Allentown, PA

Little Lehigh Parkway

3.745(based on 51 reviews)
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10 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.9 years 222 played 184 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A Large Little Lehigh Try 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 24, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ All tee areas have firmly built and detailed tee signs (except for 12) with flat and sturdy poured concrete pads.
+ Most of the fairways are clean and well maintained.
+ The course plays through a large and sprawling picturesque park with hills, water features and pleasant fields.
+ A large and detailed information sign greets you in the parking lot before hole 1, but...

Cons:

- ...There is no dedicated practice basket or lost disc box to go along with the info sign that I noticed.
- Some minor safety concerns when players have to cross roads for holes 9, 14 and 18.
- Two ridiculously long walks between holes 8-9 and 18-1 that first-time players couldn't possibly know about if they don't have the uDisc app or didn't snap a picture of the course map.
- There are absolutely zero 'next hole' signs.

Other Thoughts:

My least favorite hole here is 16 because I feel it is too close to a road, is boring to look at and plays flat and straight in a wide open field. My favorite hole here to play might be hole 17 because, after its flat start, I was delightfully surprised to encounter a grand downhill finish. I think my favorite hole here to look at is hole 8 because of that group of pine trees in the middle of the grassy fairway. That sight seemed like it could be on a postcard.

A lot of this course can be described like that. Little Lehigh Parkway is a very pretty course. On multiple occasions, you might find yourself stricken by particularly peaceful views such as when you are standing atop a rolling field at holes 4 or 18, gazing upward at a gradual climb as with holes 13 or 2 and passively observing the Little Lehigh Creek by holes 7 and 8, just to name a few. Some of the fairways do have messy undergrowth such as 6, 7 and 10 especially. So even if the player's throw lands in the middle of the fairway, they must still spend some time looking. Leave yourself a little extra time for that, and try not to rush through this course in the first place. Look around and breathe a little. There is plenty of fresh air, wildlife and sunshine here.

It's a good thing, too, because you'll be experiencing a lot of it. I would describe most of the holes as wide open with tree pepper. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you are the kind of golfer who dislikes direct and open shots and/or prefers wooded golf, then temper your expectations a bit. The first half of hole 11 is as dense as it gets. But the distances are manageable. Maybe a few would be intimidating for new players with five holes hovering around or exceeding 500-feet.

A few of the journeys between holes are open-ended and kind of crazy, as well. Whenever I play a course for the first time, I try to use just the course's installed features to help me find my way: next hole signs, beaten paths, spotting tee signs from a distance and maybe sometimes the tee signs themselves because that is how a course is meant to be set up-- all for the player's ease of use. Well, this course does not have 'next hole' signs at all. Thankfully, many of the subsequent tee boxes can be easily spotted from the previous basket, but the walks between 8-9 and 18-1 were still a slog, and at times I didn't feel as though I were walking in the right direction like between 13-14 and 15-16. And since the parking lot next to hole 1 is covid-closed as of Sept. 24, I parked somewhere else and started on hole13. I didn't encounter the map until after hole18. But that's the biggest issue at this course: navigation. Yes, I have uDisc, but I use its maps only as a last resort.

So, in closing, Little Lehigh is a treat for the eyes and a boost of health to the legs and lungs. Bring along your sense of direction for those unmarked paths & longer walks and your furthest-flying discs for those long and open fairways. Not much will get in your way, here. This is a scenic course with just enough hills and relevant water hazards to prevent this pretty place from feeling boring. Warmly recommended.
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9 0
HyooMac
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.8 years 419 played 387 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Three Holes Away from Excellence 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 20, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ Largely open park course that incorporates elevation and a few holes running along water

+ The sequence of the holes was changed, so use the "2018 layout" option in uDisc (holes #1-#5 are a loop to the left of the parking lot, then #6 starts on the other side of the lot)

