Plays all around a pretty busy, very clean and pleasant city park with typical park amenities.
• Disc Play: Mostly open/semi-open with a smattering of well-placed trees. Maybe 2-3 holes I'd describe as lightly wooded. The openness of this design allows for plenty of shot variety, but certainly doesn't require it. Great distribution of hole distances of varying lengths with one under 200, several in the 250-350 range, many over 400' and (depending on pin placement) anywhere from 2-5 over 500'with a couple of 600 footers - nicely done.
• Good use of elevation: downhill, uphill, slopes - several holes play longer or shorter than posted. Some with rollaway potential for risk/reward opportunities.
• Equipment: Natural tees weren't bad, but leave something to be desired on long holes where sure footing helps achieve distance. Tees marked with tall 4x4 posts with small signs, but pin location isn't noted. Scorecard with map at kiosk off the parking lot.
• Aesthetics: Very pleasant park style setting with nice ponds, lots of green space, and essentially no underbrush. Rolling hills also add to the appeal. Definitely a pleasant walk through the park.
• Routing/Nav: see cons... 4" diameter pavers in the ground near the pin with arrow pointing toward next tee along with tee markers are the only saving graces here.
• Memorable holes: For me #'s 5, 7, 8, and 10 and 11, stood out above the rest.
• Low chance of disc loss.
• Fills a DG void in the immediate vicinity.
• Trash cans at many tees (score card even shows where they are), and a few restrooms (near parking, tee 7 and on the way to 14).

• Potential safety issues: Several holes play close to walkways and other areas where other park goers are likely to be, and this is a busy park with plenty of non-DG traffic (at least it was the day I played). Situation's exacerbated by several factors; wide open course design - with nothing to inhibit them, pedestrians simply stroll through the park, completely unaware they entering onto completely undefined fairways. Made only worse by the fact that there are several long holes that play blind due to elevation. Long holes mean faster discs, more "oomph" and less precision... you do the math. One or two holes play near roads with decent traffic.
• Not much variety in terms of fairway types. Everything's open/semi open, lightly wooded at best - feels repetitive toward the end. If not for all the sweet elevation changes, I see how some might say it's boring.
• Too many holes don't make you pay for missing your intended line. Although though doing so may cost you birdie opportunities, the open design makes for easy recoveries to save par.
• Routing/Nav: I don't mind long walks from hole to hole (especially when there's a reason, like the walk from 7-8 here), but Willmore's routing from hole to hole is terribly inefficient and often non-intuitive. The walks only seem to get longer and more confusing the further you get into the course. Playing 3 takes you completely in the opposite direction of 4's tee. The resulting walk is awkward, but only mildly annoying. 5 to 6 is took a while to find, 6-7 is a hike. 7 to 8 is counterintuitive, but I forgive that one because they opted to make 8 a downhill thrill, rather than an uphill humbler. I don't recall issues from 9-13, but the walk to 14 is completely atrocious. You walk past 17 to get to 15, and 18 isn't obvious to the uninitiated in any way, shape or form. The map is of limited help, but is essential your first time out.

Willmore is appropriate for beginners to advanced players. Wide open layout means wind is likely to be a factor here (was during my round). Given the length on some of these holes (and the arm speeds they're likely to generate) this makes disc selection and shot execution very important, because the wind has a long time to work on your disc. Shots can get away from players, and there really isn't much (in the way of obstacles) to keep them from ending up where you don't wanna be. IMO, this doesn't coexist well in the proximity of pedestrians near ponds, on walkways, flying kites in fields... all of which were part of my round.

Strictly from disc play standpoint, I see this course as 3.0 - 3.25. I like the range of distances and use of elevation, but the limited variety of shot shapes required and lack of technical holes of any sort hold it back from any potential it might have had for a higher rating. Factor in the potential for interference with other park goers and the horrible routing, and I just can't rate it high as I'd like to. There are some fun holes and interesting pin placements, but I can't overlook its flaws.

Just a overall good course
Fun mix of long and short
Good use of obstacles and elevation
Pretty park
IN THE CITY!!!

No maps at tee
No concrete pads
Awkward walk between holes
Baskets not marked

Very happy with the addition

Willmore Park features huge civil war era trees and an expansive lake that runs through the park. This course offers multiple opportunities to really air your arm out while also forcing a player to really show a great deal of control over his or her arm. Multiple pin locations are also an added difficulty as they are all substantially different.. I would not be the one who is responsible for moving these beastly Gateway Titans...

