Yorktown Heights, NY

FDR State Park - Old Layout

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1 1
wentzl
Experience: 52 played 15 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Excellent Fall Day 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 22, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is about as close to perfect as it gets. The tree shots are tight and technical, but always with a couple good lines to get through. The course is set in a beautiful wooded park. Plenty of opportunity for big arms to make long drives.

Cons:

12, 13, 14 and 15, signs were missing and there was some wandering around to figure out where to go. Lost a disc in the leaves which can be a bitch in the fall. If you like water hazards, there are none.

Other Thoughts:

This course is majestic.
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3 0
Buchajs1
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.7 years 168 played 44 reviews
4.00 star(s)

FDR 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 17, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Variety- the front nine i pretty awesome and by itself, it would probably be a 4.5, because every hole is unique. Hole starts open and finishes in the woods before you open up to hole 2 which is dead straight with construnction ditches bordering either side from there to hole 8 the course presents a nice mix of wooded holes with most if not all presenting their wn unique challenge and lines. Hole number 5 is a sweet tight downhill bomber with the lake as a backdrop. Probably the single most beatiful hole that i have aver played. After 8 the golf is at a 3.25-3.5 level. Hole 9 is open straight over a slight hill to a basket next to a large tree. From there you cross the road into a multi use area of the park that incorporate what little trees are in this part of the park. Most holes from 10-15 are open and easily birdiable, no real risk reward factor. 16 is wooded but so ridiculously tight that you would rather play another boring open hole. 17 is pretty open and short and 18 is a longer hole (600) that is open for about 400 then into a slightly more wooded area where the basket is. Hole variety ranges from 220-600.

Amenities- nice yellow discatcher baskets are easy to see. Information board by the first tee that has scorecards as well as league news. All tee have flypads and 1-10 have nice metal tee signs while the other 8 holes have plastic coated paper tee signs with about half of them missing. Tee signs seemed to bee accurate and were pretty informative. Bathrooms as well as the practice baske are near the near parking lot. Great family park. Cones on top of basket helps to see the baskets especially in the woods.

Cons:

The back nine was not really satisfiing because most of the holes were relativley open an boring.

Hole 16 is the only unfair hole on the course but it requires a miracle to get the disc tomland anywhere close to where the basket is.

Other Thoughts:

I enjoyed this course, i just wish that the obious thought that had been used when creating the front nine had been used when designing the layout for the back nine as well. The course wouldve been that much more enjoyable if they had put that extra time and thought into the back nine.
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6 0
RamsFan1
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.5 years 91 played 91 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Worth The Trip 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 8, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

FDR features 18 solid holes of disc golf in a beautiful state park off the Taconic Parkway. Good balance, as holes 1-8 plus # 17 feature a wooded, technical layout while the rest of the course is more open with larger mature tress scattered about. A welcome board, practice basket and bathrooms are all on site and Innova Discatchers are in great shape. Excellent rubber tee pads and top rate signs are at every hole. Hole #1 is a real good starting hole and hole #5 is a highlight- a long, downhill straight shot through a narrow opening to a wide open basket about 50 feet from the lake. Good use of elevation. "Next Tee" signs help with navigation, and man-made bridges and wooden planks assist travel over marshy areas and small streams. A solid play overall.

Cons:

Some holes play in relatively close proximity to others, and the occasional "heads up" is needed for errant throws if the course is crowded. Not a fan of hole 17- an overly tight shot that relies on some luck even on good drives. Picnickers and pedestrians can be present on or near some of the open holes. Parkway traffic can be heard on holes 3 & 4, which may bother some sensitive types. There is a park entrance fee during peak times throughout the season.

Other Thoughts:

It is unfortunate that Hurricane Sandy did major damage to the back 9 holes here and necessitated some alternate holes. Full restoration is still a work in progress. Even still, playing here was a good experience, and I have no doubt the Westchester County guys will have this place back in top shape.

As others have mentioned, a course of this caliber should have an alternate tee pad and/or basket placement, and while I do not consider this a con, it does prevent an even higher rating.

FDR State Park offers many other amenities including expansive grilling/picnic areas, sports fields/courts and boating. The disc golf experience alone makes it worth the ride.
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5 0
bradharris
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.9 years 90 played 46 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 1, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

If your game has any weaknesses, FDR will find them.

