+ The whole course takes place in a gigantic and very pretty campground setting with areas of quiet deep forest, breezy wide-open meadows and a strong river or stream always nearby.
+ There is a nice warm-up putting area close to the parking lot and hole 1 that is far away enough from the action. There is a lost disc box underneath a sturdy course info board, too.
+ There is a nice balance between open, wooded and hybrid holes at this course.
+ Quite a few elevation and water features add texture, character and challenge all throughout the 18 holes.
+ The tee signs are colorful and detailed with pars and distances. But...

- ...Some of the tee signs show holes with two baskets in play instead of just one, but, try as I might, I couldn't see both. This would be a let down to any newer players or those simply seeking an easier round.
- As it is private property, the course has a limited window of playability.
- The tee pads are hit or miss. Some of them are luxuriously long and wide pads of concrete. Some of them are constrictive narrow pads of concrete. Three or four of them are just rubber mats plopped down on the ground.
- The next tee signage is inconsistent at best. Most of the time, they are wooden arrows passively resting atop the baskets. It is obvious that they used to be anchored to the baskets with zip ties or whatever, but that is no longer the case. Some are missing altogether, and the course could definitely benefit from intermediary signs during the longer walks such as between 8&9 and 13&14.
- Some parts of the woods are utterly covered in thorns. Stay on the fairways!
- No trash cans on the course itself and just a few benches. (Please don't litter, folks!)
- That staircase on hole 11 is rickety.
- The final few holes are somewhat dull.

My favorite hole here to look at is definitely hole 12 because it is a perfectly framed image. There is a basket straight ahead of you on flat ground. A wall of trees on both sides of the fairway block your view of anything else and force you to see only the basket at the end of that grand hallway.
My favorite hole here to play is hole 11. Yes, it is the shortest of the whole course, but a whole lot can go wrong during those 183 feet. There are the initial trees to deal with, the stream to fly over and the imposing uphill to land on. Will your throw hit a tree, land in the water or roll endlessly downhill?
My least favorite hole is hole 15 because it was wide open and direct with no challenges along the way.

This was my first time playing here but my third time visiting the place. Camp Sankanac is a tricky course to grab hold of because of its specific hours of operation. They really mean it when they say that the course is closed. If an employee sees you playing or about the play when the course would be closed, they WILL ask you to leave. Avoid this course during the months of June, July and August when the summer camp is in session. Seriously. Play somewhere else.

But once you time your arrival right and get the chance to play here, you will probably be delighted by the scenery. This course really does play among a summer camp. There are small cabins, larger lodges, dining halls, a lounge, a meeting hall and many other rustic wooden and/or stone buildings that remind me of a few summers in my youth when I would spend a few days sleeping in a bunk bed, taking nature walks and walking on rickety bridges with other kids my age. All throughout, there are some nice trails to explore, hills to climb and rivers & streams to gaze at. It's a cinch to feel at ease here.

It isn't just pretty to look at, though. There is plenty of challenge to be had at Sankanac. The terrain has a controlled rugged texture. It rises and falls without being too imposing. The trees vary in density without making you feel completely hopeless or constricted. And the rivers and streams are cleverly incorporated throughout the course. I would recommend this course to those players who have at least a year under their belt and especially those players who prefer wooded golf, but any player will find something to enjoy here.

The course isn't without faults, though. Those next tee signs ought to be addressed. Most of them still exist, which is good, but they aren't exactly eye-catching, and someone could swipe them since they aren't attached to anything.
Also, it would be a help to players who don't have or use any disc golf apps by providing more helpful directional signage during the longer walks. I was lucky enough to have a Mike, a regular there, guide me through part of the course.
The course's availability is a slight negative factor, but that is easy enough to work around.

All in all, Camp Sankanac was a nice course to experience. The holes were varied. I rarely felt as though I was playing the same hole twice. The different configurations of trees, elevation, water and open space made for a nice grab bag of disc golf possibilities that many courses wish they could match. It's rough around the edges with some glaring details and safety issues, but it's definitely a course worth playing as often as its weird availability will let you.
Warmly recommended.

