The layout of the course is just wonderful, ups and downs, left and rights, some chances for rollers and tomahawks. Some people complain about the rough but from other courses I have played the rough does not seem that bad. There is also a place to camp literally 5 minute from here, take West park road west/south to 19th south, get on 19 south for 5 seconds and then take cheese man road to Break Neck Camping grounds!

There are 3 possible spots that the pin could be at. Sometimes this makes you do a blind shot to one of the three locations which can cause a bad shot. Id prefer if all three pins are in but obviously this is expensive and it really is not that big of a con.

There is a camp / camping ground about 5 minutes from Moraine that is not listed on any camp search site. The place is called Break Neck Camp grounds. It costs $8 / person a night (CHEAP!) and only requires two turns to get there from the disc golf course. If you type in Break neck to Moraine state park in google maps it gives you bad directions. Break Neck Camp ground is on Cheeseman road. If you're at the camp ground take cheeseman to 19 north, get on 19 north for about 5 seconds and turn right onto West Park Road. West Park Road takes you directly to Moraine Disc Golf Course! If you plan on staying a couple nights then camp here and Play Moraine, Knob Hill, and Deer Lakes Park. Those are the best in the area for camping and discing!

Beautiful course that plays through a well wooded section of a large state park.
• Challenge: truly championship caliber. Rewards good execution and punishes bad shots equally well.
• Shot variety: OUTSTANDING. Significantly more wooded and tight than open, but when you do get the opportunity let rip, what an opportunity it is! Nice mix of fairway shapes, types, and distances. Sure it's cliche, but Moraine really is an "every shot in your bag... and then some" type of course. Some holes start out fairly open, and tighten up at some point on the fairway (like 16). Others have open fairways leading to well-guarded baskets (12), or start out tight to make you hit a window off the tee, but open up nicely further down the fairway (11).
• Elevation: masterfully used to enhance challenge and aesthetics. Features several elevated tees and/or pins.
• Multiple Tees: White, Blue, and Gold fly pads aren't just longer versions of the same shot. They present different windows to hit, and may require different shots. On a few holes, blue and gold are on opposite sides of the fairway.
• Multiple Pin locations: adds variety and keeps things from feeling like "the same'ol course." Wish my local courses employed more optional pin placements.
• Quiet and secluded: if you want to get away from it all, this is the course for you.
• Natural Beauty: one of the more scenic courses I've played
• Feels organic: Fairways seem relatively natural, as if they were already there. I could be wrong, but it doesn't seem like many trees were removed to put this course in... that's a nice plus in my book.
• Equipment: well done. Baskets were in great shape. Fly pads were level and solid, footing was a non-issue. Tee signs show layout, pin locations, distance. Long fairways equipped with markers to let you know the distance remaining to the basket. Next tee signs to help move you in the right direction.
• Memorable/Unique holes: many; 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12, 15, 16
• Navigation/flow: pretty intuitive for the most part - the only place I had trouble was after 10 (almost played 4 again, but had I checked the map, I'd have figured that out).
• Amenities: Large park offers plenty of other activities.

Admittedly nitpicking here:

1st hole wasn't bad, but doesn't seem up to snuff on this course, and 13 seemed a bit "Poke and Pray"ish. A few benches and trash cans every 6 holes or so would be nice, but the truth is, there really isn't much to rag on.

Absolutely loved this course (even if that love wasn't returned).
Hole 15 is truly spectacular: Looks nice from the elevated Gold Tee, but if you don't stop at the landing area to appreciate the view, check for a pulse.

Absolutely loved the uphill upshot on 2 (I think pin was in position B), throwing through the tree tops on 7 (couldn't resist the urge to throw a few to see how close I could get), and the corkscrew on 8. Hole 6 will teach you all about placement over distance.

On certain holes, straying from Moraine's fairway's holes can be downright brutal (6 being a prime example). Not really suitable for beginners or those who don't have a fair amount of control - certain frustration.

Really enjoyed playing other courses in the area, and nothing off Deer Lakes or Knob Hill (both wonderful courses), but I have to say Moraine's definitely my favorite in the area. I hemmed and hawed about the rating, and would have given it a 4.75 if I could. Can't put my finger on it, but there's just something about the 5's I've played that I just didn't feel here... maybe it's just getting harder to move my needle that far. Nonetheless, this is a fantastic course, a must play for intermediate or better players visiting the area.

For good eats after your round: North Country Brewing.

Well maintained State Park. I know by reading reviews that many of you like the State Park courses as they tend to offer a better overall experience. One of the biggest pro's is that are 2 other highly rated courses near it; Deer Lakes and Knob Hill. Nicely wooded course that has a good flow to it, starting with some easier holes on the first nine and ending with progressively harder shots on the back nine. It's a pretty big course so bring some drinks, takes about 2hrs to play a round in a relaxed, unhurried group. The locals are friendly and very proud of this course. Great for year round play.

Poison Ivy, Oak and other fun crap like thorns and jaggedy bushes abound in the woods of Western PA, so sometimes you get a prize for throwing poorly. Come prepared, while not completely in the middle of nowhere, stores and restaurants aren't exactly handy. The course is very clean, but could use a few more receptacles.

