Noblesville, IN

Dr. James A. Dillon Park

3.465(based on 57 reviews)
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Dr. James A. Dillon Park reviews

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2 0
PBizme
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Solid Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 10, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

* Two sets of concrete tee pads
* Multiple basket locations on every hole
* Well maintained
* Good use of the water without forced water carries if you're really worried about losing a disc

Cons:

* Hole 7 and 8 can get swampy if there's been a lot of rain
* Back 9 is mostly wide open

Other Thoughts:

I think the design makes for a course that's useful for both beginners and experienced players. Beginners can play off shorter tees and play safe to avoid water while advanced players have opportunities to challenge the water and air out some 400' drives from the long tees.
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5 3
johnnyq77
Experience: 14 years 4 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Pretty Excellent 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 20, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I have been playing this course since I have started playing the sport, and I still enjoy going to it. There is a ton of variety in several places, with a lake, 2 creeks, woods, and wide open spaces. Even from the blue tees, it is not incredibly hard. The holes are marked very clearly and it is easy to find the next hole. Another good feature of it is that the parking lot acts as a divider between the front nine and the back nine. That allows you to easily play nine holes, or stop by your car for a break between the two halves. Along with being divided, the front and back are different, with the front nine being either in the woods next to a creek, or around a lake. The back nine is a good change as it is very wide open. I am a pretty rubbish back hand player, so the course being wide open suits me, but that depends on personal preference. Dillon park includes also a skate park, a splash park, and paths for running, walking, or taking the family out for the day. There is also a Kroger and McDonald's very close to hole #3, which always come in handy after the round. I would definitely recommend this course to any other disc golf player.

Cons:

I think the back nine being all wide open is not a great thing, as it does not add variety but they have planted some trees which will grow soon and add a bigger challenge. On beautiful days, which will make the park very busy, you have to be careful not to hit people on the paths or other fairways, which is easy to do (not that I have). On the front nine, it is easy to lose a shot into the lake, of have your shot bounce off a tree and into a creek.

Other Thoughts:

I have played a few courses around the area, and this is by far my favorite. After a round or two, anyone will get the hang of it and I am sure they will start to like it. It is just down the road from The Hills at Northview course, and is 15-20 minutes away from Morris. I would encourage any people who have not been to this course to try it out.
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2 3
Discalier
Experience: 40 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Back 9 is very open 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Some difficulties like trees and a lake that you throw over 3 times on the front 9, but nothing that can't be worked around with the proper throw. The front 9 and back 9 are very different from eachother. The back 9 is hardly wooded and great for beginners to get their drives down. Also has a restroom and water fountain in the middle, as well as a huge open area to practice your drives.

Cons:

The pond will eat your discs. Make sure and bring something to get them out, or be ready to go swimming.

Other Thoughts:

The trees are still growing, and in a few years, the difficulty will grow with them.
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2 4
Gregg Stone
Experience: 13.8 years 8 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 26, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Two tee pads and two pin positions. The pads and tees make for different shots whether you want long or short holes.

Cons:

Tough water shots.

Other Thoughts:

It's the only place I've ever played and I love it. It's an amazing course with a different shot every time.Makes me use all my discs. The back nine is almost all open with a creek along holes 11, 13, and 15. Front 9 has a ton of trees and alot of options to get around. Great course.
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1 3
jrmorin9
Experience: 15.7 years 17 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Perfect coarse if more trees 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 5, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Play this all the time. Front 9 is great with a few challenging water shots and well placed trees. Great signage and trash cans. Easy to find holes except 3-4 can be missed if u army careful. Well rounded course

Cons:

Expect to lose/find frisbees in the water on hole 1 and 9. Not many trees in the back 9- if there were and if hole 1 and 9 would b less likely to lose frisbees this would b an easy 4.5. If u lose a frisbee a scuba diver or neighboor (if thrown in backyard) will retieve ur disk but it will b a couple weeks wait. Then Dennis will charge u bout 2 bucks per frisbee

Other Thoughts:

Bound to find frisbees in the water... If water shots were better protects by trees and if there were more trees in the back 9, this would easily b at least a 4.5
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4 2
NeverStopRoller
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 4, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

One thing I have enjoyed about this course is that it fits into the park very well. The concrete paths make getting from the front nine to the back nine easy and enjoyable.

One of the course designer's sells discs on site and does retrieval with the neighborhood as well as from the pond.

The course itself is very nice and well maintained by park staff. The front nine offer a good and balanced challenge for those who are just starting out with the sport. The back nine is indeed flat, however it gives those new to the sport a proper set of holes to practice disc control and throwing methods without the risk of losing a disc to a large water hazard.

The course wraps around a nice quiet neighborhood, which depending on what holes your playing on can make your day a boon or a bust if you happen to lose a disc in their yard.

