If you like hilly and wooded courses this is the place for you.

Favorite holes.

2. After a simple warmup hole, the challenge begins with as visually intimidating Tee as you'll find. The steep bluff in front of you as you stand on the tee will cause you to reconsider your choice of recreation for that day! I've not been brave enough to play the long tee, the short has trouble of it's own for a weak throwing old dude like me. I've had the misfortune of catching a roller back down the hill, as I'm sure others have.

Once you crest the hill the fun begins.

4. A super cool risk reward dogleg right that I'm sure you cannon armed he men will take the short cut across a 20-25 foot deep ravine.

7. Trees strategically placed to catch your throws that you just pured towards a basket that is wide open in a utility right of way. There's a significant risk at trying to make a putt from distance because the basket is on a severe slope and will compound your troubled round if you miss.

8. A great downhill that's open enough to get the disk flying but thick with brush and bushes in the landing areas. You could be smart and layup but what's the fun in that when a large downhill looms?

11. Two tee options and one sits high on a ledge through a tunnel towards a pin perched on a ledge with logs framing it. Very cool.

16. A beautiful hole with a long downhill through a valley. In the fall on a sunny day it's a calendar worthy picture.

18. Another big downhill finishing hole. Open enough for seeing your disc go a long ways but trees, like everywhere, can interrupt your magnificent flight and have you reaching in your bag to try it again.

The others are to me anyways a little more mundane, but still full of wonders and miracles.

If you don't like hilly and wooded courses this isn't the place for you.

Wondering if there was any possibility of placing a hole in the utility right of way? A huge open downhill throw would be a lot of fun, but this isn't as much of a con as it is just a question.

Being new at this I kind of hate to say there's cons on any course that you can play for free. I really can't think of any here anyways.

This course with Moraine St. Park (I've not played but heard great things) would make for a nice day trip. A warmup 15 minutes away at the highly rated 9 holer 2 mile extension could add to it. Visually this course is top two for me.

+ The course plays primarily in the woods behind a quiet community park nestled within the wrinkles and folds of the western Appalachian foothills.
+ Three tees per link are flat, sturdy, long and wide made of pavers.
+ All tees have their own signs with great detail giving elevation, distance and par. The wooden posts are color-coded to tell players which tee they are.
+ Numbered baskets have bright orange guiding arrow clips attached to their cages, but...

- ...The baskets are dull grey in color, which makes them very hard to spot from a distance.
- There is no system in place to tell the player which of the three positions the basket currently occupies.
- Roots, rocks and steep hills abound. This place isn't at all cart-friendly and will strain a person's knees and ankles.
- There is a practice basket, but I didn't see a lost disc box or info board.

I fully expect my notes to be out of date all these months after having played Big Beaver. I say that because there were piles of pavers all over the place just waiting to be installed right next to several tee signs. To me, this communicates a dedicated team willing to develop this spot into a popular and noteworthy place to play.

It's already got so much going in its favor...

I loved the optics of links2 and 9.
Link2 I've nicknamed 'Welcome Wall.' It's only the second fairway of the course, and the player is already being asked to perform some vigorous hiking up a crazy steep path that necessarily has to zig-zag in order to safely reach the top. It looks really cool from the tee.
Link9 is a shadowy brief quiet tunnel of some unexpected pine trees. No other fairway at this course has so many trees like that. It felt like a glitch in The Matrix or something.

I loved playing link15. The fairway bends to and fro. It has a pleasant valley to traverse. There are just enough trees to make it challenging. To top it all off, there is a sudden uphill finish just to make your putt a little more nerve-wracking.
But I've got to mention link18!
After a flat tee off with very little in the way, it suckerpunches the disc golfer to discover a dizzying and dramatic downhill drama. It is a nice antithesis to the Welcome Wall and an unforgettable kiss goobye.

So the disc golfing doesn't need a thing. It is mostly in the woods with fairways that vary in terms of direction, elevation, and tree density. I hope that aspect of Big Beaver stays as is. No, it is the infrastructure that still needs more developing.

