- excellent minimalist routed tee signs.
- excellent use of the hilly terrain
- excellent mix of challenges and throws
- multiple signature holes, #12 epic hole
- when done right, easy to navigate (see cons)
- clean, secluded and scenic park
- mostly exclusive land for the course

- some seriously lame filler holes (8, 9, 16-18)
- some very confusing hole to tee transitions
- backtracking along fairways
- trash on course (first few holes near multi-use areas and parking lot mostly)
- neglected stairs and tee pads
- short tees were mostly impossible to find

Pike Lake has a 5-star course nestled within this 18-hole course. There are multiple memorable and "dude factor" holes on this course (holes that make you say "dude!" when you approach), usually those that really take advantage of the hilly terrain. They all made me wish I could play them again. Even the approach to the tees for these holes seemed planned out as a presentation.

Unfortunately, a third of the holes on this course are little more than something to do while you walk to the next set of cool holes (or back to your car). Unsurprisingly, they are those that hug the asphalt.

But the standout holes (3-7, 11-15) really make up for it. They are my favorite kind of disc golf holes -- wooded, hilly, scenic and planned with the terrain, and fun mixed with challenge.

Hole 12 in particular was a standout hole for me. The way one approached the tee pad, the setting and presentation of it, it all just felt very dramatic. It used the terrain perfectly to set off the tee. It was one of the few holes among the hundreds I've played that will stick with me. The course designer had the approach, setting, and overall experience in mind.

And there were other holes on this course with similar care put into them, each with their own personality.

If the entire course maintained the caliber of the best holes, this would easily be a 5-star course. But the filler holes of 8-9 ruin the momentum after a super 3-7 hole set, and holes 16-18 end the course on a bland and forgettable note.

The other big disappointment was the amount of trash on the course in this otherwise immaculate park. The trash was mostly in multi-use areas of the course (hiking trails) and near the parking lot holes. In other words, easily cleaned up. The holes deeper in the woods had little or no trash. And most of the trash was in excessively overflowing trash bins (again, very easily accessed from the road, and mostly in two areas).

For the amount of employees milling about this park, the ease of access to clean up these trash bins, and the cleanliness of the rest of the park, it was a shame.

But the neglected stairs and steps for the hilly holes on this course revealed that the park administration has obviously abandoned what was once a course designed and built with great effort and care.

I would definitely come back here to play, just for those holes that were good -- they were that good and make up for the others.

Definitely worth a visit, worth going out of your way to play. Not necessarily a destination course, but you'll be glad you played this one if its at all convenient. Or even slightly inconvenient as it was for me. I'll definitely be back.

In the middle of rural BFE, Ohio, you will find this beautiful 18 hole course.

First and foremost, you have to marvel at the amount of work that has been put into making this course. Infrastructure everywhere! Beautiful bridges and stairways. I am truly amazed and grateful at the effort it had to take to haul the materials around.

Secondly, the elevation change makes this a very FUN course. Who doesnt like throwing downhill? Good balance in uphill, downhill, sidehill.

Finally, nature man... it is everywhere! I love, love the rock streams on this course. Just truly beautiful.

This is where I have to make some complaints.

This course is unique. Never have I ever heard of a course without a left finishing hole. If you throw rhfh dominant or lhbh, you should expect to beat your rhbh/lhfh dominant friends by 10 strokes. Dont feel good about that. It is a design flaw not to have balance on a course. This could have been avoided by a howdy do point or figure 8 anywhere on the course. Instead, it is just a giant loop of forehand shots. I complain of this... and i am rhfh dominant. Boring design aspect. "Im gonna make a right turn!" If you dont know where the basket is from the pad... throw a rhfh. Basket is right of the pad or straight ahead.

Everything else I can look passed... the bugs, the nettles and other high weeds, a little bit of trash on the course (not much), the few boring holes to close out.

Anyway, fun course... worth the drive off the interstate if in the area. I wouldnt drive farther than say 1 hour just to play it, though. Would recommend playing in spring or fall. Avoid summer unless wearing pants or very high socks. Nettles are stinging bastards.

Peaceful, picturesque (in spots), and lots of fun, this is a wooded course that gives a fair chance of success. The combination of woods and short holes means that a new player (myself) can enjoy himself while a control expert can (I would imagine) clean up without feeling bored. The course plays up and down, dramatically so on five holes (2,3,7,12,14), without being gratuitously strenuous. Holes 3-7 and 10-14 are quite attractive, climbing the hillside and following the creek.

