Easy access, low crowds, decent baskets, shade

short holes, two holes are separated from course

This was a fun short, non crowded course in a park, it did not cross much park traffic which was nice. Baskets were in good shape and newer models, not sure what else to say, it had some decent holes, not much in the way of difficulty so it would be good for beginner/intermediate players or advanced players looking for some aces. Don't think I threw anything over a tbird or maybe eagle.

Carmichael Park is a large urban multi-use city park with fairly manicured lush green lawns. It has 5 ballfields, 3 playgrounds, and 6 tennis courts, along with a dog park, basketball court and volleyball court. There are barbecue and picnic areas throughout along with restrooms. The Community Clubhouse, Veterans' Memorial Building, the Daniel Bishop Memorial Pavilion for the Performing Arts, and the Great Wall of Carmichael are also all located within the park. The disc golf course is mostly up front in the park, playing through a very flat area with a few old oaks scattered throughout. The course makes use of the tennis courts as obstacle, more on that in cons. Most holes average from about 250 to 350 feet, leaving all holes aceable or potential birdies for most experienced golfers. The course is designed about as well as can be for the space allowed, there really aren't a lot of obstacles other than a few scattered trees and roads played as OB. The holes are mostly wide open and provide plenty of shot options, but really aren't long enough to really grip and rip for a cannon arm. The corner of the tennis court fence by the first hole is used as a club kiosk of sorts, with a map box there but often empty. Weeklies are held here with often a large turnout. Mike G., the course designer, often hosts clinics at the course. The clinics, the weeklies, and the comradery are really what this course has going for it.

Personally I don't see the problem with the size of the tees for the distance of the holes, but I know some consider them too small. The course needs signs, other than hole 1 there is little to guide you through the course. Although the course is small enough to figure your way around navigation would be much easier with some kind of signage. Busy tennis courts used as OB and obstacles. Hole 1 is a sharp right dogleg played down the side of the tennis court and then behind with a mando of staying to the left of the court. For most decent players it probably won't be a problem, but a great deal of beginners and intermediates use this course and it is a safety concern. In fact I have seen several people throw errantly into the courts. Hole 5 uses the administration building as a backstop with the basket being placed right in front. I have heard that a window has already been broken. I personally had an errant skip off the road and hit the building, no damage though, but it does have me pulling my shots a little on this hole to avoid future incidents. The course often plays a little to close to roads and park drives for comfort. The course is closed on weekends sometimes for Farmers Market in summer, check schedule. Holes 8 and 9 are a considerable distance from the rest of the course, and really open field holes, so not the greatest reason for a walk, in fact many players skip these holes all together choosing instead to play 1-7 multiples. The lush green grass when wet is also a major con will leave you with soaking wet shoes. There are a lot of other activities going on in this park that will conflict with play. This is one of the only places I've ever seen LARPers, "Live Action Role Players," playing in the fairway running around putting "spells" on each other. What more can you say? This area of Carmichael also has a sketchy crowd that wander along Fair Oaks Blvd that sometimes find their way into the park for no good.

The Carmichael area was once a shining beacon of disc golf. The Callahans brought disc golf to the area as early as the late 1960's playing in Albert Schweitzer park to first trees, and then tones with the course being recognized officially in 1980. And the parks and recs department teamed up with the DGA to put baskets in parks like Del Campo, Mission North, and one other that I no longer remember the name, and there may have been more that I just don't remember. Back in the 1990's Carmichael was the only city in California listed in the PDGA course directory with 2 courses. The Carmichael area was a leader in the sport of disc golf, long before Carmichael ever became a city, and enjoyed a partnership with the local club The Mutha Putters for years. Over time that relationship soured until every area course was closed with Schweitzer being pulled in May of 2011. Some like Mission North were outdated for new disc technology and in too small an area to expand, others were pulled as the relationship between disc golfers and the city of Carmichael parks and recs deteriorated. Now to be fair, disc golfers share a great deal of the blame with illegal drug and alcohol use being cited as the major reason for closure. But the city of Carmichael took no consideration of the history of the courses in their decision to close them. Now all the courses have been shut down and now they have given us a course near the administration building in Carmichael Park in return. The course at Carmichael park is a beginner style course and really no substitute for the technical play of "little Africa" or Del Campo.

grass that is watered and mowed often. not a lot of other golfers on the course so you can play quickly. excellent starter and family course. has both tee pads and baskets.

it is 9 holes. 8 and 9 are on the other side of the dog park and hard to find. not to challenging with either of the length or obstacles. this is both a pro and con but the course has sprinklers so if you golf early you will want or need a towel.

carmichael is a good place to get back in to the game or keep you game up to date!

For those that live around Shady Oaks in Orangevale, this is a decent place to hit close by if the Oaks are impacted (as often is the case.)

Long walk between 7 and 8 is odd. If the second nine is added and this is revised to be part of a second nine, the nice walk between front and back could be nice.

I would slot this course between Elk Grove and Marconi. Again, for those Orangevale folks, it is a closer drive than Marconi and a much better area. It is wayyyyy closer than Elk Grove and a more challenging/better layout. It is what it is, a quick practice round during a lunch break!

-shady
-nice baskets
.......thats about it

-dirt tee pads
-hard to navigate
-hole 8-9 couldn't find the first time

ehhhhhh play it to mark it off the list but other than that i wouldn't recommend it..

Well the Mutha Putters lost there beloved Albert Schweitzer but fought back and set up a pretty good 9 holes, Still fighting for the other nine.

The layout is very good considering the obstacles they had to work with.
On most holes you have a choice of lines towards the target.
Groups of mature trees are used to guard most targets.
Off some tees there are some tricky mandos that make it interesting.
Plenty of parking and is located in a very nice park with all the amenities.

Most people are not aware the course is there so you get the occasional park user sitting in a fairway.
Maybe not a con, But it is all grass and totally flat.
Tone poles, But I think the way Mike Guerrero is handling things we should have baskets in the not to distant future.
Navigating this course might be a little tricky your first time around but there's a good map in the links.

There are doubles on Wednesday at 6:00 pm. Get out there and play, They could use the support. Mike and the Mutha Putters are a dedicated group of people who fought to keep Schweitzer open and fought to install this one. Go out to this course and show your support because they did a great job.