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.

*Beautiful course
*Course has everything (woods, water, field, elevation)
*Tons of signature holes
*Amazing tee signs!!
*Had never seen anything like it before

*Could use some "to next tee" direction signs
*Very tough course that can eat you up in a heart beat

If you want to experience the best with all the little cherries on top, you have to go to idlewild!!!

course opens up with some nice open holes to let you stretch out and then winds you through some absolutely wonderfully orchestrated landscape and excellently laid out holes. Once you get to like #4 there a glades throughout most of the fairways and choosing a path can be difficult at best. Bring tons of water as elevation changes are on every hole and it can be extremely hot in the summer. It was funny to note how all the trash cans were full till you get to like 13 or 14 and they empty out because people just run out of liquid. If you are even CLOSE to the area you MUST make this a stop, be prepared to spend at least 2 hours walking this bad boy.

after hole 2 there are some lettered holes which I didnt find ... didnt really matter cause this course kicked my butt anyway. Also I went after a bad storm and there was debris everywhere but there not much they can do about that .... just my luck of the draw.

If you have half a day you HAVE to check this course out ... WELL worth the play

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.

Idlewild. The name alone rings through the disc golf community like bad mexican food through a tourist. *NOTICE* This review contains sarcasm, comedy and other things to make it interesting for the viewer. I take my reviews seriously. But I don't like to write them as such. So...settle down Francis. Here we go!

1. the tee pads on this course are ridiculous. I've driven on smaller exit ramps. Most of the tee pads are "double length" (that's what she said) and nice and wide. (TWSS). The best part is that a few of the holes have a couple of these monstrosities to use from different lengths. We played the longs all day (TWSS), so I can only speak for those. And I will. A lot. See? I just keep talking about how awesome the tee pads are. Now...on to more.
2. the baskets are fantastic and labeled clearly. All of the baskets caught like Johnny Bench in his prime and were as forgiving as my dear old grandmother. RIP Grandma. well, she's not dead. But you know. Just in case. Several of the holes have a couple of baskets set up. If they don't have multiple baskets, 90% of the holes have at least two pin placements. Many of them have at least alternate holes. Make your own joke.
3. The use of terrain on this course is second to none. Tree tunnels, up hills, down hills, the disc eating heather (not a woman. just grass), and all kinds of water usage makes this course challenging, fun, and incredibly exhausting...in a good way. If that's possible.
4. you WILL NOT find a more diverse disc golf course as far as shot selection goes. This course is the United Nations counsel on environmental impact as far as courses go. 1001 foot downhill shots. 700 foot uphill hyzer shots. 200 foot tunnel shots. water. trees. annies. open bombs. This course has more shots than picasso got paint. (shout out to MCA)
5. There are benches and trash cans at every single tee station. And because of this, there is virtually no trash on the course. Which, especially for a park this size is unreal. Heck, we have played courses an 1/8th this size that were like playing through a landfill. Ever get a skip off of a hypodermic needle? DO IT!
6. Signs are amazing on this course. This place has perfect signs in fact. Every hole location is perfectly laid out on the sign. OB marked. Hazards marked. Drop zones marked. Serious perfection when it comes to the signs. I saw the signs, and the opened up my eyes. I saw the signs.
7. navigation was perfect. PERFECT. The tee signs tell you where to go, and there are signs on trees that tell you where to go. Too, the natural layout of the course is perfect. This course plays over a HUGE park, and we were never at risk of being lost or getting turned around.

One con, and I think it actually is a con. There are a TON of civilians that come in to play on this course. a TON. Hole 2's long position plays near a pond where there had to be 2 dozen people fishing. it also plays over a walking path. There were LOADS of people walking on there. There are other holes that play over walking paths blindly, you really could mess around and smack a kid in the noodle out there on quite a few occasions. It's a busy, busy, beautiful park.

also, the place could have used a water fountain. it took us two and a half hours to play his beast. Something would have been nice. Not really a con. But yeah, anything.

it is my opinionation that all sub 900 players should skip out on this course for now. Honestly. this course is NOT for people with non-power arms. Indeed, you are essentially committing VERY slow suicide if you come out to this course and can't throw it accurately out to like 350 feet. I AM NOT TRYING TO BE A JERKFACE! I AM TRYING TO SAVE YOUR PITIFUL SOULS! PLEASE! GET GOOD AND THEN COME OUT TO THIS MONSTER!

It really is like the Event Horizon of disc golf courses. I heard that this place disappeared in to another dimension and came back from hell. It could be a lie...but I buy it.

It's finally time for me to write a review on Idlewild (I've been requiring at least five rounds on a course before writing, because I'm still a rookie at disc golf). Everything seems to have been said about this, one of the finest courses in the world. But did you know that despite being rated as near-perfection, they keep IMPROVING it?

