Diamond X is a course that I've been wanting to play for awhile now. Never actually thought I'd get the chance, but I finally did this year, and it was absolutely worth the wait. Pulling into the parking lot gives you butterflies in your stomach. It's like Christmas morning for a course bagger like myself.

The baskets are all Diascatchers. All with the yellow bands which definitely help with spotting them along the cliffsides and amongst the pines that line much of the course. These are all older but all catch fine. No complaints on these.

The tee pads are natural. There are numerous alternate pads mixed around on different holes, but I'd be hard pressed to tell you how many and on what holes they'd be for. Not the greatest, but all were pretty level and worked fine for my shorter run up.

There are a few tee signs scattered around, but not at every hole. These are pretty basic. A hole number and a distance. Better than nothing, but lots were missing. Numerous next tee arrows which is always helpful. Though I was told that many were recently vandalized and stolen. Unfortunate, but not the courses fault.

The shots required here are numerous. dead straight, left to right, right to left, uphill, downhill. You name it, it's probably here. There are lots of holes, probably about a third of the 27 that we played, that basically play along the side of a cliff to one side or the other. Hell, there was one where the basket was out on a penninsula with cliffs on both sides and deep. The pucker factor is real here.

The natural beauty here is the number one pro. There are great views from all over the place out here. With it being such a rugged course too, you're likely to not see too many other people out there. Very quiet and serene place to play a round at.

The course is permanent and free to play which is always a bonus. Plenty large parking area with Port o potties by the south end of the lot.

There's apparently a nine hole tone pole loop, but it sounds like it not really maintained anymore. There's more than enough golf to be had on the other 27 holes though. It's also nice that you can play this in a few different combinations of loops, which I would almost assuredly do the majority of the time if I was a local.

Very friendly and awesome local course guides too. Shout out to Brentjacobs and Throwbot for playing the sherpa role. Never would've figured it out without their help.

As has been mentioned multiple times over already, this course is a HIKE. Literally it's about 2/3's hike and 1/3 playing discs. There even feels like some free climbing in spots. Not a con per se, but this course can't be played by everyone. You need to be in solid shape or better to make it a full round out here. Be sure to bring lots of water. You'll need lots of it out here.

The course is very tricky to navigate for first timers. Even if you were to use the maps on Udisc it'd be extremely difficult. Highly recommend having someone guide you through the first time you play here.

The tee pads being natural may be a con for many. I personally didn't have any issues, but many have rocks scattered around, some are on the narrower or shorter side etc. Worth noting.

Lots of prickly plants to be found here. Many treacherous uphill and downhill climbs with ample opportunities to lose a disc or 5. Especially on the cliffside holes. Highly recommend wearing sturdy shoes and long pants, or at least higher socks to protect your legs.

This course instantly jumped into my top 10 today after playing it. Top 5 even probably. It's just such an epic, ass kicker of a course. This is a must play kind of course for any serious players that are in the area. I drove over 15 hours to play here as the focal point of this road trip. I lived up to all the hype I've heard about it over the years. Exceeded it even.

I wanted to give this course a 4.5 so bad, but there's just a few too many things holding it back from that as far as amenities. I try to rate everything I do subjectively, and I think I did here. But this is a 5 star course in my mind. It's one of those courses that you will remember forever. And that's priceless.

