Uniquely situated on top of Grouse Mountain, this is really a special course in the Vancouver area. Spectacular views and a great variety of shots really make this a fun course to play.

Excluding a few holes at Passive Park in Langley, most of the courses in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver metro area) offer very few long, open shots, and it's a really nice change of pace to have those shots here. Couple that with a lot of change in elevation and you've got a really challenging course.

The front 9 is accessible to new players and those who may be visiting the mountain not planning on playing disc golf (I'd highly recommend the newly installed "family tees" to those who have never played before). Those holes offer a variety of shots going uphill, downhill, and a few relatively-flat traverses.

However, the back 9 is really where the course earns its challenging label.

Starting with the wide open (when the grass is low) and downhill, 818 ft #10, the rest of the course is much longer and less tolerant of mistakes. After hole 12, the lowest point on the course, you begin your way back up to the top of the course, and it really tests your ability to throw uphill and navigate narrow fairways.

Considering that 2014 is only the second year of the course's existence, the maintenance and upkeep on such rugged terrain is commendable. Tee signs, trails, and the course map all make navigating the course easy for first-timers, though playing with someone who has played before can be really helpful for the playing side of things.

Also, being able to grab a beer at the chalet is a great way to finish up a round, or recharge for round #2, if you're feeling up to it.

Inherent with a location on top of a mountain that functions as a ski mountain in the winter, there are certain challenges and lacking amenities that make the course a bit of a slog at times. I would budget about 3 hours per round.

The gravel teepads can be stumble-inducing when you're trying to rip out a strong drive. Would like to see concrete or something else.

As other reviewers have mentioned, it would be nice to have benches or another way to rest throughout the course. It's quite the workout, and once you start climbing back uphill after 12, you're gonna want to rest. So find a good rock, or just plop down on the ground.

The rough here can be really rough and the chance of losing a disc at some point is relatively high. The best way to avoid this is using spotters (primarily on the tee shots for 10, 11, 14, and 16) and playing a bit conservative, especially if it's your first time playing it. The woods, bushes, and uncut grass are *very* thick, so if your disc goes in there, make sure to carefully make note of the branch or bush where it entered, you'll save yourself a lot of scratches and frustration.

Also, conditions on the course are extremely variable with the weather. A pleasant, but cloudy day down below in Vancouver can be a fogged-in, rainy nightmare at Grouse. Oddly enough, temperature inversions in the early fall can create the opposite, a cold rainy day in Vancouver can be a clear sunny day on Grouse. Thankfully you can actually see the course from miles away (if unsure ask a local) and they have a live webcam on their website, so make sure to check the weather before you head up.

Unfortunately, the big con is the cost. It's expensive (something like $40) to ride the gondola up, and $10 to ride down if you're in shape enough to hike up and then play a round. However, the ride is a lot of fun, and there are other attractions at the top, though they may be a bit tourist-trappy. See Other Thoughts below for tips on this front.

Most of the locals that play the course regularly have a Grouse season pass that grants up to four of our guests half-priced admission. If you're visiting and want to play up at Grouse, post on the discbc.com tagboard or some of the local club facebook pages (my club, Van City United, has worked well) to see there's anyone going up at the same time as you that you could tag along with.

If you're driving to the mountain, know that you have to pay for parking at the base. However, there is a free shuttle that leaves from Canada Place in downtown Vancouver and only takes about 20 minutes to get to the base. If you're staying in the city, I highly recommend the shuttle. Hours of operation vary seasonally, so I'd check the website. Unfortunately it doesn't run after 5:30, so if you're up there later you can take the bus/ferry back, but that takes about an hour or more.

Make sure to pack some snacks and plenty of water. You can refill water bottles at the chalet, but logistically this only can be done before or after a round. Food is available at the chalet as well, but it's pretty pricey.

Fantastic course that has it all.
Great tees, signage, and baskets.
Open fairways, with plenty of trees and bushes to keep thing challenging, and lots of elevation change.

