* new Gateway Titan baskets
* Idlewild style, trees surround you, very tight lines
* lots of different shot shapes
* lots of elevation
* good distance variety
* multiple pin positions (soon to be on every hole)
* surrounded by woods, but you have a couple of water hazards
* placing your disc correctly is key on every par 4
* fairly easy to follow
* right next to the original JB course

* tee signs are not in (i know they will be eventually)
* turf pads are already slippery and uneven at points
* lots of stray trash, cement, glass, etc
* some spots like hole 11 deep position or hole 9 position are poke and hope
* can get busy with limited parking
* walk from 7 to 8 and 9 to 10 sucks

Depending on your playing that day, the Bunker can either be the fun course or most infuriating course that you will play. It is a championship caliber course that is surrounded by the woods in area that has plenty of trees, elevation, deer, and even some water hazards (pond on hole 8, ditches and other streams.) You'll start off with a tight 250 foot straight shot that is one of the easier holes on the course. Then you'll hit hole 2, a 550 foot hole par 4 that really sets the tone of the course. Its ridiculously tight, and dog legs with the final 200 feet at the end-- I have never even parred it in my 5 times playing it. You'll then play more of the same throughout the course, tight, long holes. If you are like me, you'll take more mulligans than you do on any other course, and by the end of the round not even be mad anymore that you hit a tree because you'll have done it so many times. Par is a super good score here, but you can easily shoot double digits.

I do have some complaints about the course, that can be improved. For one, the trash and random glass everywhere. Ths course may feel Idlewildish with all the woods, but it is certainly not even close to its beauty. I often pass a lot of trash that looks like it has been here for years along with broken glass. There is also just a lot of random huge concrete blocks that are probably too big to move. It gives the course a more dystopian vibe like Carrolton, especially knowing the history of the Barracks. In addition, the course needs proper tee signs and pads, however I know they need to complete everything in the course first. Lastly, there are some more lines that always more cleaning to make them less poke and hope.

Although I do have complaints, I know they will be fixed eventually. Its amazing this course is only 6 months old and is already so great. I see volunteers making the course better every time out there, like just today I saw someone installing a new elevated pin position on hole 7 actually using one of the random concrete slabs. He also told me there'll be a hanging basket soon which is amazing!! St Louis has a severe lack of elevated baskets and hopefully this will help it out.

If you are like me, you'll have a great time besides all the screaming at the trees you will do. I can easily see this being course paired with Sunset Lakes to host a Major tournament once both are completed.

-Benches installed on many holes
-Hidden in the woods out of the wind for the most part
-New Titan baskets
-Good amount of elevation change
-Requires a lot of different types of shots and shapes
-Turf teepads
-Trash cans near practice basket area, and after hole 8, and hole 14

-Muddy in spots
-Sinkholes throughout that may fill up with water
-Teepads need some work
-not a whole lot of trash disposal available
-lots of leaves to hide your disc
-still a lot of brush piles around that need cleaned

Carved through the thick woods, the JB Bunker is the perfect compliment to the OG Jefferson Barracks course on the other side of the Blackhawk shelter. This course has come out of the gates to be the hardest technical style course in the area. Still a work in progress, but very playable at the moment, this course is developing quickly to be a favorite among locals. Hole 1 being one of the only gettable hole on the course, the birdies don't come easily after that. Par is gold on almost every hole here. Par 3s that must be absolutely laced with the perfectly shaped shot. Tight, weaving par 4s with plenty of elevation that most people will probably call par 5s. Any hole here can quickly demoralize even the best of players.

Pros should try to keep it under 60, AMs can be happy with a score in the 60s. New players, beware.

DISCLAIMER: This course is still under construction, and my rating is representative of the current state of the course. I'll update this review as work on The Bunker continues. An update is provided at the bottom of this review.

The Bunker is one a few new disc golf courses in the St. Louis area for 2020. Located next to the classic Jefferson Barracks course, The Bunker makes this location the second or three locations in St. Louis with two full 18-hole courses.

