Opsrey Ridge golf course closing - will become part of Four Seasons resort

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

The last day of golf at Disney's Osprey Ridge Golf Course is August 11, It will be closing August 12 and turned over to Four Seasons on August 15.

 

Osprey Ridge was acquired by Four Seasons in 2009 as part of the Golden Oak/Four Seasons Resort.

 

The golf course will open under Four Seasons Management when the Four
Seasons Resort opens.
 

Will the public and/or DVC members be allowed to play on the course?

The Four Seasons Resort will be making all future decisions about the golf course.

 

Will Arnold Palmer Golf manage the course?

The course will be owned and managed by the Four Seasons Resort.

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

So for further inquiries, go to Four Seasons Resort?

[Lou... 3,118]

When I was asked about this, I was puzzled, as I thought it had been sold as part of the Golden Oak/Four Seasons project years ago. The news here is that the Disney affiliation ends and Arnold Palmer Golf will no longer manage it.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

So for further inquiries, go to Four Seasons Resort?

 

i.e., "it ain't ours anymore, stop bothering us with your pesky questions"

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I have to play golf now and then at business functions, and I have yet to find a bigger waste of a half day.  The only reason I put up with it is the beer cart. 

[momof3kids-Yvonne 595]

So for further inquiries, go to Four Seasons Resort?

Guess when we all go over to use the lazy river we can inquire then.

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

I have to play golf now and then at business functions, and I have yet to find a bigger waste of a half day.  The only reason I put up with it is the beer cart.

"GOLF".....A game where a man/woman chases a little white ball called "AH Sh-t".....:)

[YENSIDCAMPER 66]

I actually love playing the game, but "GOLF" is a four letter word for a reason.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

It's hard to find actual information about this.

 

For some reason, I didn't understand that the Osprey Ridge golf course itself was included in the Four Seasons deal.

 

When I have looked at the Orange County Property Appraiser's map, the golf course itself seems to be excluded from the parcels which were sold (the parcels conveyed in 2009 are shown in pink and purple shades on the map, while the actual golf course land is shown in dark green).  For example:

 

 

This aerial view of the same area depicted in the map may help you orient yourself- you can see the main Fort Wilderness parking area at the bottom center of these next two photos.  Above the parking area you can see the main horse barn, and then the backstage maintenance area is above that:

 

 

Now that I look at it, they are showing parcel lines which divide that green colored area on the map from the land owned by Disney.  I enhanced the line with my purple crayon in this photo:

 

 

So, it looks like part of the Fort's backstage maintenance area was included in this deal, and that the Four Seasons people actually own a big chunk of land on the Fort side of the canal across from the new hotel.

 

Uh oh.

 

TCD

[Starbuc71 162]

I have to play golf now and then at business functions, and I have yet to find a bigger waste of a half day.  The only reason I put up with it is the beer cart.

I think if I lived in Tennessee, Dave and I could become good friends...lol

[Starbuc71 162]

It's hard to find actual information about this.

 

For some reason, I didn't understand that the Osprey Ridge golf course itself was included in the Four Seasons deal.

 

When I have looked at the Orange County Property Appraiser's map, the golf course itself seems to be excluded from the parcels which were sold (the parcels conveyed in 2009 are shown in pink and purple shades on the map, while the actual golf course land is shown in dark green).  For example:

 

 

This aerial view of the same area depicted in the map may help you orient yourself- you can see the main Fort Wilderness parking area at the bottom center of these next two photos.  Above the parking area you can see the main horse barn, and then the backstage maintenance area is above that:

 

 

Now that I look at it, they are showing parcel lines which divide that green colored area on the map from the land owned by Disney.  I enhanced the line with my purple crayon in this photo:

 

 

So, it looks like part of the Fort's backstage maintenance area was included in this deal, and that the Four Seasons people actually own a big chunk of land on the Fort side of the canal across from the new hotel.

 

Uh oh.

 

TCD

Sounds like a good time for a solo TCD investigative trip

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Sounds like a good time for a solo TCD investigative trip

 

Agreed.

