• Discover new ways to elevate your game with the updated DGCourseReview app!
    It's entirely free and enhanced with features shaped by user feedback to ensure your best experience on the course. (App Store or Google Play)

Emmaus, PA

Camp Olympic Park

Permanent course
2.795(based on 7 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Camp Olympic Park reviews

Filter
5 0
itsRudy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 7.9 years 74 played 64 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Kudos for the Recent Layout Overhaul 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 9, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This community park course just received a major layout overhaul as of early April and the map from 2016 no longer applies. The old #12-18 after the underpass has been eradicated and it's been revamped into a smaller, tighter, and overall better layout. The front nine slightly changed too.

Everything's shorter. It's now a decent beginner level course with less walking, it's heavily open with a dash of forest holes and elevation plays a role. #5 downhill starting in forest going into open was my favorite.

The front nine and back nine can be played independently and both loop back close to their starting points near the front parking lot. There were several player groups when I was there on a Monday around 1 thru 3pm. Seems like it could become busy.

Field practice options are limited but looks possible on the triangular section of field, across the parking lot, between 9 and 10. Other areas can be used but are fairways.

The rating of 2 stars is for a "reasonable" course, about a star more than the previous course deserved. The underpass portion will not be missed. The area is lacking fast niners for quick practice rounds so this change is a big plus. It's still going through some growing pains however. Hopefully, with the major cons gone, the fewer remaining downsides will be ironed out over time.

+Yellow banded DiscCatcher baskets.

Cons:

Navigation isn't easy at the moment. The only current course map is on a paid DG mobile app. There is no map on site and the baskets still have the old numbers affixed, sometimes alongside the new. Tee signs on the front nine are now misnumbered. #10-11 were missing tee signs altogether. Yellow painted tee signs are current. It's said the rest are coming and when it does, it should be rated a bit higher.

Tee pads are dirt and a piece of lumber. No big deal at these distances unless the course becomes very popular.

The layout heavily favors RHBH/LHFH. There are hardly any right curves here to balance play out for LHBH/RHFHers. Baskets are mostly straight ahead or on the left. #15 is the only major exception. There's some repetition throughout, for example #2/#3/#5, #7/#8, #13/#17 felt just like extremely minor variations on a theme. The basic layout now is fine as is, but moving some baskets around just a bit from their current positions might help both issues here tremendously.

#9 goes over a cornfield with the basket is feet within a batting cage? Vegetation is dead now, but I wonder how this is going to work later in the summer when players inevitably lose sight of their discs within rows of corn stalks? That hole might have to be redone.

#10 basket has a fast moving stream in front of it. A good hole, just be aware of the water hazard that can carry away discs when it's really flowing.

#18 is a downhill that's hard to see past the tee, with previous fairways close on the left. It's possible someone playing 10 or 11 might get dinged with an errant hyzer slipping from someone's grip early. Danger.

One of the previous downpoints plaguing this course was narrow fairways with tall grass on the sides. With much less course to mow, guess I have to wait until the summer to see if that aspect improves.

Other Thoughts:

Starting Point: Park in the first parking lot on left, first tee is in the east north east corner at 40.537459, -75.519672 (google maps).

Amenities: In same parking lot is a building with a big "CAMP" "OLYMPIC" signs on it. It houses bathrooms, nice ones too. No water fountains.

Layout: The front eight are holes going around the outside perimeter of forest, situated on a steeply inclined hill, in a loop. The first six are on the base, with several holes going across the open field towards baskets perched near the stream and then back again to baskets in the forest's edge. There is one short uphill in the forest. #6 is the final return from stream, it goes uphill to an open basket. #7 and #8 are on the backside, top of the hill, fairly straight shots but discs going too far left can roll down quickly. #9 is a walk down the road and starts near the curve before the cornfield.

#10 tee is on the same road and throws into the basket down and across the stream. #11 is straight uphill.

New #12-17 is another around the perimeter of the forest loop where the old #8/9/10 used to be. #12-14 using the field by the stream as fairway, #13 basket in forest. After 14, go left. #15 is an uphill into the forest with basket right. Go right. #16 is another short forest shot. Climb to outside the forest. #17's tee is back towards the road, basket in a forest nook. #18 is by the BMX bike pit and downhill, basket by road before stream.

There's a single leftover basket, the old #11 starting next to back parking lot and going toward white concrete underpass bridge. Just for fun while it lasts.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 1
ronhoffman2
Experience: 14.9 years 10 played 2 reviews
2.00 star(s)

don't play in summer 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 19, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

some nice holes

Cons:

no tee pads
wouldn't have been able to navigate without my iUdisc app.

Other Thoughts:

would be nice in the other seaons. waaaayyy too overgrown in the summer for holes past #8. i lost 3 discs in what is really just high grass.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 1
ROTFLandmines
Experience: 13.9 years 15 played 11 reviews
2.00 star(s)

It could be so much more 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very cool Signs.
Unique course design

Cons:

Terribly laid out.
Poorly maintained.
Nearly impossible to complete.

Other Thoughts:

This course is extremely complicated to review, mainly because of its design.

The first 6 holes are a breath of fresh air compared to most park courses. They have great design and flow very well together. Some tighter shots out of the tree line make for an interesting play though. All of this is lost on the rest of the course though..

From hole 7 and on you can say goodbye to that "flowing" design. You have to walk across the entire parking lot and a bridge to even find hole 7, from there..good luck. It is poorly maintained and requires long walks between basket - pads. I gave up after hole 13.

I would definitely recommend the front 6 holes, but until the rest is re-designed I am going to stay away personally.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Top