The likelihood of me ever getting to experience golf in Orlando had always been slim-to-none. I rarely ever visit Orlando and any potential trip in the future would probably be with family to do more touristy things away from any golf courses. But this day I was by myself and ready to play golf. I also knew that I wanted to watch the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Each of these activities can take the majority of an entire day, but I only had one day and I was torn: would I have to choose between playing at one of the critically-acclaimed Disney courses or watching the pros? Two once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and only one day to indulge. I had already decided, despite all other attractions that Orlando had to offer, I wanted golf more than any of them. To me, the things that were taking me away from golf were not attractions… they were distractions. Thankfully, I discovered a way to effectively catch two bolts of lightning in one bottle.
Disney knows how to cater to families, and they know how to reshape activities so as not to deplete too much time and money away from family togetherness. This includes allowing children into certain bars and clubs usually reserved for adults. More importantly, this includes certain golf courses inviting golfers to play half a round of golf for a discounted price. Disney’s idea was that a golfer could spend a couple hours at the beginning or end of the day squeezing in a quick nine holes while still having time for theme parks or business conferences. My idea was that I could play nine holes in the morning and still make it to the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Big baller families stay in the treehouse villas located just off the right side of the green.
The round was majestic; just me and the final nine holes of Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course. As the very first person to tee off that day, the course was immaculate. Well manicured, pristine, and still foggy with the mist that was starting to clear away as the sun came up. Every step off the cart path left my footprint in the previously untouched morning dew that sat atop each blade of grass. Not even the groundskeepers had been there yet; the course was totally private. As I navigated through each tee box and fairway and green, I battled between trying to execute clean golf shots and trying to soak in the surreal reality that I was getting to play a private round of golf at such a high-profile venue that was as photogenic as ever and whose beauty was absolutely breathtaking. In terms of playing golf, I had never felt such serenity. To this day, I still think of Lake Buena Vista’s Sunrise 9 whenever I happen to catch a glimpse of a golf course at sunrise.
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Fatherhood and Marriage 