Design - Steady Ed was on to something. Johnny Roberts is a very well-designed course that plays alongside, and occsional over, a meandering creek. While it wasn't necessarily long, the variety of shots required was great. Lots of midrange work to be enjoyed at the course. Occasional blind shots, but scouting is not too difficult.

Park - The park was very neat and well-kept. Some guys were selling discs out of their trunk near #1 and #18. Landscaping was good. Creek was beautiful.

Tee Signs - some of the best tee signs I have ever seen. They were informative and accurate. No guesswork required and this was the main reason that scouting was so easy. You may have to walk about 25-30 feet up the fairway to get a "visual" of the basket if you like, but you at least know where you should be looking.

Too Many Bystanders - This is the biggest "con" and it really isn't close. The walking trails were full of folks and many of the holes border or traverse these trails. We waited at one hole for nearly 5 minutes while two small girls (around age 4) played around a sign on the path that read "Watch out for Disc Golfers" Eventually their mother came and they moved on and my tee shot clanged into that very sign as they were about 30 feet away...they all looked back at us shocked. Oh well, the sign was in the middle of the fairway, so I didn't feel that bad about hitting it.

Too Many Other Players - Arvada is a cool little town, and I can see why disc golf is popular there. However, it's really hard to enjoy a round when there are players on every tee pad with others waiting. There were also far more "one-disc wonders" than I have ever seen on a course. My friends and I decided we were going to let the guy behind us play through, as he was just chucking a disc and had a girl with him who wasn't playing. Well we waited for him at the next tee, but he never came. He simply decided to hop around to other holes that happened to be vacant.

Lack of Etiquette - There were a lot of recreational/newbies on the course who ended up in the creek on nearly every shot. Since the couse is "tight" and not a lot of land was available, they should all simply stand off the fairway while one looks for or retrieves their disc. But this is definitely not the case at JR. Multiple times, there were groups standing in the fairway, occasionally telling us to go ahead and tee off...while they are still standing and jumping around in the fairway.

Johnny Roberts is definitely a cool course, and I enjoyed it despite all of the other "distractions". However, we were told by some folks "in the know" that the course is likely to be pulled in the near future. I wish I could say that this historical course should be fought for by all disc golfers everywhere as a means of preserving a great Steady Ed design...but it is dangerous for other park patrons. That's just the simple truth of the matter. I am very glad I had the opportunity to play it, and if I am in Denver and it's still open, I will gladly play it again.

#8 is currently pulled, but we knew that going in, so no need to list that as a "con". Just thought it should be mentioned.

Disc retrieval from the creek is very possible. However, please be smart and look carefully at the best way to get down into the creek. There are some slippery slopes down the steep banks. Use caution.

I think the course design at Johnny Roberts is deserving of a 3.5, but I feel it's necessary to factor in the inherent danger and distractions caused by the many people in the park. It is definitely a good course and one that should be played if you have opportunity. Just be aware of the potential issues going into your round and try not to get frustrated.

Excellent park style course designed by the legendary Steady Ed that plays across lush green fairways, around several mature trees and along a scenic creek that comes into play on many holes. The concrete tees are very nice and most are attached to the paved walkway. Excellent baskets in good shape and catch very well. The tee signs are very informative with hole map + an actual photo showing each of the possible pin placements (same style found at Beaver Ranch and I think are the model for what a tee sign should be.)

The course is superbly designed, as one might expect from Steady Ed, making the most of the land and natural obstacles. There are holes of varying lengths, some wide open, others more narrow, every basket is strategically placed for risk/reward, a straight shot is best, but there are places where a left or right shot can improve you score by a shot, and it is a good test of distance control as many times you do not want to run too far past the hole. The creek that runs through the middle of the course is a disc funnel (not a matter of if you will throw in the creek, but when and how often!) It is pretty shallow and clear so you have a good chance of retrieving your disc.

I love playing courses like this- it is so much fun and in a beautiful setting. This was the only course during my week in Denver that I went back and played on a different day.