But here is where I expect my notes to be obsolete. For reference, I played in late June 2023.

After link7, the tee signs were just laminated paper tacked to a wooden post. Obviously, it was a placeholder measure because all of the tee signs before that point are sturdy plastic mounted to a plank and protected by a clear rigid cover.
After link11, the paver tee pads all but vanished. But I know that they are soon to be installed (if they haven't been already) judging by the stacks of pavers nearby.
A few of the fairways seemed like they were still being carved out of the forest. Links11, 13 and 16 come to mind. I felt like I was walking through a work-in-progress as I played those. But maybe that's just a characteristic of playing in such a hilly woodsy course.

Still, I strongly recommend Big Beaver. For its tremendous hills and tripping hazards, I want to reiterate a note of caution, especially after a rain. (Links1 and 17 were particularly squishy when I played.) But I hope to return someday soon so I can see what progress has been made. I can envision this course only getting better once the man-made structures are finalized and installed. With a little more polish, it wouldn't surprise me to hear Big Beaver entering the conversation alongside other great local courses like Deer Lake and Moraine.
Get here yourself and see what I mean.

EDITING REVIEW AFTER PLAYING THIS WEEKEND. THEY HAVE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS COURSE OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS

This is an exceptional piece of property and the elements are there to start creating what I truly believe will be a top tier course -- eventually. This is Woods golf with a TON of elevation change, both in the course itself and in your walk through the course. It actually starts out deceiving because the one and only open hole on this course is #1 but immediately on 2nd Hole you shoot straight up a cliffside to a green sitting high up on a hill. It's a challenging shot and sets the stage for what will come. From there, this course if a tough challenge in more ways than one. You have to play consistent and straight here. You have to be able to shape your shots here. This is not novice golf. I really enjoy the variety that they designed into this course. You play big downhills and uphills. You play tight fairways, wooded fairways, tight greens. It's got everything you might need to walk away with a memorable golf experience.

Some standouts for me -- 8 and 18 are sort of mirrors of each other, both playing down the same hill back towards the parking lot. Both are really fun holes that need you to keep a consistent flight path down to stay out of trouble. I like the 9th Hole, as well, which could swing easily from bird to bogey. 16 is the masterpiece here, with a great downhill shot into a valley with creek on left, you need to keep throwing consistent straight without hyzer fade the whole way down to make your par and that valley is pretty as can be.

They have put a lot of work in here recently. There are now paver stone tees for White and Red. They did a nice job installing those tees, which are the right size and leveled nicely. They also put work into signage. The tee signs themselves aren't the most high tech I have seen, but they added nice directional signage to the bottom of baskets and more on the walking paths to help assist. They also did a considerable amount of upkeep. The walking paths were cleared of sticks and logs. They trimmed trees and took some things bushes and things out to help create some more open lane.

NEW UPDATES: They seem to be on their way to installing some to notch tee signs. Many of the opening holes have good, detailed signs with a cool pole feature that has the pin locators. They also have added a good bit of navigational signage that has fixed the legacy problems this course had.

There is now a pit toilets, which is really the best for a disc golf course. My wife appreciates bathrooms that are open in the winter.

The course is still pretty young and a lot of the cons I'm about to outline will go away with time, but don't change the fact that they are what they are right now.

There is no cell service here, or very little. That's not a slight against the course, so much, but know that once you hit the parking lot you most likely can't text the wife and friends. Keeping score can be a challenge here and there as well. There is also then no running water, so bring your own.

My biggest gripe may be my most controversial here. I still think that a few of these holes are asking a lot of sub 900 players. A few have some lanes that may be there but expect a good bit of perfection, or else add a random tree smack elements. The course will grow into itself in time and when trees come down, this will be great but it involves a bit of random right now.

One minor concern, but having played the first tournament at this course over the past weekend, it would be helpful if this place develop more local paths. It is not easy in any way to get to the deeper holes, most of which need you to essentially walk the course to get back there. It required a lot of walking up hills before you even start your round. Any way they can develop shortcut paths would improve that.

