Course Design/General Thoughts:
- championship level course with top tier challenge
- well manicured course with set in a multi-use park, with disc golf generally isolated from other activities
- generally good flow despite some navigation confusion
- huge distance overall, with some shorter holes mixed in
- nice combination of open and wooded holes
- multiple water hazards including creek winding through property and lake
- many tee areas are given special attention with woodchips, rock retaining walls, etc.
- turf greens near baskets in areas prone to mud is a very nice touch
- course designers are cool guys who genuinely care about the course and disc golf

Basics:
- concrete tees, many of which have been replaced with new, larger tees
- dual tees in most holes
- one of the few courses of this caliber that is free to play
- new Dynamic Disc baskets in great shape
- dual pin positions on holes
- full color tee signs with maps for every hole
- OBs are well marked

Natural Beauty/Landscape:
- very picturesque park, but not the breathtaking beauty of some top tier courses
- some rolling Kentucky hills and decent elevation change
- real eye candy is the winding creek through middle of course

Amenities/Extras:
- ample parking
- port o potties/bathrooms in park
- benches at many holes
- garbage buckets at most holes
- built-in bridges for water crossings are very nice
- practice basket
- lost disc box (seeing more of these, a very nice touch)

- could use next tee indicators in many places, and/or numbers on baskets; navigation is more confusing than expected
- some surprising safety hazards for a course of this caliber
- while a minor con, some fairly muddy areas near water and in woods
- some players will find the extreme challenge here too much; this course is for experienced players
- 24 ends a fair distance from parking lot and requires a walk back, but not too bad

When I played Idlewild for the first time 12 years ago, I was generally in awe, having probably played less than 20-30 courses and on, at the time, one of the very top courses in the world of disc golf. I never got around to reviewing the course then, and eventually felt it wasn't appropriate until I played it again. Well, that day finally came. I was shocked at how little of the course felt familiar - so my instinct to wait and review until it was fresh again was the right one.

Last time I played, I'm pretty sure I ran into Fred, one of the course designers, working on the course. This time, I ran into Bob, the other course designer. It's clear these guys care about the course and have put a ton of blood and sweat into making it what it is today. While still "wild" in terms of challenge and wooded tunnels, the course is much cleaner than it was the first time I played, with less insane rough to eat discs (though it is still there in places, watch out for thorns). Bob told me about how he envisioned a long, championship level par 4 and 5 course when such things really didn't exist in disc golf. Idlewild truly was ahead of its time, and when I first played it I think it was #3 on DGCR - well deserved. Years later, it is still in the top 10. There are a TON of other long, championship-caliber courses now to compete with Idlewild, but it is still an amazing course.

A decade ago I would have unquestionably rated this a 5. I was surprised on playing again to realize I didn't quite think it ranked there with my other 5s... though these are subtle distinctions. The safety hazards and lack of navigation aids here are probably the main detractors from the 5 - in multiple places, shots throw over or near walking paths, which really doesn't jive with how fantastic the layout is on the rest of the course. There are also people just randomly walking the park and not paying attention to disc golf - which isn't the designer's fault, but something to watch out for.

Other minor cons are the elevation change being good, but not other-worldly - though this in and of itself doesn't knock the score down for me. Scenery is very nice but perhaps not on the breathtaking level of some courses in mountainous areas.

Overall, however, this is a phenomenal course undergoing continuous improvement. Tee signs are newer, baskets all look brand new, and a handful of concrete tees get replaced with larger ones every season. The property is clearly being cared for. While picturesque, this is too near a populated area for much in the way of wildlife sightings.

There are some shorter holes mixed into the course, though all are fairly challenging. The majority are over 300', and some by quite a bit. Par on most holes is a success - I don't think many people are picking up multiple birdies here. While having power is certainly a plus, it won't do you much good without accuracy. The wooded tunnel shots require straight drives or sometimes doglegs, with punishing results if you can't hit the line. As long as you know what to expect, an intermediate player can get through this course, if with several bogies (or doubles...). Beginners will likely be fairly frustrated, though I was pretty terrible the first time I played it and still had a great time, just reveling in the awe of a course this intense.

Expect to take a minimum of 3 hours to play solo, and even longer with a group. This is a LONG course, based on average hole length and the presence of 24 holes. The real gem of this course for me has always been the winding creek with shots over it that can fall in the water at any number of points. The clear OB areas make pinpoint accuracy necessary, but on the plus side, retrieving discs from the creek is easy; the water is very shallow. There is a small lake too, which is an added water hazard, but the creek shots are what I've always loved about Idlewild.

The multiple pin positions are shown on the tee signs, but it is not marked which position the basket is in. This is generally not a big deal, but there are a fair number of blind tee shots where you can't see the basket, so a spotter is a good idea unless you want to do some hiking to check layout.

There are several amenities like a practice basket, lost disc box, bathrooms, etc. This is a public county park, so not much in the way of concessions/pro shop type amenities, but playing for free on a course this nice is a treat. Overall, Idlewild is probably still in the Top 10 courses I have played after about 160. It is absolutely worth the trip, even from a long distance away. I once lived less than an hour from it, but came back even from 5 hours away. It's well worth being part of your next road trip.

Idlewild is the only course that is currently in all of the top 5 rated, played, reviewed, and favorited lists here on DGCR. This 24-hole icon is located in Burlington, KY which is within a 30 minute drive from Cincinnati, OH.

