Location, location, location! There are very few courses available within actual Pittsburgh city limits and this may be the only one readily available to reach on a bus line. As we consider how to continue growing our sport, these things have value and should be celebrated.

This was the first permanent disc golf course in Pittsburgh and that, in itself, is worth celebrating as well. I'll go boomer here for a second to say that too few appreciate history of anything anymore. There are plenty of better courses around now, but everyone in town should play Schenley now and then to appreciate the roots of where we have come from.

As for the disc golf here, well, it does leave something to be desired. It's an older style "park course". There is only one hole here that is of any considerable length. Many of these holes are small, but that gives you an opportunity to work on aspects of your golf game that don't get featured in as many other courses. You'll be driving mids and putters here more than any other course and getting used to throwing smaller speed discs off a tee is a benefit. Almost every fairway is pretty much lazer tight, too, so this is absolutely a course to go work on your short game. At this point, this is practically my "home course" and it has helped me a great deal in improving the accuracy of my lines. There are some really good holes here that probably don't get their props. The 5th Hole is a unique challenge. One of the longer holes on the course needs you to keep your drive straight. Left fades risk going out of bounds here. Then you have to get a midrange shot out around a big shrub to a tough pin. It is not an easy par. The 8th is a double mando that should be a birdie downhill, but needs a line to the right that can be hard to pull off. The 17th Hole is another good one, needing a drive uphill that lands in a good enough spot to ensure you can navigate the trees to the green for your par.

There are three sets of tees here. There is concrete on the White and Red setups. Blue tees may need some app navigation as a few are not that easy to locate if you are unfamiliar. You will find restrooms in the park, though there is not one sitting at the first hole or anywhere really close.

I don't know that the course was ever designed with the amount of use that it currently receives in mind. You could say that there is a positive in that statement and there is, but it also means that this can be one hectic course at times. The course switches back on itself continually and fairways run parallel. Many of these tees are sitting far too close to another hole's green. This effect is so bad that a few holes have warning signs asking you to not only wait until the group ahead of you has cleared the hole, but waiting until they clear the next tee as well. Many don't pay attention, so the risk of taking a disc to the dome is high on this course.

Those comments I made about location bleed into why this course can be tough to play as well. You will see more noobs playing this course than almost every other course in town combined. Again, that is a positive, but also a negative. You will most likely always be waiting behind other cards on this course. Many of those are not seasoned players. It's not unusual to see groups of 8 playing together, youth groups, etc, out here slowing down the course, or even just a lot of cards of novice players. This is the kind of course where the guys out blasting music and chugging beers are in full force. I LOVE that the course gets played and that's a positive to itself, but if you're coming here trying to get a good solid serious round in, this may be a frustrating place for you. Between the discs slapping trees on the fairways beside you and the packs of golfers, it can be hard to focus here. Absolutely not your quiet day in the park course. Any of these things are further increased by the general use of the park itself. There are plenty of non golfers here and many of them on the course. People picnicking, flying kites, laying out in the sun, you name it.

Keep an eye out for the infamous Schenley ChainHawk. There is a hawk that lives on this course and is not bothered by people at all. I have been as close as 10 feet from it sitting in a tree above my head.

This course can provide several layouts. There are three tee spots per hole - two concrete pads and one natural pad marked by a wood tie. There are also multiple pin placements per hole, so if they get moved around a decent amount, regulars can play significantly different layouts all the time.

The course provides a lot of elevation changes, especially once you get into the wooded hill area. It forces you to throw both up and down, and to avoid many trees while doing so.

Speaking of trees, there are many. Try not to hit them. But don't fear, there are a few open holes at the beginning of the course to get the accuracy figured out before navigating the forest.

To me, the course bordered on repetitive through most of the back stretch. There are a lot of holes crammed into a little space, so naturally the distances aren't too long. This made several holes appear to have the same "look" as a 200ish foot hole, either up or down, through moderate tree cover. As I touched also, the course lacked distance, outside of a hole or two in the very beginning.

