Lots of elevation changes
Distance changes
and all around a nice course
all the creeks and streams have dried up and there is no water hazard unless it rains.
it is very challenging and i love to play this course

the mach 1 baskets seem old school and narrow but i had no trouble putting into them at all but the baskets could cause problems and i believe restrooms on the course would be nice.
on hole nine there is a big drop off and in some spots it is hard to retrieve discs maybe they should do like the course where im from in florida and make bamboo poles with hooks.

it is not really for new players but it is a fun challenging course
this course is very fun and there is no problem with navigation.

A nice mixed of holes that allows for all skills level a sense of challenge while not pandering to one skill level or another.

The course offers cement tee pads and utilizes the parks natural features really well as far as the available land, creek beds and elevation. I thought the flow of the course worked well too...even though others say the course is hard to follow for first time players.

The best thing about the course was the sense of community I felt when first arriving at the park. All the players that were just heading out on to the course or had just finished 18 were pleasant with saying hello and general chit-chat. I don't hear that as often at others courses.

Cons would be the real old-school Mach I (I think) baskets...they're a bit narrower than more traditional baskets and the basket itself is shallower than others and allow for more putts to be rejected

I also felt like some obstacles like the Amphitheater on hole 16 wasn't well thought out as it appears to have been built after the course...at least it looks newer than the course looks.

All in all Earlewood is a classic neighborhood park that works its way through an older area of town and the course is a very classic old school feel.

When I hear people talking about "World Class Course" they'e always saying things need to be longer. Earlewood shows how limited space with other activities at a park can still showcase the best of Disc Golf...at least what Disc Golf was when I first began playing.

The best ways to increase my rating of this course would be to update the baskets and maybe make the tees slightly bigger. Those are 2 minor things.

Earlewood is a course you will want to play if you want to learn where Disc Golf came from and why all the old timers still throw a lot of short range control discs. This course shows that you can leave the bigdogs at home.

*All Mach 1 goals in excellent shape.Great use of the hill sides, making some shots upwards, downwards and a few flat shots.

*Fair amount of trees give some of the short distances a better challenge.

*All concrete tee pads, except on hole 1.

*All tee's are marked with number post with feet and par on them.

*There are navigation stickers on every basket pointing towards the next hole.

*Great scenery with very good maintance.

*Great course for beginners or newer players to learn the sport.

*Low risk of losing a disc, although there are water hazzards they are very small.

*Hole 18 is a hole with great use of elevation and wooded area.

*Navigation the first time around can be overwhelming, although the tee's are fairly easy to find the baskets are not so easy to spot.

*Very little buffer zones on a few holes, make it easy to fly a disc into another players way.

*This course can be a safety concern for smaller children due to the steep inclines and declines on a few holes.

*Although the baskets are in excellent shape they are older designs with smaller baskets and can cause a few more spit-outs.

*An easy course for intermediate to advanced players using the courses par system.

This is by far one of my favorite courses, Earlewood Park utilizes all of it's land to maximize the fun level for golfers. This course offers 18 easy to play holes with great elevation changes and good maintance. I would recommend bringing a map to navigate this course and plenty of water. I traveled 2 hours to play and it was worth every minute. *Highly recommended course*

-great use of elevation on just about every hole
-lots of large, mature trees throughout the course
-small creek in play on a number of holes
-makes great use of the limited space
-a couple of very cool signature tee shots
-nice concrete tees
-basic signs at each tee
-old school, dome top baskets are in good condition

-shows age, very short holes
-too generous pars on the signs, definitely a par 54 course
-awkward flow and navigation, not too bad but 1st timers need a map or a local
-many very close fairways, errant throws into other fairways are probably pretty common, especially considering how busy this course probably gets
-baskets are in good condition and catch well enough but are definitely not as consistent as newer models
-thick, intimidating foliage if you are on the watch for posion ivy or sumac. it is definitely out there, especially near the creek

This fun old school course holds up very well. The design makes effective use of a relatively small space and exploits the elevation changes brilliantly. Nearly every hole has at least some elevation change. This is what really makes this course so fun even though it is so short.

The park is filled with large, mature trees and some of the lines are a little tight but fair. Most of the pin positions make good use of the natural obstacles and elevation. The hillside pin positions here really make you think about your approaches and putts. Given how short the holes are, you'll be thinking about how your disc is going to land even on your drives.

Holes 2 and 18 are the standouts for me. Hole 2 is a great downhill shot with a left to right fairway and a good number of trees. The basket sits on a hillside that slopes down to the left so you have to think twice about that anhyzer shot! Hole 18 is an awesome downhill through some trees with a ceiling to a pin straight ahead. A great ace run if you can hit the line. Hole 16 is also fun, shooting across the amphitheater to a hillside basket. The amphitheater is OB so you've got to make it. Must be a bummer when there is an event there because the hole is not playable then.

