We enjoyed our first family outing at Disney earlier this year. While I was a little skeptical that a theme park could be "The Happiest Place in the World" as the song says, I know we'll go back in a year or two because it truly captures your imagination in a magical fantasy… and I haven't played all four of the courses yet!

Not even a hole-in-one could compare to the fun and memorable moments Disney has to offer at its enchanting theme parks, never mind the other activities in the area that include shopping, bass fishing, boating dining, spa treatments, horseback riding, the amazing Richard Petty Driving Experience. It's also home for the Atlanta Braves during spring training.

We stayed at Disney's beautiful Yacht and Beach Club Resort – a great place for kids to play in the water and only a shot boat ride to Epcot. After a quiet dinner for two at the fabulous African-styled Jiko restaurant at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Villas, we'd plan to stay there next time around.

I organized early morning golf at the Magnolia and Osprey Ridge golf courses, but didn't have time to play the Palm or the Lake Buena Vista Course – something to do next time! If you're looking for deals on golf, go with the kids to the theme parks in the morning and take advantage of afternoon twilight rates for golf! Green fees range from $59 to $99 plus taxes for resort guests depending on season and time of play – a little higher if you're not staying on site.

The beautifully manicured links of Disney's Magnolia GC are named for the 1,500 or so fragrant blossoming magnolia trees that make this course memorable. The 5,125 to 7,518-yard layout (the longest of the Disney courses) with five sets of tee decks to choose from features wide fairways dotted with 97 bunkers – including the world-famous "Mouse Trap" fronting the par-3 sixth that I avoided. Simply put it's a classic Florida golf course with water in play on 11 holes.

We teed it up on the whites at 6,558 yards for a truly enjoyable round where it's easy to keep the ball in play as long as you stay away from the crocodiles. Payne Stewart holds the course record of 61. Designed by Floridian golf course architect Joe Lee, Magnolia and the Palm opened in 1971 along with Walt Disney World Resorts, followed by the third Lee layout Lake Buena Vista the following year. Interestingly Golf Digest magazine just ranked the resort among the Top-75 in all of North America in its October 2009 issue.

Disney's Osprey Ridge GC features dramatic golf holes that cut through stands of live oak, pine, palmetto, cypress and bay trees. Recognized as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Wildlife Sanctuary, the surrounding vegetation and wetlands serve as a breathtaking backdrop for a championship course that blends all the majesty of nature with the superb design by Tom Fazio. Golf Digest recognizes Disney's Osprey Ridge, which opened in 1992, as one of the best in Florida, rating it 4½ out of 5 stars.

This sweeping 18-hole course is arguably one of the most tranquil locales in all of Walt Disney World Resort and it was nice to get away for a few hours. It boasts 7,101 yards from the longest tees for a par of 72 - making Disney's Osprey Ridge suitable for serious and recreational golfers who seek a challenge. The front nine start out with some of the easier holes on the course but does include two long par 3s before you reach the 582-yard par-5 seventh, No. 1 handicap hole, largely due to distance. The course gets more difficult on the back nine. The three finishing holes at Osprey Ridge are excellent tests of golf. You can practice your putting on the Mickey Mouse shaped practice green.