This course forces you to develop accuracy, not distance. 10 is the only hole you can really let fly without having to worry about low, overhanging trees.

Players with many different styles can effectively compete here. There are multiple lines through the trees or over the trees for most of the holes, letting the smaller arms compete well with the big arms.

Multiple hole placements that are changed every week make the course constantly different. One day it will be an ace course, the next an incredibly difficult technical/distance course.

The course is well maintained, with nice benches at every hole. Slower groups will usually hang out at the benches to let faster groups play through.

With the exception of 16 and 18, the course flows very well and is easy to follow.

K-Man Cycle and Run is about 2 minutes from the course and stocks a wide variety of Innova Discs

Lack of holes to really let the disc fly. If there are open drives, they usually narrow down to a tunnel 150'-200' off the tee box.

If you get into the trees, it's incredibly hard to get out of them. One bad shot will make for an easy double bogey. Some might find this a 'pro,' but it's really deflating to have no chance at recovery out of an errant drive.

It's been noted that you can't get discs back if you throw them over the fence on hole #5 because it borders Atascadero State Hospital (prison). It is OK to hop that fence, as it is actually a grazing pasture located in between the prison and the course.

If you choose to use the line above the trees on the blind drives (13, 15), it is best to have one of your friends go and spot your drive for you. Discs get swallowed by the thick oak tree branches quite easily, and it's really hard to find discs if you don't know if they're on the ground or stuck in the trees.

Because of the number of trees, this course eats low-grade discs alive. Best to use Champion or Star plastics, unless you want to have to replace your discs every couple of months.

-Flat, grippy tee pads
-Practice basket near first tee
-It is legal to drink alcohol at this park
-Fairly DG exclusive
-Course flows easily with almost zero navigation issues
-Noticed multiple pin placements for each hole
-Heavily wooded course combined with hilly terrain keep things very interesting
-Benches
-Loops back to central area of the park after each 9

-Terrain definitely rewards better throwers and severely punishes weaker arms, especially toward the end of the course
-Trash cans around course are minimal, but course is nonetheless kept clean
-Tee 'stumps' only had one distance on them, and are only about a foot off the ground. Could use real signs.
-Some holes play very close to each other, with 'dueling fairways.' Keep your eye out at all times for other players.

Heilmann Park plays on a fairly significant slope in heavily wooded oak terrain. At least during our winter visit, long grass covers the majority of the terrain, coupled with the bare oak trees together set a very intimidating scene.

You know how sometimes, you screw up a throw but it somehow makes it through the trees through some impossible window? This does not happen at Heilmann Park. If you do not hit your mark, your disc will always hit a tree and fall down. Definitely added a challenge to the course.

Lots of love is put into this course. Even though weather was less than ideal, the place was PACKED. Additionally, Central Coast folk seem to play really really fast. We (3 of us) had to stop numerous times to let groups of four and more pass us. A very large group ahead there had some friendly people in it, who explained a bit about the course, its reputation, and its history. Bonus points for the locals.

Course signature hole #5 is a long downhill drive with a low ceiling, forcing a powerful 'laser beam' shot. This proved to be an extremely fun hole. Disc's over the fence may have to be left behind as it looked like the property back there belonged to some kind of prison like facility.

All holes incorporate some kind of elevation change, whether it be up, down, along the side of a hill, or over a canyon. The last 5 holes or so basically play back and forward over this canyon. The water at the bottom smelled like feces. As I mentioned before, stronger throwers who can get the disc across are handsomely rewarded with an easy par or birdie round. Should you hit anything on your way over, not only you lose the distance, but you lose up to 25 feet in elevation causing an almost imminent bogey or worse.

Long grass in the wintertime caused some disc finding issues. On the positive side, they kept many discs from rolling down the hill, which is nice. I would imagine that this long grass disappears after the high rain season.

Of the four courses that we checked out in the SLO area, this would be the one we would return to if we only had time for one. Easily the most challenging course in the area and a good disc vibe. People of all ages, groups, families, couples, and solo people were all very nice to talk to and while a very difficult course, this course seems to attract the most attention. A must see in SLO County.

-Good amenities: ample parking, bathrooms, drinking fountains, concrete pads, benches with cool carvings on almost every hole, some garbage cans at tee pads.
-Good use of elevation, lots of down and up ravines, it actually gets a bit repetitive (see cons)
-Some very technical holes make up for lack of distance...BUT (see cons)
-A lot of cool scenery in the trees: canyon live oaks with lots of spanish moss hanging
-easy to follow, I only screwed up in one spot on my first round (see cons)
-Really friendly locals that told me about all the different pin locations

-Tee signs are not accurate: the problem with having so many placements is that the tee signs that are used are seldom accurate neither in distance nor in suggested route.
-Park is very multiuse-walkers, dogs, tennis players=all potential dangers on errant shots
-The chainlink fence along hole 5 is treacherous, I had a shot land on the other side and had to climb it. I ended up with a massive gash on my hand because the top is super sharp.
-A lot of the cool lines that were intended for the holes didn't have to be followed because the better shot was using the over the top line.
Although the course utilizes the ravines, it overutilizes it in my opinion to the point of being repetitive. Holes 6, 7, 8, 10, 14, 16, 17, 18 all played over the ravine in the placements I played. I'm not sure if it changes with pin placement. But they were all essentially the same with minor tweaks.
-I played holes 16 and 18 backward as 18 was more of a logical flow from 15, but that is one minor flaw in flow, the other is that 10 was a bit hard to find, you had to walk past 16 18's baskets to get to 10 from 9.

