Played about 80+ rounds on this course. Holes with plenty of shot variety. Different pin positions changed every so often (5-10 days). Always someone on the course, but not too packed on non-tournament days. I am very new and this was a great starter course, but also has lots of challenges for my partner, who is seasoned. c:

Trees ...TREES!!! Not too many tree's but they are inconveniently placed and not maintained (drooping down to ~3-5 off the ground in fairways ie #5/#9 & some what #1/#3/#6). Disc thieves & random non disc golfers wandering through. Park rangers! Make sure you leave 15m prior to sunset or face a ticket & harassment :c

Check out my google map for flight paths and hole distances here: http://maps.google.com/maps/m....001,44.995,0

Right off the freeway in a friendly and clean public park. Not as intimidating as I expected. A very charming layout with some longish 3s. Plays with an smooth and even flow. About 5-6 sidearm fairway/tunnel shots which are very rewarding if executed properly.

Minimal elevation changes.

For my first time out, I luckily hooked up with a very friendly group of guys, and they helped show me around. Now that I know the layout, I can't wait for my next round there. The first tee is at the very end of the parking lot, and the last hole ends around the front/middle of the lot.
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Uniqueness: B+ (great use/variation of terrain in older park setting)
Difficulty: B+ (flat; good mix of long & medium; good amount of trees)
Fun factor: A (good variation of shots and holes)
Aesthetics: A- (very clean; nice design and use of trees)
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Overall: A-

This is the case of course designers thinking slightly outside the box and designing a challenging first class nine hole course when most other designers would have gone the more traditional way and stuck in a nice little 18 hole recreational course. Everything here is done well from the signs to the excellent rubber teepads to the baskets with 3-4 locations at each hole. The pin locater wheels on the post help immensely with the long distances (three over 500 ft. and four more 400 ft.) and at least half of those in blind positions the day we played. Tight fairways, downed trees, low tunnels and some nasty rough all help add to the challenge. Restrooms, ample parking and practice baskets are available near hole # 1.

Not many. We played in late August and the course was hot, brown and dry not green like in the photos. I'd say everyone up to and including the pro players will enjoy this course. I, as a almost 60 year rec player had a great time pitting myself against it challenges. I was helped out seeing how it's flat and only nine holes.

The local club, SVDC, does a great job here, obviously takes a great deal of pride in this course and when combined with Hellyer less than a mile away makes for a great 18 holes of golf. Like everyone says, this is easily one of the best nine hole courses you're ever going to experience!

This is a really fun and challenging nine hole course. The signage is helpful for finding the pin, which you might not see from the tee since there are a few holes with basket positions that are 500 feet or more! The most difficult setup has 7 over 400ft! All the holes are well designed, and the baskets are frequently moved to positions that change the difficulty and shot selection. I also like the large rubber tee pads. The locals I met there were friendly and were happy to show me around.

It is sometimes busy, but large groups usually let you play through or join them.

Anyone that thinks all nine hole courses are easy should try this one. And anyone in the area should definitely check it out. I imagine a lot of folks play this along with the 9 at Hellyer Park around the corner to make a round of 18.

*I played 200+ courses, this was best 9-hole course I ever played.
*Plenty and lot of technical shots and accurate shots.
*Has plenty parking, water and restroom.
*Plenty of trees for shade (away from sun)
*Course is well designed!
*Cool and very clear tee signs and easy to navigate.

*This course is not recommend for beginners.
*Many trees can swallow your disc.

*7 out of 9 holes are 400+ feet away!
*I was glad that designer chose quality over quantity. This course can easily design smaller and crowded 18 hole course. But they chose better and challenging 9-hole course instead. Kudos to them!

lots of parking, water fountain, BBQ grills, restrooms, lots of shade, benches, rubber pads are pros for some/cons for others...lol, left and right shots, good detailed signs and measurements, well maintained landscaping

restrooms near hole #8/9 non-operable, most shots are pretty long (400-500ft), and mostly flat, yet still technical. rubber pads are ok, i like concrete much more.

nice course... many long and technical shots, you need experience to play here if you plan on getting anywhere near par. i love the parking lot shot on hole #8. lots of trees so its easy to get a disc stuck for some people...lol

Parking lot is next to the practice tee area, picnic tables, BBQ, bathrooms, drinking water and marquis with a lay out of this moderately wooded 9 hole course. A very clean and maintained course throughout. Large rubber tee pads at all holes with a sturdy wood border and uniquely designed tee signs displaying multiple pin placements with pin dials below. This course has large tree with low ceiling limbs throughout with roped off O.B. areas and a dry water hazard. It will challenge every shot in your bag. Blind baskets on holes #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #7 depending on pin placements

Can be busy on weekends and usually around 3:00 pm there is a surge of DG'rs. Some noise from Hwy 101 may be an annoyance. Ranger is prepared to lock the gates up dusk.