The hole design here is fantastic. There is a jaw-dropping variety of different holes, with almost everything you can imagine and even a few that you probably aren't imagining. A 1000' long hole playing up and down rolling hills in the open? Check. A dicey 259' right turn in the woods? Check. A 500' downhill left turn with a creek running along the fairway, that requires a throw through a double mando "Y" shaped tree? Check. A 225' water carry with a couple pesky trees just waiting to send your disc careening into the murky depths? Check.

You'll throw every disc in your bag here. The elevation changes range from gentle to extreme. The water hazards are all over the place. The distances are championship level, but still with some shorter holes mixed in where recreational players can entertain the idea of birdies. The risky greens are the one feature that is nearly constant - either because of sloping terrain, the presence of water hazards nearby, or both.

The most memorable and unique feature of Idlewild for me was the use of a creek that runs through the middle of the park. There are no fewer than six holes where this creek is in play as OB, but it's always shallow enough to not lose a disc in. On five of those holes, the baskets are located near the creek and the areas surrounding them are covered in green turf.

The image of these "carpet island" greens with the creek running past them is likely to stick in my mind in general. But I will also mention a few memorable specific holes:
- Hole 8 plays up and over a ridge and down the other side, where you'll really encounter the creek for the first time. It surrounds the basket on three sides.
- Hole 11 starts out playing downhill in the woods and across the creek at the bottom. But then, this 500' monster turns to the right and plays up a moderate incline for the last 300' or so (still in the woods) to the basket.
- Hole 17 is the one that plays downhill through the "Y" shaped tree and along the creek as described above.
- Hole 22 was my personal favorite. It's actually flat, but the creek twists and turns all over the fairway for the full 350'. You'll have to shape your drive around more than a few tree trunks, AND avoid getting wet to score a birdie or par here.

The baskets are all red/white/blue Dynamic Discs models that looked brand-new. Some holes had multiple baskets installed at the time of my visit, and all holes had multiple pin positions indicated on the tee signs. When I visited, most of the baskets appeared to be in the "A" pin positions - which looked to be generally easier to reach than the other pin positions.

The tee areas are generally good. The tee pads are concrete, with some newer and some older but all fine. Many holes (although not all) have multiple tee pads. Most tee areas also had tee signs which looked a little dated, but did convey all required info other than which pin position(s) were currently in play. Trash cans and benches were located at many tees.

The area near the first tee had a practice basket, along with an extra (turf) tee pad and an aging net behind it - a nice little driving range. There was also a porta potty and what appeared to be a drinking fountain. The entire park was clean and well maintained.

I loved Idlewild but I did have a couple of issues with it that are holding me back from a 5.0 rating. Possibly the biggest one is the routing between holes 22 and 23, which has golfers walking right across #17's fairway near the "Y" tree. I see this as a safety problem, especially in the summer when the foliage fills in and prevents a clear line of sight. I was surprised to not even see a warning sign posted here - but I would PREFER to see an entirely different path with clear signage established that does not route across this fairway at all.

A couple other holes play over a walking path, and hole 5 plays over the park road.

The navigational aids here are lacking. There was no kiosk or course map at the front of the course, and this aspect did not get better on the course. The only form of navigational aid present was on the tee signs, SOME of which had an arrow next to the basket icon pointing towards the next tee. There were several times that I got slightly turned around and started walking in the wrong direction (between holes 2-3 and 11-12, to name a couple). A few arrows and/or tape on the basket rungs would go a long way here. In the meantime, I recommend using UDisc or downloading a course map for navigation.

Only a couple of the tee signs had markings to indicate which pin position(s) are currently in place. I found myself walking up fairways on multiple occasions to figure out where I needed to throw. Some of the short tees did not have tee signs at all. Overall, I can't really give Idlewild credit for having multiple layouts available because there is no consistency in terms of exactly how many tees, pin positions, and actual installed baskets each hole has - and whether the signage will be adequate to know where they are at.

As others have mentioned, this course is a marathon and will take significant time and effort to complete. I played here with a friend on a Monday afternoon and we did not have to wait for anyone - but it still took us 3 hours to complete all 24 holes.

As noted on the Hole Info page, the DGPT layout skips holes 4, 5, 6, 10, 18, and 23. If you are more of a recreational player or just a noodle arm like me, I definitely recommend NOT skipping those six holes. They are some of the easier holes on the course, and since they mostly fall earlier in the round you will have a chance to score some pars (and maybe even a birdie or two) on those holes and feel good about yourself before the beatdown really commences starting around hole 11. I threw those six holes at even par, including two birdies. In contrast, I was +11 on the other 18 holes - and that's using the pars listed here which I believe are more generous on a couple holes than those listed on the actual tee signs.

Idlewild is the fourth course I have played in the current DGCR top 10 (Flip City, Rollin Ridge, and Maple Hill being the others). Despite the issues holding this one back from a 5.0 rating in my book, Idlewild is amazing and deserves to be in the discussion with those other gems. It should absolutely be on your disc golf bucket list to check out as well!

+ Splendid venue with immaculate upkeep. Hills, water features, breezey fields and dense woods are all present here and without so much as a discarded candy wrapper.
+ Trash cans and benches are common sights here.
+ Practice basket, lost disc box and a driving practice net nearby hole1.
+ Colorful and clear tee signs, but...

- ...Some of the tee signs were damaged or missing.
- Temporary baskets?
- No 'next' indicators except from 2to3, 12to13 and 23to24.

Holes14 and 15 were my favorites to look at. With their hills and shadowy tree cover, those were both dark and quiet examples of an ideal disc golf setting to my mind. Hole22 was my favorite to play because of that winding creek. I love water features in the middle of the woods, and that serpentine stream is just what the doctor ordered. If I had to pick a least favorite, I would say hole9 because it throws kind of close to a walking path & road. Plus, there are picnic benches not too far from the fairway.

