Schenley is a good starter course (I learned here). Many of the holes are short enough for beginners to birdie. This helped me build a foundation for my game with putting, approaching, and accuracy. Holes 2 and 5 are longer and gave me a taste of the necessary power for longer courses (like Deer Lakes).

Some players feel that the tree-ridden fairways of the back 9 are crap-shoots, but I found at least one manageable line to the basket at every hole. I just played a round hitting only 2 trees on 18 holes, and both were from turning over a new midrange disc. Most likely, prudent shot selection and creativity will be necessary for a clean scorecard.

The park is very popular, so you might want to play a different course on a nice summer day if you are impatient. There are often ignorant people that get in the way of baskets, but I've never had a problem asking them to move.

The Veteran's Pavilion at the back 9 can make some holes unpleasant or unplayable if cars are parked on the path. If you play through when a party is going on, expect to have unknowing bystanders ask you about disc golf or even pick up your drive (happened to me more then once, but never had one stolen).

The blue tees can be difficult to find, even with the guidance from the signs. I'm still not sure where the blue tees are at 11 and 15 (EDIT: I believe 11 uses the back of the white teepad for the blue tee, and 15's blue tee is up the path by the practice hole basket. Some of the signs should be updated, or there should be signs for the blue tees.).

I've played with many new players at Schenley, and they all had fun. The length and difficulty of the course make it easy to play for all ages and skill levels. Nonetheless, I challenge any experienced player to make it through this course without smacking a tree, car, or person.

New Mach 3 baskets (including two practice baskets -- one near #1 tee and the other for an alternate hole behind Vietnam Veterans Pavilion); new signs with maps, distances and pars on all Red and White tees; new concrete tee to replace broken and unlevel pads on #8, #10, #15; and a new additional C pin position for each of the holes add up to a BIG improvement in the oldest permanent basket disc golf course in Western PA. Thanks to Citiparks, the Hunt Foundation, The Disc Golf Foundation and Pittsburgh Flying Disc Society for the 20-year makeover in 2008.

The course is a great place to learn to play DG and to hone woods play and short game. A set of Blue tees provide a challenge for those whose game is on the rise.

A layout designed for throwing 40-mold Frisbees in the most popular regional park in the city of Pittsburgh causes conflicts between sunbathers, picnicers and disc golfers.

Be alert for errant shots from other players, especially on holes 8-12.

An 18-hole round can be played in just over an hour.

Easy course, if your a beginner would be excellent to learn because all the holes arent lengthy and are par 3s beside number two which is an open par 4

Also if ur more advanced or have a tighter grasp on the game you can play shenley to boost your confidence and shoot in the negatives.

Nice change of scenery through beautiful Schenley park

Cement tee pads on whites and reds
which are amateur and womens
blue for pros just has wooden markers

Many people constantly on course, vechicles behind and on near sides of the holes where possibly can be hit, many holes on the back 9 are congested aimed towards one area and criss cross back and forth between fairways (wooded fairways)

If its your first time playing your best bet of finding all the right pins might be asking someone nearby whos playing it gets a little confusing but their are numbers on the baskets if you want to walk down to check if its the right one

- GREAT views of downtown and Oakland!
- wooded and open shots
- changes in elevation from flat to hilly holes
- beginner friendly, as low scores are attainable from both the red and white tees
- bathrooms, water, parking, and a kiosk are available
- good signage, tees, and baskets
- easy to navigate
- has at least one -- maybe two mandos, which add for some excitement
- right in the nucleus of Pittsburgh

- watch out for parkgoers who are not aware of flying discs
- pars may be outdated -- especially for advanced/pro disc golfers
- doesn't require much technical throwing (this may be a pro depending on your preference)
- I had a really hard time finding the blue tees. As such, I just played the whites.

Sure, courses like Deer Lakes, Moraine, Knob Hill, and even IUP's College Lodge are much better, but they're not exactly near Pittsburgh. Yinzers and visitors alike need not travel far to enjoy 18 holes on this course.

Despite lacking much challenge, the course still has some degree of diversity and is a very good time. I like to play a few holes here form time to time and really enjoy bringing beginners here.

A beautiful view of the city from the opening tee. Nice new hole signs and baskets. A great place to practice your finesse game- though the holes are short, accuracy is a must once you get to hole 6.

Typically very crowded, especially on summer weekends. Many non-golfers don't seem to "get it", and will throw down a blanket right in front of a tee box or basket- c'mon people!