+ Read the review by it'sRudy below for an excellent hole-by-hole description


+ Variety of holes and shots required. It's unlikely you'll ever step up to a tee and think "Oh, this shot again…" Although the holes play predominantly RHBH, there are a handful of tees where a FH really helps. The variety comes from elevation, different amounts of dogleg, water shots and specific windows to hit

+ The course stays interesting. The holes are just really well-designed to challenge you without gimmicks or mandos

+ Hole #1 shows how the designer tries to distract you: it's a 330' straight shot with some elevation up to a hillside basket. But between you and that basket is a wide creek, a road, a stone wall and bridge for cars, and a steep hillside threatening rollaways. None of those things actually block your throw - but right there on the first tee, Camp Sankanac is trying to get in your head

- A little bit of confusion at spots (#2 to #3, #3 to #4, #13 to #14), but not a big deal. We figured it out, and will know next time we play

- The signage is great, but indicates silver and gold baskets. We played the golds and never saw a second basket on any hole

- Restricted hours. No play in the summer, No play on Saturdays. Makes for a lot of traffic when it's open

- It ends a little weakly: the final five holes are all open and long; while it feels good to throw bombs, the holes lack the kind of uniqueness of holes 1-13. The exception is the narrow slot in the wall of trees you have to throw through on #17, but that hole has been compromised by construction, causing the tee to be moved forward and down from a dramatic shelf

~ A course that never lets up. It exhausts you mentally because of the concentration and strategy required for every shot

~ My "acid test" is to see how many holes I can remember a week after playing a course one time. Sankanac was the fourth of five courses we played that same day (OK - we're nuts, but that's not the point here...) - and a week later I could recall 17 of Sankanac's 18 holes

It is a fun, well-spread out course with a mixture of flypad and concrete tees. To make your pars, you will need your entire bag of long-range drivers, accurate approach shots, and good putting as always. There are a number of signature holes here with lots of water OB challenge (but the creek more often than not is shallow enough to retrieve errant tosses). Along with the mix of OB water, there are other challenges. There are a few fast greens on the course. There is a good mix of lefty and righty holes with some elevation changes. The course is currently raising money for new baskets, so it is totally worth a nominal fee ($3). A few minutes from both the Pike and 422. Well maintained.

This is not so much a con, but it is noteworthy that the homemade baskets are similar to DIScatchers. These ones are not as deep as your traditional DIScatchers, so take note when putting. I personally have no problem with the restrictions on the course, its property, and its actual purpose, but others may. Please leave your objections at home, and observe all rules. The last thing you want is a course like this getting pulled out of the ground because somebody decided not to follow the rules. Hole 11 should be water OB only. Asking for a 225 foot uphill shot to get 220 feet on their drive with a well protected basket is kind of asking for too much.

I'm glad I got to play a round here. I met Pastor Jeff, who put this gem in the ground and is continually working on keeping it nice. Although the long holes were out of my range, this should be a must play on your course list for this area. Just keep in mind when the course is open and make the time for it. You'll be glad you did.

Beautiful course, this course has just about every challenge a disc golf course could have from water (about knee deep) to woods, from open fairways to narrow, from flat lands to hills that goes straight up. Signs to the next hole are easy to find so navigation shouldn't be a problem.
The Course is very well maintained.

The only complaints I have is that its at a camp so its limited on when you can go, it's closed every Saturday and between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and closed a few days in October for hunting season. If I really wanted to nit pick I could point out that some of the rough is totally unaccessable so if you're disc gets in there your probably not getting it back, but that's at maybe 1 or two parts of the course so I didn't fault the course for that. Though there is a strong possibility of losing discs at this course so if you play here I suggest putting your contact info on the back of your discs in case someone finds it.

Over all this course is fantastic. A few very minor complaints but nothing that wont stop me from coming again and again. I encourage anyone who can throw a disc to try this course, but if your new to the game, you may want to tee off from across the water unless you want to get wet for your disc.