As for the course as a whole, Idlewild is famous in the disc golfing community. Most everybody reading this likely already knows about its prestige and reputation. This review will serve as little more than reinforcement that, yes, Idlewild is still just that great, and it doesn't show any signs of stopping. If, however, you are unfamiliar with this course, then do yourself a favor and add it to your wishlist. All of the reviews before and after mine aren't inflating the rating. It's truly that magnificient, and you MUST play here.

The grounds are a treat. On more than one occasion, I caught myself standing still with eyes closed and just listening to the sounds of nature around me. There are no obnoxious freeways or intersections nearby. All of the elevation challenges both ascending and descending paired with the multiple waterways and tree densities make this course a big-name must-play. An easy example of this is hole17. From atop a hill, the player must avoid a few devious trees while throwing down a woodsy valley with a stream at the bottom. Combining all three factors like that is a common occurrence here.

Offering twenty-four holes instead of the typical eighteen adds just a dash more to the experience. I'm sure you've played at courses that have made you say, "I wish this course had a few more holes." Idlewild has you covered. It makes sure your appetite for disc golf has been satiated before you leave. A lot of care has gone into making this course approachable to all skill levels with multiple tees. Naturally, you'll extract more enjoyment out of it if you're already experienced before coming here. But there is something positive to be said for "earning a bogey."

One example of Idlewild doing that? Hole12 is around six hundred feet of watching out for bark and branches. In my course notes I had this to say about hole12: "Tree Dodge City!" Be careful on that one.

It's not all tough as nails. Hole18, for example, is a fun throw of around two hundred feet from the open into a wooded corridor.

But briefly, I'd like to enter criticism mode (and explain/defend my 4.5). I feel like I caught Idlewild during an off day. Almost as if Idlewild was in the middle of a makeover when I played it. What was with those temporary baskets I threw into? Where were the 'next tee' signs? On my visit, holes1 and 11 - 14 were the ones I remember having simple commercial-grade portable baskets, which threw me for a loop. On a course this good, that was shocking to see. (Can someone explain that to me?) Also strange was the lack of 'next' signage. Once or twice I felt lost, which bummed me out slightly. I know that it's a sprawling course, but can nothing be done in that regard?

Despite those observations, though, let's be real. Idlewild is still, unquestionably, one of the best courses that a disc golfer can play. Everything that most disc golfers might want is here. Wide open hills? Densely forested hills? Check. Wide open water hazards? Tricky wooded water hazards? Check. Straight fairways, curved fairways, slanted terrain, bounding hills, dark corridors and much more await the player here. So many of the greats have set foot on this very soil as well. It felt like a shared communal experience just to have played here once.

The question should be not 'if' you will play it but 'when.'

Idlewild is one of the most popular courses in the world, and it's not that hard to see why. There are so many epic holes here, on the beautiful rolling hills of Kentucky (though just a few feet away from Ohio). This course has the reputation of chewing players up and spitting them out on the other side, and it earns that reputation.

I went out of my way from St. Louis to Johnson City to get this course in and it was worth it. There are plenty of epic, memorable holes on the docket.

With great challenge comes great reward. There are opportunities for hero-shots a plenty. If you want a good score, you're going to have to make some. You'll probably have to make many just to stay at par. I got lucky and played in November when the leaves were mainly on the ground and not in the trees, which made this course only somewhat difficult and not gruelingly punishing.

Tee signs are great, and needed because you often cannot see the basket from the tee. There are two pins or two tees on some of the holes, so decide early whether you want to be challenged, or super challenged.

It was pretty slippery and muddy the day I was there, but that's probably not as bad most days as it was then.

There are 24 holes, not every one of them is spectacular. Some are a little forced, but really I'm not a fan of the super-OB heavy in the first place, much less when you add a scattering of trees to plinko through.

Idlewild's normal 24 hole set-up includes some of those signature holes you expect (if you've watched video of the Idlewild Open). But this isn't the same layout, there are a few extra holes thrown in. Those are the ones not as memorable.

This course is awesome, and I loved the feeling of history on this course, not in the same sense as the IDGC, but just knowing that this course has been a huge part of the game for so long, and is an experienced shared by hundreds, if not thousands of other disc golfers. Sometimes it's hard to travel and meet players you can talk to about courses you've both played. Idlewild is not only a shared experience, but for some of us, a shared trauma! Jkidding it was great

- Simple and easy to get to. The drive up to the course is beautiful and then once you are in the park its simple to find the first hole.
- Potty in the parking lot.
- Discatcher baskets are always awesome to see. Best basket out there imo.
- Nice concrete teepads. Most of them are big enough to land a plane on so thats pretty awesome.
- Lots and lots of benches.
- There was a bunch of crushed gravel out on the course as walking paths and it made finding the paths to the next holes easy.
- The course flowed pretty seamlessly. There was only maybe 1-2 times where I wasnt sure if I was heading in the right direction. Otherwise it was pretty simple.
- This course will test you mentally and physically. There are a lot of trees here and a lot of distance making for a battle thats fun to play.
- This course has pretty much everything. Short wooded, Long wooded, long open bombers, rolling hills, water, OB, Mando's. You need pretty much every shot to be able to score well here. The only shot that I didnt throw is a big hyzer. Every other shot I threw.

