Disney's Eagle Pines

Eagle Pines Golf Course, which was designed by Pete Dye in 1991, is located at Bonnet Creek. With 16 of the 18 holes containing water, you won’t have to look far to spot water at the course. Luckily for you, the water is meant more to enhance the beauty of the course than to create a hazard.

Eagle Pines is a low-profile course. For the most part, the terrain is either level or slightly below level, causing the drainage to be toward the middle. The water flows into waste bunkers, which ultimately goes to the wooded wetlands. With its many undulations in the greens and fairways, it is almost the complete opposite of the Osprey Ridge.

Despite being located on a Florida swamp, Dye welcomed the opportunity to design Eagle Pines. In fact, he had Tom Fazio were allowed to choose which of the two courses they wanted to design. Dye chose to let Fazio design a course for the land that was dry, sandy, and high, which later became Osprey Ridge. Having created several other courses on wetlands, Dye decided to choose the swampland to design. Dye went on to use his signature railroad ties to border walkways and to build up around the tee boxes. He also incorporated natural grasses into the design, which earned the course Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary certification in September of 2000.

At the opening hole, which is a 380 yard par 4, you will notice that the fairway spreads out beyond a large waster bunker off the tee. It then funnels to the forest. Therefore, you will need to hit your drive just right in order to keep it from dropping into the water on the left or into the pond to the right.

At the 470 yard par 4 hole 3, you will notice a false back that creates the illusion that you will have a soft shot if you miss the green. But, the traps at the hole can create a challenge. At hole 5, which is a 463 yard par 4, you will come across a dogleg right that runs along the forest wall. Combine this with the wind in the area and you will understand why it is the most handicapped hole on the course. If you manage to get past the first part of the hole, you will then have to overcome the well guarded green. Here, you will come across a small bunker with a body of water located to the front and to the left. This area ultimately connects you to hole 6.

For holes 7 through 11, you will need to deal with water obstacles. At the 190 yard hole 15, you will try to land a par 3 as you overcome a wall from the small pond connected to the elevated green. Don’t be fooled into thinking the green is straight. If you hit the ball center right, it will fall short and hit the wall. Instead, hit it to the left to land on the green.

At the 414 yard hold 18, you will encounter a dogleg left as well as a heavy right to left fairway, which also tilts toward the pond. Here, you will want to play to the top of the plateau that is located to the right. This will give you an elevated but still level play to the well-bunkered green. If you take any other position, the ball will go above your feet or on an angle.

Although it has moderate undulations and wide open fairways, you will find that birdie and eagle opportunities don’t come easily at Eagle Pine. This is why it received a ranking of 4.5 stars from Golf Digest’s Places to Play and was named one of the “Top 100 Golf Courses in the State” by Golf Florida. The LPGA, the Senior PGA Tour qualifiers, and the PGA Tour qualifiers have all taken place at Eagle Pines. Since 1993, it has also been the co-host, along with Osprey Ridge, of the Bryant Gumbel/Walt Disney World Celebrity Tournament, which benefits the United Negro College Fund.

The back tees of Eagle Pines play 6,772 yards and carry a course/slope rating of 72.5/135. The silvers, golds, and reds each play at 6,309 yards, with the silvers carrying a course/slope rating of 70.1/129, the golds at 66.6/119, and the reds at 68.0/111.

It is only a 10 minute drive to Eagle Pines from Pleasure Island and the Magic Kingdom. If you are a Disney resort guest, you will receive complimentary taxi vouchers to take you back and forth from the course. If you are not a resort guest, you will need to take Interstate 4 to exit 26-B. Then, take Epcot Center Drive until you reach the sign reading “Disney’s Golf Courses” at the third exit. From here, you can follow the signs.

To get more information, you can call (407)-WDW-GOLF or 407-939-4653 or visit www.golf.disneyworld.com.