Manhattan Beach, CA

Polliwog Park DGC

2.035(based on 20 reviews)
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5 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Mixed feelings 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 10, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a really nice neighborhood park. A few holes have enough trees in play to make you navigate a tight line or a low ceiling, others are mostly open with one or two trees as obstacles. There are a few minor elevation changes that add some fun and variety. The baskets are in great shape, and the tees use the sidewalk so they provide fine footing. The signage is basic, but plenty adequate to figure out where to throw.

Cons:

In a few spots it's not at all obvious where to find the next tee, make sure to take a look at the map ahead of time. There are a ton of safety issues here, with holes playing along and over sidewalks, playgrounds and an amphitheater. This park seems pretty popular for families and picnickers so you may have to skip holes if you play on a busy day.

The locals have set up alternate shots. They're a lot of fun, but they make the safety issues even worse by adding crossing fairways and multiple groups throwing at the same basket. Holes 6 and 7 play right at one another sharing the same fairway.

Other Thoughts:

Beginners will find this course fun and approachable with enough challenges to push players to learn new disc golf skills. Experienced players can have a really fun putter round here unless the park is busy. Don't come here on the weekend, but it's worth a quick stop on a weekday morning.
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0 0
Tree Weaver
Experience: 12.9 years 10 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Short Public Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 18, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Great short course for beginners and practice. - Park is clean and well maintained.
- The baskets are well maintained.
- There is slight elevation gain/loss on holes 3-7.

Cons:

- You must play early or late on weekends as this public park is crowded during the day.
- The tee pads are not clearly marked
- Hole 2 often floods after rain

Other Thoughts:

Try it if you're in the area and it's not crowded.
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3 0
BasketHunter
Experience: 26.8 years 16 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Small, but fun. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 20, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

If you get there before 9am, on just about any day, you will have the course to yourself. There are still some nice challenging holes and some elevation changes. Hole 3 is long and up hill, even if you have a big arm there is still some challenge to it. 5,6 and 7 are up and down and fun holes. My favorite is 9, right down Manhattan Beach Blvd and requires a good toss to get to the pin.

Cons:

If you get there after 9am on any day, it is going to be crowded and your round probably won't be the most enjoyable experience of your life. There are a few short holes. 1 is right next to a playground and the middle school requiring some holding back to avoid hitting a kid or losing a disc. Hole 4 is very short and hole 8 is next to a bathroom and a playground, and short. There are lots of alternate tees laid down by various people, making things sometimes confusing. Especially when people are playing alternate tees and you don't know what they are throwing at. Just keep your head up and you'll be fine.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, small park with a decent course. I have fun when I play there. Not the most challenging course, but worth a shot and good for practice if you're in the South Bay and don't want to get on the freeway.
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1 1
Daniel Pratt
Experience: 11.7 years 15 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Close to LAX AIRPORT 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 22, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

There are a good range of baskets from long to short shots and up a hill on # 3. I really enjoyed this course and the players i met here where very cool people.

Cons:

There are alot of people at this park and they dont seem to look out for them selfs.
So be sure to shout there way load.
The Locals tell me the park will bag and lock the baskets during concerts and other functions at the park. and that its not worth playing on the weekends unless u are there before 10 am.

Other Thoughts:

#9 tee pole has been broken off but it stands next to a cement Fire ash trash. The container has a fire logo on it next to the side walk.
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3 1
poorredz
Experience: 27 played 4 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Busy short course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 14, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a good first timer or newbee course.Clean park with easy to find tees and holes.