Overall, this is a solid course. It is great for beginners, as the holes are not too long and it will force you to work on accuracy. For more advanced players, treat it as you would a Par 3 course in ball-golf, and go out there with only midranges and putters to work on the short game. Personally, I enjoyed the course, and if I was visiting again I would play it because it is the only course within downtown Pittsburgh.

It's clean, great course for beginners, always full of players

The blue tees (longs) are none existent once in a while they will spray paint there tee box on the ground. The tee signs are old and in poor condition, holes 6-16 are the same shot just right down the middle.

Like Jack Benny, Schenley Disc Golf Course is 39. The question is, How do you keep a 39 year old course fresh and modern? Courses built in 1988 tend to be old, faded and outdated by now. Back in 88, the top players were maybe throwing 325'. I think Schenley has managed to age very gracefully. She's had some cosmetic surgery to alter her appearance, new baskets, new signage and the new blue tees.

Schenley Park is a massive city park. I discovered something new and exciting. Using google maps on my new phone, I can enter Schenley Park Disc Golf Course and it will lead me right to the first tee! You younger, more tech savvy guys probably knew that. No more driving around some huge park looking for the course. The area around the first tee is sweet with it's view of downtown. Very impressive! Take time to sit on one of the benches and take it all in.

There is a kiosk with course map and benches for enjoying the view. There are two sets of concrete tees and nice colored maps with the next tee arrowI. The baskets are DGA models with the greatest, most easy to read numbers ever. The numbers are orange on black and show up well from distances. They are inserted on what used to be the old school fiberglass tee signs. There is one of these easy to read numbers on the back of each tee sign. They saved me a few steps many times. Thank you for those numbers.

I played from the white tees. I say they probably play at a solid recreational level. However, I am a shaky recreational player so the Whites were a perfect challenging level for me. The shorter Reds looked to be beginner easy. I only had time to play from the whites.

The long Blues added a lot of distance, like on # 15, the white tees play 213' on this little uphill throw while the Blue tees make it a whopping 537'. So, do the Blues play at an Intermediate level or Championship level? Either way, having three distinct and different pads should keep players coming back time and time again.

The holes in the wooded area offer players Ace run after Ace run. Playing from the Whites, few of these were really easy but every one was Aceable.

Wow, my Cons are probably pretty petty. I believe the course can get busy. Not really a con but a compliment. Others have talked about it being slippery after a rain. I could believe that. As far as complaining about it being too difficult or too easy, if you can't pick a level of difficulty on this course, then I don't know what we can do to help you?

Might be a problem with a couple of the earlier holes that play near the street.

Also could be an issue on # 8 and # 12 where you are throwing over a park service road. I had to wait here for a park vehicle to pass.

Trivia question? What city has three professional sports team that all wear the same color combination? Obviously, the answer is Pittsburgh with it's famous yellow and black. My question then is why did the course designers install wonderful 8" orange/black numbers on the baskets? Why not go with the yellow and black? Just curious?

One more question? Hole 18? Did course redesigners consider having this hole play all the way around the hockey rink? Making it a true par 5? I don't know but that could be a 700' hole from the Blue tees. Just another idea?

I think Schenley is aging gracefully. I really liked playing her and would love to come back and try my luck on the Reds and the Blues.

And on another note, the Pirates ballpark, PNC field, is awesome with it's views of the downtown skyline. And while you're in Pittsburgh, have a heart clogging, Pittsburgh icon, a Primanti Brothers sandwich, gobs of meat served with cold slaw, cheese, french fries, tomato, bacon and an egg, all heaped between two thick slices of white bread. I thought my wife was going to puke!

Nice park with multiple pins and tees. well maintained and fairly easy to navigate once you get started.

Has very short holes. Was hard to find inside the park. Not very challenging but good for a beginner.

This was the first course I was able to card a negative score on.

Nice short course with lots of ace opportunities. Beautiful views of Pittsburgh from tee #1. Worth stopping if in the area.