This course seems to always be very crowded (understandable). The downside is there is the constant fear of people throwing into you. The negative to the creek is that everyone is landing discs in there and then looking for discs on most holes, so things get backed up, or people are just standing in the fairways waiting on others to find their disc. We were told several times just to go ahead and throw despite the fact they were in our line of fire (we politely refused until they moved, but this just backed things up more.)

Also, there is a walkway that borders or cuts across many holes. Many people use it and there are lots of little kids, strollers, etc. so you often have to wait a long time to be able to throw without a chance of hitting somebody.

The course was missing hole 8, not sure why, I knew that going in so not a huge deal.

I heard from several people in the know in Denver that there was a good chance this course may be pulled soon for forever which would be a big time shame- as it interferes with the walking trail coupled with the large number of people I witnessed playing that seemed clueless about how dangerous a disc can be it is no wonder people are complaining. Which is too bad because it truly is a great course. I am glad I got a chance to play here.

If you are in the Denver area and need a break from the higher elevation hilly mountain courses like Phantom Falls you will want to check this one out for sure before it goes away. I recommend avoiding weekends and late afternoons (though it was still surprisingly busy on a weekday morning.)

Pretty easy to navigate - somewhat challenging - good variety of shots used - nice tee signs - water holes that offer OB, without necessarily loosing your disc - restrooms

This course is in a nice, clean, well maintained with plenty of challenging shots once you factor all the OB into play. It is not an epic course that is tough to play, so we enjoyed a quick round before moving on to another local course. Lots of stuff to do in the area if you're just visiting. Lots of locals to point you in the right direction if you need some help. Seems to be a very popular course as it is in the city.

Crowded park & course - lots of pedestrians - some holes seem to criss cross, so watch out or errant throws

There was quite a bit of non-disc golf traffic in the park as well as numerous holes that had potential for hitting someone on another hole

There were a couple tee signs missing when we played, so we got a little turned around, but i'm sure that is just a temporary issue.

I am told this is a Classic Course and it has some very fun shots. They have done a very good job of putting 18 holes in such a tight space. Nice Park

This course gets extreme use and lots of traffic from walkers and bikers. #8 is no longer in play.

Tucked away in a little valley, lack of wind when most other area courses were being crushed by gusts up to 35 mph.

Really pretty, neighborhood setting.

Lots of use, but DG is acknowledged and respected. Course is maintained well, park users are respectful and aware of one another. Very cool vibe given the high usage.

You gotta be on your techinical game, there's a lot to get caught up in if you are not paying attention.

Muskrat swims around the creek by hole 8.

High usage might be a pain (not for me, playing solo, today)

Location in a valley impedes snow melt. It was wet and sloppy today.

I was a schlub, today, and got a disc lost under the ice in the creek (?@#$#@!!!), and another wedged tight in a tree. I got a mild soaker, and had to climb a bit to where I could shake my disc free. Mighty embarrassing in front of all the locals (who were kind enough to ignore my folly).



I picked up a beat-on old Banshee in the snow. Two names written, but no phone. If you want it back, let me know your name. It makes a pretty good putter...

This is one busy course, but well worth the wait. The open areas are great minus some ppl you might have to dodge on a throw or two. As you get further through the course the trees begin to close in on you. Tons of short holes good for up'ing your mid game and putting. Water isnt really a big factor, unless your disc starts floating down the creek.

None really beyond lines, but thats expected at a course like this. I guess fairway crossing is a bit of an eye opener, so make sure your yelling FORE.

Earlier is better at this course. As the day goes on, it starts getting packed. Watch for the houses along 17ish... The ppl that own it have signs that state "DO NOT ENTER" so getting a disc back may require a knock on the door. I would imagine they arent too fond of their house getting pelted with discs....

- Challenging course that will improve your game.
- Free to play.
- Ample shade, great for sunny/hot days.

- Hole #8 is missing.
- Mistakes are punished severely.
- Can be very crowded.

This is a very technical course. Every hole either has trees, water or both. If there are any weaknesses to your game, this course will be more than happy to not only show them to you, but beat you senseless with them.

Don't go to Johnny Roberts if you are looking for a fun, confidence building day of disc golf. You won't find it. If you are looking for a challenge, maybe you've reached a plateau and need to see where your games needs improving, or if you need some tweaking before a competition this would be a great course to play.