The rest of the holes are fun but some are a little repetitive. There are a couple blind downhill shots that are essentially the same: down overthrow down the hill and make sure you land flat. There are also two short, straight uphills (11 and 14) that are sort of filler, especially 14 since it is wide open too. Many of the holes here would be boring if it weren't for all the elevation changes.

Overall, this course is still fun 20 years later. For the modern player it is definitely a duece-or-die course but there are enough obstacles, tight lines and elevation issues to keep you on your toes. This is the place to go if you're in town looking for a casual round as the other course in town is more rough around the edges and has some very (very!) challenging wooded holes.



**Like this review? Hate it? Message me and let me know why! I want to make them better!**

Earlewood Park has a very fun disc golf course that utilizes the limited space available perfectly. Each hole has a concrete tee pad, and a sign with distance and an inflated par for that hole. All holes are par 3 for experienced players. Distance is never overwhelming, as any basket can be reached from the box with a well placed drive. Elevation change is a factor on most holes, to varying degrees. Hole 18 is probably the signature hole, a long drive down a tall hill through the trees. Great flowing layout with little chance to lose plastic keeps the pace steady, even on a crowded day.

The fairways are not overly technical, and highly skilled players might find this course to be too easy. The baskets are OLD SCHOOL, and those chains will spit out a putt that would fall in many other targets. It is a compact park with other facilities, but other users rarely hinder disc golf play.

I love Earlewood Park. It is one of the most fun courses I've played that is still quite beginner friendly. The layout is practical with just enough obstacles to keep it interesting. The antiquated dome top baskets add a little flavor you can't find on modern courses. I may be over rating this course in some peoples opinions. There is a lack of difficulty (last round I had 6 consecutive birdies on the back nine), but it is care free disc golf and I like it! If you are in the neighborhood with your plastic at hand, then check it out for sure.

Shaded course helps to keep you cool in the hot months. The hills will give you a little bit of a workout.

Construction around the first hole made it a bit difficult in figuring out where to start. One tee pad per hole. Several holes surround the baskeball court and ampatheater, which could cause some issues when they are being used.

Wear long pants and closed toed shoes. Poison Ivy, oak and sumack line the course. Also, snakes and ticks could be an issue if not careful.

Earlewood's main attraction as a course would be the nice rolling hills throughout the course in which the designer did an excellent job of using. Also there are a number of trees that force you to shape your shots at this park in order to get a birdie. This combination along with open ground on which to walk and find discs ramps up the fun factor of this course to a very high level. Hole eighteen was my favorite hole on the course, it is a longer hole but downhill and reachable for most advanced players with a well thought out putter or mid range disc to bypass the guarding trees and possibly get an ace on. Baskets are older but seem to catch well enough and the tee pads and signs are also older but are still in decent shape.

This course was built back in 1991 and playing along it shows its age. Holes are just way to short on this course to be anything other than a pitch and putt. Beginners will have lots of fun on this course but advanced players will learn the lines very quickly and rack up birdies fast; after two or three times these players might start wishing for a harder course. The one thing that struck a cord with me was the poor course flow and strange navigation. After hole three the next logical tee pad that you see across the tiny bridge is actually in fact hole eleven and finding hole four is taxing and the flow here is strange. Also after hole nine or ten I believe you are crossing over hole one and its fairway again to get to where you want to go.

There is some construction near holes one through three but walking around it will get you to the first tee, wish I knew this before hand! Navigation isn't too terrible with the exception of what I previously mentioned but printing a map for me was helpful. If you are near Columbia I think stopping in here and at Owens Field Park are both worthwhile places to play.

Located in a beautiful ole time city park, with large mature trees and a gentle running creek dividing the course in two separate loops.

Elevation is the biggest positive here. The course maximizes it. You will be either throwing up or down some type of elevation, whether that is a dramatic change, or less severe. Several baskets are located on fast greens, to add to the difficulty.

Basic tee signs, along with decent concrete tee pads, located at all holes. All baskets have a next tee indicator, aiding in course navigation. This allows navigation without a map possible.

About a third of the holes play parallel to the creek, with one having you throw over it. The Combination of the creek with the elevation challenges, makes this a good course for all skill levels.

Hole 16 has you throwing over/near the amphitheater. It's one thing when it's not in use, very dangerous to unplayable if it is being used.

There are several parallel fairways, where errant shots will encroach on it's neighbor, slowing down play if crowded, and potentially getting hit by a disc, possible.

