Denver, CO

Lakewood Dry Gulch

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2.85(based on 33 reviews)
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6 0
mndiscg
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.9 years 483 played 478 reviews
3.00 star(s)

True Denver Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 8, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

+This course is one of few that is actually in Denver and it seems like it is probably one of the more accessable courses in the city.
+Good variation in hole length and the alternate tees can change the course a lot! Surprisingly long holes.
+Some risk reward shots with a little elevation and the river potentially coming into play.
+More elevation than any Denver area course except Camenisch
+Most baskets were in decent shape (see cons)
+A lot of trees compared to most Denver area courses. It was refreshing.
+The map on here will do you wonders. It is more helpful than the signage on the course.
+Concrete tees are solid.

Cons:

-Light rail flows right through here. Locals that I played with for a few holes said that the course was better before that.
-This course is long and there isn't really an option to play less than all 21 holes unless you wanted to just play the first 7. You're not too far from your car after that. Or maybe 1-8 then skipping to 21. Once you are beyond 8, you are on a long out and back course. There are also some longer and awkward walks between holes. Grab a local and/or map to ease your navigational fears.
-At least 3 baskets were vandalized and partially missing. Some of the signage was messed up too.
-Some sketchy characters hanging out. I didn't really ever feel unsafe but I played during the day and am a fairly bold person. I wouldn't recommend playing during the early morning or around dusk.

Other Thoughts:

-This course has it's issues but overall was pretty fun to play. If it was in perfect condition, I could see giving this course a 3.5. A lot of the drawbacks aren't related to course design. The designers did well with what they had to work with.
-I would recommend this course. Try to play during the day and bring a map. It is a pretty fun course with some interesting shots.
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1 6
Sarahbellum
Experience: 10.9 years 33 played 3 reviews
1.00 star(s)

ick. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 11, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Tees 1 thru 8 have a decent layout. The course map is helpful, all the tees are pretty clearly marked.

Cons:

Light rail is too close so there's no retrieving your disc, creek is very trashy, bums live there, it stinks, creepers wondering the course, and there is way too much walking to complete a full round.

Other Thoughts:

Won't be returning.
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1 5
asjzn6
Experience: 18.7 years 136 played 59 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Its got its challenges 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 27, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Tee Pads 3.5
Tee signs 3
Baskets 2.5 (one missing and pole holes)
Flow 2.5
Difficulty 3
I did enjoy the length and elevation changes

Cons:

The flow was a bit tough having to cross over the light rail several times. There are a couple of holes that just too close to sidewalks. Got to get those missing pins replaced

Other Thoughts:

I might stop here again. I chatted with some locals and the light rail messed everything up. So maybe time for a course redesign. And don't cram 21 holes if they are not all good holes
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4 3
banknwank
Experience: 11 years 14 played 14 reviews
3.00 star(s)

hyzer bomb all day long..... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 9, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

27 holes and a 6 mile hike is sure to satisfy your dg craving!
-Some of the longest dg holes i have played, but par gos up with the distance. (longest was 800+)
-Great exercise with elevation changes and about a 6 mile hike.
-can rip @ your drives and not worry about your hyzer. in fact, you want a little hyzer on most so you dont end up on the light rail in the valley
-will test your endurance and ability to stay focused for the long haul. One shot does not make, or break, your round.
-some drives will require distance and placement to keep par attainable. dont sweat it, as even the more experienced players will be posting some bogies .

Cons:

-6 mile hike wore me down a bit
-Around the middle of the course, a couple of baskets are missing and makes for a slightly confusing walk to the next basket.
-maybe a little unsavory in some areas along the creek

Other Thoughts:

Bring something you rarely turn over, as right turning shots will glide a mile down into the valley. If you do turn one over into the valley you might find three other drivers while looking for yours........I did. I saw one guy riding his long board, as the course fallows concrete path most of the time. I could have used a jazzy by the end!
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8 1
HyzerUniBomber
Experience: 10.9 years 33 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Paco Sanchez 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 9, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The front 9 are superb (1-8 and hole 21) with some great long throws, cool hazards and great use of the elevation. As of about 9/1/2013 quite a few of the holes were changed to shorten up most holes, except 2 & 8 which is now very long. It's quite common to see folks play holes 1-8 and 21 twice instead of walking the whole course mainly because the front 9 is just better.

