I agree with everything posted.
Lots of variety
beautiful park
Elevation adds a lot
Clearly a championship level course

Just had trouble finding where to park and hole #1.

It is well past swim area. The first lot gets you to the hole #1 basket but a crazy amount of stairs to tee pad. Keep driving past this lot to next lot (sort of a bus stop looking thing and playground area). Then walk across to edge of trees which is past shelter building. #1 is a great downhill shot, plus stairs to get down.

Amazing to find this course along I-80 in NE!

Awesome course. Good blend of technical and distance shots. Water traps are a concern on a few pins, but even at bethe primary tees it'sb easy to get over or around them, and alternate tees make them moot. Infrastructure and maintenance are all great.

Tee pads are a bit small, but not a huge issue. Might benefit from arrows on the basket to the next tee.

-excellent terrain with big elevation changes, tight woods, and Cottonmill Lake in play on 6 holes
-the holes are designed well to take advantage of the land's features and challenges; lots of fun, beautiful but tough holes
-has a nice mix of shorter birdie holes and longer, tougher par 3 holes, especially when the baskets are in the long positions
-a few places to lay into a longer drive but accuracy is truly the test here; most holes requires an accurate line or a good placement; you will have to navigate tight woods on about half the holes; lots of risk vs reward scenarios
-concrete tees, signs at each tee, Mach baskets in good condition
-two pin positions on most holes
-a ton of other amenities in this huge park
-adequate parking

-the back 9 is a bit easier than the front; lacks the wow factor some of the holes on the front 9 have and leaves the round ending on a lower note
-the longer holes in the longer positions are tweeners, par 3.5
-navigation is definitely not obvious on this course; you will need to have a map or a local to follow; even then some of the trails can be tricky to spot
-i love the water danger but beginner players will be intimidated; this is not a good course for beginners as it demands accurate drives and water carries
-no indicators on the tee signs for the present basket position

Cottonmill DGC is just one of the awesome features of Cottonmill Park, situated around Cottonmill Lake on the west edge of Kearney. The park complex is huge and there's a ton of other stuff to do.

But we're here to play disc golf and this course has to be a contender for the best course in the state. It's got big elevation changes in play through tight woods and the lake comes into play on 6 holes. Holes 3 & 9 have a short water carry over a small inlet of the lake. There are lots of holes to test your accuracy and while the course is mostly on the shorter side, there are a few holes that are stretched a little longer. The longer holes in the longer basket positions play like tweener holes though; not truly long enough to be par 4s except maybe 9 & 10 longs.

The course almost has a double loop design but hole 10 is a ways from both hole 9 and the parking lot. The back 9 doesn't quite live up to the level that the front 9 sets. Not as many elevation changes and a more easy birdie holes. The final two holes do tighten up a bit but they are pretty short, even to the long positions.

There are a number of really fun holes at Cottonmill and the course offers plenty of challenge for most players. It's situated right off I-80 directly in the middle of the state so it's a perfect place to stop for a round if you're driving across Nebraska. It's gotta be the best course on I-80 in Nebraska and probably the best course in the state (not that I've played them all... maybe someday). If you only have time for one course in Nebraska, make it this one.


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Tricky shots and a variety of throws will be used. The scenery is great as this course plays around a large lake...which also means you will have some water shots for added challenges. Multiple walking paths. I thought the course was relatively well maintained and not a lot of trash, which is refreshing.

Since this is in a pretty popular park, expect lots of foot traffic from the paths. The holes can be a little tough to find if it's your first time playing.

A little biased, but wish there were a couple more open shots to really throw some long bombs.

Overall a challenging course, but this can make for some great risk/reward shots. Definitely a must play if you are in the area.