This is my home course and where I learned to play 3 years ago and this is my first review for any course. If you're thinking about road trippin here, my advice would be to stay in Cranberry Twp as it offers many hotels and restaurants. Moraine is about 20 minutes north, Deer Lakes is about 20 minutes southeast and Knob Hill is in Cranberry. I've played Lincoln Ridge and Idlewild in Kentucky and Buckhorn and Mazerek Park in North Carolina and if you like these courses you'll be happy here.

The course plays through a nice wooded corner of the park with no interference from other activities. There are great hills throughout that are used to create challenging and memorable shots, along with some nice views out over the lake. The majority of the holes play down tree lined fairways with nice punishing rough waiting to make you pay in strokes for errant shots. There are three sets of tees that change up the length and difficulty of the course quite a bit and offer appropriate challenges to a wide range of players. Decent signs at the middle and long tees along with next tee signs make the course easy to figure out and follow.

There is a great mix of different challenges here, with a nice balance of hole lengths and shapes that require players to have a mastery of just about eve type of shot to be successful. Many of the holes are long, but the length is used to create well designed multi-shot holes that make you concentrate on your fairway drives to have a chance at par. The rubber tees were well laid, and the baskets were in fine shape.

On long wooded holes, especially blind ones, it's frustrating to not know which pin placement is in use. This is especially annoying when the pins offer such different lengths and hole shapes. The rough is good and thick at times, not a big con to me but it does take away some level of creativity when a shanked shot means you'll just be pitching back onto the fairway. A couple spots on the course felt just a little too lucky and pinbally to me.

This course calls for accuracy, shot placement, and consistent long drives in tight quarters. You'll need a full arsenal of shots to tackle this course and even so every player will find themself stuck in tricky spots throughout the course. The three sets of tees provide great challenges for intermediate, advanced and pro players respectively, beginners without patience and a sense of humor about being stuck in the rou won't have any fun here.

Played this course literally right after playing Deer Lake's casually and just after the PFDO tourney. I was tired, aching, etc. and very little energy left to play this course but ran into the course pro at Deer Lakes and decided what the heck. Made the trip north as I really wanted to see hole 15 in Moraine which most people say is one of the best looking holes in Disc Golf. Really just decided to walk it more or less. First two shots I parked from the blue tees so after that it was like a shot of adrenaline. Then went all out.
Hole 1 - was a nice straight teebird shot.
Hole 2 - was an elevated shot that wasn't as hard as it looked and actually got a teebird within 15 feet.
Hole 3 had a little bit of ob in the middle but was well protected but I threw a few midranges and came close to them. Really don't remember some of the holes but just remembered thinking that wow i'm playing this course great! Then came hole 6 on.
Hole 6 was an amazing hole and one of my favorite holes I've ever played. There are so many different way to play it. It's just a 675 foot hole that has a row of trees like straight down the middle, but tight enough to take a hyzer flip risky, and makes just a straight shot risky as the center trees can kick it out into the rough on either side. Did a long turnover, and then a forehand roller and have to say this hole was awesome! The rest of the holes are great, but loved 15 of course, 16, 18 and 6. Really don't remember the rest of the holes to really tell you what ones I really loved but going through this course, it's almost like the designer knew what ppl were thinking when they step up to the teebox. See something that you can turnover, and it makes it through but puts you into jail were you have to forehand roll, pancake, etc. Some hate this type of course but the whole time all I could think of was Idlewild. When you really think of Idlewild every hole has almost it's own signature. Your not just throwing discs through trees, you are planning your shot ahead. Think it makes a tactical side of disc golf, vs just big hyzer and putt. Loved some of the shots like 9 I believe it is when I through a predator vs hyzering a midrange and almost like they dare you to do that as I found myself right in a clump of trees with no shots to the basket. Hole 12 I believe it was is a hyzer shot that is in the open but always puts you in a situation where you have to forehand or hyzer through a line to the basket. Great hole. Hole 15 you walk out and you just see a tiny dog leg, and the wind makes for a fun time also. It's a beautiful shot and another one where you have to really trust how far you can throw a disc, as 350 out is a small grove of trees. Probably my proudest moment was flexing a shot that sailed past the grove of trees and gave me a shot at the basket. But where most ppl would drive there is OB if you turn it over to much or dense woods if you use too mean of a disc. Hole 16 was my favorite hole on the course. Another one where you have to plan your shot. Also, like that it is a hyzer so you can get a skip off the packed earth and will make for a harder approach shot. Hole 18 what is there to say about what Jerry said was one of the hardest shots in Disc Golf. The landing zones are perfect with two creeks that play as OB and then there is a tree right in the middle so you have to use a pretty fast disc and flex it past it if you want to get to the far landing zone. Loved it. This course has everything that I love about Disc Golf and I shot almost what my rating is which is unfortunate for me, lol but great for the people who designed the course.

None I loved this friggin course. Of course no concrete teepads, some older looking signs etc, but that's like a mole on Jessica Alba. Really doesn't hurt the beauty of it at all.

