- Great variety of shots required. Never felt repetitive, even playing through twice back-to-back.
- No punishing holes (except for length, perhaps). I felt there was a line that would work on each hole if I had the skill.
- Room to air it out fairly often.
- Great teepads and signs. Both amateur and pro tees (we played am).
- Maps available at the start of the course (look in the mailbox-looking thing).
- Stunning! Really, really beautiful surroundings and a joy to just walk around.
- Great facilities, clean bathrooms, drinking water, picnic tables, camping...
- Not too many places to lose a disc.

- Sometimes hard to find the next teepad or the pin. The map really helps, but it can still be tricky.
- Pretty open and long, which some may not like.
- People are still playing the multiple course "layouts," which is a pain in the rear. We followed the park-suggested layout (18 east and 9 west), and it was fine, but locals don't always go to the next hole on the map we used.

This was the most fun I've had on a disc golf course in my life. I'm still fairly new, but at this point I've played in five western states and a variety of course types (parks, desert, wooded, open fields), and not a single experience was as varied and fun as this.

This is a long course, and it takes forever to get through all 27. Be prepared.

~ Long Holes and Short Holes
~ Technical Holes and Open Field Shots
~ Always in GREAT condition
~ Great use of Elevation and Obstacles
~ Two pads on most holes
~ Multiple pin locations keeps things fresh.
~ Map/Score Card provided at the Ranger Station

~ My score on this course!
~ Difficult to navigate w/o a map (don't use the map on this site as it is out of date. Go to the Ranger Station, they have a new map/score card)
~ $3.00 State Park Day Use Fee (per vehicle)

Beware the SCA! These ppl bring in a couple hundred members and camp out on top of 2-3 holes which makes for navigating the course a pain. This summer I've run into them twice. They're good ppl, but I wish they were't obstucting my course

- Excellent variation in hole distances, some where less than 200 and some were greater than 1000.
- Great variation in hole placement. The course had multiple holes that were long and open, as well as multiple that were short and heavily wooded. As well as holes that were in between.
- The baskets and teepads, as well as signage, were all well maintained.
- I loved that the pro-tees made the holes harder than the ammature teepads, sometimes, courses with am and pro tees only differentiate then by adding distance, but the course designer took that into consideration as well as changing angles and in some cases even raising them and putting them on a hill.
- Very little foot traffic. I was there on a Saturday and a Sunday and I only ran into one or two people that I had to let play through and that was because they were playing the 27 hole layout and caught up to me that way.

- I played the course as the west 9 and the east 18 as that was what was printed on the course map on hole 1, and it was kind of confusing. After every hole I had to look at the map to see where I was going next. Some signs with arrows would go a long way in adding to the functionality of this course for first timers.

This is an absolutely fantastic course and I would recommend it to anyone that hasn't just started playing the game. The long holes might discourage them from wanting to play anymore, but more advanced players will have an amazing time looking at the scenary and marveling at the the wonderfully terrifying long holes.

*Update: after playing the Beaver State Fling layout, this course earned it's last half of a disc to make it a 5 star course. The "Genius Hole" alone makes this course worth visiting.

Choice of courses, combination of long and open and tight and short, beautiful landscape, great parking!!!

Public park and people are clueless as to that they are walking in a fairway when you are trying to tee-off.

I can't say enough about this course, by far the best I've played. Excellent shot variety, good mix of length and technicality. Awesome design, well maintained, challenging yet rewarding.

None

If I had to choose one course to play every day for the rest of my life, this would be the one. Super challenging, but allows for scoring. I've only played it twice, and it was right before the Beaver State Fling, so I don't know if it's always so well maintained, but I was super impressed with the condition of the course. Must-play course, worth traveling for.

This course has something for everyone! You won't find a course that has the variety, scenery, challenge, isolation, or facilities like Riverbend. Working with acres of land makes this course unique in its own right. Fron holes that run along the river to holes that climb the hills and pass through the forests this course has it all!

So dang far from downtown Portland, but definitely worth the trip!

Fitting that the PDGA sanctions a National Tour event here!

Located well outside the city in an enormous state park, and running along a river, this is an ideal setting for a world class disc golf course.

Rarely do you run into anyone besides other golfers on the course.

Challenging and varied. All your disc skills will come into play.

36 hole tournament layout.

Anything I list as a negative would be nitpicking pretty hard.

It would be nice if the teesigns hadn't been renumbered for a 9 hole and an 18 hole layout, instead of the 27 hole layout most people use anyway. It would be nice if the additional tournament holes were in the ground more often. It would be nice if it was 5 minutes from my front door.

