Norman, OK

Griffin Park

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3.465(based on 26 reviews)
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5 0
armiller
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 9 years 275 played 60 reviews
4.00 star(s)

An oft forgotten gem in Norman 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 7, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-currently multiple tee pads on 11 of 18 holes (also, hole 8 has two baskets including one on a 10' mound, probably the course's signature hole)
-good use of available elevation, which is extremely rare in this part of the world
-very well maintained, including new benches that are way better than typically found on courses; very easy to find trash cans and seating
-navigation/flow is logical
-I'm a sucker for nature, especially Oklahoma trees & birds in the springtime; this is a beautiful park so it's a beautiful course
-little water danger
-includes a nice field with two baskets in addition to a separate putting area with basket
-the tee signs are generally temporary "tournament" signs, but they've continued to be up for over a year
-good baskets and good concrete tee pads

Some favorites:
1) Start tough with a wooded tunnel: early trees/mando and then some late guardian trees before a basket on a slope. Definitely favors RHBH or LHFH.
2) Everyone likes a good open distance shot on a wooded course, right? From red, this is only 460' across an open field. From gold, at least 550'. Don't forget the wind! Also, there's an annoying slope down from the basket that punishes hot approaches.
6) One of the holes where both Red and Gold are reasonably different but both good. From Red, it's a pretty standard RHBH hyzer. Just make sure to miss the early trees and get enough forward glide to get to the basket. From Gold, it's a very tough initial tunnel that requires a slight right turn with at least 200' after the tunnel.
7) The shot from Red is particularly good, with a left and right fairway, but plenty of tree danger for both. Plenty of shot options, just make sure you hit your line!
9) 330' to 350', with initially tight fairway opening bit before a slope down into a wooded green.
11) From Red, probably the most aceable hole on the course: a fairly tight, 180-200' shot. From Gold, forget about the ace! Long initial narrow fairway/tunnel with another slight right turn and continued fairway toward the basket.
12) Fairly straight tree-lined fairway, with late trees before opening up for the basket. There's probably a high line here, but it just begs you to hit your "straight shot."
18) Elevated tee, about 430' with tree danger off the fairway that can result in plenty of scramble opportunities after overzealous and errant distance attempts.

I've still never managed to score a two on 1, 2, 6 Gold, or 11 Gold. Challenging holes, but very fun.

Cons:

-no bathrooms - I might even be wrong about this, but I don't believe there's a port-a-potty or anything
-park users occasionally walk the fairways, even though the course stays away from the walking path in general; I haven't seen anyone hit or heard of it, but I could see it happening... please be careful, especially in nicer weather of Spring & Fall
-throwing over a path on 18 (not a big deal because it's so easy to see people from the elevated tee area)
-there's a significant walk from 18's basket back to the parking area and first tee (~3-5 minutes)
-could use better permanent signage

Other Thoughts:

I've only been playing Griffin for about a year, but it's one of my most played courses in that period. Lions might still be the better courses of the two, but I've played Griffin more frequently for several reasons: 1) it doesn't get quite as busy, and 2) there's very little water danger at Griffin. I know I'm not really supposed to compare two courses here, but the fact that Griffin and Lions are so close together is a big asset to both courses. If there's any knock on Griffin, it's that it doesn't have the "intangibles" or "character" that some other OKC area courses have (e.g. Dolese, Lions, Noble). Nevertheless, I think it deserves just as much respect and requires just as much from your game.

To me, one of the biggest things about Griffin is the Red/Gold tee combination. The difference between the two is very significant on most holes, so playing both can feel like two very different (and both sufficiently challenging) rounds. Holes like 4, 6, 7, 11, 15, and 16 use totally different fairways for the two tees. From Gold, they require good distance but also very precise lines. As far as wooded courses go, this is a very good one, not so much for trees crowding fairways, but for tunnels requiring excellent shot execution. Other than a few more open holes (2, 3, 18), the majority require excellent golf shot after excellent golf shot. If you're on, you'll feel like your round was an accomplishment. If you're a little off, things can get out of control pretty quickly, especially from the long tees.

Griffin also benefits from the same Sooner Disc Golf Tender Loving Care that most of the Norman area courses enjoy, especially in recent years. During my last round, I was one of the only ones on the course due to heat, and I was surprised to see a pickup drive onto the course. My first reaction was that someone must be there to steal a basket while the course was quiet. Instead, it was a couple guys emptying trash and fixing a broken bench on hole 7's tee. My experience with this course is that when things get busted, they get fixed. Also, I've heard complaints about litter on Oklahoma courses in the past; but Griffin in particular has been very close to pristine in recent months. Thanks to the local disc golf association and local players for keeping it this nice!

Rating discussion: In short, it's a great course that's well-maintained and requires your best woods game. I might give it a 3.75 if I could, but I have no problem bumping it to a 4. One of Norman's best, and conveniently located close to Lions. It only gets better with repeated plays, so I'd recommend planning to play both Red and Gold tees if you can only visit once. Make sure to check it out if you're in the area!
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5 0
IsaacIRL
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.2 years 83 played 46 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Griffin Park... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course offers a challenge to a wide variety of players. There are a good mix of holes. There are some short, technical holes that would be tough for the power players, and then there are some long, open drives that would be tough for the players with just a short game. Then there are the holes that take aspects from both. It's a line that's tough to hit, and it's long. There's also a good variety in hole shape. There's a great balance between hyzer and anhyzer shots. I felt like I threw every disc in my bag those rounds. Even though there weren't any super short easy ace holes, there were still several opportunities to get an ace. Hitting the basket during a tournament can really bring your mood up from a crappy round. Hills were used very nicely. Hole 18 comes to mind. You're teeing off from the top of a big hill and it's a huge drive that you can really air it out. Besides the dog park in the early holes, disc golf is pretty much the only thing there. You won't have to worry about joggers or bikers at this course. Pin placements were very good at this course. Hole 8 was on top of a huge mound and made putting for a birdie very challenging. A lot of other pins were guarded by four or five trees, giving what would be an easy hole some challenge by requiring a good placement of your drive.

