Historic course built in 1980. Concrete teepads are a plus. Technical shots, and recently redesigned, with more pin placements to add a little bit of length to the course. 2 holes formerly on the back course are now part of the front.

Historic course built in 1980 It's from a completely different era of disc golf, when the original aviar was an ultra distance driver. There are a few holes where you need a driver, but for the most part a good short range game is all you need to score well here.

Baskets are original 'Mach Zeros' and could use updating, but they are historic (25+ years old) and the club would like to keep them in and preserve that part of history.

Yes, the baskets are old, but they still catch fine. Course is historic, and the holes were long for the time period it was built in - and a lot of the trees that are there now weren't matured back then.

A lot of work was put in last spring to maintain the 18 hole layout - a 9 hole would be more modern, but maintaining a 36 hole park was the goal of the club and the city, and there is limited room to work with in urban Columbia.

It was my first tourney location, and was a good course for me to enter into. Liked the open areas a lot, very scenic,

The Cedar trees are chemically treated to attract disc plastic, or at least MY discs. Lots of very strategically placed trees, which I guess could be a pro also.

its an easy course that can be fun for having some ace runs, or building up your confidance. grass was mowed and it was next to a really nice pool. you get a chance to see what some of the very first frisbee golf courses where like.

very difficult to navigate, at times we played the wrong tees to the wrong baskets. the baskets are extremly old and could use updated models. some of the fairways crossed very near other tees and baskets, makeing a potentially dangerous round if theres alot of traffic on the course. It could really use some tree trimming, some branches where almost touching baskets and it just seemed like it could be better groomed.

this is one of two courses in the same park. skip this one and thank yourself later. the Back course is much better and this one just needs to be redesigned.

side by side courses, both completly different. one of the first courses to be installed in missouri. one of my favorite courses.

when we played on the holiday weekend this course was in bad shape. looked like the grass hasnt been mowed all year, needed alot of work for the mid america open in july.

after hole 5 the course changes. 15 is new 6, 6 is new 7,but longer pin, old 7 is gone, 8-9 same, old 10 gone, 11 is new 10, 12 is 11, then walk down path to back course 13, back 13 is front 12, back 14 is front 13, follow signs to new 14, old 13 is 15, 16-18 same. if you played here before you know what im talking about..

-Right next to the lower 18 at this park which is a great course (IMO)

-Cramped, it seems like you are shooting over paths for other holes
-They probably should have made this a 9 hole course instead of trying to put 18 in the small space.

I'll still play this course from time to time, just for something different, but I really don't car for it. The tees are nice but so are all the tees in this park. If you go to this park, just do the back 18...that is a great course.

The teepads were actually nice and textured...so playing in the rain was a bit easier.

99% of the course. This course is completely outdated. Also...if you have a four leaf clover in your pocket, I highly suggest taking it with you as it requires a great deal of luck to score well on this course. The combination of outdated baskets and very poor fairways, makes this a forgettable course.

The only pro i could find with this course is the obstacles it has, and the pins are placed in decent spots.

The cages are the worst cages i have ever seen, they are really really shallow and outdated, i sunk a putt and when it fell into the basket, it couldn't hold it in. There were two cages missing they had a stick in the ground where one must once have existed i do not know where they went to. will not play it again.

Waste of my time personally. Back 18 is much better.

well maintained, large mature trees, well established course (1980) , great locals, another 18 hole course on same property

short holes , big evergreens hurt

very nice course when combined with back course it makes a great day trip

Well maintained park. Has a reasonably good flow. Large sign showing the layouts of both courses near tee 1 including the varying pin positions. Perfect for beginners and small arms. Not much in the way of "loss of disc" factor.

Like a lot of old school courses, its short. Tee signs are deteriorating. For its length, baskets are a little hard to find because of their gray color and placement. (They love their tucked pins in Columbia). Old school 18 chain DGA poleholes with shallow baskets let a lot of shots spit out that would stick on newer baskets.

Built in 1980, this is one of the oldest disc courses out there. Advances in disc technology are making it show its age, but it still offers the casual player a great opportunity to hit lines. I don't think any layout changes are neccesary, but what the front course could use is a little TLC. New baskets, or at least more visible numbers on the nickels of the existing ones.