- There are a few holes out here where they do need to take some trees out. Just a hand full of holes needed fairer fairways. On a course this caliber I shouldnt have to knowingly throw a shot of the tee and just hope and pray that I dont hit a tree. Not a lot of fun when it takes more luck then skill to complete the hole.
- One of the concrete teepads had astro turf on it. Not sure why this is but its pretty terrible. I slipped and fell off of the tee because of it. Im sure it was done because the concrete below is beat to death but turf is not the way to go.
- Not really a con but I havent lost a disc in a few years and I lost 2 here. The rough is really rough in some places which sucks but that just means I shouldnt have thrown my disc there.

This course has been on my hit list for years and it felt so good to finally get to play here. The course was beautiful and a lot of fun to play. Reminded me of the great courses we have in WI. I played the 24 holes so I could get the full experience but the next time I go back I would like to just cut it down to the 18 used for the Idlewild Open. Overall I would recommend this course to every one. This is a place that every serious disc golfer should look into going at least once in their lives. This course is a thing of beauty.

Idlewild is set in a beautiful multi use park, but with the exception of a walking path on a few holes, the course is away from all others activities. There are 24 holes here that range in difficulty quite a bit. This is not a course for beginners and will be extremely challenging for even experienced players (like me). The baskets are DISCatchers with the yellow bands on them. These are all in really great shape and catch well. The yellow band really helps with spotting them in the woods. The tee pads are all plenty large enough and grip just fine. This is a must have on a course of this caliber. The elevation here is extreme. some of the most up and down variation I've seen to date. The majority of the holes are mostly to heavily wooded with elevation changes throughout. A couple ponds come into play as well and the stream that runs through the property is used fantastically on a ridiculous number of holes. The creek plays OB on most making shot and placement control even more vital. There are a number of beautiful astro turf greens that really add to the aesthetic of the place. Multiple bridges to cross the creek on every hole it winds through. You'll need every trick in your bag to do well (or even ok) here. There are left turning, right turning, dead straight and multiple combinations of each. The distances are all over the place as well. They range from around 200 feet to almost 1000 feet. The tee signs are very nice too. They all have a great looking map of the layout of the hole, hole #, par, next tee arrow, and distance. Really everything that you need on a tee sign. The flow of the course is actually pretty intuitive considering the vastness of it. Only a couple slightly confusing spots but with the next tee arrows on the signs and the course map on this site not too big of a deal. The course is free to play too, which is shocking for a course of this caliber. The course was not busy when we played although that was on a Monday morning so I can't say what it's like during peak times. The course was very clean and serene when we played. This is just a beautiful piece of property to have a course on. There's ample parking and a practice basket by hole 1 as well as a portable toilet.

Not too much for cons here. One thing to mention right away is that the course is not very cart friendly. It can be done but it's not going to be easy. As mentioned above the navigation can be a little odd in a couple spots. Just download a map and you'll be fine though. Not that there is really anything they can do about it, but the rough off the fairways can be ROUGH. It can get thick and sharp. Just be very cognizant of where or about where your shot landed or you'll be in a world of hurt. Or lost plastic.

As has been said many, many times before, this course is NOT for beginners. This is easily one of the top 2 to 3 hardest courses I've played to date. Really probably only the bear at Highbridge was harder, and barely. This is definitely a course to go out of your way to play if you are a decent to above player. It tests every aspect of your game and punishes you in any area that you lack in. I only gave it a 4.5 out of 5 because I've never given anything a 5. I can't say it's "the best of the best" because I haven't played nearly enough of the top rated courses to say for sure. But with that being said I would bet that this is probably top 5. I'd give it a 4.75 if that was an option but it's not. Amazing course. As has been mentioned many, many times before this is a grueling course. It WILL take you around 3 hours to complete. If not longer depending on your group size and how busy it is. I've been waiting years to get the chance to play it and it was totally worth the wait. Highly recommend this place.

Incredibly challenging and it's the best course I've played. If you can conquer this course, or just play it without loosing control, you can play anywhere. Lots of accurate reviews already. Just a phenomenal course.

It just needs some work getting cleaned up and some minor fix ups.

If you haven't played this course and you are within a 2-3 hour drive, make a weekend trip out of it cause it's a must!!! You can visit some other really awesome local courses too.

Much has been said about this gem in the rolling hills of Northern Kentucky, and it lives up to the hype. 24 holes that vary from monster bomber holes (900+ feet), to throws over water hazards, to following a winding line through a tree-lined fairway, to threading a tiny needle through a forest tunnel.

The hole variety and quality here is unparalleled. It doesn't feel like any two holes are the same, and this course demands you to use every throw in your arsenal. The elevation is well utilized, the woods are trimmed perfectly, and the fairways are clear. Additionally, the "wow" factor is high here, as there are several beautiful holes that provide fantastic shot opportunities.

The course is extremely well marked. It should be noted that this course used to be numbered 1-18 and A-F, with A-E being between holes 2-3 and F occurring later (I think after 6). Now, the course has been relabeled 1-24, making navigation easier. There are also signs designating where the next hole is to aid in navigation when it is not explicitly clear.

I've mentioned this in reviews before, but I will again: this course is beautiful. The mixture of wooded and open areas, all enclosed in rolling hills, makes for several stunning views.

Not a con, but rather a warning: this course is NOT for the faint of heart. It is long. It is hard. It is probably not the best for a hot day without carrying some water. You may lose a disc on an errant throw, especially when the fairways are bounded by high grass. If you are coming here, get ready to engage in a long, arduous battle.

There are many areas on this course labeled OB here. Normally when I play, I disregard these because most of them seem to just be there for the sake of being there. The course is already hard enough, so it feels weird to increase the difficulty by having extra OB areas.

