Ottumwa, IA

Indian Hills Community College

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4.145(based on 14 reviews)
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1 2
corngolfer
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
5.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Great campus and very beautiful course..
-Wide variety of shots either forehand, backhand or overhead shots this course has it all.
-More than one tee pad and pin locations.
- Great design of the course and a great layout of the holes.
- Signs are easy to read.
- very challenging course and very fun.
- very nice baskets.
- very well maintained course and great fairways.
- very nice scenery.

Cons:

Not really things id consider cons but still need to know info.
-during school hours can be really busy traffic and hard to find a good parking spot although you can still find one by the helyer center parking lot right by hole 1.
- not a beginner friendly course from long tees.
- some risk/reward shots which is not really a con but can be when you lose your disc in the water.

Other Thoughts:

i would recommend stopping by if you ever were in ottumwa which also has two courses within 5 miles so this would make a good trip for those traveling disc golfers.. :)
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3 1
walker139
Experience: 14.7 years 193 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Hidden Gem 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 18, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great diversity of shots to be found here, not tilted to a RH or LH player. A challenging course that will make you think about how to attack each and every hole. The course is very well kept and the elevation changes keep you on your toes. Plenty of distance here and not too many easy 3's. Enough OB and rough to keep the round interesting but nothing that can't be strategically avoided.

Cons:

Can be a long walk up and down those hills.
Hole 3's pro pad tends to get covered in eroding soil.
Navigation can be tricky for the first timer.

Other Thoughts:

This course is one of my favorites in the state, and I've played over 130 in Iowa. In the autumn season you can't find a more beautiful place to throw.
I lived in O-town while attending school, playing plenty of DG along the way, and this is hands down the best course in the area.
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5 11
Spike Hyzer 23
Experience: 30.7 years 92 played 87 reviews
4.00 star(s)

The City of Bridges 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 9, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The beauty of the course is evident almost immediately after the easy deuce hole to start, as you must cross the pond and fountain on the 2nd and 3rd holes (the latter featuring an exceptional protected green and deceptive distance).

A couple of open holes follow, the 5th having deceptive slope and elevation, and you're on your way to one of the best disc golf experiences in IA.
The 11th is one of my favorite short technical holes in the world, exceptionally difficult even as it favors a lefty, and the 12th has one of my favorite protected greens on a reachable downhill.

13 is risk or reward: you'll get a birdie, go too far, or plunk it in the pond, all choices a result of a huge tree not far from the tee that forces your hand. 14 gives the bombers some, and 15 is a short lefty anhyzer downhill that's fun for everyone.

Cons:

Few cons. The stretch of 5-7 doesn't offer much challenge in the way of obstacles, but the course ramps up the difficulty later. The two finishing holes are a little short for the end of a course, which should offer risk and reward for players to make a come back in a match.

Other than that, it's a great place!

Other Thoughts:

The Jesuits left this land and its triple bell tower to the community, and it became a Community College. Known as the city of bridges, Ottumwans manufactured portable bridges for WWII (one crosses some water on the course).
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3 2
bengal4life11
Experience: 15.1 years 20 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

IHCC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 21, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very beautiful college campus. Very well maintained. Nice blend of challenging shots and both backhand/forehand shots. Signs well marked with pin placements, easy to follow.

Cons:

Large ponds in various locations as well as wooded areas can pose a problem with losing discs.
Requires yearly $5 tag to play (available in book shop or from campus security).
Can take quite some time to complete a round depending on how many hazards you fall to.

Other Thoughts:

Overall a very beautiful and challenging course. Would be a very frustrating course for beginners to play. My 2nd favorite course in the Ottumwa area(Wildwood is #1).
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10 0
ZMan44
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20 years 179 played 107 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 4, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Environment: I am a sucker for a college course. I enjoy the campus atmosphere, and this is an excellent way to introduce students to the game. I know this could be a "con" if you were attmepting to play at 1:00 pm on a Thursday, but given that this is a Community College, weekends probably leave the course fairly uncrowded.

