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Carmichael, CA

Albert Schweitzer Park

Permanent course
2.355(based on 10 reviews)
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Albert Schweitzer Park reviews

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2 0
Legend KILLer
Experience: 20.6 years 90 played 18 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Little Africa 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 26, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course uses the area to its capacity
- Variety of shot selection
- Plenty of parking
- Surprisingly clean
- Some trash cans provided
- 1 port-o-potty near hole 1
- Locals were friendly

Cons:

- No Tee signs, tee pads, or baskets
- Some fairways not defined
- Completely overgrown (at least when I was there)
- Lots of drinking & smoking
- Need spotters on some holes
- Hard to navigate with a map (a had a local with me)

Other Thoughts:

This is definitely not a destination course. It needs plenty of work before a dare to make another trip. Most of the time was spent searching for my drives as many of the holes are blind shots over brush and trees. A spotter is definitely recommended along with a guide. I was lucky enough to play a round with a nice fellow at the nearby Shady Oaks course who didn't mind showing me the course.
I do have to say that the course has plenty of potential if it gets cleaned up. There are some holes that are long (17 & 18) but everything can be reached with a mid-range or less. The shot variety keeps the round fun (if you have a thumber it makes the round much easier) and overall the round was enjoyable but only because I had a guide with me.
The pins are wooded stakes with makes putting fun and difficult.

To recap:
- Needs work
- Short course
- Need a guide to navigate
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12 1
JHern
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.9 years 82 played 50 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Great potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 16, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Albert Schweitzer park offers a great mixture of open and wooded areas, and a canalized creek runs through the wooded area making a nice set of challenging tunnel shots for several holes. The course is away from major roads, and a bit more secluded, so it is quieter and potentially more relaxing.

Cons:

The course is rough, and only barely beyond safari stage of development. I guess that is appropriate for a place called "Little Africa." We spent about 3 hours here, and never found some of the holes. I think these are simply overgrown, with an enormous amount of undergrowth starting to clog things up in some portions of the park. Areas around the north edge of the park are piled up with wood chips and such, which is a bit trashy.

If the park were better managed, some of the overgrown underbrush could be cleared out, dirt piles and wood chips removed, and maybe some bushes left in small patches here and there to provide fun hazards.

Some of the local kids playing were snuffing out and leaving cigarette butts on the wooden targets, smashing beer bottles, and leaving other trash around. There are no rubbish bins to help with this scenario.

Locals exhort players to park on the NE side of the course, but hole 1 begins on the W side of the park where we are supposedly not supposed to park since it annoys the neighbors. This could be fixed in a course re-design/upgrade.

Other Thoughts:

This course needs a more thoughtful re-design, better marked tees, and some real baskets. Then some clearing of rubbish and undergrowth by the park management (this is probably a fire hazard, anyways). After that, this could become a fantastic little course, since it offers all the things one appreciates in a challenging course...big trees, a creek, some topography, and a mix of open areas and brush patches.

It is possible to fit 18 holes in here, but it might be more worthwhile to put in 9 really high quality holes with multiple pin positions, etc.. This would realistically cost about $3-$4K. Rubbish bins and other maintenance issues also need to be dealt with, but perhaps a local maintenance regime of and by the players could be established, just as with other nice courses in California.
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