Basil Griffin Park reviews
14
0
PastorofMuppets
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience:
4.8 years
150 played
118 reviews
Split Personality Park
Reviewed:
Played on:Apr 16, 2023
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
1) Set in a small but beautiful and well maintained city park. Ample parking, tons of nice sports fields, a large lake that a few holes play around with some decent views, port-o-johns and a bathroom house (when it's unlocked).
2) Holes 1,2,8,9 are pretty tight wooded holes through a small cluster of woods that sit in a bowl shape at the center of the park. None of them are extremely spectacular but they are probably the best actual holes on the course. Averaging roughly in the 275 FT range (thanks partly to #8 being a very short uphill par 3) these 4 holes feature either a tight gap hit off the tee or a tight gap hit to access the green and some elevation change on each hole. Nothing too spectacular. The biggest plus here is not having to deal with people utilizing the park for things other than disc golf.
3) Course has concrete tee pads but most are in terrible shape (see cons), older but still ok Discatcher baskets, looks to have installed new or updated tee signs since the last time I played here.
4) Variety. If you like a course that has a little technical woods, a little wide open park golf playing "miss that one single tree", and then playing around sports fields dodging cars, people and dogs, this course is right up your alley. This is in the pros section simply because less skilled players can get a bit of everything and probably enjoy this course. And not surprisingly, the less skilled amongst our group were the loudest supporters of how good they thought this course was.
5) Potential. The course provides a massive amount of true potential (especially if purposefully shortened or made into a 9 hole course and made strictly to target beginners and families), There is tree cover, lots of elevation changes, a lake to play around, a creek and nice bridge. The front 9 wouldn't be a terrible 9 hole loop and could be great if retooled at this point.
6) Some challenge, especially in the wooded sections, and in the early holes that border the lake. Course changes distance and angle control on the front 9 for raw distance on the back 9 in the wide open park.
7) Hole #2 is probably the signature hole on the course of mostly bland forgettable holes (beyond remembering how much you disliked it). You drive down hill through a gap of trees with a low ceiling, over a perimeter fence, over a wide creek and nice bridge to an open bowl area with an OB road behind it and the creek wrapping up to the right of the basket probably only 10-15 feet from the base of the pole. Would be a magnificent hole if the back drop to this was countryside, rolling hills, or distant mountains. Instead its a parking lot, an old house that appears to serve as a maintenance building, the highway, and port-o-johns.
8) Multiple risk/reward holes on the front 9. Hole 2 as discussed above, Hole 3 - a very short par three with the basket perched on a steep side slope that leads downhill roughly 45 feet into the lake. Hole 5 - a 250 ft downhill tunnel shot, made a tunnel by a tight property line fence on the left, and the lake tight on the right with a small smattering of protective trees, to a semi peninsula green. And Hole 7 - a short 200 Ft downhill chip shot with a creek a couple paces behind the basket (This hole lost its two fairway guardian trees and just isn't the quality level it used to be).
9) Practice basket right next to the parking lot, solid course map near hole #1, good tee signs and lots of "next" arrows helping with navigation. And the course is small enough that you can usually find your way without them, but having them is still very nice.
2) Holes 1,2,8,9 are pretty tight wooded holes through a small cluster of woods that sit in a bowl shape at the center of the park. None of them are extremely spectacular but they are probably the best actual holes on the course. Averaging roughly in the 275 FT range (thanks partly to #8 being a very short uphill par 3) these 4 holes feature either a tight gap hit off the tee or a tight gap hit to access the green and some elevation change on each hole. Nothing too spectacular. The biggest plus here is not having to deal with people utilizing the park for things other than disc golf.
3) Course has concrete tee pads but most are in terrible shape (see cons), older but still ok Discatcher baskets, looks to have installed new or updated tee signs since the last time I played here.
4) Variety. If you like a course that has a little technical woods, a little wide open park golf playing "miss that one single tree", and then playing around sports fields dodging cars, people and dogs, this course is right up your alley. This is in the pros section simply because less skilled players can get a bit of everything and probably enjoy this course. And not surprisingly, the less skilled amongst our group were the loudest supporters of how good they thought this course was.
5) Potential. The course provides a massive amount of true potential (especially if purposefully shortened or made into a 9 hole course and made strictly to target beginners and families), There is tree cover, lots of elevation changes, a lake to play around, a creek and nice bridge. The front 9 wouldn't be a terrible 9 hole loop and could be great if retooled at this point.
6) Some challenge, especially in the wooded sections, and in the early holes that border the lake. Course changes distance and angle control on the front 9 for raw distance on the back 9 in the wide open park.
