Madisonville, KY

Madisonville City Park DGC

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4.25(based on 38 reviews)
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13 0
PastorofMuppets
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 4.7 years 129 played 115 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Boringly Blissful

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2023 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

What to Expect - Madisonville City Park is an older HB Clark design set around the picturesque park in downtown Madisonville. With multiple ponds/lakes, a classic old time stone walled baseball stadium, an outdoor concert stage and venue, miniature golf course, pickle ball courts, tennis courts, the park is not only visually stunning but there is a little something for everyone.

Amenities - There are multiple buildings on site, the baseball stadium, the main assembly hall, the miniature golf course, the traditional golf course clubhouse next door, etc where modern bathrooms are available. There is a small pro shop that sells a small assortment of disc golf discs and equipment inside the traditional golf pro shop. Not a big selection, but worth checking out this is also the location for the lost and found.

Course Design - Long for a city park design coming in over 7'500 feet. The course dances the line between open long Par 3's and more guarded tweener Par 4's. The start and end of the course are much more open regular park style golf while the middle section is much more moderately wooded. One set of tees and one pin location. This course borders on the intermediate scale of difficulty due to its length which is a little much for beginners/novice players, but can be absolutely shredded by advanced and pro players.

Tees/Signage/Baskets - Tee's are skinny and a little on the small side (product of an older course) textured concrete but in great shape for their age. They are almost flat to the ground surface so running up from behind or off the side isn't a huge issue. Tee signs are simplistic full color with generic hole maps in old HB style but still contain all relevant hole information. Definitely showing their age but still provide everything you need. Baskets are older Discatchers that are showing some rust on the chains here and there but still catch well.

Maintenance - This course is almost always immaculate. The fairways and park itself are mowed and clean overall every time I have played here. The rough is VERY rough and thick but is rarely ever in play (Holes #3, #6, and #8) are the only holes where this should come in (and only if you make a terrible mistake to get there). Small trash cans at most tee pad locations and they are rarely full or overflowing.

Signatures - Hole #7 is a beautiful hole visually, and probably one of the only legit Par 4's on the course. With the lake to your left you must throw over the corner of the lake to a very well protected landing zone on your tee shot, then navigate a low ceiling approach into a basket location pushed right up against the bank of the water. Probably only 575 feet in a straight line over the water from tee to green, but forcing you to play straight over the corner of the lake, then diagonally left to the green makes the hole play more in the 700 foot range. (This Hole and Hole #8 both have short tee pads for players without the power to throw over the water). Hole #8 is a straight bomb over the water (300 plus feet of full water carry) to an upward sloped green, plays roughly 425 feet tee to green (and add the elevation distance) and is listed as a Par 4. There is a tricky landing zone to bail out to on the right side of the lake, but it is heavily guarded by trees and the lake wraps around blindly on the front side so if you throw too far, you are still wet. Soft Par 4 for the players with power to get over the water, a daunting nightmare (especially in the wind) for players with just barely enough power to get over in perfect conditions, and a definite lay up hole that becomes difficult to par for anyone without 300 plus power. Probably the two most signature holes on the course back to back, maybe not the most loved, but definitely the ones everyone talks about. Hole #16 gets an honorable mention for its beauty over it's difficulty.

Extras - This course doesn't provide much punishment on the open holes outside of some pretty forgiving OB in the form of roads that slice through the course. You can rip on the disc and not really concern yourself with the result. Couple this with a lot of tweener distance Par 4's and Eagles are definitely on the table throughout. The middle section of the course provides much more wooded lines that force some shot shaping, but are pretty wide and extremely fair. The elevation is utilized more in this section too which makes these holes more challenging and fun to play. Outside of the two water holes (#7 and #8) big numbers on your score card should be very difficult to incur.