The first two holes play along the edge of the woods where there's not a lot to hit early, but placement is key to get a good look at the basket on the second shot.

Holes 3 through 8 take you deep into the woods where hitting the right line is key. Hole 5 in particular is one of my favorites. It is long (500') but with a nice downhill slope so it plays much shorter. With water as a backdrop and a tight tree-lined fairway, this creates a very intricate tee shot.

At hole nine, the course opens up with a bit. Holes nine through 15 offer a nice mix of distances from 600'+ at hole 10 and 260' at hole 11. This part of the course is mostly grassy with a few trees scattered to create some interesting shots. Hole 17 gives you one last taste of the woods before ending with a long grassy 18th.

Course maintenance is great. The grass is all mowed and the wooded fairways are clean with no unfair branches hanging into the fairways.

Very nice rubber teepads. Signs at each tee show distance and hole layout.

Navigation is easy. The only minor tricky spot is going from 16 to 17, but 16's basket has good handwritten directions for finding 17.

Cons:

17 is the only hole on the course that I considered to be an unfair hole. There are a couple of different lines but they are so tight that even on good shots, tree kicks are inevitable. With trees close to the basket, it is also tough to get a clean look at the basket even in putting range.

Aside from hole 17, I don't have any major criticism of the course. However, there are a few amenities that are missing that keep me from giving it a higher score.

The big "missing piece" that is holding FDR back is a set of alternate tees. This can be a very daunting course for a beginner and it would be nice to see a layout that presents some more friendly looks for less experienced players.

Other Thoughts:

This is one of the best public courses I've played. While some may complain about the polar opposite front nine vs back nine, I think it creates a really nice test of a player's overall game.

With a few extra amenities (pro shop, alternate layouts, etc) this could be considered an elite course.
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0 8
Beam
Experience: 14.9 years 17 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 12, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great course this was the best one I played in New York the holes were great and I like the fact that it moved from woods to open the open ones are really long

Cons:

The only thing wrong were the bugs and the fact that my long throws sucked
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3 2
mstrjollo
Experience: 32.8 years 4 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Every type of shot 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 25, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Close to New York City! Long shots, not much under 325! Wooded and Open course with a challenging front through the woods and a long back with sweeping shots.

Cons:

Some misplaced tree's (nature) that will take away the advantage of really nice drives.
Gotta pay in the peak months to park.
Only one tee location and tee pad location for each hole. (Being so close to Warwick, one gets spoiled)
Honestly, not much to say negatively about this course.

Other Thoughts:

Love this course. First time out this year, she treated me well. Round one - 62 and round two - 59. Shaved three strokes off my first round.
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3 5
Tim Red Beard
Experience: 15 years 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

FDR = Awesome!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 2, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Great Mixture of Holes
-Terrific Layout, You enjoy nature at it's best.
-Teepads on every hole.
-Some great long bomb holes make for a fun round.
-Excellent Parking
-Right of the Highway

Cons:

As some other reviewers said park can get a bit crowded at times but that rarely interferes with your round. You might have to wait a min or two for them to get out of you way.
I have never paid to play there mostly cause I was doing tourney's however I think there is a fee, I am unsure of what it is. It's worth paying.

-You can get mixed up from in between holes on the back nine but it's not too hard to figure it out.

Other Thoughts:

FDR is a great overall course, really put together well and maintain good. Teepads, baskets and everything is top notch. I remember the holes well and enjoying going back year after year. This is certainly a course worth playing.
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17 1
solomon.trenton
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 89 played 67 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Pleasure to play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 24, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The park where the course is located is right off the highway (it has its own exit!) and is super well kept up. Not only is there a great disc golf course but also plenty of stuff for the family to do. Including, but not limited to a pool, playground, basketball courts, and several picnic areas. Now onto the disc golf course. There is a practice basket on a slope right next to where you park. This is extremely helpful as most of the baskets are on some kind of a slope. Once you get to the first tee you will see a nice welcome board complete with scorecards and league news. All of the tees are rubber. Some of the tees have wood underneath, others have crushed rock, and still others have just plain dirt. So be prepared for some unusual footing. The tee signs are very nice and offer a lot of information. They show you several paths to the basket, give the distance and par, and even tell you how to get to the next tee after you hole out. Make sure to pay attention because the next tee signs are sharpie written on the baskets that sometimes point the wrong way. There is really a good use of OB, one hole even has a special drop zone tee. Just like at Leonard Park there are orange cones on top of the baskets, in the woods this is really beneficial. Hole nine comes around and finishes right near hole one so you can play a short game if you need to. There are some benches scattered throughout the course and trash bags are handed out by the restrooms. The fairways themselves are clean but the rough is still in pretty bad shape. This is really noticeable on the back nine; there are limbs and trees off to the side of almost every fairway. The park did suffer a brutal winter and the clean-up crew hasn't been able to get back there yet (according to a local). There is a really nice mix of short, wooded holes and long, open ones. This is not a three disc course but you don't need your entire arsenal either, so travel light and play a round while the family is swimming!

