Large layout around a sprawling park with a few memorable holes and touches



+ After a few unremarkable starting holes crisscrossing an open field. #3 gives you a nice long alley shot (280') between two treelines


+ Into the woods for holes #5 - #9. The par 4 hole #5 starts with an open teeshot and finishes with a very narrow gap among tall pines to get to the green. There's OB tight along the left side (a farmer's field). It's a good two shot hole, and control earns birdie. Hole #6 is very short: putter up and slightly right, drop in for easy birdie. The next three holes: shortish par 3's played up and down rows of towering pines, requiring everything to be thrown straight and low. This section of the course is it's own ecosystem, shaded from the sun, covered in pine needles


+ Hole #11 is a 611' par 4 uphill. Although it's open most of the way after firing out of a chute, the layout places a finger of OB woods jutting out from the left that hides the narrow entrance to the basket. There's no side or back door, so you have to risk the OB to get into position to have an opportunity to score A well-designed hole that's worth multiple plays

- Overall good course, but starting and finishing in a flat, largely open field makes for a few stretches of pretty dull holes


- The tee on the par 4 hole #13 is oriented to create a hard turn left around trees immediately off the tee. By placing the tee behind this screen of trees, they've created a 533' par 4. The course already has too many open holes, but this manufactured dogleg felt forced

~ Sturdy, professional quality baskets with deep tray - but the poles are a bit wider diameter than common commercial brands, and the hits sound different than anything out there


~ Herr has its share of long par 3's: six over 350' and two over 400'. The course finishes with 365' and 411' par 3's. Not unreasonable (especially because so much of the course is open and forgiving), but by the end it felt every bit of its 6000' total



COURSE AMENITIES SUMMARY:
Excellent signage, poured tees, homemade baskets, very cart-friendly, a few spots where traffic on walking paths will slow play


RECOMMENDED COMBINATIONS:
Lancaster is so rich in good courses. You're not gonna go wrong. Combine this with a play at the nearby Buchmiller Park. Cap it off with the uniquely fun experience of Hobson Mini (but be sure to bring actual minis, not marker-sized discs). A great day.

+ Right next to hole one is a big information sign containing a course diagram, a lost disc slot and dozens of pre-made scorecards for the taking.
+ All tee pads are one contiguous piece of flat and sturdy concrete with enough room for a decent run up.
+ All tee signs show nice aerial views of the area with distance & par.
+ The course is implanted within a township park right next to a school. There was a softball game going on in the background while I played, which gave the atmosphere a calm yet perky vibe. I can imagine how peaceful Herr Park is when it is just disc golfers.
+ This course has some generous wide-open shots that let the player go wild!
+ It also features some surprisingly devious wooded holes peppered in.
+ The two uphill and downhill holes in the middle make for a nice change of pace in this otherwise flat course.

- Some holes played a bit too closely to each other. Holes 4 and 10 share the same set of trees. 7, 8 and 9 are all next door neighbors. Stay alert at these points.
- Most of Herr Park is flat. It lacks playing texture.
- The wide-open holes are nice to practice power throws, but I feel there are too many of them.
- Less than half of the holes have distances significantly greater than 350 feet. More experienced players might find this course lacking.
- Only one tee pad per hole. Less experienced players might find this course frustrating.

I really liked holes 5 and 11 here for the same reason. They both started out wide open and then finished in a cluster of trees, which added a sudden burst of challenge to the hole.

As for the course as a whole, Herr Park is a pleasant surprise. At first, a player may think that it is going to be a breeze after playing the first two holes. But then hole 3 slaps you in the face with a brutal tunnel shot.
Small unexpected perks keep the action going back and forth between familiar and fancy. For example, after hole six, I was stuck by the tremendous sight of rural Lancaster farmland in front of me as I approached the top of a hill. And then I was treated to not one but three tunnel shots within the same grove of evenly spaced pine trees.

The experience loses some steam after that, however. Beyond hole 9 are more typical styled disc golf holes. Not boring, mind you- just familiar. The elevation challenges do alleviate some of that, but nothing particularly memorable catches in your mind.
Instead, this is the kind of course that players gather at to have a good time chilling out, practicing different throws, and learning more about what they can do. I recommend Herr Park to anybody looking for a laid-back session of disc golf. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Herr has plenty of variety in hole types using distance and accuracy. I have only been playing one year and I think this course is a perfect place for me to have a relaxing but challenging round. The pads, signs and baskets are all
really nice. I like that there is only one set of pads and baskets for each hole. So many times courses have multiples and it gets confusing unless you know the course. The park itself is very nice.

My only real negative is that there is a walking trail that runs through the course and I have to be concerned about hitting people.

I played on a perfectly dry day. I have heard that it stays pretty wet at times.

New 18 hole venue in a beautiful community park adjacent to a middle school. The grounds are plush and well-groomed. There is a very nice welcome board complete with lost disc box and a supply of scorecards at hole 1. Oversized cement tee pads are at every hole. There are good quality signs with professional graphics featuring hole #, par, distance and proposed flight path. Homemade baskets work well and have a deep catch. Small "next tee" arrows at most holes make navigation easy for first timers. Some good variety- woods, open holes and elevation are all featured here. The OB spots- the walking path and a couple of protected growth areas- are fair. The uphill 611 ft. shot on 11 and downhill hyzer to the basket on 14 stood out.

