Easily one of the longest disc golf courses in the world, Goat Hill's challenge lies not just in its distance, but in managing the wind, controlling your angles, and appropriate disc selection.

After a lengthy renovation 4 years ago, Goat Hill has transformed itself from a dingy course on the brink of disrepair into something much more aesthetically appealing; the course is much more lush and green now thanks to a new irrigation system using reclaimed water.

The greatest pleasure from Goat Hill--and largely what separates it from other courses--is the ability to let your disc rip on just about every hole. Witnessing the disc's full flight on these long distance throws is super fun and incredibly rewarding when executed properly.

The first hole exemplifies what Goat Hill is all about: You are greeted to an 802 foot par 4 playing into a straight headwind. Obviously, you'll want to crush your drive as far as possible to allow yourself the easiest approach to the pin. You'll also want to get your drive turned over to avoid fading out, but if you get it turned over too much (which is easy to do, thanks to the headwind), you'll likely cut roll into the valley and find yourself looking at a bogey. Even with an excellent drive, you're still looking at a 300+ foot approach into a precarious green with the basket situated on a slope just beyond the golf green.

Below are some final, brief pros to the course:
- Great catching Innova Discatchers on every hole, featuring an attractive "Goat Hill" themed band
- New turf tee pads on all holes
- Golf carts now available for disc golfers
- Pro shop sells alcohol and discs
- Scorecards and pencils available

The course is open to disc golfers on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. For the last several years, it's only been open T, TH, and SUN, so the addition of Monday is nice. Still, not having all days available to play is a bummer.

Due to the pandemic, walk-ins are not allowed and you must have a tee time... at least, that's what I thought. I played on a Sunday with a 12:50 tee time and OH MY GOD WAS IT CROWDED. There were so many ball golfers on the course that I'm under the impression that either A) they do, in fact, allow walk-ins, even though that's not their official policy or B) the tee times aren't staggered enough to allow sufficient time between golfers. It took me 4 HOURS to play a round. I understand I played on a Sunday afternoon (one of the busiest times), but I figured with the mandatory tee time policy this wouldn't have been an issue. I've finished solo rounds here in 90 minutes in the past.

The course is designed for intermediate-level players and above who have at least 300 feet of power. Ideally, you should have closer to 400+ feet of power if you want to have a decent time. Any newbie player will probably be turned off to the game forever after playing here.

Some tee and basket positions have changed recently... and not for the better. For instance, hole 17 used to be a challenging but rewarding par 3: a 400ish foot shot over a valley and across a golf green. The new tee is pushed back and up to the left by another 75 feet, and now it's much more difficult to reach the pin. I don't see anyone birdying this hole without ~500 feet of power. This course was already difficult to collect birdies for even advanced level players, and they've made it even more difficult with a few of the changes they've made.

Despite being relatively wide-open for a disc golf course, you still need to hit a line... normally your distance lines--think hyzer flips, s-curves, and flex shots. Rather than the natural landscape (i.e., trees) dictating your line, Goat Hill forces you to understand how your discs fly and how they're affected by the wind... and even with this understanding, you still need to execute the ideal distance line for the particular situation you're in.

Choosing the correct disc and line is CRUCIAL, because if you choose something too stable or too understable, you will be punished! Nearly all of the holes have significant elevation change, so if your disc fades out too soon or turns over too much, you may find yourself at the bottom of a 100 foot hill trying to manufacture something to scramble your way out.

Despite the seemingly wide-open fairways, placing your shot is also critical, as so many of the holes have slopes or uneven footing. Placing your shot on flat ground for a better run-up is paramount to shooting well here.

Few San Diego disc golf courses have much wind, but Goat Hill is always windy; it's a few miles from the ocean off the 5 freeway and the wind is always coming from the west. The fact that the wind isn't randomly swirling helps newer players understand how the wind affects their disc. It also makes for a less frustrating game because the wind is almost always predictable at Goat.

Goat Hill has always been towards the top of my favorite disc golf courses in San Diego. If I had to rate my favorite courses in San Diego based on fun factor and aesthetic appeal, it would look something like this:
1) Reidy Creek
2) Goat Hill
3) Morley Field
4) Kit Carson
5) Mast Park
6) Brengle Terrace

However, after accounting for fees and crowds, Kit Carson is my overall number 1 favorite course in SD: it's free to play and while popular, crowds are usually manageable.

