Sand Trap Bar and Grill

Review by Kevin Klose

Let’s begin this by admitting right up front that I’m not a golfer. I’m about as “not a golfer” as you can possibly be. I mean I understand the premise of the game. I can throw some of the terminology around. I can even pick Tiger Woods out of a crowd…..but that’s about it.

Haven’t got a bad word to say about the game. Never tried it. Doesn’t interest me. I have even gone on record as to admitting that I don’t even like miniature golf.

Ok….so with all of that out of the way….I’m guessing that you are wondering how I found myself having lunch in the Osprey Ridge Golf Club..

The truth is that I was told that this is a hidden gem. No crowds. No waiting, No ADRs. Just good food in a beautiful setting.

Upon hearing this, I’m thinking, this is too good to be true. A little known restaurant on Disney property and you don’t need an ADR? I have to see this for myself. So off we went…

The Osprey Ridge Golf Club is located adjacent to Fort Wilderness. Eagle Pines is there as well, but that’s under development with the new Four Seasons resort, but that’s another story for another day.

If you are coming from the direction of the Magic Kingdom area, Osprey Ridge Golf Club is just past Fort Wilderness on the same side of the road. It’s fairly easy to find as there are GIANT silver golf tees and a sign that says Osprey Ridge.

On your drive in, you travel a winding road through some lush, green Florida landscaping. It’s beautiful and tranquil and it’s hard to imagine that the Magic Kingdom is quite nearby. It’s easy to believe that you are out in the country.

At the end of the drive, you come to the parking lot and the Golf Club itself. It sits at the top of a small hill.

The building is pretty non-descript by Disney standards. You shouldn’t expect topiaries, or characters or any theming at all.

Upon entering, there is a small seating area, a pro shop selling pricey Disney golf attire and the Sand Trap Bar and Grill.

There is a small sign at the door that lists the name and lets you know that you should “Please seat yourself.” At this point, the Disney veterans reading this are probably thinking “huh”?

You enter a large room, with a bar running along one wall. There are televisions showing sporting events over the bar.

The opposite wall is floor to ceiling windows overlooking a lush golf course landscape with a lake and a fountain. There is a verandah just outside these windows running the length of the building. It’s furnished with white chairs, table and rockers. It’s a very appealing location.

We chose a table and waited. And waited. And waited.

Just as I was about to go look for someone, a man dressed in golf attire and a Disney name badge approached the table and asked “what’ll it be?” We asked if there were menus and he asked us why “no one gave you a menu?” We just sort of shrugged and he went off to find them. So far, the “Please seat yourself” thing doesn’t seem to be working.

Things smoothed out after that and we made our selections.

The menu is basic lunch / bar food. There are wings , salads, sandwiches, wraps…nothing surprising.

We tried the soup of the day (Cream of Tomato at $5.49 per cup). It was basic tomato soup with a heavy dose of garlic.

We also ordered the chicken wings (10 for $8.49). Again….they were basic serviceable chicken wings. Nothing out of the ordinary.

For our entrees, we tried the Rueben ($9.99) and the Barbecue Pork Sandwich ($10.49) Each came with fries.

It’s a bit difficult to come up with a way to review these items, as they were absolutely ordinary. I wouldn’t say they were good or bad. They were ordinary. This was ordinary, serviceable food that’s just a bit overpriced.

I think the reason that we had this feeling about the food and the location is that there is really nothing “Disney” about the experience. The service seems a bit of an afterthought. We got our order and it was accurate….but that’s it.

If the server wasn’t wearing a recognizable Disney nametag and there wasn’t a store selling overpriced Disney stuff across the lobby, you could be in Generic Hotel Restaurant in Anywhere, USA.

Please don’t misconstrue this as a negative review. It’s not.

If you want a $10 Rueben and fries and a $2.50 soft drink….that’s what you’ll get.

If you sit facing the window, you’ll get a pretty view of a golf course, lake and fountain.

If you need a $75 Disney golf shirt, there is a store ready, willing and able to sell you one.

The Sand Trap is also a free WiFi spot.

If you are looking for the “Disney” experience, you have come to the wrong place, unless, you are a die-hard Disney fan and need to see every square inch of Disney property. This is a bit off the beaten path, and if that’s your thing….go for it..

It’s my opinion that unless you are golfing or have virtually nothing else to do…..go do something else.

You are mere minutes away from some world class entertainment that you are probably paying big bucks to experience. Go do that. You can eat in a golf course restaurant at home.