Takes a special course when you are getting ready to drive 6 hrs back to Cincinati, your tired from the long weekend and you decide to stick around and play it. Then play it again. Kid you not at hole 12 I didn't even know if I could walk anymore lol I was that tired! Yet I still played 15 again and 18! Needless to say that it was a loooong, painful, and very smelly trip home but between Deer Lakes and Morraine really loved them both. Morraine is idlewild. Every hole at original Idlewild is one of my favorite holes just because you can play them so many differant ways. Morraine is the same. The holes leave a lasting impression on you, just like Idlewild. Have never found holes that top holes 1,2,3,5,6,10,11,13 long, 14 long,15, 16, 18 at idlewild lol but Morraine has a few that I would put up there and already itching to play again. Be honest Deer Lakes, and many other courses with all there beauty do not leave you with that same I want to play that hole again to see if this will work, etc. Morraine is the only other course that I have ever played other than Idlewild that has done that to me so it is up there as one of my favorite courses of all time!

- Beautiful Grade A park with plenty of parking, pavilions, beach, grills etc...
- Bathroom right near Hole #1 tee
- Multiple disc golf signs directing you to the course
- Map is very accurate
- Practice basket located near Hole #1
- 3 tees for every hole! Colored concrete or wood markers for each tee.
- Multiple basket locations for most holes
- Fantastic rubber mats for tees and there is a broom located at every hole!
- Excellent Tee Signs (2 per hole on most!)
- Good placement for Next Tee signs
- Baskets are in excellent condition and well labeled
- Very well marked OB's. I've never seen so much effort put into marking OB's permanently like that.
- A lot of work went into the bridges and the drainage trenches all throughout this course
- The upkeep on this course is phenomenal! All the fairways were well mowed and there were some fairways so deep in the woods I really have no idea how they got a mower back there. They are doing just a wonderful job keeping this course well manicured.
- The course flows well. #1 starts at the parking lot and #18 ends at the parking lot. It can be a little tricky getting from #3 to #4 and from #10 to #11 because you not only cross the road but you also cross paths between holes (figure 8 style). One important note, if you are at Hole #9 and you would like to head to the parking lot to take a break (eat food, hit the bathroom), there is a path right by the basket toward the parking lot. The path is well trodden but the entrance to the path is not marked and a little hard to see.
- An unbelievable mix of shots are required. There are some open areas but the course is mostly wooded but plenty of places to really rip your drives. Just a fantastic design for a course with obstacles and twists and turns which will constantly challenge you.
- The course is sent in some thick and beautiful woods over a rolling landscape. The scenery opens up such as Hole #15 which gives you a wonderful view of the lake the top of the forest as it continues on.
- This is a long distance course that will give you exercise and push your stamina, especially on those hot July/August Ohio days. Combine the long distances with the elevation changes and now you have this absolutely incredible course with multiple signature holes.
- Heavy traffic from disc golfers but low traffic from walkers and hikers.
- Very clean course with no vandalism and there are benches all throughout the course

- Need another Next Tee sign from #8 to #9 as the path was difficult to find. Also could use another Next Tee sign to help from #10 to #11. Navigated between these is a bit tricky your first time out. Bring a map your first trek out.

- Very fun course, bring the family and make a day of it at the beach and the course.
- A highly challenging course that made me really consider every shot I threw.
- What is my favorite hole? Too many signature holes to choose from! For me, it's a three-way-tie between #6, #7 & #15. #6 is a looooooong flat straight fairway split by trees down the middle. This hole really challenges me because one of the hardest throws in disc golf is a low-flat-straight shot. #7 is downhill, out and into the open Over Top of trees! Wow, I love this hole. #15 is an 852' beast, downhill, starts in the open, curves right, some trees blocking your shots to the basket at the bottom of the hill. I think I'll have dreams about #15 .
- This is a destination course for any road trip. Huge thanks to the crew that is doing such a fantastic job on the upkeep. I will work hard to come back as much as I possibly can.
- Edit 09/15/2011 - Message from a course rep, "Hello. I just read your review on MSP and I wanted to inform you that we recently installed professional grade directional signs, distance markers and OB signs throughout the course. Signage was installed just prior to this year's National Tour event on Aug 27-28."

The terrain and scenery were exceptional. I am from Las Vegas where the courses are flat and fairly treeless. This course is exactly the opposite and that's what made it interesting.

This course also offers a variety of tree-covered fairways and open air fairways which was nice.

I only played the pro tees but it offers beginner and intermediate tees which makes it good for new people. Playing the pro tees could get frustrating for an absolute beginner.

The landscaping and geography of the course are fairly well thought-out and I didn't find the course to be tough to navigate at all.