Full 18 hole course tucked into a private camp. Smooth, flat rubber pads that worked well. Hand painted signs at tees showing hole layout and distance. Baskets were all in good shape.

Plenty of next tee signs to help with navigation. Paths were well kept and easy to spot. For a private course everything was extremely well cared for, and clean.

Beautiful piece of land for a course. This course did a great job of showcasing the variety of terrain on the property. There were tee pads on hills, baskets on hills, open grass fairways, wooded fairways with tight pines, and wooded fairways with scattered large mature trees. Plus the creek or creeks that run throughout the property are used often. Instead of playing through one kind of hole or terrain repeatedly this course offers you many different looks and feels. That felt fairly unique from many of the courses I've played.

Hole length variety was decent. There are quite a few long holes that will test your arm, but some shorter Ace possibilities are mixed in often enough to keep you from getting worn out.

Basket positions seemed to be well place on almost every hole. Hillsides are used several times, and the open holes usually tuck the basket near some mature trees or back into the woods.

Tee pads were fine, but rubber mats can get slick in bad weather. Concrete would be a nice upgrade. Not a major issue, but could be if it gets wet.

By my count there were 9 shots of the tee that required a straight shot. Some were shots that were down tunnels, or between trees and gaps, but straight none the less. Not a course that requires a ton of line shaping or precision shot making. There is some here, but straight length of the tee is more helpful here.

Silver baskets were hard to spot in some places.

This is a very nice course. My cons definitely are probably a personal preference. There are probably enough technical shots here to keep most players honest, but the focus seems to be long and straight. Still, you do need to thread a disc through some trees at times, so you can't just play with no control.

With the creeks and woods this course is set in the best description I can give of my round here was simply pleasant. There are a few long walks between holes, and you could complain about that, but even then this seemed to be a stress-free course with lots of nicely designed holes to keep you entertained. Along with Tyler State Park I would consider this a must play if you are in the Philadelphia area. And if you like courses that offer a little bit of everything then you may even rate this course a little higher than I did. Lots of good stuff here, but to me it lacked the one WOW hole I look for in top notch courses.

18 scenic holes spread around a bible camp/retreat in Spring City. A welcome board and scorecard box greet you by hole 1. Good variety of both technical and open shots in which elevation and distance make for challenging golf. At least 5 of the holes require throwing over water- a huge plus on any course- and a walking suspension bridge spans the tee box and basket to hole 6! OB areas keep you honest without being too intrusive. Homemade baskets are of good quality and rubber tee pads are of adequate size and in good shape. Illustrated signage with the hole number, par and distance are beside each tee box.

Tee shots off holes 1 and 4 and approaches from 6 can get way too close to the next tee box. Shallow basket catches can lead to spit outs. More "next tee" arrows would be helpful, as walks between several holes are a bit lengthy. Only one permanent tee pad and basket location for each hole. Benches/bag poles would be welcomed at each tee box. Beware of fishermen and pedestrians at several holes. Course is by invitation only and is closed for the summer months.

When told a disc golf course existed at a bible camp, I was skeptical. My fears were unfounded- this is an excellent course on a magnificent piece of property. Camp Sankanac offers a unique and peaceful playing experience and a number of both memorable and enjoyable holes starting with throwing over the water to an elevated basket at hole #1. A combination of uphill, downhill and tunnel shots with both right and left dog legs create great variety and maintain player interest. Kudos to Pastor Jeff for his design and vision. Call and obtain permission to play before driving here

Variety is probably the course's greatest strength:
- Length: holes range from 183' to 674', with five less than 300', and an equal number over 500'.
- Tightness: The tight, wooded holes were short, the mostly-open bombers were long, and the holes that had open portions but also required certain windows to be hit were of moderate length
- Elevation: Some flat the entire length. Other flat initially, but requiring massive elevation gains late. Long, gentle slopes to throw down.
- Shot-shaping: Being able to throw straight will be sufficient on most holes, but a few lefts/rights/S-shapes will be needed, too
- Location/type of obstacle: challenging windows to hit early - or late (sometimes both). Narrow lines to fly on the duration. Scattered hardwoods to miss at random intervals.