There are also some teepads that felt extremely short. This seemed to be a problem for some of the earlier holes, especially #1 (which was over 600', requiring a massive drive).

It should be noted that I would give this course a 4.75 if it were an option, and would raise that to a 5.0 if these couple issues were taken care of.

This course is a masterpiece, probably the most professional course I have ever played. The designers did a fantastic job of capturing the beauty of the park and creating a course that meshes well with it. Every serious player who is in the area should give this course a try to see where they are at and how they can improve. It is worth a long trip to play.

Idlewild is one of the most highly regarded courses in the United States, and even the world. You have most likely read reviews, looked at pictures, or had dreams about Idlewild. I will proudly say that I was one of those people.

When I pulled in, I will honestly say, it didn't look exactly "special." There was a bulletin board, and a random looking practice basket on the other side of the small patch of green.

But then... wow. The first hole is a 640' rip through a tree lined fairway, with a few trees down the middle. It is by far one of my favorite opening holes I have played, with a few star-studded courses on my played list.

You then have a long walk through the beautiful park that contains this beast of a course. You travel over hills, through valleys, in fields of grass and dense forest. You throw over creeks (and often in them) and through trees shaped like the letter Y.

You are forced to throw every shot that is inside of your bag, and even forced to try shots that you are not capable of, as I found out right away. It was not easy to accept the fair spanking I got from Idlewild.

Par threes were tough, Par fours, tough, par fives, tough. You will not shoot under par on most days no matter how good of a golfer you are. That could be a con, but I really enjoy shooting 20 over par. It is really easy to become comfortable with shooting even par or better.

Amenities, the tee pads were nice. Tee signs were a little rough looking/wore out, but did their job just fine. Nothing to really complain about with quality of course design.

Cons... huh. Not easy. This course is truly a gem, which is evident by the slew of 5 disc reviews that have come in the years past, but there are a few things that keep me from rating this a perfect 5.

Baskets- what? The baskets on the course are a single row of chained, weird green color concoction. I am not saying they are dysfunctional, but I have played on much better baskets at far worse courses.

Navigation- The extra holes on the course were probably awesome holes. I wouldn't know, because I completely missed them. As far as I could tell, there were no signs pointing to the extra holes, and they were out of order. (F comes first!) Print a map, or take pictures of the map. It helps on every course you play.

Unnecessary Obstacles- Some holes were almost great, but had maybe an island green, or a large tree planted in the middle of the fairway. Without these, you could easily make them tough, but fair.

Difficulty- I did say I liked hard courses, but this course is pretty much impossible for Ams playing the regular tees. Just be aware of this before you show up with two discs and expect to play well. You won't. I won't take any points away from the course for this, but a shorter tee pad, or an easier pin position here and there could go a really long way.

This course is amazing. If you are within an hours drive of Idlewild, go. Stay the night, and play the other fantastic courses that Cincinnati has to offer. The club here does an amazing job with keeping up the courses and running great events. Can't wait to come back!

-Wide variety of holes including water hazards, mandos and some multiple tee and pin positions.
-some heavily wooded holes and some wide open holes.
-Actual island greens with artificial turf and brick borders.
-Some very long holes, but not field-like.
-Each hole offers different routes to take with opportunities to get aggressive and play conservatively.

-Very long course, around 2 miles worth of throwing.
-Very difficult course would not be advisable for beginners
-"Next tee" signs are vague and holes are sometimes hard to find.
-Some long rough on back nine makes it difficult to find discs.
-Water hazards are murky and discs lost in water are basically lost.
-Some steep elevation change and length of course can be tiring, bring lots of water and some food.

I played Mt. Airy one day then made my way over to play Idlewild and Lincoln Ridge the next day. Idlewild is my new favorite course. It offers a very professional feel because of the manicured fairways, brick-lined O.B. creek, and some turf island greens. This course is very long though with many holes over 500 feet and hole 15 being 1001 feet. Definitely not a course for any beginners or inexperienced throwers. Mount airy has a great pro shop that is worth the drive and Lincoln Ridge is a beautiful shorter course with lots of trees and elevation. Idlewild however became my new favorite course even though i lost 2 discs there. There was a lot of variation in hole type and length. I found myself taking pictures of each hole just because I couldn't believe the how maintained and beautiful the course is.

Idlewild is a huge and beautiful course in the Kentucky countryside that offers every challenge imaginable. I'll try to be concise with my thoughts:

-Idlewild is a champion level course with a sprawling, hilly layout with lots of elevation changes, doglegs, and tree-lined tunnel shots to utilize every shot in your bag.
-There are multiple tees and pin placements that give even more variety and challenge to this already difficult course
-Idlewild obviously has a lot of care put into it. There are nice man-made greens that play over creeks, as well as different rampart constructions that come into play. Bridges and walkways abound through the woods. It's a really nice change of pace from the average disc golf course.
-There are many signature shots that are just beautiful. Everyone points to the 1000' hole but I think the shot on hole 11 has to be one of the best in the business. You tee off through a Y-shaped tree mando, which is just amazing. Also hole 11 plays to one of the man-made greens I mentioned, which is a nice touch.
-The land has been used very well and creates a challenging and picturesque course at every turn. Over and around creeks, zig-zags through trees, up and downhill blind shots, every kind of shot is here.
-There are amenities on site such as a water fountain and porta potties.