J-Rob's is a very beloved course by many disc golfers locally. It's a must play! Just be aware of what your getting yourself into, otherwise you will not understand what all the "fuss" is about.

P.S. This course is literally in the backyard of the Arvada Police department, and it is not uncommon to see police officers on bike or on foot patrolling the course. Common sense is a must!

Real nice park. Lots of garbage cans and benches. A few interesting shot. Good tee pads and baskets.

Flat and not too many technical shots. Very crowded with lots of pedestrians. Basket 8 is currently missing

A good course to play but just too many people for me to want to play it more.

Descent variety of shots
A few great basket placements
Nice park
Not congested if you play before noon
Good baskets
Sheltered for the most part making it playable on windy days

Not many long holes - could have got through course with mids and putters
Missing hole 8 ..
Couple short short holes

Good course overall. Would recommend playing if you are in the area and have a hour or an hour and a half. Hole 15 gets a thumbs up!

Lots of fun. You can throw almost every type of shot; the only limits are your imagination & ability. It's has well marked maps, and each hole is easy to find. It's also in a nice neighborhood.

It's a very easy course. It is also very crowded.

It's a great course to teach someone who hasn't played before, but is also fun for experienced players.

Nice Park, Good Signage, Accuracy over distance, Fun place to play, lots of other players

Lots of other players. Seems that a lot of the manners go out of the window here, lots of casual players, had to dodge a few discs, this might have been because of how compact the course is. The pictures don't do the creek much justice it comes into play a lot and it's not as small as I thought it might be.

Nice park overall. A LOT of non golfers wandering around, watched one get nailed in the face as I was starting my car, the kids that were playing seemed to simply take it in stride and tried to play around the guy who got hit (I pulled away at this point, but I was very disappointed in everyone's reaction). Because it's so compact you should really keep your head on a swivel, especially on the weekends. I'd make sure this is a stop on anyone's to-play list. I know I'll play it again, just not on a weekend.

Its a disc golf course.. so thats a good start.
nice use of relatively small park

challenging OB if you end up in the creek.

well placed shots rewarded, but arms without accuracy can be punished quick.

playable through most of winter, which is a super big plus.

Many parts of the course are icey or muddy depending on the time of year, so be prepared to possible slip and get laughed at.

Id say the creek is a con, but its just makes your game better. Of course, when you catch an unlucky roll and your disc falls into a partially iced over creek, you might be SOL no matter how good you are.

I played midweek on a relatively cold day, and there were plenty of golfers on the course, which is not really a 'con' but worth noting.

some fairways do cross, where you pretty much have to let the group in front play out

overall a nice compact, fun course. the creek makes everything more challenging, it comes into play on quite a few holes, and basked placements near the edge make you think twice, even when going for an 'easy' putt.

Well marked course with clear hole placement photos at each tee box. Baskets have nice red sand around them and seemed to be in good shape. Easily accesible.

Holes 4, 5 and 6 all seem to overlap and I had to wait a few on each hole while the group ahead backtracked to the next tee box. 8th hole still missing. Not a whole lot of seclusion.

Generally a simple straight forward course. It is tight and you do need to throw accurate shots to stay out of creek. There is a bike/walk path that cuts through the course so you do have to watch out for folks out and about in the park

Pretty course with the creek winding through it. Nice signage. Technical, but not too difficult.

Very busy...I was surprised how busy it was. Lots of dogs running loose and tons of pedestrians walking, running or riding by us while we were playing. Groups were always trying to pass us while we were waiting on the groups already ahead of us...that didn't make any sense to me. We never really felt relaxed while playing...always pressured to hurry.

I will try to play this one again on a weekday and hope it will be less crowded.

Short technical holes. Slotting channels and keeping your disc in the right place is necessary to avoid the water, but makes it fun. Great for building your short game up and cooling off with a dip to chase your disc in the summer.

Super crowded with a small amount of overlapping holes. We were the only ones I heard all day who called fore due to a bad shot. Keep your head on a swivel if you want to avoid a dome shot. As mentioned before, lacks any distance holes that requires a real arm.