+ The 2018 layout starts with five holes in a fairly open park setting, but each of them has a different shape. #1 and #3 are probably the easiest, because they're mostly open and flat - while the other three are either up or down a big hill. #5 is the standout (I guess it used to be the closing hole), because you're throwing from an elevated tee down into the open valley -but there's one big tree there to mess with your hyzer

+ #6 - #10 are in the valley, and several have a stream running along the right side

+ #11 brings some elevation back in: it's a short par 3 with a tight window at the tee and an open landing area. The hole is really great because the basket is up on an old rail line, so if you're short, you're throwing up knowing there's a dropoff behind it

+ #12 - #15 alternate open and woods, starting with a flat par 4. I thought #15 was another standout hole. You're throwing up a hill with the fairway narrowing the closer you get to the basket. It's an easy par, but a birdie if you have the accuracy to place your drive

+ #17 is a monster 686ft par 4. Although the length is helped by a huge drop in elevation after the right dogleg, it's a looong way to get to the turn. And then you're faced with placing your approach near the basket way down the hill

+ #18 requires a throw across the main road that enters the park. You're on an elevated tee, and it's not far to get across the road - but suddenly having a road after 17 holes in a park can get into your head. The good news is that the hole is another big downhill shot, so you can disc down and throw easy

Cons:

- I called this review "Three Holes Away from Excellence" because of the midsummer conditions on #6, #7 and #10. The fairways (if there ever were any) have been allowed to become overrun with waist-high weeds. #6 is tolerable (especially if you throw a slight fade off the tee), but #7 requires a spotter to prevent losing a disc, and the basket is almost taken over by the encroaching rough. The real loss is #10, because the weeds are so deep in the landing area, and then the lane for your second shot across the river has become a tiny keyhole due to trees growing in from both sides. We felt the chance of losing our discs in the brush was about 100%, so we bypassed the hole and played the next par 4 twice

- A few long walks (especially #8 to #9), and then #18 leaves you with a fairly long walk back to the parking lot

- The path from #15 to #16 is easy to miss - you want to walk straight up the hill toward the street

- There are some low areas on the course, so I imagine drainage and mud become issues during rainy periods

Other Thoughts:

~ Advisory: Bring Bug Spray in the Summer! I kept finding myself completely covered by swarms of small gnats. They were out even in sunny areas, so I think they hide in the fairway grasses. Luckily the initial loop of 5 holes ends back at the parking lot, where we bathed ourselves in bug spray

~ Little Lehigh is a sound layout, and as others have written, it makes a great complement to nearby Jordan Creek (we played Jordan first). After Jordan's woods, it felt great to have some open space to throw, but the elevation changes at Little Lehigh create their own challenges

~ I love a course with the tactical challenge presented by a handful of par 4's, and Little Lehigh does not disappoint

~ Mowing on three holes would make such a difference to the overall course experience, and I wonder if playing in the winter would be an improvement

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5 0
iHitTree
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.9 years 100 played 38 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Main obstacle feature is elevation 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 27, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

What's great about this park, property, and course is how elevation is used as a primary obstacle and featured on many holes. Being close to Jordan Creek, it's a nice complement. Both courses feature elevation change and water, but Little Lehigh is more of an open course, where wind can also play a factor. This is a course that has you throwing all sorts of discs, lines, and distances, so it's great to work out many parts of your game. My favorite holes include hole 1 (big open crushes to start out, par 4), hole 2 (cool change to throw a big hyzer out over the creek), hole 6 (a signature par 4 hole, you can throw safe landing zone shot, then throw uphill across the river to go for birdie, or you can smash one out there to finish across the creek for an Eagle chance, but you risk getting wet), hole 12 (nice long par 4 with a narrow-ish fairway dotted with trees, then a big right turn downhill approach, tough hole to birdie), and hole 13 (big picturesque open downhill smash, don't go deep or you're in the creek).