Cons:

Navigation - Pretty straight forward but not always intuitive. Hole #2 basket to Hole #3 tee pad is weird for first time players (You have to walk around the bathrooms and find the tee beside the playground about 100 yards away) Be careful as Hole #16 will be teeing off blind right at your head if you stay on the grass instead of taking the sidewalk to the left of the bathrooms. There is a cluster of 3 tee pads here, #3, #9, and #16 so take a second to make sure you are playing the correct hole. Take note of where #16 tee pad is so that when you complete Hole #15 down in the bowl you will remember to walk up to it (and dodge tee shots coming down to your left from Hole #3 and to your right coming down to your right from Hole #9).

Tweeners - As with a lot of park courses there are 10 holes here between 350-450 feet. A couple are Par 3's, but most are Par 4's. This course has I believe 10 par 4's in total throughout which is a lot, with only 3 that are certainly two shot par 4's.

Benches - Lack of benches throughout, would be a nice touch, especially on a course that is heavily played and sees a lot of backups.

Safety - This course is in heavy use and people are spread out everywhere. The slight elevation changes throughout do create blind areas from the tee and make it difficult to insure others are not where you are throwing. (Actually played a tournament here with a full on Christian Rock festival going on the same day and had to throw our tee shots on #16 over the crowd, which was completely nerve wracking)

Lost Disc Potential - Huge lost disc potential with the lake holes, especially with the close proximity of the baskets to the water and the forced water carries off the tee.

Potential - Huge potential for alternate tees and/or pin locations here that isn't utilized. Though I do understand with having Little Mahr park for the beginners and Mahr Championship park right down the road for the advanced and pros, why leaving this set up for players in between that skill level is done.

Boredom - This course suffers from having too many similar lines and similar shaped holes that aren't bad, but aren't spectacular. There are multiple forget me holes, or holes that obviously only exist to get from point A to point B. Hole #18 is one of the most lackluster finishing holes I've ever seen, just a wide open uphill righty hyzer in and open field to an unguarded pin that gets you walking back towards the parking lot (though you still have to walk straight down #1 fairway to get back to the parking lot a couple hundred yards away). Low score variance, especially among more skilled players, leaves this course unremarkable, and that's a shame because it is gorgeous and well maintained.

Other Thoughts:

This course falls short of the Mahr Park complex on pretty much all fronts. Though wonderful in aesthetics, the game play is a little flat. It falls victim to being too close to one of disc golf's stellar Championship courses and being directly compared to it (even though HB designed both for completely different end goals). All that said, Madisonville City Park is still an above average intermediate skill level course that deserves a play through. Paired with Mahr Park, these two courses combine to create a must play destination in the city of Madisonville. While bland it always is a peaceful and enjoyable outing when I play this course, and it is a wonderful bridge course when you just aren't feeling like tackling "Big Mahr".
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14 0
Cerealman
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.7 years 572 played 173 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Mundane Madisonville underwhelms

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 14, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Madisonville City Park offers a park-style course with substantial distance, limited rough and a pond that comes into play on several holes.

The best holes are likely found in the middle section of the course where elevation and moderately wooded throws come into play. The holes in this segment offer a variety of lines through a valley featuring scattered trees.

This course is a good option if you want to practice distance but not worry about consistent punishment or terrible rough. Even errant throws can result in easy scrambling, as the lightly wooded format and forgiving pars should keep the big numbers off your scorecard.

The fairways are fairly clean of debris and most are on some nice grassy areas. Plus, the course was mowed and in excellent condition when I played.

Hole #1 is the best chance for an ace; at 285 feet, it's wide open and slightly downhill.

The teepads are solid and large enough. The H.B. Clark-typical signage is good.

Cons:

The Madisonville City Park course has several little flaws that apparently didn't bother many of the previous reviewers.

The designer created a bunch of tweener holes, as 10 of the holes are 360-460 feet, and a few are par 3s but most are par 4s. There are also 10 par-4 holes, but only three of them (all 580 feet or more) are obvious par 4s. The blurring of par is a bit frustrating; why is one 365-foot hole listed as a par 3 and another 365-foot hole merits a par 4?

