Evansville, IN

Eagle Valley @ USI

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2.625(based on 25 reviews)
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Eagle Valley @ USI reviews

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13 0
PastorofMuppets
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 4.7 years 129 played 115 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Where Eagles and Putters Die I mean Fly

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 17, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Set on the beautiful property of University of Southern Indiana this beginner centric course is well maintained, has ample parking, and a solid mix of elevation and light woods.

2) VERY short layout, most Par 3's in the 230 foot range with one as short as 109 feet and the longest at 310 feet. Couple very short Par 4's under 500 feet as well.

3) Has concrete tee pads now I'd guess 3' x 8' since the last review I looked at said they were rubber mats. Large wooden tee pad signs probably 2 feet wide and 4 feet tall which is unique but they contain a very uninspiring hole map which is just basically a tee pad with a line drawn to a basket and no real features, just the shape and distance of the intended throw.

4) Hodgepodge of different baskets, couple early generation DGA Mach 1's, a couple Mach X's, a few Discatchers, various 24 chain designs, with a couple 28 chains strewn in. Spit outs were definitely abundant amongst our group unless you hit the chains with the right pace and low center. But, there were baskets, which is a plus.

5) Solid use of elevation change on an otherwise wide open uninspiring piece of land. Almost all the open holes are throwing up or down quite a bit of elevation to a blind basket location (even when the hole is only 200 feet).

6) Course property is maybe 350 feet wide from side to side, but very long from the parking lot back, so you will find yourself playing side to side a lot and playing very similar hole shapes

7) Very small pockets of trees utilized to force you to go left or right off the tee, just enough trouble to make you shape shots, but otherwise a wide open course. There are 4 "wooded" holes which basically play down a dirt road with woods on either side of it. Nothing spectacular and 4 righty backhand hyzer holes but it does break up the monetany of the other holes a bit.

8) Deuce or die course to the fullest extent, one of our group shot -14 and even the lowest rated guy in our group who had a horrendous day putting shot -3. If you like birdies and/or do not have a ton of distance off the tee, this course may be right up your alley.

Cons:

1) THORNS. For a course as lightly wooded as this, you will get destroyed by thorns throughout. Multiple holes are wide open with the basket barely tucked into the mouth of a wooded green. Despite the grass fairways being mowed well, these greens are NOT well kept. It felt like every time I was 15-20 feet from the pin off the tee I was inside a thorn bush. And they are THICK. The frustrating nature of this alone dropped this course a full point in my book. There were several times members of our group were inside the circle and had to pitch backwards just to get out of the thorns and make a long circle 2 par putt.

2) Confusing layout. As the course mostly plays side to side, you'd imagine the first tee pad you see close the basket you just played would be the next logical tee pad, but you'd be wrong. After playing hole 3 I proceed to the next tee pad about 40 feet away and it was hole 12. Looked around and went to the next one I saw and it was hole 17. A local had to point us to hole 4 AND show us where the basket was as you threw over hole 12 tee pad. Just one instance of many where we were lost.

3) The course designer must have loved the idea of blind tee shots and ran with it. Probably 14 of the 18 holes you cannot see the basket from the tee, coupled with the small nature of the course you will be throwing at people and their fairways if the course is filled with people.

4) Massive lost disc potential, especially on the 4 "wooded" holes. The shots are blind, the rough is thick and unkempt and did I mention the THORNS earlier... Even well executed shots are difficult to locate because you cannot see where they landed from the tee. We probably spent more time looking for discs than we did actually playing disc golf.

5) Only 2 benches and 1 trash can on the entire course and very little break from the sun. Low lying swampy area for the 4 wooded holes that is prone to flooding and the mosquitoes were out in full force. Saw 3 snakes during the round as well. For such a short, relatively easy course, this course was a slog and wasn't enjoyable at all.

6) Did I mention massive thorn bushes inside the circle yet?