Design: There was plenty of variety here. Ponds and fountains were used well. There is a lot of elevation for a course in a relatively flat region of the country. While there are no true wooded holes, mature trees and groves provided acceptable obstacles.

Equipment: Tee pads and baskets were all in good condition. I expect that being on campus helps contribute to the lack of vandalism. There are very few points on the course that are out of vision from a campus building.

Challenge/Length: On our excursion, this course stood out as one that has a fair amount of both factors without being overbearing. There are some long holes. There are some tight fairways through groves. There are even some ace runs in the mix. In short, this course does not cater to a specific type of disc golfer...and for a campus course, this is a great attribute.

Cons:

Construction: I played this course with bjreagh (which is typically the case) and there was a lot of campus construction going on. At least 4 holes that I can remember were affected in some manner.

Semi-trailers on hole #11: These were simply an eyesore. I went ahead and threw over top of them. (I didn't see a "mando" listed) If there is no mando on this hole, playing over the parking lot is a big risk/reward as your shot covers OB nearly its entire flight path...but that route is much more "open".

Hole #3 groundskeeping (across the pond): There was absolutely no semblance of a landing zone across the pond on this hole. All it would take is some weed-eating to identify the desired path or landing areas. Instead, you simply throw across a pond to a forested hillside with tall grass and ground cover. This hole could be beautiful...but it was pretty nasty-looking the day we played it.

Lack of the "Wow Factor": While the course is well-designed and challenging, there wasn't a hole where I stepped to the tee and thought 'this is an amazing hole'. Lots of good holes, but no great holes.

Navigation/Confusion: There are a few spots where multiple baskets are visible from the tee, and it can get a little confusing. There are also some places where campus roads and parking lots must be crossed between holes. These instances are fairly negligible to me, but I list them because others may find this information useful.

Other Thoughts:

IHCC is the home of a "very good" disc golf course. The atmosphere is relaxing. The scenery is very nice (sans construction) and the course is fairly well maintained. The strength here is in the lack of "filler" holes. I never got the feeling that any of the holes was only serving the purpose of getting from Point A to Point B. While there are not any epic holes on the course, the overall level of the course is solid.

Ottumwa seems like a quiet little place. we had a hard time finding food as the downtown area looked really run-down. In any case, the town is off the beaten path a little bit. While IHCC is a good course, I am not sure I would call it a "destination" course as was indicated in some earlier reviews. If you happen to be in the area, however, give this course a shot and I doubt you will be disappointed.

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1 2
RockStarValkyrie
Experience: 25.8 years 16 played 16 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Lots of water and trees and fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 19, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very well maintained, lots of trash cans, no litter, nice tee pads, landscaped nicely, lots of differing and challenging holes

Cons:

Water and trees everywhere, lots can go wrong here from losing discs to ruining your score because of all the obstacles, $5 tag to play

Other Thoughts:

Very nicely designed and maintained, you can tell a lot of effort went into this and continues to go into this, nicer than most park courses as far as maintenance and amenities go
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0 2
bengalsfan11
Experience: 16 years 3 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 25, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well maintained campus. Challenging shots. Trash cans at every tee. Baskets well marked at tees.

Cons:

Large ponds are very hard to avoid and very easy to lose discs. Heavily wooded holes (fair amount) also present a hazard to losing discs. $5 tag to play. Spread out over campus so it takes quite a while to play.
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5 0
bjreagh
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.6 years 350 played 317 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great college course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 4, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Indian Hills CC is home to a very nice 18 hole course generously spread throughout the grounds of this beautiful and clean campus. College campuses often make great places for courses, and this is one of the best college courses I have played. It plays like you would expect for a college or a park- well-manicured fairways with mature isolated trees as the primary obstacles. There are also 3 ponds that you must throw over/around and roads and parking lots that play as O.B. There is some thick rough in spots, but not on every hole. There are elevation changes on most holes in the form of rolling hills.