Though some may consider this a con.. I believe that the amount of foot traffic through the park is actually quite cool for multiple reason.. 1) it generates the opportunity for new players to become involved in the sport.
2) Also an opportunity for disc golf to be shown in a positive light to the public...This could possibly lead to courses in other city parks ie..Carondelet Park, Forest Park, Tower Grove etc etc

A few cons..
- No concrete tee pads (yet)
-Some awkward walks
- Congestion of fellow disc golfers (Also a positive tho..its popular!!)

Awesome job again Dave Mac and Gateway Disc Sports & STL Disc Golf Club for making it all happen

1. Beautiful park

2. Long and Short holes

3. Variety of shots

4. Most baskets have a arrow in concrete on ground pointing to the next hole.

5. Has water to enhance the view but not close enough to lose any discs. Would have like to seen I think it was 18 go over the water though.

6. Raps around the park nicely although it is a bit tricky in a couple of spots. One hole you walk through a small wooded area to get to the next hole. I believe its somewhere on the front 9.

7. Chances to air it out and spots you have to be technical

8. Has a unique feeling to it compared to some of the other great courses in the STL area.

9. No real chances to lose discs

1. natural tee pads

2. Some of the long holes you cant see where the basket is but that's only a con for your first visit.

Nice scenery in a well maintained park setting. The course uses the gently sloping terrain and mature trees well to create a good mixture of line shaping holes. Despite having an open feel, there are some holes with somewhat tight lines. I found myself hitting trees on full power drives, so some controlled power is necessary here. That said, there are quite a few holes where you can "air it out". Gateway Titans catch very well as usual - the most generous baskets in the game. Some of the baskets sit on a slope so careful placement on upshots is required on a few holes. The most notable is hole 14 with a rather steep drop off lurking behind the basket which could turn an otherwise easy 2 or 3 into a 4 or even a 5 if you aren't careful.

While there is plenty of water in the park, none of the holes make use of that. The one exception is hole 6 which has a flowing creek alongside the basket. But at 167', it's a pitch and putt type hole which seems totally out of place with the other holes. When this course was set up as a temp, hole 5 was a cool little right-hand dogleg near the water, with 6 being a huge bomber with trees/creek on the right side and sidewalk OB on the left. I assume they changed the holes due to concerns about pedestrians getting hit. Despite most of the holes having markers at the baskets to show which direction the next teepad is, navigation through the course is a bit tricky. The layout doesn't have a very smooth flow, with some holes having a 400-500ft walk to the next teepad, and some you have to walk back across or along the previous fairway. Natural teepads are in good shape and marked well with posts/signs and concrete markers, but concrete would be a nice addition and would probably bump my rating up to a solid 4 stars.

This is a great new addition to the growing selection of courses in and around STL. I had played this course once as a temp during the Sunday Nooner Doubles, and really liked the layout. While some of the holes have been tweaked, this is still a solid course and I thoroughly enjoyed playing it despite the hot weather! The course is just a quick jog off 55, which makes it a great complement to JB being just a few miles away.

Willmore Park is an old but well-kept city park that sprawls along and around fishing lakes, baseball fields and playgrounds, stitched with walking trails and still remaining open and rolling with gradual elevation shifts. The course itself is longish but open, with fairways wide but guarded by mature sentinel trees. This is a beautiful environment and a very fun round of golf.

The popularity of the park will force golfers to be considerate and cautious. While the design is such as to avoid the walking areas, courtesy must be the by-word. Also, the course needs trash cans, concrete tees. Navigation gets choppy on a couple holes.

Willmore park is the first official St. Louis City DGC, and it is critical that we the players do our part to portray ourselves in the best possible light. City park rules state no alcohol no glass. This is a pedestrian park and a very fun course!

Good variety of shots, Scenic, Well-maintained park, Great use of land, Variety of holes, Generous (ego building) pars, Classic Feel, Trash cans, Restrooms

This is a cool little course in an old park in St. Louis city. The parks has lots of mature trees and rolling hills which makes a great location for a disc golf course. The lakes in the middle of the park also add to the scenic feel, though they (unfortunately) do not come into play. There is a wide variety of shots needed. That said, the course is not very challenging. There are not many situations where you are penalized for a poor shot. Many of the obstacles are old trees, so even if you hit one, you can still save par with a good up shot. There are some fast greens, like Hole 14 which has a huge drop off behind the basket. As well as a few holes with underbrush that really punish you for an errant shot. From a competitive point of view, there are a good amount of birdie opportunities, so you still have to be on your game if you want to win the round and score well. The elevation changes will make you second guess your shot selection and makes the round more mentally challenging.

