Scarborough, ME

Pleasant Hill DGC

3.635(based on 48 reviews)
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18 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.8 years 216 played 182 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Pleasant Hill's Half-Present Thrills

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 22, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ There is a nice HQ area to pay for your round ($9 per day), turn in found discs, relax, buy discs/snacks, practice putting and so forth. The cardstock scorecards have course information and a map on them.
+ The whole course is in a peaceful part of suburban Maine with a calming vibe and no noise.
+ All holes have benches, hole-specific trash cans with distance info and tees of concrete, but...

Cons:

- ...The tees fluctuate between pavers, segments and contiguous slabs with many feeling uneven.
- The baskets' age is showing with somewhat weak and/or corroding chains.
- Most of the holes are wide open, and the property is largely flat.

Other Thoughts:

I have a question for you.

Are there any instances at all when it would be okay to subtract points from a course for something that isn't directly related to the course itself?
Before playing Pleasant Hill, I would have said no. But only a few holes into my round here in late July 2022 changed my mind. I'll get to that in bit.

On paper, this course is fine and functional if a little bland. There's barely any elevation to speak of, but the whole course is very well maintained and pleasantly presented, which is why hole8 was my favorite to look at. During my round, the grass on hole11 was being mowed. The guy was friendly and waved me on to take my shot before he continued. Plus, the lady behind the check-in and payment counter was very courteous and professional.
The holes are a little too wide-open for my taste, though. Hole4 is my least favorite for that reason. The challenge here comes from reaching your maximum distance and staying on the fairway. There aren't any meaty trials or obstacles to overcome. In the interest of fairness, there are a few holes with more than a few trees to deal with. Hole12 was my favorite to play here because of that, but it doesn't last long before sending you back into the open.
The property used to be a ball golf course, and the owners are reclaiming it well. They even kept the tiny ponds, which brings me to why I asked you that question in the beginning.

Those tiny ponds are isolated with nothing flowing in or out. They are stagnant and stationary. Mosquitos love water like that. Mosquitos use stale ponds to lay their eggs. During my round I was swarmed by dozens of mosquitos at all times from start to finish. I felt so agitated, irritated, agonized and exasperated while constantly flailing around and suffering through being a blood-filled pin cushion. Often times I would look around and see everyone else on the course doing the same crazy dance as me: flail your arms, slap your knees, swish your feet and swat the breeze! Those flying insects were so big I could have had a conversation with them.

"Big deal," I hear you say. "Just go back to your car, put on some bug spray and finish your round."
Oh, but I did! It's a good thing that hole9 finishes near the parking lot so I could dash to my car and coat myself with bug repellent. (The HQ area also sells bug/tick spray, FYI.) But those things were relentless, and I was very unhappy by the end of it all.

So yes, I know that the mosquitos have nothing directly to do with the layout, infrastructure, signage and terrain. However, they were SUCH a negatively impactful factor during my experience that I can't simply ignore them. If I found them irritating, then others will too. Potential players would rather spend their money at some other course over having their veins drained.

Maybe playing in late July was a bad call on my part. Maybe the mosquitos are a known issue, and I'm a hapless course bagger.
During the months when mosquitos are dormant, I can imagine that this course is fine. Pleasant Hill strikes me as a good training ground for those who want to test their distance driving in a quiet spot. It's nothing to write home about, but $9 lets you play here all day, and it really is a nice place to relax.

Just wear a long-sleeved shirt and trousers, that's all. By the way, I'm blood type O+.
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3 2
BuckeyePhil
Experience: 5.8 years 35 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

I was surprised drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 16, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

I had stayed away from this course for years because of reasons other people have mentioned, but decided to not judge a book by its cover. I had heard that it was a boring course, but found it to be a lot of fun. Sure, a lot of it is open, but there are still some challenges. I'm really glad that I tried this course out, and I will be back!
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9 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 548 played 429 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Like it or Gnat 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 13, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Professionally groomed, and has most of the things you want on a course. Trash cans next to every tee and are marked with the hole distance and par. Tee pads are concrete. The baskets meet standards and rims are painted gold. Signs are absent, but unnecessary because the basket will be visible from almost every tee. Refreshments are available in the shop, and the nines converge at the parking lot if you want to visit the car at the turn.