Where the Sioux Passage and Creve Coeur Lake courses are a little far from each other to be an easy transit to and from each other without a drive from one to the other, JB's two-course set up is just about as good as it gets. The courses are on opposite sides of the Blackhawk shelter, which includes a large area of tables, bathrooms, and a water fountain. The bathrooms close for the winter season, so plan accordingly. The driveway that serves the shelter and the courses in one way, and has rows of parking along each course. The JB course is located near the entrance of the circle drive, so just keep going around and you will see the second row that is next to the Bunker. If there are not available spots, folks typically park in the grass next to the road. The courses are close enough to each other that you can easily walk from one to the other if you want to play 36 holes. Given the overall layout of shelter and courses, I foresee this being a fantastic setup for JB-only tournaments in the future.

The Bunker provides a nice contrast to the original JB course in a number of ways. The original course is a 54-56 par park course that primarily plays through more open parts of the park that have mature trees that help shape the fairways, with woods coming into play on some of the holes. The Bunker is a fully wooded course, and incorporates more holes that are 400+ feet and a higher par than the original JB course. The contrast is nice for those who want to make a full day out of JB but don't want 36 holes that feel similar to one another.

The Bunker is a work in progress, but has some good equipment in place as of the original writing of this review. The bulletin board for the course in in, and signifies the entrance to the start of the course. There is currently a printed hand drawn map of the course on the board, but as the course gets completed, league information will surely be added as with the original course's board.

Visible from the bulletin board and the parking lot is the orange practice basket that is on the way to hole 1. Despite being in the woods, the practice basket has a generous clearing around it so longer putts can be implemented into anyone's warm up routine. There are benches set up in this area as well.

Each hole currently has an artificial grass tee pad, a new gray Gateway Titan Basket, and a makeshift tee sign. The artificial tee pads work well for the course, and are flat and provide comfortable footing for run ups. The Titan baskets, as always, are great at catching discs. The tee signs are temporary, but provide information on par, distance, and general shape of each hole. In addition to the tee signs, there are temporary arrows throughout the course that help with navigation from hole to hole. A lot of the holes have nice, large benches installed, with others currently on site and in progress.

While the signage is currently pretty limited on this course as we await permanent signs, the course as a whole flows very well. The fairways and paths from hole to hole are already very well defined, and every tee pad and pin location makes sense and is where you expect it to be as you go through the course for the first time. With the exception of the walk from holes 7 to 8 and 9 to 10, there are no long walks to the next hole on this course. The course achieves this while giving each hole its own fairway that doesn't encroach on other holes. This makes for a course that is actually pretty easy to navigate on your own for the first time; I took a quick glance at the map on DGCR before going to play, and I didn't need to revisit it again during my round. As long as you are aware of the walk from 7 to 8, and where the start of each 9-hole loop is, you should be golden. The double loop design also allows for a natural break in play between each 9, and allows for you to stop at your car halfway through the round if you need to, or to easily play just 9 holes if you're short on time.

This course provides a nice amount of variety in terms of shot types required for a successful round. There's a great contrast in terms of length from hole to hole, with shorter holes under 250 feet like 1 and 4, and longer holes that top 500 feet like 2 and 17. The course also incorporates the features of the land it's on very well to provide mix of tee shots that go downhill, uphill, left, right, and straight. While some of the holes are straight forward with what type of throw is needed to be successful, a lot of the holes strike a nice balance of allowing the player to decide whether a backhand or forehand will be best for them, while still providing enough obstacles to be maintain a higher level of difficulty regardless of which shot type is chosen.

The course is almost certainly going to have more staircases, bridges, and benches added to it, but some are currently in place, notably on hole 14 where there are 2 bridges connecting to the pin location.

Rain will have an impact on how filled in the streams and lakes on this course will be from day to day, but the course doesn't seem to get as muddy as you would expect. My round was the day after some showers hit the area in the afternoon and overnight, and even some of the steeper hills weren't too sketchy. You can tell where some stairs would be nice to have, but for the most part, the course seems like it handles water pretty well compared to a lot of the other courses in the area. As for sunny or hotter days in the Summer, the heavily wooded setting this course is in means that the majority of the course will have substantial shade during rounds.