Perhaps the best variety of holes (distances, elevations, water, tight shots, bomb shots...), challenging layout, fantastic tees, baskets, benches, trash receptacles, manicured fairways and 'Augusta'-like landscaping, from retaining walls to bridges...has been enhanced just this year with new full-color tee signs and course map, astroturf (!) on the creekside island greens, and the formal incorporation of holes A-F bringing Idlewild up to an incredibly challenging 24.

Unlike some other courses, the new holes complement the course well, and flow nicely, adding more water hazards and variety (yep, I've put one in the pond on hole D: the mando forces you to go 'over'). Holes A-E follow the long basket on #2 (just go up the hill to reach A), and lead nicely back after E to the long tee for #3. Then after #4, F doubles back very well to #5. The design clearly is intended to enhance the long tee experience, making Idlewild range from a brutal 7200' 18 hole course to a monster 10,500' 24 hole course. Even playing doubles, the Idlewild long course has taken me three hours to complete, but what fun!

We are so blessed in the Greater Cincinnati area with this course. I have to keep reminding myself: most folks don't have it this good. The chance for a beginner to get out here and happily get beaten up by this course is one I won't take for granted. As a first year player, but one who is hooked enough to have already logged 166 rounds of disc golf, I do have a love/hate relationship with Idlewild: it's beautiful, but I don't score well here; it's clearly the top course in the area, but if given the choice (at my skill level), I'd probably divert to Lincoln Ridge. BUT that's not a knock on Idlewild at all, because it's not really a course intended for me. Idlewild is obviously a course designed to challenge the best to bring their A-game every time. It's enough of a challenge to break 100 here on the 24 holes, but there are multiple tees and pin positions, as well as OB options from relaxed to ultra-strict, to custom tailor the Idlewild challenge to the best pro's in the world. Some holes (particularly #13 & #14) double in length (and nearly triple in difficulty) playing the 'longs'.

For me, the signature hole isn't the 1001 foot #15, which punishes your drive if you miss the fairway (the rough can be a disc-eater), and finishes at the base of a hill on an island green across the creek. It's not my nemesis hole, the 588' uphill, tightly wooded #6. It's not even the right-bending meadow-like 609' #10, where I first 'communed with nature' on a disc golf course (late last fall, on a sunny cool day, when I quietly stood in the fairway as deer grazed by about 40' away). For me, the beauty here is the downhill #11 mando through the Y-shaped tree, landing in a moderately wooded glade, still 100 feet from a tiny (the size of a small garage) island green across the creek, with strict OB all around. My best moment in disc golf was hitting this once for par! I would think getting this pretty hole for a birdie would be more of a thrill than hitting a simple, short ace (but then, I've done neither, yet!)

Truly, Idlewild is a wonderful experience, and one of the best courses the sport has to offer. You know, now that I think about it, even the cleverness of the course design is impressive. After your journey through every type of challenge imaginable, you finish on the 651' #18 by working your way up through a long shaded tunnel of trees to emerge at the bright open field finish. If I was a psychologist (actually, I am...) I'd almost interpret the design as intentionally representing rebirth at the finish (...nah, I'm not a Freudian, so it's just a great way to complete the experience, wipe your brow, and say to yourself, "I'll be back!")

You'd have to be fairly nit-picky to find fault here. I can't believe it's free to play this course.

Realistically, Idlewild may be a bit daunting for new players, but just walking it is worth the visit, so is this a negative?

Even the fairways that occasionally retain water (I can only remember it being a problem on 10 & 18) were noted this spring by Fred on GCFDA's forums (see) as places he was planning to add French drains... so if a con is worth mentioning, it's usually something the course designers and maintainers are already working on addressing. So... wow!
[edit: just played there last night, and I'm fairly sure the freshly dug up dirt on #10 means this work is happening]

If you're not in decent shape, the length of this course can get to you. Bring plenty of fluids if it's warm (or, in our region, humid), and take your time. Enjoy. The locals will understand slow play: you're experiencing Idlewild!

Aside from the hiking trail, a practice basket and a soccer field you can use to warm up your arm, I hadn't realized it until writing this review that there was more to this park! Shelters, stocked fishing, baseball and soccer fields, a dog park (!), and miles of mountain bike trails are highlighted in the county website (I added a link, edit: but it was taken down? oh well). Their map is the one already linked here at DGCR, but the full-color map situated at hole #1 is very nice if you want to snap a photo for your handheld device, as well.
If you haven't been here in a while, come back to Northern Kentucky to play the full course. It just keeps getting better.

(edited 10/18/13 for readability and to mention: it's still true - they keep enhancing this course - bright yellow powder coat paint went on all the baskets this year. They now stand out GREAT on cloudy days! And some of the letter hole tees have been extended/ enhanced. It always seems like there's an upgrade happening. And on a personal note, working up to intermediate skills, I still prefer the short tees here for my ego, but still think the long 24 here is the toughest challenge of the 123 courses I've played.)