A nice camp store sells a surprising variety of Innova products.

Perhaps because of its location in a secluded state park, course maintenance seems to be somewhat neglected. The decrepit steps up and down some hills are not currently an issue, but the overflowing trash bins (which are located at several tees, a pro in itself) and widespread litter were an unpleasant distraction. A large tree across fairway 11 has been there for a long time now, and severely interferes with the intended line of play. A narrow path has finally been cut through the pile of trees down across fairway 13, but many throws will still end up in the remaining mass of branches. These aren't serious complaints, but they do have an impact on the playing experience.
Many other reviews have mentioned the insect problem. It is real. I spend a huge amount of time outdoors, in the woods, and rarely experience the concentration of mosquitos and gnats that I did when playing Pike Lake this spring. This is unfortunate, and no one's fault, but it can really make enjoying yourself a struggle to be bitten half to death while trying to pick bugs out of both eyes. There were very few insects when I played yesterday, so maybe it would be best to think of this as a "seasonally excellent" course.

The navigation issues are well documented in other reviews. The only truly confusing bit is 10 to 11. After you play 10, you will see tee 13. Walk right of that, then right of basket 12, then up the trail to find 11. There are really two "trails" leading back there, one of them being fairway 12.

Tee signs. I don't care much about posted par, but these are somewhat curious. The signs are nice, but the par designations are hard to figure. 8 & 12 are listed as 5s, and are both easily threeable, even for pitiful player like myself. The most difficult hole on the course (#4) is called a 4, which it probably should be. No other holes would typically be thought of as anything more than a 3, but five of them are called 4s, including the straightforward 219' #16 (where there are multiple tees, I'm speaking about play from the long ones). This isn't a con, I make my own standards for performance on a given hole, and many courses have inflated par designations... but not usually courses this nice. Just an oddity

You'll probably pass Williams Corner, a convenience store a few miles away, on your way to and from. If you're hungry, the chicken breasts are good. The potato wedges aren't.

If you're a player like me; weak arm, decent control, and strong legs (for the trails), I think you'll really enjoy yourself AND have a good chance of feeling good about your performance. If you're a long thrower with poor control who hates hills and trees... I think you might enjoy yourself anyway, it's a pretty course.

Interesting layout very shady good for a warm day. Concrete pads on long tees. Good workout lots of elevation changes. Pit toilet after number 9.

Some pads are short and oddley shaped. Short tees are hard to find and dirt or gravel. Tees two and eleven are hard to find with 11 being very hard to find. Lots of stairs to help with elevation changes but some are in poor shape and hazardous.

No cell service so could not use online maps.

Absolutely no doubt the strength of this course is elevation. You will shoot up, down, up and down the entire 18. Sometimes the degree is dramatic, sometimes it's subtle, but it is relevant on most holes. If you hold elevation in high esteem like I do, you will dig this course.

This course forces tight and diverse lines. The lines are well balanced in angles...be it hyzers, darts or annys. There is no such thing as gun and run here. If you miss your line, you will likely ricochet into jail. Take your time and line your shots. Recovery will not be gentle.

The challenge is money. You will need a controlled game. This course is all about accuracy. This is the course you need to ask your buddy that has been chewing you up with his big "D" to come and play. Distance takes a back seat here. The better player with mid's and putters will win at Pike Lake.

Plenty of work has gone into the multiple staircases that line this terrain. The pads are primarily concrete. The signage is detailed. All amenities are solid.

The rustic beauty kicks ass. This course is aesthetically sweet as it is fun. The foliage is lively and diverse.

This course is not as balanced as some top level courses. It is almost entirely wooded. Also, it is relatively short. These imbalances keep it from being "excellent". Nothing wrong with short courses, but balance is key.

It seems as if course flow trumped individual hole design. A smooth flow is important but IMO it should not squash potentially fantastic holes. There are multiple holes by the roadside that were clearly laid out to keep you moving back toward the parking lot. What a waste. The land and terrain is so damn sexy. I would guess the average golfer would have rather ventured farther and played deeper into this land than save a few paces.

Be carefull in the spring and early summer. The insects run rampant.

I was torn on how to rate this course. If I were to rate it on fun factor alone, it would be a 4.0. I just wish I could air it out a little. There is one hole that is over 500ft. This is hole #12. It is fantastic. Besides that there are only a few holes over 300ft. The entire 18 holes are only 4625ft. and that is from the long tee's. These holes are very technical though.