-There are no scorecards and the only course map is at the start where it instructs you to take a picture with your phone in order to navigate. This can be confusing as next tees are not always obvious and you play from hole 4 to hole F.
-The baskets don't match the quality of this course. The practice basket is some strange old thing with one row of chains and the course baskets are pretty beat. It would be nice to have some updated baskets to put the cherry on top.
-Idlewild is HUGE and it is TOUGH. It is a very long hike with lots of elevation change and the course is unforgiving. There are not many chances for birdies unless you make a miraculous distance shot through the woods. On some holes you don't even see the basket until you've thrown ~3 drives. Most people can expect to score 5 or more on almost every hole. Averaging a 4 per hole would be good here. There are very few chances for ace runs. It's very difficult to score low on this course.
-There aren't many wide open holes where you get to really rip a drive. The challenge comes from distance-placement shots which can get a bit old.

Idlewild is definitely not a course for beginners and even the most experienced players will find difficulty. It is a great course and a nice change of pace, but I feel like its size and difficulty negatively affect it.

There are very few chances for birdies and many wooded shots have no other options except for rollers. Combined with long, uphill hikes to throw shot after shot trying to get to the basket, this course can be extremely tiring and aggravating. That shouldn't dissuade you from a beautiful afternoon in the park, but by the end I felt that it was just not fair. It can be unnecessarily difficult.

Idlewild is definitely one of the nicest, most well designed courses I've ever played. It is extremely tough and beautiful at the same time. However, be prepared for a long hike that will take all afternoon. This course will work you as much as possible. It will make you throw every shot in your bag whether you like it or not. Idlewild is a great course but it can't be a daily driver. It's just too daunting for a regular round of disc golf. This is one of those "special visit" courses where there is a fine line between pleasure and pain.

I played Idelwild the morning after playing Mt. Airy. The difference, to me, was that I just felt a little more pressure free playing Idelwild. Idelwild allows you to relax for a hole here and there. Now part of this might be because my local host Jeff (Sisyphus), had our group of four playing what they called Idel MILD. Apparently when playing Idel MILD you:

1. Don't play the extra lettered holes, only the original 18.
2. Are allowed extra mulligans as you see fit.
3. Aren't real concerned with established OB lines, especially those on or around the greens.
4. Play from the "shorts".

Idelwild has solid, but not overwhelming awesome, amenities, as a destination should have. Everything is fine but it's the course and it's challenging but fair lines, that are the drawing card here. Playing from the "Longs", this course would be world class challenging.

I love the amount of engineering that has gone into the course. Only Bryant Park in Minneapolis ranks higher in terms of overall landscaping, bridges, elevated and creative tee pads, stairs and basket area landscaping.

I think the smallish carpet greens on # 4 and 15 with surrounding OB have to add almost a stroke to everyone's score. Is there another hole with these carpet greens that I'm missing?

# 15 is a classic hole with it's 1000' length, fairly narrow fairway with the tall grass on each side and then the long sloping hill to that miniscule landing area. I found the entire hole rather intimidating but it would be great television to watch the top pros tackle it.

What I like about Idelwild is that, if an old few player such as myself, can actually hit his lines, he can enjoy playing this incredibly challenging course. I probably should clarify that by pointing out, I'm talking about playing from the "Short tees". From the "Longs", forget it, I shoot 100 over par. It wouldn't matter what lines I hit.

The Saturday morning that our group played, they were in agreement that the course was in the worst shape they had ever seen it. And Jeff has played it close to 100 times. There was a big ole branch down over the bench on one hole, lots of smaller branches down in other places and the course was in need of a mowing. Personally, I thought it was in great shape. My standards are greatly affected after playing dozens of mediocre courses on this road trip.

Idelwild has world class holes, challenge wise. What it lacks is that hole that people want to empty their bag on, the awesome top of the world shot. I can't see players wanting to empty their bag on 15? Can you say, how many will end up in the prairie grass?

My other con is personal but for me it can affect my rating. Although Idelwild is in a pretty park, it's scenery is not stunningly beautiful, take your breath away, magnificent like many of my favorite courses. Two that come quickly to mind are, Beaver Ranch in Colorado and Whistler's Bend in central Oregon. Both have incredibly, beautiful long downhill throws that you love to watch your disc sail away on.

I really enjoyed the relaxed round I had here at Idelwild. From the "Shorts", the playing can be comfortable, certainly not easy, no, never easy. Easy is not a word that in any way describes Idelwild.

Thanks to Jeff for putting group together and also to Troy and Steve for their insight and humor.

Like Mt. Airy, I have struggled with my rating for Idelwild. I'd be very comfortable (there's that word again) giving it a 4.75, if I could. But because of the less than impeccable grooming of the course and the lack of that one incredible hole, I'm taking .25 off for each and forced to bestow a 4.5 rating on Idelwild.

It's not shocking that Idlewild is one of my favorite courses; by the looks of it, Idlewild is A LOT of peoples' favorite course. What is unusual, however, is that I knew it would be my new favorite course after only the first 5 or 6 holes.

The course is serene, clean, and most importantly, fair. It is certainly challenging, but not so much that the course becomes a grind. Every time I made a bad shot, my first instinct was to go back and try again, because there weren't any shots that were so silly difficult that I didn't feel I had a chance. (This is a huge plus for me. The shots that I felt would be good out of my hand usually were, and the same was true with the bad; I felt like I got what I deserved either way. On some exceptionally tough courses, it almost feels like luck is as big of a factor as skill; who gets the good bounce of the tree, who gets kicked OB, etc.) Other positives:

Despite the huge expanse of the park, navigation is not an issue.

Despite all the water hazards, prairie, and forests, it's hard to lose a disc (especially compared to courses of similar difficulty).