Keep in mind: I used all the yellow tees. As I was playing, I was thinking this course was a little TOO tough. I don't mean to sound like a wimp but on a couple of the holes you play 400ft., straight uphill, dogleg hard right, with 50 trees in the fairway. And the hole is supposed to be a par 4 . . . Huh? I get that no course designer wants to make a course "easy" but at some point I think the line has to be drawn. The course feels like a nature walk that just happens to have a disc golf course on it. The fairways in the woods holes are literally four feet wide and if you end up three feet off any of them you can start adding multiple strokes. Once again, I have no problems with narrow fairways but narrow AND 465ft. Long? It just seems like overkill. And what happens with the difficulty is that shot selection is severely limited. There is only one hole, 15, where you can really boom a drive. But the other 17 all you need is a Roc and a putter. Why bother with any other kinds of discs since any drive over 200 feet is going to run into a tree? I just think the potential of the course is being limited by its overt difficulty. My suggestion: take out half the trees and change par to the course to about a 58. This would cause players to use some creativity and skill. Right now, getting a decent score on the course feels like luck.

Moraine State Park is worth a trip even if you don't play disc golf. Natural beauty abounds here.

This is one of the best maintained courses I have played. The fairways are mowed tight and the rough is trimmed. There are so many courses that have rough that swallows discs with thick funk that claims disc after disc. On the flip side, some courses are too forgiving. The rough doesn't present enough of a challenge for errant throws. This course nails it perfectly. The rough makes your next shot tougher but you should leave with your bag intact.

This is an intellectual layout. Don't think you can just walk up and gun n' run here. You had better scope the lines and dare I say...disc down at times for accuracy. There are multiple landing zones on many holes. Playing smart and reserved is key for success.

There is sweet elevation here. There are multiple elevated tees and also elevated pins.

There are 3 rubber pads per hole. I love this! This is a pro caliber course, no doubt. It is challenging and calls for accurancy and distance equally. Newer players benefit most from the 3 tee layout. You can take it easy or rock with the golds.

The distance is top shelf. The gold course spans over 8200ft. for a standard 18 holes. Boom!

I can only nitpick here.

The navigation is weak at times. My first time here, I actually played hole 18 after 13. The course has some next tee signs but not all are prominent.

2 holes in particular hold this course back a bit for me. Hole 11 seems out of place. It doesn't seem to match with the distance or design of this course. Then there is hole 12. This hole is perhaps the only hole on this technical layout I would consider unfair. I actually had some locals tell me I had a lucky shot cause I made good distance to the pin from the first landing zone. I thought...your right, that was luck...

This is a cliche statement but I used every disc in my bag...seriously. I am a LHBH dominant thrower. I only deviate from this if I feel I have to. My last round here, I used tommys, sidearms and multiple rollers to get through. I went understable on many and disced down to mids on 400+ foot holes.

This course has multiple sig holes but I will just name a few. Hole 2 - this beauty is 440 feet of perfectly wide fairway to an elevated pin. One shot into the rough will cost you a bogey. Hole 6 - This 934 foot bad boy is open enough to find lines from each lie, but it is certainly not open. You will need to work to hit this par 5. Hole 7 - this tee shot has you tossing over tree tops for a finese 300 ft. par 3. You will need to "land" this shot with precission. And lastly, the famous hole 15 - truly EPIC. This hole defines this course. It is one of the all time great holes. You will stand highly elevated, looking over the vast 852ft. fairway that leads down to the beautiful lake backdrop with rough on both sides of a very manageable fairway that just begs you to throw with every last ounce of juice and you have a bag full of discs at your side.

This is a top tier course. An "A" course. It is worth whatever it takes to get here. Team it up with Deer Lakes for perhaps the best disc golf tandem you will find.

• PA state park = high quality disc golf
• Three tees (gold/long; blue/med; white/short); flat/even fly-pads surrounded by gravel
• Tee signs at both gold & blue tees - some tees also have brooms to clean off pads and many tee areas have benches available
• Baskets are in good shape and have multiple pin placements available adding diversity/challenge
• Mainly well defined fairways with a good balance of wooded, lightly wooded, semi-open holes necessitating a wide variety of shots with the available elevation incorporated sensibly
• While accuracy is critical here, length is also essential in order to score well from gold or blue tees
• Rough was manageable but errant throws could be severely punished on some of the holes (this goes for getting out of trouble as well as disc hunts)
• Out of bounds clearly marked (although don't necessarily agree with all of the designated OB areas)
• Intuitive flow with an outstanding design
• Next tee signs after virtually every hole so navigation's a breeze
• Extremely well maintained - practically in pristine condition when I played
• Abundance of wildlife adds to secluded feel
• Huge park w/gorgeous lake, amenities and many other activities available
• Plastic tree protectors on some of the trees that must endure disc collisions frequently - not sure I've seen this elsewhere
• Plastic drainage basins that aid in diverting water runoff away from holes

• Could use basket position indicator at tees. I threw the wrong shot on at least one hole due to not knowing basket position (should have walked up and scouted) with the end result adding a stroke to my score.
• Lack of trashcans on course - it's 'carry in/carry out'. However plenty of trash cans near parking lot and throughout the park & I did not see ANY trash on the course so this policy is obviously not a problem - just felt it needed to be pointed out.
• On a few holes, the Gold Tees seemed superfluous as they didn't add a different look and were merely behind the blue tees and seemed to just add distance for distance's sake.
• Getting to/from park can be confusing w/current road construction going on - however not the disc golf park's fault but definitely worth a mention.