-26 DISCatcher baskets in decent repair and level mounting. You'll find a myriad generations of the timeless yellow banded basket as these were fundraised for, donated, and/or purchased at varying times over the course's existence. All are double chained but none are the new 28 Pros. An additional 9 PVC tones exist on the White 9 however lack of play has left this track a bit hairy and last I checked #8 was missing.
-All holes have mostly level natural tees, many with an alternate tee box. Mostly packed out dirt with a few that tee from sandstone. Certainly not the best but I've played worse. The alternates are newer and offer anywhere from rather neat unique 2nd looks to just basic change it up looks.
-A mix of tee signs cover the main 27 holes. Mostly basic with hole number and distance but likely improved over what many previous reviewers have experienced as they're a more recent addition. More than anything, they'll help ya find the tee.
-Improved navigation. Local volunteers have been hard at in recent months. All holes now have tee signs and next tee arrows(for main and alt tees). I'd still always recommend a guide but between the new signage and well mapped UDisc layouts, the X is more playable for travelers than ever before.
-Terrain and elevation. The course plays around the rolling prairie and gullies below, up the side of the cliffs and and eventually on top of a large sandstone bluff that is the glorious piece of land known as Phipps Park. Not all holes have drastic elevation change but most have noticeable elevation change in play or scary elevation change if you miss your intended landing zone. This challenges a number of facets of players' games from basics shot requirements and thoughtful approaches to the green to some of the scariest risk-reward options I've experienced on a golf course. Some of the greens are insanely diabolical and touchy.
-Available trees were used pretty well. It's certainly not a heavily wooded course and over the years many trees have fallen to where lines are far more forgiving. So while elevation and placement are the main challenges, the trees will require shot shaping on a number of holes.
-Good mix of hole distances for upper-intermediate to advanced players.
- Re-play variety. After playing the Red Front 9 you end up equally close to both the Black and Blue Back 9s allowing you to choose your own adventure. Looping 27 together is also fairly easy with a little extra jaunt(see UDisc 27 hole lauout). Add in the White Front 9(really get a guide if you want to hit this) and alternate tees that have been added all around the course and you can mix and match for days.
-This course has the "WOW" factor. Whether you're just looking at the massive bluff you're about to tackle, throwing at a basket that's mounted 12' off the ground on the edge of a cliff ledge, playing a fairway where half of it drops 60'+ off a cliff or teeing from one the 2 signature Hole 18's off a multi hundred foot cliff to the bottom of the valley, you're going to want to stop and soak it in. Clear days offer gorgeous views of the surrounding areas including the epic Beartooth Mountains. For a course that can turn mostly tan with dead grass and sandstone, this place can be absolutely breathtaking.
-Free to play.

-This course is ROUGH and RUGGED. Don't come to the X expecting anything near a normal disc golf experience. The course and entire park are covered only in natural grasses, cacti, yucca(super sharp and stabby), dirt, and sandstone.
-Not beginner friendly. Tough distances and too easy to lose discs if you don't have fairly consistent control.
-Lack of vegetation maintenance. Fairways and surroundings can get rather overgrown in the summer, particularly the front(Red and White) 9s. Very rainfall dependent on how wild this gets. As this is city property outside of the city limits, the parks and Rec department has taken a rather "let it be natural" stance. A few holes occasionally get trimmed by loving volunteers but not something to count on.
-Natural tees, while rather serviceable, are still natural. Not good when wet and a few can get a bit rutted between maintenance sessions.
-More open than I'd prefer for great golf. Used to be better before massive wind blow downs but so it has gone.
-Signage and navigational aids are quite basic. As mentioned, signs really only have hole number and distance. This can be bothersome for first timers as spotting some baskets can be tricky and there are a few blind holes. Again, I always recommend a guide. Way better than in the past but nothing near top tier infrastructure at many great courses.
-The course will be viewed by many as more of a hike than a disc golf round. Decent little walk from the parking lot to hole 1/practice basket and few decent treks between holes. Personal take - unless it's in mid-summer heat or somebody isn't in good shape, it's not that strenuous. Really, the front 9s are mellow outside the few holes that get you to the top. The top is mellow unless you make errant throws(off the top). So the hike for a few holes up and the hike down from 18 are challenges here.
-Safety is certainly a concern. The hillsides and cliff edges can be rough and crumbly. There are opportunities to severely hurt or kill yourself. A couple tees are quite near large drop offs. Paying attention to where you're walking is key to avoiding slips and falls as well stepping on or too near a snake(there are rattlers and bulls out there).
-Phipps Park is open all year however the course is mostly unplayable if there's snow.

Reviewing Diamond X has always felt weird to me and this turned out as long as I was afraid of. I grew up in Billings and this was the course where I truly cut my disc golf teeth. I had just begun writing reviews when I left town and didn't feel I had the perspective to offer a fair assessment of a course so near to my heart. 350+ courses later, it still holds a huge place in my heart so here we are...