The course has 2 sets of concrete tees, 1 set of tee signs, and excellent baskets. Navigation was pretty easy without a map. (*See Other) Hole design is good, with very little repetition.

Cons:

For about half of the holes the only true challenge was just length with ample room to work your disc. If there were obstacles like a tree or a pond, they were pretty easy to avoid.

There were no signs at the short tees, making them a little harder to find and making you have to stop by the long tee first if you were playing the shorts. The signs were difficult to decipher with the A, B, a, b in different colors with not flight lines. They are a little jumbled and overwhelming.

There was not a course map available, on-line or at the course. There were a couple of spots where there were longer walks and tees where throwing at the wrong basket is possible. Some holes have a 3rd tee, but we only found 1- on hole #2. A map would have been a nice aid (thankfully some locals gave us a few navigational tips before we began.)

$5 seems a bit much to play a college course, however the day we played in June we never found anybody to pay.

There were some old semi trailers parked just off hole 11 that were ugly. There was a construction project disrupting hole 11. Both of these detracted from the overall beauty found on the rest of the course.

Other Thoughts:

Navigation tips:
#5 tee is up hill over concrete bridge
#8 you see 9's basket on the left, 8 basket is blind to the right
#11 tee is down the road from 10, cross the parking lot

I enjoyed playing this course, and it is recommended for players of just about any skill level. It is challenging enough for experienced, but not impossible for newer players. It favors length over accuracy. However, I was a little disappointed with its near 5.0 rating expecting something unique and amazing. Indian Hills CC is a solid course, but it is probably not a top national disc golf destination as there is nothing super special here. I give it a strong 3.5 (Very Good) as it definitely worth playing if you are in the area.
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8 0
Berryiowa
Experience: 14 years 14 played 9 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Indian Hills 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 30, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

* Concrete Tee pads on all Holes
* Multiple Tee pads on Long Holes
* Great Tee signs with all info you need.
* Two signs that explain the course rules (one at Hole 1 and one at hole 11)
* This course uses its enviorment and natural suroundings to make the most challanging course in the area.
* there are 3 ponds wich come in to play on 5 holes (hole 2, Hole 3, Hole 12, Hole 13 and Hole 14)
* The use of elavation, Trees can cause you to take on extra strokes.
* Parking lots, roads, sidewalks and Buildings can cause quite a few OB Peneltys
* There are long shots Hole 14 661 feet and short shots hole 17 200 feet
* Well manacured course (Except hole 3 up a hill in a forest type area).
* There are bathrooms and water open during school hours at the begining of the course at Hellyer student life center and Effner Hall in the middle of the course, Hellyer is also open late and on most saturdays.
* 3 easy ways to buy a $5.00 course Bag Tag good for one year, at Hellyer or Bennet building at the begining of the course or ask a security gaurd when you see them.
* this course is very challanging and will show you any hole you have in your game but is still a very fun course
* 4 risk reward holes ( Hole 2, hole 3 and hole 13 you must throw across a pond to save strokes and 12 the easyest way is hook out over the water for distance if you forhand and if you backhand the natural fade of the disc will hook towards the water.
* Trash cans at every Tee Sign
* Course flows nicely around the campus of the collage

Cons:

* It is a pay to play course it cost 5.00 for a tag ( I don't see it as a con but some players do)
* This is not a course for beginers as even the short pads can be difacult
* During an avrage game you will loose at least one disc and more if it is windy.
* No course sign at begining to show course (Next Tee is marked on each Tee Sign.)
* No score cards
* can be hard to find a parking spot during school hours.
* Make note of permit parking as they do ticket cars that are parked in student or faculty lots without tags.