As of this writing, Moraine has 35 reviews - many of them well written and thorough - so I won't go into course detail here.

Of the three Pittsburgh area courses I played (Deer Lakes, Knob Hill and Moraine), this was by far the most enjoyable. There's just something exceptional about these disc golf courses in PA State Parks that's difficult to describe...maybe it's the chill, secluded vibe combined with the wealth of wildlife...or the meticulous maintenance coupled with a balanced design and diverse layout...or just that perfect blend of qualities I thoroughly enjoy in a disc golf course -where a first timer can relax, feel 'at home' and take pleasure in the game and the environment its set in.

Speaking of environment - the wildlife was abundant here. Upon first arriving, I identified at least a half-dozen bird species just in the parking area alone! The variety of moths, butterflies & other insects in addition to the flora/trees encountered on the course was equally as diverse. The enormous lake that's at the center of the park is certainly its life blood and provides a fantastic DG setting.

I played on Labor Day and while the beach and surrounding area was packed with people (the DG course shares the parking lot), the course was not crowded (people were playing but there were no bottlenecks or waiting).

Any of the cons listed above are mere nit-picking. This is a high quality, championship caliber destination course set in one of the more impressive state parks I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. Moraine State Park is without a doubt one of my all time favorite courses.

A sojourn here is highly recommended not only for the amazing course but also for the overall park experience. Definitely worth going out of your way for....

I played here in 2005 and now in 2010, what an improvement in 5 years, this course is truly great now!

I have numerous pro's to list so the details will be short:

- 3 level rubber tees per hole, gold (long, pro caliber), blue (advanced worthy) and white (begineer level) all installed perfectly flat with gravel surrounding them.

- a great variety of shots required...uphill, downhill, left, right, long short.

- a very clean and well maintained park and golf course. Cut grass in the woods, is almost hard to believe.

- course favors accuracy over power

- benches on most of the holes

- very good detail on the tee signs and next tee signs after playing the hole.

- the view on hole 15 which is unlike the rest of the course. it's the most scenic hole in PA!

- #7 and #18 are very fun downhill shots

-swimming is available in the same area of the park (North Shore)

it's hard to nit pick but I will mention there is some repetative long straight low ceiling shots from off the tees or on long approach shots.

Playing this course is a "hike", bring water and good footwear.

Along with Knob Hill and Deer Lakes, the Pittsburgh disc club has installed some challenging and world class courses, THANK YOU!

In early Sept 2010, the North Shore entrance
was very hard to get to with all the detours. Follow the signs, they will get you there but it takes about 10 minutes longer.

Moraine is not far from highway I-79 and Pittsburgh and/or the Grove City outlet shopping complex.

This is my home course. It's the first course I ever played and still the course that calls my name more often than not. Moraine has wide open fairways on most holes, compared to a few other courses I've played, but stray shots are punished HARD. A few holes have very tight approaches (#13) that will test your ability to shape a shot down a narrow path through the trees.

#15 is still the most scenic hole I've played to date.

A few holes on this course can be very intimidating for newbies. I've yet to see a new player finish hole #15 without a long search in the thick brush to the left after throwing off the hilltop.

Excellent demand of shot variety for the best players. Legitimate par 66 with more Par 4 and 5 variety than we've seen in any other course. My son and I played the blues, the middle of three well-designed tee options. The golds make for some monster challenges.

#15 is by far the most spectacular and fun hole on the course. Great downhill view to the lake. It's a grip and rip hole that still demands a well-executed flight path to avoid brush and take best advantage of the dogleg. Long tossers will benefit from a spotter.

Other favorites are

#2 - uphill wooded approach with an OOB creek bed guarding layups in front of the basket.

#8 - Fun shot through the gap left to clear the way to the basket.

#10 - another uphill approach. I don't usually like uphills as much. But this has enough clear fairway for an inviting challenge.

#18 - wooded with a creekbed at about 250 ft, and another guarding the basket.

Rubber tee pads for gold, blue and white: almost as good as concrete. Very flat and stable. Excellent signs, with the hole design indicated at each tee option. Easy navigation from one hole to the next, but it helped us to have a map to find the 11th tee.

Having said all that, I like Lake Moraine a lot, but not as much as Deer Lakes or Knob Hill in the Pgh area.

The views at Moraine, other than #15, weren't especially memorable. And it tops my list for its ability to bring out the worst in my game. The penalty for any lack of precision can be severe, and at times it's near impossible to find a best approach line - especially when the toughest baskets are in play. It would help to have a few more beautiful or forgiving holes to balance out the punishment.

Trees clog almost any putt at #4 with the basket right. The thick tree line down the middle of the long 6th fairway is brutal for all but the straightest throws. #12 heads into the woods left, at which point the trees are everywhere. #13 is shorter, but another brutal tight line. #16 is a long par five, with a tight uphill drive into the woods to make it play even longer.

Even the short 17th was frustrating. The fairway has a strong side-slope right, with mid-fairway trees and branches hanging relatively low. The blue tees hug the left brush, so your drive has to stay down, fade right to hold the slope, and avoid the fairway obstacles.