Cons:

.No need for a driver disc as a mid range or putter will do for the short holes. Lots of moms with young kids running around and they are oblivious to the fact they, and their kids are pinicing or playing on the fairways

Other Thoughts:

There is a elementary/middle school right next door that gets out at 3pm. Hundreds of kids cross and cut through the park and fairways to go home, making play impossible. Play early morning if possible.
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6 4
Archimedes
Experience: 12.6 years 22 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

This shouldn't be a golf course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 29, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Markers and tee pads are fairly well marked

Cons:

This really shouldn't be a disc golf course. This park was clearly designed to attract people, with great playgrounds, nice ampitheater seating, and a decent lake. The problem is that the park designers crammed so many benches and other "park stuff" in that the disc golf baskets appear to be an afterthought. There are holes that run right next to playgrounds with kids running around, holes that literally have park benches inline with the path of the hole, and holes that are so close to each other that you're forced to dodge discs. I absolutely love little 9 hole courses but this one just shouldn't be. Please keep in mind I played on a Sunday afternoon in beautiful CA weather, my experience would probably have been different on a Tuesday morning after a storm.
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1 2
rpburi
Experience: 10 played 1 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Nice Course and Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 6, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

A good course for beginners as most of the holes are relatively short. Basket placement is generally straight on, and there aren't many trees except on holes 8 and 9.

Cons:

The course is built around a park, so you will have kids walking, running, or playing. Sometimes adults will be walking on the trail. Also, there are some people that don't play the course from the tees, so you may not realize that someone else is playing the same hole.

Other Thoughts:

Nice little course and park. Not too far from my Grandma's house in Redondo. Go and enjoy!
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3 2
atalised
Experience: 22.8 years 20 played 4 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A lot of pedestrians 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

1. I ran into a couple of really nice guys who helped me find my way.
2. I really liked hole 5,6 and 7.
3. Tee Markers with numbers at every hole makes it easy to find the next one.
4. The Baskets are bright yellow so you can see what you're shooting for.

Cons:

1. It was really busy, not with disc golfers but with people of all ages everywhere. Use caution before you throw.
2. I don't understand why they put hole 3 right in front of those seats. There were people sitting there so I couldn't throw because I didn't want to hit them. I liked the idea of using both sides of the park though.

Other Thoughts:

It was really nice to get out and play again and I can't wait to see what else California has to offer! This is the course closest to my house so I'll probably be playing here a lot. Best to go before school gets out.
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8 0
DocHaole
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.7 years 79 played 48 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Don't go on a weekend 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 19, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Nice new baskets in great shape

- Brown posts marking hole numbers

- Course map at the bathrooms by the lake

- Absolutely beautiful park with well maintained green grass and a lake.

- Good use of obstacles, elevation changes and a few tunnel shots.

Cons:

- Pedestrians, Pedestrians, Pedestrians. Young and old all over this park. From toddlers kicking soccer balls to geriatrics pushing walkers and all with one thing in common: they have no idea that there is a disc golf course here. I came on a weekend and the amount of non DG traffic makes it no fun at all.

- Tee signs do not have distances on them. Which is a problem since there can be a birthday party 30' behind the basket. Turning an ace run into a lawsuit.

- Most holes are pretty short but for a 9 holer it's pretty good.

Other Thoughts:

To be honest this is the least fun I've had playing disc golf in a long time due to the insane crowds milling about. Even if you are patient and wait for people to pass by you run the risk of hitting someone if you go just a little bit long or wide on your drive.

That being said the course design is solid. The holes are a decent challenge for a 9 hole course and it makes great use of the obstacles in place. I'm sure there are locals that absolutely love this course and I would too if I lived here. But I will never go again on a weekend.
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1 6
cholopotter
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Very nice course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

- great course for any skill level
- semi-short holes
- near the beach
- nice weather
- park is well taken care of.

Cons:

- pretty easy to go OB
- it is in a somewhat busy park
- windy
- if you go on a weekday before 3 pm, there will be the PE classes of the high school next door running around the park.

