-Open and simple for beginners
-Change in pin position for hole #3 reduces risk of ending up in creek
-Very fast course as all holes are close to each other, easy to play it twice within 90 minutes
-Good use of what elevation is available
-A few tight technical shots (1 and 6) with some open bombers (7-9)
-Plenty of parking, but be careful not to park too close to hole 9. I've seen some close calls

-Tee pads are sand with wood borders, getting very worn in. Not all of them still have the fiberglass post marking it's position
-No maps at tee pads
-Open course that is very susceptible to wind
-No bathroom or water available
-Difficult to find next tee if only because there are no markings except at sign at the parking lot

Even though I didn't rate it higher than a 3, this is still one of my favorite courses as it plays very fast with a fair amount of variety. Once the tee pads are upgraded and signs are posted, I think it would deserve a solid 4. Awesome course to have on a university campus.

+ Played February 2020, and found the map by the first tee to be accurate, no construction around (these were mentioned in earlier reviews)

+ Nice setting on wooded park area of a college campus. A few walkers, and a few picnic tables, but I'm guessing this area is pretty much given over to disc golf traffic

+ Hole #1 makes good use of the widely-spaced trees in the fairway. There are straight, right and left slots to throw through

+ Elevation changes on hole #4 (up) and hole #5 (down). Hole #5 is a tight straight shot that finishes with the basket hard right and well down below the fairway level. The most open path is a right angle turn at the basket. If you cut the corner there's a chance you'll get buried in bushes blocking the green. It's a par 4 though: so straight, short shots get you a par

+ Hole #6 is 300' and slightly uphill, with an "S" shape through a narrow low ceiling created by a big tree. A good hole to challenge your ability to aim with care

+ Hole #8 is all about the big tree in the middle of the fairway. There's a fair amount of room to the right, for throwing a low RH hyzer to set up a birdie putt

+ Hole #9 is a long finisher, a 500'+ par 4 with the basket up a small rise near the parking lot

- No pads; tee signs don't indicate lengths. Take a picture of the map at the first tee, or carry a rangefinder

~ I admit I'm so jealous of a nice 9 holer on a college campus. But then, I probably would have never graduated

~ A recreational 9 holer that can help beginners develop their shots and understand course management. This course does what it does really well, and returns you to the parking lot when it's done

Open layout with enough trees in the park to keep each hole from being the same. Beginners to experts can play this course and have a good time. I took 4 first timers out to play this course and they enjoyed the round. The park was neatly groomed and kept free of trash.

Dirt tee boxes with minimal signs to guide play. Hole 7 does not have a fairway through to the basket. A small tree row makes you use one throw just to get through. Maybe clear the under brush to be able to throw through to the basket. Hole 8 has a very slim fairway with a huge tree set in the middle. If you do not lay short next to the tree and end up in the rough you get to enjoy the thick picker vines. Wear long pants because if you throw into the rough anywhere on the course you will be in thick under brush loaded with picker vines.

For a 9 hole course this is great fun and worth the play. Having the map is a must to keep you on track. The course was never busy and you can take as much time as you want to play.

One of my favorite 9 holes around. Despite the Cons, its just a pleasurable place to play.

Mostly dirt pads. The tee areas in general are just dirt, and very sloppy.

BASKET #3 WAS REMOVED DUE TO STREAM BANK CONTRUCTION AND LIKE A YEAR AGO AND HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED, DESPITE THE PROJECT BEING COMPLETED FOR ~6 MONTHS.

Very annoying.

compact 9 hole course can be played rather quickly, and is great for beginners, "got my wife to play" since were used to playing "French Creek" it is a nice "open" change. Few trees really but the baskets can be seen from almost every "T", although with a little risk comes better rewards. easy to navigate and very hard to lose a disc, you'd almost have to try to loose one. Also can be Safaried to add distance and make it play 18 holes, or do like i do, play it twice! Most holes play under 300 feet and easily reachable for birdies. #9 is long but very open, also a par 4.
i recommend this course to beginners and pros alike.

no "T" pads, and short, 45-50 minutes to complete, although that could be a good thing for some.
Is just a little bit on the easy side, not a lot of challenge here but fun and can let it rip!!!!!

practice basket near hole # 1.
Water from the creek plays in a few holes which is very cool. Not much in the way of elevation, but the elevation they have has been utilized very smartly.
easy to find, go check it out!!!

9 holes with Discatcher baskets. Baskets are in excellent condition. Posts at tees have distance of hole and hole 5 has flight path drawn on post since you can't see the basket. All other baskets can be seen from the tee. Just enough trees in the way to make the holes not open. Great amateur course. Pros may get bored here as holes are not very long. Holes 1-8 require controlled drives. Hole 9 is a 570 ft. bomber hole. Need 2 good throws to have a chance for a birdie 3. If you do throw in the creek, disc retrieval should not be a problem, creek is clear and not very deep.

Tee pads are natural marked with posts in ground. Tees get muddy after rain. Some holes throw over or near picnic tables. Only one place to possibly get confused. From hole 1 basket you need to go to the right past hole 9 tee and across the creek for number 2 tee. Some holes crossover and/or get too near other holes. Nobody else playing on the course anytime I was there though.