The course wasn't especially crowded, even on a summer Sunday. But the park was. The course shares parking space with the main lake beach. My son and I went for a quick swim with the rest of our family after our round. We even found lunch, and ice cream, at the beachfront snack bar. My wife wants us to rent bikes next time we visit. My youngest daughter wants to rock climb at nearby McConnell's Mills. It adds up to a great day trip.

Moraine (Lakeview Disc Golf Course) is easily one of the best courses in the entire region.
-The park that this course is in offers quite literally everything. Sandy beaches, boating, swimming, hunting, tons of paved bike trails, hiking trails, bathrooms, food and some awesome disc golf.
-Three good fly pad tees for every hole. White, Blue and Gold. This is a championship level course and par from the golds is rated as 1000. Each Tee does a good job of offering different distances and angles.
-Course Design. You can easily see that tons of thought went into each hole. Each tree on the course seems like it was strategically placed to make you take it into consideration for your next shot.
-Fairways. This is for the most part a very wooded course but every single hole has very distinct, fair, and manageble fairways. There are no poke and hope holes.
-Pin Placements. With every hole having at least three pin positions, you are afforded with a very nice variety of approach shots on every visit to this course.
-Elevation. Most holes have some elevation on them without having any ridiculously hard up hill shots.
-Variety of holes. There are no filler holes, or repetitive designs. Equally balanced between left and right turning holes. Reachable par 3's and Par 5's that require 4 very good shots to have a shot at a par. Very clear landing areas for the Par 4's and 5's.
-Variety of shots. You will need backhands, forehands, rollers, overhands, sky hyzers, low line drives and a steady putter to conquer this course.
-Perfect balance between accuracy and distance.

There are not too many cons to this course. A little bit of wash out around tees, lack of garbage cans on the course and no water available at the course (there is some at the beach which is not too far away).

This is a "phenomenal" course. But it is also a difficult, long, course that requires you to mentally and physically exert yourself. Moraine really requires control. If you can avoid trees and stay on the fairways you drastically improve your chances of birdies or par.
Alot of people will mention how beautiful a hole #15 is since it overlooks the lake but I think all of the holes are unique and aestheticaly pleasing. My personal favorites are #16 and #18.
#16 is very diffcult 441ft- 700ft par 5. You must hit one of two smallish gaps going up a slight incline then try to play down the right hand side fairway, that is probably the most wooded on the course, and finish at the well protected (d or c) pin with a gully directly behind it. You can have an outside shot at a 3 if you hit your lines or a 8 if you don't.
#18 is a great finishing hole. 450 or so feet straight through harwood forests with a large OB gully half way down the fairway and OB near the pin. Rip a drive and risk the trees and OB or lay up and try to place your next shot?
I love playing this course and I have learned never to go in with expectations becuase if your game is slightly off Moraine will punish you.

This park was pounded by four major glaciers during the ice age and ravaged by mining before it underwent a monumental reclamation project, starting in the 20's. The parks name is actually the definition of glacial debris which still impacts the land today. The disc golf course has incredible ecological diversity with scattered pockets of moraines causing the savannah-like acreage mixed with adjoining pockets of lush, mature hardwoods.
Glaciers also molded the area into rolling hills that are perfect for disc golf.
The other thing that sets Moraine apart is the fact that six designers spent two years tweaking and revising, and the result is stunning.
They did not let a good course be an obstacle of greatness and should be commended.
Four bona fide signatures holes in my book;
6,7,12,& 15.
Some of the best par 4's and 5's that I have played, along with WR Jackson & Iron Hill. Views of Lake Arthur were just icing on the cake.
This is a huge state park with a myriad of other recreational activities. Great place for a family vacation.
"Honey, I didn't know they had a disc golf course here, but luckily I packed my bag."

None.

Update;
I played this course for the second time (august 2013). The course was freshly-mowed, immaculate and had rubber mats instead of the natural pads in 2010. I graded each hole 1-5 and the total score was 79 out of a possible 90. Only three other courses that I've played graded out higher !

Each hole has three tees - white, blue, gold - all with long-n-wide--n-flat rubber mats. Signs with distance information at the blue and gold tees. A cinch to navigate with the obvious paths, and plenty of signs. Benches scattered about - brooms, too!

No indication of current basket position.

Beautiful course that wends its way through small meadows and glades defined by small pockets of hardwood forest, containing scattered mid-sized trees, and framed by various types of bushes - even the undergrowth is attractive (emphasis on ferns, vice weeds).

There is a lot of variety on this course, in various ways:
* Length: while many baskets can be reached on the initial drive, several holes are quite long with choke points at near max-drive distance, requiring an accurate initial drive to set-up a still long-n-tough second shot.
* Turns: there is a very even mix of left/right/S/no turning shots needed, with the turns themselves needing various degrees of sharpness.
* Elevation: most holes play on the flatter side, but gentle-but-continuous rises/drops, or small elevation gains at the midpoint or late, are factors on some holes.
* Tightness: degree (difficult on a few, easy on a few, moderate on most), location (nice blend of early, middle, late, and combinations thereof), and duration (varies from entire length of hole, such as right-turning, hardwood-prevalent #13, to shorter, drips-n-drabs, but definitely will have some sort of obstacle for a good portion of the length).