Non disc golfing walking trails increase pedestrian traffic, which will cause slow downs, if really crowded.

Going from basket 9 to tee 10 has you crossing over 1's fairway. 18's tee is too close to 17's fairway, so watch your head.

Single tee, single basket course that still is relevant in today's world of longer flying discs. You won't see this style of baskets much with their doom covers. Hopefully eliminating the dreaded, landing on top of basket, shot.

There was construction going on at the rec center behind #1 tee, so make sure you go around it to get to the first tee. The rec center and playground looked to be unavailable because of the construction.

Not overly challenging for me, but it was a lot of fun and is my favorite Columbus area course. Perfect for working on your game, or hanging with your friends, it is enjoyable either way.

The course plays through a hilly city park with lots of elevation, nice mature trees and a small creek. The water comes into play around a couple greens, and many other pins are on slopes to make you really think about your short game. Most holes play up, down, or across the hills adding a lot of fun and challenge. Hole 18 is a lot of fun, it's a tight shot and one of the longest on the course, but it's steeply downhill and a potential ace run.

Though the holes are pretty similar lengths, the elevation makes them play shorter or longer, by quite a bit in some cases. Despite limited underbrush, there are enough trees to make you shape some interesting lines. There are decent concrete tees, and the baskets are older but catch fine. The signage is decent, with hole shape and length.

There are some navigation issues here, there are often multiple tees visible and it's not obvious which one is next. You have to walk across 1s fairway between holes 9 and 10. The course plays across an amphitheater and walking paths, and near picnic areas and a basketball court, all potential safety issues.

The course is shorter, and most of the challenge comes from the mature trees and elevation. Some holes offer roll away possibility, but otherwise errant shots aren't punished much here. There just isn't a ton of challenge, just about every hole is a birdie chance for intermediate or better players.

Beginners can have a great time here with reasonable lengths and limited punishment, it is a bit of a hike but otherwise very friendly for new players. More experienced players can have a really good time playing for birdies here, there's a lot of variety though not too much difficulty. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area.

Beautiful park course that combines rolling terrain and trees throughout. The fairways all have trees that create a variety of shots (except for doglegs) that will offer challenges and fun. It's a pretty quick play (45 minutes for me in a nearly empty park) due to it's short length.

There are many memorable holes (many short enough for ace runs) particularly holes 8, 15, and 18 (two of which are tunnel shots). Every single hole seems to have elevation change of some sort, which is great, and the space s well utilized.

Danger Zones: The proximity of holes to each other can cause some danger of discs wandering into other fairways (a long drive on 6 can smack someone on #4) and there's a pedestrian pathway going through #12.

The only "weak" hole (rather one that seemed to stand out as a filler hole was #14- just kinda open and short.

I suggest having a map handy. The tee pads are clearly marked but there's a few occasions where it's not quite clear where to go next.

Earlewood is your classical older city park style course that is mature, seasoned, and perfectly worn. Elevation is the major challenge here playing both up and down on many holes, but it is tasteful and fun, not sadistically difficult. The course offers many other challenges and obstacles: trees are as you would expect, some thicker rough, creek hazards (site shows half the holes having water, but the creek really comes into play on just a couple, and it is small and seems like most of the time retrieving discs would not be a problem), and finally the unique structures like a pipeline and an amphitheater. Variation in hole distance is better than the it looks on paper due to the elevation changes utilized on most holes. The concrete tees, basic signs and older baskets get the job done. Course contains two loops of 9 holes. Navigation was not too bad as there are mostly short walks to the next tee, but print a map first to make it easy.

The finishing hole is one of the best around- long, downhill, narrow fairway between tall trees- it is gorgeous, challenging, and one where you will want to empty the bag. The downward elevation makes this 380' hole aceable for many, but get into trouble off the tee and you could be facing a bogey or worse. I bet many rounds have been decided on this hole with a multiple shot swing possible.

The course is integrated into other park activities somewhat- walking trail, the amphitheater, a road, picnic tables, tennis courts, and basketball courts. (And a note on the basketball, there was an intense game going on by some hot-tempered foul-mouthed locals and I would have not been shocked to have heard gunshots at some point--- we kept our distance!)

A few design issues- 1) the front is not as strong as the back, 2) the first few holes almost play on top of each other with no distinct division/barrier between them, and 3) the walk from 9 to 10 takes across #1 fairway that is blind because of the tennis courts (be sure to peek out before crossing to avoid a disc to the head). Also, the parking lot is not really close to hole 1 & 10 as we had to wander and hunt for it over some construction and we did not find any restrooms in the park.

