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Lakeland, FL

Hidden Oaks DGC

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3.685(based on 11 reviews)
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12 0
Jimmysebesta
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A Gem Worth the Trip off I-4 (If you got the time!) drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 4, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

So many unexpectedly good things about this course. Originally intended to play Holloway (down the street), but it was closed so we came here... and what an amazing course!

Great course culture
Great tee signage
Nice "next basket" signage, never looked at UDisc (except on 9 and 18)
Each hole has it's own unique signature. Unlike other courses, the tree trouble is different on every hole. For example:
- #1 anhyzer tee, to a low ceiling approach
- #2 tunnel shot tee, to a pick-a-path approach
- #3 bowling alley tee, to a wide open approach
- #4 uphill horizontal pick-a-path

Each hole had a decent amount of shade (except 10-12), IT GETS HOT HERE!, and honestly, the openess of holes 10-12 was a nice change of pace from the forest holes.

The rough was thick, but not too punishing. Only a few holes had some unrecoverable disc areas (thinking 10 and 12).

Cons:

Not very many long pads, still under course construction, it seems.. so for the long-ballers, this may not be the course for you. Great learner course for woods-play, not for stretching your game.

Other Thoughts:

Overall I was really impressed by this place, and thought it was maintained as well as most of the other Florida courses... definitely on par with Barnett and DeBary in Orlando, Jonesville in Gainesville, or Picnic Island or Maximo in Tampa Bay.

Would give this a shot if you are wanting to drive a little south off I-4.
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5 1
macfleming1
Experience: 41 years 84 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Lakeland/Mulberry has it going on! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 4, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Dedicated parking with course map and bathrooms. Great baskets, concrete tees and informative signage,including "next tee" which makes for easy navigation. 1-3 are a nice warm-up, woodsy but not overly technical or long. The rest are situated on a minor hill (maybe a "rise"?) for some fun elevation shots for flat FL. 4 goes up a neat tunnel, 5 back down with a ceiling. 8 up a bit more, 9 down again finishing not too far from the parking lot. 10 a longer shot up...with the long tee requiring a water carry. Etc. Solid variety of shots leftish vs. rightish, with trees requiring certain lines while not being "poke and pray." The local support is great here, hence the beautiful condition of the course. I've seen props from other clubs too, with special road trips for doubles/handicaps.

Cons:

Advanced players will want more distance, probably even more than the longer tees offer on 8, 10, 11, and 13, the only holes with dual tees. (Masochists and their 1,000 foot par fives!) Perhaps some day alternate basket locations can be added, along with perks like benches and bag hangers. The rough can hide errant shots, particularly the thick saw grass along a few holes. I recommend throwing a bright-colored driver.

Other Thoughts:

It's amazing how polished this course looks for being only a few months old. Today, the fairways, greens and connecting paths were freshly mowed. The property is also home to a mountain bike trail, which I suppose could raise safety concerns, but it seems the two sports coexist just fine here, along with some nice wildlife too. Don't harass the gopher tortoises and haul out your trash (I picked up a couple bottles today, but the course was otherwise spotless).
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4 1
sbowlerman
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice Course in Lakeland 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Tees are very easy to find. Next Tee signs on almost every
hole.
- The nature build up around the course is outstanding and will
only get better
- The changes in Elevation provide a good challenge.

Cons:

- Rough is VERY rough, a true disc eater
- First few holes are still pretty wet, a lot of
mosquitoes, bring spray!!!

Other Thoughts:

This course is a recent expansion of Loyce Harpe (Carter Road, for the locals) park, and was an outstanding course to play. My wife and I recently took up the sport, mostly to spend more time together in the outdoors, and the nature and scenery did not disappoint.
As this course develops, I am positive it will become a go-to destination for both visitors and regulars.
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5 1
thrembo
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 49 years 242 played 195 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Rustic Goodness 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 2, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Short to medium length holes in a mostly tight and technical environment with some really nice elevation changes not seen too much in this part of Florida. The course has a nice tree canopy and is still pretty rustic. There are nice views of the lake and wildlife abounds. We saw a pair of large owls and several turtles/tortoises and plenty of butterflies on our way through. Nice Prodigy baskets, concrete tees, informative and descriptive tee signs, and plenty of next tee signs make for easy navigation and a fun round.

