Nice, clean park
A lot of short open holes for beginners
Not very busy (at least when I was there)

The front 9 is too easy for an experienced player
The front 9 can be hard to follow if you don't have a map

The tees are almost all within 40 feet of the previous pin, making them easy to find, but I imagine it would be pretty inconvenient if the course is ever busy.

Fun little course with some challenging shots. Lots of trees, but .. a few wide open shots, too. 2 par 4's I think. The scenery is great, too, and you're at about the 8,000 ft level.

I can think of none. The course layout is very good and keeps you moving. However, there are a few holes that cross each other. One group hit a lady in another group while we were crossing in a 3 way cross.

Great place to play after a day at the lake just a mile or so away.

The course has a nice variety of shots. Everything from open holes to wooded to ob clears and overhands. Distances vary from short easy holes to longer wooded ones. Although there is no elevation to be found on this mountain course the scenery is great. No one else there, felt like our private course when we were there. Nice rubber teepads and quality baskets. The wooded holes are great, tight lines to hit. Shop across the street sells and rents discs.

No elevation - It is in the mountains! Teepads are slick when wet (thunderstorms the night before). A couple throws over a creek and marsh where it is really easy to lose a disc. No signature hole. Too close to the highway Course plays too easy. Playing doubles, my father and I shot a -13 and I could get pretty close to that on my own. I don't remember signs on each hole.

Overall I really enjoyed this course. They did a good job setting up the course with the land that was available. There are a lot of courses in the mountains that are destination courses (Bijou, Zephyr Cove, Turtle Rock, China Peak) and this is not one. If you are in the area when snow isn't on the ground play this course. I wouldn't recommend driving a few hours for this course only. I think that the low reviews of this course are because people are expecting greatness and this course doesn't deliver on that level. What it does provide is a quality course that, if located closer to population, would be very popular.

It takes some time getting to Ricks Revenge but the drive in is very scenic and enjoyable. At the Bear Valley Adventure Company (1st building on left with gas pumps) you can pick up a course map and refreshments. They also have a small selection of discs, some with their own custom stamp. Next to the 1st tee are a few picnic tables and the only trashcan on the course that I can remember. The tee pads are rubber and framed by logs. Every hole has a marker indicating hole number and the baskets are correctly numbered as well so navigation without a map won't be a problem. This course is never crowded and because it's short in length rounds can be played quickly.

To be located in the mountains at over 7,000 ft it sucks that this place is totally flat with ZERO elevation, and due to the elevation it is seasonal. The wind can be brutal at times and seems to really pick up later in the day. There is a Sheriffs building located across the street and the course is mostly open, just saying.

There is so much to do in this area besides throwing plastic. Camping, fishing, hiking, biking, climbing, etc... or any other outdoorsy stuff you might be into. The Calaveras Big Trees State Park is worth a visit if you have never been and the Snowshoe Brewery in Arnold was a good call as a previous reviewer mentioned. Basically what I'm getting at is don't just come for the disc golf, because the course isn't anything special. Short, flat, and not very challenging.

-Its right by the freeway (hard to miss)
-That area has the best mountain vista other than Yosemite and Tahoe in California
-The Fact that after your done with the course you can spend the rest of the weekend Biking/Hiking/Rock climbing/Sailing/Fishing/Rafting and that's just summer
-Such a friendly atmosphere with locals
-local Rental/gas station does rent out discs if you bring friends

-Its right by the freeway
-All short holes except one 500 footer
-back 11 or so get pretty wooded
-casual water

I love this place, its literally 100 feet from my parent's condo. Hell I even play there in from February to November when I get the chance (best time is may/july to sept). The main attraction to bear valley will always be mt. reba (bear valley ski resort) but this is the main reason I come back in the summer (that and rock climbing)

the saddest part is that just up the hill the could make a serious course but its free and its 100 feet from my condo (did I mention that earlier?)

Don't bring DX or the like the redwood bark gashes pretty harshly

If you come all the way here for the course you need to stay and try the other activities which are of a much higher quality.

Its mostly flat, with a lot of tree's in the way. The front nine is a lot more wide open than the back nine. It wasnt to crowded at that time (labor day weekend). There are a lot of good camping areas nearbuy like Lake Alpine. There are a couple of holes with good distance.

Too flat and no alt pin or tee positions.

They have improved the tee boxes from 2009-2010 with rubber mats which is a lot better. I tried to go here for memorial day weekend it was still snowed in so dont go too early in the year.

Amazing location, nice combination of open and tight holes in and out of the forest & meadow. Isolated aka not crowded, shop near the entrance to grab drinks, no PO, etc etc makes for one of the most enjoyable rounds i've had.

I guess there are cons when compared to somewhere as epic as de la veaga or blue ribbon pines, but really except for greater variety of topography / holes I would not complain.