I recognize the locals that love this course may not enjoy my candid thoughts. This course will be something special in town and could match Deer Lakes or Moraine one day. Right now, it's got the same problems as NoBo. Too many trees that don't make it fun for the average golfer.

Prepare for a TON of elevation. This and NoBo are the only courses in town that I will not bring a Cart.

Well-designed course that's just far enough off the beaten path.

• Variety: Good - Wonderful range of distances and fairway shapes. Extremely well wooded, with tight, but fair lines. Favors placement over distance -big time- even on the longer holes. Because of how punishing it is to leave the fairway, you'll want to lean on mids and fairways off the tee. Even if you hit your line with a distance driver, fade and skip will make you wish you'd thrown something more controllable. Several interesting alt pin placements were clearly visible during my visit. Don't let the distances fool you - the elevation makes several of the holes legit par 4's and 5's.

• Elevation: Phenomenal - Big Beaver's defining feature. This is not "gently rolling" terrain. This course is a workout, and it's laughing at your cart. Uphills, downhills, rollaways... it's all there, and often pretty steep. The relentlessly hilly terrain often makes a runup on your 2nd shot impractical, placing a premium on being able to stand and deliver.

• Challenge: Excellent - The reds are plenty challenging. You'll need good distance with a mid if you want to score well from the whites. The blues would be pretty brutal. Even the reds are decidely not beginner friendly.

• Equipment: Good - Tees are crushed gravel and pretty good for the most part. Chainstairs are in great shape. Large, orange arrows on each basket point you toward the next tee. Signage is simple, yet effective. That said, you'll still want to scout ahead to spot baskets and assess your plan of attack on many holes.

• Aesthetics: Excellent - If you enjoy a hike through the woods, with a lot of hills, and getting away from it all... you'll absolutely love this place. Several nice (labor intensive), touches add to the course's charm, such as the wall of cut logs defining the green on # 11. The carved path that zig-zags its way up the hill on #2 is eye-catching and eases the severity of the ascent (it would be a lot tougher to climb going straight up the hill).

• Fun-Factor: Excellent - but only of you really enjoy shot shaping through dense woods on steep hills.

• Routing/Nav: Very good - directional arrows on all the baskets, judicious use of next tee signs, and some pretty obvious paths, make getting around pretty easy, and tee markers were easy to spot. Good thing too, because the iffy cell signal means you may not be able to rely on U-Disc. Failure to provide helpful navigational aids on a course this hilly would really detract from the fun factor. Seems like the course is about the only thing happening on most of this land.

Some of these are more informational than they are truly cons.

• Somewhat lacking in fairway types. Except for #1, this course is extremely hilly, and densely wooded. Many players (myself included) love that, but it gets repetitive. Even a few fairly flat or somewhat open holes to break things up, would provide some much-needed relief from shaping shots through wooded hills for 17 holes in a row. Some will absolutely love it for that very reason. But objectively, it lacks the balance needed to earn a higher rating from me in that sense.

• I really can't rip on the tees, because they're pretty good for the most part, and definitely took a lot of work, but they could be better. That said, the work required to install quality concrete tees on this course would be back-breaking, and I have to give those who did the work here a lot of credit for the tees as they are.

• Chainstars can be tough to spot in shadowy woods. A flag or splash of color would help.

• Not exactly remote, but cell service is spotty, and I didn't pass much in the way of food or gas stations coming in from the turnpike so plan accordingly.

• The wooded nature of the course means there's hardly any grass on the fairways, so they're basically dirt, and gonna be muddy after a good rain. Factor in the elevation, and you better be very surefooted if it's rained recently.

A very solidly designed course that's obviously a labor of love, and a great addition to The Burgh's stable of wonderful courses. Big Beaver lacks the polish of North Boundary, Deer Lakes, or even Moraine, but the disc-play is top notch. A lot of thought and labor went into this course, and it shows.