Being close to the city the park can get rather busy. Just watch out where your throwing your discs. Can be muddy on some holes if it rained recently. Some people don't have the patience to wait for you to move before throwing their discs. I had discs land @ my feet right next to my young children. I understand it can get crowded but have some courtesy for other people who are having to wait for people in front of them too.

I rather enjoyed this short little course. Going to have to make this a stop when I'm in the city.

-Nice Lay out in the park.
-I really like wooded holes.
-Nice Short lines with a few Ace run opportunities
-Concrete tees.

-Park itself can get really crowded at times.

Great view of the City Skyline by Hole 1.
I have Aced 16 and Just today chained out from the Red Tee on Hole 2.

If you park by Hole 10 and play the back 9 first, you finish right where you park.

1. 3 tee offs at each hole providing different difficulties.
2. Directions to the next tee at most holes.
3. Large concrete slabs at the start of each tee.
4. Good variety of distances throughout the holes.
5. Course was easy to find once you enter the park.

1. Most holes are straight shots not many left or right curve holes.
2. Some heavily treed holes making it difficult for new players
3. Could get pretty muddy after a rainy day

Overall a good course

I love this park and its location, so it quickly became one of my most played courses once I got wheels. Most of the holes are in the woods and so it makes for some interesting shots. A great place to bring a beginner. It is short enough that a single player can finish inside of an hour.

The park tends to be crowded and people management can be a concern. It's also very tightly placed so you need to beware of the other players around you (my eyebrow will never be the same). The holes are almost all short enough that a candy arm like myself can have a chance to birdie every hole.

This is the only course that I have played under par and have an ace on so it has some sentimental value with that. The central location is great and I love swinging through on a whim to play a quick round after work and still getting home early enough to make dinner!

-Located in a huge, well-maintained park right outside of Oakland, only a few miles from downtown. The park has pretty much everything you could ask for with bike trails, walking trails, ball golf course (including an indoor golf virtual simulator of famous courses), tennis courts, playgrounds, soccer fields, skating rink, a pool and more. This is definitely a park you can bring your whole family to and everyone can find something they enjoy doing
-Bathrooms, water fountains, parking, garbage cans, and course map located near holes 1 and 18
- This is one of the best parks I've played as far as little chance to lose discs. Virtually impossible here, allowing for a more enjoyable round
-Great view of downtown Pittsburgh
-3 tees (red, white, and blue) and 3 pin locations, giving the course a great variety. White and blue have very nice long concrete tees and the baskets are Mach 3.
-Variety with open (1-6,18) and wooded (7-17) holes. Good mix of straight, hyzer, and anhyzer shots
-Good course to take a beginner to. Advanced and serious players may get bored with this course, but I feel an intermediate level/average player would enjoy it as well
-Multiple benches located throughout the course
-A lot of things to do in the city after your round

-Schenley Park is often highly populated throughout the day, which can make finding a parking space difficult and sometimes can slow down your round with multiple groups out playing at a time. Also, holes 1-5 play on a huge field where many non-golfers like to sprawl out, causing conflict. Holes 2-6, 12, and 18 play close to a road
-Finding the next tee can be confusing in the woods, as some the holes are very close together. This also can create problems with discs landing in opposite fairways. My first time playing, I threw at the wrong basket once or twice because it was hard to tell which basket belonged to which tee.
-Only a few holes really stood out to me in any way
-There can be awful traffic returning to the highways in the evenings

A lot of people refer to this course as a pitch and putt - I would agree with them as far as a few holes playing from the red tees. However, 7/18 holes are over 300 feet from the blue tees, none being under 200 feet, and only 2 holes are under 200 feet from the white tees. Also, the shortest wooded holes play through some tight lines, so it's not just an easy layup to the basket from the tee. I do have mixed feelings about this course, as there are some definite cons to playing here, but I still find it to be an enjoyable round. My point being that there aren't too many holes that are definite ace runs or throw-aways. To me, the wooded holes are still technical enough to make them fun, even if some of them are fairly short. The course only plays about 45 minutes for one person to play, so it is quick enough to get 2 rounds in.
The holes I especially enjoyed were:
2- A chance to really bomb your disc while getting a great view and often times fighting the wind on your shots
15- A long par 4 hole starting in the open then playing through the woods to an elevated basket
17- Plays along a tight path uphill to a tight pin location
18- Tee is on a hill and plays across the road to another hill

Very nice signs and tee pads. Easy to navigate from hole to hole. Well planned course, could easily find next tees even if the signs weren't there.

