Winter Park reviews
8
0
hurler23
Experience:
25.2 years
12 played
3 reviews
Fun and Frustrating 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 6, 2020
Played the course:once
Pros:
Multiple tee pads and supposed rotating basket locations. Technical holes. Great scenery.
Cons:
Not beginner or first time friendly. Can be confusing with additional 9 holes thrown in between classic 18. Overgrown on some holes. Many blind holes surrounded by very tall and dense growth. Mosquito hell on 12-14.
Other Thoughts:
I want like this course but as I could only play it once during my vacation to the area, I found it a chore. Mediocre signage depicting hole layout meant having to walk the hole prior to playing. Many of the holes are uphill and on blind corners so it was difficult to gauge what disc to throw. Plus uphill shots kill distance which in turn kills throw satisfaction. I really enjoyed 7,8 and 10. 7 and 8 are short, tight tunnels and 10 is a hump shot with the green backed by a steep drop off. There are MANY opportunities to lose plastic here or at least lose time searching. Tall growth, brush piles and steep slopes combined with tight fairways and blind holes demand pinpoint accuracy, something that I lack at times.Tee pads are crushed gravel some of which are bordered by sunken cut natural stone which is aesthetically pleasing. Most holes have signs. Some are missing or have fallen down. Fairway maintenance is good. Trash cans and benches at some tees. Overall, this is a beautiful setting for a disc golf course. If I played it somewhat regularly I would maybe rate it higher. But as a visitor and first timer, it was difficult to navigate and ultimately doubled the time to play 18.
6
3
Bitter Mouse
Experience:
28.9 years
92 played
14 reviews
The potential is there, but ... 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Oct 22, 2016
Played the course:once
Pros:
Elevation is my favorite thing on a disc gold course and this course delivered on that. There is also plenty of technical holes and a fair variety in the 27, so that you end up using your all your discs and throws.
The views were really nice, especially on 15.
The views were really nice, especially on 15.
Cons:
There is a bunch of wasted potential. The land is there for a world class course and it just isn't there.
The maintenance of the holes was spotty, many of the pads were temporary or rough, the extra loop holes (off shoots from the main 18) were kind of the same. The flow of the course was iffy and wasn't helped by the signage (not good in several places).
Finally the technical holes, well many of them were "throw that way and hope you miss trees, because there is not really a fairway". A couple of those is fine, but way too many.
The maintenance of the holes was spotty, many of the pads were temporary or rough, the extra loop holes (off shoots from the main 18) were kind of the same. The flow of the course was iffy and wasn't helped by the signage (not good in several places).
Finally the technical holes, well many of them were "throw that way and hope you miss trees, because there is not really a fairway". A couple of those is fine, but way too many.
Other Thoughts:
I enjoyed the course (more than the people I was with), but it could be much much better. The DG course is clearly not a priority here and it shows.
If you love elevation then this is a very good course, but bring a map and unless you love tree holes ignore the loop holes.
If you love elevation then this is a very good course, but bring a map and unless you love tree holes ignore the loop holes.
14
5
Winter in the Summer 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jul 3, 2014
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
>This is, indeed, a very unique course on a unique piece of land - super scenic and peaceful.
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>Good 27 hole option that flows together without compromise.
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>Very, very challenging in many areas - great for forced accuracy improvement.
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>All three of the tees on the holes here actually do provide a legitimate bump in challenge. Heck, having two to three tees for most of the holes is a big plus.
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>Course was clean and almost totally trash free.
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>Although it becomes a cliche in these reviews: there was a pretty strong mix of shots spread across the entire 27 and I used a good variety of discs. I seem to feel like it was a bit RHBH heavy... but not overtly so.
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>Decent signs at the tees and great navigation signs for the most part.
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>Hole 15, going down the ski slope, is a real fun throw and a major morale booster. It's not often that I get to say "I threw a 715ft. drive!" (even if it was down a massive hill). Quite a teaser - because it looks so far away and all that overgrown grass on the hill is threatening to steal your discs... but it won't. You can make it all the way to the basket off the pro pad. I was the only player in the park, so I unloaded on this one. Not a great disc golf hole, but it's really fun.
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>Good 27 hole option that flows together without compromise.
-
>Very, very challenging in many areas - great for forced accuracy improvement.
-
>All three of the tees on the holes here actually do provide a legitimate bump in challenge. Heck, having two to three tees for most of the holes is a big plus.
-
>Course was clean and almost totally trash free.
-
>Although it becomes a cliche in these reviews: there was a pretty strong mix of shots spread across the entire 27 and I used a good variety of discs. I seem to feel like it was a bit RHBH heavy... but not overtly so.
-
>Decent signs at the tees and great navigation signs for the most part.
-
>Hole 15, going down the ski slope, is a real fun throw and a major morale booster. It's not often that I get to say "I threw a 715ft. drive!" (even if it was down a massive hill). Quite a teaser - because it looks so far away and all that overgrown grass on the hill is threatening to steal your discs... but it won't. You can make it all the way to the basket off the pro pad. I was the only player in the park, so I unloaded on this one. Not a great disc golf hole, but it's really fun.
