A par 27 that starts with two wide open holes, and then goes into deep woods with elevation changes. A decent nine for experienced players - but it's a handful for beginners who see a course in the park and want to try out the game


~ Although the first two holes are across open fields, they're par 3's of 325' and 425'. Hole #2 has a narrow mowed "fairway" strip the entire way, with taller grasses on both sides


~ The wooded holes are very good, including doglegs in both directions, and requiring control for both uphill and downhill elevation changes. A couple of blind tee shots, and a few sloping greens. I don't think any of these seven holes are flat


~ Good concrete tees (a bit short, but they're flush to the ground), large signs with only basic diagrams that are of little use in the woods, other than showing the general direction of the basket. Good DisCatchers, some have old flags atop them. No Next Tee navigation, but it's pretty intuitive - you can see the next tee from most baskets.


~ Long walk back to the parking lot. I understand the desire to use the first two holes to get out to the woods, but it seems like there's plenty of room to add one or two holes on the return. After all, there's no rule saying a course HAS to be 9 or 18


~ The holes are good - but I think that at almost 3000' the course should play as a par 28 or 29, with either or both holes #2 (425' open) and #3 (430' wooded dogleg) being par 4. And if you bring a newbie, you'll do them a service by telling them to ignore par and just enjoy throwing the discs

Leister Park is located in the middle of the town of Hampstead, Maryland, only a few minutes drive outside of Westminster. The park hosts runners and walkers as well as a small playground for children near the parking lot. Though it initially doesn't look ideal for an interesting disc golf course, the woods on the property provide a surprisingly enjoyable experience.

The course boasts expected characteristics of high-grade courses: cement teepads, colorful tee signs with small maps showing the expected lines, and yellow DISCatcher baskets. Though the course does play near walking paths, they rarely interfere with the disc flight, so walkers shouldn't be in danger.

Though the first two holes begin just beyond the playground area and are quite open, providing an accessible start, holes 3-9 are played mainly in the woods with some challenging but fair lines zig-zagging through the trees. Probably the signature hole, hole #3 starts in the open and throws through a large gap down 430 feet to a sloped green. The line is specific, but quite accessible and a fun challenge after the first two open holes.

After this, the course weaves through the trees before finishing back near the #3 tee. Though you could probably throw BHRH for most of the course, there are plenty of opportunities for FHRH plays. Hole #4 goes up a hill and to the right, so I chose a turnover, but hole #7's ace run was a soft forehand hyzer. I would have loved it more had I not hit the tree in the middle of the fairway! Still, was fairly easy to get up and down for a par.

Navigation is pretty easy on the course as the tees are easy to find (in the winter) and the tee signs are quite visible. I usually enjoy the experience more when I don't have to think much about the layout and can focus on just playing golf.

Though I enjoyed the course, there are some things that could improve the experience. First, par was a bit daunting for a number of the holes. Holes #2 and #3 are over 400 feet, something that most rec players cannot throw (me included), and hole six was 375, through trees and slightly up hill. Yet still, these holes were listed as par 3's. This is a mistake, especially for newer players. As a general rule, I believe anything over 400 feet should be a par 4 (and over 800 feet a par 5). This is challenging for rec players, but not discouragingly so.

Though the maintenance of the course was not much of an issue for me, there were many thorns throughout the woods. Stay on the fairway or wear long pants. Some are to be expected, but too many and the experience is detrimentally affected. Going through and cleaning up some of the underbrush would be quite helpful.

Lastly, though the navigation was easy, the finish was near hole #3's tee and not hole #1. I still had to walk both hole #1's and hole #2's fairway to get back to my car, though I used the walking path most of the way. Still, designers should try a bit harder to plan ahead for where players finish.

I am not likely to give a nine-hole course over 3 points mainly because 18-hole courses are demonstrably better. But this course was quite good. If not for the design issue and the par, I think a 3.0 would be possible. Those factors drop my rating a bit. Still, I quite enjoyed the wooded part, and the fun factor bumps this to a 2.5 for me.

One more thing: Despite what other reviewers have noted, I do not see this course as one well-suited for beginners. Many of the holes are quite long and throwing through trees can be frustrating for someone who has little experience. Intermediate players will find this a fun and challenging play.

Practice basket. Open space to loosen up.

New baskets.

Hard-to-miss tee signs. Concrete tees.

Holes 3-7.

Tee-1, practice basket a bit near kids' play area.

Baskets a bit high.

Tees too short (8') and a bit narrow (4')

Holes 1-2, possibly 8-9.

While initially open (1-2), the bulk of the course plays in a patch of woods, with throwing lanes, windows, and fairways defined by mid-sized hardwoods, grouped together in various degrees of density.

Wide open holes 1-2 merely serve the purpose of leading you to the wooded-loop formed by holes 3-9. Maintenance could prove to be an issue, as these holes are in an open field. In September, this grass was knee-high; In February, it was low.

Holes 3-7 are where the course shines, requiring a blend of turning, fading, flipping, and flexing shots to navigate the twisting fairways, combined with gentle elevation changes. Are some of the windows (4,7) challenging, or unfair? Are some of the shapes (3,5,6) challenging, or unfair? Play/decide for yourself!

Long and left-turning holes 8-9, while in the woods, are located on the edge, so the undergrowth received plenty of sunlight. In September, knee-high undergrowth made #9 unplayable; In February, it was fine.

It's a bit of a walk from basket-9 to tee-1, so I usually multi-throw on holes 1-2, then loop through 3-9 a few times.

While holes 3 and 6 are probably the toughest, my favourite in number 5. As a RHBH player, I need to bend an overstable disc straight downrange, followed by a sweeping right, followed by a sharp finish to the left to curl back to the basket - a very satisfying feeling when accomplished.

Worth a play. Hopefully 1-2, 8-9 will be well-maintained, and the brush/prickers just off fairways 3-9 will be beat down.