Other Thoughts:

While I understand the intent of this course to be a quick and easy beginner course, I think the design missed the mark and made too many common mistakes I run into with trying to make the course MORE challenging than it should be without improving the playability aspect of it. The layout is confusing, the course is almost entirely backhand righty hyzer shots, almost every shot is blind, and you honestly feel like you are playing in your friends backyard throwing from one side of the fenced in backyard to the other. While I'm glad I got to bag this course and provide a more recent review, I don't see myself ever going out of the way to go back here or recommend it to anyone I actually like. Maybe an enemy or two though. Skip this one unless you are local to the west side of Evansville.
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3 0
mrbro855
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.5 years 363 played 105 reviews
2.50 star(s)

NIce course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 19, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great use of terrain and woods. Right blend of open holes and wooded holes, as well as left and right bend shots needed.
Fairly easy to navigate.... picturesque looking course...
Signage very helpful (except #8 which was hidden by overgrowth)

Cons:

Rubber mats were too short.... and I'm a concrete tee pad snob as well.
Needed some TLC... holes that were tucked into the edge of the woods were probably more visible back then... a little pruning would help now.
#8 Sign and tee pad covered by overgrowth.

Other Thoughts:

Was course #6 of 6 on a 5 state road trip.... enjoyed this as the closing course. As stated, it was the right blend of all facets, especially distance as I'm not a long thrower off the tee.
Better tee pads would easily move this to a 3 and maybe even a 3.5 in my book.
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2 0
knivile1
Experience: 12.9 years 60 played 24 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Beginner course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

No other players.
Easy to navigate.
Beginner friendly.
Course seems to be very well maintained: tee signs, baskets, etc

Cons:

Short rubber tee pads.
Short course, not much difficulty

Other Thoughts:

Great beginners course or if you live on the west side of town it is good to just get loose and warm up before heading to Mesker or Woodmere.
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4 0
sandtiger
Experience: 14.6 years 22 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Decent course for a beginner 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 20, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Decent course for players beginning to play. By far the easiest course in the area.
Large signage showing you where you should throw.
Only one truely blind hole and you are throwing towards an open field.

Cons:

Condition : Not as well kept as it used to be areas around the basket behind the wood line are starting to overgrow. There's some parts where the water has washed large ruts in the walking area.

Par: Definitely over parred <350' par 4 with no obstacles.

Trash, It's on a college campus which is supposed to be dry but I am constantly finding beer cans and bottles all over.

Other Thoughts:

Fun course when you get where you have 'Mastered' it try subtracting one from shot most every hole that is above a par 3, for example par 4 becomes par 3 par 5 becomes par 4.
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4 1
ElementZ
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.9 years 212 played 197 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Cool course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 28, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a pretty nifty piece of land for a disc golf course. Being able to step out of your car and see the entire course from your car is a pretty cool thing.

Some pros:

+ Good equipment. The entrance area has a practice basket and a big net for warming up your arm before the round. The tee signs are awesome and the baskets catch great.

+ Very clean. The grass is cut short, not very much garbage, and it generally gives off a "taken care of" vibe.

+ Great beginner course. As many others have said, this is a go-to course for people playing their first round. On the flip side, this course offers very little challenge to more experienced players who will be going for the birdie on almost every hole.

+ Naturally very pretty. The forrest surrounding the course is scenic and attractive. It has a very secluded feel as this land is exclusively for disc golf.

Cons:

- The holes are extraordinarily monotonous. The design is "meh" at best and doesn't offer a very memorable round. You'll find it gets pretty repetitive pretty quickly. Almost boring, in a sense.

- The rubber tees are a bit short.

Other Thoughts:

All in all, I would definitely recommend playing Mesker Park over this course. While this course is great for beginners and pretty clean, Mesker is much more fun, challenging, memorable, and all around enjoyable.
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3 2
Abram
Experience: 12.8 years 7 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great beginner course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 10, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

1) If you are looking for a beginner friendly course in the Evansville area then look no further. This should be every first time players course.
2) Courses are layed out very well and easy to navigate.
3) Holes are mostly open but there are a few wooded holes.

Cons:

1) No scorecards.
2) Once you have mastered this course (which isn't too difficult) then you yearn for something more difficult.
3) Some pars are very forgiving.

Other Thoughts:

This was the first course I ever played and I highly recommend to all new players. I still play this course when I am trying new discs or want to practice on long drives.
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3 0
sean24seven
Experience: 5 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 22, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-visually appealing. it looks like a ball golf course
-maintained very well
-good course for beginners
-benches and trash cans
-great signage
-wind make it more challenging

Cons:

-very few memorable holes (actually just one)
-short rubber tee pads, i could deal with the rubber, but they should be longer
-it should be a par 3 all the way through, the pars are way too generous.