Cons:

Holes 1 through 13 have a nice "story" to them...there's a nice fluidity. Holes 14-18 are isolated on the other side of the parking lot from the rest of the course. There is nothing special to me about this hole 14-18 section of holes. They aren't bad at all, just not as memorable as the first 13. Sometimes the grass can be really long here.

Other Thoughts:

This is an underrated course as of late. I'm pretty sure it was one of the 2005 Worlds courses, but in the past 5 years or so, its reputation and relevance seem to be slipping, which I don't get. When the course is mowed, it's a cool course that reminds me a little of Brandywine Creek State Park's course in Northern DE.
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1 2
Ktbauer
Experience: 30.9 years 2 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 30, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very good open course with long and short holes,up and down hills with nice open fairways. The signage was very good and pretty accurate.

Cons:

Tee box mats were a little ratty, and the one hole over water was a little to extreme due to over grown bushes/trees. It meant your second shot had to be perfectly thrown and long to boot.

Other Thoughts:

Overall for my first time, I throughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone.
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2 0
Smf5125
Experience: 7 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Long Fun Course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

One of the biggest courses in the Allentown/Bethlehem area. Great, long, open, holes that allow you to see just how far you can drive.
Gorgeous park to begin with and, on a nice spring day, just a great place to be.
The course allows for many different approaches as the front nine has few trees and the back nine has fairly open lanes with trees only in play if you make an errand throw.
If you are used to playing Orefield/Wehr's Dam and South Mountain, this course is a great change of pace.

Cons:

While it is a great course, it is laid out along a park so there are a few unfortunate cons which you should expect but it should not stop you from playing this course.

The course is long so be prepared to walk.

It is a public park so do be aware of the people around you, because on a nice day others will be out enjoying themselves as well.

There are a few holes which play along the water or the road. The road is a decently traveled residential road so do be wary of traffic.

Other Thoughts:

This is a great, long, open course that will challenge most arms. With water hazards on the first few holes, you have to be on your game from the start and is a great course to spend a few hours on a nice day
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4 1
disc golfer
Experience: 25.7 years 15 played 14 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Big Course! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

- Pleasurable park setting with very nice atmosphere, people and scenery (especially the variety of trees and stream).
- Great design with a variety of shots and well defined fairways and rough. Smart hole design.
- Hole 1 plays like a ball golf course with a winding S curve fairway, rough on the sides.
- Some nice downhill and uphill holes.
- Hole 6 is thrilling. Long drive where placement is key to set up for long approach shot over creek to elevated tee.
- Holes 12 and 13 are enjoyable. Hole 12 long drive, then sweeping down hill that curves around right with lots of nice scattered trees. Hole 13 is a chance to grip and rip downhill.
- Water fountains throughout park
- Good food choices and gas stations very nearby.

Cons:

- Lots of people walking, jogging, walking dogs in the park. Although they do not interfere unless a throw is way off into OB.
- Most holes not set apart from park goers. Few holes offer privacy.
- Lots of insects on warm days (bring bug spray).
- On the first handful of holes, I feel that the tees are unnecessarily far apart from the last basket. There is plenty of room to set tees back further for longer shots.
- Course is sectioned off after Hole 4, 8 and 13 and long walks to next tee can end up in getting lost without a course map. Tee signs do have "Next Tee" directional, but easy to forget after hole is finished. Next Tee signs would be helpful.

Other Thoughts:

This park and course are huge. Plus there is plenty room leftover for a possible 2nd course or at least 9 additional holes. The course is a workout for sure. Many trees strategically scattered about the fairways makes this course not completely out in the open, although there are many chances for power drives. Smart holes with no dumb holes makes this a good course with a fine layout and design. Beautiful natural scenery makes you want to hang out at the park and just relax after a round.
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7 1
sloppydisc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.4 years 201 played 147 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun open course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 4, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

A good place to go if those tight wooded courses have you down. Admittedly this is not my preferred type of course, but Little Lehigh does a nice job doing what it does. 18 mostly open holes that wind along the river and up and down some decent size hills. Signs at each tee pad showing hole, distance and alternate basket positions. Pads are rubber mats and are in decent shape. There was a couple that could use some TLC, but they all worked.