I think anyone who's played here can understand why reviews vary from elated to offended. To me, the park is such an amazing piece of land and I couldn't feel more fortunate having played the various iterations of the X. The golf challenge isn't the greatest from a traditional standpoint. But really, nothing about the course is traditional and the actual golf certainly isn't a walk in the park. Tourney players will likely say it's unfair terrain or too gimmicky with all the cliffs, hillsides, and precarious greens. Novices will struggle with distance and losing discs. Folks in poor shape will curse the rugged terrain and most modest of amenities. Traveling players like me will revel in the uniqueness in both beauty and various hole designs that you won't see elsewhere. Who doesn't want to walk up to Hole 18 for a 700' bomb off of a 150' cliff face?

I don't think I could justify the 4/5 for any certain 18 hole track here. But when considering the entirety of what Diamond X offers, "Excellent" seems most appropriate. If you're up for it, find a local guide, pack your bright discs, lace up the hiking boots, and get after one of the most magically unique places to throw frisbees. With the greater Billings area also offering 4 9ers and 1 18er(none great but all easy, quick spins), course baggers should consider the Yellowstone Valley as a prime stop with Diamond X being the crown jewel.

-Breathtaking scenery and totally unique layout
-Short and long layout depending on your skill and time constraints
-Ultimate physical and mental challenge
-Chance to tie for the longest ace ever

-Hard to navigate without a local
-Tees were less than desirable on the holes that I played
-Very little shade during most of the day, but that's X

Another Mecca course for me after seeing photos over the years. played about 2/3 of the short tees but could only dream about the longs for now. Feels more like a nature hike than a round, would like to spend all weekend there on my next trip out west.

What an amazing place for playing disc golf. Diamond X is located in Phipps Park, around an incredible rocky bluff that provides an excellent hiking area that is really beautiful. There are extreme elevation changes, and rolling hills covered with tall grass and scattered trees. Rocky boulders and wild basket locations will also be in play.

The tee signs on the red portion of the course were ok, indicating the hole number and distance. The tees are dirt, and were not muddy or slick at the time. I liked the pin placements relative to the tees, almost all of them having some elevation difference, and usually tricky lies when you get near the basket.

The easier red portion covers the bottom part of the course, using the hills, and lower edges of the ridge. Holes 1 and 2 are kind of in a ravine, with fun drives that are reachable for birdies. Holes 4 and 5 run along the bottom of the ridge with downhill looks that are fun. 5 is fairly short. 6 is a longer hole, over a low area, with a pin on top of the other side. There are trees that make the approach a little more difficult. Hole 8 is once again running along the side of the ridge, and the target has little room for error. Steep slopes can cause nasty roll aways, and rocks and trees block the lane.

I was not familiar with the layout, and could have used some help finding the tee for hole 9, even with a map. More baskets were visible atop the mesa, and I am sure I didn't get to play some of the best holes. The climb to the top looked potentially dangerous for my dog (he is getting older), and I didn't want to waste time searching for the path with rain moving towards us.

The tees are not perfect, and the signs could be better. I will overlook this usually, but a little directional help or a guide could have let us get to play more of the course possibly. If the older reviews are still accurate, half of the 36 holes have tone poles. I have never played a course featuring these targets, but it seems like they might not be as satisfying as a normal basket.

There is a lot of potential to lose discs here, with all of the tall rough, and cracks and crevices in among the rocks and boulders. Not great for a new player.

Cell phone service could be poor to non existent (mine was anyway).

Diamond X was the first course on day two of my road trip. I didn't get to play every hole, but saw enough of the course to know there are some very cool holes. I camped in Harden, packing up my gear as the rain began to fall. I drove through constant rain to Billings. The weather was behind me when I got to town and the course was in decent shape.

I was really enjoying the course, but the rocky transition between hole 8 and 9 was hard to find, and my big old dog didn't really have the rock climbing skills to make it up the bluff. I wanted to continue, but poor weather and a very long drive across Montana were still in front of me. I chose to cut the round short, with hopes I will be able to return one day and finish it off.

