The Riverside course is located on an unused former Golf course and there is plenty of land here to have a very big course or two. When you drive in there isn't really a parking lot, it's more of an old dirt road but just pick a spot closer to the freeway to be close to the first hole. Hole one is one of the longer holes on the course and starts on a dirt patch and takes you into the wide open fields that are covered with dandy lions. The next couple are shorter but still fairly wide open. Hole five is one of my favorites on the course as you are throwing a left to right RHBH anhyser throw across some standing water towards the basket, starting at hole five is where the course gets interesting. The next hole number six is an interesting hole with water on your left as well as trees and you have two options: lay up to the open field and take the 90 degree turn towards the basket or try and go over the trees and water with a very risky throw, I'm sure locals are going to figure this out over time very well. I agree with JR Stengele in that a couple of holes could be moved, changed or merged to create an even better course, there is tons of potential here! I really like this piece of land there is enough trees and water here to do some magical things, in fact I love what the designer has done with the water and where it was chosen to be used.

There are some major navigational issues which is going to frustrate the first timers to the course but this isn't going to matter much to the local players. Some of the dirt pads have bricks next to them with the number painted on them and some don't. The poles have the number on them but from the tee pad it is impossible to read and many times you can see many poles and it can be confusing which one you are throwing to. More signs pointing you to the correct tees and tones would be helpful especially if they are bright and easy to see, why not use something pink? There are parts of the land here that were used that make me shake my head. Holes one through four are open and boring and if I played here on a regular basis I would just start on five which is pretty close to the car anyway. There is a spot in the middle where there are a lot more trees that was only used for a couple holes and I would like to see this used more to its potential where you could make some glorious holes. Tones and tee pads: needs baskets and maybe some rubber or carpet tees if concrete isn't desired.

There are rumors of baskets and tee signs being put in soon and the local club is putting on weekly events to raise money. Although this course is brand new it is a good start and you can expect my rating to jump up higher as things are moved long and improved.

Located on an old ball golf course just off I-5 in Ferndale, WA, Riverside 18 is the newest addition to the disc golf scene in Whatcom County. With the strong vision of Randy and the support of the WCDGC, this course has come around nicely in its infancy. The course was designed to play along and across large open meadows with vibrant yellow Dandelions carpeting some of the back fairways. The majority of the natural obstacles were incorporated in to the layout, including water on holes 5, 6, and 9, elevation when present, any major bushes or brambles, as well as large prehistoric looking trees. Because the course is wide open for the most part, wind plays a large factor in the difficulty of play and risk/reward when near water.

Due to the sheer size of the area, this course is spread out and leaves little issue when it comes to flow. Hole one starts players off heading north (away from the parking lot), weaving players throughout the meadows and clumps of trees, guiding players back to the parking lot in the end. The 18 holes incorporate much of the land, providing a balanced layout with good shot variety. Par for the course is 54, length is 5,000-5,700 feet, with holes ranging from 187 - 468 feet. Currently there are multiple pin positions and eventually alternate tees.

Established in 2011 and therefore in its infancy, Riverside 18, like any course, still has some tweaking to do regarding navigation, amenities, course improvements, and design. Fortunately, Randy and the WCDGC are hard at work and collecting the proper funds necessary to make such improvements. Once the improvements are done I know my rating for the course will improve.

Navigation - without a map, this course is very difficult to navigate. There are numbers on the tones and small markers near the tee pads, but locating them can be difficult at times. The addition of tee signs and navigational arrows would do wonders for this place. Also a kiosk in the parking lot with information showing an aerial map of the layout, club information regarding local tournaments or work parties, as well as local vendors.

Amenities - Currently there are no restrooms, drinking fountains, picnic benches, or garbage cans at the course. For now, locals seem to stop in at the local Dairy Queen down the road. While on the course please remember to pack it in, pack it out!

Course Improvements - The course currently has 18 tones and grass tee pads. They are working on installing both baskets and rubber mats so if you see Randy on the course please feel free to donate. He has paid out of his own pocket for the tones and flags and anything is appreciated.

Course Design - Since the course is located on an old ball golf course, it would be great to eventually see par 4's and 5's incorporated in to the design. Also, getting rid of hole #14. Instead, combine hole #14's tee to hole #15's pin, and then add a new hole somewhere else (perhaps in the tree line along the river?). Hole #14, at 183 ft., felt like a filler hole and so by combining it with hole #15 (which is wide open), it would allow for the large tree line to come in to play off the tee, making for a much challenging hole. Course is also VERY marshy (which is why the ball golf course is no longer there), especially during the wetter months so bring proper attire as it can get brutal.

Again, most of this can be fixed with time and money. Some things like the soggy land, not so much, but they make the most of what they have to work with.

After a round of doubles during their weekly tournament, Riverside 18 left me wanting more. I had such a wonderful time and was pleasantly surprised with the amount of progress that had been done by Randy and the WCDGC in such a short amount of time. Although the course took about 3 hours to play, I could have easily played another round as the replay/fun value of this course is there. Much thanks to all that have put their blood, sweat, and tears in to it. As improvements are made, my rating without a doubt will improve.

During my round there were several holes that stood out in my mind as signature holes, here were just a few of my favorites.

Hole #5 - 280ft anhzer over water toward a blind basket. Trees and branches in the water make for narrow gaps.

Hole #6 - The only hole that felt like a par 4, this 468ft hole gives two main approaches to the pin. One, a monster hyzer over the water and huge tree line, allowing for a possible birdie. Two, a long hyzer playing around the water and tree line. However, near impossible to birdie because of how far the upshot is toward the basket.

Hole #12 - Dead Straight shot 262ft with the pin located in an old bunker surrounded by trees. It reminded me of hole #15 at the USDGC where the pin is surrounded by a huge stick fence.

Hole #13 - Has the most elevation on the course (15ft). Tight shot off the tee through two or three massive trees, with the hole resting in the open meadow..