Almost every hole on this course plays mostly open with limited trees creating some risk or lines to hit. The exceptions would be #7 that is a short hole with a tight window through some trees close to the pad. # 8 starts out wide open, and then quickly turns into a fairly tight line with a low ceiling in the trees. And then #10 has a few trees on the way up a hill leading to the basket on the edge of the woods.

The rest of the course plays up and down some good sized hills, and really let's you get some work in with your drivers. Hole lengths vary pretty well with shots of 630', 539', 551' and 720' to really let you throw some fun drives. The course also mixes some up and downhill shots to keep everything balanced.

Cons:

Navigation signs would be nice. There is a very long walk from 4 to 5. Make sure you bring a map or have your phone handy. The transition from 8 to 9 is also not obvious to the first time visitor.

Hole 18 could be a real safety issue. There is a bench about 40' from the basket and a walking path all along the right side of the fairway. I had to wait a few minutes for walkers to clear before throwing.

Other Thoughts:

Overall this course is a fun place to get a round in. it is mostly open without a lot of tight twists and turns that I prefer, but it has some ups and downs as well as just enough trees around to keep you honest. And you get to play along a cool little river for a lot of the round. Little Lehigh is definitely worth a stop if you are in the area, and a good place to get out and throw some drivers.

Here's a couple highlights:

Hole 6 is a sweeping hyzer line that crosses the river, and then forces you to go up hill to the basket. A real fun hole that lets big arms try to cross the river off the tee, while leaving the option open for us noodle arms to lay up short and then go for the basket.

Hole 12 was probably my favorite hole. It's a huge downhill bomb that goes left to right through the open field, and then down hill through some trees to a basket position 720' away. Lots of thick woods to the right off the tee and elevation and mature trees on the fairway. Just a blast to play. Even for a noodle arm like me.

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5 1
TheBirdGuy
Experience: 14.3 years 4 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Open, Long, and Enjoyable 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 19, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-There was some good elevation changes during the 18 hole course, with some good variety of Par 3, 4, and 5's.
-You have to be careful about the creek, as some pins are pretty darn close to the edge... specifically holes 2 and 4.
-The course isn't a beginners course, as you will need some power and accuracy to do well. Beginners could still easily enjoy themselves, just be careful too avoid the creek.
-Mostly an open course, but there was some holes with trees that came into play.(6 and 12 come to mind)
-#12 is a steep, downhill, dog-leg right, one of the cooler holes on the course with some trees to maneuver around.
-#1 and 11 are long and open holes. For those who like to rip a long throw, these holes are for you.
-Holes 1-10 run along the creek which makes for a beautiful round of disc golf. (you cross the creek during hole 6 and remain on that side for the remainder of the round.)
-There is signage which is accurate and offers an arrow to point you in the right direction for the next hole. Some holes require a long walk between them (4 and 5 are very far apart and we almost missed it when we were there. If it's your first time, you might need to ask people on the way where the next hole is.)
-The tee pads are rubber which could be a pro for some people, I personally prefer concrete, but doesn't matter too much.
-This course lasts long and is beautiful.
-The course circles back to the parking lot which is great. Parking is close to the starting point and the finishing point.

Cons:

-There are some soggy/wet spots on the fairway, so watch for that.
-There is only 1 water fountain, which is between 4 and 5 and makes for a brutally exhausting time on hot days, so be sure to bring 1-2 water bottles.
-The signage is accurate, but finding hole 5 is a bit of a struggle. If they had some more "Next tee" signs, it would be really helpful.

Other Thoughts:

The place is beautiful and makes you wanna walk casually and enjoy your surroundings.