The limited parts I played were very good, and the parts I didn't get to looked incredible. Bring good shoes for hiking, and find a guide if possible. On a nice day this would be a great place to be. If I had played the entire course, I might be tempted to give it a 4.5, but no lower than 4.

All 5 of the 9 hole layouts are super cool!
It is truly a one of a kind experience. The only thing close to it is Base Camp on the Colorado river outside Moab.
This is consequential risk/reward disc golf at its finest.
Tunnels, Cliffs, Steep uphill and downhill shots.
Pins bolted to the sides of rock faces and greens placed on 275' cliff edges are just a couple of the things that make this place AMAZING.
It truly is a mountain golfers dream!

Rattlesnakes in the warmer months.

Tees are natural and not great and navigation is challenging.
I state this only as a observation. Ask yourself if you would want to chisel out tees from solid rock and/or drag concrete around.

It is a TRUE mountain golf experience and once you have been around the layouts, navigation is simple and straight forward.

The X is notorious and deservedly so.
It is a bucket list destination that any serious course bagger MUST have checked off on their list.

GO. Your perception of disc golf will never be the same.

The Black (lower left) layout which is the OG layout has been taken out due to the cliff face falling down and destroying holes 2 and 3. The city has made the call to remove it for safety reasons. Quite a bummer as it was easily my favorite of the 9 hole layouts.
A White layout was put in for Spring Fling (annual event) in 2017 but was temporary and promptly removed.
Its not quite as great as it once was without Black but still an absolutely amazing place to huck plastic.

If you haven't experienced a lot of elevation change, get ready for a party. I've played quite a bit of mountain style golf, and Diamond X still stands out among the rest. If you count it as 2 18 hole courses, hole 18 on both sides have 272' and 350'+ of elevation drop from tee to basket on the final hole. Incredible shots.

Well done effort to be challenging, but still have enough fun holes built in to keep everyone involved. Definitely not a beginner course, but anyone with a little experience is going to have a good time here, not just reserved for the big arms.

Lots of hole variation. Some interesting short technical shots, some big hyzers, some turnovers of forehand holes, holes throwing off the cliffs, holes throwing to the cliffs, up the cliffs, around the cliffs, and some great use of risk/reward line options on different holes.

What sets Diamond X apart from the rest and really makes it something special is how they used the rimrock that the course is built on. After playing close to 70 courses, I have never found anything like it. Absolutely something special, and any fans of disc golf will not regret making the stop if you're ever close by.

Very rugged terrain. You will be going up and down lots of hills, over rocks, and a couple of times I actually had to take my bag off in order to feel completely safe climbing up or down part of the terrain. Not exactly a bad thing, but you are going to get a workout in, so come prepared for that.

On several holes it would be extremely easy to lose a disc. On the huge shots off the cliff, its not uncommon for your disc to be 300-400' off the line if you get a bad tee shot, which can lead to losing them, or just having to do a lot of walking to pick everything up. There are also several holes that play very close to the edges at the top of the rimrock, and if you miss you line or get a bad roll, your disc may end up at the bottom while you're still at the top. It's really just something that is going to happen when you play a course this extreme, there's not much that can be done to avoid it, and I wouldn't change the holes at all to make it safer, but come prepared.

There are a lot of cacti. Not giant cacti, but little cacti all over the grounds that hide in the grass and have no problem going through tennis shoes. There aren't a lot in the fairways, but it's pretty easy (especially on the cliff shots) to end up wandering around and step on some, so boots are probably a good plan.

Some of the holes in the bottom part of the valley, before you get up top, can feel a little boring or repetitive due to a lack of obstacles, but all in all they did a very good job with the space.

Some holes had to be removed last year due to landslides, and have not been permanently replaced yet. I believe that they will now be adding par 4's and maybe a par 5, but nothing is set in stone. The map linked here will be out of date soon, but I'm excited to see how the local club does with replacing the retired holes.

All in all this course is a little rugged, doesn't have the greatest tee signs or perfect grooming, but it's an incredibly special course that you will not regret checking out. It is the only course of it's kind that I have ever heard of, and stands alone as some of the most extreme disc golf I have ever played. Not for the faint of heart, but if you are ready, it's a course you will never forget.

