A good variety of holes to play, and flows really well from hole to hole. A creek runs through the course as well adding a little more challenge to some of the holes as well. If you don't like water,and getting muddy than it's probably not a plus, but I think it adds to the challenge on some of the holes, and gives the course character.

It can get slow when on nice days when there's a lot of people trafficking through this course. Especially on the nice days. Also the back 9 can be rather slow as well, since they're open/distance holes

This course is very well maintained with several small water hazards and lots of big hills to throw off of. Favorite part of this course was defiantly the elevated tee pads with various distances depending on the hole. Tomahawks will be your best friend through many of the shots. Overall a nice mix of open, semi, and wooded shots. If anyone is in the Des Moines area this should defiantly be one of your top picks if trying to choose a course. Look over the pictures and you wont be disappointed.

Plenty of out of bounds opportunities, if you play OB.

This was the 4th course we played on March 15th in the epic Des Moines area Frolf outing. Congrats Larry, -1, first time played. No clue how he threw so many tomahawks after playing for 8 hours.

-Good use of elevation on a lot of holes
-Creek comes into play on a few holes too
-Nice landscaping, stairs, ledges, woodchips that make this course more fun and more visually appealing- this looks like it is going to improve in the near future
-Nice baskets
-Nice tees
-Good mix of open and wooded holes. Wooded holes are not too wooded, perfect amount in my opinion
-Many holes turn right or left or have severe elevation changes- only a few open shots
-A decent variation in distance- elevation changes distances too so it seems even more varied.
-There were some really cool holes. I can't remember which ones they were. Hole one was at the top of the hill and the hole is off to the left. Hole 6 I think is also at the top of the hill but in the woods and has cool stairs all the way down. There are two holes later that go up steep hills and into woods. Another hill throws off a platform towards a hole at the bottom of the hill.
-No two holes are the same.
-Good parking, bathrooms, sand volleyball courts, playground

-Signs are in bad shape on most holes; either faded or missing.
-Can be muddy in the woods
-Can be very busy, especially when Stable Run/ISU is under water as it has been most of spring and summer
-Flow can be a bit confusing if you haven't been here before.
-Can be hot/humid/buggy in the summer
-Course could use a little trash cleanup and maintenance.

-One of two good courses in Ames, definitely worth a stop. Fall or Spring are the best times to play. Avoid weekends and evenings when the college students are going to be playing, can get crowded.

-good use of natural elevation to make the course interesting and fun to play, some of the holes like #6 have nice elevation changes that make the course awesome
-good mix of open and wooded holes, as well as different distances
-good cement tee off pads, many holes have two different tee pads
-There are stairs and walkways to make the changes in elevation easier to climb
-Many interesting shots that make you want to keep playing.

-after it rains it can be quite muddy
-There are some holes that go along the river and those open up chances to lose a disc.

Fantastic Course, I would recommend playing it if you get a chance.

Good intermediate to novice level course that more advanced players won't get bored by. Good logical flow. Dual tees on every hole give players more adaptability in picking how much challenge they want. Good mix of open and wooded. Open area holes fairways are defined by a thin line of tall grass between holes (you can make going outside of these OB to add challenge). My favorite holes on this course were 8 and 12 which you shoot from one wooded area, out into the open, across to another wooded area.

If you like some long bomb holes, well, this ain't the course for you, as it is relatively short. The longest shot in the park is a 425' downhill tunnel hole. Course can be a mud pit in spots after a hard rain. The wooded section on 3-7 is particularly bad (definitely use the stairs provided). Very popular and gets crowded in the afternoons by mostly rec players, so expect some wait time. Pretty as it is, doesn't really have that wow factor. Hole signs are deteriorating.

A lot of places would be happy to have a course like Carol Marty in town. Due to its length and being in the vicinity of much longer, more challenging courses to the south probably doesn't get the cred it deserves. I wouldn't go to Ames just to play this, but I'd definitely play it again if I were passing through Ames. A good choice if you're in central Iowa and find the monster Des Moines courses a bit overwhelming.

Has a wide variety of tee shots. Has a good amount of tight holes, also has some open holes that challenge players focus. Easy enough to always have a fun round. Easy to find course.