(edit 8/19/17: Still BETTER! All new DisCatchers throughout, a solid month and a half of clearing, cleaning and setup by Bill Alich and Fred Salaz, plus a lot of other volunteers got this ready for the Disc Golf Pro Tour event this weekend. Check the videos! The pros were definitely challenged by this gem!! I'm still counting this as one of only four 5.0 ratings I've given. It's worthy!)

Where to begin. I had put this course on my wish list long ago. Being as I am going to be a father in about a month, I finally made the over 3 hour drive to finally play it as my time to play it was running on thin ice for a few years haha. This course, just like everyone below me has said, is the epitome of disc golf. Everything was thought out to a T, and executed with almost flawless precision. You will pull out every disc out of your bag. You will shoot every type of shot imaginable. You will deal with every disc golf obstacle you can imagine. This course is all encompassing, and boy does it deliver! The scenery is fantastic. The teepads and signs are top notch. The water shots are challenging and stunning. The astroturf on several greens were amazing. From ace runs to a BEAST 1,001ft hole on 15, you will feel like you've done it all on these 24 gorgeous holes, and you will be correct on that assumption. Every hole almost is signature in its' own right. If there ever was a destination course, this is it. I could ramble on and on, but everyone below me has said it. Just play this course.

Cons? Whatever. It's not close to me.

This course, completely kicked my ass, and I enjoyed every minute of that butt whooping. This is why you play the game!

You will need every shot in your bag for this course. I would recommend playing long tees, long baskets, and strict O.B. you truly get an idea of where you are compared to other players. Getting yourself out of trouble is extra important. There are a wide mix of hole types. A few open, longer holes. A few short precision holes. A few throwing over disc swallowing ponds. A few that run along and over a snake-like creek that serves as O.B. the extra six holes are a nice addition (A-F). Though these holes are of average length (300-350) range, there are some tricky shots. #A plays up and down through lightly wooded fairway with the basket over a swampy non-O.B. creek. #B is a straight shot 300 footer with a tree guarded green. #C has a 2 tree tunnel tee shot and then the basket is 30 feet behind a very large tree. Plus, go over the basket and you can roll into a pond. #D has a mandatory that forces you to hit a high window and go over a pond. You need about 200 feet to carry the pond, but miss your line and clip a limb and say bye-bye to your disc. #E tee shot goes over a pond and same pond lines fairway to your left. Also be aware of cat-tails from tee. If you don't tee high enough you won't make it over them. #F is a tunnel shot from tee and then a prairie lined fairway. Go left or right and it can be tough finding your disc.

Not really any cons to me. Course is just very tough. I think some of the fairways are a bit crazy with the amount of small trees you can easily hit. But, I guess that's the charm of the course.

I played in mid-May when leaves were thick. I played all longs and strict O.B. (3 penalty strokes) and shot a 109. I think the goal here should be under the century mark. You shoot under 100 and play tournament rules, you have done well.

1) Distance variation on these holes is tremendous . . . 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and even 1000' holes. There is so much variety here that you will most certainly throw every single kind of shot available as well as using your entire bag.

2) The variety of the holes out here is tremendous. There are tight wooded holes, water holes with OB greens, 1000' holes through the prairie, rolling hills in a park-like setting, etc etc etc. There are so many kinds of holes you will never get bored and you can never relax.

3) There is a kiosk at the first hole with a nice map of the entire course. There is also a place for tourney and league information.

4) The tee-signs are nice with Hole #, distance, par, multiple basket locations, and a map. These are Houck signs and are the standard in my opinion for the future of the sport. They are attractive and they have all of the information you could possibly want to see.

5) Garbage cans and benches in many places around the course.

6) There were a mix of Mach baskets and Innova DIscatchers. I am not sure why some holes had two baskets because that can be confusing, but I played all of the long baskets just because I wanted to truly punish myself on this course.

7) Very nice large concrete tees are always my favorites.

8) The creek on the property is absolutely a key feature to this course and it makes 5 or 6 holes absolutely awesome and memorable. The creek acts as OB and it also helps to create island (or peninsula) greens. These are really risk/reward depending on where you are throwing your approach shot. I played the whole round aggressively and never ended up OB which probably would have made my score much worse if I was off on my upshots.

9) The infrastructure here is amazing. The bridges were well done and in good shape. The Astroturf greens were awesome (something I have only seen done once before (Plymouth Creek in MN). The concrete retaining walls were both attractive and functional.

10) For the most part the other activities and places in the park where you would encounter other people are kept to a minimum. There were only a couple spots where you might be crossing a walkway but there was plenty of room to know when it is clear or not clear to throw. Since this is one of the most popular courses on DGCR, I would think there are always people there and discs being tossed, so I would think the locals who use the park for other things (they must be crazy) would know where to be aware of disc golfers.