Cons:

Because the tee signs are laminated the ones in the some are fading and hard to see. There are some others with water damage or some kind of growth on them. Some of the baskets are in pretty bad shape. Someone has tried to spray paint the chastity belt which makes it look worse ascetically. They still catch fine though. Underneath a lot of the cones people have piled up trash. I filled an entire trash bag and was only grabbing the large stuff. The tee pads are uneven underneath the rubber. My cousin fell twice and I saw another person fall as well, so just be careful. On the back nine there are some massive holes in the fairways. It looks like someone a large truck to load something up and then got stuck. The tee for ten is incredibly hard to find, a large next tee sign would be a huge help across the street.

Other Thoughts:

Holes five, six and seven are currently without rubber tee pads. The mow crew is extremely respectful and observant. I ran into them on hole nine, he let us play through and even pointed us in the right direction of where our disc landed.
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9 0
gregorvn
Experience: 15 years 42 played 10 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 3, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Great course! Nice mix of holes. The front eight are wooded, each requiring a unique approach. Although some are challenging, there are clear fairways and each takes careful play. There is some element of chance, but even if you do hit a tree, there's usually some sort of route to the pin. Starting on 9, the course opens up a bit, but still the drives require accuracy and placement, not just heave-ho. I like the variety of the holes and never felt like I was repeating shots again and again.

The course was just hammered by a bad winter, but they've got things pretty well cleared up. The teeboxes are in great shape, some have just recently been updated.

Cons:

Umm... Not too many cons at this course. It was muddy, but what do you expect for early April after a really wet winter?

A course map would be huge. Either at the course or here on this site (or any other site). I was there with people who knew the course, but I could see getting lost after hole 9 if I were on my own, and there are a few other places later that would be confusing.

Other Thoughts:

This is one of my new favorite courses, and I'll certainly come back here again.
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10 0
optidiscic
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 156 played 147 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Depressing Back 9 Needs New Deal 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 8, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

In a big beautiful State Park. The course has a good mix of technical tightly forrested holes and then more open wooded holes. Moderate elevation and beautiful scenery including woods, a lake, and a peaceful rolling green pasture. The first half of this course, which is solely DG territory, would automatically be the top nine hole course I have ever played. You start with a drive across an open field to a gap in the woods that tunnels to a protected green. Once in these tight woods, you will encounter multiple lane holes, a long s-curving fairway that meanders down to a fast green hole, a downhill lane to a lakeside green, a couple tempting ace runs, a unique downhill over a ravine that begs you to precisely turnover and the final shot is a big open drive over a rolling open green pasture to a basket guarded by a single huge tree with some goaltending limbs. The second nine allows for a bit more length and a few par 4s weaving amongst more open fairways. The course has excellent flat/grippy rubber tees and signage at the tees is well done. Kiosk and info available at first tee and practice basket is near the parking lot across the access road from teepad #1.

Cons:

If this course could have maintained the momentum of the first 9 holes I would have moved this course to my top 20. Instead I got lost as soon as I holed out on hole 9.Theres no map online, at the kiosk, or anywhere that I could find. Immediately my enjoyment and interest began to wane as I played the latter holes which play through a multi-use area. #10 is a decent long right turning fairway that seemed to complement the tighter front 9 well. Then the next 3 holes played the same way. Then a longer straighter version of the prior 3 holes. Then an average couple of holes with a perhaps too plinko hole (16)sprinkled in before finishing the day with the traditional long for long sakes finisher on 18. Just nothing that special after hole 9. I was thinking 4-4.5 as I finished the front 9 and as I finished the back nine I felt like I had played 2 separate courses. One wonderful woodsy course and then an average 2.5-3 rated course that plays amongst a picnic area and park activities. The course could use some better next tee hints as it often backtracks and there are no well defined paths in the more cleared out latter holes. Pay to enter park in summer.