A very manageable course- you'll probably feel good about your game after a round from the whites or reds. However, if you think you're too good for Schenley, try playing the blue tees, which make the course significantly longer and more difficult.

This is a somewhat dated course that is, with the exception of a hole or two, pretty short but is great for your Putt and Approach game. There are some very nice wooded holes and in a very limited space this course offers alot. Right and left hand turns, a 600 ft hole, a 190ft hole and a couple tunnel shots. Schenley has some very nice concrete tee's (although the Pro tee is still natural) and Mach III baskets with three pin positions that can really alter the hole. Last but not least, the practice basket and holes' 1 and 2 offer a spectacular view of downtown Pittsburgh.

This course is short. Some people with big arms may only use a driver on one hole (and that depends on pin position).
On most days this park has alot of traffic, both from casual players and people just out enjoying the park itself. One of the most popular places to sit is apparently right in front #1 basket.
The blue tees do add a little something extra to the course but they are not identified at all, so you would need a local to be with you to find some of them (1 and 15 good luck).
The layout has made maximum use of the limited space but some of the tees are very close to being in the way of other holes. When there are people playing around you on this course you need to be even more aware than normal for errant throws.

People who play this course only once may think it is a bit simple but each hole has at least three pin placements and sometimes 4. So that each time that you play it could be different. I really do like Schenley alot and I think that the Pittsburgh Flying Disc Society has maxed out its potential but with so many other great courses in the Pittsburgh area it is hard not to look down upon this course a little.

What I personally like and how this course stacks up (from the longs):
1) Holes with good risk/reward -- A-
2) Holes that have rewarding birdie opportunities -- A-
3) More wooded than open - lots of variety of shots required caused by hole shape and topography -- A-
4) Natural beauty (Appalachian beauty preferred) and seclusion -- B
5) Bonus amount for multi-shot holes with defined landing zones, good risk/reward and multiple options to play them -- C

It's all about feeding the addiction, so I ranked this course subjectively based on my own "personal addiction factor". The grades above tell how well the course will draw me back to itself again and again and again. Since I have played a decent number of courses (115 18-hole, 50 9-hole as of early 2009), my hope is that players/explorers who have similar addiction tastes will find my ratings list helpful as they choose courses to play and explore.

Over time, I expect to fill some of my reviews in with more descriptive verbiage...if what I can add anything to what has already been written. For now, my list is more important to me than the verbiage of my reviews.

I fully expect others with different tastes/philosophies to disagree with me....that's the fun of things here. See my profile for my rating philosophy.

Great views of the city! Recent course improvements, including the new baskets (2008) are a welcome update!! This is mostly a finesse course. It's one that is probably best described as "recreational." Yet, is unfortunately overshadowed by the more challenging and recently developed courses in the area. Paying heed to designated OB areas will add increased challenge to this course.

In the summer months, this course can get crowded, and overrun with non-playing park users - even to the point of deeming some holes "unplayable." The back 9 (or 11) are tight, with fairways that abut one another. These, however, should not be your reasons for not wanting to play this course.

Is it "outmoded," or is it "classic?" Just because you have the CD, or you downloaded it from iTunes, doesn't mean the vinyl lacks character and doesn't deserve a place of it's own. (If that analogy is generationally irrelevant to you - just because you have PS3, or a Wii, doesn't mean there isn't a place for the classic Nintendo 64!!) Unless you can birdie EVERY hole...heck, even half of them, then don't be so quick to criticize this course! Those I know who CAN accomplish this, are the most accomplished local players, who would agree that there are "better," more challenging courses in the area, but they give this course the respect that it deserves! You wouldn't have Knob Hill, Deer Lakes, Moraine if Schenley didn't pave the way to make it happen!!

Great park surrounding. Decent walking workout.

Newest installation of baskets are now a year old - it really brightens up the place, and makes the holes easier to see. Signage has also improved.

Added basket placements in the past year, and frequent shifting, make the course play very differently from one week to the next. Some holes play almost a stroke's worth of difference - best examples of this are #2, #5, #13, #17.

I especially like the following holes: descriptions apply best, but not exclusively, from the white tees.

#1: pretty simple short sidehill shot, but it's easy to mess up if you fade too far left or right. Trees on both sides pinch the approach to the basket. Good way to start a round.

#5 with the long basket: You have to keep your drive clear of the line of trees along the left, and the fairway slopes left as well. The approach needs to clear a huge shrub on the left, without overshooting the mark and hitting the road.

#7: Very short and sharp dogleg right. Basket is almost always set in a small clearing at the edge of the thicker forest.