11) Awesome variety of hole type and foliage density ranging from tight wooded fairways to moderately wooded park-like holes, to some open rippers too. It's nice to not have to throw the same shot or feel like any hole could have been placed anywhere on the property. It is nice when each hole feels natural like it was meant to be there rather than just being there because that is where the routing of the course puts it.

12) You have got to be able to shape your shots both directions. You will want to throw anhyzers and hyzers and an occasional flick shot too. You might need to throw a roller or two to get out of trouble or to try and eat up some of the distance on the longer open holes. Scooby shots can be helpful to get a skip when throwing a recovery shot. Throw in a couple tomahawks or thumbers and you will have thrown everything. A true test of your overall disc golfing ability.

13) Portopotty located in the large parking lot by the first tee. Someone said there was a practice basket but I didn't bother to look I was too excited to get out there and play.

14) I heard they were putting in more Astroturf . . . right after I played there and I think it was on Hole #3. What a lot of work to prep an area for that and to make sure it holds up to the abuse. I can really appreciate the amount of work that gets put in to this course by volunteers. THANK YOU ALL, LOVE THE ENTIRE DISC GOLF COMMUNITY!

15) I shot a 98 on this course and played all the long tees and long baskets. Why is this a positive . . . because I kept it under triple digits!

16) This course is truly a collection of signature holes . . . normally a course has 1 or 2 signature courses that make the course memorable. Here I would argue that there are no less than 10 signature holes out here and the beauty . . . the reasons are not always the same. It isn't like they did just one thing right, they did many things right.

1) The tees were inconsistent in size and texture which I did not like. It's nice to get used to a type of tee and expect the same thing throughout an entire course.

2) French drains or drain tile could go a long way here to help take the water out of some of these low areas that seem to hold water.

3) The course is really muddy and messy in the woods. There is turf growing on many of the fairways that go through the moderately wooded sections.

4) A couple of the gaps and fairways didn't quite seem fair. I knew this course had a lot of shots like this coming in, but a couple of those tightly wooded holes with all those small little trees lining the fairways edge seemed a little aggressive.

5) I do not recommend beginners come here unless they want to go home crying . . . that is all.

6) I had to walk up a couple fairways to try and get a feel for where my true landing zone was . . . if I couldn't tell I'd just rip my driver and try and bite off as much as I could chew. That's probably why I had two 6's and a 7, but I had fun attempting the perfect shot.

7) The rough area on the prairie holes including the 1000' hole were fine when I played because it was fall, but apparently in season you might get lost in them, or at least lose your discs.

This was the highlight of my winter trip to Florida which included a stop in Charlotte to play a bunch of the 2012 Worlds courses and a whole lot of great courses in between Milwaukee and Key West in both directions on different routes. I played 50+ courses on this trip and this takes the cake. I played a lot of awesome courses on the trip but this one is just head and shoulders above the rest. It has everything, variety, water, unique holes, creative baskets and green locations, challenge, distance, tight woods, elevation and anything else you could want in a disc golf course. It falls in just behind my favorite course ever (Brackett's Bluff) but it only narrowly misses perfection . . . due mainly to the conditions of some areas on the course. These things could be fixed if there was money available but it isn't like disc golf courses are always perfect and pristine. I would also imagine this course gets significantly harder in season when all the tree and shrubs have foliage on them. I played in the winter so the leaves were bare and I was able to see details you wouldn't normally be able to see in season and I am sure that helped me decide on my shots. I know there is a lot of argument over the rating of this course but remember I rate courses based on how likely I would be to return. I am not necessarily saying that this course is perfect by giving it a 5 (actually I had to differentiate it from the others at the top of my list) so I am saying it was 4.95. If I lived next to it, I would play it daily and would rarely need to go to a different course because this has everything all into one. I played about 6 holes with a couple locals and they said they only play 2 or 3 places . . . Idlewild, Mt. Airy, and Lincoln Ridge . . .what more could you ask for than to have those 3 courses within about 20 miles of each other.

This course 100% lived up to all of the hype it has received. It was my first round at a difficult course in quite some time, so I was a bit rusty... as I expected, Idlewild whooped my butt. While most of the time I find being bad at something quite un-enjoyable, somehow this course allowed me to have an incredible time regardless of how I played. Heres why:

*The scenery here was absolutely breathtaking. I could have brought my grandparents here and they would have "oooohed" and "ahhhhed" at the beautiful trails and trees without touching a single disc (I can only imagine how it must look in the Fall!). The first hole of the course bombards the golfer with a HUGE decline that just begs for a driver to be ripped down the giant fairway lined on either side by trees. In addition, the course had a lot of awesome man-made greens surrounded by streams on all sides, a feature that I haven't really seen much of. Many of the holes wind through the woods, making the course a very scenic hike.