Limited availability - closed in the summer, on Saturdays, and some other dates.

Flush-to-ground rubber teepads can be lumpy and slick.

Silver baskets can be difficult to spot.

Some portions of the course can be quite damp.

The property the course resides upon is quite scenic. A broad stream, and the wooded slope to its right, hosts holes 1-5 and tee-6. After crossing the suspension bridge to continue hole-6, the next few holes play down, up, and across the lightly-treed meadow and edge of the wooded ridge on the left side of the stream. Holes 10-13 are the shorter holes on the course, as they play into the trees on the far side of the ridge. The open, grassy space containing long holes 14-16 comes as bit of a surprise, and is a welcome change after the previous technical holes, and the finishing holes offer you some downward slopes to watch your discs fly!

I really liked the way water (clear streams) was used on this course. Present on about 1/3rd of the holes, only drives that failed early, or run-away approaches, will find water. The exception is basket-10, located near a small stream, clear, and not deep.

Between the map and the many "next tee" signs, the course was fairly easy to navigate. The most difficult parts for a first-time visitor were:
- Basket-1 is across the road and up the slope
- From basket-2, return down its fairway a bit then up into the woods to find tee-3
- Basket-8 is up the wooded slope, slightly right
- Basket-14 is, indeed, behind the pine trees near the shed
- Basket-18 is in the obvious opening, down in the far left corner

The course at Camp Sankanac is quite good, offering a variety of challenges. Plan to play it if you can, but make sure its open before you make the trek!

Beautiful use of the land at hand. Great variety of shots through out the course. Very few holes are alike. Good mix of par threes and fours. Nice elevation changes.

The baskets are home made and don't catch as well as standard baskets will. There are a couple of places were the campers could be clipped with an errant shot.

I wish I lived closer to this course so I could play it more often. It is well worth the trip.

While playing this course you will encounter every element of disc golf you desire. Unsurpassed variety for the region is found here. Unlike other area courses that follow a unique theme. This heaven on earth has every type of hole a serious DGer would desire with water (5 shots teeing off over water and water lurks by on a handful of baskets), Plenty of woods, Plenty of open air, Elevation both rising and dropping (with 2x as many shots firing downhill as up!), Interesting ace runs and demanding par 4s, and a balance of anhyzers,hyzers, straight shots, and doglegs. What really wowed me the several unique looks you get here off the tee. Every tee was a surprise treat with either glorious downhill crushes or interesting lines you don't get at other courses. I emptied my bag a handful of times.
Some Highlights (not one dud hole but these standout)
Hole 12 was a reasonable fairway under 300 feet with ample room but was essentially similiar to throwing down a canyon of hallway trees. Dense enough off the fairway to ensure a 4 but if you hit it right you could garner birdie. I loved it.
Hole 9 is similiar to hole 7 at Morraine SP (only longer and more demanding) with it's temptation to throw over the tree tops from a hillside tee but with canopy below the treetops forming a lane to a faraway basket. From the tee your looking directly at the treetops with canopy lanes below and and crushing overhand/flex shots above you. Only the second time I've encountered this shot off the tee.
Hole 4 was a R turning dogleg downhill out of the woods to an open field and then uphill slightly right to a 90 degree bend and the basket.....be sure not to hyzer off or your gonna end up further away from the basket than the initial tee shot. Better off to have a flick in your arsenal.
Downhill open bombs like 5 and 7 keep the adrenaline flowing. The open fields require negotiating wind and shot placement to ensure par....you get to bomb but landing in the proper area is optimal. Technical holes are sprinkled throughout that often demand mental discipline and mistake free golf or you could be a risk taker and shotmaker.
17 and 18 are a pair of downhill shots where IF you split the gap on 17 you are parked, 18 requires 2 precise shots to set up a chance at birdie.....a long sweeping downill hyzer after a massive tee shot with defined OOB to the right. Excellent finisher as your score may birdie or get dirty here.
This course is just a treat to play and is best experienced for the variety and uniqueness of many of the holes. The fun factor is prevalent here all round long.
The tees, signage and baskets were ample especially for a pvt course. A great bonus to your donation is a course map/scorecard....invaluable and the right thing to do.

