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Xenia Rotary DGC reviews
17
0
Hills and low ceilings and creeks, oh my. 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 20, 2021
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
.
>Decent shot variety.
>Some elevation
>Course doesn't seem like it gets busy--I've been here twice, only seen a few others playing
>Creek comes into play, but doesn't seem like too big of a lost disc hazard
Rotary Disc Golf Course is in Sol Arnovitz Park in Xenia. It not your typical park style course, though a few holes do play that way. It has a few surprisingly interesting holes, but also a couple disappointing shortcomings as well. There is actually some elevation here (no, it's not Toboggan), which is a nice surprise. Most of the back nine is wooded, while most of the front nine is more park style to moderately wooded. A creek meanders through, which is wide and deep enough in spots to be a concern for lost discs if it is flowing fast, so be careful. Its main appeal will be to rec and perhaps intermediate players. With mostly one teepad and one pin position per hole, the challenge is mostly hitting some tight lines on the wooded holes. Don't go far out of your way, but a relaxing round can be yours if the skeeters aren't biting.
>Decent shot variety.
>Some elevation
>Course doesn't seem like it gets busy--I've been here twice, only seen a few others playing
>Creek comes into play, but doesn't seem like too big of a lost disc hazard
Rotary Disc Golf Course is in Sol Arnovitz Park in Xenia. It not your typical park style course, though a few holes do play that way. It has a few surprisingly interesting holes, but also a couple disappointing shortcomings as well. There is actually some elevation here (no, it's not Toboggan), which is a nice surprise. Most of the back nine is wooded, while most of the front nine is more park style to moderately wooded. A creek meanders through, which is wide and deep enough in spots to be a concern for lost discs if it is flowing fast, so be careful. Its main appeal will be to rec and perhaps intermediate players. With mostly one teepad and one pin position per hole, the challenge is mostly hitting some tight lines on the wooded holes. Don't go far out of your way, but a relaxing round can be yours if the skeeters aren't biting.
Cons:
.
>Short teepads
>No next tee signs (only saw one, on a hole where next tee was 30' away and clearly visible).
>No benches--would be nice with some of the elevation present, or just to chill on a 90 degree day.
>Some of the wooded holes have really tight/precise lines to hit.
>More than a typical amount of low ceilings--wooded holes especially, one can hit the fairway dead center and get knocked down by a low branch hanging down right in the middle.
>A couple tee signs were missing, and one teepad is basically cracked in half and needs replaced.
>Short teepads
>No next tee signs (only saw one, on a hole where next tee was 30' away and clearly visible).
>No benches--would be nice with some of the elevation present, or just to chill on a 90 degree day.
>Some of the wooded holes have really tight/precise lines to hit.
>More than a typical amount of low ceilings--wooded holes especially, one can hit the fairway dead center and get knocked down by a low branch hanging down right in the middle.
>A couple tee signs were missing, and one teepad is basically cracked in half and needs replaced.
Other Thoughts:
.
BASICS:
>Teepads--Concrete, 9' or so mostly, which is pretty short. Also, they sit a couple inches above the surrounding ground, so if you need a bit longer X-step, that can be annoying.
>Baskets--Older Mach V's, but they catch fine.
># holes--18, one pin position and one teepad on nearly all holes.
>Setting, type of course, fee?--Free to play city park, mostly set aside for disc golf, though a graveled walking path runs through it, so best to look before throwing on most holes.
>Elevation--Surprisingly for this part of the state, there are 5-6 holes with more than a trivial amount of elevation change. #2 is a short hole but plays uphill with a low ceiling. Parking would seem to require a roller or a big planned skip off the hill with a nice flare. There are a couple nice but not epic downhill tosses as well, unfortunately also with low ceilings, so the lines are pretty tight. Takes a bit of the fun out when you have to be more precise on a downhill throw.
>Ease of getting to--Right in Xenia, easy access.
.
AMENITIES:
.
>Parking--Plenty, right by hole 1.
>Bathrooms--One port-a-john, in parking lot.
>Water/food nearby--Plenty in Xenia, a few minutes away.