*As I mentioned, this course proved to be quite a challenge. That being said, every hole here was fair and exciting! They weren't the kinds of holes where you said "aw crap there is a very good chance I'm going to take a 6 here..." no... they all presented challenges that tempted the golfer to take out their drivers and go for the birdie! It was nice to not constantly be worried about losing discs on these challenging holes (except for those that brought lakes into play)

*Elevation here was definitely noteworthy... being from Illinois, every hole at Idlewild showed more elevation changes than any of the ones i normally play at home.

*Signage was perfect.

*The park overall was great. People were hiking, fishing, walking their dogs, etc. Lots of other things to do besides disc golf

These don't really affect the course's rating in my eyes, but they're noteworthy...

*We ended up not being ready to leave the park until about 7pm, and by that time the gates had already been locked up. We called the number on the signs, but still had to wait about 20 minutes before someone came and let us out... keep this in mind when planning your trip!

*Watch out for the water beyond the street of hole 17... crept up on a few of my buddies that thought it didn't go as far back as it really did.

This course will test every shot in your bag. Well marked with short and long tee pads. Multiple pin placements for almost all holes.

The new letter holes could use the bigger tee pads like the rest of the course has on each hole.

All in all this is an amazing course. It is one of the best/toughest courses to play.

Where to start!
Course is in great condition well kept. Nice big concrete tees in good condition. Baskets are good. There was one basket that was a little janky looking in the short position on #13. Tee signs are very good and descriptive. Course flows well there are no real navigation problems.

Great use of the land. Lots of great elevation changes. Uses lot of water, a small lake and a creek that runs through a lot of the park is used on many holes. Along the creek they build up walls with concrete stones, clearly marking the OB areas. With that they course uses OB often to cause accuracy to be a must. A lot of island greens.

Many great holes that you will remember. Like the 1001ft #15 with an island green. #11 shots through a V split in a tree with a long swooping fairway to the left to finish with an island green. Then finishing a 651ft #18 with a super tight hallway most of the fairway. Great use of the land!

Extreme requirement for multiple shots. I am right handed used many backhand and forehands and even a few overhands. A few holes that require a rhbh turnover to execute the hole well like hole #4 uphill to the right.

A practice basket right at the beginning to warm up as well as a soccer field that can be used to warm up a bit is always nice.

The course has multiple baskets and multiple tees on a few hole which is nice for tournaments and having different divisions.

The course has been far more worn down than what the pictures now show. Just a lot of traffic stomping down and killing a lot of grass.

With the use of creeks in low laying areas this can cause it to hold some water. The course has been a bit muddy every time I have played.

This course is not where you want to take your friend for their first disc golf outing.

Get out and play this course.

What an incredible expereince! Idlewild is an extraordinary course.
Tee's- Pad were all in great shape and VERY spacious which made life so much easier. The tee locations were very well thought out. There is no redundancy on the course and each tee shot requires a bit of thought. In many places, you are offered multiple ways to attack the pin (I use the term attack very loosely).
Signs- Signage was good. We only played the original 18, so I can't comment on the other 6. Maps and distances we very accurate and necessary.
Topography-Really what sets this course apart from all the others I have played. The course is runs from park-like to tightly wooded with one epic open hole. The balance is tremendous and the massive creeks that run through the course add the wow factor necessary for elite courses. The terrain is a nice balance of rolling hills/ big hills/ little bit of flat. No hole feels redundant.
Beauty- Gorgeous--I will not call it the most scenic course I have ever played, but it is in the top 5 for sure. This is DG the way God intended it. The park was extremely well maintained and the massive mature trees, use of long grass and, and creeks were perfect.
Difficulty- Insane. If you play this utilizing the OB the way it is intended, get ready for the challenge of your life. There are so many filthy tee shots where there is a 50-50 chance of OB. It is a real gut check. I loved all the island greens. They are definitely the signature of the course and something I will always remember. With the lack of redundancy comes the need for every disc in your bag. Truly, no tee shot is the same and no approach is the same. They make you throw every shot you have. While I say that it is insanely diffcult, I still think that a beginner could have lots of fun here...just know that you aren't going to score low.
Baskets- All in very good shape and relatively easy to locate (see cons).
Fun Factor- Through the roof. You will never play a course like this again.

These are minor, but worth noting:
1. It would be nice if there was a way to identify which pin location the baskets were at on the tee sign. We had to walk ahead quite a few times (and one time for like 5 mins). While most of the baskets were in A position, a few weren't.
2. 2 baskets were up for one hole hole (15?) which was really odd.
The end.

I am still trying to digest our trip to Cincy, but I can say with confidence that this is the best course I played there, and worthy of it's #3 ranking on this site. It is a masterpiece that I hope I am able to play again. Thanks to Cincy and the DG club there for all they do and for making that course what it is.