While the majority of the course flows very well, with 2 exceptions. While the double loop design is nice, the walk from 9 to 10 might feel long to some players. The biggest walk between holes by far is between holes 7 and 8. This walk is necessary though, as a larger swamp area lies between holes 7 and the land that 8 and 9 use. When leaving hole 7, go to the sidewalk and hang a left towards the Blackhawk shelter area. You will walk past 2 sections of railings before reaching hole 8. Hole 8 also plays towards hole 7, so you'll walk past the pin before reaching the tee area, which is currently noted by a couple of blue flags. There will likely be permanent signage put in place to help make note of this walk.

The course plays across some streams and around some lake/swamp areas, so I imagine bug spray will be a handy thing to have in the Spring and Summer.

A lot of the other cons with this course are related to the course still being under construction. Permanent signage will help with providing more information on each hole, and to signify the different pin placements. My understanding is that multiple pin placements are being installed on the course, with some holes already having multiple pins, but the current temp signs don't show which pin is in use. Some areas could also use some railings or steps, as some of the hills and walkways can be treacherous even when it's dry. Given some of the maintenance that has already been done, I anticipate these issues will be addressed as work on the course continues.

JB as a whole gets a lot of foot traffic, so parking quickly becomes an issue on busier days. There's only so much that the local disc golf club can do about this, so I don't hold this against either course in terms of my rating - just be prepared for parking to be limited, especially on weekends. Most groups that frequent these courses are good about allowing smaller groups or solo players play through.

The baskets aren't terribly hard to spot on the course, but the metal doesn't always stand out the best from a distance, even with the number plate having a yellow accent. The local historical society and park department nixed any attempts to go with colored baskets; I have a feeling they'll be easier to pick out once we have signage that shows pin locations and placements in use more clearly.

The Bunker is a great addition to the JB location, and to the St. Louis disc golf scene as a whole. With continued maintenance, this course has the potential to be the best in the St. Louis region. With the love that the original course gets already, this is likely to become the top destination for players in the area.

This course is great for any intermediate or advanced player looking for a challenging wooded course. Newer players that are working on honing their accuracy off the tee will find this course to be exceptionally difficult, and will likely find the original JB course a more enjoyable experience.

If you want tips on this course before your first round, I highly recommend you check out REDARMY's review, which includes a breakdown of how each hole plays. It's in depth and very helpful.

I highly recommend the JB courses to anyone that is either getting to know the area, or to any visitors. The original course was already a great showcase for what St. Louis has to offer the disc golf scene, and The Bunker not only adds to the original course, but in many ways offers even more. As with Sunset Lakes, this review will be continually updated. For me, it's not a matter of if this course is rated above a 4 out of 5, but when. Big shout out to Dave McCormack and everyone who made this course possible. It's a real gem.

5/13/21 UPDATE It looks like just about every pin placement has been installed at The Bunker, along with the vast majority of the benches. It looks like the signs will be made from illustrations; a huge shout out needs to go to local club member Neil Brown, who has drawn the layout of all 18 holes. If these illustrations become the signs for the Bunker, then they will add immensely to the amount of character this course already has.

This course is really shaping up to be something amazing for the area. I would say with confidence that this is one of, if not the top courses in the area not only in terms of difficulty, but also in terms of course design. Par on any hole here is hard to get, and every par 4 requires two precise shots to have any chance at birdie. This is done in a way where the holes still feel fair in their design, something that isn't the easiest to achieve.

This course is becoming one that deserves to be on the short list of options to play for any visitor to St. Louis. Once signs are installed, I will feel very confident in giving The Bunker a 4.5 out of 5.

tight lines, elevation changes ,longer distance holes
challenging layout requiring varying array of shots left and right, turf tee pads, Gateway titan baskets.-

None really, just like any new(er) course, will continue to improve over time and play. will become a 4.5 rating once course is beat in a little and signage is up.

great course for those that like to play tournaments and there always seems to be that wooded technical course that you are not rdy for. - great course to "sharpen the saw" ( no pun intended) and strengthen game in a tightly wooded course environment - new fav for me.