What was once a picnic area just off HWY 101 is now another great course design by local Tom Schot. The local SVDG club takes pride of their gem here and is always improving and maintaining. Great use of the existing picnic area IMO this course is a distinct disc golf course That is now open year round. Don't under estimate this 9 hole course it always seems to get the better half of me!

• Reasonably easy to find and navigate, although some baskets are blind
• Warm-up basket
• Nice variety of holes/throws
• Very good rubber tee pads
• Clear signage, funny graphics, and one of the coolest pin locater wheels I've seen thus far
• Friendly folks
• Bathrooms

• A little hole/disc cross traffic
• Road/cars/people/nasty areas outside the course are in play on a couple holes. I could see one losing a disc on this course.
• I don't know if they ever use the parking lot for #8, but it has to be unplayable if they do.
• A little busy

Tips
• Play Hellyer Park while you're here
• Look ahead one or two holes to see where baskets are since several are blind from the tee

Random Thoughts:
I called this course Jekyll and Hyde because there are some pretty extreme pin positions on this course. One hole will be in ace/birdie territory, the next will be tough to make par. You'll also notice this disparity on the potential pin locations. But...they're all fun. I also felt it was a deceivingly long course. Pins looked/seemed closer than they actually are. The course itself wraps around and through a pretty basic park from an amenities perspective with not too much elevation change. I do wonder how playable it is on a busy day with picnickers and such. Even without the picnickers it was fairly busy.

Bottom Line: This is a beautiful course with some interesting challenges in the way of shot selection and hole approach. The only thing it's missing is 9 more holes. Great job course designers!

Summary: Parque de la Raza is an extremely well-designed and thought out 9 hole course in a small community park. This course should be the "city on a hill" example of how good disc golf courses are laid out in that many designers would have found it very easy to cram in 18 holes on this property and create a really terrible course. Fortunately, the designer(s) opted for 9 great holes and it shows, I'll take this kind of quality over quantity any day!

Most holes are moderately wooded with small elevation changes. In the pins that we played, the holes varied from a short putter throw par 3 to a multishot par 4 hole. Pretty much all of the holes had multiple lines/choices off the tee and I couldn't resist throwing a few extra drives just to try out new lines. The lines themselves varied from low ceiling punches to big over-the-treetop shots to long rollers to controlled fairway driver shots. OB lurks on a few holes but its not "in your face" OB with the exception of one hole where you throw mostly over an artificial pond (parking area).

Baskets/Tees - Can't remember the specifics (think it was new Mach III's and rubber tees) but all are in great condition and look well maintained. Multiple pin placements (up to 4) on each hole look like they add quite a bit of variety to this course

Tee signs/navigation - there is one section (going back to hole 8 or 9 behind a small building) where you could get lost but the signage and fairly obvious flow makes navigation easy. The tee signs themselves are very professionally done and have a lot of creativity/heart which only adds to the course aura.

Skill level - I've only played it through once but it seemed like there were holes which provide challenge for all skill levels right up to lower gold rated players; but I think elite/top level players may find the course a bit light on the challenge side of things.

Friendly local players - We met several people on our 9 hole tour, all of which went out of their way to help show us where baskets were and what lines were best. The park just has a very relaxed feel to it, everyone is out there to have fun, socialize, and play disc golf.

Maintenance - The park was looking beautiful when we stopped by, short mowed green grass all over which made for great rollers. For the most part, it was also very clean and litter free.

Busy - When we went, it was a warm winter day with bright sunshine. This probably contributed a lot to the business of the course but it was slow going with some very large groups and some very slow casual players. All of the regulars we met were extremely friendly and helpful though!
NOTE: We played Hellyer (also a very nice course) right after Parque and found it pretty much empty in comparison, so when Parque gets busy, it looks like there is another very accessible option for good golf.

Skill level: I mentioned earlier that this course might not offer quite enough challenge for high gold and elite level players, but for the vast majority of us, its awesome!

I've "heard" that poison oak can be a problem here but we played late enough in fall that it wasn't really a problem...

Definitely one of the best 9 hole courses I've ever played. If I had to choose one dream home course out of all the courses I've played, I think the Hellyer Park/Parque de la Raza combo would be high on my list.