Other Thoughts:

I personally like this park very much. I haven't lost a disc, but basically all of my friends have.
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2 6
kelso829
Experience: 15.8 years 7 played 6 reviews
1.00 star(s)

not very good 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 14, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

this course has a mix on up hill and down hill holes,most are marked by wooden pools with the numbers on it close to where i live and enough parking and no one is every playing there

Cons:

hole one is hard to find and there is no map,( it starts on the noth east corner look on the ground for the marker) people and kids are everywhere, it's more of a park with some chains mixed in, you have to throw over people on a few hole a traffic is near by.some holes are really sort others are hard to guess the distance

Other Thoughts:

overall not a course to make a trip to, sort of a pitch and putt for disc golf, i have played it so many times because it is by far the closest to my house
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10 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Typical Neighborhood Pitch n' Putt! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 6, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

It's a lovely little park. It's definitly multi-use so be prepared to play around groups of park users. I was lucky to play fairly early on a weekday. The park has enough elevation and mature trees to make for a couple of more interesting holes. The baskets are discatchers. Tee signs, when they can be found, are posts with the number on them. You mostly throw your tee off shot off of the sidewalks. I liked # 5. It is a low tunnel shot, about 200 ft. slightly downhill. # 7 is another slight downhill shot to a basket semi-protected by some trees.

Cons:

One of the biggest cons appears to be the crowds in the park. Play early to avoid them. I found navigation to be a little difficult at the start and again at the end. Finding a place to tee off was difficult. I could see the shot over the amphitheatre to be problematic but then again I seldom see any events at these amphitheatres.

Other Thoughts:

I'd play this if I lived close. I'd probably be frustrated with the other park patrons. I' would just make it a point to get there early. Probably be a great throw at 7 AM on a warm Southern Cali day.
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18 0
Apothecary
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 26.8 years 66 played 36 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Oh My Kids... 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

-Nice, deep, numbered Discatcher baskets, all in great shape
-Plush, short green grass throughout the course
-Concrete walkways to tee off from
-Nice bathrooms in the middle of the course
-Interesting, technical hole layout. Lots of trees and good up-and-down use of moderately steep, small hills

Cons:

-LOTS of people. Pedestrians. Toddlers. Teenagers. All oblivious to disc golf. The fairway of hole 2 shares the shortest path between the bathrooms and the playground equipment. Expect delays.
-The shot up the back of the amphitheater is ridiculous...I had to skip that hole because there were too many picnickers and skateboarders gravity surfing.
-A few holes are right along busy streets with not much room to work your line
-No parking lot, though I didn't have a problem finding parking on Manhattan Beach Bvd.
-While there are posts to mark where the tees are, signs would be nice
-NO DOGS! Wth?..

Other Thoughts:

I played this course when i had a little bit of time to kill and I was in the area. If I ever play it again, it will be when school is in session. The amount of people on the day I played almost made the course unplayable. I skipped one hole after waiting at the tee for about 5 minutes for the people to clear out.
All the non-DG traffic aside, the course designers really did a lot with what they had to work with. Good mix of different low-angle shots and wider shots with more elevation change. Plenty of trees to dodge.
Not the best 9-hole course in SoCal, primarily because of the foot-traffic. Catch Polliwog at an off-time and you will get much more out of it and leave a much happier camper than I did.
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10 0
Danger
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.7 years 105 played 68 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun little course near LAX 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 11, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Numbered DISCatcher baskets
-All holes tee off from concrete
-Elevation variety and some tight lines
-Safe, friendly neighborhood
-Ample lighting for night play
-Good mix of short and long holes

Cons:

-Not DG exclusive
-Tees not specifically marked, pole markers are vague
-Holes play through high traffic potential areas

Other Thoughts:

Polliwog Park is a great mulit-use park in Manhattan Beach featuring rolling hills, a lake, and many different types of trees and bushes. The disc golf course winds its way around a playground, over an amphitheater, along a hill, and back along the playground. The lake should never come into play. The tee markings and hole info in the pictures here no longer exist. Just wood poles.

The main complaint about this park are the constant crowds, which are not only everywhere but also seemingly oblivious to the game. Dog walkers and people with kids used the park at their own pace and paid no attention to the game.

People issues: Hole two plays across a heavily used field between a playground and restroom. Hole three plays directly up an amphitheater. Hole five, downhill, is along a path. Hole 6, uphill, is along a path. Hole 8 is near the playground and restroom, and Hole 9 is heavily wooded and 6 lane Manhattan Beach Blvd is dangerously close.

Other than people as an obstacle, this is a well designed course on a great piece of property. Each hole has a different goal and strategy, and multiple rounds do not get boring.