This is undoubtedly the finest course Oregon has to offer, and arguably the most difficult.

I really tuff course with long drives. Its probaly the tuffest course in the area. Lots of trees and lots of angles and corners. Nice layout and be ready to do some hiking. A really scenic course on the Clackamas river.

Cans and bottles thrown up in the trees.

It a course that will really challenge every aspect of your game.

Wonderful course. Extremely fun and challenging. Super long drives in mostly wide open fields that change up at the last second to reveal guarded/hidden baskets that change locations periodically. Another great feature I liked about the park was the fact that there is a plateau type setting w/ holes in heavily wooded areas and the cliffs of the plateau are at either side making a very challenging drive. Two of the holes offer the "A" tee boxes that allow you to drive off of the cliffs down into the flat areas which is very fun and rewarding. The whole time playing you are surrounded by beautiful scenery.

Baskets are in good condition along w/ the tee boxes. Benches and trash cans that are provided is a nice addition along w/ a restroom area somewhere in the middle of the 2 combined courses. ( I can't recall the # of the hole its located at... I think its around the area of #26 or #9's tee box if you look at the RIVER BEND course map ). Camping is provided in the park located in a separate area.

Course has long walking if you play all 27 holes. Easy to loose discs off of the plateau area. If you are not a skilled player I can see it wearing you down both physically and mentally. Hard to navigate w/out a map. Trash laying around. CROWDED!!!

I do drink beer and I don't care if others do too... but I found lots of beer cans that people tie together on string etc and fling them up in the tree branches so they dangle from them. Which is a turn off in my opinion. Please try and keep our Oregon courses green and clean.

The camping spots are well kept and reasonably priced located to a different side about a 3 minute drive to the park from the course(s). I live in Beaverton and the drive to the park was about 25 minutes and I recommend doing the drive during the day sunlight hours as it is hard to find the campsite at night time.

Other than that this is my favorite course... truly beautiful and a blast to play. I recommend it for novice to advance players as a MUST HIT!!!

Very long and challenging, and unlike many tough courses, it plays fair and balanced. Every hole is unique, with lots of variety. Beautiful landscape of fields lines with tall thick pines, old growth heavy forest with ferns, rocks, and a river which is not really a major concern. Big shot off a cliff in the woods, water behind the basket. Cement and rubber tee pads, well marked with signs, high quality maps provided. 27 holes to choose from with 3 -9 hole loops, and 14 extra short tees. Easy to find your disc, no worries of poison oak, thorns are not that bad. There's a 1,200 foot hole with a cliff on the right.

Can be a bit tough for someone who can't throw far, it does require some good driving distances (this is a PRO to me, however). Also can be exhausting to play all 27 straight.

If you're going to cross the Mississippi River from the East, you should go straight to Oregon to play this, quit your job play disc golf.

Great variety
Great layout
Great scenery
Never crowded
On many holes you need incredible accuracy and strategy
Have to use every throw you know
Some epic holes that I've never experienced in over 160 courses

Some extremely long holes for those without big arms (like me)--but oddly, not that negative because they are epic holes that you rarely can play anywhere else

This course is truly amazing...it has everything...not only worth the drive from Portland, it would be worth walking to from Portland...every time I travel to Portland this a MUST PLAY course.
Even though I don't have a big arm for some of the monster holes, they are still fun because they are so long and unique.
Hole 9 and 27 are amazing shots of a hill through a window in the trees...there are some incredibly tight holes that reward accuracy and will make a grown man weep if he has errant throws...
I think it would be hard to beat this course for the overall excellence...of course there are a few things ot perfect (like they could have better signage) but when put all together, this course is hard to beat
One of my most memorable times playing DG was on hole 27 and I was at like 3 over for the course (VERY good for me since the long holes are tough on me without a big arm) and I was looking down off the hill, through the trees and knew that so much could go wrong and steal par from me on that hole...very exhilerating.... (I made par...the DG gods were with me that day!)
I wish I could give it a rating higher than 5

Very long and challenging. Excellent variety of lengths and landscape. Very beautiful area with the river by the course. Some holes are open, some go out of trees, some go into trees, and some are straight through trees the entire way. There are signs and nice cement teepads to make your experience more enjoyable. Every shot in your arsenal will be tested. A great place to bring the family and picnic.