Despite how much other activity goes on in the park, it never interferes with the course.

Favorite holes: probably 3, 11, and 16. All of the ones that run along the stream, actually. Idlewild is a great course that I wish I could play every day.

None immediately come to mind... alternate tee pads maybe? A couple of lines opened up perhaps? *Shrug*

I gotta get back to Cincinnati...

Good tee pads/ good tee signs
Plenty of benches
bright colored baskets
1000ft hole
elevation changes
Easy navigation
Clean park
free to play

None

This course was very well done with good use of elevation. Many tight shots that force you to be accurate though out the whole course. Many uphill shots may leave you exhausted playing on a hot day. There are not many short holes you will need a trusty driver for almost every hole. The 1000 foot hole was very cool with a big downhill slope towards a ball golf like green and a little river running all around it. Lots of OB to make you think your shots out better. I highly recommend this course and think everyone should play it at least once.

The course has a huge shot variation and a huge difference in length and par. There are a few wide open long holes and some very tightly wooded dinkers. A few holes play over water, which is fun, and there is quite a bit of elevation change.

Maybe a little bit too long. Playing singles at Idlewild takes a long while, and I've heard horror stories of playing doubles there.

+the thing that really stands above everything for me is the distances. Most courses like this have a pile of 250ft holes, but Idlewild really goes against that grain and succeeds
+fake turf greens
+signs are top notch, current pin placements shown as part of the sign
+1000ft hole and its not even a boring one
+upkeep is top notch considering the size and number of holes
+tee pads are all super long
+27 holes

-navigation doesnt really make sense in several places. goes 1,2,a-e,3,4,f. IMO, just make it 1-27 or dont make the two styles flow together.

still on the fence about all the marked OB. creek is obvious, but the islands could be a real turn off for tourney play. I think making the islands into just greens would be best, but the islands do look very cool.

also having 2 baskets on one hole at a time is kind of confusing and wasteful.

absolute top notch course, must play for everyone

It will be hard to include anything unique in my review, so I'll just do what I do and review it as if mine was the first.

Very nice park setting with beautiful scenery... rolling hills, trees, woods, ponds, creek, interesting man made erosion control projects, etc.

Within minutes of the small town of Burlington, the bigger town of Florence and less than 30 minutes to the big city of Cincinnati. So there is no shortage of other things to do in the area... eating, shopping, professional sports, lots of other disc golf courses in the area, etc.

Ample parking with porta-johns on site, although not on the course itself. Hole #1 is just a few steps from, and #18 finishes just a short walk from, the main parking lot. Benches and trash cans throughout the course. The course was very clean when I played it, by the way.

If you don't have time for all 24 or if you just don't want to start with hole #1, there are several other tee options that are close to either the main parking lot or other parking lots. See the course map and you'll see what I mean.

24 holes! Most holes have either multiple tees, pins, or pin locations. Ideal, excellent sized concrete tees. Baskets are mixed, but in good shape and of high quality (see cons, too). (There's a picture in the Idlewild thread in the forums of the freshly painted, highly visible, baskets, http://www.dgcoursereview.com...ld&page=3, post #25. This was done after I was there.) High quality course map available here on DGCR and displayed near tee #1. Good tee signs and generally easy navigation (see cons, too), using the map.

Now let's get to what's really important... the holes!!! This is the most well thought out course that I've ever played, with the greatest variety of hole types. Although there are no "ski slope" down hill holes, there are several holes with considerable elevation drop (#15 comes to mind). There are uphill holes of varying degree. There are level holes including a couple "across the valley" type holes.

To say that there are left turning, right turning and straight holes would be understating this point. Off the tee, you have a tremendous amount of options. Some holes will give you the option of throwing a hyzer, anhyzer, overhand or roller off the tee, while others will force a particular shot off of the tee. And once you've found your tee shot, you're likely to have multiple lanes and shot options to use to get to the basket or further down the fairway.

There are mostly open grassy holes, holes that play entirely in the woods, and many holes that have you playing both air shots and wooded shots in the same hole. Some holes get quite tight, but I don't feel that there was a single "plinko" or unfair hole on the course. If you hit your lines in the woods, you can do very well. I was very fortunate to stay on the fairway a vast majority of the time so I didn't have any real trouble finding my discs. There are a some places, though, where the high grass or underbrush off of the fairway does get thick. Stating the obvious here, but just be sure to pay close attention to your disc's flight.

The use of water is very fun, too. There a couple ponds that come into play with you either throwing over them, or along side them. And then there's the stream that flows through some of the holes. There are landing zones and greens (some covered with green outdoor carpet to help with erosion) literally cut into peninsulas created by the meandering stream. These peninsulas really make for some interesting shot selections. "Do I go for it or do I lay up? That approach sure does look tempting... but I don't like the looks of that OB."

Landing zones on the par 4s and 5s...This is one of the standout features of the course to me. You don't necessarily just try to throw your your tee shot as far as you can and hope for a good lie. Several holes require accurate tee shots with specific landing zones in order to leave you with a preferred shot down the fairway or to the basket. For me, some of these landing zones broke up a couple holes into more manageable, bite-size pieces. But a better player could shoot for a longer landing zone and birdie vs my par. I love that there are different ways to effectively manage the holes, with distinct risk and reward options.