I very much enjoy this course. It is worth a road trip. It's all about shaping shots.

Primarily wooded course in a clean State Park far away from civilization. The course plays short but makes up for that in technical challenges that include woods, streams and elevation. The woods play fair and if you get a high score its most likely thrower error. The shallow streams come into play off the tee and around baskets on 7 holes, most notably #15 where the entire fairway is basically a drive over the water. Not deep water but wider than a creek and healthy so disc loss is not an issue but challenge and beauty apparent. (might dry up in a drought) The elevation holes were the most enjoyable with #3 being a straight up drive over the stream and #7 being a drop in floater back down steeply for a fun ace run over the stream. #14 was also special, a right turning downhill to a basket nestled away with a huge bank rising to the right of the hole to gobble up my too tight anny. The first 2 holes are quality drives through trees with only grass below, no schule, and incorporate the stream to the right. There are a couple longer holes in the woods that will test your ability to keep it straight. Seems a safe park and definetely has a lot of natural beauty. Concrete tees on the base holes were nice.Course opens with 2 non woods holes and finishes with 3 non woods holes so you get a break from the schule. Course loops back to lot and bathrooms well. Water available.

I don't think this is quite destination disc golf for a few reasons. It doesn't have much length so weaker armed or beginners may enjoy the course moreso than those seeking a longer test of skills. While half of the holes are either challenging or aesthetically pleasing...the others seem to be just ordinary holes. Not bad holes but not truly special. I was expecting a bit more based on the 4+ rating. #8 simply plays down the street...challenging oob yes but with all this nature, water and hills I end up driving down an access road..pffft. The course ends very weakly with 16-18 being very short holes you could find in 9/10 of the parks in America. Don't get me wrong it's a fun little course but think of it as 8-10 good holes linked by a bunch of average holes. I also got mauled by insects. I was actually amazed by how much life was in this environment.

I love a course thats fun and has some cool shots. This course provided that for me. I also enjoy ace runs and there are those here as well. Rumor is 9 more holes will be added. If these are good holes I would imagine it would be worth the long trip out here for a round.

Great Layout
Heavily Wooded But Defined Fairways
Beautiful Scenery
Amazing Elevation Changes
Great Water Hazards (Disc Are Retreivable)
Very Well-Maintained
Park Store Nearby
Camping and Cabins in Park
Small Lake with Swimming in Park
Never Crowded
Great Variety
Great Tee Signs
Concrete Tees On Many Holes
Clean
Benches Throughout the Course
Ample Parking

Short Tees Could Use Work (Natural/Hard to Find)
Navigation Can Be Tough For First Timers
Discs Can Get Lost in the Rough
Tee Signs Have Been Vandalized

Pike Lake DGC is a beautiful and challenging course in southern Ohio. The course is more for the intermediate to advance player. While a majority of the holes are on the rather short side, the are also heavily wooded which adds a lot of extra challenge.

The only real downside to this course is it can be pretty tough to navigate on your first trip here. Be sure to stop by the park store and pick up and map and scorecard. The also have a nice selection of discs, beverages, and snacks available for purchase. If you have any questions feel free to ask the folks at the store, they love having the course there and can be very helpful.

This course, besides being in a very wooded area, has many other challenges as well. There is a small creek that runs the length of the course. It can come into play on a few holes, and during certain times of the year can have a good amount of water and can be rushing pretty steadily. Another great obstacle to over come are the awesome elevation changes. The first real nice elevation change is on hole #3. You throw through the woods, over a small stream and then up a pretty steep hill, at the very least about a 50ft bank, miss the top and you can really pay for it here.

The elevation changes continue throughout the course and provide each golfer with a good work out. Be sure you are prepared, bring plenty of beverages and wear comfortable shoes with good traction, no flip flops here.

Overall I think that anyone who loves disc golf will love this course. Even if you are having an awful round the surroundings are amazing. Its very peaceful and quiet and every time I have played it, we were the only people on the course. The location can be a bit out of the way for most, but well worth the drive. If you have a couple days there is camping and cabins nearby. There are two pretty good courses within a 40 minute drive in Great Seal, and Rocky Fork DGC. I would recommend any of these course to anyone looking for a challenge, but Pike Lake is by far the best in my opinion.