But Goat Hill is a special experience--I don't think there's any course quite like it. If you're a decent player and don't mind a bit of a hike (or paying extra for a golf cart), then I definitely recommend trying it out. You'll probably enjoy yourself.

Beautifully maintained
Challenging distance
Most of the ball golfers were very friendly
Nice pads and baskets

Challenging distance. I used gps to find hole distance as the scorecard, online scorecard, tee pads and udisc all had different lengths listed. If you cannot comfortably drive more than 350-400ft then you might skip this one. That is my average and i still felt overwhelmed on some of the 800-1000ft holes. Very few technical shots, thw difficulty is in the length.

Only other con was waiting on ball golfers at various point made this a 3.5 hour 18 holes.

This was a sweet course and i am really glad i happened to be here on a day it was open.

$15 is a little steep to play, but it was worth it in the end.

If you are down to throw some bombs then come out. If you are looking for a more technical course this is not it.

Good for exersize, i was drenched after a 6+ mile round.

Great use of elevation.

Plenty of opportunity to work on your drives.

Multiple true par 4s and par 5s.

Beautiful property, very well maintained (especially by disc golf standards).

Pro shop with discs (a few) and snacks,

Bathrooms.

Navigating the course can be a challenge.

Expensive (especially on Sundays).

Shared course with ball golfers, so look out for bouncing balls.

I'm doing this review for a couple of reasons. First, the existing reviews are old and reference using golf carts, which are no longer allowed for disc golfers. Second, I'm guessing many folks who play Goat Hill will be out-of-towners, so this is sort of a guide to the first time player.

I played on Sunday, which meant the greens fee was $15. The course is also open on Tu and Th for $10. I suspect their are fewer ball golfers on weekdays, so if possible, play then rather on a Sunday.

Course navigation was a challenge, especially early on. I met up with another first time player, and we played to the wrong basket on #1. Later, we met up with another twosome who had played to the wrong basket on another early hole. The scorecard for the disc golf course includes a decent map, but it takes a few holes to get oriented. My tip is to follow the ball golf cart path from the golf green of each hole to the next ball tee and then look for the marker stump for your disc tee.

Once you figure out where you're going, though, this course is a ton of fun. About half the holes are par 4s or 5s, and these are the real deal for anyone without a huge arm. Many tees are elevated, while other holes climb significant hills. If you like to throw long, this is the course for you.

It would be nice if more holes really made you shape your tee shot, but I don't recall a single tee that had any obstacles nearby. That changes somewhat as you approach the baskets, as many of them are near ball golf greens and/or sand traps. There are a decent number of trees and bushes near baskets as well.

This is a lush, green (even in February) hilly property with lots of beautiful views. For folks who enjoy hiking, this is an excellent walking course. If you are used to walking shorter, flat, courses, this might be more exercise than you are looking for.

If I lived in the area, I'd play here at least a few times a year. It's a beautiful, fun course that every disc golfer who visits San Diego should probably play at least once.

• Strategic shot making
• Nice views/surroundings
• Tees are decent (rubber mat variety) with good to great signage
• Baskets are fine and pretty easy to spot
• Easy to find. Fairly easy to navigate
• Golf carts!
• Water/restrooms
• Warm-up area

• A couple signs are missing/vandalized
• One or two tee pad locations are missing or hard to find

Tips:
• Get the cart
• On #12: That tee pad you see down the hill and out in the open is the one you're looking for, but since you're likely standing on the elevated ball golf tee pad, I say let fly!
• Get the cart

Random Thoughts:
I must say this was one of the truly unique experiences I've had in disc golf. I expected this course to be alongside the ball golf course. WRONG. It's ON the course, or rather, it shares the course. It was a bit of a strange feeling to stand there on the #1 tee pad and throw a disc versus swing a club but I was smiling the whole time. I'll also confess that I expected to get my butt kicked out here. I played the back tees, and have you looked at those distances?! But what I'll say this course did for me is it got me thinking about every shot. You may be tempted to just wing it because it's fairly open, as disc courses go, but you better remember how far you have to go to get par. These are earned pars for this here intermediate player. I also really liked the elevation changes out here. I feel like an elevation change can be just as difficult an obstacle as a tree. Like I said, it really gets you thinking about the entire shot and how you want to be set-up for your next shot, and I'm happy to report that I did pretty well out there.

