Van Buren State Park is one of the smaller state parks that I've played in based on what I could see. Despite its relatively smaller size, they were able to fit in 18 holes of disc golf.

+ Each tee on the front side is concrete. Unfortunately that doesn't stay true for most of the back, but there are still very nice colored tee signs.

+ There were a few memorable holes that actually ended up being pretty solid. #3 is my favorite on the course. It's nearly 300 feet downhill to a blind basket at the edge of the water. It provides a nice view and a fun couple of throws.

- The design could make things a little dangerous at times. For example, #4 is a completely blind drive that plays over the fairways for #17 and #18. If there's anyone else in this area, make sure you check before you throw.

- Most of the back-9 has natural tees. On hole #9, there wasn't a tee pad or sign anywhere in site.

- The course wasn't in the best shape. There were several instances of low hanging branches blocking tees and baskets. Some of the baskets were leaning as well. I couldn't find the basket for #4, so I just used the basket for #17, and proceeded to almost get hit by another disc.

There are some redeeming qualities about Van Buren, but lack of basic course maintenance and a poor design take away from those qualities.

I felt like this course was right between a 1.5 and a 2, so I elected to give it a little higher score than the average score right now.

nice views of the lake.....liked 12 of the 18 holes....nice signs and directions to next tee pad.

some holes were kinda odd....tees and baskets close together...could of laid out something better with the space they had.

lay out was kinda odd...they had the space to create something a little better.

Clean open space
Very scenic along the lake
fair mix of distances for beginners
Big open space to practice drives

natural tee pads
difficult to navigate
at least 12 of 18 are forehand shots just not a good balance

a fun place to warm up and play but not a course you would normally plan a trip around.

~18 holes with some variety mixed in
~Nice tee signs proving good navigation
~Baskets have painted indicators pointing to next tee
~Parking right next to Hole No. 1
~Park kiosk w/ nice map and score cards

~Natural tee areas, no actual tee box markers
~Close proximity to playgrounds, roads, picnic tables
~Fairly repetitive
~Numerous crossing fairways
~Sporadic flow, course is chopped up in places

All things considered, this is a pleasant 18 hole course in a relatively small state park. A short jaunt from Fostoria, where we visit family throughout the year yet providing me with another option in that area. Most of the holes play around 200'-300' and are placed in areas of medium to large trees requiring good shot shaping. A few holes are short, but are placed in spots where a tight shot is needed to get close. Essentially the layout keeps you near the large body of water as you go out and eventually loop back. I played on a brisk October afternoon and the park was not crowded, even so I still had to play around some people grilling and sitting on a nearby picnic table along with some park roads and other unnatural obstacles. I can't fathom playing here during peak season as it could be frustrating. Many mature trees and a bit of elevation change every so often, but it's flat for the most part as can be expected in North West oHIo. Nice tee signs showing the hole detail, but there are not tee boxes or markers in the ground and the natural footing is hit and miss. Numerous fairways cross one another and some have proximity issues. It is unlikely I will stop back since there are better courses within the same drive time from where I visit while in town, but for Fall Golf it satisfied my need to get out and throw some plastic.