#11: Tight straight drive between two trees. There's a huge fallen tree trunk across the divide, as much as 6 feet high. You have to control a throw that's high enough, but still won't fade off course in late flight.

#13: at first glance it's just a mass of thin trees, but there's a gap that's perfect for an S-curve forehand. Still takes a bit of luck to stay on course, but if you manage to miss the trees it's a great ego boost.

Lots of short relatively straight holes, especially through the woods. The same principle applies: figure out your best gap, aim straight, and hope you don't lose much distance, or roll too far off line, when you inevitably hit a tree. 16 is especially short and cluttered with trees for a steep downhill. One of many holes where birdies and bogeys are equally likely at our skill level.

Two clear sets of mostly concrete tees - blue tees are typically a painted plank of wood, and can be very tough to find. The blue tees make the course play significantly tougher - my family always plays from the whites.

Deceptive tee placements include 11 - uphill across road from 10, and 13 - back down across road from 12.

On the other hand, #10 basket was on the short high side of the road when we most recently played. It couldn't be much more than 120 ft. in this configuration, with lots of trees - a bit like navigating putt-putt obstacles.

I've changed my mind about the toughest basket location on #17, tucked into the top of a steep hill, and surrounded by scrub and forest. It's difficult, but not impossible, to get your approach close.

The road as out of bounds can come into play on at least 9 of the holes. Sometimes, especially for hackers like us, it's a matter of how the disc bounces or rolls off the trees.

There's always somebody playing, but never too crowded. It's easy to finish 18 holes in an hour.

Opening two holes have the best view of the city. As others have mentioned, the open slope makes it popular for sunbathers. Walkers can cross the course at any point, but it's never a huge problem.

Schenley and Frick are two great inner-city parks within a few miles of each other.

This course is close to the city and the universities in the area. It has several nice views of the city. It has cement tee pads and baskets.

The holes are short and not well marked. Luckily I had a paper map of the course to navigate around.

I only played this course once before I started "really" playing disc golf. At that time I had a short drive with little skills. I did pretty well at the time though so it is beginner friendly. If you are in the area it is worth a stop but if not I would drive to other courses in the Pittsburgh area.

Old school course. Holes 1 through 6 are pretty much out in the open. Watch out for people using the park in this area. Holes 7-18 are tucked into the woods and are pretty close together. In some area's you can accidentally hit golfers playing 4 different holes. 3 sets of tees and two pin positions per hole. The short and medium tees are nice concrete pads. The longer blue tee's may be difficult to find. You can tell that not many people play from the longer tee's.

Great views from the holes in the field. You can get multiple rounds in a short amount of time if that's your thing.

Most holes play short and none were terribly challenging. Very much crowded with non-disc golfers outside of the wooded holes. Probably not too beginner friendly due to the crowds.

Schenley was an ok course but it definitely pales in comparison to the other courses in the area. The hillside was quite crowded when I played through the course and there were also two huge parties with extremely loud music around holes 10-15. I actually had to skip 15 and 16 as a result of the parties.

If you're taking a trip down to the area I'd probably skip Schenley and go straight to Knob Hill or Deer Lakes which are relatively close and worth the drive.

if you are looking for medium distance ace runs this course is for you... there is also a stellar view of the city from the open holes

large amounts of non-players during the summer months.

Great course for its day. Still fun when looking for a recretional day out on a course or to tune your approach skills..

Has both holes that are wide open and heavily wooded. It is readily accessible from the suburbs and the city, and has a beautiful view of the city skyline. Concrete tee pads for both red and white tees with signs posted at each are a rare luxury.

The woods are somewhat dense, and some of the wooded holes do not seem to have much of an optimal throwing lane or landing zone. Many of the tee signs have been damaged or destroyed. A severe storm in the summer of 2007 took its toll on some of the trees and baskets.
In addition, the course is approaching 20 years in age, and it is rather short by today's standards. A couple of holes are stretched into the par 4 range for the blue tees (in addition to #2, which is a real P4 from the white tee), but for the majority of holes there is simply no room to lengthen them. And since concrete tees cannot be moved, this course will always play short from the whites and very short form the reds.

This used to be a big time course, having in the past hosted the Ironwoods Open and the current women's national champion. It has now been eclipsed by the newer, bigger courses outside of the city. However Schenley is still very frequently played and well maintained, and a trip here affords one the opportunity to see the city of Pittsburgh from the crown jewel of its parks.
Experts should make Moraine, Deer Lakes and Knob Hill a higher priority; they are really higher caliper courses. For the rest of us, Schenley can still be a fun time.