Score separation will likely be extremely limited due to the long but lightly wooded design. I played the Madisonville City Park course in a doubles format with three friends. Heading into the last hole, the two doubles team differed in score on just one hole. Furthermore, nearly all our birdies were on par-4 holes and most of our pars were on par-3 holes.

Hole #8 is a quirky hole. If you don't want to attempt the 325-foot-plus water carry, there's a bailout spot over the trees lining the pond on the right with some ideal landing zones. Even with that safer option, the second throw will likely be a long toss to the basket that will bring trees and the downhill slope to the water into play.

Holes #9 and #15 play over a small drainage area at the bottom of the hill that can be quite muddy at times.

Navigation is tricky in spots and not intuitive. While teepads can be spotted, it might not always be the correct one. There are also a few holes where the basket isn't visible from the teepad.

The course does play near some areas where other parkgoers might frequent. There's a walking path to keep an eye out for, and individuals were congregating around the pond in a couple spots.

The course starts and ends with some blah, nearly-wide-open holes to depart from and then get back to the parking lot.

Other Thoughts:

I was pleased to see that Madisonville offered two highly-rated courses on DGCR. Unfortunately, this course falls significantly short of matching its nearby counterpart on nearly all fronts, including design, challenge and variety.

The Madisonville City Park gets stuck in a rut of long, lightly wooded holes with undefined fairways, resulting in a bland design with low score variance.
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16 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.2 years 652 played 631 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A Pleasant Stroll Through A Graceful Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 4, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

(3.294 Rating) A beautiful medium length city park course with a few moderately wooded holes.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I smiled the whole time. Several holes have either plays or views toward the lake. The picturesque interactions between this lake edge, the rolling landscape and the older pines are delightful. It very much reminded me of Taylor Lake in Largo FL, an old favorite of mine. The setting at Madisonville is even better though, because there aren't eight foot gators lurking in the weeds. The holes away from the lake are generally nicer looking as well. There are a lot of eye pleasing valley shots between holes (9) and (15).
- CHALLENGING - With a correction in par structure to current PDGA guidelines, this course would read as an Intermediate level course. There are several par 4s on Madisonville that would be par 3s on a newly built course. For example, hole (5) is a lightly wooded 365 footer. Hole (14) is a 400 foot RHBH hyzerbomb, which unfortunately is something I only see others do. On the flipside, there are some challenging legit par 4s holes out here. Hole (10) is a test of length and placement off the tee, and then threading the needle on the approach with a dogleg play to the right. Only three birdies have been recorded on this hole on DGCR out of 77 rounds.
- SKILL LEVEL FRIENDLY - This course manages to find the perfect middle ground between too easy and too hard. The one set of tees will work good for 800s thru 935 rated players which is a vast majority of the day to day players.
- CHARACTER - The basics are done well and there are a few other nice extras. First off, nearby tee (1) is a nice looking course map and practice basket. The tee signage is the typical HB Clark style and they are still in great condition after 10 plus years. The tees were all in great condition and were a healthy 5 feet by 12 feet in length. The baskets are DISCatchers, all of which were in great condition on my visit. There is also good tee shading, shelters with picnic tables and restrooms. Missing items are alternate tees, only holes (7) and (8) have multiple tees. There is also a lack of seating at the tees, see cons.
- NAVIGATION - Adequate with the hole signage and course map. Roughly two thirds of the next tee signs can be spotted from the preceding basket. I do however recommend having a printed map otherwise players will find themselves pulling up picture of it on their phone multiple times. There are zero navigational cues on the layout. Tee signs don't even show next tee direction.
- UNIQUENESS - The hole variety is indeed above average, however when I compare it to other courses I've rated 3.5 or above, it would fall below average among those courses. There are lots of moderate and mild elevation changes in the 20 to 30 foot range. There seems to be an overabundance of valley plays. Water comes into play on four holes and its always on the left. Basket guarding is light, but there are a few tight tree gaps to split. The diversity in shot shaping however is what's lacking the most. Most of the holes are lightly wooded and a couple are completely open. There's only one dogleg hole and there are no well-defined tunnel plays. There are ten listed par 4s, but only a handful are legit.
- MAINTENANCE - A well maintained city park course. The grass in one section in the park was maybe 6 inches high, so I'm going to assume that they mow alternating sections by-weekly.

