Roland Park reviews
9
1
A pleasant park course 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Nov 23, 2021
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
The holes in the woods are fun and difficult without being too bizarre.
Pretty easy to navigate once you find the first tee.
Hilly but no real severe up or downslopes. Easy to get around
Wasn't busy.
The last 9 holes are really excellent holes.
Unless you throw it in a pond, or way left on #27, you're probably not in any danger of losing a disc. At this time of year the brush on the sides of the fairways is pretty sparse so you can see where your disc goes.
I like that there are many options where to start and finish. You can easily start and finish at 4-5 different spots and be close to your car. You aren't trapped into playing all 27 holes. #1, #2, #5, #9, #10, #11, #12, #19 tees are all close to the parking lot.
Pretty easy to navigate once you find the first tee.
Hilly but no real severe up or downslopes. Easy to get around
Wasn't busy.
The last 9 holes are really excellent holes.
Unless you throw it in a pond, or way left on #27, you're probably not in any danger of losing a disc. At this time of year the brush on the sides of the fairways is pretty sparse so you can see where your disc goes.
I like that there are many options where to start and finish. You can easily start and finish at 4-5 different spots and be close to your car. You aren't trapped into playing all 27 holes. #1, #2, #5, #9, #10, #11, #12, #19 tees are all close to the parking lot.
Cons:
The tees are bad. Real bad.
Other than #2, the first 11 holes are just sort of sitting in a field with no real difficulty other than length.
The last 9 holes are really good holes, but there is a walking path through them that is tough to see sometimes, so you do need to check if anyone is there.
There are a lot of leaves on the fairways that your disc can slide under, so keep an eye out for that. It's easy to get to where your disc is only to have to dig around in leaves to find it.
Other than #2, the first 11 holes are just sort of sitting in a field with no real difficulty other than length.
The last 9 holes are really good holes, but there is a walking path through them that is tough to see sometimes, so you do need to check if anyone is there.
There are a lot of leaves on the fairways that your disc can slide under, so keep an eye out for that. It's easy to get to where your disc is only to have to dig around in leaves to find it.
Other Thoughts:
I live in Lebanon so I'm pretty spoiled with South Hills, Lenni Lenape and Jackson Park all within 10 minutes. Roland Park is 27 holes and is kind of a combination of all three of those Lebanon courses. The first 11 holes are mostly in an open field with some water hazards, which is like Jackson Park. Then you have 12-18 which are in some deep woods without defined fairways, which is similar to Lenni Lenape. The last 9 holes of the course are by far the best, through the woods but there are pleasantly wide playing corridors. If you keep the disc in front of you, it's not crushingly difficult, like South Hills. South Hills isn't a woods course, but there are enough trees that if you get off line, you've got some problems.
The main problem here are the tees. The first 11 holes have tees that are just too short. They are often perched on top of mounds so there is no real way to run up. You are pretty much just taking one step forward and launching it. They are cement, but they're old and slippery.
Once you get into the woods, the tees change to rubber mats, which are of a decent size, but they aren't level, they follow the slope of the ground, and it's often uphill. I wouldn't say this was necessarily bad, it did add to the challenge, but if you're going to be aggravated by tees that aren't perfectly level, then be forewarned.
I'd consider the first 10 holes to be a warmup, and then the course really starts on 11. The only really "bad" hole is #18 where there is nothing but a wall of trees in front of you. It's OK as a par 4 to the gold basket but playing it as a par 3 to the silver basket is playing Plinko.
The course has silver and gold tees and silver and gold baskets, although on a few holes, the silver and gold tees are at the same spot, and not every hole has two baskets. I enjoyed the silver tees to the gold baskets the most. There's more variety, and often the long par 3s to the silver basket become strategic but not particularly long par 4s to the gold basket. Gold tees to gold baskets is a serious challenge.
Be careful on the last hole, it's easy to go left and it'll take a while to find your disc if you do.
If they ever put in standard size, level teeing areas, this becomes a 4.0 course instead of 2.5.
The main problem here are the tees. The first 11 holes have tees that are just too short. They are often perched on top of mounds so there is no real way to run up. You are pretty much just taking one step forward and launching it. They are cement, but they're old and slippery.
Once you get into the woods, the tees change to rubber mats, which are of a decent size, but they aren't level, they follow the slope of the ground, and it's often uphill. I wouldn't say this was necessarily bad, it did add to the challenge, but if you're going to be aggravated by tees that aren't perfectly level, then be forewarned.
I'd consider the first 10 holes to be a warmup, and then the course really starts on 11. The only really "bad" hole is #18 where there is nothing but a wall of trees in front of you. It's OK as a par 4 to the gold basket but playing it as a par 3 to the silver basket is playing Plinko.
The course has silver and gold tees and silver and gold baskets, although on a few holes, the silver and gold tees are at the same spot, and not every hole has two baskets. I enjoyed the silver tees to the gold baskets the most. There's more variety, and often the long par 3s to the silver basket become strategic but not particularly long par 4s to the gold basket. Gold tees to gold baskets is a serious challenge.
Be careful on the last hole, it's easy to go left and it'll take a while to find your disc if you do.
If they ever put in standard size, level teeing areas, this becomes a 4.0 course instead of 2.5.
2
5
mbarkitek
Experience:
11.9 years
28 played
3 reviews
Opposite Opinion 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jun 15, 2016
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
1. Lots of holes / lots of variation
2. Pretty hole over water
3. Probably not going to lose discs
2. Pretty hole over water
3. Probably not going to lose discs
Cons:
1. POISON IVY EVERYWHERE
2. Nice casual short course UNTIL THE WOODS!
3. Some dual basket holes are no longer dual basket. I threw towards the wrong basket several times.
4. Holes 8-10 are confusing
5. I do not consider this a very well kept course. Rough areas are trimmed/cut back, but there is no safe rough. You will be in poison ivy or thorns or just a place where its impossible to find a disc.
2. Nice casual short course UNTIL THE WOODS!
3. Some dual basket holes are no longer dual basket. I threw towards the wrong basket several times.
4. Holes 8-10 are confusing
5. I do not consider this a very well kept course. Rough areas are trimmed/cut back, but there is no safe rough. You will be in poison ivy or thorns or just a place where its impossible to find a disc.
Other Thoughts:
Look. Its a great course. But I hate playing it.
Make sure to take it easy on this course because gamble shots will not be rewarded.
DO NOT PLAY ON A WINDY DAY. Baskets/holes get crossed, discs go everywhere.
DO NOT PLAY ON A HOT DAY. It will kill you and steal your disc golfing soul.
Make sure to take it easy on this course because gamble shots will not be rewarded.
DO NOT PLAY ON A WINDY DAY. Baskets/holes get crossed, discs go everywhere.
DO NOT PLAY ON A HOT DAY. It will kill you and steal your disc golfing soul.
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