7) Hole #2 is probably the signature hole on the course of mostly bland forgettable holes (beyond remembering how much you disliked it). You drive down hill through a gap of trees with a low ceiling, over a perimeter fence, over a wide creek and nice bridge to an open bowl area with an OB road behind it and the creek wrapping up to the right of the basket probably only 10-15 feet from the base of the pole. Would be a magnificent hole if the back drop to this was countryside, rolling hills, or distant mountains. Instead its a parking lot, an old house that appears to serve as a maintenance building, the highway, and port-o-johns.
8) Multiple risk/reward holes on the front 9. Hole 2 as discussed above, Hole 3 - a very short par three with the basket perched on a steep side slope that leads downhill roughly 45 feet into the lake. Hole 5 - a 250 ft downhill tunnel shot, made a tunnel by a tight property line fence on the left, and the lake tight on the right with a small smattering of protective trees, to a semi peninsula green. And Hole 7 - a short 200 Ft downhill chip shot with a creek a couple paces behind the basket (This hole lost its two fairway guardian trees and just isn't the quality level it used to be).
9) Practice basket right next to the parking lot, solid course map near hole #1, good tee signs and lots of "next" arrows helping with navigation. And the course is small enough that you can usually find your way without them, but having them is still very nice.
Cons:
1) Most concrete teepads are damaged, cracked, broken, divoted, and hold water. I'm told this is because the Park paid a tree trimming service to come in and they parked their trucks on several tee pads, but as of last play, none of the pads had been repaired.
2) Mistaken identity. The course is kind of all over the place in difficulty level. Multiple holes feel beginner/novice targeted, some feel Rec/Int and some are just downright disrespectful to anyone throwing under 450. (Like Hole #17 which is like a 475 Ft uphill Par 3 that throws over an OB grass parking lot outlined by ropes and stakes. Takes 425 minimum to clear the OB, or 275 at most to land short of the parking lot. The path around it left is dotted with large trees, and everything right is OB. I dislike any hole designed to be thrown over parking lots, and though Par is relative, 475 is a big ask for most players)
3) Long walks between different sections of the course, often crossing other fairways, roads, or busy sections of the park. You can kind of divide the course into three sections, the wooded bowl, the rim of the lake, and the open field.
4) Small park so the holes are extremely crammed together, if pedestrian traffic wasn't a big enough concern, other disc golfers are. For example Hole #1 and Hole #9 throw down into the same bowl from opposite sides and curve away to the right respectively. You are essentially using the same air space, and walking down either hill could see you catching am errant tee shot to the dome. Hole #2 and Hole #8 share an L shaped tee pad. Hole #18 throws downhill between a tee ball field, over a parking lot, to a small grassy area between parking lots and the main road through the park. If the course is being utilized at all for sports games, I'd avoid this course.
5) A lot of blind shots on a small crammed course with lots of things non disc golf related happening. Fishermen on the lake can essentially shut down 3 holes on their own. Even parking can ruin half the back 9, a rain storm can shut down all the wooded bowl holes. This course just has so many issues that can make it unenjoyable. Everything has to go right for you to have a good experience.
6) VENOMOUS SNAKES: You read that right. Hole #7 convienently plays down into a low creek area which has signs posted, Hazardous Venomous Snake area. And wouldn't you know, you are supposed to walk through that area to get to Hole #8. Yes you can walk back through Hole #2 fairway and cross the bridge and head up #2 to the tee area, but you are out of luck if you miss right off the tee and have to climb in the thick brush to putt. Had a friend bit here several years ago reaching down to place his mini, luckily it was just by a rat snake.
7) There is a playground on the holes that skirt around the lake and though some might, I refuse to throw in the direction of children and will simply skip the hole.
8) The "bowl" wooded holes hold water and will be extremely soft and muddy for days after rain.
2) Mistaken identity. The course is kind of all over the place in difficulty level. Multiple holes feel beginner/novice targeted, some feel Rec/Int and some are just downright disrespectful to anyone throwing under 450. (Like Hole #17 which is like a 475 Ft uphill Par 3 that throws over an OB grass parking lot outlined by ropes and stakes. Takes 425 minimum to clear the OB, or 275 at most to land short of the parking lot. The path around it left is dotted with large trees, and everything right is OB. I dislike any hole designed to be thrown over parking lots, and though Par is relative, 475 is a big ask for most players)
3) Long walks between different sections of the course, often crossing other fairways, roads, or busy sections of the park. You can kind of divide the course into three sections, the wooded bowl, the rim of the lake, and the open field.
4) Small park so the holes are extremely crammed together, if pedestrian traffic wasn't a big enough concern, other disc golfers are. For example Hole #1 and Hole #9 throw down into the same bowl from opposite sides and curve away to the right respectively. You are essentially using the same air space, and walking down either hill could see you catching am errant tee shot to the dome. Hole #2 and Hole #8 share an L shaped tee pad. Hole #18 throws downhill between a tee ball field, over a parking lot, to a small grassy area between parking lots and the main road through the park. If the course is being utilized at all for sports games, I'd avoid this course.