Cons:

A solid course with few issues.
- LACK OF SEATING - A course this established, this hilly and this nice, needs more seating. Not everyone has a Zuca. I only recall 2 benches on the entire layout.
- SAFETY HAZARDS - Hole (1) plays down a park road where I had to wait for a couple cars. Tee (16) plays really close to a pavilion and so I abbreviated my throw with people nearby. Hole (18) plays along a major walking path. A few other holes also have small walking paths in play.
- WATER HAZARDS - Four holes have the potential to take plastic. I personally chickened out on (8) and went straight to the drop zone. Upon checking Google Maps post round, it's a 320 foot water clear. Hole (7) is a wonderful and terrifying play with water along the entire left side. Hole (16) is similar, but it has more room to work with. Holes (7) and (8) both have drop zone tees to mitigate some of the hazard risk for those not ready for that level of challenge.
- TERRAIN - There's a lot of moderate elevation change that could be an issue for those that struggle with inclines and declines.
- SPACING - Several fairways edges are shared. Holes (3), (8), (9) and (15) all parallel each other. I was arguably in another fairway 3 times on my round. Not the worst spacing by any means, but players need to be cognizant of other disc golfers on occasion.
- TIME PLAY - At 7,295 feet, Madisonville is going to take a bit longer than the average 18 holer. I personally finished solo in 90 minutes. A foursome will likely finish in about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Other Thoughts:

I very much enjoyed this course. It offers just about everything I enjoy about disc golf. Most regions I've been to would be pleased to have a course of this caliber in their town. Despite the new exotic thriller next door at Mahr Park, I'd being willing to bet that this course gets more daily play. These two courses in town makes Madisonville a great day trip destination.
- PERSONAL NOTE - I know this comes off as bragging, but I threw in a 250 foot shot on (13) for an eagle 2. I had a poor 210 foot drive and just quickly picked the same disc up and threw it. Center chain smash. It was my highlight of the day.
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10 0
sidewinder22
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.7 years 297 played 197 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Bridges of Madisonville City 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 11, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

18 single concrete tees with tee sign and single position Discatcher baskets playing through a pretty city park setting with some gentle elevation changes, some open spaces with large mature trees, and a lake.

Nicely maintained course with no rough to lose a disc in. Good course to watch your discs fly. Restrooms and other city park amenities. Park open until 10pm.

Cons:

Only one set of tees and basket position set for intermediate to advanced level players, however the Champ and Rec courses are just down the street. Not much variety in line shaping and distance, really only need to bring a driver and putter to score well.

High potential for interference with other park users, I had to skip hole 2 due to other parkers playing in the fairways, and there were a couple holes I had to wait for walkers to clear out the way.

Took me awhile to find hole 1. Some potential to lose a disc in the lake on a couple holes, especially hole 8. The alternate tee pad for hole 8 is in the fairway of hole 3. Only one loop of 18 holes back to hole 1. Can be a bit muddy in the lower laying areas of the course.

Other Thoughts:

Madisonville City Park is an above average intermediate to advanced level disc golf course. It might be a bit long and intimidating for rank beginners, while for the pros it might be a little repetitive and easy although a relaxing break from the Mahr Champ course. The good thing is that this course pretty much fills the gap between the Champ and Rec courses down the street at Mahr Park.

I really enjoyed holes 3-8, 10-13 where most of the wooded holes are, and also enjoyed the par 4 hole 16 by the lake.