-Nice baskets
-Easy to follow, especially with use of the map printed out on here.
-Some fun water shots that can be shortened or avoided by alternate tees which is nice. One of the water shots skirts the swimming pond so it was comforting knowing that I could safely hop in and find my disc if I threw it in there.
-Multiple basket positions on every hole.
-Good elevation, it starts out right away on hole 2!
-This course goes in and out of wooded areas the whole round and that kept it fresh and exciting for the whole round. There are shots that turn every way or multiple ways per hole. No super long or super short holes but lots of good variety.
-The designers did a really nice job fitting the course in here. It seems like a large area but it really isn't that big.
-Concrete tees were more than adequate.
-Provided a woodsy challenge without having too crazy of undergrowth.
-Good signage.
-This park has all the amenities you need. Other fun stuff to do in the park for the kids like playgrounds and swimming. Bike trails, amphitheatre, bathrooms. Just a nice quality park on the edge of town.

-A few spots where I was a little confused about the layout. It would be fine if I played again even without a map.
-The ever present problem with multiple pins; where's it at now?! You just have to run up the fairway a bit sometimes. Not a big deal.
-You could lose a disc, this isnt your average city park course but not too easy to lose a disc either.
-A few times on the course you might have to be careful to not hit other park users. A few trails run right around or through the course and the swimming pond borders one hole.

This course was great. It had an awesome balance of fun factor and challenge for a player at my skill level. This course is just barely short of a 4.5 in my book and was by far my favorite course played on my recent road trip. This is easily the best course in Kearney and highly worth a stop if traveling on 80. If you only have time for 1 course, this is it. This course felt like a pay to play regional or state park or something but it is free! Thanks residents of Kearney!

I was blown away by this course. I've played almost all of my disc golf in Massachusetts and the only course I've seen that is better than Cottonmill is Maple Hill in Leicester, MA.
-The aesthetics of the course were phenomenal.
-There was an incredible range of holes, many of them easily separating the good from the great.
-The water is used well and it's hard to lose a disc in the water.
-The rough is also forgiving and it's easy to find errantly thrown discs.
-The concrete tee pads are excellent and the baskets are all in great shape.
-There was no one else on the course and parking was a breeze.
-It's free!!
-There were some dynamic elevation changes, tight technical shots, open bombs, dog legs, etc.
-Holes do not favor one type of thrower over another. Nice balance of left- and right-bending holes.
-Clean course without litter.

-We had to look at our printout of the course map twice to find our way.
-Multiple pins/baskets is what would take this course to the next level.

I was thoroughly impressed by this course and it is a clear example of an excellent, 4-disc course. Improve the maps and navigation and add another set of baskets and it's a 4.5. The fact that it's free and close to town and the interstate make this course a real gem. I will play this course every time I'm back in Kearney. If you are driving by on Rt. 80, you have to stop by to play! It's only 10 minutes off the interstate.

Cottonmill DGC is overwhelmingly better than every other course in the Kearney area. The well-maintained park has an interesting mix of foliage, elevation changes, water hazards, and tight lines. At just over 5000 feet the course feels longer than posted because of punishing lines and numerous blind shots. #3 and #9 are a signature holes where you must fly the water on your drive and position yourself well enough to get a look at the pin on a tough uphill approach. Par on these holes are hard fought for even great golfers.

The park has typical park amenities with campground, bathrooms (out of the way from the course) and beach play areas. A family could spend the weekend here while you hit the course. The tee areas are concrete and marked with small signage. Finally, I like when a course plays back on itself where you can choose to be done after the front nine and be near your car.

BEST HOLE/S: #3; & #9

First-timers can have some navigation issues due to the lack of good signage and dense foliage. Plus, my two favorite holes intersect off the drive, so watch for other golfers - not to mention the dangers of the many blind shots. Depending on your preference, a few holes could be thinned out a bit, and throwing in the rough can make for a miserable round. As always, bring the repellent - since the mosquitoes can get fierce in the summer heat.

WORST HOLE/S: #6

When it comes to playing Kearney courses, you basically have Cottonmill DGC and then the rest. And while Cottonmill towers over the others in distance, terrain, playability, and overall quality - having played all of the Kearney courses, I will give and ordered rating of what I viewed as the best courses as well as my personal favorite courses in the area.

The best courses are ordered in what I believe are the variables other DG reviews would require to create a quality disc golf course. My favorite courses will vary a bit from the other rating just based on my overall playing experience and personal preferences. Take each with a grain of salt, and then go hit them all yourself and make your own list.

