1. Signage and upkeep-Clear signs, beautifully maintained course, clear OB rope.
2. Multiple layouts-Two sets of teepads (painted red and blue) for every hole. Multiple basket locations for most holes, and the baskets are frequently moved to provide new challenges. The possible layouts are almost endless. There are 24 holes, but there are several "shortcuts" that easily allow you to play 18 of your favorite.
3. Variety of landscapes and holes-Much of the course is wooded and technical in keeping with the style of Cincy disc golf exemplified by Idlewild.
The newly added creek holes (A-E) are very short but incredibly technical, with an OB creek running to the right for A-D, a challenging peninsula green on hole C, and mandatories with tight gaps.
Variety of shot shapes. Doglegs in both directions, decent elevation change, multiple fairway options that are fair to both righties and lefties. A couple mostly open holes (2,3,13 and 16) which throw out of or into groves of trees. There is also an elevated basket on hole 18 to add drama, and two hanging baskets.
4. Good amenities-Public restroom, putting basket, driving range with distance markers, driving practice net.

1. The layout takes some getting used to for holes 10-16, specifically the "backwards" 14 and 15.
2. This is a very flat course. The designer used pretty much all the elevation possible, but there aren't any big downhill shots or steep climbs.

The multiple layouts and variety of shot shapes allow you to cater your round to the difficulty level and length of round that best suits you. If I lived closer to this course, this would be my most played course!

Pro course, a variety of shots and angles.
2 Tee pads Blue(longs) & Red (shorts)
Reds are perfect and challenging as is, and Blue can be reserved for a beastie pro tourney.
Nice benches, and pathways.
and a driving range, are you kidding me?...Awesome!

Some fairways can have a bit of luck to them. But to be fair to the designers, age of trees and deforestation has to play a role.

Course has a few drainage issues.

Also, there were obvious changes at one time where the hole numbers are a mess and now confusing. They do not match the targets, i will update this review upon correction.

The one ding on the course layout when comparing to other pro courses, is the lack of wide open legit long holes, not once did I have to go to an ultra long driver, all wide open holes are reachable with fairway or mid range drivers. Yes many holes are listed 350 plus, but all those have obstacles or thick woods near fairway that you wouldn't risk your big boy over stable discs. For example 13 is wide open but reachable with a fairway or even a mid. And 16 is a bit tight on the left for RHBH throwers to risk a firebird or nuke. Just my opinion, but it would be nice to see atleast 2 holes on a pro course(one on each front and back 9) that you can showcase power without having to thread the needle or deal with luck.

Great Job Goshen!
Wonderful course that rivals Airy, Banklick(Lincoln Ridge), or Idlewild.
It shows the community cares and is knowledgeable about our game of disc golf, very impressive.

One last thing.
The Blue pad on 18 should defiantly be the short, and the Red pad should defiantly be the pro tee.
There is no doubt, the Red is way more difficult than the blue on this hole, so if its your first round here and you're playing the Reds, just use the blue on 18.

Great wooded holes with well defined lines.

Osage / thorn trees.

Really tough course that could test your temper, but it is very well maintained and has some really nice tee pads.

Some elevated holes, but not too extreme.

Red and Blue pads offer different shots and variety, not just a short and long every time, it's more to adjust the angles of shots off the tee. There are multiple pin locations as well which is an added bonus. This course has a good mix of tightly wooded and reasonable gaps and fairways to hit. The crew of volunteers that works to maintain and improve the course are top notch.

A couple of the new short pins are better for the blues. Hole 18 red is harder than 18 blue and blue is supposed to be more challenging of a course. 18 is a frustrating hole to play from the red because it's just the same risk throwing risky vs conservative.

Everyone within 200 miles should come play this course, spend a day here, donate some money to the crew that has made this course and is continuously working to make this course incredible. There need to be more tournaments at this course and eventually, I think there will be.

A little muddy but hey, it's December! I liked this course. It has a nice layout with mostly wooded, short/medium length holes but a few open and longer ones. The tee pads are new (literally blue and red concrete) and it looks like they recently redesigned the course. I never played it before the redesign, so I am not sure how it compares. Besides that, it is a beautiful course with some great scenery and hey, I got my 1st Ace on hole 5!