Other Thoughts:

This is by far the nicest andbest course in the Ottumwa area a must play for any true DG player. a not that the IHCC DG team practices on Friday's around 10:00am for about two and a half hours or more so the course is busy at that time and there could be long waits.
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6 2
DGman
Experience: 36.1 years 42 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

10/1/11 Update 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 15, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A very nice course on the campus of IHCC. Lots of mature trees create a fairly challenging course. There are water hazards on holes 2, 3, 12 and 13. Hole fourteen is a 661 foot par 5 with some nice elevation in play. Most of the course is fairly flat with the exception of hole 2 which is a slight downhill over a pond and hole 3 which is an uphill over a pond with a nice swinging bridge to cross. There is a good mix of shots otherwise with a few nice open holes where you can air it out. They are alternate tees on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 13. No real worries about loosing a disc except from the long tees on the water hazard holes. Campus is usually well maintained.

***The baskets are currently in the long positions***

Cons:

Hole 3 is often over grown in the summer on the basket side of the pond and full of leaves in the fall.
Lots of construction projects have left the course in a mess...
The short tee on 4 is now cracked.
There are several semi trailers in the parking lot to the right of hole 11 which eliminates a hyzer shot around all the trees.
The fairway on 14 has been torn up and the short tee pad is gone.
Very busy campus Mon-Thurs 7- 4:30

Other Thoughts:

$5 bag tag required. Good for one year. Can be purchased from the book store across the road from #1 tee or from security.
FYI...there is no smoking on the campus and alcohol restrictions.
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7 1
bpierce08
Experience: 17.3 years 129 played 3 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Favorite course so far! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 17, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Great campus and very beautiful course..
-Wide variety of shots either forehand, backhand or overhead shots this course has it all.
-More than one tee pad and pin locations.
- Great design of the course and a great layout of the holes.
- Signs are easy to read.
- very challenging course and very fun.
- very nice baskets.
- very well maintained course and great fairways.
- very nice scenery.

Cons:

Not really things id consider cons but still need to know info.
-during school hours can be really busy traffic and hard to find a good parking spot although you can still find one by the helyer center parking lot right by hole 1.
- not a beginner friendly course from long tees.
- some risk/reward shots which is not really a con but can be when you lose your disc in the water.

Other Thoughts:

By far my favorite course in ottumwa and the best i have yet to play.. there is a 5 dollar bag tag charge to play this course.. they last for a year and can be purchased at the bennett student services and also by security.. they do also have a visitors pass you can get if you want to play for only 1 time which you can get from security.. i would recommend stopping by if you ever were in ottumwa which also has two courses within 5 miles so this would make a good trip for those traveling disc golfers.. :)
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19 1
RussMB
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.4 years 131 played 110 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Ottumwa's top Disc Golf course 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 7, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Top of the line cement tee's, detailed signs with maps and pin placements,
-Well maintained and manicured.
-This is a great course for advanced players.
-Bathrooms in the main school buildings (Accessible only during school hours). (DORMS ARE OFF LIMITS!! ...unless you are a student.)
-Excellent use of elevation.
-Multiple Tee pads: White and Blue Teeboxes, with a few red boxes for the more difficult holes.
-Parking Lots are considered O.B.. Including an ace basket that is right on top of a slab of cement. (Depending on what you consider OB.)
-3 risk/reward holes. #14 is a long drive and it's all about placing your second shot in the right place. You could find your second shot playing from the bottom of a steep hill
-Course flows nicely around the perimeter of the campus. You may still want to hook up with a guide if possible.
-The Ecological surroundings are beautiful, especially in the Fall.
-Each hole comes with its own challenge,
-The Course flows nicely back to the starting point
-You will be throwing across varying terrains: Uphill shots, Down Hill shots, canyon shots, Doglegs, across multiple ponds, and working a line through some trees. ...and for what it's worth, you will play along side an old Catholic Nuns Cemetery.
-You have to buy a bag tag for 5 dollars. Only once, and it's good for the year. (FWIW It's a nice looking tag as well)
-Security also keeps tabs on whats happening on the course. This is due to a rash of vandalism.
-Has an great "Fun Factor", and it is a fantastic challenge!