It costs a lot to buy a ticket for the Skyride up the mountain. My brother and I took 1hr 35min to hike up the Grouse Grind, and I was suffering much of the way. I would advise against doing the Grind unless you are at least moderately fit. Of course, you still have to pay $10 to ride down the mountain.

We encountered thick cloud on the mountain, and we had to wait for it to clear somewhat before we could play.

By far the best course in the Lower Mainland.
Be prepared for mountain conditions. Bring good footwear, water, spare clothing.

First of all this is easily the most scenic course I have ever played. The stunning views afforded at almost every hole were breathtaking and and I spent almost as much time taking pictures as playing. You can see the entire city of Vancouver, Stanly park, Lions Gate and the new Port Mann bridge, Vancouver Island, and even south well into the US. Mount Baker was clearly visible.

*Maps were available online, and at The Outpost for free on the back of your score card.

*Great signage here! There were signs clearly marking the direction to the next hole. Even without a map this would have been an easy course to work out.

*When the basket is out of sight from the tee there are also tall marked bamboo poles showing the line to the basket you are shooting to.

*Every hole is Named (I love this) and given a difficulty level based on the skiing model. Green=easy, blue=intermediate, Black diamond=hard, and so on. So you have a good idea what to expect from each hole.

*This is a fairly open course. They make great use of what trees they have, but its the elevation changes that make this course special. There is a little bit of everything here from nice short ace-able holes, to big open bombs down wide fairways. There is some more technical wooded stuff, and a couple long beasts to test your arm.

*Nice work was done on the "greens".Gravel surrounding the baskets and a perimeter of wood chips around that. Although I am not a personal fan of gravel tees, they were all framed in wood, and level, and there were some great tee off positions on this course.

*If your want exercise this is the right course, you can get up the mountain for free by doing The Grouse Grind, a 2.9km hike up the mountain that takes 1-2 hours. (depending on what shape you are in) Grouse mountain is steep, and the Grind is all stairs so come prepared if this is what you chose to do.

*The top of the mountain has all the amenities, so you can sit down for something to eat, rest, and refuel at the top. The food is good and decently priced.

*I would say this is a course meant for intermediate/advanced, but i saw few beginners playing, and some families with kids having a blast. They rent discs here which is great, and as a beginner you would actually have less chance of losing a disc seeing as you are most likely not throwing out of your line of sight. For beginners I would suggest maybe sticking to the front 9.

*Cost. If your just coming for the day and don't feel like climbing up the mountain on foot , it will cost you $40. Its a little expensive for just 1 round, but the mountain has a lot more to offer and a day outing is worth it. You can do it for $10 if you climb up (via The Grouse Grind)and gondola down. Locals can buy a yearly pass for $109

*There is some serious OB on this course! They mention it on the sign at the start that out of bounds means out of bounds, if it lands there you are NOT allowed to even try and retrieve your disc. Heed this... on hole #14 (Half Pipe) my drive clipped a branch and I heard my disc bounce down a ravine never to be seen again.

*There is also some pretty ugly stuff to look for a disc in, even on the fairways. A lot of brush, long grass, and prickly stuff. A lot of time you are shooting downhill or over rises and can't always see where it will land.

** I strongly recommend using a spotter for this course. The last 9 holes went much faster once we started spotting.

:*** This is a destination course, go out of your way to play it!! It was a lot fun and the mountain has enough to offer to make a great full day outing out of it.
*Even if you don't do The Grind to get up the mountain, you will get your exercise here. My GPS showed just over 5km walked up and down the mountain on the full 18, bring water.

*One of the questions i always ask myself about a course is how hard is it for someone to come to play it by themselves for the first time. With this one the great maps, signs and posts would make it very easy to follow. Without a spotter though, you would probably spend some of time searching for discs. Don't let that discourage you. This course is worth the trip!
(Update: Recently played this course again for the first time in a year and was pleased to see the addition of "Family" Tees. making this course a little more beginner friendly.)