After the first 6 holes it gets very heavily wooded. The first couple of holes play on a hill where there might be a lot of non golfers milling around. They are usually out of the way, but it could cause trouble on a nice day.

The baskets, signs, and tee pads are great. There is a bunch of elevation change that went into the course. It is easy to navigate. The overall park is really nice. The course uses the woods well and the surroundings well.

Some shots you might hit people if the course is crowded. Some of the holes criss cross so you might walk into a fairway of another hole.

If you keep walking up the road past the ice rink from #1, there is a small buildling with rest rooms, water fountains, and a pop machine.

If you are not from Pittsburgh, I would not recommend going out of your way to play this course. Knob Hill is another par 3 course, but it's on steroids compared to this one. Deer Lakes, Moraine, and 2MRX are all superior, modern courses. But if you happen to be in Pittsburgh, or you live in the region...this one is definitely worth checking out.

Pleasant course in a large park with loads of activities for non-discers.
• Greets you with a wonderful view of the city skyline at the 1st hole.
• Starts out with several fairly open holes, (some with guarded baskets), before rambling into the woods for a short, technical, control game for most of the round - strikes a decent balance between the two. Solid design encourages shot shaping and finesse shots with good hyzer, annie, straight balance.
• Slight to significant elevation change is a factor on many (if not most) fairways. A few tricky basket locations have rollaway potential.
• Absence of nasty underbrush or schule for the most part makes finding discs pretty easy (but still some places where a horrible shot could get lost).
• Great place to learn the game and a great venue for an Ace Race.
• Compact layout allows you to skip some holes and return them fairly easily in spots.
• 3 sets of tees (red & white = concrete, blue =grass with toe board) change things up a bit.
• 3 pin placements means locals can play this course a variety of ways over a period of time.
• Baskets catch fine and tee markers show hole layout and distance from all tees (some are looking a bit beat up).
• Benches located here and there along the course.
• Convenient for a quick round before a Pirates or Steelers game, or anything else that might bring you into the city. Course plays quickly if you can play through/around slower groups.
• Park offers bolf course, tennis courts, track & field oval, skating rink, swimming pool, soccer fields, pavilions, bike/walking trail... too much to list. If you really want to see what they have, link here: http://www.pittsburghparks.org/schenley

• Compact layout and close proximity to roads, parking lots, and other park goers means discs can end up where they don't belong... this means you could be on the receiving end of things as well.
• Popular location and low degree of difficulty attracts crowds and less than serious players - you may need to be proactive in asking slower groups to play through and other etiquette issues.
• I had a guide, but I can see where navigation could get a bit sketchy - print the map.

Solid course, plays well, makes for a really fun round. Definitely not an "every shot in your bag" type of course (no crime in my book). If you really want to run with the big dogs, head to Knob Hill, Deer Lakes, or Moraine, you'll be much happier playing one of them.

Sure, sun bathers tend to congregate in the field near the first two holes, but a little courtesy and common sense should avoid any potentially ugly situation. Besides, when did seeing college girls lying in the sun become a con? ;-) You gotta love that most courses in this area feature 3 sets of tees and rotate through 3 sets of pin placements; ensures a bit of variety and keeps things from getting boring. Wish they did it where I live! Can't bag on the fact that the blue tees aren't concrete - there were already two sets of pads, and they added a 3rd set of blue toe boards... that's a good thing. On the whole, Schenley's a wonderful addition to the local DG scene. Looks great when you consider this course is older than many of the people playing it! Bonus points for nice views driving into the city as well.