Quick rundown of the front 9 in the current configuration:
1. Long straight bombs right out of the gate. The 30 feet around the current hole placement really needs to be mowed down. Throwing an overstable disc here will probably put you into the train tracks or over them into the river. Ask me how I know. 10/2/13 Update: The grass is REALLY long in the field at on hole 1. I've spent much time trying to find drivers that bury themselves and become all but completely invisible. I know I'm not alone... might be worth having a spotter jog out there especially if there's people waiting behind you.
2. Another long hole with a pretty blind throw over the foot path. Worth a quick look to make sure you're clear because there's often people chilling on the side of the hill by the road.
3. Two tee boxes available. Long throw over the "water hazard" that's typically dry. Bikers/hikers use the back path right behind the pin - so use caution. It's easy to throw when it's clear and then watch in horror as a biker arrives out of nowhere.
4. Long down hill throw where you can really watch your disc fly. Throwing over the path again, etc. but cool shot.
5. Under the bridge - this hole causes most people some trouble as it's a got some serious stuff to avoid and throwing RHFH will put you in the bushes/river.
6. Classic Paco hole, 400+ downhill slightly right and if you overthrow you end up in the river.
7. Definitely a bird hole - you can get to the pin with a mid-range driver and of course, downhill the whole way.
8. I always play the mando to the right of both power line towers which makes it spicy. Fading left at the right point is key or you go over the river (or in it). Basket is tucked up in the second set up big trees and requires some shot selection to get it tucked in there. Cool stuff.
9. (Aka hole 21) straight forward 270' throw down the foot ball field. Nothing to hit except cars, houses or pedestrians on the road that you're right next to.

Cons:

The back 10 are not quite as fun or nice. You're really playing along the footpath, which gratefully is pretty desolate. There's plenty of spots to find yourself bush-wacking in dry weeds hoping you don't piss of a snake. It's long - bring a couple water bottles and some snacks. You go through a truly sketchy neighborhood - expect some interaction with the locals. No trouble yet, but I've seen plenty of drunks etc. and it's worth keeping your eyes open and aware.

Other Thoughts:

So long and short of my review, it's really awesome to have a course that's basically the opposite of Johnny Roberts. Long - wide open throws with less stuff to hit. Genuinely a nice change of pace. They run sprinklers through the front 9 on the reg. during the summer, so your feet can be wet on any given morning. Playing the whole 19 holes that are in right now could easily take a group 3 hours (solo or 2 players 2+), so plan accordingly.
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4 1
bobmcnelly
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13 years 326 played 190 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 2, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Concrete tee pads
-good signage
-easy to navigate and access
-good variety of shots
-good basket placements
-some elevation change
-challenging for good players but easy enough for beginners to learn on

Cons:

-Lots of pedestrians and bikers on the fairways
-Some holes are not in-play right now because of revegation
-Could be maintained a little better
-Lots of "sidewalking", you end up doing a lot of walking down concrete paths that makes the course feel a lot more spread out than it has to be
-a few holes are setup awful, shots straight down sidewalks that have bends so there could be someone coming around the corner as you release your drive.

Other Thoughts:

It's a good course, they just need to rethink a few of the holes for the safety of everyone.
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10 3
TalbotTrojan
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.7 years 112 played 104 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Woosh Goes The Light Rail Train 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course sits on a greenbelt with some nice elevation. The park seems to look very nice and there are some nice other things to do at the park including a very nice looking playground. The baskets are all in good condition and are consistent through the course. The tee pads are some of my favorite tee pads in the area, nice and big with plenty of room for good run ups on just about every hole. The design of the course is good and there are plenty of shots that make you think. There are some very unique shots on this course as well which add to the fun factor of the course. There is a good variety of shots from long up hill to long down hill to very tight and technical to even a few shorter holes. There is a nice creek that plays through the course in spots and provides a nice mental challenge when baskets are placed near the water. There is good sign posts on the course right now and the old signs look very nice, here's to hoping the make the same signs with the slightly modified layout on them. The course is also very convenient to public transportation now that a light rail line has been built right through the park.