>Clubhouse/disc shop--No
>Benches--No
>Trash cans--A few.
>Bag holders--No
>Tee signs--Yes, they do show next tee direction, and some info about possible flight paths, distances seemed short on some.
>Next tee direction/signs--Basically no, just on the tee signs (I for one can never remember to look there).
>Wheelchair/cart friendly--No, and no--there are several hills which are treacherous actually to walk down--very steep with no steps, having a cart would be worse. A few other places have steps, but overall not the best place for your cart. If it has rained recently, those hills could be impassable, though there are probably some longer walk-arounds.
COURSE PLAY:
>Shot variety--Decent enough, BH, FH, low ceiling shots--going both flat, up, and down hill.
>Open/wooded--9 or so holes are park style to lightly wooded, 9 are moderately to heavily wooded. Decent variety here as well.
>Layout, long walks (inc back to car), loops--One large loop, though you do get close to the parking lot after hole 6 if you want a quick round. No real hikes between holes.
>Total distance walked--1.7 miles
>Ease of finding next tee--A map will be helpful, unless you always remember to look at the tee signs for the next hole location, though a few are missing.
>Distance of holes--Mostly in the 200-275' range. A couple 300+ holes are both par 4's, but tough eagles. Be happy with birdies there. Several tee signs seem to have incorrect distance, usually erring on the short side. Best to use your judgment, not the stated distance. Overall, course is in the 4500' range, per signs, but it 'felt' a little longer, maybe because of the elevation.
>General difficulty--Rec level. I think a 900 rated player should be looking for 4-8 under, more if you can putt really well.
>Mud/water issues--The steep hills one goes up and down are mostly dirt, so if wet, they could be treacherous, be careful or go around it course is very wet. There are a few low spots which look to get a little wet, but overall it seems to drain well with the creek going through it.
>Water or O/B to contend with--Yes, a 5-15 foot wide creek meanders through, and comes into play on 5 or 6 holes, mostly on the back nine. I think most discs could be retrieved, it might take some work, some places the bank is pretty high and steep.
>Difficult rough/lost disc risk--Pretty low in the woods, possible in the creek, average overall.
>Scrape/scratch risk--Fairly low.
>How busy was course/park--Weekday, sunny, late afternoon there were only people walking, one player came just as I was leaving.
OVERALL:
>Fun/enjoyment factor, would I play again? Probably, but if I never do again I won't be sad.
>Who will this course challenge? 925 rated players and below.
>Is it worth a drive? Locally only, 45 minutes at most.
>Anything unique? Some of the low ceiling shots with elevation seem tricky, might play again just to try to solve those puzzles, cause the holes themselves aren't that long.
>Would be a half star higher with--Longer teepads, better course navigation, benches, a bit clearing of low limbs.
I am in my 50s, 95 or so courses played, 875ish.
BASICS:
>Teepads--Concrete, 9' or so mostly, which is pretty short. Also, they sit a couple inches above the surrounding ground, so if you need a bit longer X-step, that can be annoying.
>Baskets--Older Mach V's, but they catch fine.
># holes--18, one pin position and one teepad on nearly all holes.
>Setting, type of course, fee?--Free to play city park, mostly set aside for disc golf, though a graveled walking path runs through it, so best to look before throwing on most holes.
>Elevation--Surprisingly for this part of the state, there are 5-6 holes with more than a trivial amount of elevation change. #2 is a short hole but plays uphill with a low ceiling. Parking would seem to require a roller or a big planned skip off the hill with a nice flare. There are a couple nice but not epic downhill tosses as well, unfortunately also with low ceilings, so the lines are pretty tight. Takes a bit of the fun out when you have to be more precise on a downhill throw.
>Ease of getting to--Right in Xenia, easy access.
.
AMENITIES:
.
>Parking--Plenty, right by hole 1.
>Bathrooms--One port-a-john, in parking lot.
>Water/food nearby--Plenty in Xenia, a few minutes away.
>Clubhouse/disc shop--No
>Benches--No
>Trash cans--A few.