Great rec course. Awesome views of the city. good mix of elevation, wide open shots, tight shots, left to right, right to left. everything except water! great place for beginners!

safety. when the weather is right, there will be a LOT of clueless bystanders in the grassy areas. also, beware of errant shots. the course plays fast, so if you're by yourself and need to kill and afternoon, you'll need to play it a few times.

This was THE course where i was introduced to disc golf. i HATED disc golf for exactly one hole. and then i got angry, and happened to sidearm a perfect shot on hole two. the rest...is history.

Good use of trees and evevation. A quick trip from downtown. People from out of town can (and should) play a quick round here.

I can imagine that if crowded it would cause issues with throwing on others. Dont bring the big boy discs.

Holes #1-5 play on the open park. Then the course plays some nice tecnical holes through the woods.

I did a bad job on this review the first time so let me try again.

This course is quick, challenging and fun. Learning how to play in the midwest didn't really give me an appreciation for well used trees. At Schenley the trees can drive you nuts...but this is a good thing. Your first throw can bomb straight over a rise and into a swimming pool !! (from the white tees). On #2 you really get to air it out off that hill. From there on it's a gradual progression towards more technical holes. 13 can be a real bear...talk about threading the needle. There's decent elevation (including a basket up on a pylon on 15). The blues offer some great distance for those with a massive arm on 1 and 15, great challenge. Theirs plenty of parking and a few chances to catch some hotties jogging or tanning when it's warm out.

It's either 9 or 10 that can be easily missed, so get a map or go with someone who knows it. The signs are small. If you're new to the area finding the park entrance can be confusing, but maybe I just suck at navigation. During off season at the pool they have a skating rink in there... but if it's closed you're either losing your disc or climbing the fence if you toss it in (a big RHBH hyzer off the tee 18 will get you in there too!!!) Other than that it's pretty chill and quick, two rounds are usually necessary as it only takes 45 minutes to get through this short course.

I mentioned the leaves on my first attempt at this review just because I lost two disc in them. Despite the annoyance with that, it's part of the risk so take bright discs with you so you can spot them. There's three holes where the landing is totally blind and without a spotter it can be frustrating. So take a partner and have some fun!!!

Nice mix of wooded and open fairways with some elevation changes. Concrete tees and signs which is nice. The baskets are in good shape.

Almost every hole is less than 300 feet, makes for a pretty easy course.

Very user friendly. Nice course for beginners.

It's a nice, old course that is still heavily played. As someone else mentioned, even though the majority of the course is heavily wooded, there are definitely lanes available. You will need to be accurate with your 200 feet and under game to score well here. The quintessential Schenley experience is a short downhill drive.

The markings are OK. Mostly the course is so packed together that you'll easily find where to go next. As I mention in the "cons" area though, make sure you're not skipping holes. The tee signs are very good for the white and red tees.

Schenley is a great family park. I live in the city, and my wife, two year old and I often go to Schenley for part of a weekend day. I can play a couple rounds solo in about 1.5 hours. There are great playgrounds for the baby to play on. There's a fountain that she can play in near the library, and of course all the well known stuff in Oakland like the main Carnegie library, museums, carousel, food, and so on. All of that is adjacent to Schenley, although you might have to drive from one parking lot to another. Finding parking is rarely difficult in these areas.

It's in a city park and the space is crowded. Sometimes there are cars parked on the fairway around hole 9. There are a few downhill shots that terminate near a parking lot that is often full of cars. There are often sunbathers or other people on hole 1's fairway. Sometimes this will also happen on 2.

The wooded holes are kind of jumbled together. I've played them out of order several times when I wasn't really paying attention. Double check that you're on the right number.

I've never played the blue tees, but they're not marked as well as the other two sets.

This is an older course so the shots are not very difficult (from the white tees). Good players often shoot ten under. I get around par as a Rec level guy. Just go in expecting that, and leave the crazy fast plastic at home. You can play this course pretty well with one driving putter, although I bring a second faster disc to let 'er rip on #2. You will see many 1-3 disc players here of varying skill.

If you keep walking up the road past the ice rink from #1, there is a small buildling with rest rooms, water fountains, and a pop machine.