This course is definitely what I would think that Pro-Caliber means. I am by no means a pro, but I do have a bit of experience. So I was very pleased with my 3 over 90 from mainly the short tees. My being able to throw a 3 over the first time I played the course makes me believe that Idlewild could also be played and enjoyed by much less experienced players, too. Some holes would seem daunting, I'm sure. And the course would seem very hard. But I don't think that these are necessarily bad things. It could very well prove overwhelming to a very new player, much the same way that I was overwhelmed (beaten severely) by The Woodshed in WV, when I first played it as a noob. Depending on your level of interest in the game, though, even a beating like I took could peak your interest in the game, rather than turning you away from it. It probably wouldn't make a great "first date" or "take the kids for a walk" course, though.

Only a couple really. Although the baskets are in good shape, as mentioned above, they are of mixed varieties. I would prefer that all of the baskets be the same type, regardless of which type they chose. And I do remember one of the short location baskets being a single chain, almost smaller than normal, looking basket.

I had a couple navigation issues, which would be a non-issue after playing the course a couple of times. But since I was on a limited time schedule, it was an issue for me. I missed the apparent shortcut from #2 to hole A and went all of the way up the hill to the parking lot and around the pavilions. And I couldn't find the short tee for hole E. It took me a little while to find short #14 and maybe a couple others. I may have missed next tee signs, but think that more obvious signs might be in order.

The flight path of planes leaving the Cincinnati-Northern KY Int'l Airport took some of them right over the course as I played. So it got a bit loud, especially when a 747 went over. This didn't really bother me, although I might have been a little distracted by the "pretty planes" since I don't live near a major airport.

These are pretty nit-picking cons, and again, the navigation issues would be corrected with one or two more plays of the course and could have really been my fault altogether.

Favorite/Most Memorable holes. #1, a great 640' opener... if you warm up a little! Beautiful, wide, grassy fairway with moderate trouble right or left and a protecting tree in front of the basket. #3, cool downhill drive to the treeline with the basket on a peninsula in the woods. #10, a great "landing zone" hole with a severe dogleg right a couple hundred feet off the tee and another few hundred feet to a well protected basket... short, long, left or right off the tee and you're REALLY going to have to scramble for par (I took a bogey.). #15, 1001', beautiful fairway cut into the deep grass, with dramatic drop down to the peninsula green (I had a 60' putt for birdie and took par). There are more, but I'll stop here.

Obviously, I love the course. I can't wait to get back to the area to play it again. And I will be staying longer than 1 1/2 days next time.

This is definitely a destination course, even if it was the only course in the area. The course, literally, has some of every aspect of a course that I would ask for. And with so many other, apparently high quality, courses in the area, this should definitely be a travel stop for you.

If you made it all of the way through my novella, I commend and thank you. I hope that it encouraged you to play the course if you haven't already. And I'd recommend checking out the KY State Doubles videos on Youtube. There's one loaded onto the DGCR course media page and there are others that you'll find once you go to that one. They do an excellent job of showing off the course.

Enjoy, be well, and good discing!

There's just so many.

-Well maintained with good baskets and clean fairways. Also, a couple holes have turf greens. Turf greens!

-Lots of amenities; benches, a couple water fountains, porta potties.

-Best signage I've seen; course sign at the start and great hole signs at each tee. Some point to the next tee also.

-Amazing hole variety. There's straight holes, doglegs, long, short (not many), open, lightly wooded, heavily wooded, flat, hilly, and even water holes.

-And finally, last but definitely not least, HUGE teepads! The extra holes had regular sized teepads, but the rest had massive teepads that was more enjoyable than one would think.

Not many.

-There might be a couple people fishing along one of the water holes. I went on a weekday and didn't have any problems.

-A couple tees might be slightly hard to find if it's your first time. Just snap a picture of the course map at the start to take with you and you'll be fine.

Be prepared! This is a VERY long course which can get VERY hot on summer days. I strongly recommend eating well before going, and taking a packed lunch with two 32 oz drinks. It was in the 90's when I went and I got to hole #15 before quitting. I was tired, hungry, out of water, and lost a disc. On that note, it's also a good idea to have a floater.

Also, unlike some reviewers said, you don't need to be able to drive accurately 350' to enjoy playing here. If you can throw with some precision 225' to 250', you can still have a good time. Just don't have too high of expectations for your score.

So, be prepared and come to have fun, and it'll be one of the best courses you've played.

This is a beautiful course with well maintained fairways (with a couple of exceptions), good variety, length that will stand the test of time and new disc golf technology, and I thoroughly enjoyed my game there. There is a good emphasis on shot making and excellent variety in holes.

It is certainly challenging and long enough. This course seems to define the direction course design is taking. I love it.

A few of the holes are a bit tight. A few of the holes are bit thick with underbrush and tall grass. I got turned around once but found my way OK. The main reason it didn't get a 5 in my book is because a few of the holes don't provide enough shot options.

The Cincinnati area is a real disc golf mecca. It is on my short list of places to visit for great disc golf.

I really like this course, but it is not always very well maintained. They're adding new holes for example, but when I was there the new holes had not been bushwhacked I suppose. and BUSHwhacked not mowed. This course is just a bit too wild for me in some places. The 1001 foot hole is amazing, for example, but sometimes the grass on the outside is as tall as you are. I know you aren't suppose to end up over there, but we all know it happens.
That being said, this course is not worth all the hype to me, there are better courses in the area (simply because someone cares for them more) but if you are in the area this is a beast you should look into.
There was a tournament there recently, so it is probably in decent shape around June 2012, but probably only temporarily.
The new holes include a lot more water, which I think was really missing from this course previously.

Hardly ever well maintained in some places, but immaculate in others. The new additional holes and some other holes have rough that is definately that.

Very nice area that this park is in, there's a dog park nearby also.