Other Thoughts:

I would reccomend playing this course by starting at hole 10 and then finishing strong in the woods. I would think #9 is a better finishing hole than #18 as well. Another option would be to play the course in a 27 hole loop and play the front 9 twice. If your heading all the way to FDR you might as well stay and play an extra 9 quality holes. I preferred nearby Leonard Park as it provided more deep woods holes. Free admission in winter. Perhaps if I played this course regulalrly I'd discover the route on hole 16.
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15 3
Dave242
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 29.8 years 393 played 271 reviews
4.50 star(s)

A = Absolutely Amazing course! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 28, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

What I personally like and how this course stacks up in my list of 18 hole courses:

1) Holes with good risk/reward. Fair, but harsh punishment for bad decisions or execution. == A-
(The front 9 are an A+ and the back 9 are a B-. It is a Jekyl & Hyde experience with accuracy needed on the tightly wooded front and big(ger) D needed on the much more open back. You earn your score on this course.)

2) Holes that have rewarding birdie opportunities for me. I'm a Blue level player (950ish skill) who throws 300' accurately, 360' max. == A
(This course is almost perfect for people of my D. One hole is too short (6) and one is too long (9) to be rewarding. With the fairway shapes and terrain along with the raw length, scoring birdies is exhilarating! You earn your score on this course.)

3) More wooded than open - lots of variety of shots required caused by hole shape and topography == A-
(Holes 2-8 are the absolute perfect stretch/loop of holes I have ever played! If I lived nearby, I would play that loop continuously and skip the others. Hole 4 is a par 4 that is superb - a two shot hole that tempts you to get as far as possible down a R-L bending fairway that tails away downhill, followed by an approach over a valley dotted with trees that are spaced just far enough apart to be superbly challenging yet fair. The back makes decent use of terrain as several holes play along the side of a hill and allow errant shots to sail far away from their intended landing area. But, the back (and holes 1 & 9) is too open for my preference....hence me marking this category down.)

4) Natural beauty (Appalachian beauty preferred) and seclusion. == A-
(Sounding like a stuck record here, but the front 9 is an A+++, with beautiful Appalachian woods, a lake, terrain, and wildlife (I saw 7 deer). The back nine plays through picnic areas and is in view of parking lots the whole time - a B- sort of experience. Also, the park is right off the Taconic State Parkway and highway noise disrupts the serenity at times.)

5) Bonus points for multi-throw holes with defined landing zones, good risk/reward and multiple options to play them. == C-
(As stated above, hole 4 is a superb par 4 hole. Holes 10, 14 & 18 are pretty routine par 4's achieving the extra throws solely by added D. It is great to see a legitimate par 58 course, but I think more intrigue could have been included in the design.)

Other Thoughts:

It's all about feeding the addiction, so I ranked this course subjectively based on my own "personal addiction factor". The grades above tell how well this course will draw me back to itself again and again and again. See my profile for specifics on my rating philosophy.

I fancy myself as a connoisseur of good course design and I am a competitive Blue level (950-ish rated) with mid-level power (accurate to 300' with max D of 360'). Since I have played a decent number of courses (150+ 18-hole, 90+ 9-hole as of late 2009), my hope is that players/explorers who have similar addiction tastes will find my ratings list helpful as they choose courses to play and explore.

I fully expect others with different tastes/philosophies to disagree with me.....and that's the fun of things here.
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2 5
nott84
Experience: 14.5 years 5 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Best in Westchester 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 10, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

This was the first course I ever played. Great mix of holes. Woods were challenging but not insane. Three holes near or over 600 feet. Most Tees were rubber and in good shape.

