532 4.258 18 4.446 17
8 3 205 3.053 5 3.012 6
9 4 373 4 6 3.945 10
10 4 450 3.947 9 4.097 3
11 5 552 4.409 17 4.615 16
12 3 199 3.061 4 3.043 5
13 4 364 3.818 14 3.817 14
14 5 547 4.553 15 4.745 15
15 4 426 3.97 7 3.988 7
16 3 195 3.136 2 2.955 8
17 4 397 3.955 8 3.921 11
18 4 454 4.295 1 4.245 1
Course origins
Disney's Palm course, which may be the toughest of the original Disney courses, is rated by Golf Digest as one of the "Top 100" Resort Courses in the country. It plays 6,957 from the back tees and is loaded with plenty of challenges. It boasts nine water holes, tight and heavily wooded fairways, and an abundance of natural Florida wildlife.
At the 2006 Children's Miracle Network Classic presented by Wal-Mart, Justin Rose thrilled the crowd on the opening day of the tournament by breaking the course record with a round of 60.
-- Source: PGATOUR.COM
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