*UPDATE 1-21-21: Cut some stumps recently on holes 1 and 2. In the next week or two a few holes will have new pins/more open lines/new pads, or all 3! 6 pins left to go!

Brand new course at JB!! Aside from Sioux Passage Park (with Briscoe Woods), it's the only park in the region with 2 full 18's!

Very tight and technical; but don't you bombers worry. The average hole length is 366 feet, with 8 holes 400 feet or longer. If you can hit a tight line with power, you'll be golden on this course.

Buried into the Missouri woods, so except for the 2 long walks, you're in the shade almost the entire time.

Brand new Gateway Titan baskets (not sure which version...).

Excellent use of the available land and incorporating the remnants of the old barracks into the layout as well. Throwing around the old bomb craters (yeah they're just sinkholes, but bomb craters sounds cooler) is a cool visual and an added danger as they'll play just like sand bunkers in ball golf.

Very tight and technical. If you like big lazy lines and open shots, this is not the course for you.

The course is VERY raw. There's still more honeysuckle to cut, vines to yank down, brush to clear, steps to put in, etc. It plays as a fantastic course, but there's still plenty more massaging to do.

There's a few areas that will get sloppy in a heavy rain until mulch is put down or drains are dug. The lake on hole 8 desperately needs to get drained and or/get the water agitated somehow. There's a ninja-turtle colored layer of goop on top of the water that should scare anyone away from trying to retrieve a disc that goes in.

Long walk between hole 7 pin and 8 tee, but it unfortunately was necessary in order to get around the 'pond' in that corner of the park that always floods. The walk from 9 to 10 is also a bit long and out in the sun, but at least it takes you past your car so you can top off drinks and such

Bring bug spray.

How the holes play (from a RHBH perspective):

Hole 1. Short, tight hallway that barely turns left and finishes in a clearing approx. 250 feet out. Be careful approaching the green as there's a low-lying area that doesn't drain well after a good rain. Next tee back and to your left. *That first description was for the B pin. The new A pin is an even tighter tunnel down its own fairway just left of the original. whenever the basket is in the A pin, the teepad will be moved accordingly to line up with that other fairway. The C pin follows the B pin line but is set back and to the left approx. 50 feet.*

Hole 2. One of the signature holes. Slightly downhill and much more open than hole 1, but various trees will make you be very specific about how you shape your shot. Pin is over the creek and right 80 or 100 feet. Try and carry the water on your first shot and you'll have an eagle look, but be warned: any early hit with that much power on it will leave you way off course and way deep in the nasty brush. Next tee forward and left via one of the 2 trails. (Note, do not turn right after this hole or you will end up on hole 17's tee.) *That first description was for the C pin. The new B pin, instead of turning right after you cross the creek, is straight ahead. Look close enough and you can see it from the teebox. The new A pin is over the creek and to the right just like the C pin, but 100 feet shorter and tucked behind some guard trees.*

Hole 3. Another signature hole. Clear the ditch just past the pin, then you have another 400 foot shot zig-zagging through the trees. Less of a penalty for an errant shot than hole 2 as this is probably the widest fairway on the course (once you clear the first 125' or so of trees). Next tee back and to the left.

Hole 4. Picture hole 4 on the front course, but far more evil. The fairway is tighter, curves left, a bad bounce will leave you f*cked on either side, and the pin is elevated on a pile of gravel. Try to spike hyzer and risk going OB over the trees and into the road behind the fairway, or throw short and end up bouncing left into the pile or crap that was removed to make the fairway. A short but rather sinister hole. Follow the path at the end of the fairway to get to 5's tee (and remember to duck!).