Other Thoughts:

It's a nice course. The rough is very rough, there are lots of places that can eat your discs if you get off in the woods. It's not gonna challenge really really good players, but is a great course to putt though.
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3 3
SMontgomery
Experience: 13.5 years 49 played 15 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great little course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great beginner course.
Great to work on mids and putters.
Brush and woods can offer great trouble shooting opportunities.
Warm up net and good practice basket.

Cons:

Teepads, not length or material but they were rushed in construction and the ground underneath is washing away and making footing an issue.

Other Thoughts:

I will give this course a higher than most rating. It is under rated in my opion. Since the course is very short, long teepads are not as necessary as on most courses. The wind can be down right tropical storm-ish and make the course really challenging out of the wooded holes.
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3 1
DevineB
Experience: 13.8 years 8 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Great practice course
- Good for beginners
- Variety of shots
- Almost impossible to lose discs here

Cons:

- Short rubber teepads

Other Thoughts:

A friend and I play this course several times a week since we do not live far and it's a great course to just practice and throw a few on each hole. If you're looking for challenging then this isn't the course but it is nice to work on certain shots. Some of the pars are ridiculous so you're better off playing it all par 3 if you want an accurate score.
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2 3
Brent.Martin83
Experience: 12.6 years 4 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 22, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Pins are well placed. It is an easy learning course.

Cons:

On half of the holes the tee pads are always covered in mud and water.

Other Thoughts:

I wish the tee pads are longer and that they are not always covered in mud and water.
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4 1
weeman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20 years 634 played 60 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Decent college course, not much challenge 2+ years

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

Pros:

Eagle Valley is set on a very nice piece of land on the USI's campus away from all other college facilities save for a running trail around the course. The land follows well with the layout using the subtle elevation changes and flat areas to make some blind shots or straight forward/no tricks basket placements. The design divides the land between mostly open holes (1-6), wooded (7-11), and mostly open (12-18) to give it some variety. Multiple shots incorporate playing from the open to a small gap in the woods where the baskets are tucked away. There are good tee signs that provide ample visual explanations of the holes and nice Discraft baskets that are in excellent condition.

Cons:

The tee pads leave a little bit to be desired. All are two rubber mats nailed down with a 4x4 to mark the front edge. Though I like the 4x4 to keep from obvious foot faulting, most of the pads are worn down underneath and hold water after any sort of rain. They can also be very slick with any moisture left on the top of the pads. There were some trash bins at certain holes but not others and I couldn't figure out any sort of pattern to their placement so be sure to pack out any trash you have with you. Though this is a beginner friendly course with mostly short holes, I don't agree with the par listings they have. Number 6 is a downhill ~310' hole with two bushes and one tree but is listed as a par 5... I'm just not buying it. Numbers 16 and 18 seem really out of place on this course. Everything is relatively short but these two come in at over 450'+ each. For me, it disrupts the balance of the course and doesn't provide a good finish to the round.

Other Thoughts:

Having only played this course once during the 2011 Evansville Open, I thought it was a fun starter/warm up course though not very challenging. After thinking about my round there, I realized I only needed three discs to play here. Being on a college campus, its an excellent place to introduce new people to the game and squeeze a quick round in between classes. For more advanced players, this course is a putter/mid-range work out where hitting your putts is the difference between a good and bad round. For less skilled players, this is a fun course to play at working on tuning in short placement drives for those birdies.
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2 1
xTOMMYxIRISHx
Experience: 13.7 years 39 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Tee Pads? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 13, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Very Fun And A Warm Up Tent!
Great Tee Signs!
No One Is Ever There!

Cons:

Very Easy!
Very Short Tee Pads! The Tee Pads Need Work Before Anything!