Overall Course Rating:
1. Cottonmill DGC - 4.0 discs
2. Fort Kearney State Rec. Area - 2.5 discs
3. Centiennial Park - 2.0 discs
4. Sunrise Middle School DGC - 1.5 discs
5. Kearney High School DGC - 1.5 discs.

Personal Enjoyment: (1 is best and 5 is worst)
1. Cottonmill DGC
2. Fort Kearney State Rec. Area
3. Kearney High School DGC
4. Sunrise Middle School DGC
5. Centennial Park

The course plays in and out of the woods along the shores of a beautiful lake. The tee pads are concrete, and every hole has two positions. Tee signs are small but adequate, showing the distances and paths to the holes.

Most of the holes are in the 200-350 range. To varying degrees, they all require accurate throws through a defined fairway. There aren't any ridiculously tight lines you have to hit, but you also won't get away with a really bad throw, either. The fairways tend to be lined with pine trees and the thick rough that accompanies them.

There is some nice use of elevation here. Holes 2 and 6 were nice downhill bombs, but on both you have to be sure you stay on the fairway. Hole 9 is a cool hole with a tee shot across an arm of the lake (it's only 150-200 feet across), and you need to land hit one of two gaps on the other side so you can execute a steep uphill approach.

There are several holes that are pretty short but have the baskets on a slope. I like these sorts of holes. Birdies are not simple, and a missed aggressive putt can mean a bogey.

The course layout is unconventional. There are a couple areas where you play a loop and then cross a fairway you already played. There are a couple areas where this might not be safe (after #9 you need to cross either #2's or #9's fairway to get to #10), and I don't know how this works when there is a tournament. Other times there is a basket pretty close to your fairway that is for a different hole. On #11 you see a basket about 150 feet away on the edge of the fairway, but it's for another hole (#16 I think?). Definitely study the map and pay attention to the tee signs.

On several holes you need to walk the entire fairway to see what position is in use. According to other reviews, the sign at hole 1 tells what positions are in use, so take a look. I wish I had.

A couple holes are pretty close to the road, and I ended up in the road at least 4 times (that's partly because there were 40mph winds this day, and partly because I'm not very good!).

Although there are two shots across water and several others near the lake, I don't think the risk of losing a disc here is very high. The holes across the lake have alternate tee pads to avoid throwing over water, which is a nice feature for beginners.

Even in spite of the windy conditions wreaking havoc on my drives, this course was a joy to play. None of the holes are boring, and the views are great. It's rightly regarded by many as the best course in Nebraska. It's not too far off of I-80, so if you are itching for a round between Omaha and Denver, this is your course.

Excellent course. It was tough but pretty fair, probably one of the two or three toughest in the state. Nice mix of wooded and open holes, you had to use every shot in the bag. Great use of water hazards and elevation. Nice tee pads and fun pin placements, there are some great risk-reward shots here.

You really need a spotter on a few holes as there are some blind pins. Could have used a bench or two to sit on after walking up and down some of the hills. Make sure you have some extra discs, it isn't hard to loose one here.

Overall it is a awesome course. I would definitely recommend it to everyone if you are coming through Nebraska on the interstate, it is worth pulling off for an hour to play. Easily one of the top courses, if not top course in the area.

Set in a nice quiet park, the course is easy to get to with parking right next to the first hole. Large cement teepads on every hole with a few with dual teepads. Course is generally wooded with baskets tucked into them creating more of a challenge. Holes are quite varied from long and short to right and left throws. Elevation, while not extreme, comes into play nicely on several of the holes. There are a few water holes that might scare a new player, but more experienced players wont have any problem I think. I also liked how some of the holes have dramatically different pin placement options that would really change how the course would play when the baskets are moved. Some of the holes were tunnel shots like hole 4 and 17. The middle of the course holds a few ace chances. I especially liked holes 6, 12 and 17. The course itself was loaded with mature trees with closely cut grass on all the fairways. Though there wasn't too many trashcans, the course was pretty clean. The teesigns, while small, had all the information you needed and were in great shape. Everything was in great shape, no damage to speak of.