Long pads were concrete and short pads were natural. Both were very easy to tee off from. Baskets were Chainstar and worked great. No spit-outs when I played. There were a few water pumps around the course.

Cons:

Signs were not very good at all. Some of the holes seemed kind of pointless and just trying to get you to the next hole. The walk from 18 to the parking lot was ridiculous. I don't remember seeing any bathrooms at the course. The rough was very thick and hard to get out of (or even get to your disc!).

Other Thoughts:

This course is a great complement to Lions park. There are some open holes to air it out, but they were balanced by the short, technical holes. Overall, I loved this course. I had a great time playing there, and I would definitely play this again.

-------------------------
If you mark this review unhelpful or you find a mistake, please send me a personal message here on DGCR explaining what is wrong with it.
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6 0
GT Chris
Experience: 18.8 years 101 played 12 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Pleasant Surprise in OKC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 15, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course offers a fantastic mix of holes. Open, tight, left, right, straight, uphill, and downhill. These holes flow together quite well, in that I never reached for the same disc or shot for more than two holes in a row. A number of holes had multiple routes, each with its own benefits and drawbacks to test shot selection and execution.

Cosmetically, the fairways were nicely maintained, most holes had dual pads and the long pads were cement on all holes except 18. A number of holes also had some custom seating, which was a unique touch that I enjoyed.

Cons:

Signage was lacking, and many holes were mis-numbered. I certainly would have lost track if I hadn't been keeping score. I also failed to find the long pad on 4, and had to do a bit of walking to find a few more of the long pads.

Other Thoughts:

Short pads were natural, but I played the longs so I can't comment on their quality. Standout hole is #8, "Mt. Kuhar" as I called it. The basket is perched atop a mound 15' tall, so any missed putt is likely to cost you. Run it at your own risk.

Overall, Griffin park is a fairly challenging and well balanced par three course. I would have preferred some longer, true par 4s and 5s, but I am not certain that would be feasible given land constraints. It is in my opinion the best course in OKC, and I definitely recommend stopping by if you're in the area.

Bonus - Turns out my brother put my putt on hole 8 on Youtube. That was my birdie putt, and I did get up and down to save four.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkAgnXNEH8c
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3 5
rwmurrow
Experience: 17.3 years 36 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun and challenging 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 5, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Lots of challenge in this course. You can really air out some shots. You use many types of throws throughout. Not very crowded. There are TWO TEEBOXES for most holes! Sometimes the "red" tee is a completely different shot, making for some awesome new holes.

Cons:

This course only has cons if your a baby. JK. This is a long course and can be very tiring. Not very beginner friendly.
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4 1
okiebullgod
Experience: 15 years 90 played 14 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Just Beginning 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 21, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Keep in mind I'm writing this review as a beginner. I've probably only played a half dozen rounds. The course is less crowded than others in the area (a plus since not as many people can watch you shank one), it's also easier to follow the holes than others in Norman. This course will teach you to throw straight or pay the consequences. Also, there are a couple of well water hydrants on the front 9.

Cons:

There is some dirt work and construction going on, but they have made some fun interim holes. In my mind the only cons are the "stick tights" the little burrs that stick all over you. As long as you stay on the fairway it's not a problem though

Other Thoughts:

This course was much more suitable to me to learn on than Colonial was. It is easier to follow and less crowded.
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6 0
theculturedredneck
Experience: 13 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Griffin Park - Jan 08 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 7, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Challenging distance, well-manicured fairways, excellent utilization of the landscape to create a variety of hole layouts, concrete tee boxes, clean/free from trash, signage at both box & pin to indicate # and/or distance.

Cons:

too much emphasis on anhyzer lines off the tee for my taste. 13 cage was unplayable due to a fallen tree (due to a recent ice-storm, i expect it will be repaired soon). though the course usually follows a logical progression, some difficulty findings tees/cages for a first-timer. some tight fairways are almost guaranteed to bar par under windy conditions. No maps on tees or at course entrance (though there is one available at normandiscgolf.com)

Other Thoughts:

It's pleasure to walk the trails in the quiet of Griffin Park. The designer did an excellent job of "isolating" each hole that gives the pacing and feel of a quality ball-golf course. I was pleased to see that several tees are sheltered to disallow tomahawk bombs that preclude playing the course. I was told the grass gets overgrown in the summer, but the fairways were outstanding today (excepting 14 and 17). Some fairways are overly tight in the winter surely making navigation off the tee next-to-impossible when the foliage grows. If true, lost discs and a frustrating day would surely follow.

I don't mind bogey (or double, or triple!) on tough holes, but the margin of error seems to be too narrow on some holes for anything but the top am or pro ranks when weather conditions are less than ideal.
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