Hole 5. Gentle downhill anhyzer or lazy turnover with a crooked tree smack in the middle of your shot 75' out from the tee and an old concrete sewer access point on the left to catch your disc if you go too wide trying to miss said tree. One of the wider fairways, but be careful how much sauce you put on your shot. Yanking left will send your disc into the pile of sh*t down the left side of the fairway, right will put you in 6's fairway, and too long and you'll be on 2's green with an awkward comeback shot. Pin is tucked into the honeysuckle to the right. Listed as a par 3 but should be a (short, easy) 4 in my opinion. There's no realistic path to the pin in 1 shot, even for the bombers out there. Next tee to your right. *That description was for the B pin. The new A pin is basically a straight line from the teepad, but your shot has to wind it's way down there. If you've had a shot hyzer out while going for the B pin, you're on the right path to the A pin. The C pin is waaay behind the B pin, down in the 'swamp'. As such, that pin won't be in regular use due to the seasonal flooding, but when it is, it's going to be a b*tch!*

Hole 6. Almost a mirror image of 5: uphill instead of down, tight left finish instead of right, and a bit shorter. Again, errant shots will be punished: end up short or right and you risk rolling down into the muddy depression that constitutes most of the fairway you throw over. Throw way right or way long and you'll be in 5's fairway/tee area. Left and you're in a different pile of crap or bouncing off the hill and rolling down. Watch your step when you're walking the fairway; there's not a lot of traction and most of the fairway is on a hill. Next tee to your left.

Hole 7. Shorter and tighter than 5 and 6. A narrow tunnel shot (big surprise huh) with a hyzer finish that's slightly downhill. Don't try to bomb it or you'll end up in the 'pond' full of stagnant water behind the pin. The right side especially has some stubborn grape vines that look eager to knock down a wide shot. *After you hole out, look for the pathway back and to your right. The walk to the next tee starts there. Come out of the woods and veer left towards the walkway that parallels the street. A few hundred feet up, you'll see some signage pointing you towards a cut-out in the woods. (Carefully) Walk down the hill, next tee is on your left in front of the small pond. This walk does interrupt the flow of the course, but it's there for a good reason. As you're walking on the sidewalk, look left and you'll see the same 'pond' that was behind 7's pin. Anything more than a decent rain turns that pond into a swamp. *That described the B pin. The A pin will be a shorter, tighter hyzer, and an elevated basket! To get to the C pin is to basically throw to the B pin, but not so much of a hyzer finish. Also a cool placement as errant (long) putts/approaches will roll down the hill and into the swamp.*

Hole 8. Relatively straight and not too long, but the hole's defining feature is the 175' or so water carry right off the tee. Making that a little more dangerous are trees on either side overhanging the water and 1 tree smack in the middle of the water. Choose what disc you want to throw wisely; the water is a special shade of green, so swimming certainly isn't recommended. Between all of the dead wood and other debris in there, I see a lake rake or golden retriever getting stuck long before you'd pull a disc out. Assuming you clear the water on your first shot, you must then walk around the path carved out of the right side of the pond to get to your drive. *Be careful to stay as close to the water as you can when taking this walk; 9's fairway is just on the other side of the brush on your right. Following the fairway over the water, pin should be dead ahead and tucked behind a big tree. Back and to your right is the trail to hole 9's tee.

Hole 9. Another of the signature holes. Right out of the box you're faced with two big trees directly in your way. The safe bet, believe it or not, IS to try and go through them. Try and go right and you risk getting caught up in the trees/throwing into hole 8's water/mashing somebody in the head who's playing hole 8. Trying to go to the left of the trees is no good either as the fairway tightens up on that left side just after you clear the two gateway trees. Assuming your first shot cleared everything, make a 45 degree turn to your left and look up the hill. The pin is in the corner of the property where the parking lot and road intersect, but you won't be able to see it from your first shot lie. Safe route is hugging the left side of the fairway with a turnover or forehand up the hill. Trying to go over the craters on the right side is a high-risk bet, but if you pull it off, you'll have a decent eagle chance. Walk out of the woods to the parking lot and go left to your car. Once done restocking, continue up the road, around the curve, and 70 feet or so up. You'll see either the path or teebox for 10 on your left.
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Hole 10. The 4th 'signature' hole. First 1/3rd of the fairway is a downhill tunnel that turns right 45 degrees or so about 200 feet out. The next 250' is a zig-zag under and through 200 year old trees until you find the pin on a little ledge. This hole will get fairly muddy after a good rain as the fairway is the lowest portion of that part of the course. Next tee up and left via the trail.