Due to the new design and tee pads, they haven't updated the signs yet with yardages or O.B.s The next hole signs were there to help guide you which helped. The tee pads are nice but kind of on the short side.

Great Course overall! A must play if you are in southern Ohio or are looking for a top course to play in OH.

Beautiful course, which goes back into the woods. Fairly easy to navigate, and the difficulty rating is high.

Basket 1 should be brought back, and make it a 19 basket course. Between basket 10, and 11, the arrow is pointing the wrong way. It basically tells you to walk down the fairway of the next basket which is very dangerous. In fact, we almost hit a guy who walked that way the other day.

The course just needs long-term signage, and to point people in the right direction between basket 10, and 11.

Awesome design! Nothing boring about this course. Great baskets with multiple pin locations. Course up keep is outstanding for not having a park department.

No permanent tee signs yet, but the temp ones have held up a long time.

The tee pads get slicker than snot.

Every time I play this course I like it more and more. Always drive home looking forward to the next league or tourney here.

Osage Grove is a treat!!! This is a must play in Ohio. If you live within 3 hours it is well worth the drive to get here and play it. I have played this course hundreds of time mainly because I live 20 minutes away.


Pros:

1. Pads: The pads are well designed and boxed in giving you plenty of run up and throwing area.

2. Baskets- not sure what type of baskets they are, I think DGA mach 4. but they catch well and have 2 rows of chains.

3. Water- They have installed a water fountain at the front of the course by the building as well as a vending machine for soda.

4. Pavilion- They have a nice pavilion that allows you to sit down between rounds or before rounds.


This course makes you bring your A game. This course is still being designed and added onto even 2 years after the opening. you have to have it all in your bag to shoot well and get a par. You have to have a forehand, backhand distance shots accurate shots, hyzer flips, anhyzer flexes. All of it.

One thing you will get used to is woods, there is 2 open holes on this course hole # 13 and 16. There are plenty of birdie opportunities on this course and with a good accurate arm you can get them.

There are still some cons on the course but there are not many.

1. Restrooms- anyone that knows the politics of this issue might be the down fall of the course. There are no permanent bathrooms but those will be coming soon I hope.

2. Pads- for as much of a pro they are also a con. When they are wet and muddy they are super slippery, however there is notice that they are going to be putting in concrete pads which will make this course even better.

Trees- There is no way to say it but there are plenty of trees. For as fun as a course this is, it can get frustrating hitting a nice drive down the middle of the fairway to hit a tree that is in the middle of the fairway. This only comes for a few holes on the course but it can be frustrating which is why the A game must be on.

Muddy- This course retains water like crazy, so there is plenty of muddy spots which only intensifies the pads being muddy. be careful.

Thorns- The tournament here is called Thornageddon for a reason. Plenty of thorns and plenty of places to get cut. be careful.

Overall this course has come a long way from when I first played it. This is a top notch course in the area. Once the bathrooms get installed and they have full running water this will be a top course in the nation. I also hear of more gold pads coming here which will make this course a top pro caliber course. They already have a hole that is 1200 feet long from the gold.

Challenging but not frustrating.
Great mix of holes.
Not crowded

Can be muddy
watch for stumps (new course)