Holes four and eight are short, fun ace or birdie attempts. On the other end, hole nine is easily over 300 feet long. Hole three is at least 250 feet and gains 30 in elevation. All the other holes play in between that with varying degrees of slope.

Many great tunnel shots on this course can be easily avoided by going 'over' the trees or bushes, but in all cases there is more than one route to the pin. Bad drives can usually save par.

To avoid crowds here, play at night. This is a very, very well lit course, especially holes 3 through 7. NO disc finding issues at night, no crowds, and great terrain not found at the other 9 hole courses in the area. Private Anderson may have the same amount of hills, but this course is in a better neighborhood.

Park closes at ten, however no enforcement was observed when we left at 10:30pm. As for most 9 hole courses, ample safari options exist. There were a bunch of kids playing with swords and nerf guns, but they were never in the way.
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1 4
wadflinger
Experience: 3 played 2 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Jumping frogs at polliwog 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 25, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

nicely groomed, legit baskets, pretty park with pond, perfect for bringing other family to enjoy the park while you play

Cons:

usually have to play around people, short and not very challenging, no tees

Other Thoughts:

make sure you show up early to miss people. i typically don't go nuts for 9 hole courses either
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7 0
progprowl
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 18 played 16 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 16, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Baskets are in good condition and the park is clean and green.
-Some challenging holes with thight drives and plenty of obstacles, mature trees and elevation changes.
-Hole #3 toward the amphitheater is fun as well as the tight downhill shot on #6.
-If you play the standard tees and not the Alternate there are several ace oppurtunities.

Cons:

-Too many People. We made the mistake of playing on a Sunday afternoon. Picknickers, Kids picking up our discs, guys playing soccer (prevented us from playing hole #9)
-Very short distances
-The 1st tee was not at all marked, painted tees are faded away on the concrete, no distance indications. We played toward the wrong basket on a couple of holes.
-Played behind a small group of locals (all 10-15 yrs old) that played really slow and stood around the baskets for a couple of minutes after each hole. Really frustrating.
-Rejected on 2 holes by those darn DISCatcher yellow rims. Rolled down the hill and I ended up with Bogie. Not a fan of these baskets.

Other Thoughts:

I would play here again only if I was up on the weekend (I have a buddy that lives a mile away). Not the most techniquely challenging, scenic, or fun course. The park users really can frustrate.
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8 1
pokamitch
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 38.1 years 30 played 27 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Nice Lil Shorty 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 8, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very nicely maintained park. Very clean with nice, lush grass. Nice elevation changes. Has lights for night play (which we did), which is always a plus. Clean restrooms centrally located by hole #2. They were locked at night when we played though

Great for beginners or to get the lil ones interested in the sport. For the Intermidiate/ Advanced Players, it is good for working on the short game and ace runs.

I loved that there was a sign stating rules of play and etiquette. It also warned the general public that this park was for disc golf as well and to be mindful of it (as well reminding us to be patient and courteous of them).

One thing I will always say about these lil neighborhood 9'rs they can make some awesome guerilla courses. So the potential for some good fun is always there

Cons:

Very, very short course (not much challenge). For as short as it was, I wished for some tighter shots. As a matter of fact, it was so short, I played right handed (poka plays lefty). Tees are not all level, but not that bad. The tee signage could be better, but it is vadalization proof (they are wooden poles with the hole # and distance).

*Mixed use park that gets very crowded. I would never go there on a weekend day. (see below)

Other Thoughts:

Great place to have a Disc Golf course. Best thing is you can go surf, then get 9 in after the waves blow out!!

*You can't get to upset over this, because it is a mixed use park, and honestly, if I were picnicing with the family or taking Jr. to the park, this is the really nice park that I would take them/him too. At night, there are hardly any problems with the crowd, regarless of what the day of the week you visit.
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0 3
bigrocc01
Experience: 28.3 years 83 played 8 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Shorty in Manhattan 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 17, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Disc Golf in Manhattan Beach.Tee 3 up the ampitheatre is a good short hole.
Sunny Ca.
Easy to convince girlfiend to stop on way to destination.