Now you probably want to know what it's like to share the course with the ball golfers, and well, I can't really say. I went right after a storm first thing in the morning so there were only two ball golf groups in front of me and none behind. Believe it or not though, I actually kept pace with the one guy in front of me. Between him losing a ball (or 12) and me having a pretty good throwing day, we got into a nice rhythm. I will say though that one ball did go bouncing past me at one point to remind me where I was. I have no idea where it came from. You should know that this is a pretty basic muni-style course so it will attract more of a beginner-type ball golfer. So yea, keep your head on a swivel.

Bottom Line:
I love that they did this. Granted, they're probably just chasing a bit more revenue but who cares, it's a really cool idea that I think works. The only downside was the cart immediately spoiled me for my subsequent rounds on other courses in the area. The other cool thing I'd like to report is that I was a foot from driving the green on 18. Yea, yea, I'm getting a 'who cares' from some of you looking at a slightly downhill 447' hole and saying 'I could do that'. I just think it's cool to be able to say I drove a green on a ball golf course with my arm and a piece of plastic. Great times!

Very cool course that plays on bolf course. Fast greens and mostly open fairways. Golf carts for rental are a must!! Cool driving around in the cart. Lots of elevation changes and good winds. Tons of opportunities to air out long drives. Pro shop on site sells discs and drinks.
Difficult to lose a disc here. Nine par 4s.

It would be rather tiring to walk the whole thing. Definitely rent a cart. Even with a cart, our round of 18 took just over 3 hours, so plan ahead.
NO DISC GOLF ON SATURDAYS!!!!!

Excellent course due to design challenges, elevation changes, and unique long shots. Cart rental is a must. Would definitely play again next time in SoCal.

super fun long long course. tons of legit par 4s that you would like to birdie, but takes 3 really good shots to pull off.
golf carts are always fun!
pretty very wide open layout. baskets ARE pleasantly challenging in that they are guarded by trees or difficult putts with punishing drop offs.
if you have a long roller, which i dont, you can do some serious damage to your opponents.
if playing certain cart paths as OB, is a much harder layout.
the winds are consistently off the ocean, adding to the challenge without being "random".

not cheap. 10 bucks with a cart, which you will almost certainly want to rent.

i would not come here for a "casual" round. yet is a fun outing, especially in the summer when most places are blistering hot, while this one is mildly warm at most!

Excellent course to air out your warp speed discs. Can be windy, adding to the challenge. They provide printed scorecards with pin positions corresponding to their letter on the tee sign, though you may run into a mismatched location from time to time. The locations aren't rotated too frequently, but often enough if you don't play every week. Excellent elevation changes, hence the name "Goat Hill." Nice shady tree-lined fairways, but the trees don't factor into your shots all that much.

minor quibble since you do have to pay a few $$ to play. I think it's a very fair price though as it's not a public park so you never encounter pedestrians. Very few ace run opportunities here due to the length. Sometimes slow with groups of hackers, but they're generally cool about letting you play through. A number of holes have a long gap from the basket to the next tee. Several holes have fenced off (with barbed wire on some) OB. If you shank one over the fence, good luck getting your disc back.

Working man's golf course. No "collared shirt required" signs here. Friendly staff that welcome you onto their ball golf course. Having played ball golf here many time over the years, it was an interesting change switching to DG. Nice having the option to rent a cart, though I've only walked it for DG. Just be prepared to be out there for up to 3 hours. Should go without saying that this course is not for newbies or children simply because it is LONG.

-Oh. So. Long. This is the kind of course your Nukes or Bosses or Rampages were made for. You'll probably get to use them twice on most holes. Almost every hole is looking for a bomb of a drive, and you should take the opportunity to just rip it without worrying about your plastic getting lost in the trees, as there really aren't any of consequence.
-Phenomenal incorporation of disc golf tees and baskets into an established ball golf course. Hey ball golf course pros! Take a trip to Oceanside to see how it's done!
-The course wasn't too crowded with either ball golfers or disc golfers, and for some reason I got the sense that the flow of the course doesn't allow for much in the way of players getting in the way of each other too much
-The course pros get it. I was expecting to deal with snooty course pros that would sigh with arrogance when I said I wanted to pay for a round of DISC golf, but they very much have an attitude of "we're all golfers", and there isn't much prejudice against our kind there. I guess I was the one that was prejudiced...
-It's really fun to be able to take a golf cart for a round of disc golf. Although hiking through beautiful parks is a big part of what makes disc golf so great, Goat Hill offers a nice break from the norm and allows discers to cut loose and relax on a cart while traveling between lies.