Cons:

Fee (not a big deal as it's well maintained). One of the holes (6 or 7?) has a lake at the end. Not that I could toss it that far but anyone who does will not be happy.
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5 4
Taino
Experience: 14.7 years 21 played 14 reviews
4.50 star(s)

An excellent course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 20, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good signage, tight shots for the first 9 then opens up for the back 9. Really good flow, excellent balance of uphill and downhill shots with natural obstacles. Well-manicured park; you can see where your parking fee goes.

There have been changes over the winter - new rubber tees have been put in place on several of the wooded holes, include 3, 4, 8, and 9 - leaving only a few that are natural and need work. The storm damage from March continues to linger, but that's not on the course stewards - it's on the parks department. The thorn bushes that plagued drives off the tee on #10 have been cut down for repairing a power line - hooray! They'll grow back, yes, but while they're gone...

Cons:

The entry fee for cars has been upped to $8 this year. Generally no fee after 5pm.

Other Thoughts:

I played at FDR back when I first started playing disc golf, and didn't appreciate how good it actually is; lately I've rediscovered it and decided to edit my review.

The holes are laid out in such a way that you have a decent mix of tight, wooded fairways and more open, big-arm holes - but even on most of the big-D stuff, you've got to pick a line rather than just letting it rip. This course rewards accuracy, and can make you pay dearly otherwise.

This course is in my top two in this area, with Cranbury Park in Wilton, CT.
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9 0
forehandfranz
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.8 years 226 played 128 reviews
4.00 star(s)

"MadMen's" Don Draper would play here if he played disc! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 28, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Fantastic Facility for disc golf! Located in upper Westchester County (The "Madmen" reference), The course winds through tight challenging hardwoods for the first 8 holes which will push you to control your drives and use some imagination. Grassy fields and pines will open up your game through the rest of the course. A few par 4's make it most interesting. In addition to a fun course (I played four rounds on a fine Sunday), the State park has the amenities of several restrooms, picnic tables, and (get this) a concession stand at the junction of holes 9, 10, and 18 where you can grab a burger and beer to energize yourself for that next round! Restrooms are water plentiful too. Signage on the tees with pin placement and footage are nice. Teepads are mostly rubber but a few are natural, however

Cons:

The complaints are minor. There are 4 holes that would help out-of-towners if they placed "next tee" signs. They are walks leading to 10, 15, 16, 17 and 18. A few teepads are natural and would benefit greatly when they are upgraded. The park fee is $6 but I still think it's a bargain considering what you get from the FDR's department's hard work. Picnickers on a Sunday were abundant and strayed into the fairways at times.

Other Thoughts:

With a concession stand and plenty of water, you can draw the energy for at least a couple of rounds. I put four in on a hot Sunday!
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4 1
safetyman42
Experience: 15.3 years 15 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 11, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course is set in a very nicely kept state park. The front nine consists of controlled drives through the woods, where as the back nine is more open to letting it rip. Rubber tee pads on most of the holes are a plus. Hole five is a beautiful straight narrow drive down a hill at a lake tucked in the woods. Good shade through out the summer.

Cons:

There is lots of traffic through the back nine with a few picnics. I'm highly allergic to poison ivy and there's a lot there.

Other Thoughts:

It's a great course and i go at least every couple weeks. When it comes to spending gas though Ifind the drive to Leonard Park more worth it.
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9 0
disc golfer
Experience: 25.6 years 15 played 14 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 14, 2005 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Excellent mix of holes. Woods, open, short, long, straight, dog leg lefts and rights. The front 9 plays in a tight woods section of the park. Your round starts off nice with Hole 1, where the first 80% of your drive is open then finishes in the woods near a brook. The back 9 plays in a more open pine tree woods section with excellent semi-long to long challenging fun holes! A few open holes makes for great mix on the back 9. Pine trees provide cooler temps in the summer with a cushiony floor from the pine needles. All holes are FUN and challenging! Great for all skill levels.

Cons:

FDR Park is a busy park with lots of people and events. But the course is almost always clear of people, especially the front 9. Need to pay to get into park ,most likely between Memorial Day and Labor Day, but who cares because this course is worth it. Front 9 can get a bit squishy after rains, but not too bad.

Other Thoughts:

Great design elements throughout this course. Definitely designed by a pro disc golfer who knows what he's doing. There are some complaints out there about a hole or two on the course, but I don't agree with them! I highly recommend checking this course out.
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