There is a Disc Golf shop 2 miles away from the course, probably closer. It's called "Dodo's" it's an awesome little shack type place with a bunch of variety for discs, they also sell/buy used discs, which is awesome.

Be careful at hole 10 and 11, they eat discs regularly. My friend threw his at 10 and it went into the super thick bushes and those bushes don't like to give them back. We couldn't find it, but he did find another disc he likes a lot, so it was like an exchange. We spent 1 hour looking because it was a new disc and had become his favorite. He bought another one at Dodo's after the round of disc golf.


I received a recommendation from the guy working at Dodo's Disc Golf Shop, to play 14-18 first and then do 1-13 to finish. It was a great recommendation, as you will find that 14-18 are all up hill and it is pretty steep, so you'll want to get that out of the way first.

There is a bathroom shack by the parking lot which is useful if you are just starting, heading to hole 14 or just finishing.
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1 3
Hartley444
Experience: 12.2 years 21 played 10 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 21, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is pretty awesome. Most of the holes are very long but with a clear fairway for each. There are no in the woods hole but the course has the feel of a golf course. Because of this you are able to really put max power on many holes and the way the course is set up, there are still plenty of obstacles. The park is stunning. Very well maintained and seems to go on forever. A downhill holes were exceptionally fun.

Cons:

Rubber tees
Adding a few in the woods holes would give a nice mix and there is plenty of area to do so.

Other Thoughts:

I will be back. I feel this course is just as good as Jordan creek and its great to have 2 excellent courses so close together
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7 1
gauma369
Experience: 18 years 20 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 11, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-long open holes
-very nice park
-bathrooms
-plenty of water hazards
-rubber tee pads
-good use of elevation and different shots

Cons:

-not enough signage between some holes (4-5 and 13-14)
-long stretches between 4-5 and 13-14
-some pretty rough OB on hole 1 and 6

Other Thoughts:

Beautiful park with a nice disc golf course. Although I've been playing here for years I figured I would give a review on it. Some next tee signs would help the walk from hole to 5 and from 13 to 14. I can see how people playing the course for first time could get lost other then that its pretty easy to navigate. I love the water aspect which plays big roles in many of the holes. The river is a draw back if heavy rains occur before you intend to play because the first 6 holes get very swampy. Overall good mix of shots but most drives are grip it and rip it big arm players.

Hole 6 gets me every time absolutely love this hole. Tee off with dog leg left where you lay up just before the river then shoot across the river and get a good run at getting an eagle (although Ive never hit it Ive had some good looks at it)

I understand the idea and significance of letting the rough grow out on hole 1 but makes this hole 10 times tougher because you need to stay very tight to the woods and seeing the basket is pretty tough at end when it hooks back in.
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9 2
jkdisc
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 117 played 110 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 21, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Little Lehigh is a large park with many great shots. It is well kept and safe. The pros are really nice and the cons are just basically annoyances.

Pros:
-informative tee signs
-rubber tee pads
-scenic
-mostly open but obstacles/hazards form fairways
-1/3 of the course has a shot over 500ft. including a few over 600ft.
-vareity including risk/reward, elevation,
-water hazards don't pose too much risk of losing a disc (if the water level isn't high) as long as you are willing to climb down a small embankment

Cons:

The biggest cons for me were the pedestrian traffic and the extra long walks between a few holes. With the longer distances some players lose accuracy and that's where hitting a jogger could happen and as others have said there are many other park goers.

The long walks between holes make you feel like you're lost, BRING THE MAP!

Other Thoughts:

This course will give you a serious workout. Be ready for it. I did notice drinking fountains along the running path which was wonderful. It is a fun play but remember if you're not familiar with the course do NOT forget the map!
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3 5
flyerzphan923
Experience: 9 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Enjoyable course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 26, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

mostly open holes
great use of hills and water
some good "let 'er rip" holes
awesome park and scenemost people in park are aware of disc golf

Cons:

way too much walking involved
signs not descriptive enough as to where next tee is.
definately read the "tips for finding tees/baskets" and make some notes on your map!