Other Thoughts:

Great Place To Play Once And Awhile Until They Get Better Tee Pads!
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1 1
NKlassy
Experience: 13.6 years 11 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 4, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

1- easy to navigate
2 - beginner friendly
3 - not to busy

Cons:

1 - rubber tee pads (can be slick)

Other Thoughts:

fun couse to play, easy to learn on. Once you've played a few times though you pretty much figured out how to throw each hole so that you can place your disc right where you want it.
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1 2
ihlars
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

1- nice baskets
2- great course for a beginner, with some really easy holes to ease a person into it, some tight wooded holes, and a few long holes to introduce a person to distance
3- when I played there was no one else on the course, but that was in the summer.
4- got the best score I have ever gotten on a course
5- good singage

Cons:

1- a little too easy for anyone that has played much
2- rubber tees
3- par too high on some holes

Other Thoughts:

I took my buddy here for his first game of discgolf. He really had a good time (even got a couple of birdies). So it makes a great introductory course. I enjoyed it too, but I think I would get bored with it if I played it too much. I do wish they would put in concrete, its just safer.
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3 0
absolutdork
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.6 years 51 played 28 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Good for the newbie 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 1, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

For a course set on college campus grounds, it does have a nice variety of holes, from wide open to technical woods shots. Probably the best signage I will ever see on a course, and it flows well. Great beginner course.

Cons:

Just not much challenge here. On the open holes there just isn't much as far as obstacles go to give seasoned veterans much difficulty. Some areas are low lying, so watch out for muddy areas after rain.

Other Thoughts:

I got dropped into learning disc golf in a disc golf laden town.. Bowling Green KY. When I moved back here and tried to play this course, I was just too seasoned with hard courses to take a liking to this one, so some of my reviews here are biased to that. However, if you are a beginner, this course is for you as it will challenge you at the start and a great way to learn your shots. Don't do what my friends did to me and start out at Hobson Grove, or they may just deter you from playing this game if you are easily frustrated like I am haha.
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4 2
bilemshious
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.9 years 27 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beautiful Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 29, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Beautiful course. Being on University of Southern Indiana's property and heavily used by its cross country team, it is very well maintained. It is mostly shorter, open holes. Where this course excels is using its changes in elevation and natural obstructions to add to the challenge.

As a result, there is a good amount of variety. While most are in the 200-300ft range, each hole has it's own character.

Baskets are in great condition. The tee signs are some of the best I've seen - very detailed with hole map, course par, distance to basket, etc. Plus, there is a practice basket by the first tee, so you get practice your putting before heading out for the real thing. There is also a faucet outside of the shed by the first tee / basket 18 to drink or wash up.

Navigation felt natural. Going from hole to hole was self explanatory. This was especially the case in the woods (holes 7 − 11). Just follow the path. Plus, the last basket is right back to where you parked.

There was plenty of parking right next to the first tee. But it was the summer time and things may be different during the school year. And there was no one else other than our group on the course both on Fridays and Saturdays.

Cons:

Even though there is a good amount of variety, five "throw blindly into the tree line" holes are a bit much. Plus, there isn't much clearing around the hole. There are trees still pretty close to the hole not to mention underbrush. Watch out for poison ivy/sumac.

Because the holes are so short, as long as you throw towards the hole you are near it. It seemed on these holes I wouldn't be too worried after a stray drive.

Tee pads. They are rubber and most are uneven. While all of them are also very short, hole 8 has you backed up against a tree. But it definitely could be worse.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fairly easy course. I shot a 45 on my first go round. I'm an experienced player, but I wouldn't consider myself an advanced player. With that though, I think this is a good course for a beginner looking to learn.

This is an underrated course. I really enjoyed it. I've played both this and Mesker Park. I think if you are looking for a casual, enjoyable course this is your better bet in the Evansville area. But if you want a bigger challenge, Mesker is more what you're looking for.
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2 3
EddieBTrue
Experience: 15.7 years 43 played 42 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Playable but limited... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 17, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

One of the pro's is the location as it's right on the Southern Indiana campus in an area wholly dedicated to the sport (Sans the occasional cross country jogger mind you!). Another pro is that there is plenty of nice parking; and that wholes 1 & 18 are right next to said parking.

Cons:

Any port in a storm is a truism in regard to this course. I played it after attending my son's semi-state wrestling match; and was surprised at just how blase the course was. Still, ANY disc golf is better than none; so I still had a decent time there. The wooded holes are decent; although the listed pars are generally off base in comparison with most other courses. When we walked up to #18; & saw how it was listed at something like 479 feet, we said in unison that the par for it must be something like an 8 or 9 as compared to most of the other holes.