Great flow to this course with Plenty of challenging shots. Every hole is tough with plenty of obstacles to get in your way and many lines to throw to the basket. This course will require backhand, forehand, tommy and thumber, as well as any other way you might want to take your shot. Holes are long without being too long. Great signage and synthetic tee pads, garbage cans and benches. Practice Basket, Bathrooms and plenty of parking. Ground is great for skipping your disc. Playing this course will make you a much better player! Locals are friendly and welcoming.

Only 9 holes, but pair it with Hellyer 1/2 a mile away and you got 18. No real elevation to this course. Watch for the occasional Poison Oak. Can get a little busy but that's because this is a great course!

Great, tough course, not an easy hole here. Just recently it has been approved to stay open all year long! Very enjoyable place to play, come throw if you are in the area!

beautiful course, Awsome teepad signs, plenty of technical shots, rubber teepads were way more comfortable then concrete. bathrooms!

9 pins only. needs some maintnence still( tree trim/shrub cut) to make more options to get to the pins.

DONT MISS THE BACK HALF! starting at 6, they are a+++ holes, beware nessy on hole 8

What a great course. This is my first full year of playing Disc Golf. The one thing I like about this course is that it has a lot of obstacle's. Which i think is good to practice all different shots. Very challenging but fun and only can make you a better player.

Great 9 hole course and improves your game alot.

Right as you pull in to this course you can tell how much pride the locals have and how much work has been put in to this gem of a course. The directions getting here were easy to folllow as well as the ease of navigating oneself through for the first time as this course was very well thought out.

The rubber tee pads are fantastic! With wooden frames surrounding the mats to prevent erosion, these pads are very well thought out and constructed. Tee signs are very creative and artistic, showing very colorful illustrations of the layout and distance making it easy to see what lies ahead. The little washer below each sign informing you where the current pin is located is a major plus as well!

Bathrooms are located near hole #2's basket, #9's basket, and the practice basket. On the wall of the bathroom you will also find a hole by hole breakdown (identical to the tee signs) making it easier to follow for those whom are unfamiliar with the course.

The layout loops around nicely on this pro caliber course and each hole is very challenging including some if not all of the elements including elevation, tunnel shots, obstacles i.e. trees, bushes, asphalt, O.B.'s, restrooms, etc. Due to the distance of each hole and the amount of elements present, accuracy and shot selection is key to scoring well on this course.

Weather, although very hot during the summer because of the location (San Jose) is absollutely beautiful, especially during the morning and late afternoon.

Last, the locals. The people were very friendly and inviting when I came with my buddy. They had no problem pointing things out and answering my questions.

There was not a lot that stood out to me that needed to be improved when I played the course as everything seemed very well thought out and maintenance of the course was present. However, I would recommend staying on the course and not throwing out of bounds because there were definately some hot spots (poison oak) in some of the areas but fortunately it was very easy to spot (three- leaved and red) this time of year. Also, getting there the neighborhood felt a little rough and intimidating at times if you are not familiar with the area although it didn't bother me as much as it did my friend (you just may not want to be there when the sun goes down).

This is the best nine hole course I have played yet! With over 100 courses under my belt in 12 states and 3 countries, I stand by my comment. It is very challenging and requires even the best out there think carefully before throwing.

Although I still prefer De Laveaga if in the area, I would highly recommend playing this course second if you have time. If you add Hellyer in after playing here you will have yourself the perfect DG trip. My hats off to the locals here because they have done one hell of a job and I will be back!

Absolutely excellent colour signs at teepad, showing the 3-4 possible basket positions and their distances, indication of the current position, where the trees and other obstacles are relative to the positions, and directions to next tee location. Long, wide, and flat rubber teepads. Practice basket, bathroom, water fountain, park solely dedicated to disc golf. A perfect complement to shorter-but-more-varied Hellyer just a few minutes away.

Only 9 holes/single tee location per hole.

The landscape is gently undulating, and when combined with the scattered trees that come into play on every fairway, makes nearly every tee-shot blind - I think #6 was the only basket I could see from the tee. Rather than create 18 short holes, the developers of this course opted to create 9 lengthy holes (the day I played, seven holes were 400'+), which makes the typical second shot very challenging, vice a straight/simple/short toss. In addition to the length, every shot will require a turn, or two, to reach the basket. There seems to be a bit more left-turning shots than right/S-turning, which makes sense because the course primarily plays in a clockwise direction.

The current map is a little deceiving - there are indeed 3-4 basket positions per hole, not just two. Hole #1 starts at the end of the leftmost parking lot. The rightmost parking lot is closed, and serves as a large OB area for hole #8.