Other Thoughts:

Very nice park and great course, if not for lots of walking and difficulty of finding tees I would have rated much higher
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12 3
zapplayer12
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 26 years 149 played 40 reviews
3.50 star(s)

One of several 'destination' Greater Lehigh Valley courses 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 7, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

• Improved rubber tee pads on solid gravel 'beds'
• Addition of tee signs (may help with previously reported navigation issues)
• Excellent use of elevation (up/down)
• Well maintained & mainly long, open fairways
• Most baskets in good shape
• Water either comes into play or is nearby for around half the holes
• Nicely balanced; no real 'handedness bias'
• Conveniently located off I-78 & close to other area 'destination' courses
• Amenities by the main parking lot with two loops back: 1-13 & 14-18
• Disc loss more of a possibility with water than rough (limited disc searching)
• One of four courses for the 2005 Worlds

Cons:

• Multi-use park - other park attendants are definitely a regular hazard! So be very patient & careful
• Some holes bordering and throwing near/across roads &/or heavily used walking/biking paths
• Wooded holes are non-existent; the one point missing in an otherwise balanced design
• A couple long walks that disturb flow (from 4 to 5 and 13 to 14)
• Very little technicality and slanted toward 'big' arms
• Lack of alternate tees (only 3) & pins (none)

Other Thoughts:

In 2006, I started playing disc golf again after having not played for several years. I soon discovered Little Lehigh Parkway and have been playing it regularly ever since - balancing out and complimenting the other area courses.

Admittedly, it has flaws as far as conflicts with other park goers. I handle this by being extremely patient - yielding to cars, joggers, bikers, fishermen, pick-knickers...basically anything & everything that can or could possibly be a hazard.

With regards to the 'flow' problems, I counteract this by beginning my round on the 2nd loop (holes 14-18) and then play the 1st loop (1-13). Therefore, the walk from 13-14 (which is the longest between holes) is to your car (or another round!) instead of 5 more holes requiring more long uphill/downhill walking. Believe me, this is the recommended layout - especially if you're on a 'destination' road trip playing multiple, highly rated and subsequently challenging Greater Lehigh Valley courses in one day.

As a biased, regular player of this course, I certainly miss the old #11 & 12 - two fun holes that made outstanding use of elevation (replaced by current holes 7 & 8 - not that I have anything against these holes mind you). I wouldn't be averse to having these holes reinstated and increasing the number to 20. Heck, I'd even add another hole in the woods to the left of the long walk between 4 and 5 eliminating the flow problem - which would bring the total number of holes to twenty-one!

The above 'High Hopes' aside, this course is very much recommended as a destination play along with Jordan Creek Park, Lake Nockamixon, Skyline Park at Blue Mountain Ski Area, Tinicum Park and the many other exceptional courses in and around the Greater Lehigh Valley region.
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7 5
Shannon Winn
Experience: 45.9 years 33 played 15 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Robin Hood 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 8, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a great course for big arms. It's manicured, spotless, and scenic. There is ample parking, and available amenities. All holes are challenging, and fairly well varied, as much so as a wide-open course can be. Worth playing.

Cons:

That said, the flow is absurdly awful, and needlessly so. Walkers, runners, and bikers are a hazard.
There are too many holes where both birdies and bogeys are darn near impossible to card, barring freak occurances. Jordan- a few miles north on 15th street, is a better course, now that it's been reworked. If you can only play one course here, my advice is play Jordan.