Not a whole lot of cons here, or at least not significant ones. Navigation wasn't the greatest, but not too difficult to figure out on your own. There is also a course map, but I forget it in the care. Next tee signs would be a nice addition. Some of the holes have fairways that cross trails and the road, but the park generally isn't too busy for that to be too much of a problem. Hole 15 has a full size volleyball court right in the middle of the fairway. This is a terrible design and I could see how many players would just skip this hole.

I realy enjoyed this course. I am always surprised how such small cities can have such great courses. This course has all you could ask for. I could easily play here several times a week and by moving the baskets around, it would be hard to get bored of this course. I really gave consideration to giving this course a 4.5 rating, it is that good, but a 4 rating is well deserved. I would definately play this course again.

Cottonmill is a nice challenging 18 holes. The course offers a large amount of elevation changes throughout the course. Water comes into play on a decent number of holes as well. There is a good balance of tight and open fairways. There is also a good variety of doglegs (both left and right) and straight shots.

There's very little I can say bad about this course other than that the layout can be a bit confusing if you have never played here before.

overall, cottonmill is a great course, it really teaches you to learn to control your throws, due to the narrow fairways with thick woods and underbrush as rough. There is also a 'bonus' hidden hole between holes 9 and 10. just follow the small beaten path across the fairway of hole 2 into the woods and you will come across a rubber tee pad. the hole doglegs slightly to the right

I have played this course several times, but only in the winter and early spring. Wow! I really enjoy it every time! I have not played it when all the pins are in their longest positions, but would like to do so! I am writing on here to encourage people to play this course!

None, for now!

This course has a rockin' layout. There are some great technical shots, the elevation changes are fantastic, and risk/reward factor showed up on many holes. They have course map/scorecards at the message board and you will need the map! I loved how some holes would allow you 2 different ways of getting to the hole. The water does come into play often as part of the course works around the lake. Holes 3 and 9 are fun over the lake shots, but do have alternate tee pads available for the less enthusiastic. There were the occasional non-players walking around, but it isn't enough to say there are safety issues. The tee signs and the long concrete tee pads were great.

The message board does have a spot to tell you which pins are in position B, but it was not updated! I did not see any restrooms and very few trashcans. Navigation is actually tough even with the map. It would be great if you could play with a local your first time out.

This part of the negatives I am sure is seasonal or bad timing on my part, but....
There were literally billions of mosquitoes. I mean I was walking through clouds of them the entire 18 holes and I used three complete layers of bug spray. That did almost no good at all. There was also tons of grasshoppers every where I stepped (not much of a problem, just annoying.) And the last bug complaint was that there were 4 tee pads with huge webs hanging right over them and they had spiders with the body size of quarters in them. I kind of made a half tee shot on those holes.

Although my experience was not that good due to the bug issues, I would still say this course has a pretty good fun factor. Some of the blind cliff shots on the first nine were a real treat. I had actually planned to play this course twice, but I couldn't take the mosquitoes any more. I do think this a real challenge for all levels of the game. The front nine was much tougher than the back nine, as info.

The lake that Cottonmill plays through provides a nice forest like setting as well as good elevation changes. Thick trees come into play in interesting and sometimes creative ways. Some of the fairways are cleared out like ball golf fairways. You can tell that the people of Kearney love disc golf by how well cared for this course is. I was even provided with a map fresh from the printers, by some of the local clubbers who were clearing out debris. The beauty of this course, its flow and its shot variety make this one of my top five courses out of the about 50 I have played. If ever driving through Nebraska its worth the stop.

I got turned around looking for the back nine, due to an alternate pin location. However it was damn hard to think of a negative for this course. I cannot wait to come back someday.

Keep raising the bar Kearney! This was one of the first courses that I played as a DGtourist. At the time I thought it was an amazing course, I have since lowered my grade. It is still a very impressive course, maybe the best in central Nebraska, and I plan to stop by here next time I am in the area.