Favourite hole: #15, an obvious choice. Open and long, your first goal is to safely reach the plateau gently but far down the hill from you, with OB and trees/brush thick on the right. From the plateau the fairway then turns right, the slope becomes steeper, and you spot the basket still some distance away, down in the middle of a generous green, lined with trees and brush, with the lake in the background, and a steady breeze in your face.
Favourite hole: #7. From an elevated tee position the basket is in the back left-corner of a meadow - a meadow filled with mid-sized hardwoods, the tops of which are about even with your feet. A good straight throw, fading down-n-left late, is one way to reach this basket.

The course is beautiful to play in, very well maintained, and offers a tremendous amount of fair and varied challenges - a must-play if anywhere in the area..

When you tee off the first hole, you know you're going to be starting something special. The first hole is indicative of a lot of the holes on the course in that it's beautiful, serene, challenging, and broken-in very well. It's quite obvious that there's a nice following here because the fairways are so clearly defined and clear of both natural and human-made debris. I'd go so far to say that it's pretty hard to lose discs here.

Unique elevation changes between downhill bombs (#15), tight uphill drives through narrow fairways (#4), and everything in between. The obstacles are another great part of the course. It's not too often that I can praise the effects of acid mine drainage in Western PA, but it has produced some rather unusual trees, that, like other reviews have noted, look like shrubby trees in some kind of African savannah. In fact, the entire terrain of the course is rather unusual for Pennsylvania, but definitely suitable for quality disc golf!

I've also never seen a course that's more conducive to roller shots. Hole #6 best illustrates this due to the fact that a grove of trees creates dual fairways that require laser precision or your disc will go into woods on either side. Maybe it's those aforementioned tiny trees or maybe its the layout of the holes, but low ceilings in some parts make the roller a handy shot to reach those elusive par 4's and 5's IMO.

Great views of the lake on 15. This is a really fun hole, as is 18, with its clever and fun drop zone. You have to clear either side of a small drainage creek and throw another 200 feet to the basket. Some may not be fond of this design, but I think it's a great memorable way to end the course.

Tees (best flypads I've ever been on; your feet will never be happier to make an x-step), info kiosk, signage, navigation, and local players are all spectacular.

A great course for those who like to bomb their discs. Several holes exceed 500 feet, with some in the 800 and 900 foot ranges.

Can get very crowded. I've played here on 3 different occasions and different times in the day and I've always seen a bunch of players. Good thing there are benches on a lot of holes, because you may need them for the waits.

Quite a distance from the actual city of Pittsburgh and is quite a drive unless you're from Butler or Slippery Rock. It is close to I-79 and US-422, which is nice.

I'm not too fond of the hole on 12. It's not so much the difficulty of the hole that gets my disapproval; it's that it can come in contact with the second hole, and an errant throw on 12 could hit someone on 2 and vice versa. It is quite the dogleg though!

This is nitpicking, but I feel like it is missing some integral elements that a true 5-rated course would contain: clearing a water hazard, a greater variety of grueling wooded/technical holes, mandos, and maybe some blind shots to make it interesting.

There's a reason the Pittsburgh Flying Disc Open has a round here at its quality A-tier tournament; it begs really good players to master its par 66 challenge. Shot selection is key here, and it's this course that I really get to practice my rollers. Beginners will most likely have trouble here, even from the white tees due to the massive lengths, tree obstacles, and sharp hyzer/anhyzer angles. Newbies in the Pittsburgh area would probably be better suited for Schenley.

Moraine is a true gem in the greater Pittsburgh area and one of the best courses in any state or country. Check out the rest of the park for tons of recreation opportunities!

-The entire course is absolutely beautiful and features a variety of scenery. There is a wooded area with many tall, mature trees where hole 2, 14 and 18 are that I think is particularly beautiful every time I play through it. Most the holes on the course have a lot of thick underbrush and trees on either side of the fairway, which gives you a very secluded, peaceful feeling as you play the course. You can go half the course without seeing anyone. It smells great out here with all the pines around, and the air is a little cleaner than in Canton, OH.

-The entire course features excellent variety. There are shorter, 250 foot shots and longer 800+ foot shots. Sometimes only one or two trees will be near the line to the basket, other times you'll contend with over 20. Holes 2, 5, 6, 12, 13, 15 and 18 were my favorites. Don't know if I could pick 1 favorite

-3 sets of tees. I played the blue and gold and enjoyed both. They were each a good challenge, but the Golds really made me work and just getting par on some of the holes felt like an accomplishment. It's refreshing to have such a nice challenge, but have it feel fair and balanced at the same time.

-Signs liberally placed indicating which direction a hole follows or where to go for the next hole. Playing my first time I had no trouble navigating the course without assistance.

-While there are plenty of moments where you can open up with a powerful drive, the vast majority of the shots focus on accuracy rather than distance. Elevation and trees are utilized well, to make holes feel longer than they are. Making excellent shots feels rewarding, and poorly executed drives can be severely punished if you make it off the fairway. The fairways, however, are generously sized, so if you make it in the rough you know it's your fault.