This is probably the most popular disc golf course in the area for the local players. For the traveling players like myself it's not a destination course like Mahr Champ, but it's a good course I'd recommend playing if you happen to be in the area. I also highly recommend Brother's BBQ for a good quick eat in the area.
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7 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 548 played 429 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Marvelousville 2+ years

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

Pros:

Madisonville City Park is a very cool course. It is set in a great park with a lake at the center, gently rolling grassy hills, and a good amount of nice old trees. All of the equipment is nice, the layout is easy to follow, and most of the holes are really fun. Starts a little slow, but after you finish the first hole and cross the road it gets better in a hurry. Hole 3 is a where it starts getting interesting. The length is extended and the pin location is hidden on the opposite side of the next hill. 8 plays over the water if you have the confidence in your arm to use the long tee. I really liked the three hole run on 12 through 14 that have the most elevation change and a few more trees. There is not a a lot of heavy rough that will eat discs, and the holes that play close to water do have alternate tees to make them less risky.

Cons:

Not a super technical course. High level players will probably tear this one up. A couple spots where you might need to wait on traffic, other park users or other players.

Other Thoughts:

I liked this one a lot. Easy enough to play a quick round, fun without major frustration. Only played one time, shot a 62 (-2). Ten par 4 holes and 8 par 3's, could be slightly over parred. I will gladly take it though, felt good to get a round in the red on a trip full of courses that were mostly kicking my butt. Check this one out if you're in the area and have time. I bet you will be glad you did.
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4 5
SMontgomery
Experience: 13.5 years 49 played 15 reviews
5.00 star(s)

SO SOLID 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 21, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Variety of shots, beautifully manicured, good flow...overall great great great course.

Cons:

Park can be busy with picnics and other events.

Other Thoughts:

Can be tough to find the first time. Worth a stop on your way through...even after Mahr opens officially.
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11 1
AdamE
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.5 years 264 played 143 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 25, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Madisonville City Park is a beautiful park with rolling hills and a lake. The course plays around most of the lake and there are good views throughout the round. There is no rough here, just mature trees so there's no problem with loosing a disc (unless you throw one in the water). Navigation is pretty good, there were a few places I had to stop and look around but overall it was fine. There are big concrete tees and Discatcher baskets with yellow bands making it easy to locate the baskets. The course has moderate elevation changes on some of the holes and the tall, mature trees are fun to throw around.

Two of the four water holes have alternate tees to make them friendly to beginners. Hole 7 is a fun 610' par 4 teeing off right next to the lake and forcing a water carry, it's easy to play it very safe or as dangerous as you want, and the basket is just 40' from lake. Hole 8 is another forced water carry about 350'. Both these holes have alt tees which take away the water carry and make them more approachable to players who might not have the control or distance.

Cons:

The course is mostly open. Not that there aren't some places to get in trouble, but overall the course is open with only a few mature trees to beat so poorly thrown shots are rarely punished unless it's on one of the 4 water holes.

The shot selection is poor here. There is only one hole that forces a turnover shot for a RHBH players.

There is not a good variety of distances here. Only 2 holes under 300ft and only 5 under 350 make this a pretty open grip and rip course.

The alt tee on 8 to avoid the water carry is in 3's fairway making it a little dangerous. 16's tee seems a bit close to the restroom and could bring it into play with an errant shot.

Other Thoughts:

I enjoyed playing here and would certainly play here more if I lived closer. If you're in the area you should definitely stop here for a round.

Weigh all the pro's and con's and this is a beautiful, above average course on the cusp of being excellent, but IMHO the openness and lack of variety in shot selection and hole length hold it back from getting a 4.
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7 0
goosefraba1
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.2 years 82 played 40 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Tournament Worthy 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 30, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

I'm just going to freeform this one. When I pulled into this park, I couldn't help but notice the beauty of the surroundings. In way of beauty, this course has it all. Mature trees. Check. Lake. Check. Rolling greens. Check. Just a course full of eye candy. Without detailing every hole, here are some things that I noticed. This course gives you plenty of room to air some shots out. Some of the shots are Memorial-esque.... like hole 7 or 8 where you cross water and then have a low ceiling shot. Great hole. Speaking of which, the short pads on 7 and 8 are pretty awesome. Love how this course plays over some steady elevation change. This course is the type of course that is just begging for an A tier tournament.