There are open shots, wooded shots and water in play. I liked the wooded shots a lot, and they are shorter for the most part so a deuce is in play if you can pinpoint the drives. 4, 6, 7, 12 and 18 were some of the more fun tee shots for me.

The pond on the right side of hole 3 nearly got me, and 17 also has water looming near the pin. As for the longer holes, I really liked 14. There was a tricky line through a few mature trees mid fairway, and there are mild contour changes amidst the woodsy creekside near the pin. Holes 1, 2, 10 and 13 all have nice opportunities to put up a big drive, but placement is key if you want keep clean looks at the basket following the drive.

Cons:

I know a most of the courses in Maine are pay to play, but that isn't the standard I am used to. I had to pay for my lady to walk the course with me even though she wasn't playing. I know the upkeep isn't free, so I'm not holding greens fees against them in my rating. Good tee signs, bag hooks, and smoother tee pads could enhance the experience a bit. Insects didn't bite but were swarming enough to send my girlfriend back to the car at hole 13. Bug spray was no match for these gnats. This is another reality of the terrain that didn't count against my rating, but warranted a mention in the review.

No elevation change, but a nice layout on the land that is there. Mulch in the old pictures has weathered away, and the well defined fairways with tall rough aren't quite the same as pictured either. Tees are a bit disjointed at times, varying length and not always perfectly level platforms. The scoring feels more like ball golf than disc golf, with an overall par of 70. This is not a strike against in my rating either, but seemed out of line with most courses.

Other Thoughts:

I shot a 56, and it felt like a par round, but represents 14 under par according to the scorecard. I always want to go 14 under, but this cheapens the feeling. I was bogey free with 3 eagles and 8 birdies. Not realistic.

I played Pleasant Hill shortly after landing in Portland, getting my rental car and hitting the closest course I could find. Adjusting to sea level atmosphere was a thing but not a major adjustment. Enjoyed the round, but it was not a highlight of the 8 courses I played on vacation here.
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5 0
galluni
Experience: 73 played 13 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Perfect place to visit 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 3, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I visited Pleasant Hills during some downtime while attending a conference in nearby Portland. The course is PERFECT for a casual visit. The layout is straightforward and easy to follow. There are no blind shots, as you can always see the basket from the tee. The fairways are forgiving, and there is very little chance of losing a disc (unless you totally shank something into one of the ponds, but they are pretty easy to avoid.) You may have to pay for a poor shot, but you don't get punished for it. And still, there is enough variety of terrain to make the course fun and interesting from start to finish.

Pleasant Hills is one of the best looking and best maintained courses I've played. I was there less than a week after a violent wind storm and much of the area was without power. The course was already cleaned up to a state better than most courses I've been on, and there were workers out that day picking up the last few twigs and leaves. Remarkable.

Cons:

The only weakness I see is that the course only has only one tee per hole. When I play courses in my area, most have 3 or 4 tees. I often play with my son-in-law, daughter, and little grandson. We can each play a different tee, make similar scores, and have a great time. I wouldn't be able to do that at Pleasant Hills. Extra tees would change the course from a great place to visit to a great place to play all the time.

Other Thoughts:

Adding novice tees would be straightforward -- just shorten the length of each hole. Adding advanced tees would take some creativity, but could be done. The course is plenty long enough at 6200 feet, but lacks doglegs. Creating advanced tees that are offset to the right or left of existing tees to require shaped shots (and maybe a couple water carries) could make this a 5 star course in my book.
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3 1
lowguppy
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- One of the best maintained courses in the state.
- Very open, great for getting reps and trying out new discs.
- Great tees and baskets. Well marked.
- Front 9 loops back to the well-stocked clubhouse (including ice cream, new this year)

Cons:

- They don't have as much acreage to work with as most courses, so there's a bit of cross-traffic between the 8 and 13 fairways.
- Not super-challenging, and the few wooded holes won't prepare you for the typical Maine Woods course.

Other Thoughts:

This is the first course I played and my main course that I play all the time, so I've got hundreds of rounds in on it. It's a great course to learn and develop. Most of the holes are open enough that you can just let loose and not get punished too badly for mistakes. A good variety of distances keep you working on all aspects of your game. There are also a lots of subtle "level up" opportunities as your game improves that encourage you to push your limits and turn 4s to 3s and find that deuce line on the holes you can 3.