Other Thoughts:

As an FYI, my 18 year old son played the course with a Camm Realty Ion putter; and was still only 3 over on the round; so that will give you an indicator to the 'difficulty' of the course. It is worth playing no doubt; however I can't imagine that any pro's would play this course unless it was...the only 'port' available.
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6 2
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun short course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 8, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The course plays through a rolling piece of property on the USI campus that is dedicated to disc golf. Many of the holes play in a large open area with some scattered bushes and small elevation changes on just about all the holes. The open area is surrounded by woods, with some of the pins tucked into the edge of the trees. There are a few holes that play on grassy fairways through the woods forcing some tighter shots with punishing rough.

The wooded holes force some right and left turning shots, and some of the open holes have obstacles that encourage different lines. The elevation and wind add some challenges on the open holes, and the pins tucked back into the woods are a fun shot placement exercise.

There is a practice area with a driving net and putting basket. The course map at the parking lot is easy to read and follow, and the course has good enough flow that you don't really need it. The tee signs are large and informative, and make it pretty obvious where to shoot. There was plenty of parking the few times I played it, though I don't know how it is on weekdays.

Cons:

The course is short. Other than a couple wide open longer holes, the course is pretty much a pitch n putt. The wooded holes are tight enough to keep it interesting on shorter holes, but there are way too many short holes out in the open where there just isn't much challenge. You can throw a hyzer shot with either hand on most of the holes on this course and be just fine.

The tee pads are rubber, and aren't very well installed. Most are not level, and have settled with wear to be bumpy and uneven. They are also pretty short, which makes it awkward to do much of a run up. The baskets are showing some wear and tear, and aren't in the best shape.

The course doesn't drain well, especially around many of the tee pads. There was lots of standing water and muddy areas on the course, and many of the tees had water in the spots that had settled more.

Other Thoughts:

This is a good course for college students to play quick rounds between classes, or for teaching a new player the game. It's a fun course, but just not very challenging, and lacking in variety. New players will enjoy the elevation changes and shorter length. More advanced players will enjoy some of the wooded holes here, but will not have to bring more than a putter and a mid for most of the course.

If you're in Evansville, stop here for a quick round, though I've heard Mesker is a better course. Don't expect a championship caliber course, and you can have a good time here. The athletic center adjacent to the course had discs for sale if you need some plastic.
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6 2
gkeberhart
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 36 played 31 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Great Course for a Beginner 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

It is a course almost anyone can play one regardless of skill level. they recently placed some crushed limestone on the paths which got rid of a lot of the mud problems. a couple of holes test the arm 16 and 18 are both 400+. there are some incorporation of wooded style holes.

Cons:

very short, doesnt provide a lot of challenge to people with big arms. most players that have 1+ years of experience can play the whole course with a Roc and putter. most holes are shorter than 300 and one is literally about 115ft (still one of the hardest to ace in my mind).

Other Thoughts:

there are some ideas floating around with the University to remove some of the holes for future housing and relocate them. would be a great opportunity to add some more wooded holes in. to be fair this course probably wouldnt be a 3.5 for most people but when you consider its main use really is for the college to teach people the game, it has some of the elements that you would see at championship style courses just toned way down. for a beginner it is a great place to learn the game and meet some locals
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7 0
AdamE
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.5 years 264 played 143 reviews
1.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 5, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a great course to introduce new players to the sport and for college students to get a round in between classes. The course has nice oversized tee signs with diagrams and navigating the course is fairly easy. There are some nice elevation changes on some of the holes.

Cons:

The course has rubber mats but I didn't really have a problem with them, of course they weren't wet when I played here.

With the exception of a few wooded holes and the two 400+ foot holes, bad shots are not punished on this course.

There are long walks between some of the wooded holes.

Other Thoughts:

I understand the importance of having a course for new players to get started on, but this course still seems short even by beginner standards. I've played some pitch and putt courses but this one tops them all for me. 14 of the 18 holes are 250ft or less and one hole is only 119ft. Most of the course is wide open which just makes it seem even shorter. There is so much land here it seems like it wouldn't have been a problem to have a little more variety when it comes to hole length.

The course is nice for college students and beginners, but I would not recommend going out of your way to play here, especially if you can throw over 250 ft. Mesker Park isn't too far away and is an excellent disc golf course.
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