If you find the assigned layout a bit underwhelming, there's some good safari potential. OTOH, if you find the back course, a bit too intense, this one will be more your speed. (It was a welcome change after the back course kicked my butt the previous day).

If you're passing through Columbia, hit this one and its sister course across the park.

The original Albert-Oakland course is a dinosaur. Considering its age, it has held up very well. The property is very well taken care of, so there are no major issues with erosion and the course has not lost very many trees since I first played it in 1988. The tees are concrete and have been as long as I can remember. Most of the baskets have directional signs pointing you to the next tee, so finding your way around is pretty simple. There are two pins per hole (some have more) and some nice variety of uphill, downhill, hyzer and anyhyzer shots. The shots are mostly on the short-ish side. The course depends on the trees to provide the challenge. A lot of the trees are big nasty cedar trees that seem to reach out and grab your disc. Some of those trees have filled out and really narrowed the gaps to throw through. I find myself throwing tomahawks and rollers a lot. This course really forces me to be creative with my shot-making.

As with a lot of courses this age, the tees and baskets are really close together. If you are unfamiliar with the layout, it can get confusing since you can see a lot of baskets at once (although sometimes none of those are the one you are shooting at.) You also need to be in a social mood, as you are going to be standing next to people playing other holes all day.

A lot of the pin placements are directly behind the previously mentioned nasty cedar trees. On some holes you can't see either placement from the tee through the trees, and the tee signs don't tell you what placement it is in. Even when you know where both pin placements are, you have to walk down the fairway on some holes to see where the basket is. Given that you already have to wait in some places due to the holes being so close together, this can really cause the course to back up.

Speaking of the tee signs, some of them are in disrepair with the hole measurements falling off and what not. They could stand some attention.

On some holes (# 13 comes to mind) the basket is tucked into so much brush you really can't get a clear look at the basket no matter how good your tee shot is. Unless you are a power player. As often happens with technical courses that are not physically in the woods and have no ceiling, power players just crush this course. They throw spike hyzers over the trees and card deuces galore. So even though it is a technical course, it really favors power players.

Basket 18 leans like a drunken monkey set it in place. All of the baskets on this course still have the original Mach I shallow basket attachments, although they have added a second set of chains to the chain assembly.

This course is now 18 holes, but it used to be 22 (I think.) There was a hole 19 that used the current tee for #10 that shot downhill parallel to # 10 with the path OB on the left. That took you back down to the lake, and the holes that are currently on the back course that shoot over the lake (#16 and #17) and the tough uphill shot (#18) were holes 20-22. That was really the signature part of this course. Rating the two courses separately forces you to forget those holes, which is too bad. The old tee for # 10 is still sitting there, a concrete slab and a pole with no sign.

Whoever wrote "Single use park; disc golf only!" on the course description evidently overlooked the aquatic park, tennis courts, sand volleyball pit, picnic pavilions and all the paved walking paths that are also in the park.

The very first Ice Bowl event was held her in 1987.

It can't be considered a top course anymore, but given its age it still holds a lot of challenge. If sentimental attachment was a valid reason to raise a courses rating, I'd do it here. This was the first course I played, and it's still fun to play today.

Great mix of shots required here. Nothing crazy long, but the pins are well protected by large trees and brush.

Pins are so close to one another that an out-of-towner like myself wound up throwing the wrong basket on several holes. Might be good to Frankenstein a round if you are a local.
Update: I've played this course a couple times now, and my opinion has changed. Admittedly, the course layout is confusing first time around, but once its worked out, the course plays well

Having played this course a couple of times, I find it to be quite enjoyable, a nice course.

Excellent use of trees to make an interesting variety of drives and shots. Slightly on the short side, so perfect for novices. Usually pretty easy to recover from errant throws. Easy Navigation. Mowed and hole changes frequently, and a decent DG community. Also the Oakland back course is right there for an awesome 36 holes.

Might be slightly short for pro players, and the hole course doesn't vary much in terrain.

Great double-course park, with Indian Hills nearby if you can't get enough. Plus you're in the amazing college town Columbia, MO where there is plenty of nightlife after the course gets dark.