Cons:

There are far too many negatives to the course as it stands right now. The biggest problem this course faces will be pedestrian traffic. There are lots of very nice bike and walking paths through the entire course, but many holes play right along the paths (2 & 20 are the worst perpetrators). There is a very good likelihood of this course getting pulled in the future if disc golfers are not looking out for pedestrians. There are also plenty of people that walk their dogs on the grassy areas of this park, completely oblivious to the fact that there is a disc golf course there. There are also a few filler holes on this course that really have no purpose being there other than to fill space between some of the better holes on the course. Signs do not feel like they are all that accurate at the present time but that could be because things have been redesigned slightly after construction of the light rail line. The park itself is not in the best part of town and I am not sure I would necessarily feel safe at this park if I was playing by myself. Some holes are hard to find from the previous basket, you will want to bring a map if you are playing for the first time without a guide. There are some long walks from basket to tee as well, including the times when you have to cross a bridge or light rail line to get to the next hole. With three holes currently not in use, there are some really long walks as well. A few holes cross the creek but do not have pedestrian bridges in places that make it helpful to get to where you are going. There are some rocks to hop on these holes but if the water gets high, that will not be an option. Different pin positions could drastically change the hole from super short to crazy long. This course is not well suited for beginners as the length will be frustrating at tames as well as the steep hills of the terrain causing some fun rolls.

Other Thoughts:

I really did enjoy the challenge of this course and that alone bumped this rating up half a disc. But, you will not want to play this course by yourself and you will want to have a map unless that person you are playing with has played the course before. The course plays like a links style golf course where you play out and then all the way back so for most of the round you are not going to be in a place where you can get back to your car quickly. It is fun to be able to watch the light rail trains go by, but please do not be stupid and try to retrieve a disc from light rail property. There are plenty of places where one could throw there disc over these fences. Also on the light rail crossing, please do not try to beat the train, it will be a very short wait until you are able to cross. Watch out for pedestrians before you throw, please.
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6 0
Wise Fool
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.2 years 125 played 118 reviews
3.00 star(s)

An Arm's True Test 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 24, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Good long tee-pads on each hole
-The tee-signs are good on this course (They show the pin placements, the layout of the hole, and distances).
-This course features a lot of elevation change, including uphill, sidehill, downhill etc.
-If you like to throw far, this is the course for you as at least one pin position on most of the holes is over 450 to 500 feet.
-Some of the holes have some nice risk/reward especially on the holes that play down near the river.
-Good mix of some wide open holes, wooded holes and holes that use the available obstacles well.
-Multiple pin positions on every hole
-Two or three holes have multiple tee-pads
-The closest course to downtown Denver
-The creek comes into play on some of the holes and a few pin positions cross over the river.
-Baskets are in pretty good shape.
-The course is very easy to access from the lightrail as the course plays past two lightrail stations.
-Course map at the beginning, which is good because you are going to need it.
-This course has a lot of fun well-designed holes that will challenge most players. And if some of the holes are in the right pin position, there are some legitimate par-4s which Denver has been sorely lacking.

Cons:

-This course can be hard to navigate at times. There are a lot of long walks between many of the holes, and unless you play with someone who has played the course before you will spend some time looking for the next tee-pad.
-One or two tee-signs are missing, and several of the tee-signs have graffiti all over them, which makes them almost impossible to read.
-Due to it's length this course takes a very long time to play, for solo player it take 2+ hours to play, so make sure you have plenty of time to play this course.
-Lots of other park users that can get in the way of the course. This is mainly only a con on the first 8 holes or so, and then you get away from the main part of the park. The first 8 holes had a lot of people sitting or playing in fairways or under the trees.
-At times, this course got repetitive due to the distance on all of the holes. When we played almost all of the holes, were in there longest pin positions. If the pin positions were varied up more than just the long positions, the distance would be more balanced and make the course more fun for players of all skill levels. If you don't have a very big arm this may not be the course for you.
-No benches or trashcans at any of the tee-pads. This course is a very long walk and some benches at tee-pads would be nice to rest on.
-Parts of the park, especially the back 9 can get overgrown and there is a high possibility of losing a disc.
-If you have a bad shot that goes into the light rail tracks, it is very likely gone for good.
-A few holes play back over each other.