Cons:

Crowded. Easy pitch and putt

Other Thoughts:

Definately not a must play in SoCal.
If you're in the area it's better than no disc golf!
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0 3
SoCal-Wraith
Experience: 15.8 years 18 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great Local Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 14, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Nice Views of pond and surroundings areas.


Cons:

Crowded alot of the time,
Need to to go at a low traffic time.

Other Thoughts:

This is a nice course in a very nice park.
Holes 1 and 2 are pretty much straight shots. Hole 3 has a nice elevation change up a hill. Hole 4 and 5 have some tree's by the tee's. Holes 6 and 7 are criss-cross and open field. And hole 9 is by far the longest.

Can play from alternate tee's.
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7 1
nexanimal
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.8 years 18 played 11 reviews
2.00 star(s)

One outstanding hole, otherwise nice pitch n put 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 12, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

- Sloping park lots of fun uphills and downhills
- Alternate tee for 3 shoots across a large outdoor amphitheater, really fun
- Nice, active local DG community
- Interesting play for a local pitch n put, probably not worth traveling to but if you're in the area, definately give it a toss
- just up the street from the Manhattan Beach pier and beach, visit them too
- really nice park, check out the misters at the kid's playground down by the duck pond
- locals have established multiple tees for many holes, look around for interesting alternates, many are described in Other Thoughts

Cons:

- tees are poorly marked, usually white or silver duct tape corners on a sidewalk or path
- baskets are not in the right number order
- course layout varies significantly from course map (at center park kiosk and by duck pond) -- see corrected course map posted here
- the course is next to a middle school, which disgorges hundreds of teens at 2:45 pm weekdays during the school year. They mostly just stream across the park on their way somewhere else, but be prepared to wait at least 15 minutes for the park to clear

Other Thoughts:

The course as set up the day we played differs significantly from the official course map. The locals have set up alternate tees for some holes to make the shots more challenging, and hole 8 has been moved. The course is relatively straightforward once you know how to identify the minimalist tee markings on the sidewalks.

The course circles around the upper part of the park, with the first tee at the northeast corner of the park, near Redondo Blvd and the middle school. Start out shooting west. Tee 2 is easy to locate, though the pin is a lot harder to reach down a tunnel of trees. The best tee for hole 3 is around on the other side of the bathrooms from basket 2.

As long as you play from alternate tee 3 there's no need to go down by the duck pond. (Official tee 3 is at the duck pond gazebo and is an easy uphill.) Alternate shot 3 is why this nice local pitch n put gets a 2 rating instead of a 1.5. Alt 3 shoots across a large outdoor amphitheatre, proving interesting visual lines and lots of levels for your disc to land on, bounce down, or slide off of.

Remember that tee 4 is by the swimming pool, and tee shot 5 shoots over the yellow pipes. 6 and 7 shoot side by side up and down the hill.

Hole 8 is completely different than on the course map -- see the corrected one posted here. The best tee for 8 is on Manhattan Beach Blvd just west of the Historical Society building, shooting down an asphalt walkway in front of the building to the pin slightly past it. It shoots through a low tree tunnel. The easier tee for 8 is halfway down the walk, cutting out half of the trees.

Hole 9 is also best shot from an alternate tee, instead of the official one near the park's southeast entrance. :Look for markings on the sidewalk on Mahnattan Beach Blvd about 25 feet west of the park sign. This is a great tee shot underneath low tree branches and up a low rise. Pin 9 is back by tee 1.

The park gets crowded sometimes and the course is obviously closed when there's an concert in the ampitheater. Check the park's website for events that may be happening when you want to play.

This is a lovely park that's fun to explore when you're done playing golf. The kids playground by the duck pond is really neat, with swings and cool misters that go off from time to time. Plus it's in Manhattan Beach, one of LA's nicer beach communities. Go west on Manhattan Beach Blvd. a couple of miles and you're at Manhattan Beach Pier and beach. Take in the view while you're there.
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