Magellan Golf Club
Magellan Golf Club offers an 18-hole journey through rolling mountain terrain that challenges golfers with elevation shifts and fast greens. Featuring wide fairways and strategic shaping, it balances playability for varying skill levels with a scenic, demanding layout inside Hot Springs Village.
Course Overview
Magellan Golf Club presents an engaging challenge framed by the rolling hills of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. This 18-hole course blends natural contours with well-maintained fairways and greens to offer a spirited round for players of varying skill levels. Built into a mountainous landscape, the layout invites golfers to navigate elevation changes and strategic shot placement rather than simply relying on length. Wide fairways provide generous landing areas, yet the subtly undulating greens demand careful reading and touch, rewarding thoughtful course management.
The course’s terrain shapes every hole with subtle rises and dips that test balance and swing tempo. It is important to adjust club selection when confronting uphill shots, where distances can feel deceptive. The greens are known for their fast pace and careful contours, offering a satisfying putting experience for those willing to study their breaks. Sand traps punctuate several holes, though their condition can vary, making escape shots a true test of skill.
Accessibility for all levels is a key strength at Magellan Golf Club. While the course embraces a certain degree of difficulty with its hills and slopes, wide fairways and forgiving tee placements provide playable options for beginners and intermediate golfers. Experienced players will appreciate the need for strategic thinking, especially on the back nine, where hazards and elevation shifts grow more pronounced.
Practical details favor a smooth visit. The course permits self-serve cart rentals located near the main entrance; bringing a towel is advised to clean carts upon use. Note that signage and GPS guides can be confusing on the front nine, which crosses roads multiple times, so a prepared mindset helps maintain flow throughout the round. The pro shop staff assist with local insights and create a welcoming atmosphere.
Magellan’s setting inside a mountainous village offers refreshing scenery that changes with seasons, lending each visit its own character. Golfers should plan for varying temperatures and terrain challenges, using cart paths when conditions require. Overall, Magellan Golf Club offers a balanced mix of strategy, scenery, and approachability that can make for a memorable day on the course in Central Arkansas.
Course Highlights
Built on mountainous terrain, Magellan Golf Club stands out for its elevation changes that influence club selection and shot strategy. The course features fast, undulating greens and wide fairways that make it approachable yet demanding. Several holes require careful navigation of sand traps, while the back nine reveals increased complexity with crossing roads and terrain shifts. The self-service cart system and helpful pro shop staff contribute to a relaxed pace of play. Seasonal conditions can affect course access, with cart paths used during wet periods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Guest Reviews
Julie D
john gonzalez
Staff was very friendly and the golf was awesome!
Don Jared
A ‘short’ course, but by no means easy (very hilly). Requires course management, shot placement, but fairways are wide. Greens tend to be fast, undulating. Sand traps usually need work, most often requiring ball removal & placing out of the trap.
Lynn Wagoner
Beautiful course, great pro shop and employees. My wife and I are in our 70's and were on vacation from Oklahoma to one of the local RV resorts. We decided to try a little golf and selected a couple of The Villages courses to play. It has been raining lately but we caught a break on a very hot day to play. Little did we know that the course was soaked and it was cart path only. Wow, this course is built in the mountains and is up and down with steep slopes from the cart path to the fairway, plus the temps were in the low 90's. We were exhausted to say the least. I wouldn't recommend this course to older folks under these circumstances. Like I said, beautiful course, but better played from a cart in the fairways. We'll give it another try this fall when things have dried out and temps moderate.
Cynthia Olive
Don Jared
A ‘short’ course, but by no means easy (very hilly). Requires course management, shot placement, but fairways are wide. Greens tend to be fast, undulating. Sand traps usually need work, most often requiring ball removal & placing out of the trap.
Leanna Curry Larson
Great golf course! Although GPS guides you to the Ponce de Leon entrance, the public entrance is 3.2 miles East of it. Park across the street from the entrance and gather a golf cart. No one tends to the golf carts, so it's self serve. Bring a towel to wipe down the cart because ours was riddled with webs and spiders everywhere. Check in at the club house. We met some very nice attendants. The course is beautiful, the greens are superb. Some greens were fast. Shooting uphill can be a little deceiving, so you'll probably need to club up. Ladies tees are not red like on some courses so I alternated between the gold and light blue. The front nine is slightly confusing with having to cross back and forth across the road but the scenery and greens are worth it. Unfortunately, due to the heat we did not get to experience the back nine.
per diderot
Great design and built for all player levels. Friendly and helpful staff at the pro shop reception. Only minus was the green quality and that hole positions was not changed on regular basis. Happy to play here and hope to come back.
Anthony Cera
Really fun and straight forward course. Friendly people in the pro shop that make you feel welcome. Played in the rain, I should have traveled with a bag cover but would have assumed the carts have rain covers for bags. Just a heads up for other travelers. The course is also imaged in the winter on all GPS trackers so the course is covered in snow on the images making it difficult to see hazards and distances. Definitely recommend!
Matt Kinsinger
Good course. Great practice facilities. Greens longer and slower. Receive ball well. Courses in overall good condition.
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Course Details
Access & Location
451 Ponce De Leon Dr, Hot Springs Village, AR 71909, USA
Main clubhouse with pro shop and customer service
Walking is permitted but challenging due to hilly terrain; recommended footwear includes golf shoes with good traction.
Carts are self-serve at course entrance; no attendant on site. Bring towel to wipe carts clean if needed.
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