This course is located on an exceptional piece of land. The topography and elevation really make it special.

This course takes full advantage of a tall circular bluff by running holes up, down and along the steep face. The first six holes (I played the Red Tees) start off in the "bowl" below the bluff, but still offer significant elevation changes. Not much in the way of trees down here, but the holes are challenging.

Starting at Hole 7 you go up the bluff, and start encountering more trees. The terrain is very rugged, and you need to closely watch where your discs land or you may not find them.

Depending on which holes you play at the top, you'll either be up on mostly flat ground, or playing holes which drive across canyons to baskets perched on the other side. There are a couple of amazing basket placements on the left (east) side.

The final Hole on each side is an epic drive from the top of the bluff to the basket below. Watch where it goes, because it will take you a while to get down there!

Teepads are natural, but were surprising good. For the most part they were flat and even.

I played just a few days after a weekend B-tier tournament and many of the additional signs and flags leading to the next tees were still in place, so navigation wasn't bad.

This course will work you physically. If you are not in shape it will beat you up. My wife finally gave up and went back to the truck at Hole 8.

The permanent signs are very small and mounted low to the ground. I was able to take advantage of additional taller signs left over from a weekend tournament. Without those signs I would have been hard pressed to locate several of the tees.

I would generally rate a course down for dirt tee pads, poor signage, and difficult navigation, but this one is so special based on the terrain and basket placements that I didn't use my normal criteria.

Wear boots, take water, and a spotter would be useful on a few of the holes. This would be an easy course to lose a disc or two on.

Arranging to play with a local might save you some looking around.

Fun, diamond-in-the-rough course. Some tees were hard to find, but the course is beautiful, rugged, playing in a bowl with some small sandstone cliffs. Fantastic place to play. Some great holes off the hill, some with drop-offs, around trees. One of the tee boxes is a big slab of rock. Fun course. Watch where the discs go, though, if there is tall grass they can be hard to find.

You'd have to be pretty picky to find a con beyond the difficulty finding some of the tee boxes and baskets. I had a printed map which helped. Part of the problem is that it's just a rugged course with lots of rocks and shrubs that can make it hard to find the next tee or basket.

1-Views......this is a breathtaking course with unbelievable views. My phone died after about 5 holes so I didn't get near the photos I wanted.
2-Physical challenge......this course is like mountain climbing meets disc golf. It is a great workout and requires some cautious planning to reach your disc for the next throw.
3-Elevation change.....extreme elevation changes makes shotmaking a blast, even on "flat" holes, there's the fear of a shot going errant and falling off a 300 foot ridge!!

The only con I have is it was difficult to know where the next hole is. When you could follow the path, it was easy, when you got into the rocks, I ended up lost, wandering around looking for any teebox.

This was a great experience for me, I had a great time but this is NOT a course for a beginner, or an out of shape moderate player!! It was extremely windy the day I was there as well, making it even more challenging but if I'm ever in Billings again, I will RUN not walk to play this course again!!

- Unique Destination Course. How often do you get to play up and down a mesa, where baskets are bolted into the side of a boulder, perched on the edge of cliffs, and hidden behind huge rocks? I guess if you're a local at Diamond X the answer "all the time". But if you're like the rest of us, this crazy concoction of basket placements is a unique disc golf playground, and destination. The uniqueness of the course made the 6 hour drive worth it for me, as well as the ability to bag another state... but, I'm weird like that.
- Talk about Top of the World Shot. That's how you finish a course! So many disc golf courses have ho-hum finishing Holes... Not Diamond X. A huge 500+, cliff shot with ~100' of elevation loss. It takes 5+ minutes to walk to your disc... that's how big it is. I wish I could have enjoyed it more (see below).
- Hole 9. The infamous Hole with the basket bolted to the side of the boulder-cliff was all that I hoped it would be. A gorgeous little shot with extreme consequences. I threw two discs at it and birdied it with both of them (one with a 20' putt from on top, and the other with a 20' steeply up putt from the bottom). Both putts were hard and had major consequences for missing. Definitely one of the most memorable holes I have ever played.
- Two Course, 1 Spot. I didn't have near enough time, or the stamina, to go for the second loop. It appeared as if both courses were extremely similar. I played the left side (as seen from the parking lot). It seemed as though this was the better side (since that's the side I saw some locals finishing up on when I was starting).
- Lots of Wildlife and Scenery. You wouldn't think it, standing in the parking lot, but there is an abundance of wildlife out there. My buddy wasn't golfing, he was instead taking pictures. He got a bunch of different birds and insects... and some wonderful scenery shots.