-You'll pay for that comfort. I paid $14 for a round of 18 holes with a cart. Pretty standard (I think) for ball golf, but this was the first round of disc golf I ever paid for. Worth it, but I couldn't do it regularly if I lived in the area.
-The wind was almost more challenging than the distance here. I guess that's what you get when you play disc golf in a town called "Oceanside" that is, in fact, on the ocean. Prepare to be humbled by erratic putts.

What a pleasure it was to play here. I never really thought it was possible for disc golfers and ball golfers to see eye to eye, but when we meet them at Goat Hill, we're all just after the lowest score on our cards. If you're in the Orange County/San Diego County area, do yourself a favor and stop by. One of the more fun disc golfing experiences I've had.

- A brand new monster of a course located on a ball golf course. Goat Hill offers a brutal but fun combination of length, elevation and wind.

- The DG course basically plays along with the ball golf course. And at times it feels more like playing ball golf with legitimate par 4s. And similar to ball golf most holes you just want to get your drive as far out onto the fairway as possible.

- The course is relatively deserted, even on weekends. Even with the ball golfers there isn't much in the way of waiting around.

- By disc golf standards the course is in excellent condition. Clean open fairways and well marked tee signs. Tees and Baskets are in great shape.

- The biggest pro in my opinion is that it gives you more chances to air it out on almost every hole. Not only do you go for max distance off the tee but on many of the longer holes it takes 2 monster shots to get there.

- Navigation can be really tricky. It follows a logical flow with the ball golf course but the holes are really spread out.

- Not a course for beginners. I can't imagine how frustrating it would be to play here without a +350' drive. You could do it, but it will be a long day.

I have never played anything like Goat Hill. The distance required totally changes your approach. Most holes require 2 well placed long shots and a good putt to get a birdie. And even the par 3s are far from what you would consider a short gimme.

I would highly recommend getting the cart for your first time out here. And don't just get the map, get a local guide for this one. I played for the first time during the montly (first Sunday of the month) and I am very glad I did.

This course is a must see for any local or road trip. But plan for 2-3 hours, it can take a while.

Staff was very friendly and eager to make sure you have a good time.
Pro shop had disc available for sale and or for rent. They also have scorecards and maps. (I always say get the maps, but on this course... I MEAN IT!!!)
Tees were mostly flat and rubber. Best part was they are marked with yellow flags with black numbers on them. The baskets are Innova and yellow... if they are in view you should be able to see them. But they do a pretty good job of protecting the baskets with trees and or bushes.
If you like wide open holes then you'll like this course.
If you like long LONG holes then you'll like this course.
Golf Carts. They are not only unique to disc golf, but pretty fun. But on this course you will really want them. (More on golf carts in "Other thoughts")
Golfers were very nice.

Most shots are down hill wide open and long. Not that any of those attributes are CONS, just that there are so many of the same shots.
Lots of blind holes. even with the map you are still guessing a little.
Chipmunks and Squirrels!!! They are EVERYWHERE!!! Fun to look at but scary that I felt like I may have killed one or two... I don't know how they golf here with all the holes on this course.
No tee signs (mini maps).
NO coolers allowed on the course.

A lot of this courses Pros and Cons depend on your preference in disc golf. For example: If you like long holes it's PRO, if you don't like them or don't have a cannon it's a CON. If you like wide open holes it's a PRO if you like needle treading tight and technical holes then this course is a CON, however the mixture of length with open fairways adds up to create a unique challenge all in it's own. Plus once you are off the tee... there is a good chance that a tech shot will be needed to get to the basket.
Golf Carts. As you should know already... this course is on a regular ball golf course and with the use of golf carts you are able to play through ball golfers much easier. Both disc and ball golfers share fairways so you could be behind ball golfers. however once they clear your disc range, you can throw and while they are on the green, you should be able to make it to the basket and score before they are done putting. This will allow you to go straight to the next tee passing them without a hassle. Without a golf cart this may be less likely to be so easy.
Golf carts cont. the shear length of this course will make you wish you got the cart if you didn't... it is long long long, and some holes are spread out a bit. Plus with the cart it's easier to look for the next tee and find it quicker.
There didn't seem to be too many golfer of either type while I was there (weekday).
The MAP... get a map... it is a little hard to follow, but you will for sure want it so you have an idea of where the next whole is, but more importantly so that when you step up to that 750+ drive, you will have an idea as to where the basket is.
This course is AWESOME if you can throw long. I really didn't have a big gun (300 on a good day) but after this one time playing here, I've developed a cannon. (In fact a few weeks after playing here I put one right next to the basket off the tee at hole 19 on Morely field!!! 410ft)
The playing with a golf cart is an experience that I feel was well worth the price.
Probably would only go back if I was going with someone who has never been before.
I'm not sure but I would think that early weekend or anytime weekends would probably suck with an increased number of ball golfers. But avoiding weekends in SOCAL for Disc Golf seems to be a problem every where.