Hole 11. Very skinny tunnel to start off with that ends in a clearing 200 feet or so out. Your next shot turns left over the creek bed and past the cool-looking birch tree that hangs at a 60 degree angle and is barely hanging on to the edge of the bank. Upshot is a little further left into a little nook carved out for the pin. Avoid the creek bed at all costs on your first or second shot as the banks will provide crappy footing at best. Next tee just to your right.

Hole 12. Gentle, slightly uphill hyzer around a fairly nasty pond that will eat your disc should you go too far left on your drive or upshot. The upshot is a little cluttered with small trees approaching the pin. Basket next to the biggest tree in front of you. Safe way to play it is to throw your first shot out about 150' to get around the corner, then forehand or turnover your approach. Next tee to your left around the bushes to the right.

Hole 13. First shot is a cool look down the valley and up the hill on the other side. The pin plays as a hyzer kind of like hole 12, but longer, uphill, and no water to deal with. Throw a safe first shot over the valley, then deal with the fairway afterwards. Beware though the brush piles on the left if you yank any of your shots too far over. Also, at the top of the hill (at the end of the dead log) is a small sinkhole on the right that you can't see until you're on top of it. Avoid that like the plague. Pin is ahead of you up the hill. Next tee winds around the trail behind the pin and to your left.

Hole 14. Shortest hole on the course. Slightly downhill spike hyzer with an island green. Do yourself a favor and walk 40 feet up or so to identify the pin before you throw the hole. Tricky green as the edges of that island are deep creek beds that give bad footing at best, and will play OB if enough water collects in them. Not a hard hole, but plenty of places to rob yourself of a deuce opportunity. Next tee behind the basket and up the hill.

Hole 15. Another cool, very deep, valley shot but it has a very low ceiling. It's only 381 feet but it's still a tricky par 4. Your first shot just needs to stay on the right side of the fairway and clear the valley. Your second shot will be a blind approach to the pin on top of the hill and over the crest. Big open green once you get up there, but go long and you risk rolling down the hill behind the pin. Follow the trail behind the pin, around the creek bed and up the next hill. Next tee on your right.

Hole 16. Long-ish gentle downhill and slight hyzer. About 2/5ths of the way up the fairway is a cluster of trees that will eat your drive unless you place it just right. Preferred shot here is to come around the right side of those trees as the fairway is much more open on the right side than the left the rest of the way to the pin, which sits slightly elevated. Next tee back and to your right.

Hole 17. Last of the 'signature' holes on the course. Long, slightly uphill par 5 that plays over the creek and a smidge to the right. There's a big tangle of crud just before the creek you need to clear to even have a hope of a 3 (or a 4?) on this hole. Be careful where your 2nd or 3rd shot lands as there's another sinkhole 60-ish feet short of the pin on the right. After the creek, the fairway gets tighter and tighter as you approach the pin. Follow the trail left of the basket to get to the last tee, but be careful when you pop out of the woods as that trail exits in front of 18's pad!

Hole 18. Slightly uphill and a gentle turnover/anhyzer for the first half with a sharp hyzer finish into the woods at the pin. Throw your first shot just to get up the hill and around the corner, staying as far right as possible to give yourself a better angle for the second shot. 70 feet or so past the dead log in the middle of the fairway, the pin is tucked 10 feet into the woods on the left. Be careful not to yank any of your shots too far left or you'll end up in hole 10's fairway.

P.S. Anyone who has it wishlisted, send me a PM by Thursday of any given week and I'll be happy to play tour guide on a Saturday or Sunday.