This course does not provide the "removed-from-the-world" feel- it is your average city park with other park users around and you can see much of the park and course from just about anywhere on the course.

Earlewood is a great public course that thankfully has survived from an earlier era of disc golf. There are several run-of-the-mill holes, but there are also several good and unique holes here, too. This is a course I wouldn't mind playing over and over again. It has its challenges, but gives you a chance to work on your game without too much punishment. Overall, it is just fun to play and worth the stop it you are passing through the area.

*Note: At first glance it appears on the hole info link of this site that there are two sets of tees, but there is just one. This is just done to show both pars (the old ones shown on the tee signs and then the standard pro par of today).

Challenging, yet forgiving holes.
Elevation changes add color and variety to the course. Unique holes that you will remember and look forward to playing again.
Fairways are open but trees add the element of good decision making for placement of shots.
Locals were firndly enough to direct me to the start and other places where the basket was blind.

Some fairways overlap and a few holes you have to walk through another fairway.
Lots of other activity in the park that could disrupt your game.
Baskets look old.
Tee pads have a lot of debris on them.
Par noted is questionable(very forgiving)
Signage is poor.

First time to this area and looking for a place to play. Earlewood offers a varaity of shots needed and a great place to work on your game from different aspects. Like other reviewers noted. each hole brings a unique character to the course and the holes are not repetitive. This is a course that if you lived here, you could play a million times and continue to enjoy it. While the baskets could use a bit of sprucing up and the tee pads provided some brooms, the upkeep of the course is very good. The signs from baskt to next tee are poor and I found a few times early on in the course wandering around trying to figure out which way to go. With a little sprucing up, this is easily a 4 star course.This was a nice surprise to add onto a out of town trip. I would encourage you to add this to your wish list if you're in the area.

Concrete Tee Pads
Maintained very well, very clean
Several elevated shots
Great for new players or experienced players
Classic course from the 90s

I have been out when its packed and you have to wait to play a hole.
Watch out for people with a wild throw coming at your head due to the course being compact.

I love this course, I play it several times a week.

A very nice little park course. Lots of elevation changes -- the pictures don't do this justice, as the ups and downs are quite steep. Pin placements on a lot of these slopes add to the challenge. You must learn how to park your putts so they don't roll down these hills, or you'll be looking at long return shots.
The layout is nice, no repeat back-to-back holes -- a longer, uphill hole will be followed by a shorter, downhill hole. A lefty hole followed by a righty, although there are no major doglegs.
I love the challenge that seems to slowly develop over the course. As you get to the back 9, the holes start to take a different shape and very unique lines.
I love the amphitheatre shot, a nice long run with the amphitheater in the valley between the pin and the tee. I also loved 18 -- almost 400' downhill tunnel with trouble to the left.
Excellent signage. I questioned the measurements on a couple holes, but the signs themselves are quite nice.

If you're an experienced player, you should ignore the listed par and play everything par 3. No hole over 400', and no major doglegs = par 3 course(imho).
Older baskets, gray tops that are often hard to see. The chains were fine though, which is the most important piece .
Navigation was not great -- I was in a group that knew the course but tried to see it as if I were alone. A few "next tee" signs help, but you can see a lot of baskets and tees from most places, and it could be confusing without a guide or map.
Church bells - again, not a BIG con, but when they ring, they ring for 10 minutes or more!
Traffic. Lots of people out and about wandering through the course. Some looked to be bums.
There's a basketball court all alone in the middle of the park. While it doesn't interfere much with throwing, it was very popular when we were there, lots of people and loud. Again not a big deal, but they definitely didn't know what disc golf was -- one person picked up one of our drives and might have kept the disc without us yelling that it was ours. Many more just casually walked down fairways straight at us, and I wouldn't want to start trouble with them either.
No trashcans, except at the front of the park. No restrooms either.

I like the course and I'm looking forward to playing the upcoming tourney, but with no hole over 400', the baskets, the location, the lack of amenities, and by comparison, I rate this as a "Good" 3.0

lots of elevation changes. plenty of "in-play" trees to force you to try different lines and lots of LARGE standing trees make for a nice walk in the park

It is early in the year but there was a TON of leaves all over, made disc hunting challenging at times. I think I saw 2 blades of grass so there was a lot of packed dirt, leaves and other ground cover but not much grass at all

probably a nicer course in the mid to late summer, keep this in mind when trip planning.

Compact course with lots of elevation changes. The park is very well kept, and the course is well maintained. Some great signature holes (#18 and the ampitheater are my favorites) Local players are very friendly!
The course has a very good amount of activity, and it's easy to find a tour guide.