>Bag holders--No
>Tee signs--Yes, they do show next tee direction, and some info about possible flight paths, distances seemed short on some.
>Next tee direction/signs--Basically no, just on the tee signs (I for one can never remember to look there).
>Wheelchair/cart friendly--No, and no--there are several hills which are treacherous actually to walk down--very steep with no steps, having a cart would be worse. A few other places have steps, but overall not the best place for your cart. If it has rained recently, those hills could be impassable, though there are probably some longer walk-arounds.
COURSE PLAY:
>Shot variety--Decent enough, BH, FH, low ceiling shots--going both flat, up, and down hill.
>Open/wooded--9 or so holes are park style to lightly wooded, 9 are moderately to heavily wooded. Decent variety here as well.
>Layout, long walks (inc back to car), loops--One large loop, though you do get close to the parking lot after hole 6 if you want a quick round. No real hikes between holes.
>Total distance walked--1.7 miles
>Ease of finding next tee--A map will be helpful, unless you always remember to look at the tee signs for the next hole location, though a few are missing.
>Distance of holes--Mostly in the 200-275' range. A couple 300+ holes are both par 4's, but tough eagles. Be happy with birdies there. Several tee signs seem to have incorrect distance, usually erring on the short side. Best to use your judgment, not the stated distance. Overall, course is in the 4500' range, per signs, but it 'felt' a little longer, maybe because of the elevation.
>General difficulty--Rec level. I think a 900 rated player should be looking for 4-8 under, more if you can putt really well.
>Mud/water issues--The steep hills one goes up and down are mostly dirt, so if wet, they could be treacherous, be careful or go around it course is very wet. There are a few low spots which look to get a little wet, but overall it seems to drain well with the creek going through it.
>Water or O/B to contend with--Yes, a 5-15 foot wide creek meanders through, and comes into play on 5 or 6 holes, mostly on the back nine. I think most discs could be retrieved, it might take some work, some places the bank is pretty high and steep.
>Difficult rough/lost disc risk--Pretty low in the woods, possible in the creek, average overall.
>Scrape/scratch risk--Fairly low.
>How busy was course/park--Weekday, sunny, late afternoon there were only people walking, one player came just as I was leaving.
OVERALL:
>Fun/enjoyment factor, would I play again? Probably, but if I never do again I won't be sad.
>Who will this course challenge? 925 rated players and below.
>Is it worth a drive? Locally only, 45 minutes at most.
>Anything unique? Some of the low ceiling shots with elevation seem tricky, might play again just to try to solve those puzzles, cause the holes themselves aren't that long.
>Would be a half star higher with--Longer teepads, better course navigation, benches, a bit clearing of low limbs.
I am in my 50s, 95 or so courses played, 875ish.
16
0
Gee It’s Good To Be Back Home Again 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 31, 2017
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
I've been watching for the listing of the Xenia course for nearly two years, having lived there as a grade schooler when my dad was city manager a few years before the big tornado. Stopped in early in 2016, since the baskets were in, but the course needed a lot more clearing and maintenance. Now the basics have been done, and you can at least give it a play, if you bring the map or find a course guide. This course has wonderful, large, level, concrete tees and the nice DGA Mach V baskets with the 'blade' top (in orange) for easy visibility. The cages are nice and deep and catch well.
It makes magnificent usage of the elevation, where the bluffs surround the flood plain and the creek that meanders through this moderately wooded park. In the past year, they've done the initial clearing of all the fairways, and the park built two magnificent bridges (at holes 1 and 11), while the developers added a solid staircase down on hole 16. You will learn to control moderate distance shots through park trees and near water, while having three cool downhill holes and three that use the upslope in almost unique ways. As the course 'weathers in', I do expect to see the currently super tight lines open up to make this course appealing to the Intermediate disc golfer. It is currently (and may remain) relatively challenging for casual to recreational players.