It might not be that interesting to a pro, but it's got more depth than its many open, grassy fairways suggest.
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2 4
Spiraledout
Experience: 26.6 years 83 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Beautiful and fun but nothing special 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 4, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

well maintained, easy to navigate, wide open and good to practice distance shots

Cons:

Holes are mostly pretty much the same - straight, not too long (save for a few big hucks) and not super interesting comparatively.

Other Thoughts:

Fun course. Great place to play if you are just passing through and have a few discs in the suitcase. Pro shop is well stocked though.
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4 1
Pizza God
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 36 years 1689 played 554 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Better than expected 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 16, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Maps of the course on the back of the scorecard.
Trashcans mark the distance and hole number
Well manicured fairways.
Wide variety of holes
Tee pads on several of the holes
Well defined fairways.
GREAT clubhouse and disc shop on site.

Cons:

Well, being nick picky here. There could be more tree's.
Long walk from 9 to 10. enough room for a hole there.

Other Thoughts:

I was on my bucket list trip, one of my goals was to play a course in every state we visited.

We were going to visit the Lighthouse when it opened at 10am, so while my wife swam in the indoor pool at the Motel, I drove over to play a round.

I liked the honor system to pay to play the course. I didn't realize it till I got there that I did not have any small bills. So I dropped an envelope with my IOU in the box and planned on paying later before I left town.

The course is on an old par 3 ball golf course. This worked out well for turning it into a disc golf course.

Really, the only hole that didn't have much in obstacles was hole 1. It is the only wide open hole. There was even a few holes in the trees with cool pin placements. I believe that was hole 6 and 7.
Ponds came into play, but are not set up so it takes a bad throw to land in the water. (well I did it once, but it was on the edge where I was able to get it with a stick)

I would go on, but there are 55 other reviews.

Basically, I would play here again no problem. This was a fun course to play. It would be a cool place to hang out after a round and visit with my disc golf family.
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6 0
Apsey
Experience: 66 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun and Perfectly Maintained Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 4, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Pro Shop was awesome and staff was friendly. Neat place to hang out before/after rounds and stock up on some new plastic.

-Course is maintenance is similar to a ball golf course. Really loved the way some of the holes are mulched around the base. Also loved how the grass was mowed in lines like a professional baseball or football field.

-Most baskets were visible from the tee pad which made it easy for a first time player.

-Seemed to have been a good mix of long and short holes.

-Course had players on almost every hole when I was there (though it was a magnificent 70 degree Maine day)

-Water hazards add to the fun and I'm told they have a diver that goes out once a month or so. They are forgiving water hazards which are manageable for newer players.

-I was told that there is a camera pointed to hole 9's basket. If you hit an ace you get a free pizza from a local pizza company. It's a really short 217' straight shot.

Cons:

-Holes were pretty cramped. Would find it difficult to run a tournament there as many of the times during my round people were hyzering off into the fairway next to them. Heard "FOOOOOORE" a number of times.

-Some distances and hole numbers were marked with stickers on the garbage can by the holes bench. But not all holes had distances marked. Would be nice to have some nice tee signs out there.

-Not sure what the real par is for the course. They claim it's a par 70 on here, and I think the scorecard they give you is marked as a 70 as well. Right now I'm a 935 rated player. I shot a 55 using three discs I've never thrown prior. (all I could make room for in my suit case). Would probably be better to have a more challenging par for course set.

-The short holes were really short and straight forward. The long holes were wide open and distance was really the only challenge. Fun, just not really challenging for more experienced players.

Other Thoughts:

I enjoyed my time at Pleasant Hill. Since most of my Disc Golf has been played in Florida and South Carolina, I was really impressed with how clean and cared for this course was. I guess June is spring time in Maine so I could have been there at the most ideal time of the year. Everything was so green and vibrant. The fairways were mowed beautifully. The landscaping was awesome. The people I joined up with were really friendly. It was just a really fun time. I would have liked to see how much better I could have done using my full bag, rather than a putter, midrange and driver that I'd never used. Could have made the course even less challenging though. If you're going through this part of Maine, it's definitely worth a play. I'm glad I did.
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4 0
yetipro
Experience: 11.7 years 29 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Disc golf on a ball golf course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 14, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is impeccably maintained, for a disc golf course. The grass is short and the rough... isn't all that rough. It's very pretty and unique for a disc golf course. They could turn it back into a ball golf course in short order.