Other Thoughts:

I never got to play this course before it got pulled for the lightrail construction. I am very glad that it is back. While it has it flaws, it feels unique compared to some of Denver's other courses. If you have the time to play this course, it is definitely worth a stop.
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4 1
DGRunner
Experience: 21.9 years 74 played 14 reviews
4.00 star(s)

BEST Course in Denver! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 12, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Dry Gulch is a fun course with immense variety. The tee pads are huge and there are three pin positions per hole. I played a short to medium length course which still greatly challenged me. Most of the holes play well to RHBH because the creek is almost always to your right off the pad. I love launching shots off a high tee pad to a low pin and there are several of these types of shots. The changes in elevation really surprised me because I thought the whole course would be in the creek bed. This course reminds me of a real golf course in that there are wide fairways, but trouble everywhere else. The mature trees add to the challenge (you do NOT want to land in the big pine tree pictured on #6). The course is really well designed given the narrow layout of the park.

Cons:

The central location of the course in Denver could make it very crowded. Trash cans will be needed. I am guessing if you somehow throw it onto the rail tracks then your disc is gone. The creek was slow and clear so I had no problem getting my discs out of the water. The creek could become trouble after storms. 9 and 10 are closed which makes for a long (run in my case) walk to 11. The same can be said from 14 to 15 and then 17 to 19 with 18 out of play. The course is mostly thick weeds so you need to watch your step and your discs. The least challenging holes are 1, 15, and 16. Also there are one or two times that the fairways intersect which could cause problems if it is crowded. All these negatives really don't take away from the fun factor.

Other Thoughts:

The creek occasionally comes into play and adds a serene feel to the course. #9 is currently out of play, but that will be a tough shot over the creek. The light rail frequently floats by and adds quite an urban feel to the course. If you take the light rail to Knox the station is 300 ft. from #1.
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1 0
wildwalter3
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

paco is back!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 7, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great challenging course. Has a variety of elevation shots and some long holes. Also, some tough shots along the creek keep it fun. Great pads and the layout is excellent. Super views and great park improvements since the addition of the lightrail. May make this the only lightrail accessed course out there.

Cons:

Need more trashcans before the park gets trashed again!!

Other Thoughts:

Bring water this is a long walk. Great to see it back as it adds some challenge and course diversity to the Denver area. If you like a more challenging course then this is for you!!
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3 0
DiiSegreti
Experience: 10.9 years 5 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 5, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

I grew up in this area and I have to say I really wasn't expecting much from this course. Did I get a surprise. This course was much bigger and much more technical than I imagined. Some unique pin settings made this very fun to play. Be ready for anything. There are holes from around 250 feet out to over 700.

Cons:

Finding the next tee was an adventure every time. The baskets are all silver. Locating them was tough. A fewholes were just guess throwing till we found it. The course could use maps with a but more information. Not for a beginner.

Other Thoughts:

Badco Disc Golf has made another fantastic course here. Locally my favorite course had been Bad Lands. This course is going to change that. If you've ever played the Blair Witch this course reminded me of that. just stretch the Blair way out. This course will force accuracy. Great training course if you plan on playing mountain courses.
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2 0
macilsoul
Experience: 36.7 years 7 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Hi Frank and Ponch 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Front nine has a nice layout with grassy fairways and tees that can be spotted from the previous basket. Good elevation changes and lots of mature trees. Variety of distances and no ridiculously short baskets.

Cons:

Back nine is not as nicely maintained and is not easily found unless you have locals around to point the direction. Some variety to shots, but not very technical as most holes are fairly wide open with obvious routes to the basket and not enough trees or other obstacles to force a lot of thought.

Other Thoughts:

Met some cool kids, Ponch and Frank at the course and they played disc golf for the first time with us. We left them with discs and they promised to keep playing and take their friends to the course. If you see them out there encourage them and enjoy a few baskets with them.
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1 1
tommy
Experience: 16.2 years 9 played 4 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Beginner's Eye View 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 13, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Long, with great views of downtown Denver and the Mountains. Most holes have adequate signage. A very nice variety of difficulties.

Cons:

Some signs are coated in graffiti. Neighborhood isn't the best, but never dangerous. Holes not tightly placed together

Other Thoughts:

This is a long course, bring plenty of fluids and enjoy the day.
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