Parts of the course feel repetitive (holes 7-9 feature similar shots up and back between rows of pine trees, and going up, down, up and back down the hill on 11-14 can get tedious. Currently only 1 tee and basket position per hole. Many tees are within close proximity to one another, which could be a noise factor during heavy play. Benches and a practice basket would be a benefit. Didn't see any bathrooms, unless the Middle School is open for you. As this is a multi-use park, there is the possibility of walkers and other park patrons halting play on numerous holes.

Herr Park is the latest effort to come out of the Lancaster Area. While it does not have the overall difficulty of a Roland nor any real signature holes, it is a fun venue with some challenge to it. The grounds are immaculate and it is located in a nice neighborhood. There is a good view of the town below when standing by hole 12 basket/hole 13 tee. And the overall layout was well-conceived- Kudos to Bill, Kurt and the boys.

The one glaring beef I have with Herr Park is Hole 5, which I feel is unfair in its current state. Your reward for executing a great drive to avoid OB left AND right is to face a wall of pine trees with a small window to try and thread. And bombing a tomahawk or huge hyzer risks disc loss in the pine trees. The hole requires as much luck as skill- never a good thing.

That said, Herr Park is an enjoyable playing experience and will only get better. All skill levels will like it here, as much of the course is forgiving and of reasonable length. Worth the trip.

Located in a secluded beautiful park. There is a waking path but otherwise the disc golf is separate from other park activities. Baskets catch well. Navigation was very easy (I didn't have a map); most holes had next tees signs after them; most (if not all) tee signs had an arrow on them to direct you towards the next tee. A variety of shots (open/wooded; short/long) so you shouldn't be bored. Score cards at beginning of course with distances. Port-a-potty on path from parking lot to first tee.

No tee pads. One tee position; one basket position. A few of the holes seemed to be long for its own sake which I found to be tedious (see below). No amenities. Scorecards did not have course map (only important on first time).

I played in early morning right after (and a little during which) the course had been mowed. So the dewy grass cutting s got all over my discs (not the course's fault). Holes 1 and 2 are wide open. Then the fun begins. Hole 3 is a tunnel shot but wide enough to be fair. Holes 4 and 5 are longer with a few trees. Then 6 through 9 are in the woods - very nice evergreen forest where you have to hit your lines to score decently. Hole 10 is mostly open and not very interesting. Then comes 11 which is long and open and uphill (over 600 feet) to a protected basket; I didn't like it - just long for long's sake. Then you get a wide open long downhill (boring) which is an easy 3. Then another long uphill wide open hole (even more boring). Hole 14 skirts the edge of the woods (not a big improvement). Then back to fun for 15 and 16; 16 is very short but you have to shape the shot (still an easy 2 for most people). Hole 17 starts in the woods but then goes into the wide open after a short hard right dogleg - I didn't think much of it. Hole 18 is a long wide open shot where there are a few trees near the basket (still easy).
Overall not bad and I would/will play it again if in the area but mostly for the wooded shots. Plant a few trees on the wide open ones and it will be much better. Of course, tee pads will also help.

Do not judge a book by the cover. Upon entering the township park, you'll see a few baskets straight away. My initial impression was quite mediocre upon walking to the first tee. After 18 holes, I wanted to jump right back onto that first tee and go another round.

The course eases you into a false sense of security straight off with a traditional 250ft(ish) left to right shot protected by a tree, followed by a decently long field shot. From there, the course pulls no punches at it introduces you to a surgical tunnel shot, out-of-bounds penalties, beautiful vistas, eloquent uphill and downhill holes, memorable pine groves, and plenty of challenge for beginners of the sport and great fun for more experienced players.

The local club (LAFS) has quite a few course installations under their belt, and experience in course design reflects that fact.

No two holes are the same. Each hole will feature a theme, whether it be elevation change, obstacles, grip-and-rip, or placement shots.

For the exception of Hole 16, the course doesn't require an advanced knowledge of disc flight to get off the tees on the perfect flight path. This is a perfect course to take a player who has never thrown a disc. The course permeates a sense of recreation while maintaining challenge.

During my visits, there were scorecards stocked with par and distances on the bulletin board.

As of March 2016:

No tee-pads. No "next hole" indicators. No "lost disc" depository. No benches. No map.

However, if we're speaking historically about the other courses the club has planted - I expect these items to be resolved.

A walking path around the perimeter of the property comes into play on most holes. This is not a disc golf exclusive property, and time has yet to show how many "sunbathers" will throw their picnic blankets on the ground and casually stroll through the course. Be aware of the walkers, and please be kind and courteous.

Some tee pads are in very close proximity. It's not necessarily a safety issue, but more of a "sound" issue if you have a group teeing off behind you as you are running up to drive. This is a minor observation for those who need the Earth to be still to maintain focus on a drive.

From the parking lots to the first tee is a bit of a walk. Again, it's a minor point - but the walk is probably several hundred feet - so do not wear yourself out running to the first tee in excitement.

Once the teepads and basket markers are installed, this will only continue to polish this delightful course. This will undoubtedly become a staple for the local disc golf community. The course will be held in the same regard to the other local courses such as Roland Park, and Buchmiller. Not as long and enduring as Ship Rock, and not as challenging or niche like Boulder Woods or Quakers Challenge.

This is a community course that was well designed and plays great. You never get the feeling that a community planner, or boy scout troop sunk baskets randomly on the property and opened shop. Herr Park is a course that will keep you coming back, and is certainly worth the visit.