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Topeka, KS

Crestview Park - East

3.65(based on 5 reviews)
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12 0
Pevio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12 years 189 played 120 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Shunga's Revenge

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 2, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

The East course features some awesome wooded holes, a couple of bombers and all kinds of danger to get into. While the tees are small and there aren't any signs, everything is in pretty good shape.

The crazy wooded holes are the big highlights here. Holes 3, 10, and 11 all give a bunch of options, and there are the more classic straight tunnel shots on 4 and 9. Combine that with hole 2 playing over the river and you've got yourself a really spicy start to the round.

There's not a lot of elevation here, but it really matters in some spots. Holes 8 and 9 are downhill, but they're rather tricky to navigate since they're not just straight downhill - I don't really know how to describe it. Hole 3 plays steadily up and 6 steadily down, which makes things rather tricky.

The later part of the course is more open, and while it's not super unique, it fits into the course well. Those holes don't feel like filler holes at all. 14 and 15 are bombers, and the others have some kind of low ceiling to contend with.

A couple other features worth mentioning: the hanging basket on 7, Raised basket on 12, sorry, let me rephrase that one, towering basket on 12 that has stairs to help you retrieve your disc, and the open-but-with-danger aspects of 5 and 7.

Cons:

The wooded holes are good, but the river is in danger on half of the holes. Even if you exclude the holes that play over it, you're still left with a staggering six holes where any unlucky kick or roll could send your disc plummeting down.

Of the wooded holes, number 6 is not good. There's just... no line. And there's still a chance of rolling onto 3's fairway or even into the river. For a course that already has you scratching your head trying to find a line, this one is far too punishing. You could argue 11 has the same problem, but I think that one is pretty fair (though it has more of water danger). And I don't think 18 is a good way to finish the course; it brings you back into the woods, but not in a challenging way, and it plays over a sidewalk.

Hole 15 is a little too open, and has short trees in the fairway that will make the hole a joke once they've grown up. There's also a busy road on the right side. For a section of the course that is already pretty open, this one is unnecessary. Okay, enough talking about individual holes.

The lack of signs certainly hurts here. Not just for the tricky navigation spots, but also to know where the danger lurks and at least an estimate on hole distance.

Other Thoughts:

It looks like there's been a slight layout modification since the course map on this side was posted, with original holes 11 and 12 being combined and an holes 16-17 split into three holes.

This is a fun course, and one of the better ones in the city if you have decent control of the disc. It offers pretty good challenge overall, with a great mix of holes. The only changes I would make are a few walls to stop discs rolling into the creek and a few extra pin placements.
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9 0
Surge5
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 9.8 years 167 played 167 reviews
3.50 star(s)

You're Unique, Just Like Everyone Else.

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 27, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Moving through the land on the east side of the park, this course uses the land provided in some creative ways to make an enjoyable round.

Concrete tees in the ground for all holes and the baskets - while some have their bands wrapped in a new color - are all in good shape.

Tight woods are the featured attraction.  Angle control and making sure the line is right is the way to score on these holes.  3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, and 18 all feature very tight woods, but the standouts are 9 and 18 with their added elevation.  9 moves to the left while dropping downhill through a tight tunnel.  18 is a gap to hit to enter the tunnel, and then about 20ft in front of the pin the land drops so that only the top few inches of chains are visible from the tee.  There is a backstop of the land going back uphill which takes away some of the punishment for going long, but the tunnel is tight enough that it's no gimme deuce.

Other standouts, 2 is a good 10-15ft rise in elevation across the creek with the pin just slightly to the right of center.  7 is a hanging basket with a slope to the left looming if you hit the hill wrong.  12 is a right finisher that goes back across the creek to another elevated basket.  The danger of losing a disc is high if you throw into the creek, so be confident in your turnovers... or just be a lefty.  It's risk vs. reward done right.  14 also looks like it has some interesting long pins on some berms and such, but on the day I was there it was set short.

Cons:

This course needs signs.  With a missed shot being punished so severely, the decision to disc up or down due to distance could be vital.  Hopefully they're coming soon.

The creek.  While the straight up crossings are great, the other holes it's in play on are subpar.  On the very tight 3 and 4, it's so close to the right that a bad tree kick to the right is going to end up in the creek, and it sits to the right on 10 and 11 as well.  It's more unfortunate that it takes away the right-finishing shot on all of the holes.  With the design I'm not sure there was anything else that could've been done, but not so much.  Hole 1 does have the creek on the left, but the negative there is that the basket is so close to the creek that any airballed putt is going in the creek.  It doesn't look very easy to get anything back unless you can walk up and down the creek from hole 2 which is the only shallow entry point I saw.