Cons:

I still feel as if there is room for improvement here. Many of the baskets could just be moved 10 feet or so in order to make a more challenging green. My biggest concern is the 3 pads fiasco beside the playground.... with trees right beside the pads. That is just asking for the course to get pulled. It is all fun and games until a kid takes a 175g disc travelling at 35mph to the throat. Hole 9 plays downhill and then backup, but there is no way to get to the basket because there is a branch blocking the shot. Just little things like that. 11 through 14 are monotonous back and forth down the hill.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, great course. Plenty of challenge here. I feel like this course could have been made even better if there was just length added for length's sake in places. The land given allows for a blue level course.... I feel like this is a blue level course that tries to reach too far.. making several tweener holes. Would be interested in seeing the alternates and how that would change the course.
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Designer response by HB553
A tier scheduled for May 17-18, 2014 with 9 extra holes added.
4 0
dad_of_dg_junkies
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.7 years 50 played 22 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Grip It and Rip It 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 8, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

1. The park itself was very nice
2. The course is laid out well. I played here again yesterday and there were around 400-500 people in the park and we still didn't have much of problem with our round.
3. The signs are helpful
4. The concrete pads are in good shape and allow for a long run up.
5. I absolutely love that fact that on several holes you can just let it fly. Holes 2,3,8,10 and 16!
6. There are some shorter, more technical holes that require fade and turn-over shots.
7. I like the fact that there are two tee boxes on 7 and 8. Both long pads bring the water into play, while the short tees allow the water to be more easily avoided.
8. Lots of mature trees on this course. Many are in play, and while others can be used as shade during the summer months.
9. Baskets are in fine shape.
10. I have only played this game for 6 months, but I found the course VERY playable!

Cons:

I have played this course a number of times and the only drawback to me is a drainage issue on some of the holes near the pond. Honestly, I am nit-picking.

Other Thoughts:

This course suits my eye and my game. I would play here ANYTIME!
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7 1
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.2 years 1508 played 475 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Madness at Madisonville 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 18, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Excellent challenge on this course. There is all sorts of trouble out there to get you. It is not an easy course for anyone, even the pros would be challenged.
2) Nice concrete tees are available on this course. It is a good thing because when I played the course had just received a fair amount of rain/snow melt.
3) Discatchers are in decent condition.
4) Arrows underneath the baskets really help with navigation.
5) Tee signs have Hole #, Distance, Par, and a Map.
6) Golf clubhouse has some discs and bags and such for sale. The lady behind the counter said they loved having disc golf and are excited about their large tournament every year.
7) Typically park-like courses are not my favorite, but there is enough other challenge and beauty here to keep my interest.
8) Very large and mature trees on this property. The lady in the clubhouse said it used to have a lot more mature trees but a storm had come through and taken a lot of big trees out. What a shame!
9) Alternate tees are available on the water holes which makes the course more beginner friendly.
10) The course seemed to be well taken care of. The turf was in good shape, the leaves had all virtually been removed from the turf areas which really helps keep the turf healthy.
11) Distance variation is huge ranging from the 200's to 600's with everything in between. I love it when courses have a huge variety of shots because it makes for a ton of interesting throws. You need big drives, placement drives, upshots, recovery shots, layups, and putts. It makes for a complete experience.
12) Very nice map and kiosk area at the first tee. The whole area is surrounded with mulch which just makes perfect sense. They knew it would all become compacted and the turf would die so they put mulch down to make it look nicer.
13) Signs are located on top of 4x4 posts which also have a number on all 4 sides which helps navigation.
14) Rolling elevation changes on this course make for a really scenic and pretty course.
15) I love a course where I can throw in the air and on the ground. While a roller shot is not essential for a good experience, I sure do enjoy throwing that shot. I think I threw a handful of these on this round.
16) Practice Basket is available near the first hole.
17) Hole #8 is the ultimate in risk/reward holes. It has a shot straight at the basket but is about 95% water carry and over 350' to carry, or you can throw out to the right with 150' carry and a bail out area to the right. Then you will have another 150-200' approach over another small water area. This is a very unique hole layout that creates some score separation for sure.