Too many short holes. Really no hole where you can let loose your longest drives. Course not updated enough. High concentration of bad players/hooligans. Often able to get near -10 under par on my own.

Overall I enjoy playing this course. While it is very easy and often crowded, it is still fun to play and satisfaction is easy to attain for players of all levels.

This course has many different holes for many different type of throwers. It also has some hole in one holes.

This course can be hard for beginners. There also some holes with water on them.

Hole number 6 and 16 are two of my favorite holes that i have played. They are both downhill longer shots.

-Multiple tee pads
-2 practice baskets
-Easy layout to follow
-Beginner friendly from short tees
-Long tees usually offer a lot tougher shot/line at the pin
-A good amount of elevation change
-Nice staircases make the elevation change manageable
-Course is usually well maintained-i.e. grass mowed
-Drinking fountain/ beverage machines by hole 18
-2 volleyball courts and a playground in the park

-The course is often crowded during the school year. If you play during this time of year, come in the morning or plan on a lot of waiting.
-A lot of littering from college students that is tough to keep clean during the school year.
-The front nine can get pretty muddy after some heavy rain
-There aren't really any holes to drive for distance (Maybe 1 or 2 holes 400 feet or longer)
-The course isn't too challenging from the shorts

-There is usually one portapotty near the parking lot.
-If you have to decide between this course and Stable Run in Ames, then I would suggest checking out Stable run because it has multiple tee pads, multiple pin locations, and is more challenging. However, this course is more scenic.

Good variation of good technical holes where you are weaving between trees and then some very open holes with that are moderately long. Tee boxes are cement and most holes have an advanced tee box placement for a pretty good challenge. All holes can be played as par 3's. Several holes are great potential aces (especially 10). Good elevation change and no hole is terrible to play. Baskets in pretty good condition and you go past a drinking fountain twice during the round. Good practice pin to warm up at.

Signs aren't in the best condition and it can get very very busy during nice days. All of the hole are concentrated in one area in the middle. Because of all the people playing a lot of trash accumulates. All the holes are good, but they aren't mindblowingly memorable.

Hole 16 is a very awesome hole to play, very scenic and nice looking hole.

Nice mix of open, semi-open, and wooded holes, with a suprising amount of elevation involved.

Plenty of different looks involved, and no bad holes.

Probably best suited for average players like myself; not terribly challenging for top players.

A pretty and scenic course.

None to speak of. Doesn't have great holes to lift it's rating any higher, but all fun.

I played on a summer weekday and had the course pretty much to myself, so not sure about the crowding issues others raised.

This course offers a variety of challenging shots with fairways cutting from right to left and vice versa. An interesting note is that there is a ton of elevation changes throughout the course. Both #1 and #18 have large amounts of elevation change. Holes play both out in the open and back through the woods.

The course seemed to be marked somewhat poorley. For my first time playing it, some tees were confusing to try to find. There is also a stream that runs behind and next to a few of the holes making for a muddy trip if you go down in the water. Also it seemed very busy which made the pace a little slower having to wait on other groups on every single hole.

Two tees from all but three of the holes. The shorter tees offer a pretty relaxing and enjoyable round, while the long tees present a good challenge.

A great use of the existing elevation, mostly for some great downhill drives, but a few good uphill ones as well.

Unless it has rained a lot recently, the water hazards (a creek running through the course) is usually low enough that you won't loose your disc.

A pretty good mix of shots, though mostly open with only a couple technical, wooded shots.

There are trash cans every couple holes or so.
There are a couple of drink vending machines and a portable toilet here.

The course isn't overly challenging after a few plays for more advanced players, though the long tees will keep it pretty interesting for awhile.

Litter has become more of a problem recently as more ISU students take up disc golfing. Even though there are trash cans people still throw cans on the ground and hang them in trees. Broken bottles also show up frequently.

With the increased popularity the course is also crowded on nice, sunny afternoons by fair-weather-golfers. If you make it out before noon you shouldn't have too much trouble, but waiting at tees is common in the afternoon, especially while ISU is in session.

I consider this my home course and I tried to be fairly objective in my description of it. I would have rated it a 4 if not for the crowding and quality of courses around the Des Moines area.