- How Many Blind Baskets is Too Many Blind Baskets? I didn't count, but there must have been 14 blind basket locations on the course. I have two issues with this at Diamond X. 1. You have to walk nearly every fairway twice... a strenuous task. And 2. With so many blind pin positions, navigation becomes rough.
- Navigation. Because of the number of blind pin positions, and natural tee-pads, navigation for a first timer is extremely difficult. (And, I had a MAP... AND, I've played tons of courses, in a lot of places, by myself). Here's how the course goes:
You have to locate the natural tee-pad (small signs help you know you're arrived when present). But, since the pin is blind, you have to go scout for the pin, climbing up, over and around rocks... then you have to walk back and throw your shot... turn around and climb back up, over and around the rocks to find your disc... finish out. Then, usually, you have to go scout for the next tee-pad. (repeat process).
Usually I wouldn't get irritated at this sort of thing, but the strenuousness of the scouting takes it toll... scouting, combined with the heat, and some nasty ass Taco Bell lunch, let's just say that I fed the chipmunks when I...

- Puked My Brains Out on the tee-pad of 18. I had been feeling woozy since about the 5th Hole, after my 5th scouting mission... bit I guess my brain told my body to hold off so I could finish out the course that I had driven so far to bag. Literally, seconds after I threw my drive (the amount of time it took my disc to hit the ground), I let 'er rip. It was amazing! (the vomit, not the shot - the shot was decent).
- Breweries. Billings had several breweries in a nice little downtown area. We went to Carter's Brewery... 12 different beers on tap and in a little hole-in-the-wall location. My beer tasted good... even though I had puked my brains out in their parking lot ten minutes prior (still a little wore out from Diamond X... or was it the Taco Bell???).
- You Could Die. I mean... you could easily fall off a cliff and die. Or, you could suffer from heat exhaustion and die. Or, if you're out of shape (like I guess I am now), you could go into cardiac arrest and die! Or, you could get bit by a rattlesnake, go into cardiac arrest while suffering from heat exhaustion and fall off a cliff and die. But, FUCK IT, It's Diamond X... a great destination course.
My Score: a miserable -4.

This is absolutely a one-of-a-kind course. You will never play anything like The X anywhere else in the world. You start in the bottom of a large valley with cliffs gradually steepening to vertical 270 degrees around you. Both of the front 9's play up the valley and up and down the cliffs themselves. Then the back 9's follow along the edges on top of the Rimrocks.

There are numerous shots that you will never see anywhere else. Up cliffs, down cliffs, over giant boulders, around trees, over ridges...there is a little bit of everything.

The two 18's play from opposite sides of the valley from the top of the cliffs. One is a 520' shot and the other is nearly 800' with both having roughly 250' of elevation loss. There isn't really anything like these shots anywhere I have ever played.

Hole 16 on the Black course is called "Scare Tactics" because the only real line is a 320' RHBH hyzer that you start out over a 300' drop-off and bring back onto the top of the cliff.

This course has a few problems. The first is that several of the holes have teeboxes that could be termed...precarious. I don't like needing to have to conquer my fear of heights to throw a drive (25 foot cliff on the right side of the teebox with a tree on the left side).

You also need to know that there are several holes which it is possible to throw a shot and have it land hundreds and hundreds of feet from your intended landing zone down 200' of cliffs.

Make sure you bring your hiking legs. You will be climbing up and down cliffs, over huge rocks, and into large cracks. There is no water on site, so make sure you bring your own and get ready to have an extreme round.