Several memorable holes. Even though there aren't many obstacles, It was not a boring round at all.

Pro shop employees are friendly and they have a surprisingly good selection.

Cons:

Holes are relatively wide open, so even though there is a decent mixture of different looks, there isn't much variation in shot selection. Mostly straight if you can.

Wind was an issue here and I imagine it is most of the time due to the wide open layout.

Other Thoughts:

I was there during the day on a Friday and the course was absolutely packed with beginners from the Portland area. Everyone was very friendly and allowed me to throw through. Just be aware that there may be a wait.

Although it is highly rated, the course overall is pretty forgiving. Certainly fun for everyone, though advanced players should expect a lot of birdie opportunities. Pack your stable bag for the moderate wind.
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3 2
overkill
Experience: 24 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Good for distance throwers 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 11, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well groomed and easy to find tee pads as well as next hole. A couple interesting layouts or hole positions. Good place to practice hucking with no fear of losing a disc.

Cons:

Boring ... many of the holes were straight as an arrow from the tee box to the basket with no real challenge.
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1 3
See Slebz
Experience: 10 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Open course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 3, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Open course is good for practicing drives. Pretty landscape and well kept. Has good location. Has a clubhouse with good disc selection and fair prices. It's layout makes it so you can play front or back 9 from clubhouse with ease.

Cons:

Can be crowded.

Other Thoughts:

Careful of water traps.
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1 4
alikat
Experience: 9.8 years 8 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Friendly Pro Shop, well maintained course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 4, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Greens wells maintained, clear markers, great Pro Shop with friendly staff, water obstacles, parking

Cons:

Not too challenging, crowded on weekends, on an ex ball course so pars not thought out thoroughly, open course can be windy

Other Thoughts:

Good course and great for beginners or a quick 18.
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4 0
Highway Bill
Experience: 25.8 years 67 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

You can throw rollers in Maine! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 15, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

In a word, this course is fun. Following an old ball golf course, most of the holes here have beautiful grassy, well manicured fairways. They're firm as well which makes for some of the best rolling fairways I've ever had the pleasure of throwing. This gives PH a unique feel and really sets it apart from other courses in the area.
There are a few small ponds here as well. They certainly add to the aesthetics but with the current design, they have been taken almost completely out of play.
The slightly undulating course meanders through an oak grove, two large white pine stands, and sporadic groupings of sugar and red maples that set themselves ablaze with color in late September. Overall, this is one of the more beautiful courses I've played and if you're in the area around peak foliage, you owe it to yourself to come play here.
The holes are mostly open and very forgiving which makes it an ideal place for beginners and intermediate players to hone their skills.
It's a blast for advanced players too. The wide open fairways allow you to really let loose on the par 4's and dial in your wind play. At a blue level par 59, it falls far short of any true test of golf but it's always fun chasing scores in the mid 40's.
The pro shop has a fair selection of plastic, accessories, and snacks. The cement tee boxes are great and the old Discatchers are holding up nicely. The staff is friendly and the course always looks immaculate.

Cons:

The design is somewhere between pedestrian and downright horrible. I could go on and on about what's wrong with it but instead I'll say it's uninspired. **please don't let this deter you from trying this place out, I think almost every design I play is horrible**
-with 1 exception, the ponds are not in play
-course lacks multiple tees
-no tee signs

Other Thoughts:

This place could be excellent with a redesign.
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3 2
rcj333
Experience: 10.7 years 82 played 12 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great Beginner Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 29, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

PH is a great place to take new players and a great place to let it rip. Wide open fairways, very good tee pads and mostly intuitive layout. Nice pro shop. Liked the practice baskets right when you walk in. Can easily play just 9 if you want.

Cons:

While layout is pretty intuitive, tee signs would be nice and arrows to next tee would be even better. I knew pars because of DGCR, but if not for that would not have known.

Other Thoughts:

Was surprisingly busy for a cold Friday (Black Friday) in November. Would imagine it could be quite busy during the summer. Has a couple of ace chances. All and all, a very nice course that is most suitable for newer players. There are a couple of water hazards but PH is great about fishing out lost discs and notifying owners. Very cool.
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7 0
twicetenturns
Experience: 37 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Credit where credit is due 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 3, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Impeccable maintenance and landscaping
-Pro shop with good deals and excellent service
-Intuitive navigation
-Good variety in distance
-Trash can at every hole
-Complimentary disc dredging service (so lake shots are not permanently lost)
-Popular but not too crowded (seriously, some people complained about this elsewhere but i played on a beautiful summer Saturday and never had to wait for more than one group. Once you've played Morley or Golden Gate, you know this isn't crowded)
-One of the very few good "wide open" courses in New England
- Very convenient to the Portland metro area
- Price is expensive for disc golf, but VERY reasonable when the maintenance is considered.