Many beer bottles were up in trees last time I was there. We called them 'redneck windchimes'. Also, the course can be very confusing due to random numbered baskets on holes and the fact that there are 3 layouts. The course is very long so I wouldn't recommend it to true beginners.

The best course I've played and will likely ever play. An excellent course to spend the day or weekend at (camping nearby). The tournaments here are unbeatable and the layout is great no matter what. Well worth the drive out there. Just take in the beauty of the surroundings and enjoy your round.

-Tests ALL shots in your game.
-True par 4s and par 5s.
-Never too crowded.
-Camping available.
-Well maintained.
-Beautiful, beautiful surroundings.
-Regularly see bald eagles flying overhead.
-Clackamas river swimming between rounds!
-Strong local contigent of serious golfers.
-Great events to participate in regularly.
-Best championship 36 hole layout imaginable.
-Amazing Tee shots with doglegs, cliffshots, etc.

-There are a group of local rednecks that play the course and leave their trash EVERYWHERE. And sometimes vandalize the baskets.
-The park staff does some stupid things, like deciding to split the course into two courses and screwing up the maps, tee signs, and basket numbers.
-Because of the park staff decisions, this can be a very confusing course for first times. If you're visiting the course from out of the area, it's best to get a local guide.
-Mole holes mess up my rollers sometimes, lol.

I've played about 75 courses over my disc golf career, and the Beaver State Fling championship layout is easily the best course I've ever played.

The challenge associated with a course that has true par 4s and true par 5s, mixed with VERY tight wooded holes, all the way to long open fairway bombs is an amazing test of mental fortitude, physical stamina, and of course, skill.

If I could only play one course for the rest of my life, there would be no question in my mind what course I would choose.

The gem of Portland area disc golf! Well defined fareways, beautiful location, and challenging holes make this the best of the best in the Portland metro area. Many holes have am as well as pro tees, but the am tees aren't so drasticly short as to be trival. They will still challenge even advanced players.

The only possible con is that the course layout could be a bit confusing without a guide or a map. The numbers on the baskets don't all correspond with the current course layout so without a map it could be a tad confusing for newcomers.

Though it's rarely crowded, the distances make this a longer playing course. Bring water and a snack, and enjoy your round!

A little off ff the beaten path but well worth the drive. Easily one of top courses in the NW although I still prefer Pier Park as my top choice. I rate McIver just a shade behind. McIver is varied, it will test your whole game. It plays through the wide open lawn spaces and has wooden technical holes. There's elevation changes. It certainly is a great course for the "big arms." Because McIver is a state park and slightly out of the way, it's never going to be overcrowded like some of the urban courses. I like it as a course to hold the big state or national type tournies. Another plus is it's close (1 mile) to the Timber Park course.

Nothing really, maybe that it's long and grueling. It seemed like it was a million miles from anywhere but I guess it's only 20 miles from Portland proper. I thought a couple of the longer holes were kind of boring, just long tee offs on grass fields followed by another wide open 2nd throw. They could use some obstacles of some kind to give those holes some personaility.

First of all, between rounds on a warm summer day, nothing beats a refreshing dip in the Estacada River. Fun river to play in, it felt so good on a hot day. And I urge the locals, please don't add any more configurations to the park to confuse folks, 27 holes is enough.

The course is a fantastic test of your whole game. It's the best course in Oregon and host an National Tour event, the beaver state fling.
The course has some very tight forest hole, one is only 200 ft yet is a Very difficult 3. It's also one of the only courses I've seen on the west coast with legitimate par 4's and 5's with numerous holes over 700 feet from the pro pads.
In regards to an earlier review the course now has 27 holes marked, current;y in a 18 and a 9 setup, starting in different parking lots.

The set up and the multiple tee's can run a little confusing at times, play with a map.
Nothing I could change to the course though.

Play It!!

The course has it all. Bring your "a" game on your driving. You will be throwing your hardest one moment and then going for accuracy the next. Play the 27 hole course, not too many people know the route.

The course is labeled as 9east and 9west. Doing all 27 takes some inovation, with a map you can just figure it out.

No other course compares to this one; pier park, stafford lake, and golden gate can only come close.

Has it all, really everything. You can even swim in the Estacada river to cool off halfway through your round. The course itself is amazingly well maintained/ designed. With elevated pins/ tees, water, trees, distance, control shots.

If your not used to playing a lot of golf this course will wear you out, it take nearly 4 hours to play, maybe longer.

Onel hole from the pro tees is around 1100ft! This is not par 3 golf, come prepared to make a day/weekend of it.