I admit the tees and single-minded variety briefly had me thinking about a 3.5. But if you dig shaping shots through the hills, on a course that really challenges you to stay in the fairway as much as I do, this is a 4.0.

If you prefer grip n' rip, you'll arrive at a much lower rating, and be way happier skipping this one

The Elevation changes make this course tasty!!

Another Diamond level course in the Pittsburgh area!

I loved all the extras that I saw on this course that I don't see with other DG courses. (Like The Cut Logs stacked on each other around Basket # 11, or the Eagle Scout made shelter between Hole # 16 # 17 <I hope they add a couple more of these shelters> Man made bridges. A few benches

Close proximity to other Great courses.

There will be 3 sets of tees @ this course, when completed. So anyone can have fun with the Beast of a course (I had to stop and rest for a minute 1/3 of the way up the hill from 17's basket to 18's tee)

Plenty of parking for a large tournament

Tee signs showed the direction of the next tee and there was a orange arrow underneath each basket pointing in the direction of the next tee.

A Covered Bridge to walk through crossing the creek on hole # 2, for all those Covered Bridge enthusiasts. (Not to many DG courses have a Covered Bridge aka can be used as a quick shelter in rainstorm).

Compacted gravel tees we're fine, but some of the tees weren't long enough for some of the longer holes.

Generic tee signs we're okay, But I'd really like to see the Tee Signs show the elevation changes on the Tee sign, since some of the holes one might not know of the extreme elevation change if playing the course blind.

A couple long walks between each hole, but the long walks were worthy walks to a better than average next hole.

Nearest fast food was several miles away. So plan ahead players.

Little or no cell service in the valley (parking lot area) I got good service up on the hills of the course.

A few benches

I'd give it a 4.5 with a better surface than the current tee pad surface and longer leveled tee pads and more descriptive tee signs and benches for every hole. Great work Don Rambo and working crew, I can't wait to play the finished product---------------- - + Big Beaver DGC was my 1999th different DG course played and my 123rd different DG course played in PA.

18 fun technical wooded holes playing across varied mountain terrain with multiple tees and single pin position. Excellent mix of distances with par 3s, 4s, and 5s and types of fairway shots for intermediate to pro level players. Course is secluded from other park activities. 2 loops of nine holes back to parking lot.

Hole 1 might lull you into a false sense of security thinking it will be just another walk in the typical park golf style setting, but then things take a dramatic change arriving at the base of the mountain on hole 2 with thy basket perched upon the beautiful plateau leading you along an enchanted nature hike over the river and through the woods with the journey finally ending with the climax on hole 18 and the big downhill bomb that the beaver has been teasing you with all along.

Course is still new and under construction, so no frills on the amenities, carpet tee pads, limited signage, a little rough on the edges, limited cell phone service, no restrooms, small parking lot etc.

Rank beginners and grip and rippers and flat landers beware that beaver eats Taco Bell and if you try to tickle his chin and give him a pinch, the bastard just might try and bite your finger and eat your discs between the woods and elevation. She might have a porcupine.

Darlington's got herself a big brown beaver and she shows it off to all her friends. Now Darlington took her big brown beaver, and she stuck him up in the air. Said I sure do love this big brown beaver, and I wish I did have a pair!

Big Beaver is already one of my favorite courses in the Pitt area. Highly recommend to anyone that enjoys playing in the woods and elevation and doesn't care about tees. I would upgrade to 4.5 rating with better tees and would likely take my #1 spot over other great courses like Moraine and Deer Lakes. Great pairing with 2 Mile Run Extension - one of the best 9 hole courses I've ever played.

- with leaves are peak color one of the most beautiful rounds I have ever played
- difficult but more than fair course design through the woods
- elevation, a bit extreme in places like hole 2 and 3 as well as the walk from 17 basket to 18 tee, but it adds character to just about every hole
-the isolated feel of the course after the first hole
- the number of highlight holes, every other hole was a highlight with only one or two ordinary holes
- the diversity of holes...split fairway, hyzer, anhyzer, uphill, top of the world type downhill...evenly spaced par 3,4 and 5 holes
-the scenery in the woods...amazing trees, creeks, etc.