Cons:

-Almost all "straight ahead" shots
-No tee signs (even though not truly needed)
-Single pin/basket layout

Other Thoughts:

This course gains as high a rating from me as it does because it achieves its own goal so well. This is a beautiful, beginner/intermediate friendly course that is impeccably maintained, fills a niche in "quality open course layout" for new England, and is a great one to introduce players to the game with. It is not championship caliber or highly technical. The rough, if played as OB, matters, but won't have you searching for a disc for hours. Advanced players will find this course very casual, but that's fine. With some more variety in needed shots, some tee signs, and multiple layouts this would be a best of the best course.
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4 0
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.7 years 278 played 273 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A breeze. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 29, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Recently returned to the course where I learned to play after a long absence. I probably played my first twenty or so rounds here and I still remembered each hole, so I'll attempt to contain my bias.

That said, I couldn't imagine a better course to learn to learn the game at. It is very, very, beginner friendly. After a year in the south I remembered the open fairways, but my first though when I saw hole one was, "Good Lord, this is wide open." There is a ton of room for error on the majority of the holes.

So while the beginners will love this course, the bombers will too. There is some serious space to air it out, with numerous holes extending over 500 feet. And hole 8 gives most a chance for a personal best drive, with seven feet in front of you and a gradual downward slop most of the way to the cage.

That said, some of the par threes offer unique challenges. Hole 5 is perfectly set up for a RHFH shot to sweep in around the trees for a possible ace. (18 is the opposite set up) Hole 6 is an easy shot in a open field, but the cage is set in the middle of a three-trunk tree. Even a parked drive may give a difficult birdie put.

There is great flow to the course. The long open holes transition nicely to the short technical shots. It may not offer much challenge for the serious player, but it's a seriously fun course.

It's also a seriously beautiful course. It's former ball gold course and many of the fairways look the part. Many of the tee finds you driving down a freshly mowed fairway where the only thing missing is the sandtrap. A ton of work is done to maintain this on a daily basis, well justifying the time you spend

Cons:

Pleasant Hill is not without its drawbacks. As mentioned, it's not challenging. The pars are way to high. (Not that this can't be negated by just playing them all as threes) But the fact that you can go wide left or right on a lot of the holes and not suffer much consequence is a flaw, regardless of what the par says.

It's also often crowded. It's not uncommon for there to be someone on every hole. There are two solutions to this. Come early on the weekdays if you can. After five you will find it hard to not spend a lot of time waiting at teeboxes, If you must come during peak hours, learn the course. There are plenty of places to skip from one hole to the next.

Lastly the signage isn't great. Navigating the course is very intuitive, so it doesn't need it in that respect. But I'd rather read the distances on the sign instead of having to keep pulling out the scorecard on the tee.

Other Thoughts:

The course can get very wet. The staff does a great job putting up temporary stepping bridges when this happens but many of the fairways(ahem, 16) are prone to taking on water.
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4 0
sunnysomers19
Experience: 12.6 years 26 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Pleasant Hill in Scarborough 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 17, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

I traveled from California to visit family and decided to check out some disc golf courses in the area. Pleasant Hill was one I decided to stop at and it is a really nice course. It has fantastic scenery with ponds that make for some challenging water hazards. Or, when I went, frozen water hazards. They had fun pins to shoot at. Hole 6 sits in a set of trees and technically, the only way to putt it, is the gap in the center where you can see it from the tee pad. (Unless you can vertically putt from the sides or behind it) Hole 7, 12 and 17 were good challenges as well. Water is the only real hazards for losing discs. I don't see the trees claiming any discs but it might depend on the season. I went in mid-March.