Cons:

1) The road and also a couple sidewalks are not super close, but could be considered in harms way depending on who is playing.
2) Lacks the ultra tight wooded holes I love to play. It is simply not a feature available in this park. I cannot blame the designer, but it is something I like to see on every course because I feel it is an integral part of our sport.
3) I do not remember many benches on this course.
4) One place I can remember being somewhat dangerous. The bathroom (I think) next to the playground by Hole #3/4 15/16 was definitely in the way on one of the drives.
5) I am pretty sure at some times in the year, there will likely be a lot of goose poop along the edges of the water.

Other Thoughts:

There are just not that many things I can say bad about this course. While I also have a lot of Pros written down I just cannot give this course a rating higher than 4.5. It lacks just a couple things . . . unique basket locations. Everything was somewhat cookie cutter and in the middle of the turf with 15-30' green around the basket. If some of the baskets could have been elevated or perhaps some green areas that were landscaped out. While it is mostly open and moderately wooded, it feels more open than it is. It does not have any super tight wooded holes which I really like to see on a course with everything. If this course was in my backyard I would probably play it everyday because of how diverse it is.
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4 1
Bobs DG 12
Experience: 12.2 years 23 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

The Best in West KY 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 28, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Everything from just being a well kept park to having some great holes to challenge every part of your disc golf game. The teeboxes are large with room for a big run up. The signs are very descriptive and accurately depict the holes. Every basket seems virtually brand new and are kept well. This course can also offer some scenic views for example hole 8 is a very nice hole. This course will test every shot in your bag and do so with some pretty large elevation changes on holes, as well as some flat holes that run near a lake. This course will also handle some big arms, I can throw about 400 ft. and this course gives me ample opportunity to let it fly.

Cons:

Not too many with this course, I wish the course would start and finish with a little bit more of a bang 1 and 18 are bit boring. Sorry kind of picky but like I said not many cons on this course

Other Thoughts:

This is a course I will travel to any day when I am looking for a premium Disc Golf experience and I highly recommend it.
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3 11
Pillsbury778
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Amazing Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 18, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

For a first time player this course is a great one for a new player. A lot of long holes. Gives you a good chance to find out what your discs will really do. Whenever I get a new disc I love to play here simply because if I have a new disc I go out in the huge fields they have there and throw it a couple of different ways. It also gives a new comer to the sport a good way to learn how their disc will fly when it is thrown a certain way. You will also find out what style you want to throw. Side-arm or backhand, jump putts, putting style. I have a friends that is beast at turbo putting. We call him Turbo Travis. He can hit one no matter what the distance and he practiced all of his putting there at Madisonville. That's also where I go to practice my putting, and I tell you what it really helped me when it came to putting in tournaments. I have improved my game so much playing at Madisonville. I love playing there. The Madisonville pro shop and City Council are actually talking about putting 2 more courses in there so that we can bring more people for the Tourney they have each year. The touney has grown every year, and in the past 2 years. We have had 7 different National Series pros come to the tourney in all. They have come here and destroyed, but i watched them after my round one day this year, and it was very amazing to watch them play and hit the gap like it was nothing. The worst hole I saw from them was hole 12 down the hill. David Feildberg threw and nicked a tree and kicked so far away, and came back and got a 4. He was very upset and then the next hole he got a 365 ft deuce off a lucky tree hit. Wish i recorded it. I was amazing. best shot i have seen in my life. Anyways, I think that for a new comer to come to this tourney next year would be a great experience for them. I would show them so much to just to be around the great atmosphere the tourneys bring. I have honestly never seen a mad person at a tourney, and even if they did get mad, they would soon after apologize. I have done it many times. The last tourney I went to I was on my way to the hole I was starting one and had to walk all the way back to the score chart to see what card I was on cause they changed it 2 times. When I finally figured out what card I was on I stomped off all mad and at the end of that round I went to the tourney director and apologized for what I did. It is such a great environment at a disc golf tourney. Great people and great times. I have gone to so many tourneys in the past few year and have never payed out and have still had the time of my life. I love the people that I see at tourneys. Great people and I love every moment I have ever played disc golf. Disc golf is my life. I will play disc golf until I loose both my limbs and can't walk. I will never stop playing.

