Brookings, SD

Larson Park - Old Layout

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3.545(based on 12 reviews)
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2 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.9 years 550 played 429 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Grand Larson-y 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 3, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Shooting low scores is fun, but this is ridiculous. Larson Park is an 18 hole layout that is really fun, and you will be under par. There are concrete tees with signs, and the baskets are all good.

The park is covered with plush grass, and it has a fair number of trees on most holes. There is a large hill that puts elevation changes in play on much of the back nine.

This is one of the shorter 18 hole courses I have played in terms of distance. Wind could throw some curves, but it was very nice the morning I played there. Good for practicing the basics, with roomy fairways that are not totally devoid of trees.

The holes I liked best were 11, 13, and 18. All of them are downhill with different throws. I went for the mid range line drive to the pin on 11. 13 I threw a forehand flick. On the grand finale, I went for it and threw a nice flexing driver that bombed past everything. Way overshot it, but was still able to get up and down for an eagle 3.

Cons:

Not an ultra challenging round. Not really much of a challenge at all. The pros will find it a snoozer. The layout isn't that hard to follow, but it ends in an odd spot with a walk back to the car.

Anytime I make 18 under par, especially on the first attempt at a new course, something is wrong. Perhaps an adjustment of the par is in order. Even if you play them all par 3, going under is not too difficult.

Other Thoughts:

The posted par is 68, which is obscenely generous. On my first and only round I scored a 50, and that included 2 bogies. Finishing in the 40's is quite possible. One of those courses that has enough elevation to be fun, and you want to play over to see how low you can go. Hole in 1 on a par 5? You can do it here on hole 18.

Larson Park reminds me of a gentler version of some of my favorite courses, like Boyd Pond or Earlewood in SC, or Jackson 18 in Atchison, KS. Loads of fun, with less tress and higher par. There is just enough going on to keep it from being a pitch and putt. The back nine is pretty cool, playing up and down the hill with a big finish from the summit on 18.
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1 1
Katana15
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Brookings 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 22, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very good signage throughout the course, and the course is easily navigable. Provides many different shot types and a variety of different throws in order to play the holes well.

Tee pads are large and provide good footing. Baskets are also in decent condition.

Very nice course for a small town to have. Provides people with a great opportunity to play disc golf.

Cons:

Very short course. I do not think they have even one hole over 400ft. This means that some people do not even need to bring their full assortment of discs.

A lot of holes throughout the course, especially on the hill. Watch out!

Other Thoughts:

Great course to play. I recommend stopping and playing if you are driving through or are in the area.
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2 0
Mahgy115
Experience: 10.1 years 2 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Suprisingly awesome 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 26, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Great signage throughout course
- Variety of shots and elevation changes
- Scenery was wonderful for a park in the city

Cons:

- Many shot distances very short
- Restroom on site not open

Other Thoughts:

I was very surprised by this course, unexpectedly. I was impressed with the signage at the beginning mapping out the whole course, as well as the tee post signs being all there and not vandalized in any way. The shots up, down, and around the hill were an awesome addition. Certainly not what you expect when you first begin the course. Definitely worth a stop if in the area.
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2 0
nat16dick
Experience: 13.6 years 95 played 17 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Short, Fun Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 14, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Use of space and elevation: Although the holes were all of similar length, the variety of trees and elevation changes made each hole a unique challenge
-Baskets: The baskets were in good shape, and seemed to be kept up well
-Teepads: New, large cement teepads provide and excellent surface to tee off of
-Signs: Informative and colorful. Hard to get lost if you are paying attention to the signs
-Maintenance: The grass and trees were all kept up well
-Accessibility: A short drive from the highway, and plenty of parking near the first tee
-Shot variety: Plenty of left-right holes each

Cons:

-Some holes are close together, which would become a problem if many golfers were out at the same time
-Written Pars: While I would never complain about forgiving pars, these were ludicrous. Par was way too high, and I found myself playing down to the difficulty of the par
-Walking paths run through the course, and pedestrians are always a hazard to watch out for

Other Thoughts:

This course is a ton of fun, and one that is easy to score well on. It is not the most challenging course, but a beginner would enjoy the distance (or lack thereof), and the advanced player can work their short game. A great play if you're in the area!
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3 1
deadbody
Experience: 20.1 years 152 played 68 reviews
3.00 star(s)

BirdieFest 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 18, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice cement tees, nice baskets. Good use of trees to obscure what would otherwise be very simple ace runs at a lot of holes. Good use of elevation. Pretty easy to follow layout, good signs on some of the holes.

Cons:

Short, really short, like the longest hole is under 400' and wide open short. One hole plays really close to the playground, like if there were kids playing I think you have to skip it.

Other Thoughts:

Really short course, lots of putter drives and mid range drives even for someone with a noodle arm like myself. Really interesting use of tucking pins in behind trees to add some difficulty to it. Pretty fun course overall. Good use of the hill on the back 9.
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3 1
sheepweevil
Experience: 16.1 years 31 played 22 reviews
3.50 star(s)

My First Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 12, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A nice fairly easy course with good use of elevation. Baskets are nice and tee pads are concrete. Each hole has a nice map showing trees and hole locations.