5) A lot of blind shots on a small crammed course with lots of things non disc golf related happening. Fishermen on the lake can essentially shut down 3 holes on their own. Even parking can ruin half the back 9, a rain storm can shut down all the wooded bowl holes. This course just has so many issues that can make it unenjoyable. Everything has to go right for you to have a good experience.
6) VENOMOUS SNAKES: You read that right. Hole #7 convienently plays down into a low creek area which has signs posted, Hazardous Venomous Snake area. And wouldn't you know, you are supposed to walk through that area to get to Hole #8. Yes you can walk back through Hole #2 fairway and cross the bridge and head up #2 to the tee area, but you are out of luck if you miss right off the tee and have to climb in the thick brush to putt. Had a friend bit here several years ago reaching down to place his mini, luckily it was just by a rat snake.
7) There is a playground on the holes that skirt around the lake and though some might, I refuse to throw in the direction of children and will simply skip the hole.
8) The "bowl" wooded holes hold water and will be extremely soft and muddy for days after rain.
Other Thoughts:
Bowling Green has a ton of good to excellent courses, this one however is not worth your time. If you are not local to the area, or unfortunately forced to play this course for the BG Open, I would make a hard pass. At the end of the day, disc golf is supposed to be fun, and this course is just not fun to play. This course probably (from a design perspective) deserves a 2.5 or 3.0, but with all the switchbacks, park interference, poor tee pads, and just general feeling of "are we done yet" while playing this course I had to drop it to a 2.0 and suggest skipping the course when in Bowling Green.
12
0
I Doubt I'll Be Back 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 11, 2021
Played the course:once
Pros:
Holes 1-2, 7-9: This course has three distinct "sections" and this section was by far the most enjoyable. It had some elevation, some technicality, and most importantly didn't have to deal with the other parkgoers. Even though I lost a disc in the abyss next to Hole 8, it was still the most enjoyable stretch of course.
Basic Amenities: There are solid tee pads, teesigns, and baskets. Ample parking (albeit in range of being hit from errant throws on 18), and your usual city park amenities.
Basic Amenities: There are solid tee pads, teesigns, and baskets. Ample parking (albeit in range of being hit from errant throws on 18), and your usual city park amenities.
Cons:
GOOSE POOP: There was so. much. goose. poop. over by the lake holes, along with what felt like the entire goose population of Bowling Green. The poop was a nuisance, and so were the birds. If I were ever to come back, I'd skip these holes every time; it's not worth the walk over there.
Holes 3-6 in general: Beyond the poop, these holes were not my type at all. Hole 3 was short with several branches primed to knock discs into a death roll toward the lake. And the lake itself had a nice 6' dropoff into it, so it was tough to retrieve any discs that rolled in that direction. There was also a playground near the fairways and a man fishing who was in danger of being hit. It's not a great stretch of holes, in my opinion.
Holes 10-18: I don't know if I've ever played 9 consecutive holes that felt as similar as these did. The only thing differentiating these holes are slight changes in distance; otherwise, it's the same "throw it straight and miss the one tree in the fairway" shot over and over again.
Holes 3-6 in general: Beyond the poop, these holes were not my type at all. Hole 3 was short with several branches primed to knock discs into a death roll toward the lake. And the lake itself had a nice 6' dropoff into it, so it was tough to retrieve any discs that rolled in that direction. There was also a playground near the fairways and a man fishing who was in danger of being hit. It's not a great stretch of holes, in my opinion.
Holes 10-18: I don't know if I've ever played 9 consecutive holes that felt as similar as these did. The only thing differentiating these holes are slight changes in distance; otherwise, it's the same "throw it straight and miss the one tree in the fairway" shot over and over again.
Other Thoughts:
Bowling Green has a great collection of courses, especially for it being a relatively small city. This one, however, just isn't worth the visit if you aren't living in the area. Some of the holes were fun, but the rest just weren't really fun to play. We were playing with a friend who was considering doing the Trilogy Challenge here later in the summer, and after playing it with us he decided he wasn't going to do it because of the course.
From a pure course perspective, it probably deserves a 2.5 for being decent/typical. I do think fun factor should count for something in these ratings, though, so I docked it another half-point. It was one of the least enjoyable 18-hole courses I can remember playing.
From a pure course perspective, it probably deserves a 2.5 for being decent/typical. I do think fun factor should count for something in these ratings, though, so I docked it another half-point. It was one of the least enjoyable 18-hole courses I can remember playing.