I thought we had courses that were well maintained in California but, WOW. The tee pads were cleared of dirt/snow, it'd look like they were brushed that morning. Trash cans with tee numbers at every hole (Hard to get lost). New benches at every hole and all tee pads were concrete (big plus). Grass was soggy from the melted snow but I can only imagine how wonderfully green the course must be in the summer. BEST course maintenance I have ever seen. Every course should have fairways like these, but one can only dream. I would not have a problem paying $5 every time if they keep the course up like this year round, which I'm sure they do.

Pro Shop was incredible. MANY assortment of discs and they even have the new Westside Discs on the way. VERY impressed. One of the best pro shops I have been in. If you need a disc, get it HERE because I noticed their prices are slightly lower than anywhere else, especially if you order online. I am definitely going back for a disc and might even play a second round.

Cons:

I went out in the middle of March and the weather was anything but pleasant that day. The strong winds made it challenging but also fun at the same time though. Boots were a necessity for the soggy grass. But this is not a con, just an experience.

I would like to see tee signs with a map and distance of the hole though. The pin is self-explanatory when you step on the tee pad, but it would make the course a little more prestigious; very minor detail.

And I don't think I'd list this as con either, because it's really just a matter of experience and opinion. I recognize and understand the course is family oriented and I'd say they nailed it to the tee. It's a GREAT place for beginning players and family rounds. It can get the first-time player easily addicted to the sport. However, since I have a bit of experience under my belt and play for my college team too, I would say this course is SUPER easy for the experienced/advanced player. Fun course, and it is worth the stop, but it wouldn't be a course I would regularly go back to for a challenge. Or, maybe if they had Par for beginners (current par), and created a Par for the advanced players, it would certainly make it more challenging. That would make me come back if I was a regular. Just a suggestion for thought though. Maybe even invest in alternate pins to change up the course. There is a lot of ground to work with out there, but also just a thought/suggestion. For the most part, the pars are generous, and I ended up -10 for my first time playing the course. A lot of Par 4's should be 3's and the Par 5's should be 4's and a couple could even be 3's too. I had two eagle opportunities, which is kind of cool to say, but experienced golfers should not have many of these, especially in 1 round. But I can see how this would make it fun too.

Other Thoughts:

If someone asked me about this course, I would have nothing but good things to say about it. Beautiful course, excellent pro shop, well maintained, and I had fun. If the McLaughlin family is reading this, keep it up. You're doing everything right for this sport and some other people could benefit from using your course as a building block for future courses or altering some current courses. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to play your course. Do your best to expand the sport of disc golf to younger crowds like high schoolers, if you haven't already. I know they would love your course and the sport.

Another thing, my discs skipped A LOT due to the extremely nice grass on the course. Aim right/left and hyzer skip your discs. If you throw straight at it, it may skip out of your putting range, especially if it is as windy as when I went. But, that is also what made this course a bit challenging.

BONUS: Get a scorecard, and you get a deal at Buffalo Wild Wings.
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1 0
tcolby
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 27, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Wide open fairways, great conditions and sweet pro shop. The wide open shots allow you to build on your drives with accuracy.

Cons:

The only thing I didn't agree with was the pars for most of the holes. There were several 300' holes that are par 4 and 500' par 5. I played the course at a par 60 instead of 70.

Other Thoughts:

I had a blast. Drove 2hrs to get there and enjoyed all 54! Look forward to getting back up there.
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3 1
iHitTree
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 96 played 38 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Real golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 23, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-groomed like a real golf course with fairways trimmed well, pond obstacles...literally looked like what a smaller actual golf course would look like
-solid pro shop
-scorecards, good tee areas mostly, good arrow markers under each basket pointing to next hole.
-staff in pro shop gave good tips (example: watch out for 3,8, 11, and 15..those are where you can lose discs)
-easier and popular course that attracts younger players and family, but inexperienced players had good etiquette and allowed me to play through
-creative mix of shots needed, but usually a few line choices
-bathrooms
-disc rental for beginners
-dogs welcome

Cons:

-Can get crowded
-Pars are designed for Ams. Shooting par is prob around an 880 rated round. Playing everything as a 3 except 8, 13, 14, and 15 as 4's makes a reasonable pro par 58.
-NEED BUG SPRAY!
-little change in elevation
-lots of water so be careful (I did find out that they pull over 1000 discs out of the pond on hole 3 in May and about the same amount in September and they've returned over 6000 discs to date)

Other Thoughts:

Fun story: one of the discs pulled out of the pond on 3: Avery Jenkins' Star Destroyer--his that he lost, proving even the best mess up too! They messaged him and he donated it to the course to show ppl. Nice!
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6 0
Jeronimo
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Get your Pleasant fill 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

-Course maintenance
-Dog Friendly
-Good Pro Shop/Fair prices
-Numerous long holes
-Scenery
-Water Hazards

When reviewing Pleasant Hill one really cannot start without admiring the dedication and attention to detail put forth by the course owners in maintaining the course grounds. Concrete tee pads are located on every hole, trash cans/recycling as well, debris is rarely ever seen on fairways, the "rough" is rarely rough, and I have never seen the grass on the fairways longer than 1". When your disc lands on the ground at PHill it doesn't stop, it skips... and I love it. Wetness is periodically alleviated through temporary boardwalks or stepping stones, though this obviously does not help if your shot was an errant one. The course is (well behaved) dog friendly and doggie bags are provided COMPLIMENTARY and as such doggie "bombs" have a zero tolerance policy.

The owners are able to strike an incredible balance between business and casual. They really excel at making their regulars feel like family while still maintaining professionalism. The course boasts a pro shop on the grounds that is continually staffed, with bathrooms, more than enough stock to sate your appetite for plastic, snacks/drinks for sale, and prices that are more than reasonable. A massive Lost and Found is also maintained in case your disc was pulled out of the water or found on the course by a very kind person with a conscience...

The course acquaints itself quite nicely to the individual that enjoys the aspect of disc golf that involves throwing a disc... a very long ways. The vast majority of the holes exceed 350' and even push up to the 750' distance range, though elevation is frequently in play so as to alleviate some of the excessively long holes. If you are not one of those individuals, the monotony of distance throwing is broken up in two other sections by "deuce or die" holes that require nothing more than a mid range and/or putter. Water comes into play in at least 3 locations which in my opinion adds a degree of excitement and difficulty that the otherwise open course lacks. Tree's occasionally come into play but this is not a wooded course even by the loosest standards. Open players should expect to shoot in the sub 52 range, AM1's 2-3 strokes behind them, and AM2 typically around 54-59 range. The course also holds tournaments, weekly Monday leagues, weekly Wednesday womens leagues, and random doubles on Friday evenings.

Cons:

-Crowds
-Wetness
-Water hazards
-Long holes
-Sketchy parking
-Apparent Sandbaggery

Pleasant Hill is just outside of Portland, which is a populous and busy city in southern Maine filled to the brim with demographs that are naturally drawn to a fringe sport such as Disc Golf. As such, the course is regularly just above, at, or even occasionally just below capacity. Groups of 4-5 or more players on a hole ahead of you are a common occurrence, though in my experience I have rarely had issues playing through slower groups.

While the course is extremely well maintained, there are several locations with inherent drainage issues that make rounds after a fresh rainfall an exercise in high stepping and gore-tex limit testing. As I mentioned previously, the owners really do go above and beyond to alleviate the wetness through temporary bridges and stepping stones to give you a dry path to traverse the holes. In lieu of wet grounds, do not plan to enter the standing water either to retrieve errant discs as the water is extremely unsanitary. Thanks largely to insurance liability reasons the owners have a stiff "no diving, wading, or swimming" policy in effect. Divers are sent into the ponds for complimentary disc retrieval duties on a fairly regular basis though, so lost plastic rarely remains lost.

Most local complaints of the course come from experienced players looking for variety because PHill is a mostly open course that requires little more than a driver and a putter. While I don't consider this a deterring characteristic of the course, many would as large audiences tend to contain diverse tastes that aren't necessarily shared amongst everyone else. As I had stated earlier, if you like a course with little opportunity to lose your disc, comfortable walking terrain, and the opportunity to pull out your big drivers on a regular basis, you will love this course. Otherwise, it most certainly will not be your favorite.

The only two other minor complaints I can think of would be the parking lot which is frequently crowded and the opportunity for errant discs to hit parked cars. A net is in place along the edge of the fairway though to help prevent such a scenario. Finally, if you do intend to visit the course with the purpose of participating in a competitive event, be aware of the presence of some level of sand bagging. Due to the open nature of the course, player's scores are frequently tightly grouped and the difference in divisions can end up being quite minimal.

Other Thoughts:

If you plan to play late afternoon/evening rounds bring bugspray! Ticks are of little to no concern.
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