Very Challenging course but plays well through all holes and is very easy to navigate as long as you follow the signs

Very easy to lose a disc. Bring comfortable Shoes, Lots of water on a hot day. As these may seem as a con they are really pros to me!

If you are looking the ultimate disc golf challenge, You found it!

Northern Kentucky's gift to disc golfers, Idlewild's rolling hills, wonderfully wooded fairways, winding creeks, and ponds combine to provide the kind of beautiful setting and supreme challenge serious players live for. But don't let the nice scenery fool you: this place is anything but friendly, and will challenge EVERY aspect of your game.
• Truly outstanding and well balanced shot variety, particularly in terms of distance (just look at the score card distances). Excellent use of natural elements to present straight, left, and right turning fairways, uphill and downhill shots, rollaway putts, etc. Moderately and tightly wooded fairways on 400+ ft holes are anything but relatively easy pars. Supplemental holes play a bit more open than most of the original 18, to help provide what I think is a nice balance of fairway types. Several holes present numerous lines you can execute off the tee pad, but every hole features at least some well-placed stands of trees you'll need to avoid or work around to get to the pin. Others significantly restrict what routes you can take, pretty much forcing you to choose from a few reasonably executable lines. Most require you to find a landing area for true approach shots.
• Splendid use of island greens adds a certain charm and unique feel , and shows the thought that went into each hole. Moreover, they provide OB for additional challenge for tournaments and players looking for the ultimate challenge. Even if you choose to ignore the OB and throw to the shorter pin placements to play "Idlemild," it's still not an easy round.
• Great holes galore! Starts with a winner, ends with a killer. Hole 2, with it's approach shot over the water, might be my favorite. Nothing felt run of the mill or filler - every hole had at least some appeal.
• Distance is a plus only if it's well controlled. There are a few holes where those who can't hit 300' can score well. Big drives that get away from you will hurt.
• Course comes near other park activities at a few points, but is pretty well insulated from them for the most part. After a while, I just got lost in the round and forgot the rest of the world.
• Well equipped with nice tees, baskets, and signs, as well as benches and trash cans at most (if not all) holes.
•Surprisingly easy to find and get to. Pretty close to tons of food choices and other civilization.

Not really much to hate on, but here are some things that did come to mind:
• OB seemed a bit contrived and forced at times, rather than natural.
• Pretty much all top-notch courses come with significant risk of disc loss, and Idlewild is no exception. Get sloppy on some of these holes and kiss your disc goodbye. Bring friends to help look discs down and spot for each other. Besides, this sort of experience is better shared with others.
• Port-a-Potty by 1st tee is certainly better than nothing, but I prefer a real bathroom with running water.
• Scorecard/maps would really be nice - I'd love a souvenir to take home with me. I know they cost, but put up a donation box for those of us willing to pay a buck or two for this incredible experience.

Idlewild should be mandatory on the "To Do' lists of those who seek the most challenging of courses. Everything about this place speaks to its championship pedigree, from the spacious concrete pads and well groomed fairways, to the full color tee signs and landscaped design of the putting greens. Sure, it all looks nice, but be prepared for a beatdown. Throw the notion of "everything's a Par 3" out the window. You'll take a 5 and like it, and be thrilled with a 4. I refuse to list "too difficult" as a con. This course was meant to be championship caliber from the word go. Citing difficulty as a con would be ludicrous. Difficult? Yes. But impossibly so? Not even remotely. Everything here is reasonable for those with the appropriate skill level. I would absolutely love to see top pros playing here, I'm certain it would be inspiring and humbling all at the same time.

A round at here can leave you exhausted, especially if it's a hot or humid day - bring hydration and food. My pilgrimage was made even more epic by the fact that the temp hit 100° the afternoon I played, so I truly feel justified in saying "I survived Idlewild." You just have to appreciate the undulating fairway on 15 and the 4'-5' tall prairie grass and Queen Anne's Lace lining it nearly the entire distance. Almost cruel to throw a 1000' hole at you after you've already played 20 holes and trekked about 2 miles up and down hill. Can you say stamina?

Can't really comment on navigation because I had a guide, but it did flow well from hole to hole, and I don't remember anything seeming that tricky.

To Fred, Bob, Nick, and anyone else involved in making and keeping this place such a worthy destination: THANK YOU!!!

Comparison to Flip: both courses are scenic, have 24 tees, baskets, great land, and are obviously labors of love. That's where the comparison ends. They are COMPLETELY different in their very nature and it really all depends what you're looking for. Idlewild is the tougher, more challenging course - hands down. Flip is accommodating to a wider range of players, with a cool vibe and fun-factor that's all its own, and simply can't be duplicated (at least it hasn't been to this point). As different from each other as steak and lobster, the existence of each makes experiencing the other even better. I prefer to appreciate each for what it does so well, and feel fortunate to have played them both.