-My first time using the rubber sort of teepads, and I liked them. They were very big and provided nice grip, but didn't wear down on shoes as much as concrete. The signs were also well done, and many tee areas had brooms and benches. It's so weird to me seeing back to back holes with benches, around where I play I'm happy to have 2 benches per 18 holes.

-The course is a very nice mixture of elevation and flat land not just for disc golf, but also the walking involved in playing the course. Compared to playing my flat home course Arboretum, playing a round at Moraine works my legs out more. It feels good playing a round here, it's just physically refreshing to me in a way.

-There are a few spots where if you slip up and shank an upshot, you can land in some thick undergrowth that's heavily populated with thorns. Wear pants rather than shorts if you tend to stray off fairways often.

-Playing certain holes for the first time it's really hard to see where the basket is, but at least the signs are accurate and you can put your faith in them. It helps if you can play with a local who knows where the pins are and can tell you where to throw, but playing alone you'll be able to manage.

-No trashcans on the course.

Took me little over 2 hours to drive to the course from NE Ohio and I was very pleased with what I found. I definitely plan to make a return trip a minimum of once a summer and catch a couple rounds out here.

The entire park was very beautiful. Next time I go it'd be fun to have a mountain bike to ride and to go in the lake for a swim. The location was easy to drive to as well.

There are a lot of other things to do at Moraine State Park, like cabin rentals, bike rentals, going swimming or boating and so forth. There is a concession stand selling ice cream, sandwiches and beverages not too far from the course.

This is absolutely a destination course and is without a doubt the best course I've played so far.

UPDATE: I wrote this review 7 years ago. At the time I had played about 10 different courses. I'm now up to 100. I still think Moraine is the best I've played.

The views (especially 15), the hike, and the challenge

On a bright day, it can be difficult to spot a pin tucked into the woods when standing in the fairway. Beware poison ivy! Wear long pants, or suffer the consequences.

I understand improvements have been made since I last golfed there. I'll update this review after an Easter outing there

This is another extraordinarily well-designed championship-caliber course installed outside of Pittsburgh this past decade. It features an appealing variety of Par 3s, Par 4s, and Par 5s in an accessible but sufficiently secluded area of Moraine State Park near its North Shore beach. It's worth visiting simply for wide-open Hole 15 with its spectacular view of Lake Arthur and nerve-wracking drive and approach shots. Each hole, though, evidences careful thought and labor in the hole's creation. The new rubber teepads on the gold, blue, and white tees are a welcome addition.

The Par 66 course features special shot-making challenges from small/dense trees (different from you average Pennsylvania woods course). These trees can make holes feel a lot longer than their actual distance. Drive placement--especially maneuvering with low ceilings--seems to be a point of emphasis on this course's Par 4 and Par 5 holes. Just throwing as hard as possible usually isn't a good strategy here (throw your Katanas and Nukes in Lake Arthur before playing to shoot well here). On this course more than others, a roller is often a better option than an aerial route. Also, there are even a couple of fun and unusual over/under decisions to make when playing the course.

Moraine State Park's genius, though, really is tee-shot decision making for its Par 4s and Par 5s, especially from the gold tees. It seems like many of the holes (2,6,8,10,14,16,18) are designed "backwards" so that the better strategy, percentage wise, might be to play a conservative first shot and then plan to be more aggressive.

This might sound odd or picky (which it is), I'm not a big fan of the terrain, particularly the trees. Possibly owing to the park's origins with mining, a relatively high percentage of trees are small and dense. Or, maybe just give it twenty years of good growth and this course will be looking good. There are very few towering hardwood trees on this course, unfortunately. Compared to nearby championship course Deer Lakes, Moraine simply doesn't have as many "majestic" shots in my mind for this reason.

Parts of the course can get soggy, but not much more than any other "campaign through the woods" championship course I have played. The easiest tees are 900-rated, so beginners still might be a little overwhelmed by Moraine.

I don't like a few of the pin positions for some of the Par 3s that are situated to make an ace basically impossible (e.g., 1C). Sometimes you can get a course pin configuration in which there's no reasonable line to the basket for most of the Par 3s, and that detracts a little from the fun factor and a minor principle of good design.

Visit at the height of summer so you can play a round or two and then go swimming in Lake Arthur (adjacent to the course). Also, check out Moraine State Park cabin/camping options.

Putting basket available near parking lot. Come out for a Pittsburgh Flying Disc Society monthly at Moraine, as listed on the event calendar at www.pfds.org.

Fly pads now on every tee, great variety from tight woods to wide open "Grip it and Rip it". Pet friendly. Good signage and benches at almost every tee.

Far from civilization (all though that really is a pro) so playing it frequently is hard to do. Could get soggy.

The BEST course in the Pittsburgh area. #15 is the signature hole and probably one of the most beautiful anywhere. Accuracy and placement are key to a good round as the rough is very unforgiving. I highly recommend playing this course if you are in the area, will not disappoint.