-Holes unlike any you have ever played
-2 full 18 hole courses
-DISCatcher baskets. Some don flags when they are blind
-Practice basket
-ELEVATION
-A different and unique challenge from anything you have ever done

-Navigation is an issue without a map or guide
-Tee pads are often just a 2x4 on the ground
-Some challenges got old, like baskets on the side of cliffs. Fun for a while, but not on every hole.
-Might break a few players
-As one local put it "Did you lose any discs or find some?"

Diamond X is the definition of a destination course. It is not something you would want as your only home course, but damn is it fun to play. The desert like rocky terrain is unforgiving, challenging, and wicked fun. The variety is immense and not found at any other course I have played. Obstacles vary from large boulders, trees, sage brush, and bottomless pits.

We did not have a guide, but we were able to find every hole on the 'left' 18 hole course, which is the only one we played. The 'right' front 9 is not on the map so a guide would be essential for that. We lost our map at one point and this is one of those courses where you stop playing until you go back and find it. Simple as that.

All holes present a challenge, and we felt that the front 9 was a lot more 'fun' than the back 9. These holes wind up and down the side of the cliff, with baskets perched on top of rocks, behind house sized boulders, in crevasses, under trees, and even bolted to the side of a 15 foot cliff. While exhausting, each hole was really really cool and an absolute pleasure to play.

The back half of the course is where we started having less fun. I realize that this place wants to be 'the most extreme course ever ever' but it became a bit ridiculous. None of the holes require you to follow any lines or have intuitive design, you can generally throw however you want to, just make sure you don't go over the cliff. There are few obstacles other than the looming abyss. In addition to the already inherent challenges, high winds are not uncommon at the top.

Many of the holes on the top of this ridge have baskets very close to the edge of precarious cliffs. I'm not just talking a small cliff either, if your disc sails off the edge, provided you can find it, it will take you at least twenty minutes round trip to go get it. These holes provided no other challenge other than not tossing your disc over the edge. Hole 11 could have had a play it safe option, instead of tossing over a 75 foot deep crevasse, except for the wall of pine trees preventing that from happening. I guess what I am trying to say is that 1 or 2 holes with this challenge would be fun, but it got old by the 7th occurrence. Imagine a course with a lake that just shot back and forward across the lake. Kind of the same idea with this cliff.

A couple of LONG open shots exist on top of the mesa, and these are cool, but the 3 foot tall sage brush makes finding any toss a challenge. Eye very closely where your disc lands and do NOT forget where it is.

The back 9 of the course on the 'right side' of the property was a more enjoyable round, purely because there was less risk. Some of the holes had some considerable risks when it came to driving, but it was nice approaching the pin and seeing that it was not a 'make it or die' shot. Like I said, a couple are fun but not the whole course. The 'top of the world' hole 18 shot is much longer than the other side of the course, and not nearly as fun. That being said, it rates up there among the most badass shots I have ever played. All in all, I think your typical amateur player would enjoy the 'right' option for the back 9. Note that holes 16 and 17 are not where the map say they are.

Hole 18 (left) is the really the most amazing downhill shot you will ever play. 724' with about 150' loss, off the side of the mesa. Chuck a few, provided your willing to look for them. This hole shoots over a couple of holes in the front nine; look for people, because if your disc goes rogue, you may just kill somebody. No joke.

A guide could really help you play this course safely, although route finding is possible with a map and some common sense. Maps are available to print here at DGCR, and Base Camp in Billings will print one up for you if you don't have access to a printer. They have a great selection of discs, too.

I really feel the profile here should be split into two separate courses to allow for different reviews, as there are actually 2 courses here (or 4 separate 9's, however your brain sees things).

I don't know if my review comes off as complaining, but my intent is more to warn players that you WILL probably lose some plastic. And hey, you might find some too. Bring LOTS of water in the summertime. A gallon per person is not unreasonable for each round played. Realign your schedule, change your plans, and find a way to get out here to play this truly remarkable course.

Breathtaking scenery. I would have a good time climbing and hiking all over this place even if I wasn't playing dg. Very challenging overall. Very unique basket placement. Easy to spot baskets due to the bright yellow tops. I love how some tee "pads" are just the edge of a cliff.