While no long distance walking required between holes, lots of up and downhill walking. Parks dept recently added a walking path that runs through some fairways, but no walkers when I played. Soil compaction along the wooded fairways means lots of exposed roots to trip over.

I love this course! You can knock out a solo round very quickly. I dropped in on the wednesday doubles, and joined 17 other players for a round. The locals are super friendly, and offered quite a bit of help with this old man's technique.

The elevation changes on this course are epic! I really enjoyed the scenery and the layout was great. The holes all had very different challenges to them. Some were more wooded than others. Some had greater elevation changes than others. The hazards were very nice because they would definitely add a stroke but you were able to get your disc back unlike some water hazards I've played. I also have learned to treasure cement tee pads when they are present. This course is filled with signature holes the three that come to mind are:

6 - Which has a great blind drive downhill. Great reward for going all out with your drive but you could very easily end up in the ravine.

15 - Which plays around the amphitheater. This hole was fun being forced to play along the left side. A good drive sets you up for an easy 3.

18 - What to say about this hole? Long, beautiful view, enormous elevation change. A nice straight drive on this hole can easily travel 300-400 feet. This was a unique fun hole to play and made the hour drive well worth it.

The layout is definitely not obvious and printing the map is a 100% must. I had some beginners with me and this course was definitely not for them. The par numbers on this course are weird but really doesn't matter that much. Just according to course par I shot 5 under. If I played all par 3's than I shot 9 over. Small thing but mentally I had the greatest round of my career. The only other con, and I don't think everyone will deal with this, but a large group of people were walking back to their car and walked right in front of the 15th tee box. There was obviously no hurry to get out of the way or care that we were waiting on them, they did not thank us for waiting for them or apologize for taking so long. It was just very rude, I know most courses are mixed use parks but a little courtesy would be nice.

P.S. It was fall and all of the leaves had fallen, one of our group was playing primarily with a red disc, this was very hard to find. I'd suggest this time of the year bringing bright discs.

This course was great. The facilities were all nice, and it was well worth the hour drive that it took to get there. I really enjoyed this course and will make a point to visit every time I'm near Columbia. Also there has been a lot of comments on the type of baskets. They all seemed just fine to me and I never had a problem with missing puts because of the chains.

-Lots of elevation changes.
-Big magnificent looking trees towering overhead, still leaving fairways open.
-Pretty easy to find your way around.
-Epic ditches (almost canyons) if your shot goes awry.
-Old school pars that make you feel awesome about your game.
-Close out your game chucking down a humongous hill. Always awesome.
-Good peoples, see other thoughts.

-A few places that give you the opportunity to really damage your disc.
-Old baskets, but still good ones. (Apparently upgraded before I had a chance to write this)
-Old school pars that make you feel awesome about your game, even when you suck.

I really, really, enjoyed playing this course. Being from Michigan, the flora was just different enough to be exotic. It was very hot, and I didn't know there was water located in the circle island by the parking lot. After nine holes, I saw someone else who directed me there, and I filled up. The people seemed very nice, and there was a lost disc sitting by a trash can, unmolested, and someone had some signs posting about finding a lost disc and wanting to return it. My fiancee had the joy of impressing some locals throwing some of the best shots of her life in quick succession, and they were cheering her on.

I definitely will be stopping by again, if I find myself in Columbia.

Beautiful woods with great variances in elevation. Lot of blind tee to catcher holes. Interesting area and throwing over the outdoor classroom was different. You simply have to play Hole 18 and find out your level of confidence.

Even with most holes having an arrow on top of basket to next hole a course map is useful. If you have trouble going up and down hills forget this course. More elaborate info posts giving at least a hint to the basket location would be helpful.

While I was there they were improving the catcher baskets as was mentioned in another player's review.

You can use a variety of discs on this course. It challenges your whole game. Sure it is short and the pros can tear it up, but since almost every hole has elevation it can bite back. Earlwood is known for its' rollaways. #18 is just beautiful to look at, but your mantra on 18 is throw low because a nasty dose of bushes await you on the immediate left and a swampy area on the left more down toward the basket. This is really the only hole you can lose a disc (maybe 9 in the ditch or over the railroad tracks.)

Old school baskets can lead to blow throughs. Just pull out ye ol' blowfly! Baskets are in the process of getting extra chains though. (#11 already has them installed and they work great) Restrooms in the rec center are rarely open. Can interfere with other park users on some holes #11,12, 16

Ignore all par signs. This course should be played as all par 3's--par 54 (did some math for you there)
Favorite holes: 4, 8, 16, 18
Holes that can piss me off: 7.
Saw a drug deal near hole 8 one day.
This is a great course for beginners too. It open enough for errant shots. Somewhat of a playground for your kids to play on.