-DISCatcher baskets
-Separate tee pads from bolf course
-Variety
-Length
-Exclusivity
-The voicemail at the course says 'Thank you for calling Center City at Goat Hill Golf and Disc Golf Course'
-$10 tee times keep the riff raff out.

-No Practice Basket: Of all courses in SD, this one NEEDS one. Furthermore, it is inappropriate to warm up on the course. Bring one or warm up nearby.
-Could have some more technical holes thrown in
-Tee pads are not installed but are on their way

Center City at Goat Hill is a public golf course in Oceanside, about a mile from the ocean. Trees and considerable elevation changes separate the fairways from each other. There are a few flat holes but the vast majority play with the elevation, and typically downhill.

This sprawling course is the only one I know of in Southern California where a tee time is recommended. We made ours for the morning to avoid afternoon winds, and we never passed a golfer nor did any catch up to us. This really helped us relax, as stepping up to the first tee at 720 feet is not exactly calming.

Of the three disc installations on ball golf courses in So Cal, this one is far and above the best of them. The elevation and variety make for a serene round, and the meandering nature of the course really helps you feel alone and not rushed (big plus for SD). The tees for the disc course are not the same as the ball golf ones (although nearby), and the pins are usually not affected by the greens. On several occasions, you can't see anything but grass and pins. It really did feel like an exclusive disc course instead of an awkward disc course intruding on a bolf course. The flags that designate the disc tees and baskets are yellow, and by the end of the round you hardly even notice the checkered ones for the golfers.

While none of the holes are particularly protected off the tee, the foliage and elevation do require some considerable control down the fairway. If a disc fades too early for example, you will likely be behind a turn on the fairway, providing you with terrible placement on your 300 foot up-shot.

Some of the shorter holes proved to be great fun, as well. Hole 8 was probably my favorite short hole; throwing off of the top of a steep hill, over a bowl, and to a pin about 40 feet below and to the right. All this, with major tee protection on the right. A pair of birdie/ace runs toward the end of the course also add to the variety.

While most of the holes are long, we only felt that maybe one or two of them were gratuitously long. They could have been shorter, but then again, they are fine long. Remember that the long ones are typically par 4, so a second drive is necessary for most golfers. This is the first course in San Diego that can really teach the region about placement shots instead of trying to hit the pin on every drive.

The best thing this course provided for me was watching the outcome of my throw. The lack of distraction off the tee rewards you with a chance to actually watch your disc fly, whether it be down the fairway or into a tree. Fortunately, you will not be losing your discs in any water hazards here.

We rented a golf cart, you should too. There is some major distance between some of the holes, especially on the back 9. It was $10 instead of $4, and worth every penny.

The flow is not entirely intuitive, but if you have a map, eyes, and a brain, you should not have any issues. We accidentally played to the wrong pin twice, and had plenty of time to re-tee and play it correctly. That probably won't happen the second time we visit.

We caught the pro shop dude driving around in a golf cart to watch us on numerous occasions, I am sure he is curious as to how this new installation is working out. We saw two other groups of disc golfers, which was nice too.

Rating: 4.5. Yes, I think it's that good. I'm not going to do the whole "4.0 until they get rubber tees" thing because it did not affect the day enough to warrant a half point knock.

Southern Californians. Change your plans and get out to this course as soon as you can. Out of towners, add this to your California road trip as this course is a definite winner. It is the best course in San Diego and Orange County, and it is nice to finally say we have a championship length course that is not in the middle of nowhere.