I am a RHBH player so please keep this in mind as you read this. Also I am just completing my first year of golf so I really don't have command of many throws and my route are going to reflect the easiest way to get up and down. That being said please enjoy this review and if you are in the area PLEASE hit me up for a round ... I'll be happy to burn a day here.
Bring your "A" game because this course is going to challenge every throw in your bag. The 1st hole is a great opener and although your drive can hit a few trees if you don't hit your line it still provides you an opportunity for a birdie. Righty's will appreciate the tunnel down the right side however make sure not to drift too far right because it can make your upshot extremely difficult. If conditions are muddy you'll want to head up to the road (more like a path) and walk down to the 2nd tee pad.
Hole 2 has two tunnels and is slightly uphill so it's going to play a little longer than you think it is. If you get it to the ridge you should be good for a long birdie attempt. The tunnel on the right is a natural fade into the basket if it's on the left and not in the long pin however I typically hit trees trying to fade in so now I like to take something with almost no fade and pop it down the left tunnel.
When you stand on the tee pad for Hole 3 you'll see a hole in the tree line. Pin placements can be either inside and to the left or inside and to the right so take a good look before you throw. Either way if you can punch it in the hole you should have a great opportunity at a bird.
Hole 4 begins to show you a glimpse of some of the challenges to come. Standing on the pad things look innocent enough. You'll see a small fairway that fades to the right and hugs a tree line and you will want your shot to follow that line staying to the outside. If you continue long and right it opens up nicely and drops down quite a bit where you'll find the basket approach guarded by some large trees. Lefties should find this hole inviting while righties who don't command a great forhand may find this hole a bit of a challenge. Going right off the tee into the woods can take 2 to get out and going left off the fairway can find yourself standing in corn so tall you'll need a thumber to get back out.
If you had trouble on 4 forget about it now because you need to plan this shot well. I like to take something long and straight and a rule of thumb for me is to get as far across the ravine as possible and if you fade left at the end you should be ok for a nice hyzer approach into the well guarded basket. Make sure your tee shot doesn't get too high because there is a ceiling and it will lengthen this hole considerably if you don't have a good drive.
The fairway on 6 closes with a grove of (pines?) that is really thick. You can usually punch right up into them and then try and work your way through the grove to the long pin located on the other side. Missing the fairway right can be bad however I am so horrible I punched through the intial underbrush and it opened up a little. While I was trying to figure out how to get back on the fairway I noticed a huge spike hyzer route which I hit and parked for an easy three. While I do not recommend this route by any means if you find yourself long and right off the tee you might want to look for it.
On Hole 7 I generally try and stay right of the trees down this fairway and let the natural fade bring the disc back. This hole has a natural "S" to it so look for that line and punch it. While the few strategically placed trees in the fairway can wreck a good run at this hole it's still a hole with a good chance at a birdie so run at it!
From the pad on 8 you'll see a large tree at what looks like the opening to a corridor and that's where I lay up. It goes to the right from there back about 150 feet or so through a small wooded fairway to a guarded basket. Even though it's a par 3 when I get a 3 I feel like it's a birdie.
#9 .... You are looking at a fairly large ravine and you'll want to keep it on a steady hyzer through the ravine. This tee can be tricky. There is a small tree maybe 35 feet off the tee I've see people hit (me included) and also you'll see a huge tree coming up out of the ravine you'll want to hyzer left of and you should be good however lf you go too far left off the tee you may go into the woods on the left and never make the ravine. My goal here is just to get to the top of the far side. If you have a big arm you should be able to do well here provided you get the tee shot off well. Once past the tee and ravine you'll still have a 150 approach to the basket which is slightly down and to the left.
#10 is a short hole with a great shot at another birdie however you'll need to watch your lines. A big hyzer runs the risk of hitting the canopy on the far side which I never see until it falls and a straight shot at it is tight and runs the risk of hitting trees short and making a long upshot.
When you are on the pad at 11 you'll see a big left sweeping fairway with a very nice open area. That area then heads right down a wooded fairway down through a small ravine and then back to the basket tucked in the back of an open area under a large canopy. I try and hyzer as big a shot as I can and lay it up to try and be as close to the fairway as possible. WATCH OUT for the big tree on the right off the tee, you'll be standing in stickers needing to make a long difficult shot just to get to the wooded fairway if you hit the damn thing. If you miss the tree but come up short there is a small tunnel "shortcut" to get pretty far down the wooded fairway but it's low and tight ... you make it and your golden ... you miss it short or go long you got your hands full. Anything less than a 5 of this bad boy and you should consider yourself lucky.
There are two paths for 12 and even though I have a terrible anny I still like that path better than the one on the right. STAY OUT OF THE MIDDLE.
#13 wide open no trees power it up to the hole shot (the only one so enjoy it)
#14 is a pretty big sweeping anny. Watch out for the tree short and left. Over the creek is OB (cause that's 15's fairway dammit stay out !)
#15 is a great long tunnel shot with a mando, anything that fades left before the painted stump is OB. Going right is bad as well but can be done ... just makes your upshot interesting and by all means do not fade left at the basket (or long for that matter). This is a small green but very par-able .. is that a word ?
#16 is long and even on days there is no wind it seems there is always a decent headwind off the tee. I usually grab something stable and rip it. Going left into the woods can be trouble so just be aware of that but most people shouldn't have too much trouble here. There is a break in a treeline that the fairway goes through and that's where I try and aim my tee shot ... if you have a big arm just keep it straight. You are shooting for the far side of the elevated mound ... you'll see the basket.
#17 is a hyzer ace run if I've ever seen one (at least in the short position) ... watch for the high branches and just run right at it.
#18 is freakin special to say the least and I'd describe it but .... You are just gonna have to come play the course to find out just how special it is.
Hope you enjoyed this write up ... got a little wordier than I planned but that's how it goes sometimes eh ?
Disc on brutha !
--Chris
DiscDogNation