 

This development may require a revision of my plan to access the Four Seasons lazy river.

 

TCD

[Andrew Roberts 17]

I miss the christmas ornaments on the golf tees 

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I miss the christmas ornaments on the golf tees 

 

Me too!

[Lou... 3,118]

 

This development may require a revision of my plan to access the Four Seasons lazy river.

 

TCD

 

No need to go covert.

Make an appointment to see the development, borrow my Bentley, or you could sit in the backseat and I can pretend to be your chauffeur, and go in through the main entrance.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

No need to go covert.

Make an appointment to see the development, borrow my Bentley, or you could sit in the backseat and I can pretend to be your chauffeur, and go in through the main entrance.

 

Whatever you do, don't forget the Grey Poupon. 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

No need to go covert.

Make an appointment to see the development, borrow my Bentley, or you could sit in the backseat and I can pretend to be your chauffeur, and go in through the main entrance.

 

Can't you just give me the gate code and let me park in your driveway?

 

I know my American car might be embarrassing, but you can tell your friends at the club that it belongs to the help.

 

TCD

[Lou... 3,118]

Can't you just give me the gate code and let me park in your driveway?

I know my American car might be embarrassing, but you can tell your friends at the club that it belongs to the help.

TCD

 

I guess I could explain it away to Biff next door, but I'm concerned that the drawbridge over the moat  is wide enough for your SUV.

[Lou... 3,118]

Whatever you do, don't forget the Grey Poupon. 

 

Hop in TCD, Golden Oak, here we come.

Gold star to whoever comes up with the location of the building in the background.

 

 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

 

Hop in TCD, Golden Oak, here we come.

Gold star to whoever comes up with the location of the building in the background.

 

 

 

LOL!

 

Isn't that your summer cottage?

 

TCD

[Lou... 3,118]

LOL!

 

Isn't that your summer cottage?

 

TCD

 

No, too small.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Anyone up for some news hot of the press?

 

I received a tip from a Fiend to check the SWFWMD website for a new permit application.

 

Lo and behold, look what was filed yesterday:

 

 

So what is this all about?

 

Let's take a look at a few pages of this 120 page behemoth:

 

 

 

This is the site map showing where the work will be done.  That's the Fort there on the left edge of the drawing:

 

 

The construction on the Fort side of the canal seems to be limited to removing part of the parking lot near the clubhouse.  If you study this a bit, you'll see that for some reason, the property conveyed to the new owner didn't include the whole parking lot, so they are removing the part that isn't on their land.  I may have missed it, but I didn't see where they would be replacing the spaces they are losing.  This would suggest that maybe the public isn't going to be welcome here:

 

 

What does this mean to Fort Wilderness guests?

 

Not much, I don't think.  The new hole is far enough away from the Fort that it isn't going to have any impact on the campground as far as I can see.

 

This is a pretty significant project, and it appears that they are using the existing clubhouse area as the staging area.  That means the golf course is probably going to be closed for quite a while during construction.  I would guess 6 months or more.

 

TCD

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Part of the current course isn't on the property they bought?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Part of the current course isn't on the property they bought?

 

Apparently not.  The Four Seasons project resulted in the closing of what was then the 18th hole of the course.  The current permit application says the 18th hole was temporarily relocated on to land owned by Golden Oaks, which at least on paper is a separate entity from the company which owns the Four Seasons.

 

It looks like they are building a new hole, and the temporary 18th hole will revert to Golden Oaks.

 

What is interesting here is that as far as the general public knew, Disney has been operating the Osprey Ridge Golf Course.  Apparently, there is some side deal Disney had with the buyers which allowed them to continue to operate the course for the past 4 years and use part of the land they allegedly sold to a third party for part of the course.

 

A very cozy deal, I would say.

 

TCD

[Lou... 3,118]

in the interest of putting it out there for those that aren't aware of it, while Disney owns the courses, they don't operate them. They turned operation of the courses over to Arnold Palmer Golf Co. a few years ago. Everyone at those courses works for APG.