Very poor signage. Even with a map I printed out before I got there, we couldn't really find our way around. First day we played the first nine. Last day we managed to find all but one hole on one of the back nines. Needs signs on tee boxes and directions to the next hole. Very easy to lose a disc here. Lots of bushes and brush to lose them in.

I will never forget this course. Where I live in MN, there are dozens of great courses, but none are anywhere as unique as Diamond X. It's almost ridiculous when you play the first time. Seems impossible to keep going up, and then you're at the top throwing off the edge of cliffs. Safety be damned, but that's what makes this park so awesome. Don't even think of playing this course if you're not in shape, because you need to rock climb your way to your discs and to the next hole. I played in early October, so it was too cold for rattlesnakes and I didn't need tons of water.

A couple things I'll never forget:
One the hole with the basket bolted to the side of the cliff, I landed directly under the basket. below the cliff. It was crazy-windy that day, so I measured the wind and tossed my disc standing on edge straight up. The wind caught it like a sail, and slammed it "chink" right in.
Then on one of the holes traveling to the left along the top of the bluffs, my friend threw a terrible hyzer shot when he didn't mean to. The second he let it go I knew we'd never see it again. It sailed up and way left on its own, then the crazy wind grabbed it and sent it way, way , waaaay off the cliff to the left and continuing to turn left all the time. When it finally landed, it was about 200 ft below us, 200 ft to the left of the cliff wall, and 400 ft BEHIND us. We looked for half and hour but never found it. I did find two other discs I gave to him, so you know other people have done the same thing.

I would gladly give this course a 5-star rating if it had signs with maps at each tee and something to point to the next hole near the baskets.

Scenic Vistas. Wonderful views from above on the cliffs looking down on the valley below, cool looking up at those Wile E. Coyote cliffs from below, and gazing out across the endless Montana plains/desert from the high plateau above. Unparalleled elevation changes. Often throwing straight up as if mountain climbing and then dropping straight down as if repelling. Throwing across the cliffs with true danger for errant throws. Diabolical but beautiful basket locations; tucked behind huge boulders, perched on cliffs, bolted to tops of boulders and mountainsides. Never have I seen/played anything like it. Disc golf park mostly. An access trail intersects the course but is barely traveled, does not interupt play and those who use it are familiar with disc golf. The chance to throw off a real mountain to a wide open desert below. Home of the 726 foot ace! There are no man made structures to impede the wide open throwing experience. No power lines, poles, ski lifts, wires, highways, water towers, pipelines, etc that usually accomodate such wide open elevated terrain back east. Woodsy Easterners know what I am talking about.

I played in July. It was hot and dry. There is no water. No water to play over, no water to drink, no water period. I ran out of water 9 holes in. Do not underestimate the effect this can have on your enjoyment factor. Running out of water was my fault. Being Lost most of the day was not. The course is poorly marked and with 2 back nines rather than a 27 hole loop it is very confusing to a first timer. Since there is only low scrub brush and it is everywhere there are no defineable fairways to give you a hint. I more or less scanned the horizon for a basket then aimlessly walked around and stumbled upon a teepad and guessed perhaps they went together. I was wrong a few times. I know I did not play the course properly. Oh well. The hard rocky surface induces shots to skip and beats up your discs and body. With the open sky I would have enjoyed some huge bomber type holes other than the dream off the cliff throw. Not real technical outside of the difficult approaches.

Despite all of my previous whining, I played on. I was inspired by the dramatic scenery and the almost comical extremeness of this course. I was deliriously dehydrated and laughing to myself......"theres a basket up there bolted to that cliff..hahahaha".....Whoever dreamed and dared to create this course, Thank You! Many of the holes would never be built where I come from. They would say it was too ridiculous or too hazardous. Not here, it seems anything goes and I loved it. I can't forgive/forget about the frustration about being lost. That kind of gnawed at me all day and spoiled my fun. This should be no reason to not play this course. If your in Eastern Montana, bring a map, lots of water, plenty of premium discs, your sense of adventure and be prepared to leave with a skyful of memories!