Overall, this course was fun. I had never played in CA before and was used to green grass and thick undergrowth. The course was really dry, with lots of dirt and dry dead longer grasses, it looked nothing like the green pictures on the course page. Also I saw my first wild tarantula on the course, which was a plus! I'd play it again if I had the time. I suggest you do too, it's a nice, quick, fun play!

-Tons of pin locations. The guys that take of the course are out regularly to move the pins around too.
-Brand new pin locations from time to time as well. In the last month there are new pin locations for #2, #12, and #18. #18 was moved way short, it's begging to be aced.
-Trees everywhere. A lot of holes require a very accurate (or very lucky) shot to make it to where you want to go.
-It's mostly a disc golf park. There are BBQ and picnic areas, but they're pretty far removed from the play area.
-BBQ pits, playground, water fountains, and bathrooms on site.

-Lack of accurate signage. The permanent markers on the tee pads are for the original layout only (they usually set that up in December).
-Because they move the pins so often, some baskets are hard or impossible to spot from the tee, even if you are a frequent player of the course (#6, #7, #10, and #15 especially).
-The heat! In the summer and early fall 90's and triple digits are frequent during the day. Bring water or something to drink for sure. There are drinking fountains around the course, but once you get around to the back 9, you'll want to have some with you.

I love to play this course. We play 2 or 3 times a week. The trees are a great equalizer. There are some holes that I love here. The long shot on #5 is great. The blind look at #15 is probably my favorite. Helpful and friendly locals too, so if you're lost on the course, just ask.

-Too many pin placements to count. Many possibilities for every hole. From pitch-n-putt to long-n-precise. Even more are planned (permanent ace round placements for every hole!)
-Concrete pads
-Practice pin for putting (with practice markers) located near tee #1
-Nice park for a picnic or bbq
-Hole #5 is a must see (you tee off on a long downhill hole lined my trees)
-Trees add a great deal of difficulty
-The course is fair on difficulty but a bad shot will cost you

-It can get repetitive, especially on the back 9
-Signage is lacking on some holes
-Very dry and hot in the summer (but you do have plenty shade)
-No map
-No indicators letting you know where the baskets are

The first couple of times I played it, it was fairly difficult (partially due to me just starting to play), but the last time I played I was severely humbled. Don't get me wrong, this course is not all that difficult. I just think that I have a hard time with it. When the pins are set in the long positions it can definitely give you a run for your money. This is definitely a technical course needing great precision on some of the tougher holes. Definitely worth stopping by if you're in the area.

58 total pin placements and lots of great technical shots. This is a fantastic pin placement that is now in place. Hole 5 is a long stretch about 380' around past a large oak and off to the right, windy at times which makes for some interesting flights. A light creek runs through holes 6/15/16/18. Rarely has water but adds a nice gully to cross in which some oaks have made their home, really making for some fun drives. Backhand throwers will enjoy the assortment of anhyzer throws for holes 4/5/7/16/18. Hole 10 is very difficult through the trees but, the new pad angle addition (thanks a.j.) is a perfect line for making a huge tomohawk drive as do 13/15/18. Great locals who are very skilled with lots of great tournaments and fundraisers that keep all the local courses' improvements coming along.

Very hot in the summer months. Crowded at times.

All in all this is a great course with lots of friendly faces. The course flows very well and ranges in low to moderate in difficulty. Worth the stop being that it is right off of the 101 fwy.

- Nice flow
- Great locals
- Bathroom / water on site
- BBQ pits
- Ample parking
- Easy navigation
- Good use of minimal elevation
- Shade for those HOT days
- Tons of pin locations
- Nice teepads

- Some overlap / crossing fairway
- Oppressively HOT in the summer
- Tons of black ace potential
- Not the best signage

Even though this course isn't a long one the Oak trees and slight elevation make it a fun and semi challenging play. I always make the effort to stop and play when I commute from SF to LA. If you're driving along the 101 and want to take a break this is the place.

The first few holes start of really decent, and then you start to get a glimpse of some of the poor placements.

Hole 5 is a pretty awesome long down hill shot, must keep your disc long and turning right.

A number of really poor pin placements (at least in the pins that they were in currently). A number of holes were in really really absurd locations when there was a number of better places for the pins to go.

Lots of repetition. Course crosses a valley and at least 4 holes were basically the same hole playing across the valley with 4 pins within about 100 feet up the hill side.

Tee signs are near useless they show a very rough distance usually incorrect (possibly do to multiple pins), and they either show a right turn, left turn, or straight arrow.... no map at all.

Man

Quite dry in the summer, however most the weeds have been maintained and kept well. Fairly easy to get around.