5 and 7's right side lines go over the road.  15 also comes close but less so.

No real distance challenge.  Only 4 holes are over 300, and the ones that near 400 are very open (or in 15's case, wide open).

Other Thoughts:

This one differed from my normal review style since there are just so many unique holes throughout the course.  The creek is a real shame, but I still highly recommend a playthrough when you're in the area.
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11 0
krieger41
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 7.1 years 168 played 14 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Trees, a big creek, and technical shots 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 6, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is a fairly new course that plays along a creek and has several holes that play right along the edge of the creek. I believe the designer did a nice job of utilizing the space available to create a course that complements the other course that is just to the west. The other course is one of the oldest courses in the state (Crestview West). There are a few holes (14-17) that are more open and play in a large open area of the park.

Even though there are a lot of woods holes, most of them have a different feel and shot shape. There are straight tunnel shots, left to right, right to left, RHBH turnover shots, and once you get out of the woods, there are some more open shots that don't involve the creek. There isn't a lot of elevation change, but the course uses it effectively.

Even though this was my first time playing the course, the navigation wasn't too difficult. UDisc helped, but the course flowed pretty well and didn't have any crazy walks between holes or a lot of backtracking. If you aren't playing with a local or don't have a map, just be aware that hole 7's tee is very close to hole 2's basket. To get to 3's tee, you go down a set of steps towards the creek.

The baskets are red Dynamic Discs Veterans, and they catch well. Two holes have the basket suspended attached to a tree (hole 7 and hole 10), and hole 13 has an elevated basket, adding to the fun factor for those holes.

I think most of the wooded holes have a fair gap or gaps off of the tee to try and hit, with only one or two holes that I think I are a bit unfair or extremely difficult. Most of the wooded holes are fairly short, around the 175-225 foot range, but being so wooded, the distances are appropriate.

Cons:

I would not consider this a beginner friendly course. Even advanced players (and probably professionals) will hit trees more than once while playing a round. There are several spots where a bad tree kick will send your disc into the rough or the creek. Hole 1, hole 3, hole 9, and hole 10's baskets all play very close to the creek, (within about 10 feet of a drop-off). Hole 13's elevated basket is also close to the creek, and if you're putting back towards the creek and don't hit metal, there's a good chance your disc will be swimming.

As of right now (5-6-2020), the tee pads are grass/dirt, and there are no tee signs yet as well. I know the course is new, so I'm assuming that those are in the process of being updated/installed. However, some of the tees are short or uphill or not level. Hole 4's tee area is slanted and uphill by a good amount, making footing really tricky and Hole 9's tee is extremely short and uneven. The tees are marked with little red patches of fibers sticking up from the ground. It took me a little to find hole 1's tee, even though it's right by the big sign at the southeast park of the main parking area.

Holes 3 and 4 are the most treacherous in terms of dangerous fairways. 3's fairway is littered with trees, and if your disc goes right, it's probably going in the creek. If it goes left, bad rough.
I already mentioned hole 4's tee pad, then the initial fairway goes sharply uphill and to the right with lots of trees and the basket is hidden from the tee. Again, a tree kick to the right means down the slope towards the creek. Holes 10 and 11 also have the creek just to the right of the fairway, and again, just the wrong tree kick will send your disc towards the creek.

Other Thoughts:

There are a couple cool holes with some fun but not gimmicky features.

Hole 2 is short, around 180 feet, but it's a tunnel shot over the creek and slightly uphill. You can see the basket straight through the gap. Both backhand and forehand are an option, depending on your preferred throwing style.

Hole 7 has the basket hanging from a tree, but there is danger lurking with a street being just to the right of the basket. Again, both backhand and forehand are an option.

Hole 13 is definitely the "signature" hole. It is a left to right shot around 260 feet (DGCR says 250, UDisc says 270). The fairway is straight for 180 or so, but then the gap curves right and goes directly over the creek, meaning you have to make a decision to go for it, or lay up and throw across for par. To clear the creek from one side to the other is probably around 60 feet, so it's an intimidating shot. There is a designated drop zone at the edge of the drop-off, and the elevated basket makes for some more pressure filled putts.

