Lakewood Dry Gulch reviews
5
1
What were they thinking? 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Apr 4, 2015
Played the course:once
Pros:
> Seems to have a convenient location to make it accessible.
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> A pretty nice topography overall, so it doesn't feel flat or repetative.
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> Some pretty scary OB's that will keep you from getting sloppy or cost you a lost disc. (you don't want to end up on the light-rail tracks, in a swampy bog or in the deep creek)
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> Creative use of the available space (but also see cons).
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> The concrete tees were mostly adequate.
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> Course is relatively short and easy to make a pleasant round for beginners and recreational players, but not so short as to be pitch-in for the more seasoned player.
...
-
> A pretty nice topography overall, so it doesn't feel flat or repetative.
-
> Some pretty scary OB's that will keep you from getting sloppy or cost you a lost disc. (you don't want to end up on the light-rail tracks, in a swampy bog or in the deep creek)
-
> Creative use of the available space (but also see cons).
-
> The concrete tees were mostly adequate.
-
> Course is relatively short and easy to make a pleasant round for beginners and recreational players, but not so short as to be pitch-in for the more seasoned player.
...
Cons:
> Overall, the park is pretty run down and ratty. All tee signs were either damaged or completely ruined. Trash was abundant. Many shady characters hanging about.
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> Horribly UNSAFE public interaction design: I just don't understand who thought it was remotely OK to have players throwing at, over and even from walking and biking paths. It is never a good idea to begin with, but many of these path crossings involve blind spots where a biker/walker could suddenly be right in front of your drive coming off the tee. There's even one tee box that is part of some business parking lot and another where players are supposed to use the public sidewalk at an intersection with a stop-light (W. 12th and N. Knox)... What? I would also suggest that the several times where a throw could drift over onto the light-rail tracks is just asking for a disaster - players WILL try to get their discs back and someone is going to get hit or in trouble. I have no doubt that this course will, some day soon, be the source of a major disc golf related injury that creates another major law-suit.
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> UNSAFE player interaction design: There are many holes where players will find themselves throwing at or over other players. Some fairways were shared and several tees were right in the line of fire for others.
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> Many missing baskets have been replaced with a make-shift tone pole. These were also very hard to see and would have been totally lost without locals to point them out.
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> Map shows multiple pin locations, but I get the impression they don't get moved much at all. Maybe I'm wrong... but I never once saw any signs of these other basket sleeves/locations.
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> The course itself really wasn't very challenging in my opinion. The fairways are mostly open and the vast majority of the obstacles were fear of going in the creek, onto the light-rail tracks or into the road. Nobody I saw was counting the paths as OB. Just a few trees here and there and a couple of power line towers...
...
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> Horribly UNSAFE public interaction design: I just don't understand who thought it was remotely OK to have players throwing at, over and even from walking and biking paths. It is never a good idea to begin with, but many of these path crossings involve blind spots where a biker/walker could suddenly be right in front of your drive coming off the tee. There's even one tee box that is part of some business parking lot and another where players are supposed to use the public sidewalk at an intersection with a stop-light (W. 12th and N. Knox)... What? I would also suggest that the several times where a throw could drift over onto the light-rail tracks is just asking for a disaster - players WILL try to get their discs back and someone is going to get hit or in trouble. I have no doubt that this course will, some day soon, be the source of a major disc golf related injury that creates another major law-suit.
-
> UNSAFE player interaction design: There are many holes where players will find themselves throwing at or over other players. Some fairways were shared and several tees were right in the line of fire for others.
-
> Many missing baskets have been replaced with a make-shift tone pole. These were also very hard to see and would have been totally lost without locals to point them out.
-
> Map shows multiple pin locations, but I get the impression they don't get moved much at all. Maybe I'm wrong... but I never once saw any signs of these other basket sleeves/locations.
-
> The course itself really wasn't very challenging in my opinion. The fairways are mostly open and the vast majority of the obstacles were fear of going in the creek, onto the light-rail tracks or into the road. Nobody I saw was counting the paths as OB. Just a few trees here and there and a couple of power line towers...
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Other Thoughts:
> I didn't hate playing here at Lakewood Dry Gultch, but I just had a hard time forgiving the designs total lack of regard for safety. Perhaps the paths and light-rail were added after the course was already established... but that doesn't, in my book, equate to a good enough excuse. The course has plenty of room to be redesigned as a safer and enjoyable 18 holer.
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> Since this course "is the way it is", please, please, please, keep your heads up for other park goers and public pedestrians/bikers, stay off the tracks and always have another person spotting the paths before you throw.
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> Since this course "is the way it is", please, please, please, keep your heads up for other park goers and public pedestrians/bikers, stay off the tracks and always have another person spotting the paths before you throw.