Other Thoughts:

This is a gorgeous piece of land that could have been handled better, IMO.
But if you have a couple hours to spare in the Lehigh Valley, it's a lovely walk in the park, and you won't taco any discs.
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11 1
optidiscic
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.9 years 156 played 149 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Flaws but still Awes! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 28, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

It's big and wide open. You can really test your arm here on many of the holes. Often the big arm feel is mitigated by elevation, shot placement, and nearby hazzards(street, walking path, river, trees) so it is not just a grip and rip open field course. Powerful yet accurate shot landing is needed here. There is notable elevation gains on holes 6,10, and 15 and dramatic elevation drops on holes 7,12,13, and 17. Holes 1-4 play along the flatland adjacent to the river and allow you to test how far you can throw but beware of the clearly defined OOB grass on hole 1 which accounts for over half of the 666 foot fairway. Hole 2 basket is perched close to the river. Hole 3 is guarded by 2 huge evergreens and the walking path is nearby. Hole 4 is an ever tightening bottleneck of a fairway with the walking path and river closing on both sides to a basket protected by the river and a big bush. Then a long walk up walking path across street to Holes 5,6. 5 is a fun righty turning crescent shot that can score deuces if your able to anhyzer or forehand effectively down this short tree lined fairway. 6 is considered one of the best holes. It's a drive over OOB rough to a grass landing area in front of the river. From there you must drive across the river and up a steep bank to the basket way up on the hillside. The bridge you must cross is also home to a local homeless man. He has lived there for years and is harmless. Just leave him be. Hole 7 is a technical shot through a tight window and then down to a basket resting atop an old train elevated bridge. Fun hole and chance for ace or deuce. Hole 8 is another open bomb but the landing must be precise to set up a moderately technical approach to the basket which rests up a tree laden gentle rise going to the right. Again a long walk to 9 across the street. 9 is a short flat throw to a protected basket with the walking path nearby. 10 is a marvelous hole shooting across an open field and then uphill to a basket sitting atop a narrowing gap. Walk up through the woods and your greeted with a long interesting par 4 #11 that has a wide open green fairway but slopes to the right so lefties can end up in trouble if they fade too much. A street runs the entire left side of the fairway so righties beware as well. 12 is a popular hole as it requires a precise opening drive avoiding treeline to the right to set up your approach which will be a downhill glide to a basket halfway downhill. You can miss and feasibly roll a good 150 feet past basket if not careful here. Hole 13 is the funnest hole. Just a huge chuck down a big hill and if your strong enough around a huge tree guarding the basket behind it. Dramatic elevation drop. Then another long walk to holes 14-18. just go downstream cross bridge to where course begins and walk past 1 and up walking path and hole 14 is on your left. 14 is a short uphill drive. 15 shoots from middle of field uphill through a tight gap and then uphill still to the basket that rests on a sloped hillside. Tough par 4 here. 16 is a straight open drive to a protected basket. 17 is a big downhill crush but it's a dogleg right so your challenged to throw a low anhyzer or to forehand around the bend which is just beyond most people's abilities. 18 is a slight downhill deuce run with a walking path and one tree guarding the basket. Tee signs are in place and rubber tee pads are in good condition. The course is permanent now so you can play year round. Well manicured park setting.

Cons:

Recent summer 2010 city decision to allow grass to return to natural state has ruined the manicured feel of the course and created innumerable disc loss possibilities throughout the course. A true shame. The transitions are really confusing for first timers and frankly still irk me and I have played the course multiple times as a local. I always think another hole could be squeezed between 4 and 5, theres are really great woods after 4 that could be used that end up near present hole 5. I also think a shot after 13 across the river and back to the parking lot could fill the void between 13 and 14. Would be a great hole and there seems to be plenty of space to do it. I also prefer the old layout which used hole 14 as hole 1 and hole 13 as 18. This provided a better finishing hole and cut down on the sloppy transition of hole 13 to 14. You also did not have to hill climb as much after the long walk. It's a long course with long walks. The walking path and street come into play a bit too often for my liking and are tempting fate with the possibility of an accident or confrontation. Too little technical aspect to the course. I miss the old Worlds holes that were beyond present hole 16 and down the road.

