Concrete tee pads on every hole, Mach 1 baskets that look a little weird, but caught just fine.
Surprising amount of elevation for the city park just a few blocks from downtown. With a small stream running through the property, I guess housing wasn't an option. It does make a rather short course more challenging.
Lot's of other things going on in this park, but for the most part, the course stays away from those. More about the main exception later.
With the elevation, great mix of up and down holes, side hills holes, just about every possibility you can think of. Also a good mix of left and right breaking holes.
Most of the trees are large, old-growth, I didn't have to look too hard for my discs, except down by the stream.

Tee signs are basic number, par and distance.
Grass seemed a little long the day I was there. The whole park seemed a little ragged, which is surprising since the Parks Dept HQ is located there.

The stream valley the course plays through creates some very unique holes, none more so than #16. After a short downhill #15, with a death putt staring right at you, #16 tee is back up on the ridgeline. The basket is over on the other ridgeline, down below ?, an amphitheater with terraced, curved seating. The tee shot is over this structure to the basket on the other side, definitely a multi-drive hole!!
#4 and #5 make another interesting pair, #4 is short dowhill, through the trees to the basket near the stream, then #5 is uphill with a dry streambed lining the left side. It finishes near a huge, old tree.
The course finishes very well also, #18 tee is at the top of the hill, through some scattered trees, down to the basket 40-50 ft (?) below. A small pond is lurking on the left, stream behind and road on the right, very good finisher!
I see this is the 2nd oldest course in the state, its nice to see it has held up well and still provides a challenge.

Great elevation changes. Easy to hit par or better on most holes for a rec player. That makes it fun to me. I shot a -1, first time under par. Only one on the course on an early Saturday morning.

No sign for where course begins, or hole layout signs at teepads.

The individual holes on this course are excellent. This is an exceptional mix of right and left, elevation that borders on being bluffs or cliffs at times, and some of the slope and that elevation causes great confusion about disc choice. Advanced to pro players alike will find great challenge in the technical aspects, and even the most fit athlete will find the walk demanding (not to mention the heat and humidity adding to that).

Hole 18 was the signature to me, a steep long downhill that even those with average distance can reach. The question will be whether or not you get it onto that narrow green (I was 30 feet right, behind a 5 foot diameter oak, and barely able to stand on the slope, causing me to clang my putt).

The park is a beautiful urban park with a visitor center and other facilities which aren't used much, so there is little interference with other park users.

The biggest cons are that the course map is terrible and the signage is awful. It's nearly impossible to find one's way around the first 6 holes, though the course becomes somewhat easier to navigate at that point (it seems obvious where the next hole is at that point). Those first few holes also cross an area with tennis courts and the fairways are a little too compact and close together, with numerous baskets visible (I played hole 6 tee to hole 7 basket in 3, which very much impressed another old timer out there).

It's a beautiful park and challenging golf. If the first few holes could be redesigned and it were easier to follow, I might have bumped my rating up a half disc. If I lived in the area, I might make it my regular course, as it's easy to find and beautiful.

-There are lots of interesting lines at Earlewood. Every hole seems to have "That one tree" that forces you to take an unconventional or unexpected line. This is really what makes the course fun.
-There are no filler holes or waste of space at Earlewood. It's not a large course, but it feels like the course is carefully crafted to maximize the space available.
-There is a surprising amount of elevation for a course in the midlands.
-This course has older baskets with a dome on top. This adds to the character of the course.
-Navigation is a little tricky until you realize that each basket has a sticker on top of the dome pointing you in the direction of the next tee. Not to mention the random green bar on the cage of each basket pointing you towards the next basket. This was a nice touch.
-Not a ton of places to lose a disc.

-The biggest con for me at Earlewood was several key maintenance issues. The worst one being that the tee pads for holes 9 and 12 were almost completely covered with dirt and gravel. Another big issue is an abnormal amount of litter scattered throughout the course. And, finally, there is an abundance of poison ivy in the middle of the fairway on hole 7.
-The course is fairly short as are most of the holes.
-This course appears to be constantly busy!

Earlewood Park is not the isolated disc golf oasis just outside of downtown Columbia, but I did not leave disappointed. It's a fun play that forces you to throw a variety of lines in order to score well. Earlewood has the elevation changes of the upstate, but the swamp by hole 18 doesn't let you forget that the coast is not far off.

- parking no problem
- well placed baskets make course challenging for beginners
- several open fairways make for easier play
- overall a fun course for all type of players

- fairways on most part are tight
- hole 6 has a lot of weeds around basket, easy to lose disk
- hole 17 has guy wire from power pole in front of tee.

