Riverside Park reviews
5
0
Underwhelming (for now?)
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jul 2, 2020
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
As other reviews have mentioned, Riverside Park is large and mostly open. The course plays around and near two large lagoons at the center of the park. Several of the holes use these lagoons to create significant water hazards.
There are 18 DISCatcher baskets that look brand new (new since the photos on here were taken). They have correct hole numbers on them. A few of them were in very interesting locations that added to both the degree of challenge and my enjoyment of the round (read: near the water). Most other baskets at least have a couple of trees between them and the tee. There is a new-looking practice basket, which also aided me in finding the beginning of the course (see Cons).
There are 18 DISCatcher baskets that look brand new (new since the photos on here were taken). They have correct hole numbers on them. A few of them were in very interesting locations that added to both the degree of challenge and my enjoyment of the round (read: near the water). Most other baskets at least have a couple of trees between them and the tee. There is a new-looking practice basket, which also aided me in finding the beginning of the course (see Cons).
Cons:
There is a kiosk, but the "course map" on it is a faded 8.5" x 11" piece of paper that didn't seem to be fully accurate (the pin locations seemed correct, but not all of the tee pads). The map here is not fully accurate either. It shows hole 1 correctly and gives a correct general idea of how the course plays, but:
- The holes shown as #5, #7, and #12 have been removed. The numbers of the surrounding holes have been re-numbered accordingly (based on numbering on baskets only).
- Holes 14-18 are now south of the park road (where only holes 17 and 18 are shown on the map).
There are concrete tee pads, but they kind of just seem to be slapped down at random in the park. It wasn't clear to me if some holes are supposed to have multiple tees, or there are extra tees from an old layout that need to be removed. I think it's the latter.
Only a couple of the tee pads had tee signs, and the ones that were there were very old and didn't seem accurate.
The beginning of the course is difficult to locate within the park. The location pin on here is accurate, but to get there you have to enter the park at the Guild St roundabout, then immediately turn north along the drive to a small parking lot next to Monroe St. This entrance to the park is marked "Disc Golf" which is helpful, but don't be like me and miss the sharp turn north. If instead you continue west and park in the lot that way, you will find a kiosk with a map for an old pole hole course on it (this map is in better condition than the basket hole course map). I thought that this pole hole course map was the basket course map and had to do quite a bit of walking to figure it out. The old pole hole course also plays in the same area as holes 14-18 of the basket hole course, which at best doesn't make any sense and at worst could be dangerous. Anyway, I finally got back in my car and spotted what turned out to be the practice basket from the road. Once I parked and viewed the correct kiosk, it was still a walk north across a field to the first tee as other reviewers have mentioned.
This place is flat as a pancake with few obstacles other than the water.
Would definitely be largely flooded in the spring.
Errant throws could find a busy walking/jogging path on several holes (it was pretty well populated, even on the very hot day I was there). This is also a popular non-DG park where people could be having a picnic on fairways, etc.
I read about the geese and their feces in other reviews, but you really have to see it to believe it. I did not finish one hole because there were about two dozen geese in the 100' or so between me and the basket, and I would likely have hit one of them with my approach shot.
There is plenty of freeway noise throughout the park with US-131 just across the river.
- The holes shown as #5, #7, and #12 have been removed. The numbers of the surrounding holes have been re-numbered accordingly (based on numbering on baskets only).
- Holes 14-18 are now south of the park road (where only holes 17 and 18 are shown on the map).
There are concrete tee pads, but they kind of just seem to be slapped down at random in the park. It wasn't clear to me if some holes are supposed to have multiple tees, or there are extra tees from an old layout that need to be removed. I think it's the latter.
Only a couple of the tee pads had tee signs, and the ones that were there were very old and didn't seem accurate.
The beginning of the course is difficult to locate within the park. The location pin on here is accurate, but to get there you have to enter the park at the Guild St roundabout, then immediately turn north along the drive to a small parking lot next to Monroe St. This entrance to the park is marked "Disc Golf" which is helpful, but don't be like me and miss the sharp turn north. If instead you continue west and park in the lot that way, you will find a kiosk with a map for an old pole hole course on it (this map is in better condition than the basket hole course map). I thought that this pole hole course map was the basket course map and had to do quite a bit of walking to figure it out. The old pole hole course also plays in the same area as holes 14-18 of the basket hole course, which at best doesn't make any sense and at worst could be dangerous. Anyway, I finally got back in my car and spotted what turned out to be the practice basket from the road. Once I parked and viewed the correct kiosk, it was still a walk north across a field to the first tee as other reviewers have mentioned.
This place is flat as a pancake with few obstacles other than the water.
Would definitely be largely flooded in the spring.
Errant throws could find a busy walking/jogging path on several holes (it was pretty well populated, even on the very hot day I was there). This is also a popular non-DG park where people could be having a picnic on fairways, etc.
I read about the geese and their feces in other reviews, but you really have to see it to believe it. I did not finish one hole because there were about two dozen geese in the 100' or so between me and the basket, and I would likely have hit one of them with my approach shot.
There is plenty of freeway noise throughout the park with US-131 just across the river.
Other Thoughts:
The hole info on here is inaccurate as of this writing. If I was certain where the tee pads were I would try to go back and update it.
From experiencing everything I have described above, I came to the conclusion that this course might be in the process of being renovated (new baskets currently, new tee pads and other infrastructure to come later?). With renovations this course would be closer to the 3 or 3.5 score it currently sits at on here, but right now IMHO it definitely falls well short of that. I can't recommend it as it is now unless you are a local who really enjoys water hazard holes. I live nearby so if I hear it is renovated, I will probably play it again and will update this review.
UPDATE September 2021: No real changes since I wrote this last year. This could be a fun, mostly open round with the water hazards and scattered trees...but the course currently seems to be in a state of neglect. As of this writing, the previously mentioned "Disc Golf" sign at the entrance to the park has partially fallen off its mount and appears to be hanging on by a single nail. That sign is kind of the entire course in a nutshell.
UPDATE August 2022: Nothing has changed since last year, but the city put up a large information board near the parking lot that goes into detail on multiple improvements to the park. This board makes no mention of disc golf, but it does detail plans for a pavilion right at what is currently hole 10's fairway. This makes me a little bit concerned about the future of disc golf at Riverside Park.
From experiencing everything I have described above, I came to the conclusion that this course might be in the process of being renovated (new baskets currently, new tee pads and other infrastructure to come later?). With renovations this course would be closer to the 3 or 3.5 score it currently sits at on here, but right now IMHO it definitely falls well short of that. I can't recommend it as it is now unless you are a local who really enjoys water hazard holes. I live nearby so if I hear it is renovated, I will probably play it again and will update this review.
UPDATE September 2021: No real changes since I wrote this last year. This could be a fun, mostly open round with the water hazards and scattered trees...but the course currently seems to be in a state of neglect. As of this writing, the previously mentioned "Disc Golf" sign at the entrance to the park has partially fallen off its mount and appears to be hanging on by a single nail. That sign is kind of the entire course in a nutshell.
UPDATE August 2022: Nothing has changed since last year, but the city put up a large information board near the parking lot that goes into detail on multiple improvements to the park. This board makes no mention of disc golf, but it does detail plans for a pavilion right at what is currently hole 10's fairway. This makes me a little bit concerned about the future of disc golf at Riverside Park.