There was a guy selling used discs on the course for a good deal, mostly unmarked......

Good tight game. It's a fun coarse. Good shade. Every thing can be birdied or bogeyed

It's on a decent sized stream. You won't loose discs so much as you'll spend a chunk of time fishing them out. You can get through with out hitting the water, but to birdie you'll have to get pretty close

The Park is beautiful. Big trees, a river, green grass. The fall time looks amazing here. Good moderately difficult holes. Not too long. Open fairways.

The course is great but the people it attracts arent the greatest. If you want to smoke, get drunk drinking beer, and get hit in the head with a disc then this is a place for you. Mostly it attracts groups who all have beer in their hands. The holes are so close that if you dont know where your going then you are most likely in the line of someone elses shot. Dont expect to stay behind the same group the entire round. people would all of a sudden be putting at the same hole when i was putting. Maybe they just had too much to drink at 3 00 in the afternoon.

The creek is a good but annoying hazard. If your not use to water hazards then be careful. I had my disc role into the river and almost be swept away in the current. And another time it landed in the middle of the river and got stuck. i had some cold wet feet for a time. i would advise playing this course when its really cold out. maybe thatll lose some crowds so the course is better appreciative.

Design
*A nice stream comes into play on 9 holes. To me, this creek is the most outstanding feature of the course.
*Multiple basket placements allow for lots of variety. The layout I played was a mixture of A & B positions.

Basics
*The tee signs are first class. They have a picture, excellent maps the various layouts, and location of the next tees.
*The concrete tees are in good shape.
*Navigation- the course flows well, and there are only a couple of spots where it's not clear where to find the next tee.

Amenities
*There's a very clear map available on DGCR and the Mile High Disc club. Go to http://www.mhdgc.org/courses.php?courseMap=1
*There were lots of benches and trash cans.

*The course is very popular.

Terrain
-Many of the holes have only a few scattered trees and were a bit too open for my taste.
-There aren't many elevation changes. In the mixed layout I played 12 were flat, and the greatest elevation change was +5 ft.

Design
-The hole variety is a bit below average, with too many straight shots. The layout I played had 12 Straight/ 4 Left/ 3 Right.

Amenities
-With multiple basket positions it would help if they would put in a way to mark which layout the basket is in.

Course Level = White (most suited for Intermediate players rated 875-925)
The hole lengths were on the short side, but shorter throwers (like me) might not mind that too much. The layout when I played had 5 of 145-199/ 9 of 200-299/ 4 of 300-340.

My favorite hole: 15. A short but challenging tee shot over the creek with plenty of risk vs. reward.

Because the course is so popular so there were tons of people playing on the Sunday I was there.
The course is set in a neighborhood and several of the holes have houses very close by, so it has a "city park" feel. Combine that with all of the players on the course, plus lots of other park users, and you don't really feel like you're out in nature and away from it all.
There were a few safety issues, so be careful in places. (Crossing fairways on 7 & 8, blind drive on 17.)

Overall, my enjoyment factor was above average. The course didn't "Wow" me, but it was a pretty fun round, especially the holes where the stream was in play.

NOTE: Look in the "Links/Files" section for my files with Hole-by-hole evaluations, and a more detailed Overall review. You can also read more of my reviews and rating notes at the Yahoo Group, DG Course Reviews

Jonny Roberts granite head stone by tree, say world champion.... nice park. well maintained. Great signs and t pads, well marked. plays through a small creek. ob almost on every hole make it challanging. has a practice basket to put.

nothing real long, and lots of people playing always waiting on a group of people.practice basket not straight up and down

was there 4 days and bird every hole but my best was 9 down

If you want to play a course and have a lot of good shots and have FUN then this is your place. Everyhole is a possible ace run. The creek that flows through it is not deep (6-8 in ) so any water shot you can retrieve easily. Sign are very well informed. I stoped in to check it out and ended up playing 3 round in less that 5 hrs.

Cop shop right across the street is intimidating for a golfer like me who likes to drink some "aiming fluid", but all is good oncwe you get familiar with the area.