Cons:

Unless you stray from the fairways. The course is brand new so the rough hasn't been thinned down yet. Keep an eye on your discs and spot where needed. The rough here is brutally dense in spots and disc loss is very possible.

The course starts out in a low area where water will collect during the rainy season. The course drys out though as you work your way up the hills. The lake provides a nice backdrop for a few holes, but you would have to really shank one to put it in the water.

There are no benches or places to sit/rest and no garbage cans on the course. Hopefully, they are coming. There are a few walks between holes and a bit of a hike from 18 to the parking lot. The course does come close to the parking lot by hole 10 though.

Other Thoughts:

A fun scenic course that this area has needed for a long time. Mind the rough and you will probably have a good time here. There is plenty of room for expansion and upgrades and I envision this being a very popular course in the future.
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6 0
RFrance
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.7 years 33 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Florida has "hills" 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 20, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Hidden Oaks is located in Lakeland's new Se7en Wetlands park area which was once one of west central Florida's old phosphate mines. Over the last few decades, this area has been used to naturally filter wastewater for the city. They are now actively making public access with hiking trails and parking. The result is a perfect location for a challenging disc golf course within a natural wildlife environment. This area of Florida has "hills" instead of the normal flat land. The course itself borders a mining dragline pit and there is a cliff on hole #14 with an impressive 100 foot drop overlooking the dig site.

PROS:
Loyce Harpe Park is easy to find and to locate the course just take the left at the split on the drive in and then keep going all the way to the end (currently a shell road).

There is new parking (dirt for now) and a new restroom (concrete structure) right by the path to hole #1. Just before #1 is a site map with good hole information. This course is probably cart friendly but I didn't bring my cart and didn't miss it since you could get by with only 3 to 5 discs if you wanted.

The course takes great advantage of the hills in the layout which is unique for the majority of Florida disc golfers. Even though most holes are in the 200 foot to 270 foot length, there are many challenges. The fairways have low ceilings with doglegs either left or right ending with tree guarded baskets. This is a short technical course with plenty of opportunity for birdies and bogeys.

Holes #10, #11, and #12 border the lake with nice views of the water. There is not much chance of losing a disc here unless you choose the water carry shot (#10 long) which is optional and the short tee is pretty safe since you are throwing on the dry side of the lake's boundary.

The fairway paths are surprisingly well worn and the course is pretty easy to navigate but I recommend you bring a course map for the first time around.

The concrete tees are a nice size and the tee signs give helpful hints on your shot placement and usually directions to the next hole. The neon green Prodigy baskets are new and are easy to see and catch well.

Cons:

Only two cons as others have mentioned. First, there are no numbers on baskets and no arrows pointing to next tee. An easy fix and hopefully in the works. Second, there are spots of thicker rough with the possibility of losing discs. During the summer, rainy months the rough might get a little thicker and discs harder to find.

Other Thoughts:

One of the features that stood out to me was just how quiet and peaceful it is, something that is getting rare as Florida over develops.

There were bike paths through the course but I was there on weekday so there weren't any riders.

Most of the course is under an oak canopy which will make things a lot cooler during the Florida summer and should block the wind in the winter.

A very enjoyable course although the fairways may be a little tight for newbies.
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4 1
JungleNYC
Experience: 3 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Short, but Tricky 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 26, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

I stumbled on this course while in the area, and was surprised at how rewarding it was to play. It's really quite beautiful, and you can tell a lot of thought and love went into it. There's lot's of old craggy trees to navigate around (and through), and it really requires a lot of thoughtful decisions and accurate execution. It's a relatively short course, but the technical nature mostly makes up for it. You really have to hit your gaps and angles, and there's quite a few low ceiling areas, too, so there's a really important you not only control your left/right but also your up/down. There are also short/long pads on several holes which adds a bit of variety, and one of the longs takes you over water, which is really cool. Kudos to the locals that put this in. Super fun!

Cons:

Not really any long holes, which is due to the terrain.
Although I wonder if the layout could be tweaked in the future to stretch a couple of these closer to 500ft? There are also some really thick bush and grass areas, so pay attention to where you throw...very easy to lose a disc or two here!
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