Nice changes in elevation
Some open holes and some with lots of trees, great variety
Multiple paths for many holes
Amature tees are relatively easy (I have birdied all but 9)
Pro tees add a nice challenging element, still very fun to play

Unless you know where some of the holes are, its tough to know where to go (particularly from 3 to 4)
Not all holes are labeled.
Lots of traffic, usually have a long wait during the school year (I've never played during the summer when school is out)

This is an amazing course. Great range of shots can be used. Some good distance shots as well as multiple technical shots that weave through trees. I have only played 4 courses but this one is by far the best and I have talked to other people who have played all over the state and feel the same way. Great for all skill levels

Easy to figure out. Easy/relaxing from the Am tees, and Chalanging from the Pro tees. Elevation changes a lot. Well Maintained

Garbage, and lack of garbage cans. Last year there was almost 1 for every hole. They seemed to dissapear in the winter. Rec players in big groups who don't seem to know the words "play thru". High traffic. Pathways so worn/traveled that grass will most likely never grow. Hole 1,17, and 18 are used as sledding hills in the winter. Signs are minimal, and the signs that are there don't provide much info.

I play this course at least 100 times a year. If you play before noon you can for the most part have the course to yourself.

Long Concrete Tee Pads
Multiple Tee Pads & Pin Placements
Variety of Layouts & Terrain/Obstacles
Plenty of Elevation Change
Layout Signs For Most Holes
Course Flows Well
Satisfactory Number of Trash Cans

Could Use Additional Walkout Signage
No Benches (If you like/need that sort of thing)
Every Pin Wasn't Numbered
Would've Liked All Holes to Have Layout Signage

I was staying nearby on business and was pleasantly surprised just how enjoyable the course was. I expected flat and boring and got quite the opposite (didn't read info on this site first). I was able to figure out the walkout to the next hole most of the time, but there were a few times I had to "pathfind" a bit. Fortunately I was able to follow the beaten paths through the packed snow to get me back on track. Since I played in winter, half the course was covered in packed snow, including about a third of the tee pads. It's likely that some of these minor issues are non-existent come spring. This course is probably best for intermediate players and up. Some beginners may not enjoy themselves as much in the tight wooded and/or longer holes.

Lots of elevation. Water in play on several holes. Multiple concrete tees. Good balance of uphill, downhill, L/R, R/L and straight holes. Solid Mach III baskets. *Two* practice baskets.

A bit on the short side as all holes are reachable, even from the long tees. Litter tends to be a problem, especially when ISU is in session. While there are many holes with alternate pins, they are not moved because the sleeves are bent, locks jammed, etc...

This is easily the busiest course in the area. A nice Spring Saturday afternoon will force a minimum 20 minute wait at the tee. Large groups are the norm.

- Great land use
- Fun technical shots
- Good mix of open and wooded holes
- Although there is alot of traffic it moves relatively fast
- Easy to follow
- Stairs on the steep hills was a nice addition
- Creek was well used. only punishes really bad shots
- Tee signs nice and informative
- Rough isnt too bad

- Pro tees for the most part were kinda lame. Either they were just longer or the gave you a shot with a bunch of trees immediately.
- More trash cans would be nice
- Only a few benches here and there

This course is in a steep creek valley with a large mature forest. Although the holes are on the shorter side they are technical and fun. Shot placement is a necessity, the steep hills can be punishing and cause roll-aways. Many of the baskets are nicely tucked into protective spots. The rough is not too bad and you can easily find your arrant shots.
Stable Run is just down the road, both courses are a must play in m book. I played the two of them religiously when I went to ISU and never got tired of them.

Favorite hole #12 - A straight 250'ish shot at a basket that is sitting only 10-15' before the creek. The first 90% of the fairway is wide open, after that it quickly narrows down to a 15' wide gap between several skinny trees. To the left there is several other much smaller gaps and the right is well guarded be a bush. The bank drops about 5' immediately after the gap openning down to the basket. The creek flows behind it and all around the leftside there are guarding/backstop trees. The ideal throw is dead straight shot that goes just over the top of the bank. Something not too fast so it comes to rest quickly.

Great layout since it is on an old ball golf course! a mix of tight and open holes with lots of Elevations thru out the course!

During the school year there is a lot of college students playing which cause a wait at every hole.

Great course for pros and beginners alike!