Kendallville, IN

Bixler Lake Park - East

2.675(based on 9 reviews)
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Bixler Lake Park - East reviews

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8 0
Radrad
Experience: 6 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

9 OK holes, 18 new "in the woods" drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 23, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Short, compact course, easy for beginners
No "rough" to lose discs
Grass always mowed
Few park visitors M-F
Free M-F

Cons:

Tees hard to find the first time
Tees muddy after rain
$3 Sat and Sun
More visitors on weekend
Restrooms closed on my visits

Other Thoughts:

Course is free M-F, $3 for non-residents on the weekend. If you are really cheap, you could park at the tennis courts, by holes 10-18 on Diamond Street and take the walking path around for free. The one time I played on the weekend, the man at the booth was friendly and answered my questions. During the week, very few visitors. Even on the weekend, I never had a problem with someone in the way. Holidays may be a different story. During the week, you may have the entire park to yourself. Park in the gravel parking lot before the access road to the beach. Hole one is in the corner of the beach access and parking lot/road, marked by a blue fence post.

A small, compact course between the lake and a woods. 1-3 are along the beach side, 4-6 the woods side, 7 and 8 up the middle and 9 returns you to the parking lot. No rough areas and few low branches. I printed out a satellite view of park from google maps and penciled in the tees/targets from the park map. This helped the first time I played. Four was hard to find; it is near the playground. Seven is halfway between targets 6 and 9. Eight is in the middle of four small trees. Yesterday the course was muddy. Wait a couple of days after a rain.

They are adding a new 18 hole course in the woods. Park guy said it is "a work in progress". 1-6 targets are in the ground, the rest on pedestals held down by rocks. Some signage is not in place. Most holes have two tees along the same line, red-easier and blue farther away marked by posts in the ground. There is an wooden arrow spiked into the ground next to the target pointing to the next tee. Park in the gravel lot by the beach. WALK up the newly paved accessl road to grey maintenance buildings. Tee one is in front of the buildings. All tees have plastic mats on the ground. Holes 1-3 and 16-18 are open with areas of rough, tall prairie grass. Could be a problem in the summer. After the first frost (Nov 1) until it regrows in the spring (May 1?) it turns brown and lays down making disc finding much easier. After the first three, the course runs in a loop, 4-9 along the left side, near the ball diamonds, 10 -15 closer to the campground and the old course. 16-18 return to the start. 6, 7 and 8 had a long walk between holes. There was a water hazard to the left of 5 that had a screen of underbrush to help stop an errant disc. 14 had a swampy area you had to throw over from 30 - 80 feet away. Not a problem unless you hit a tree and bounce in. Might want to put a pair of boots in the trunk, just in case. We have had a rainy summer/fall, so water levels are high. Might be dry in a normal summer. I am guessing par threes with a few fours on the longer holes for 57 total. I was able to play all eighteen holes with a little hunting. This could be a four star course when all the signage and baskets are installed.

Checked out the wooded course for the first time this year (July, 2022). It appears that almost NO work has been done on it. In fact it is in worse shape than it was last year. Despite having a short post with red or blue paint, many holes were hard to find. Many of the targets are hidden by a screen of trees or on the other side of a rise. To make matters worse, the targets are BLACK, which makes them even harder to see in the shaded woods. Tees are numbered but targets are not. A couple times I was unsure where to throw. There are many mowed cul-de-sacs. A trail that you think goes to the next hole abruptly ends. We have had some bad storms lately and the park employees have dumped two piles of brush and two piles of wood chips directly on the path from one hole to the next. You have to walk through thick weeds to get to the next hole. I hope this is from ignorance of disc golf, not on purpose.

If I was to rate the new 18 holes, it would have to be a 1.5. So much promise. So little finished.
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1 0
Discbee
Experience: 4 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Bixler Lake 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 30, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice layout around a library and park area
Appropriate length and variety for novice to intermediate player to have fun

Cons:

Poorly marked tees

Other Thoughts:

I enjoyed this course. It has enough trees (some taller and some with lower branches) to make it interesting and challenging. It is usually a bit forgiving if you are off line still giving you a chance. If the signage were better this would help alot because I found myself wondering around a bit trying to find some of the tees. Overall it was a pleasant course and an enjoyable round.
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3 1
Thim Reed
Experience: 13.8 years 165 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great Family Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 7, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fun course that flows together nicely.Tee Markers in the ground were very helpful. Great for the family with playground and lake on site. Good shot options and beginner friendly. Only course I know of in Kendallville.

Cons:

Finding the first tee might be a little difficult for some. Could be longer, but whoever put this in did a good job with the land they had to work with.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun family course where par or better is a real possibilty for most average players. I am thankful to have found a place to play in this area and am looking foward to seeing what the back 9 has to offer when it is completed.
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4 5
MrHollywood
Experience: 11 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great foundation for an excellent course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 22, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Alot of aceable shots, mixed variety of shots, excellent use of terrain, overall pretty fun course, some pretty views

Cons:

Not completed yet, a tad short right now

Other Thoughts:

I am one of the people who help designed the course. Right now we have the back 9 in and are currently trying to raise money to get the other 9 baskets along with concert tee pads. Overall I have heard from other people that have played it that they think it is a pretty good course but once again I am biased. If you are in the Fort Wayne area and what to try a different course come on up to Bixlar Lake.
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