The designer clearly took the I want the best 18 disc golf holes out of this property and he maxed out. The price is several longish walks or a few holes with baskets close to other fairways. Not a big deal as saftey is not an issue as the course is not going to be too crowded and being a pvt course the ignorant DGer types should not venture out here. I was always rewarded after the little walks with a hole that was easily worth the extra steps.
It's not quite a gold level challenge despite the multi shot holes. Par is set at 60 and this is reasonable. Breaking par would be an accomplishment. Several longer par 3s that favor the bigger arms...might discourage the mortals. A lot of the course plays in and around roads, cabins, equipment, etc....so while camp won't be in session theres no doubt your bombing across a soccer field or around this bldg or road. The shots are phenomenal but you will notice and if you allow this to be a con it can be. (if you can appreciate the shot and focus you won't care)
The greatest con is probably the many vines which thwart throwing lines in the air and are killing trees and the thick thorns which make retrieval a rather harrowing experience...as the course matures and some vines and thorns get snipped this course will only become more astounding.
I am searching for cons here...its really an amazing experience and I felt both welcomed and not pressured by the Christian Camp personnel here.

This course complements nearby grueling French Creek. Pair these two and you have one heaven of a day. Keep in mind that it is a Church Camp and there are kids present for school and retreat activities may be in session so please refrain from bringing your Ds here. Dogs, Drinking and Drugs are not appropriate here. This place is about enjoying yourself and playing disc golf in a relaxing atmosphere. If players who make the trip here care enough about it as the man (pastor Jeff) who nurtured this course from practice basket to pro worthy experience than this venture will be a success unmatched by others in the region.
With Sankanac Eastern PA now has another must play.....Thank You God for spoiling me.

Reviews aren't suppose to refer other reviews but Zapplayer12's review is perfect below. #9 does remind me of Moraine near Pittsburgh.

I found this private course surprisingly great. I wasn't expecting much, I was wrong.

The land and terrain used on this piece of property
work out very well for disc golf. The secluded peaceful setting with hills and creeks make this a disc golf sanctuary.

Great variety of shots required...long, short, open, tight, left, right, up, down, OVER WATER, around camp make this a good challenge. Plenty of OB to contend with which can affect your strategy while playing some holes. Drop zones are clearly marked near the creek.

The clearing of most of the fairways thru the woods was done very well and you don't see a lot of cut brush lining the fairways except on a few holes.

Clean property, no litter at all, let's keep it that way!

The downhill drives on #'s 4, 5, 7, 17 and 18 are a lot of fun.

Six legit par 4's.

For homemade baskets, they caught well, they are very similar to DiscCatchers.

I met Pastor Jeff and he was making improvements on the course as we played, this course can only get better.

Tee signs with the distance listed on them and good rubber tee pads, some longer when appropriate.

Finding basket #1 and throwing over a road to get to the pin.Yellow street signs on #1's approach shot may get in the way, my playing partner hit one.

Spotting the silver painted baskets in the woods is sometimes very difficult.I'd suggest a different paint color or flag on the top of them.

The long walk between 13 and 14, many more next tees signs have been added since I first played it.

Since the course hasn't been played much by the public, the rough isn't trampled down yet and there are plenty of stickers bushes off the fairway.

#13's and #17's rough if you don't hit the gap on your drive.

The front nine ends up furthest from the start, no loop for each 9.

Some of the baskets have rusted inner chains on them yet they caught very well.

The limited days (no Saturdays) and seasonal play are a drawback but I understand it's a kids camp
first and course probably not even second.

I found about this course on DGCR just last week and made the short trip from Philly within a week, it's about 40 minutes from Center City.

Park in the gravel lot directly across from the office (# 68). The first tee can be found near the picnic tables just right of the bridge.

I have no problem paying the suggested donation of $3, I gave $5 towards to course. It's so worth it.

A few benches along the course would be upgrade since it is a long walk not only on the course itself but between some of the holes too.