- no tee signs
- unfinished tee boxes
- lots of stumps in the fairway (though nicely painted bright blue)

This course was an amazing surprise, I take a few weekends a year to drive to the Pittsburgh area and play Moraine and Deer Lakes...added North Boundary to the rotation last year...decided this morning to try Big Beaver...I was blown away...I love woods golf and this course delivered...

So many great holes....3,7,8,11,13 and one of the top 5 holes that I've ever played #16...a gorgeous, majestic par 5 from an elevated tee through the woods along a creek...

When this course is finished it will be in the 4.5-5 range along with Deer Lakes and Moraine...great job whoever carved out this gem...

You are in for a treat if you are playing Big Beaver for the 1st time. Driving down the small backroad made me realize that this might be a little more secluded than most courses in the surrounding areas. At the bottom of this road is ample parking spaces to choose from. Hole #1 starts to the right of the parking lot. This hole is the most open shot on the course thus far. Don't get me wrong...it's not a gimme, with guardian trees protecting the basket, but after this...your in the thick of it. Hole #2 is a massive uphill shot that actually has a switch-back trail that takes you to the top after your uphill drive. This is where good disc/shot selection can make or break your round. BB I feel is very fair when it comes to basket placement. It has about equal shots for lefty's & righty's. The front 9 loop finishes right where you started. This area has some great courses and BB is a great addition!

The course is still under construction. Some of the fairways are still rough around the edges. There are some wet spots on the fairways where water is trying to drain from one side to the other. In time this will be addressed I'm sure when all wet spots are figured out. Also some of the tee pads are a little rough and need some more work done to them. But, that's understood when you realize that some of them had to be literately carved out of the hillsides. On some of the fairways a little more clearing may be required for some low hanging branches but the course is still young. Some tripping hazards remain from small trees that were cut to clear lanes. Most are painted just be vigilant. I would not recommend trying to bring your cart here. You are climbing hills every other hole. This course is quite a workout so be warned.

Big Beaver is a very wooded course with a lot of elevation changes. I don't have the biggest arm so this is the kind of course I like. Reminds me of Linbrook if you've played the area. This course was literally carved out of untouched woods. You can tell all the hard work that went into this course...and it's not even complete yet. I can't wait to see it completed. Keep up the good work BCDGA!!!

*Updated review after playing on 8/6/23*

Big Beaver DGC is set within the valleys and hilltops of Big Beaver Borough Park. The course is mainly set away from any other park goers due to its intense terrain.

+ There are three sets of tees on each hole with three possible basket locations. The red and white tees both have paver tee pads across the course. The tee signs are very well executed as well.

+ There is plenty of parking available, along with a practice basket and portable restroom.

+ #1 is a fun warm-up hole before you get into the woods for the rest of the round. From there, you're treated to numerous difficult, but fair, heavily wooded holes. The pars are fair and take into account how dense the tree cover is in some areas.

+ The course was in tournament condition when I played. The fairways and most of the rough was very clean and easy to find discs in.

+ Navigation is pretty simple. All baskets have bright orange arrows pointing the way, with additional navigational signs in place throughout the course.

- Being as tight as it is, there's no real opportunity to air out a really long drive. Slightly repetitive, fully wooded disc golf may not appeal to some.

- Could use a few benches, especially with the amount of elevation and distance that has to be covered. There are numerous makeshift places to sit, but more permanent options would be nice.

- The design is great, but I could see it favoring righties more than lefties.

Big Beaver has taken several years to reach this point, but the locals I spoke with said that this is the best the course has ever looked.

Happy to bump the rating up to a 4 after playing in the first ever sanctioned event over the weekend. It's a great western PA course with dedicated club members who will continue to make it a force to be reckoned with!

NOTES
* There is no cell service throughout most of the park. I was able to pick up a bar at the very top of #8 and #18, and that was about it. This seemed to be the case for many of those playing.

* This course is NOT for the faint of heart. Use a caution on the hills!