There's plenty of shade for warm summer play, and at least here at the end of July, 2017, the course is cleaned up enough that you probably won't need to resort to a whole lot of disc searching. If you do need a rest, there aren't benches yet, but the little shelter by 7, 10 (& 18) might be a nice place to rest and refresh. It would probably be the 'tournament central', as well, being relatively central to the course, and just up the open slope to the practice basket you see from the parking lot below.
I look forward to coming back in a year or two to check out the 'broken in', and 'signed up' look of this neat course.
It makes magnificent usage of the elevation, where the bluffs surround the flood plain and the creek that meanders through this moderately wooded park. In the past year, they've done the initial clearing of all the fairways, and the park built two magnificent bridges (at holes 1 and 11), while the developers added a solid staircase down on hole 16. You will learn to control moderate distance shots through park trees and near water, while having three cool downhill holes and three that use the upslope in almost unique ways. As the course 'weathers in', I do expect to see the currently super tight lines open up to make this course appealing to the Intermediate disc golfer. It is currently (and may remain) relatively challenging for casual to recreational players.
There's plenty of shade for warm summer play, and at least here at the end of July, 2017, the course is cleaned up enough that you probably won't need to resort to a whole lot of disc searching. If you do need a rest, there aren't benches yet, but the little shelter by 7, 10 (& 18) might be a nice place to rest and refresh. It would probably be the 'tournament central', as well, being relatively central to the course, and just up the open slope to the practice basket you see from the parking lot below.
I look forward to coming back in a year or two to check out the 'broken in', and 'signed up' look of this neat course.
Cons:
There is currently no signage, either at the tees or where next tee signs are needed. You will need a map. I pulled one from the course (park) facebook page in 2016, and only one or two changes had been necessary, so that map works fairly well. The course flow is mostly intuitive, but you will need to bypass the 18th tee to get from 10 to 11, and cross the 15th tee to get from 12 to 13.
They did choose to move the 6th basket back to the short side of the creek (it was going to go across and steeply uphill, but that would've entailed folks climbing up and down there for a ton of errant throws, so it's definitely better this way). That does mean you have to walk up a very steep hillside to tee off on 7. They need stairs here (and maybe on 10), just like the ones on 16. If it's wet, you pretty much have to use the gravel access drive that runs a few feet from the 9th basket. Oh, and be aware of the need to control your distance on 6, 8, 11 & 17. The first three have a creek dropoff within 15-20 feet, and the 17th has a huge osage branch just two feet behind the cage that might make getting to your comeback putt, a gymnastic event.
There are a number of places where lines are currently forced through very tight gaps and tunnels. Some are marked for cutting, and some will become clear as folks play. Right now, there's still a lot of clearing debris you'll be treading on, so watch your ankle steadiness.
They did choose to move the 6th basket back to the short side of the creek (it was going to go across and steeply uphill, but that would've entailed folks climbing up and down there for a ton of errant throws, so it's definitely better this way). That does mean you have to walk up a very steep hillside to tee off on 7. They need stairs here (and maybe on 10), just like the ones on 16. If it's wet, you pretty much have to use the gravel access drive that runs a few feet from the 9th basket. Oh, and be aware of the need to control your distance on 6, 8, 11 & 17. The first three have a creek dropoff within 15-20 feet, and the 17th has a huge osage branch just two feet behind the cage that might make getting to your comeback putt, a gymnastic event.
There are a number of places where lines are currently forced through very tight gaps and tunnels. Some are marked for cutting, and some will become clear as folks play. Right now, there's still a lot of clearing debris you'll be treading on, so watch your ankle steadiness.
Other Thoughts:
Overall, I think this course is a really nice addition to the area, and hope the park treasures and maintains it as an attraction for disc golfers from all over the region. If the signage is good, and the maintenance (voluntary or parks dept) done well, I'd feel very comfortable bringing my rating up a notch!
Reviewer Background as of this writing: played 298 courses and written 282 reviews, with skills hovering around a 900 rating, with folks ranging from age 7 to 87, so I try to write reviews helpful to all.
Reviewer Background as of this writing: played 298 courses and written 282 reviews, with skills hovering around a 900 rating, with folks ranging from age 7 to 87, so I try to write reviews helpful to all.