Stunning scenery, seemed like we were the only folks in the forest never mind the course, and if the course is somewhat open and flat how can you mind when your drinking in the sun?

Being above 7000ft makes for some fun high-altitude disc golf at Bear Valley. The tree-filled technical holes are challenging, and there are a couple longer holes listed on the scorecard as par 4 (but I was past the pin in two shots on both).

It is bordered by a parking lot, a road, and the highway on three sides. The front side has a few really short holes that are easy to overthrow from the tee (not my thing, but good for beginners I guess). The course is in a small area where many of the holes interfere with each other. You will probably be waiting if there are other people using the course. The complete lack of elevation change really disappointed me considering that it is way up in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Yosemite. The solid rubber tees are likely to be slippery when wet (there was a broom at every tee to sweep it off). Also, you can only play it part of the year due to snow.

I just put the course map up on the Links/Files page, but the course is easy to navigate the first time through without it. Maps are also available at the store across the street, along with a meager selection of discs. This is the only course in the area, and Snowshoe Brewery is also on Highway 4 down in Arnold.

Lots of wooded tunnel shots. A few open bomb opportunities. A fun course with a full 18 holes. Almost no people playing the times I went.
The high Sierra atmosphere is always a nice touch. Not to be underrated.

The teepads are framed by logs and look cool, but are filled with very large, coarse rocks. Not really even gravel. The footing is horrible. We played from the dirt next to the teeboxes.
There is almost no elevation change over the whole course. Seems like with all these granite outcroppings, they could have been put to use.
Every time i've played here, the wind kicks up in the afternoon. In a large flat valley, it really effects the game.

I went up to play over the memorial weekend this year, there was no course. The snow was still deep and they seem to pull the baskets for the winter. The course is seasonal.
If you happen to be in the area, its one more perk to have a course to play. I wouldnt necessarrily drive all the way out here for this course, but if youre in the area,...

Side note: On a previous trip I ran across one of the local maintenance staff folks (also playing the course) who said he now has to replace a couple of letters on the 'Bear Valley' sign on highway 4, every month due to disc golfers hitting the sign. He didnt seem too ticked. ;-)

Yes, there is a course there, and it is pretty sweet TOO! It is a little far from almost anything, but that is the nice thing about it. Being over 7000' in elevation, it is such a nice alternative to Modesto or Hogan Res. when they are both 105*+! It's in a great high country meadow, with a seasonal creek running through. Mostly Lodgepole Pines, with some willows near the creek. Nice surrounding views of some other meadows, granite slabs and volcanic bluffs. They kept it scenic and rustic by using logs for the tee borders/hole #'s/benches and creek bridges. Parking right there at holes 1/10.

There is good variety of short/long and open/tight shots. Usually fun pin locations, and tee offs. With multiple shot options on many holes (ie: no mando... not multiple tee/pin placements). Although some holes on the back 9 leave you NOT many options but to try and thread that Disc! They got new tee pads this summer (2009) that are re-used rubber mats, and they are NICE! All 18 Mach II baskets in NEW condition. Score cards at hole 1 or the Firehouse have a great course map on the back.

Nothing is too BAD about this course, but heck, these are cons...... It is basically pretty dang far up the hill, which like I said, isn't horrible, but if it could be 2-3 minutes from me = . The old tees had loose gravel contained by log perimeters that are still bordering the new rubber pads. (the logs just kinda obstruct a clean follow through, but this ain't really a "big guns" course anyway! In general I think most consider it a shorter course.) Holes 4-8 almost all cross each other leading to possible dangers, although at their 1st annual OPEN, 36 people played without any incident or troubles. And a few other pins are too close to the next holes tee, but other than the tournament, I don't see many people out there, so it's almost never even an issue. I think they pull the baskets during the snow season, but they try to get them back out pretty early in the spring.

So it is pretty far out there, but I guess there is a gas station/mart/sports shop (some good discs!) right there at the intersection, and a general store another block or two by the restaurant/bar, however, I don't know the hours/seasons of these places as Bear Valley is much more a winter ski destination. This disc golf course isn't the greatest, but if you get anywhere near here, stop by for a round. It is up the Scenic Hwy 4, so the drive alone is dang near worth it.

There is a course there! It is pretty far from anything... so its nice to see a course. Also, high altitude environment with beautiful scenery.

It's out there quite a ways. Just when you think you've probably driven too far... keep driving, you'll be there in ten minutes.
The course is situated on a beautiful meadow that does not deserve to be trampled... even in the name of disc golf.

This course is pretty easy. I played it twice in order to make the drive worth it.
It's in a resort community, so there is a store with maps, food, and drinks.
My best score -8, had two aces fall out.

challenging, short and long holes, lots of trees but pretty flat with no hills, interesting pin locations, nice and cool

gravel or dirt tees, no pin location signs, no map of course, need to wear pants because of sticky weeds, only available during part of the year