Golf and Walt Disney World have been inextricably linked since the resort opened in 1971. But did you know there was a Golf Resort at Disney World?
Golf Resort?
Sure, everyone knows that the Polynesian and Contemporary Resorts opened with the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971. And Fort Wilderness didn’t open until November 19, 1971.
The Golf Resort opened in 1973 and was the third resort at Walt Disney World, 15 years before Disney built the first moderate hotel, Caribbean Beach. The Golf Resort wasn’t part of the monorail loop, but still considered adjacent to the Magic Kingdom. It’s an interesting piece of Walt Disney World history because it wasn’t pushed as much as the more showy Contemporary and Polynesian Resorts. Both of those were showcases of the property and received a lot more press. And more visitors.
Dedicated on December 15, 1973, the Golf Resort opened with 151 rooms. But before that, it was the site of the Clubhouse for the two golf courses that opened with the Walt Disney World Resort in October, 1971.
Why a Golf Resort?
Enamored with golf, many Disney executives from the 1970s spent many-a-lazy afternoon practicing their game. They also found the resort to be a much more pleasant environment to conduct lunch meetings since the restaurant was never as busy as the one at the Contemporary. I mean, who wants to visit a resort that isn’t on the modern monorail loop (1973 term), right? Especially if you couldn’t really walk from the Magic Kingdom or take a water launch.
But, the resort isn’t around today. Or is it? Watch the video below to find out what happened to the Golf Resort:
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