Cons:

-Bathrooms are only open during times when the buildings are open. (I went real early on a Saturday morning)
-Didn't see any scorecards, then again they may be available at the bookstore or where you purchase tags
-Navigation: Although IHCC is relatively easy to navigate, you could find yourself wondering where to go next. A course map would help. Hook up with a local if you can.
-Could use more red tee boxes, as this course could be very intimidating and frustrating to beginners.
- Purchasing a tag during off hours must be done by locating a security guard. As I was only in town for one day, again I was there early. (when we found a security guard, he was very nice and helpful)
-Some shots require playing very close, and alongside, parking lots.
-The tree that is right in front of the Tee box on hole 13, I feel is rather unnecessary. That is just my opinion!

Other Thoughts:

Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) has a fantastic Disc Golf course. They have invested time, money, and effort to make this an attractive and challenging course. All of the basic necessities here are top notch. You will find that this course offers a challenge that will require strategy, as well as a variety of shots. All of the holes offer a fair amount of distance. The blue tees only have 2 holes that are less than 300ft, and one 661ft hole that plays along a steep hill with a pond at the bottom. While the white tee's still offer up a fair challenge for the average player. The longest white tee is 441ft, with most holes between 250 and 350ft. The pond shots are reachable, but there is an intimidation factor that can mess with your confidence.

The course flows very nicely around the perimeter of the campus. The course starts and ends near the Helyer Life Center. You will find yourself navigating around parking lots, across ponds, and up & down hills on this course. The scenery on this course is gorgeous, especially in the fall. You might want a good pair of shoes, because you will trek over all kinds of terrain on this course.. Most of the holes at IHCC require a strategic approach, with a couple of risk/reward shots. The risk means losing your disc in a pond. The course has its twists and turns. It helps to play with someone that knows or has played the course. Having a guide can also aid in knowing where and how you should play your disc. A bad lie here can define how the rest of the hole will play.

Indian Hills is a gem in southeastern Iowa and it is well worth a long drive. Especially since this is one of three courses in Ottumwa. I played here early on a Saturday morning, and the course was empty. Bring a couple of discs you may not mind parting with, as well as a snack and some liquid refreshment. It's a long walk around the campus!
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12 0
CwAlbino
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.8 years 76 played 23 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Still one of my favorite 2+ years

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

Pros:

There are many pros to this course and I hope I can cover them all.

-First off, it's on a beautiful college campus that is manicured and just looks amazing at all times.
-Cement Pads are always a plus, and there are normally 2 on every hole, with 1 hole having 3 pads.
-Not only multiple pads but multiple pin placements that they change up to give the locals something new
-Signage is AWESOME, some of the best signs at the pads I've ever seen.
- great use and mix of length, elevation, obstacles, o.b.'s, and of course water.
-To add on to the water, there are fountains in every pond which is a plus by making a constant current, so if you happen to throw a floater in the pond it will float to the edge quite quickly as compared to normal water hazards.

Cons:

There really are only minor things that we like that I could even consider a con. Bag holders and benches at every hole would be awesome, but they are not a necessity, same with brooms

For beginners this course may be a bit too hard and discouraging because of all the water that comes into play, many discs are lost by new players.

Other Thoughts:

The course was removed due to vandalism and littering, but was put back only if bagtags were to become a reality. I've marked the course as pay to play due to this. $5 to buy a bag tag for the year, it can be bought in the bennet center from 8 to 4:45 or just talk to the security that drives around and he/she will get you one.

The course starts in the triangle parking lot by the Hellyer Student Life center, look for the building with a large rounded almost arch shaped cement wall in front of a building.

Bathrooms and water are available during weekdays and weekends. Most of the buildings (not dormitories) are open at all times to go in and fill up a water bottle or use the restrooms even on Sundays.
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5 9
SpikeHyzer
Experience: 21.1 years 110 played 33 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Hidden gem of Iowa 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 25, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course has it all. Short holes, long holes, water, amenities, etc. Probably my favorite course in Iowa to play. Probably the best kept course in the state as well as the most beautiful courses. It runs through and around a college campus. It has elevation changes as well.

Cons:

None

Other Thoughts:

This is one that you can't miss. I highly recommend this course
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