If you are not from Pittsburgh, I would not recommend going out of your way to play this course. Knob Hill is another par 3 course, but it's on steroids compared to this one. Deer Lakes, Moraine, and 2MRX are all superior, modern courses. But if you happen to be in Pittsburgh, or you live in the region...this one is definitely worth checking out.

If I had time, I'd go to the weekly Wednesday league. I've heard that it is a lot of fun and seems to be very organized.

What a tremendous park with the best skyline views (sorry Wickham) of any city park I've played. Blends challenging tight woods, elevation and an open sloping windy field into a memorable experience. Meticulously cared for park with 3 sets of tees that amp up the challenge significantly from the beginner to the expert tees. Perfect place to introduce the game while still interesting enough to keep a more experienced player interested. I don't know if it's possible to lose a disc on this well broken in course. I particularly enjoyed teeing off on #1 and #2 and sensing that I had a gallery watching me...and I did dozens of people swarm the hillside to relax and take in the skyline and views and inevitably they are watching you play. I felt like a touring pro LOL! The woods are interesting as the lanes are very tight and often there is a hill to climb or float down. The elevated basket perched atop a stone foundation was a treat as was the extra hole(13A) hidden behind the pavillion and firing uphill before finding the basket hiding at the top of a steep bank. I was surprised at the distance and challenge that the blue tees provided. From the shorts you can ace hunt and get through a round pretty fast. I really enjoyed the booming drive of blue #2 ...just the perfect elevation change and distance to allow your disc to perform it's full flight path and have a shot at birdie.....all the while taking in th skyline view and spectacors watching your throw. Concrete tees for shorter tees and blue wooden slabs for pros. These natural long tees were in surprisingly good condition. A good place to enjoy a relaxing round and work on your mid-range game. A fun little course,a wonderful disc golf scene in a pleasant city park, does it get any better.

Wheres the map? Although it's small I had some minor irritation finding my way as the baskets and tees are often cramped together in such small spaces. So its not a matter of knowing where the next tee and basket is but more of which tee and which basket? Not only confusing but dangerous as well. The public is nearby often on hole #1 and oob roads come into play on several holes which is less than aesthetically pleasing. Often in the woods due to ricochets off trees and the proximity of the fairways I felt someone might get hurt. More than once I disrupted another party's round or they disrupted mine as discs often end up in adjoining fairways. There was a smooching couple on a blanket I never saw and I drove right over their heads apparently. Just be careful it's a public park that your playing in not a disc golf course the public has invaded. Often the blue tees are just stretching out the holes and don't add much more to the holes outside of danger to fellow golfers. I felt the shorter tees were really safer for everyone involved. Of course these short tees are pretty boring for a more experienced player.

If you play the course it's worth it to hunt for the bonus hole betwenn 14 and 15. There is far superior disc golf in the region but Schenley is worth a stop if you have time for a relaxing interesting round. Just remember to play safe, pay attention, and enjoy the course for what it is...a fun little course in a spectacular park.

A beautiful view of the skyline of downtown Pittsburgh. A good course for a beginner and to practice your accuracy. Three tee pads as well as three pin placements on every hole! Nice, new Mach 3 baskets. Good variation of open and wooded areas. Nice use of elevation changes. Easy to navigate and nice sign usage. Water fountains for drinking after finishing 14 and bathrooms are located at the park.

The park can get extremely crowded; not only with disc golfers, but non disc golfers as well. Usually holes 1 and 2 have the most hazards in the way of people. Once you get to hole 6 one does not have to worry about the people anymore because it is mostly through the woods. Pars on the tee signs may not match what should be the actual par. All the holes should be a par three. Throwing towards parked cars on hole 8, 14, and 16 can happen sometimes in the busy summer months.

The course is basically a simple par 3 course. It's not an extrememly long course, but it makes up for it in tight, accurate throws through the trees.

They make good use of the land there and there are two practice baskets on the course. One close to hole 1's tee and the other close to hole 14's tee. The second practice basket can be used as a "14 and a half" basket during your regular play. Wednesday night is league nights so come out and play!