Kivikko is Helsinki's newest course on a great plot of land with lots of elevation and trees. The tees here are among the best I've ever thrown off of. They're super level, elevated and huge plywood platforms covered with artificial turf. Yellow DISCatchers are in great condition. Tee signs are comprehensive with hole number, a fairway map, distance and par info. A few course maps are present in the park as well.

The course is really well designed. Just about every hole is very deliberately designed with a few signature holes. Hole 10 plays in a tight grass half-pipe and Hole 8 is a long downhill bomb that is so fun. There are open fairways that play to well protected baskets and tight protected tee pads that open up. There are four short but tight holes in the woods towards the end of the course. Each hole presents unique challenges. The course is less crowded than Tali and they hold weekly league play on Thursdays. The Finns who play here are very friendly and great English speakers.

There's lots of parking here which is great if you're driving. OB is marked with the pvc pipe stakes.

The grass gets a little rough here. One guy told me that a while back it was waist high, though it was manageable when I played. Watch out for nökkönen (stinging nettle)! It's all over the place here. It is also fairly easy to lose a disc here, there are two holes with water in play, and if you do in the drink on number one you can kiss that disc goodbye. The water is nasty sewage water and you don't want to go in there. It can also be tough to find a disc if you land in a big patch of underbrush. This place is also tough to get to on public transportation. The 94 bus will get you close but Helsinki buses are really tricky and the route maps at the bus stops are less than clear when you try to figure out where a certain bus goes. After three hours of bus riding, backtracking, asking for help, wandering around, and much frustration, I eventually found the place, but ay ay ay! At least the sun was up till 11pm and I could finish my round!

Navigating the course is also tough, but not to worry. The locals are very helpful and I ended up tagging on with another solo player and he showed me around.

This course and Tali are the two to check out in Helsinki. This course is a little shorter than Tali but it also has some of the coolest holes I've played in Europe. It's great fun playing in Finland with long summer days, friendly locals and great courses. Save some cash, get out there, pack some bug spray, watch out for the nökkönen and have a great time. I sure did!