The one thing you will walk away with from this course is the realization that someone really took the time to make this course their baby. This is a very good course that makes use of some amazing land. This course is an incredible challenge that really rewards good shots and lucky shots. There are absolutely no filler holes on this course. Every hole will make you think and make you want to come back and try it again. The course plays through a park with other amenities, mostly ball fields. There is a trash bucket at every hole. There are port-o-potties at various places. Nice concrete tee pads, nice tee signs. The course is well maintained and genuinely has the feel of a real golf course. That is not something that happens often with disc golf courses. I really thought the way they mowed the brush did well to penalize shots that do not land in the fairway. There was a surprisingly low number of bugs on this course considering the conditions. The benches at every hole were a very nice touch.

This course is a beast for anyone of any skill level the first time you play it. The new six holes are a bit of a challenge to find unless you really know what to look for. Some of the other holes are confusing as well, in particular hole 14 with its two very different tee pads. There are no real tee signs for these six holes as of yet. Hole E plays through a high foot traffic area of fishers. This course will discourage beginers. The trees just off the fairway in many places are so thick they they over penalize a bad or unlucky shot. Some of the places where water does exist in pools are places to avoid as it was near impossible to find two discs my group threw in there.

This course is not perfect. It is really really good, even phenominal, but not perfect. This course is epic and I particularly liked Hole 1, 3, The Y hole and hole 16. The directions on thsi site are very good and will get you to where you need to be. You will definately want to bring water when you come and you will definately want to play this course at some point.

Idlewild separates the men from the boys, the strong from the weak and shows how truly challenging disc golf can be. Nestled in a large multi-use park, this course sits among some of the best disc golfing terrain I've seen for a course. Rolling hills, tight woods, open prairie, winding creeks, and epic wilderness are all here for your enjoyment. The natural features here are a big part of why this course is so special. No hole is on level ground; whether it be an elevated tee/basket or sloping fairway, you're never safe from a wicked roll away. The pond and winding creek come into play multiple times. Actually on one hole you walk back and forth across the same creek six times on a straight line from the tee to the long basket placement.
Fred and Bob used the available land to its fullest with each hole nicely spaced out so that minimal interference will be occurred by any of the other holes. Normally I'd be harsh on non-necessary long walks but Idlewild is the exception. Here you can enjoy the walks while thinking about several things; the beating you just took on the last hole, how you did it, your game plan for the next hole, how you're going to execute it, and how lucky you are to be playing here. Each tee pad has a bench to accompany it, which are very handy to think about said items.
Each hole has its own character with no two holes playing alike and in several instances; consecutive holes require completely different types of shots all the way to the basket. Here you'll need a complete arsenal of shots and you'll need to be at the top of your game to score well.
Fairways range from an epic 1001 footer in the open complete with island green to a punishing ~250 footer through an 10 foot wide tunnel that ends with the basket being guarded on all sides by cedars. The greens range from the usual basket in an open field to being located on an eight foot wide peninsula (or island) with out-of-bounds on all sides. The man-made OBs add another element of danger. Most holes are through heavy woods with somewhat defined landing areas. Only after playing here multiple times can you really figure out the best and worst places to land. Idlewild is the best example of placement golf I've seen and can be brutally punishing to errant shots or shots deemed unlucky.
Here 2s are long coveted but rarely gotten. Don't be surprised to go over a round or two without getting one. In most instances 3s are very good to get. Depending on how you attack a certain hole will determine if you can earn a 3 or worse. Carding a 4 on many holes here isn't a bad thing and can actually gain you some strokes on the field. Anyone that gets a 4 after going into the rough should be acknowledged as well. Scoring a five or higher on any of the holes doesn't mean the end of the world here, just that there's something to be learned from it.
The amenities here are second-to-none. Located near number one is a port-a-john, an information board, a practice basket and a couple soccer fields that are great for warming up in. As mentioned, each hole has a bench as well as a trash bucket. Throughout the course are many staircases to protect against erosion damage and players from slipping on the terrain. Many walking bridges dot the course between holes and between the fairways and greens. To combat the mud problem on several of the island greens and penisulas, astro turf has been installed. I thought this was an especially nice touch. The tee signs are Houck Designed and show each pin placement, the pars, mandos, OBs, and even mentions a couple Hall Of Famers on each hole. Each mando is clearly marked on the trees with drop zones built into the course already. The tees are adequately sized and grippy even under wet conditions.

Honestly, the only gripes I have about the course are only personal preferences. In several spots in the woods it can get muddy and soggy but overall the drainage is excellent. It would be nice if on the tee signs it would indicate which sleeve placement the basket is in. My only other complaint is that this course isn't closer to where I live (about three hours away).

