Walt Disney World wins ‘Best Resort’ award

By Alabama Golf News Staff

Lauded as 'the pinnacle of resort-level golf'

A national golf course owners group has honored Walt Disney World Golf, operated by Arnold Palmer Golf Management, as the group’s 2026 Resort Course of the Year.

The Orlando resort has 63 holes of golf close by the larger theme park: its championship 18-hole courses include Disney’s Palm, Magnolia, and Lake Buena Vista courses, while Disney’s Oak Trail is a 9-hole walking course that also hosts Footgolf play four afternoons per week.

The NGCOA, which announced the award, is the leading authority on the business of golf course ownership and management. The association represents and promotes the interests of golf courses. It says it is the only trade association dedicated exclusively to golf course owners and operators.

“Walt Disney World Golf represents the pinnacle of resort-level golf experiences, establishing a benchmark for service, design, and industry leadership,” said Cathy Harbin, president of the NGCOA Board of Directors.

Ongoing upgrades at Walt Disney World Golf

News from Walt Disney World’s golf operations run by Arnold Palmer Golf Management includes:

The start of overseeding of all four courses as part of an ongoing commitment to enhance the overall golfexperience year-round.
A new premium golf cart fleet from Advanced EV, on all three 18-hole courses: Disney’s Palm, Magnolia, and Lake Buena Vista golf courses. The new carts feature a fob-based operation instead of keys, high-resolution LED multifunction displays showing cart speed and battery levels, a USB-compatible power supply for charging mobile devices, and Bluetooth-enabled speakers with multimedia connectivity,
The Magnolia Golf Course recently completed its most extensive reimagining, featuring new teeing grounds, redesigned greenside and fairway bunkers, and newly contoured Bermuda greens.
The Manolia course also has four redeisnged holes on the back nine. Holes No. 14, 15, 16, and 17 – aka “Grumpy’s Gauntlet” — offer a challenging final stretch to a golfer’s round.
Near the clubhouse, the Magnolia and Palm golf courses feature a challenging 18-hole complimentary putting green dubbed “The Greatest Green Ever Played,” which honors the famous U.S. Open win of amateur Francis Ouimet in 1913, as depicted by Walt Disney Pictures in the award-winning film “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” starring Shia LaBeouf.