Overall, I think this is a really nice addition to the courses in Topeka. If you're a beginner, I would not recommend playing this one until you're more comfortable hitting your gaps. But, if you are looking to play a course with a lot of tight, technical shots with putters and midranges, this is a good course for you. If you're more of a wide open, no trees kind of player, you may not enjoy this one as much. I enjoyed the challenge of it, and managed to grab a couple birdies during my round. I will give it a ranking of very good (3.5), although the inconsistent tees, higher chance of losing discs to the creek, and it being less beginner friendly keep me from giving it an excellent (4.0) rating.
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10 0
Redacted
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 5.8 years 85 played 26 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Crestview 2.0 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 28, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a pretty new course, in Topeka, on site with the original Crestview Park (one of the oldest courses in the state) as well as Edgewater Park. While those two courses are much more open, this course is an excellent complement with its technical wooded holes. This course has an excellent mixture of hole types: many holes are entirely wooded, some start in the open and go into the trees, a couple stay in the open, and one crosses the creek. When in the woods, the trees provide the difficulty (ranging from 150-250ish ft), but when in the open, the distance provides the challenge (a couple 400+ ft holes). Two hanging baskets and an elevated basket spice things up. The fairways in the woods are tight, but I believe most, if not all, are fair. Then again, I played in March before the trees had leaves, so those lines probably tighten up in the summer. The natural tees (marked by orange feathers) were in very good shape despite a week of rain prior to my round. The brand new baskets are red Dynamic Veteran baskets and in great shape. The course seemed to be maintained regularly and exceptionally. I saw no trash. Lots of parking plus the Crestview Park - West course (and its contrasting style) make this an ideal place for a tournament.

Cons:

There are no tee signs or navigational aids, yet. I played with someone who had played this course already, so I had no trouble with navigation, personally, but I most likely would have if I had been solo. A couple baskets are blind from the tee, contributing to this issue. The tees are natural, not concrete. Hole 4 is a sharp dogleg right; (even as a RHFH dominant player) I think the dogleg comes too early and is too sharp (it felt like throwing from 6 o'clock to between 3 & 4 o'clock). There are no benches (that doesn't bother me one bit, but apparently some people view those as necessary).

Other Thoughts:

About a third of the holes feature some (albeit not huge) elevation change. A couple holes use sidewalks and streets as OB; while this makes the holes more intriguing, it is also a little dangerous (although the streets and sidewalks were very calm when we played these holes). The person I played with had played the course 9 months prior and noted several improvements (including the raised and hanging baskets) which had been made since then. This gives me hope that as this course becomes more established, concrete tees and tee signs will be installed. I would bump my rating up to a 4 if those were to be added. The creek plays along the right side of many of the wooded holes; a typical RHBH drive that endures a tree kick will tend to kick toward the water (I saw 2 discs in the water). Depending on the time of year, the water level may or may not be low enough to go in after a lost disc; this March it was certainly low enough. While the water certainly is in play, it was never a big enough factor that I was ever worried about it. I find the rough on the wooded holes to be unique in that it's thin enough to traverse it easily, yet thick enough to eliminate seemingly any chance at a recovery shot. I believe this course probably best suits players toward the upper end of the intermediate spectrum. Both disc golf and non-DG foot traffic seemed fairly high. The heavily wooded nature of this course is fairly unique to Kansas.
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10 0
Bryan.kelly1
Experience: 14 years 44 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Woods Golf, Technical, Creative, Ace-able 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 13, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Maintained well and grass is always cut
-Newer red Dynamic Discs Veteran baskets easily visible off the tees and catch great
-Very creative and technical design in the woods
-Nice wood bridges
-Two hanging baskets and one elevated basket
-Trash cans on some holes
-Cart-friendly
-Within walking distance to 2 permanent courses
-Perfect mix of mostly wooded holes and some open distance-challenging holes
-Variety of shots required to be successful
-Huge parking lot

Cons:

-Natural tees marked with orange feathers (concrete tees will be considered in the future depending on funding)
-No tee signs yet
-Relatively high traffic in the multi-use park during early evening hours
-Sometimes muddy
-Navigation might be an issue on some transitions

Other Thoughts:

Crestview East DGC is the newest permanent disc golf course in Topeka. It offers a perfect mix of control shots in the woods and distance shots as well. It will help to teach you how to throw your intended gap through the woods. There are some holes with ace-potential. The course opens up more in the back nine holes with distance shots required. It would be nice to see concrete tees and signs installed here in the future. But the baskets are great quality and catch your disc well. Crestview East is just within walking distance to two great permanent courses. This makes it perfect for those who would like to play multiple rounds in one day. Thanks to the designer and volunteers with Dawn to Dusk Disc Club of Topeka for putting hours into this awesome course.
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