Hole 6 is the signature hole. I could play that hole all day. If you wanna go straight at the basket, you need to carry the creek 230 ft. If you don't want to carry the creek, bailout is on left. Hole 7 also crosses the creek. You have to decide if you want to lay up short of the creek or go for the gusto on your drive. If the tees get upgraded to some rubber pads, this course could be a 3.5 star course. I would recommend playing this course if in the area. This course will only get better.

I am proud to announce a new 9-hole disc golf course in Reading, PA. In conjunction with Alvernia University and the Reading City Parks & Recreation Department, a new 9-hole course has opened at Angelica Park.

Angelica Park was known in the area for many decades in the 20th century as a popular recreational spot. A dam was formed on the Angelica Creek, a tributary of the Schulykill River, to form a 13-acre lake which was used for boating, fishing, and ice skating in the winter. It was even lighted for nighttime skating! In June of 2001, a tropical storm washed out the dam and the bridge over Route 10 and completely drained Angelica Lake. What followed was five years of public meetings, debate and negotiation before city officials decided against repairing the dam and instead opted to create a wetlands project and future environmental center. And since the installation of the nearby wetland, with its wildflowers and native grasses, along with the riparian buffer along the creek which slows erosion and provides valuable habitat for wildlife, a variety of birds can be spotted in the area. It is not uncommon to encounter grackles, mourning doves, swallows, sparrows, yellow warblers, goldfinches, orchard orioles, catbirds, and downy woodpeckers. Great blue herons and even kingfishers also frequent the park. So not only will you experience a fun test of disc golf skills, you'll hopefully also appreciate the nature in the park.

The new course plays in a scenic area at the west end of the park, with a mixture of wooded and open shots along the meandering Angelica Creek. The course was designed by Sports Information Director and Head Golf Coach of Alvernia University, Jon King, with lots of input from Disc Golf Course Designers Group member Jeff LaGrassa. The nine holes offer a variety of shots, with some elevation changes, and the water coming into play on many holes - the baskets on hole #2, 3, 6 and 8 lie very close to the water's edge. Hole#7 crosses the creek perpendicularly with the target located on the other side. While most of the holes can be reached for a possible 2, hole#9 is a blue level pro par four hole of some 550+ feet, where two long throws are needed to have a chance at a birdie three. The course has three other holes of 300-400 feet, and five holes less than 300 feet, and can easily be played in less than 45 minutes.

Being so new, the course is still a work in progress and stakes mark the natural dirt teepads. If the course is a success, future plans may include semi-permanent or permanent teepads, and alternate tees and polehole positions on many of the holes. In the meantime, I invite you to come check out the new layout and the wonderful nature which can observed here.

#1) A course can only be designed in the land available. We were very restricted in the available land for this course. It had to be placed in the west end of the park, far away from the wetlands center, the baseball fields, and even the field below the parking lot.

Working with these constraints, concessions around holes running somewhat close to each other had to be made, unless we wanted all the holes to be less than 200 feet long and more pitch 'n' putt than the course already is.

#2) From what I am told, people rarely use the walking paths and picnic tables on the course, even in the height of summer. When we were out there in the summer, we saw no one. It's not like dozens of families come out and picnic all over the course. However, if the picnic tables are in use, please take care and be aware of errant shots reaching them.

#3) We deliberately did not place poleholes in the riparian buffer because this area is protected, will not be maintained and will indeed eventually grow up. While a few holes border the riparian buffer, in the normal course of play golfers will likely not throw into this area. Notice that the "bail out" area on holes #2, 3 and #8 is to the left and in the open where novice RHBH golfers' shots typically end up.

#4) Alvernia University owns the house and yard on which hole#5 plays next to.

#5) People need to realize that this is the first course in Reading, designed to cater to amateur disc golfers and Alvernia University students who will play with lids. This is not Lake Nockamixon. This is not Little Lehigh Parkway or Jordan Creek. This course will almost surely never see tournament play other than an informal league for Alvernia University students. It's not like at any point we will ever have the course full of foursomes where stray shots into other fairways will become a serious safety issue or hold up play.

People should also understand that the course is a work in progress. We deliberately did not put down any semi-permanent or permanent teepads, and do not even have permanent tee signs made up yet. The course can and will be adjusted if what is deemed as serious problems do arise. Golfers should be patient and understanding that the course is in flux and not pass judgment on something that is not a finished product.

Update 8/14/12: Played the course over the weekend. Unfortunately, due to some erosion control work, the basket of hole#3 has been removed, and I have no idea how long this removal will be in place.

Secondly, there is a large tree down near the basket of hole#5 and care must be taken until the tree and brush are removed.

Third, despite what we were previously told by park & university personnel, holes #6 and #7, which throw very close to and over the creek, have not been maintained. The scrub trees have not been controlled and make this area a very wild one for errant shots. Hole#7 is now a completely blind shot up and over the trees, where there previously was a completely open route to the basket. :-(

Finally, it appears that locals have developed a short tee pad for hole#9. That's fine, but remember that the regular tee is the concrete back by the road and makes the hole a pro par four.