~ The main feature of this open course in a town park is the hillside: you play up, down and across it until you reach the bottom for the finishing holes.


~ Designers did their best to find obstructions in this wide open park - mostly by tucking a few baskets into the bordering woodline


~ Basic signage: hole #, length, with an arrow pointing in the direction of the basket (helpful because several baskets are visible at all times). Signs on stamped metal, mounted on sturdy metal posts - looks like the highway department created them


~ This course is really just "baskets in a field." It will be a curiosity for picnickers, dog walkers, playground users and others who may wander into the line of fire while sharing the park


~ Short course that\'s good for beginners: the thickly-wooded property edges give a little bit of hazard on a few holes; you have to learn how to compensate for elevation, and a few baskets on mounds provide the possibility of rollaways. There\'s lots of opportunities to create longer safari-style holes as beginners get more control and experience


~ If you\'re anything other than a beginner, this course is just for field practice or bagging. Easy to hit along with Denver and Elizabeth Township

Pretty views of the mountains as you drive up. The course works its way across, down, and back along a sloping field. About a third of the holes slope left-to-right, a third slope right-to-left, two holes are downhill, and one is uphill. Two holes throw across a small bowl-shaped area.

A few holes have baskets set at the edge of the tree line (but see cons). This and the mild elevation changes represent the most interesting features of the course.

Simple white tee signs are mounted on a metal post and list hole number, distance, and direction. No hole map, but none are needed because you can see every basket from the tee or nearby. Heck, you can see most of the course.

Silver-painted baskets were mounted level and caught well. Grass was well mowed when I played. Nicely landscaped port-a-pots located by the parking lot.

The course was laid out nicely to avoid other park activities.

The course is short and wide open, although a few baskets are set at the edge of the tree line. This brings the next con into play:

In late September, disc-eating rough was thick and poison ivy was prevalent. Rough is not hard to avoid but it did discourage ace runs on a few holes. This seems like a shame because ace runs are the main attraction on a short, open course like this.

The park is shoehorned between the Pennsylvania Turnpike and a fairly busy local road, so the sound of traffic roaring past is ever-present.

Shoeneck Park is a quick bag, with holes averaging less than 200' and ranging from 150' to 250'. I played it with a putter and a mid.

Natural tees were in good shape and perfectly adequate for the short hole lengths. I had the course to myself when I played on a lovely Friday afternoon, so I doubt this course gets a ton of traffic.

If you are looking for a quick detour off the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Shoeneck Park is about 5 minutes from Denver Memorial Park, another quick-playing niner.

The sign says Schoeneck Park, but I suppose Shoeneck is catchier.