Other Thoughts:

Some repetition 3,9,16, are all open fields to protected baskets. This course was designed for Worlds 2005 and it is for this reason that it is so open and big arm friendly. It was to balance out the other Lehigh Valley Courses that were quite wooded, (Nockamixon and Jordan Creek). The course put on quite a display with Doss, Climo and Schultz battling it out. If you recognize why the course was designed the way it was it all makes sense. Definetely not meant to be a beginner or technical course. Also during Worlds the walking paths were closed and pedestrian traffic was not an issue. It's a beautiful course and really worth traveling to play here. Navigation and flow hurt her score. Challenge and Scenery are evident.
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12 1
nosajeel99
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.9 years 37 played 24 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 22, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

There are some really nice holes on this course. A few have a risk/reward notion to them with the creek coming into play, though it is really more of a danger for those whose shots fade off to the right.

Many shots require some skill, not just on drives but upshots as well. I am thinking hole #12 here, which is probably my favorite of the course. You drive over a hump in the fairway and then shoot downhill to a basket on a fast green. The drive over the road on #13 is nice as well. The course is very well maintained and looks almost impeccable.

Some new additions make it easier to navigate, such as red tape added to the baskets pointing in the direction of the next tee pad. Also, the tee pads have been replaced and have mulch around many of them. They are not as hard to see or find anymore. Also, there is some spray paint on the ground between some holes (between #4 and #5, #10 and #11) to help lead the way.

Cons:

I would classify this as a big arm course, not a technical one. There are only about 3 holes where accuracy is required MORE than distance to score well. Other than that, if you can throw far you should do well on this course. There isn't a lot to hit.

As other people have noted, there are long walks between some of the holes, especially between #4 and #5 (though the spray paint helps a little - there's not enough of it). Take a map to help you out.

Also, there are no signs whatsoever. If this is your first time playing, you'll probably have some difficulty knowing exactly where to throw on some holes, though on many you can see the basket from the tee pad (not all of them).

Other Thoughts:

I reviewed this course after the second time playing it (on two separate occasions). Before the round I fully intended on rating this course lower than I did, but the improvements to navigation and tee pads helped bump it up. The course is still broken up into too many pieces and doesn't have a steady flow. Also, I feel it is unbalanced in design (heavy on big arms, low on accuracy) and that keeps it from being rated higher. Purely on looks and *individual* hole design, this course is amazing; as a whole it seems to fall short. It is well worth a play, though, and definitely a great course.
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15 1
timg
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 21.9 years 356 played 59 reviews
3.50 star(s)

An Enjoyable Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 27, 2007 Played the course:never

Pros:

Fairly long with some interesting holes. Very well maintained.

Cons:

High traffic park so people can be a concern when throwing. Also, complete lack of tee signs/markings.

Other Thoughts:

Anyone that goes to play this course from out of town like I did, PRINT A MAP! I wish I followed my own advice but it's a little late for that now.

Most holes were fairly easy to find although we did find ourselves walking around looking for the black carpet tee area fairly often. It went like that up to hole #4 at which point we had a difficult time finding #5. A local pointed us in the general direction and we found a black carpet with #5 crossed out and #6 written on it a very long way from #4. We eventually guessed that the #5 tee was played from this gravel area (could be wrong).

Things went smoothly from there up to #11. We ended up finding tee #12 first and then while trying to find #13 we found #11! We never did find #13 unfortunately and apparently wouldn't have found #14 as it is a very long walk. At that point we were so tired from hiking around trying to find tees we gave up on the course.

I gave the course a 4 as it was a lot of fun when we could find tees and there were some very cool holes (#6 stands out in my mind). Also, if we were better prepared with a map then it would have gone from good to great. If the course had tee pads that were better marked (at least a stick in the ground) to aid in finding them or even better, some signs I think the course could easily be a 5.

So overall, Little Lehigh is worth the stop but make sure to bring a map if you've never played the course. It will make the course a LOT more enjoyable!
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