Parking is ample and is provided on both sides of the course. If you want to do the back nine only you can park by the gazebo and hop right onto ten, or park by the skate park and drop right in on hole three.

Cons:

Really this course only gets one disc taken off and for two major reasons:

1. The back nine is flat and barren. I only take half a disc for this because the current trees are still growing and they are working on getting more mature trees cross planted into this area. I think what makes this amazing is that the back nine was once a farmer's field I have been told, and seeing as they are continuing to improve it makes this negative just a temporary hindrance.

2. The last quirk with this course is the neighborhood that it surrounds. If your playing on holes 1-5, losing your disc over a fence means you will have to wait until they return it to the park. This can take from a day to several weeks before you can pick it up from Dennis for a small fee. Entering these yards can get the cops called onto you (the yard next to 2 has No Trespassing Signs every three feet along the fence).

However, once you get on the back nine the only yard you need to worry about is the yard with the plastic white fence and the German Shepard that is let loose to wander the nearby holes and growl at park visitors. The yard with he large pine trees and the yard with the small shed are nice and let those who lose a disc on their property come and grab it (was told this by the owner of the house with the pine trees, he said ti was okay if people fetched their discs since he is an avid player in the park).

While normally I would not take away from a review for surrounding factors, having half of a neighborhood block themselves off from the course is a bit of an eerie feeling.

Other Thoughts:

Great course, I can't wait to see it improved through tree planting and hopefully some of the neighborhood stops being so up tight. :)
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6 2
bilemshious
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17 years 27 played 17 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 31, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great park! The grass must be mowed once a week - it seems like grass from ball golf courses. Both sets of tees (short and long) are concrete. The short tees have very detailed signs next to them showing you the layout of the hole as well as distances to the TWO different basket placements. The further tees have the distances painted on the corners that correspond to the appropriate baskets. Tees on a hill are still level - well done here.

You can tell there was a lot of money poured into making this course all that it could be. Everything is top-notch - professional tee signs, yellow Innova DiscCatchers, all in a nice park.

There is a nice restroom and drinking fountain that is not too far from any hole (next to holes 1, 9, 10, 18). Also, there is a practice basket for you to warm up on.

Cons:

Some holes just are not that interesting. They are so uninteresting that these holes take away from the many holes that are interesting. Plant a tree or something for me to shoot around. With most of the back 9 being about the same distance, it takes the exact same throw every time since they are out in the open field.

Watch out walking from 5 to 6 - you should walk behind hole 2 so you don't walk across the fairway.

Other Thoughts:

Watch out - that pond that you run into several times throughout the round WILL eat your disc if you aren't careful. I'm a pansy and always play up on hole 1 and bomb over hole 9.

My favorite holes are in the back - holes 3, 4, and 5. They are a couple technical holes then a bomber through the trees! The technical holes are very RHFH centric.

Great beginner course from the short tees. The longer tees in many cases make the hole more difficult (different angle, behind some trees, etc.) Overall, it is a fun course to play. If you are in the Indy area, it is a no-brainer that you should play this course!
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2 2
Peachey
Experience: 15.8 years 4 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

My Home Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 7, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

There is some sentimental value added as this is where I met Disc Gold. The Park itself is exceptionally NICE: parking, bathroom, the view. It's a nice neighborhood. Water Hazards make the round interesting - once you've learned how Not to lose discs here you at least can watch the other folks wade up to their necks sometimes. (Been there) The course itself seems challenging. The park employees alternate the pin sites about every three weeks..keeping things interesting for us regulars. THIS IS A NICE COURSE..and it would be a destination course for me if I didn't live only two miles away.

Cons:

There is an unusally heavy amount of litter here...including beer cans in bushes etc. This is disappointing. The number of NO TRESPASSING signs on fencing is depressing. Stories and rumors abound about these homeowners..including one throwing a disc into his trash can rather than returning it to the players who threw it. It seems as if the local club and the Park Staff have alleviated this somewhat..signs at this point in the course suggest it at least.
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5 3
jdonhardt
Experience: 16.1 years 5 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Sweet Course Dude 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 23, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

this is a great course. very well maintained. duel tees for every hole. the red tees are shorter and my gf really appreciated that. the blue tees are longer and can accomodate the bigger arms. plenty of challenges, i actually like the water hazards - even though i had to fish two discs out. and, if you put your name and number on your disc they will mail it back to you after they drain the lake, which they do a few times a year. there are some shorter, more technical holes too. hole 8, for example, i threw my putter from the tee just to get out of the woods! the bathrooms were plenty nice enough if you had to sit down in there ; )

Cons:

the course is pretty new, so the trees havent grown in all the way yet...it will be a better looking, more challenging course when they do. its hard to come up with cons for this place.