I've played this course probably 10 times but held off on writing a review until I had played it again. This is all coming with the course fresh on my mind from the KY State Championships yesterday. Idlewild is among the cream of the crop in terms of courses for me. Its a masterpiece of design that challenges even the most experienced and skilled players. I couldn't even begin to pin point a signature hole here. Almost any of these holes could be a signature hole on most other courses. The fun factor here is vastly different than most courses in that most of the time you're not throwing for a chance to immediately putt but to set up the next shot. Based on that, this wouldn't be a good place to bring a beginner or impatient player. Idlewild is a championship caliber course that can be appreciated for its difficulty and aesthetics by serious players.

I'm new to this course review thing. I'm bored at work and have decided to start reviewing some of my favorites. We stopped here on the way to Am Nationals last year. We got caught in a torrential down pour after 14 and didn't finish. Here are some thoughts:
-Beautiful park, very big, and well maintained.
-Options galore. You can play this course aggresively or lay up and take what it gives you. There are plenty of chances to score well, but if you miss your line trouble awaits.
-Designers and course keepers have an obvious love for there course. The amount of work that has gone into this place is second to none. Kudos to those involved with keeping this place nice!
-You need every shot in your bag, not just to shoot well, but to navigate the course. You're required to throw an arsenal of different shots out here.

Recreational players beware. This course is not for the faint of heart. With that said, it may beat you to death for a while, but I can see well groomed players being molded by this course on a regular basis. It may not be fun for newer players to start with, but eventually you will learn the lines and this will be mecca.

Grass was a little high, but I imagine we probably got there the day before it was going to be cut. Park is to beautiful to no be maintained on a regular basis

Heading for Am Nationals again in early June. We will definitely be stopping by for anothe crack ar Idlewild. Can't wait!!

Playing this course is an amazing experience. I stepped onto the first tee with 20mph gusts of wind so I knew it was going to be a crazy/memorable round. I hate reviewing courses after only playing them once, but I doubt I'll be back in the area anytime soon and this course deserves it. Hole 1 is a great hole to open with; wide open and you can let it rip. One thing that is excellent about Idlewild is that every single hole offers multiple ways to play it. This creates great risk/reward situations. You have to consider your options before each shot and you have to realize your limitations. Sometimes you need to consider playing a safe shot, but other times you will be forced into playing an epic/risky shot just to make par. My first time through I couldn't help but play 2-3 more shots after my initial one (only used 4-5 mulligans though =)). That just goes to show how creative you can get with lines.

Too many trees/hazards wasn't a problem for me except on one or two holes. For the most part the amount of trees makes you question your line and if you will be able to pull off a certain shot. For me this makes a course that much better to play. This course makes you play all types of shots. It made me pull (or attempt to pull) some crazy shots I've never had to try before. I threw tomahawks, rollers, sliders, backhands, forehands, annys, hyzers, and pretty much any other kind of shot you could think of. Yes, the course is very difficult, but for any experienced player, this greatly increases the fun/enjoyment. This is especially true when you nail a difficult shot or sink that rare birdie putt.

The trees are the backbone of the course (the Y tree is sick), but the creek adds a great element as well. The borders and bridges create a professional feel. It's exciting after playing hole 3 to look down the creek and see all the baskets and island greens. It got me even more pumped for the rest of the course.

The flow of the course is excellent as well. There are really no confusing/long walks at all. The 9th hole even ends somewhat near the parking lot

Some of my favorite holes were: 1,6,11,15,16,18.

There were a couple of ridiculous holes, starting with hole 5. The shot from the tee doesn't really follow a natural route to the pin. It seemed really forced, almost like it was added just to get the course from the end of hole 4 to the 6th tee. After the tee shot the hole is ok though. I guess the thing I don't like is that it is basically a forced 90 degree, uphill dogleg. You can't get anywhere near the pin with your tee shot. I think moving the tee downhill and a bit to the left would solve this problem, but this might create congestion with holes 3 and 4. Hole 8 was a bit ridiculous with the amount of trees but really not too much to complain about there.

Even though I played through pretty poor conditions (to say the least), this course was absolutely amazing. The weather also meant that I was all alone on the course, which is probably something that few people can say they have experienced. I smacked a lot of bark and heard a fair amount of splashes, but it just made me realize the greatness of this course. Definitely a must play if you can get out there, but that kind of goes without saying.

-This course challenges your ability for the long drive, aiming, consistency, and technical shots
-The holes are spaced nicely so that there are few holes that get backed up
-There are a good variety of hole types (wooded, open, flat, hills, etc.)
-Clean course
-Well maintained

-If you cant throw very far you might get discouraged. There are a lot of holes that are 400+ feet.
-I was there in the early spring, and that probably had something to do with the conditions, but it was extremely muddy when I played.
-Find the next hole was sometimes challenging. Try to play with someone who has played before.

-The course designer did a good job with what they had available.
-The course was really easy to find.
-I talked to a local, and he said they change the holes up pretty frequently. I really like this about courses