Adding a second tee location and/or a second set of baskets on each hole would greatly improve this already solid course; Until then, play this and Hellyer back-to-back, and you'll enjoy a great variety of disc golf that day.

Technical yet accessible. 9 holes, yet does not get boring; always full of challenges.

Only 9 holes. Course closes in winter, however, it has been open longer. There is not really any space for more holes, however I wish the course were 18.

Having played this course since it's inception I am continually challenged and entertained by this course. Whether playing a quick 9 or two rounds, the course is always full of new lines and challenges. Playing this course a lot has seemed to have improved my game.

Great teeboxes--with maps that are legible and not full of graffiti

complex and difficult with many doglegs that you can't see your hole from the teebox and many times not even from your second shot

Disc eating trees--we spent 20 minutes looking for a disc in a tree. Many smaller trees have ivy and oak in them making looking for a disc troublesome

the course was very dry with foxtails all over--I hate those things in my shoes

Poison oak--not in just the creek area either--it was everywhere--sometimes right in the middle of a walking path

Really a good course. I might have liked it more if I had not played Hellyer first. It is more difficult than Hellyer but not by a whole bunch. Iwent out on Memorial Day and was looking for fun. This course was definitely fun, but since it was my first time on the course, I would have had a better time knowing and being able to see the holes a little earlier. I bet I will like it a whole lot more the next time I go. I shot a 40 for 9 holes

-Great practice/picnic area with many bench's and bbq's+decent b-room. Plenty of parking
-Very challenging holes with plenty of distance
-Down in a small creek valley so its fairly protected from the wind or heat.
-minimal crowds(didn't have to wait once)

-LOTS of poison oak!
-Water+poison oak along 3 fairways that will punish you if you go wayward
-closed in the winter
-more poison oak..
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Whoa... super long holes. only 1 hole under 300ft. really laid back out there. no crowds, no waiting. LOTS and lots of PO. watch out. many holes have small initial windows to get through. playing here often will definitely make you a better player.

Lots of trees and woods in play defending the pins. Three to four placements per hole guarantees different shaped drives for each. Pretty easy to follow although you will not see the baskets from the tees. Nice varied elevation not big up and down but never flat. Great DGA baskets and color tee signs. Nice flow out and back.

Some Poison Oak that will probably get epic in mid July. A little hard to find (go to Hellyer and ask the locals then it is easy). Probably hot and dry most of the time.

A very fun course. the Hellyer and La Raza scene is friendly.
After more rounds this course in longs (2 or more 500' holes) is amazing.
Totally worth checking out; one of the biggest nines you will ever play.
Love it!!

-no easy holes what-so-ever, but none are unfairly difficult.
-good for big arms, but well placed shots will get you par. lots of risk/reward. It felt like every tee shot had a limited window to hit, calling for different throws and discs often.
-probably not too easy for any skill level.
-most entertaining and difficult 9 hole i've seen by FAR.
-Good signage and fairly easy to navigate (after 5 you will see 2 teeboxes from the basket. 6 is out of view behind a tree to the left of the visible tees)
-3 different basket positions per hole
-nice rubber teepads of satisfying length and width

-trees eat discs, but there are plenty of baseball sized rocks laying around.
-lots of poison oak in the rough.
-the teebox for 9 was near the basket for 5.
-Rubber tee pads are very slippery when wet (6 only. bailed hard.)
-no signage on 8 (over the parking lot- basket is hidden behind trees and undergrowth on small hill)
-reviews for this course seem not to be helpful to readers, even the in-depth, informative ones.

-When I look at the courses I've rated at 4, I can't bring myself to give a 9 hole a 4, even if it is about the best 9 hole you could dream up. Can't wait to return and try to better my +6.
-Can be hard to find, but i had an easy time finding it on google maps. I kind of like that its a bit hard to find.

This course requires almost every shot in the book. Many opportunities for overhand shots also. Great synthetic pads. Friendly locals. Centrally located bathroom. Great length without being ridiculous. I have seen every hole driven numerous ways, allows and requires a lot of creativity. It is very easy to navigate and smells good too. Great parking and group seating area. Trees for challenge but not overly technical. Love it, love it, love it.

I don't have too many. The biggest is that it is closed from October through April leaving Hellyer one's only option. There is definitely quite a bit of poison oak so figure out where it is and adjust your drives accordingly. The park ranger tries to be cool and friendly but ends up being a nuisance most often. Can be easy to lose a disc, especially to the left on number 5. The baskets are moved almost too often.

I cut my discgolf teeth on this course and can't say enough about it. I really miss it. Friday 5 PM doubles when it is open is a must for anyone looking to have a great time.