NOTE: this is a full re-write. I wrote the first of the Osage Grove reviews in 2012 when the course opened. I was proud of having helped toss off debris from the original fairways, and was excited to tell the world what I thought this course could become. The design was great, and with six more years of effort by the volunteers (Hi, Chain Gang!) it has become more than I imagined.

You may be ten miles out east of the outerbelt, but Osage Grove is absolutely one of Cincinnati's current "Big Four", and a must visit if you have time when you're in the region. You know that's high praise when you look at Idlewild, Lincoln Ridge & Mt. Airy.

The course has a large gravel parking lot, a good sized shelter in view of the greens of the longest hole in Ohio, and an astonishing Sycamore tree shading the northern corner of the small fishing pond. The park currently has a porta potty, but they just raised the funding for a permanent restroom. You can warm up on the distance-marked driving range and practice basket on your way to your choice of blue or red tees. The near future will see 36 baskets permanently on the course, with the intention being to always have a basket at the longest position, and an alternative basket to play that will be rotated amongst the two and sometimes three other sleeves - on every hole.

Due to the fact that the streams here run fast and furious in our occasional rainy seasons, the volunteers out here have built astonishing bridges and stairways, cleared paths, extended and improved fairways, and tried, with a great deal of success, to tame what was originally termed 'Thornageddon' if you strayed off the main lines. Donations and fundraising have produced large, level, and tinted concrete tees for every hole, the new signage, and great catching baskets.

The holes themselves present fair and fun lines of flight into wooded lanes and guarded greens, and variety galore. Rather than trying to describe them all, I'll highlight: You'll encounter ravine-crossing fairways (particularly on 4, 9 & 10) with strategic trees having been retained, forcing you to bring your best game. The intentionally balanced design (left-bending and right-bending holes) is epitomized by the scenic 12th hole, which has a large, trapezoidal (short) tee and two definitive fairways.

Be aware that the hills (mounds) on 16 create an optical illusion, making the basket positions seem closer than they really are! You might think that's the 'big finish', but there are two more unique holes to go: 17 goes back across the gully, through towering trees, with a wonderful view of where you -hope - to land your disc for a deuce (or beyond the bend to the trickier, blind, long pin position), and the #18 finale arcs tightly right, downhill through the woods, and has basket positions just before the creek/ravine, or way up the hill beyond, to a tricky pedestal heightened position on your return to the parking lot.

The volunteers and the local club (GCFDA) have addressed all of the safety challenges I worried about in my original review, as well as the signage. There are still available thorns and maybe even poison ivy still out there, but you have to really get off the fairways now to run into it. If anything might be a con, it might be that hole 6 is in a flood plain when the stream (river) rises. Some folks might lament the fact that even the longer holes require technical finesse, and don't let the monster arms just heave. I say, go enjoy LONG 16.

Oh- they did recently re-number the two holes between 13 & 16 to accommodate flow for players throwing the blue tees. They will loop around to the right after 13, play the next two holes in a counter-clockwise loop, and go out to long 16. Red (short) tee throwers are best served by going left after 13, playing (new) 15, then 14, on the way to 16. But they'll have to remember to record it correctly in the scorebook if they do.

Feel free to contribute a donation so the Chain Gang can keep working their magic, buy gas for the (volunteer) upkeep, etc. Great things have been happening out in Goshen now for six years, and they've built one of Ohio's best courses!