The whole park is nicely mowed, and it is easy to find discs - I only remember losing one disc here over multiple years.

The front 9 is mostly wooded, fairly technical shots, and the back 9 is open, longer shots which make great use of the elevation changes. There is a good mix of short and long holes, although nothing above 400 feet.

Overall, it's a nice free public course with a laid back atmosphere. Much better than the SDSU course.

Cons:

There's a gross bog by holes 12-14 which is always covered in green scum, and a pool of water forms by hole 1, especially after the spring thaw.

There are a few very short holes (4 and 7) which are very easy birdies.

There are very few benches, and only about every other hole has a trash can.

There is no signature hole, and a lot of them blend together.

Other Thoughts:

I usually hammer throw on hole 2 to avoid trying to get through the 10 foot gap between two evergreens.

A lot of the baskets are taken out in the winter due to the hill being used for sledding.

Even playing everything a par 3, there are numerous birdie opportunities, and intermediate players should be able to throw most rounds under par.

There's a drinking fountain and bathrooms by hole 4.
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1 2
jrawk
Experience: 14.7 years 85 played 13 reviews
3.00 star(s)

My first course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Great first-timer's course. Front 9 short but use trees to add a challenge. Very popular to the younger locals. Had a good, competitive vibe throughout the park.

Cons:

Most of the front 9 seemed awfully short even for a beginner. The back 9 with elevation changes and extra distance are much better. Very congested. Seemed to have many regulars camping on hole 18.

Beware the gopher holes! You will twist an ankle if not careful. Mosquitoes were terrible. Wear spray. Counted 21 bites on arms and legs the day after.

Other Thoughts:

My first time playing Disc Golf was on this course. Had a business trip to the area and colleague brought his discs with him and dragged my along. I was hooked after 3rd hole. Played 2 more rounds later in the week. Found local wally world selling Innova DX discs CHEAP (less than $6).
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1 4
justindfpr
Experience: 23 years 23 played 10 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 19, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Wasn't expecting it to be that great. Decent course. Some of the shots are really fun. Theres only one hole I could complain about but this is the pros section. Very well maintained. Didn't seem to interfere with the rest of the park goers.

Cons:

Hole 6 I think it was. 110 feet or something like that. Thats the only hole I could complain about. Not even that big of a deal. I just thought course was downhill from then on but I was proven wrong. Some of the tee pads get pretty slick when they get wet. Thats all I can think of.

Other Thoughts:

Its so much easier to play par 54 everywhere you play. For the most part the ridiculous pars are for rec throwers and to make it easier to keep track of scores. Sometimes it is fun to play -30 though. haha Not a 5 out of 5 rating though.
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1 0
vanguard
Experience: 18.8 years 14 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Diversity of holes
-Elevation changes
-Scenery
-Easy to navigate.

Cons:

-Can be crowded on nice days, although most people have no problem letting you play through or merge groups.
-The signage is wrong on some holes.
-There is a sesspool near holes 12 and 13 (very minimal chance of disc loss) that detracts greatly from the natural beauty of the rest of the course.

Other Thoughts:

Mostly a younger (18-25 year old)demographic that plays this course.

Larson Park can be a real challenge if winds are moderate or higher.

Our group always plays each hole par 3, rather than the course par.
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2 6
SDdiscgolfer
Experience: 16 years 3 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Everything is great there
- there is a link so you can have a score card http://www.cityofbrookings.or...scorecard.pdf

Cons:

- Hard to say anything bad about the course

Other Thoughts:

- But if you think the pars are to easy just play all par 3's
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2 8
corynace
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
5.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 16, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

awesomely designed course, hills make it very fun and the wind coming off the hill makes it a blast when you first start it doesnt seem like much until u get to the back 9

Cons:

watching out for people on the bike path

Other Thoughts:

great course a must play course for anyone looking for a good challenge
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7 0
mndiscg
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.9 years 483 played 478 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Easy pars, otherwise great 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 7, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Great diversity of holes. Woods on some, some completely open. Some short, some long.
-One of the best courses i've seen as far as elevation changes. 9-18 all play up and down the hill in some form.
-Detailed signs with all the info you need on every hole.
-Cement tees on every hole.
-Nice chains.
-Little chance to lose discs.
-Bathrooms/drinking fountain after hole 3
-Lots of parking, safe park
-Great for beginners or young players.

Cons:

-Pars are way too easy. I've shot -21 on this course.
-Not a ton of hole length variety. There are some longer shots but nothing that I can't reach in one shot.
-Not too challenging overall

Other Thoughts:

-Most pins located on or near the hill are pulled in November because the hill is largely used for sledding in the winter.
-This course has a really high fun factor and makes me want to come back and play again. It is great for all levels of play.
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