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Cons:
>Let me start with a safety concern. As both a disc golfer and a mountain biker, I was uncomfortable with the fact that the mountain bike trail literally crosses some of the fairways and crosses over some of the paths between holes. When I golf, my attention is strictly on what I am aiming for - when I bike, my attention is strictly on the ground in front of me. This seems like a recipe for disaster.
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>The natural tees are in need of maintenance. Perhaps this property does not permit installation of concrete, and that's fine, but these are often not level and inconsistent.
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>There are many places where more stone or log stairways are needed. The ones that are there could also use some maintenance. I get the impression that this course is a bit soggy most of the year, so slipping and struggling around in the mud and clay is a reality that could be addressed a bit more. I didn't, but I saw many opportunities where someone could slip and take a painful and dirty tumble...
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>The biggest con, in my opinion, at Winter Park is the far too frequently uber-narrow or non-existent fairways in the woods. I like a challenge and I like plotting paths through trees... but this course goes too far. There were several holes that were nothing more than shooting a straight 200' to the basket through a 4ft. gap in the trees. A good gimmick for one hole - lame when it is repeated several times. Worse than that were the holes which had no fairway at all - just throw your frisbee and cross your fingers as it pinball's from tree to tree. I don't find that challenging, it's just about getting lucky enough to find the 10 inch gaps.
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>While the variety and uniqueness are certainly present at Winter Park... I personally felt like there weren't more than a few exciting holes. With a handful of exceptions, the course also seems a bit short, with a lot of easy ace possibilities.
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>A few holes, like 16-18, were a little "ho-hum", even if they were a welcome change from the woods.
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>I hate using it as a "con" for a course, but my goodness were the mosquitoes and other bugs thick out here. I was covered head to toe with Deep Woods Off and still couldn't keep them away. On several holes, I could barely see to shoot because the cloud of mosquitoes were so thick in front of my face. It's pretty hard to concentrate on a throw with that much annoyance, otherwise I'd just make the bug problem an "other thought" for this course. I've scheduled a malaria booster shot for next week.
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>The natural tees are in need of maintenance. Perhaps this property does not permit installation of concrete, and that's fine, but these are often not level and inconsistent.
-
>There are many places where more stone or log stairways are needed. The ones that are there could also use some maintenance. I get the impression that this course is a bit soggy most of the year, so slipping and struggling around in the mud and clay is a reality that could be addressed a bit more. I didn't, but I saw many opportunities where someone could slip and take a painful and dirty tumble...
-
>The biggest con, in my opinion, at Winter Park is the far too frequently uber-narrow or non-existent fairways in the woods. I like a challenge and I like plotting paths through trees... but this course goes too far. There were several holes that were nothing more than shooting a straight 200' to the basket through a 4ft. gap in the trees. A good gimmick for one hole - lame when it is repeated several times. Worse than that were the holes which had no fairway at all - just throw your frisbee and cross your fingers as it pinball's from tree to tree. I don't find that challenging, it's just about getting lucky enough to find the 10 inch gaps.
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>While the variety and uniqueness are certainly present at Winter Park... I personally felt like there weren't more than a few exciting holes. With a handful of exceptions, the course also seems a bit short, with a lot of easy ace possibilities.
-
>A few holes, like 16-18, were a little "ho-hum", even if they were a welcome change from the woods.
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>I hate using it as a "con" for a course, but my goodness were the mosquitoes and other bugs thick out here. I was covered head to toe with Deep Woods Off and still couldn't keep them away. On several holes, I could barely see to shoot because the cloud of mosquitoes were so thick in front of my face. It's pretty hard to concentrate on a throw with that much annoyance, otherwise I'd just make the bug problem an "other thought" for this course. I've scheduled a malaria booster shot for next week.
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Other Thoughts:
I'm really glad I made the long drive out to this course. It was certainly a unique opportunity and a must for anyone within a few hours. Bring some hiking shoes, bug spray and a big can of patience... and then enjoy an ego-boosting end to the round with the big drive down 15 and the easy finish up in the field.
I will get lots of "not helpful" votes on this review because it was not given 4.5 or 5 stars... which is sad, because I'm giving an honest review from my perspective - the only one any of us can have.
I will get lots of "not helpful" votes on this review because it was not given 4.5 or 5 stars... which is sad, because I'm giving an honest review from my perspective - the only one any of us can have.
Designer response by superberry
I myself am a mountain biker and have ridden all around the WP and DNR trails at the property. The inter-woven course was done in in effort along with the bikers. Disc golfers' etiquette is to always yield to the bikers because they'll be gone in a flash. The trails are also supposed to be abandon when a new trail opens up down the road. When speaking with the bike club and county officials, the very low number of disc golfers on the course, coupled with the low number of bikers, and the low probability of either of the two meeting up with one another on the property at the same time, resulted in a very low probability that there would be many, if any issues. Course is closed during races, trails are closed during tournaments.
Glad you had fun!
Glad you had fun!