Pedestrian traffic, A few weak holes, Natural tee pads (for now), You'll need a course map, In the middle of the city

This is an old park that a lot of people use (walkers, joggers, fishermen, families, baseball diamonds, hockey rink etc.) You'll need to be patient and watch for them, because they do not realize a course has been installed and walk through the fairways. I think as the course ages, more of the people there will recognize the course and avoid fairways. That said, some of the holes have been tweaked to avoid higher traffic areas, like hole 6, which is now just a 176' putter hole.
There are currently natural tee pads, which aren't that bad, but I see this course getting a lot of traffic which could become an issue in the future. Also, the layout is a little broken up at times, so if you don't have a map or know where you're going, then you could get turned around. I think this will also be solved in the near future with a kiosk and scorecards. But, for now, you'll need help finding your way around.

This is a nice little city course. It has a classic feel and is pretty easy to score well. Definitely worth the time it takes to drive through the city to get there if you're looking for a fun round that uses a variety of shots, elevation changes and scenic back drops.
This will probably never be an epic, championship course, but it is fun enough that it doesn't really matter. This is a great course for the casual or experienced player that is looking their buddies to see who can shoot the hot round that day.

+Awesome new course in the CITY of STL, first course to do so. Seems like a great gateway (ha pun) to get Disc Golf recognition in STL. And I get to be the first review and write a lot.

+Beautiful park with rolling hills, BIG trees, and there is only underbrush on 2 holes. A very classic old park feel. There are also two ponds in the park that don't really come into play, but add a nice scenic +.

+Great variety of shots, there's even some roller opportunities. None of the holes feel repetitive as you traverse the different sections of the large park. Most holes have an elevation change. Five par 4's scattered throughout that allow you to throw for distance and accuracy, no just wide open bomber holes.

+Walking paths in the park create OB. Although none of it really pressing to avoid, it creates some cool course dynamics. Hole #11 has walking paths on both sides that gradually get narrower.

+Nice new Gateway Titans.
+2 pin positions on most holes
+Concrete cylinders with arrows pointing to the next tee in the ground by the pins. Makes Navigation easier.
+Trash cans dispersed throughout.
+Bathrooms by 1,7,9, and in between 13 and 14.
+Temp tee signs have distance.

-Traffic. This is a public park with lots of walking paths (with walkers) and some public pavilions that are quite popular. This makes you have to keep an eye out to make sure that its safe to throw. Unfortunately this has kept the design of the course back away from its full potential. Some holes have had to be removed or shortened like #6 that used to be a 500' difficult par 4 with OB on both sides to a 176' dinker par 3. There's some area in the park by 15 and 16 that's more secluded but can't be used all the way because of neighbor complaints. All this being said, the course has to be very conservative because it is a big step into STL disc golf and getting city park recognition. We want to make a good impression.

-With the park's foliage only mostly being big mature trees, there are no holes that could really be considered "tight". So this means that a bad shot won't be punished heavily. This isn't a big con though because the course is designed to where its not "open" either. There are a few holes that have trees with lower hanging limbs to create a more protected green, or big trees forcing lines.

-Flow is choppy in a few places because the park navigates around a playground, pond, ect. #14,15,16,17 are in their own section of the park which means you have to walk a ways to get to 14 and then back to 18. Bring a map and its not hard to navigate.

-Natural tee pads. (They're all flat tho, marked with cool markers.)
-Temp tee signs only have distance. (course is brand new)

>Beautiful park with a classic feel.
>Good variety of shots, not repeating.
>Not secluded. Normal park goer traffic.
>Really fun park to play. Disc searching is a minimum, challenge level isn't the hardest, but not a simple walk in the park. (Even though it literally feels like it)
>This needs to be a good ambassador park, so if you play it, (which I would suggest) I would ask you to be patient and courteous with the park goers, pick up trash, and try to leave the best impression possible.
>HEADS UP: Alcohol and glass bottles are illegal in all St. Louis city parks which includes this one, so please respect the course and DG community by following this rule.

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