Other Thoughts:

i drove an hour to get there, it was definitely worth the drive. i will return. i believe every hole is a par 3.
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1 7
sdervan
Experience: 14.8 years 41 played 41 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A Must Play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 6, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

test every aspect of a players game-water on right, left, creeks, woods, open long drives, everything. I had played a course in Muncie just a few days before and thought i would make the drive. It was well worth it. I went back 4 of the next 6 days. I lost 2 disc in the lake on 1 but loved the course. very clean, well thought out course with multiple tees, and pin locations.

Cons:

some guys were dragging the pond one of the days i was there and it was like they gave no consideration to the guy at the tee. I was told they were from another disc club.
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7 2
ElementZ
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15 years 212 played 200 reviews
4.00 star(s)

New Favorite Course! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 6, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

-BEAUTIFUL park! It goes around a nice lake, beautiful trees, the whole nine yards.
-The people here are soooo friendly! Everyone I asked was super kind to help out. My dad and I lost a disc for a little and people from neighboring holes came over and helped until we found it. There was also a concert going on in the park and everyone looked like they were having a great time. It was a great place to be. I had a TON of fun.
-Great signs, baskets, and well kept fairways. It's perfectly maintained.
-There's a gigantic map at the beginning of the course that's very detailed and helpful.
-There's a practice tee, fairway, and basket! It's the first time I've ever seen this and was very impressed.

Cons:

-All of the holes were par 3's and pretty short. :(
-Not very many hills.
-There's usually a lot of people here, but they're all very friendly, so no worries.

Other Thoughts:

I would definitely recommend playing here and was impressed that it's free to play. I laughed because there was a pair of disc golfers who were going through the course on a golf cart! Another first, haha. Feel free to message me about any questions but I think that from the pictures uploaded on this site it's pretty obvious what's going on. Again, definitely check it out! The community here is awesome!
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3 3
EMorrow
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Second to Washington. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Brand new course that's well maintained, some holes seemed random (2,6,10,12,16) while others definitely had strategy in mind. Front 9 is among the best in the midwest.

Cons:

The retention pond on the front 9 is notorious for swallowing discs, personally I've lost 5-10, with friends 20+, it's also getting pretty nasty with mildew and weeds... there are a couple modest creeks to the right of 3 and the left of 11 that might get your feet wet. Right now (6/22/09) your lucky if you get your disc out of the creek by 11, due to how thick the brush is. The back 9 is somewhat boring, but is still a challenge and almost always windy. The walk from 5-6 crosses the hole 2 fairway....?

Other Thoughts:

The long tees provide a decently more challenging alternative, some holes are lengthened 15-20 yards. (5,7,9,11,17,18)
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1 5
scstone2006
Experience: 17.9 years 17 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice Course if you know what you are doing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Variety of shots and evironment. Lake and woods front 9, wide open back nine

Cons:

If you are a beginner, the lake will eat your disc almost guarenteed, unless you throw 8 times to get it to the hole. Back nine and be really windy, but challenging and fun at the same time

Other Thoughts:

I love it, but I would definately say its not for beginners
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5 3
edge3281
Experience: 16.8 years 7 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 3, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful course. Great signs. (they have all the necessary information even where the next tee pad is located) Nice concrete tee pads clearly marked for red or blue tee pad. Dual Tee pads and multiple pin locations allows for different course layout each time you play. Excellent Baskets. Front 9 and back 9 play like completely different courses. Park is well kept. 3 holes have a pond in play and 2 have a creek to worry about providing a psychological obstacle. There is a practice Tee and basket so that you can warm up. It is in between the parking lot and hole 1 so it isn't out of the way. The tall grass on the small hills provides a different kind of challenge.

Cons:

Red tee pads didn't provide much of a challenge even for a relative beginner. Tall grass and 5 wholes that have water in play make it easy to loose a disc.

Other Thoughts:

Next time I will play from the blue tees which will add more distance to the hole and provide a little more of a challenge. If you like long courses this course isn't for you. The course is pretty busy though the people are friendly and seemed to move along a a pretty good pace.
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12 1
ZipperBlueZ
Experience: 20.7 years 12 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Noblesville's New Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 31, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Dual tees and Dual hole positions. 18 holes. The front 9 have you shooting along the banks of a large pond (which has already eaten many discs) before traveling into a nice shaded woods areas with a few dogleg right shots to keep you honest. Next, you come back out of the woods and play the final 2 holes on the opposite bank of the pond. The back 9 holes are out in open fields with well placed high wild grass used as obstacles, defining the fairways and rough (in this case, the rough is the 2-6' tall wild grass!).

Cons:

The holes are pretty short. I don't think any, even from the pro tees, are much more than 400". This isn't a huge con though, since the holes are pretty varied and challenging.

Other Thoughts:

I had been waiting for this course to be completed ever since I had first heard it was going to be built about 5 years ago and It was worth the wait to have this high quality course basically in my backyard...It's the best thing my tax dollars have ever paid for.
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