Fun course to play. Watch out for walkers! (Not the Walkimg Dead kind)

-The first pro about Earlewood is if you live in Columbia and cant drive very far, this course is the funnest to play in the area. Starting at hole 1 you know this course is going to have a treat in store for you.
-The course features holes that are moderately wooded, open, and heavily wooded. Hole 1 is what I would consider "moderately wooded" due to the trees located in the fairway. Not hard to miss them, but there are still trees. Hole 14 is an example of an open hole. A 200ft straight shot that, while having trees on either side, is very easy just to stay in the fairway for that easy bird, and it's even an ace run. Hole 18 is the most heavily wooded hole, but it's also one of the most fun. It's one of the longest holes, so if you're trying to put power in your drive make sure you watch where it goes because it can be very tedious to find.
-Elevation changes are abundant within Earlewood. Some holes you throw uphill, such as hole 7, and some holes you throw downhill, such as hole 18. They are just tremendously fun to play and if you get a lot of glide on one of those downhill holes it's definitely a blast to see. Hole 18 rivals that of R.L. Smith and Robbins as best downhill finishing hole for me.
-If you are new to disc golf, like I was when I first played here, you will love it. It's not hard to find the next teebox, holes are not too difficult with the pars they're set at, and you always have a chance at making a good run at the hole. Be wary of rollers though!
-The teepads are all concrete, and the baskets are the old Mach 1 baskets, although they catch very well and seem to fit the park.
-Restrooms and water fountains near hole 12, which is greatly appreciated!

-It is not in the best of neighborhoods as far as I can tell. My buddy and I were playing hole 10 and there was a guy just sitting right off the fairway with his shirt off looking out of it. I assume he was homeless. Not all homeless people are bad, however, and this has not affected the rating at all.
-There are hardly any trashcans and no benches besides the occasional tree stump.
-If you are trying to play through a group ahead of you, I would just skip the hole they're on. Countless times I've had to sit there and wait for groups of 3, 4, 5 and once even a whole family of about 15 to play without them asking if we (2 of us) wanted to play through. I asked a group of 3 if we could play through, and you'd think I had asked them to commit treason on the king the way they looked at me. Again, this didn't affect my rating, just trying to let you all know.
-Pedestrian filled. It's close to two baseball fields, and when there are tournaments you cant even play some of the holes. Kids and adults alike just running around or sitting on the fairway.
-When there are mandos (hole 2 is the only one I know of) they're hard to spot. I didn't even realize hole 2 had a mando until my fifth time playing there. I think the lack of mandos makes it dangerous as well. I about clobbered someone on a shanked drive from hole 1. I was trying to go right of the trees, and even though I did go right, it was way way right. A mando would have prevented me from doing as such.
-If you do shank a drive, such as hole 5, be prepared to get dirty. To the left of hole 5 is a deep treacherous ravine and even in the dry summer days it can be a challenge.
-Hole 17 has great potential, however the grounding lines (?) that are right in front of the teebox really frustrate me.

Very fun course within the Columbia area. It has its flaws, however it's still an amazing course.

My favorite holes are hole 4 (easy bird and an ace run, even with a simple overhand shot), Hole 8 is a wonderful and difficult shot; right off the teebox there are two trees you have to sneak your way past, but once you do (and you miss all the other trees) it's wonderful to play. I have to throw at least three drives if no one is behind me. Hole 16 and Hole 18 are good holes if you want to watch your drive soar!

Beautiful shade trees, hills, varying terrain. Holes are encouraging as par is not difficult for intermediate players. Lots of trees and other to avoid.

Again, maybe par is set too low on most holes.

We enjoyed the course a lot and will return if we are in the area.

-it has a large Varity of elevation, and it is well kept.
-path does not cut though the holes as much
- open and tight holes
- a good Challenge

-no restrooms
- Sometimes tiring
-hardly any benches

there is a new building being bulit, and it looks like it will be pretty big Compared to the old one.

Great mix of ups, downs, lefts, and rights, not any tight doglegs though
Some open fairways as well as some tight ones
Very well maintained, didn't see any trash
Hole No. signs with footage
Concrete pads
Nice players on the course

Wish they had signs designating which basket goes with which hole, only a problem as it was my first time playing and the holes are fairly close together.
Many fairways and tees are very close together, so be mindful of other players.

Played the course quickly on my way through town but was very impressed. Ample parking and a great mixture of different holes. Had a great time and would definitely play it again if I go through Columbia again.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

nice course, concrete tee pads, multiple pads, pretty open

Way over parred. My friend had never played before and shot a -17. I played like crap and shot a -6. I usually shoot about +5 or 6.

I enjoyed it, my friends didn't. But they were mostly disappointed by the high par. Well maintained.

Excellent layout in a city park. Not to much cross traffic except on a couple holes. Some excellent holes on this course! Very friendly vibe.

none really, maybe a few more benches and more arrows to find your way

I was on Columbia on business and had only part of Sunday to play a course. Based on reviews read here I chose this course and was glad I did. Its great. The locals here are very lucky. I still have 4 more days in town and am trying to figure a way to get in at least another 9 one evening before I go back to California.

Nice city part that is easy to find, and easy to get around. Good layout with small distances between holes. Good signs. Good concrete tee-pads and a nicely kept-up park. Good use of elevation. Lots of ups and downs. Elevation is used on almost every hole. Several nice ace possibilities available. Several very nice holes, but I really enjoy #18. Tee off down a big hill and try to get your disc between a fairway clustered with trees. There is a line, but it can br tricky to get through. It's also one of the longer holes on the course.

No real long bomber holes. Nothing dramatic or unique. Throwing over the ampitheatre is cool, but pretty simple. There is a small creek that comes into play on several holes.

A good solid course. Probbaly best for newbies or intermediate players. Advanced players may get bored. I am about 5 strokes better here than on more challenging course's. Would be a great home course to learn the game and multiple shots. I play it whenever I go to Columbia now.

There is now a new crushed gravel walking path around the park. Could add some pedestrian traffic, but could also be used as an OB to toughen up some of the holes.