Cons:

Absolutley NO CONS!!

Other Thoughts:

Amazing place to play in the winter.
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4 2
DG addict24
Experience: 12.5 years 29 played 18 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Best in Western Ky 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 4, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great concrete tee pads.Great length, 3 holes 590 or further. Some wooded areas that aren't really tight though, just enough so you can't just fling it. Alternate tee pads on two holes for beginners/recreational players. Probably the most well-kept course I've ever seen. It's always in great shape, yet you always see the workers looking for a way to improve it.

Cons:

The only one I can think of is pretty boring starting and finishing holes. Most of the holes are just normal holes to me. With the exception of 8, none of the holes wow me. The rest of the holes are nice, but that's really all they are, just nice holes. A few more wows, and it would be a 4.5

Other Thoughts:

Great course overall, probably in my top 3 that I have played. I have a very small arm and I still found the course fun and playable with how long it is. About as good of a city park course as you're gonna find.
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Designer response by HB553
Thanks for the review . . . the boring hole one is due to the park department wanting the starting hole as near the pro shop as possible, sharing the same parking lot. Visit the city pro shop for disc, bags, beverages while at the course.
1 3
mancide
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

My home course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 3, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Wide open on most holes, even the wooded holes are pretty forgiving for beginners. Water and trees are used perfectly on most holes, and alternate tees for the two main water holes help newer players.

Cons:

Some holes are really long for beginners, and even with alternate tees can be a bit discouraging for shorter arms.
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2 1
Tacoma4x4
Experience: 11.8 years 7 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautifully manicured 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 23, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great total maintenance...wonderful markings, easy flow, just a wonderful afternoon experience. Good blend of trees in bad spots...water in bad spots...and distance.

Cons:

Not many to note. Could use a marker from 1 to 2 tee box, but honestly I had a beginner with me and he loved it as much as I did.

Other Thoughts:

Thank you Madisonville city park...you guys do a great job.
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6 0
upfromtheashes
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.6 years 42 played 38 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great round of golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 23, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-First of all, I love the length. This is not a course that will have you teeing with midranges very often. It's great fun to be able to rip it on hole after hole.
-The teepads were excellent. Large and well textured. The signs were better than average, although an indication of "next tee" would have been appreciated. Flow from hole to hole was fairly easy to figure out regardless.
-"Anti-technical". I'm coining a new term here. Think of your typical technical course...shorter holes, weaving your way through multiple trees down narrow fairways typically carved out of the woods, usually with thick rough lurking around every turn. This is the exact opposite of that. Not to say that it's wide open, but there's no rough. The challenge comes from some combination of mature hardwood to play through/around, water hazards, and elevation changes.
-While I'm on the topic of elevation, this is one of the more hilly courses I've played. There's some form of slope on nearly every hole, and it's used to good effect.
-Multiple lines available from the tee on most holes. This course doesn't shoe-horn you into throwing only one specific type of shot very often.
-The course was nicely mowed and it resides in an attractive park. I'm a sucker for aesthetics, and the holes around the water were particularly scenic. Pulled out the camera several times.
-Practice basket for putting at the first tee.
-Discs available at the pro shop near the first tee. Not a big selection, but they did have some Blizzard plastic so they are keeping up with the newest stuff it would seem.

Cons:

-A course this long and hilly should have more benches.
-On some holes there exists the possibility of hitting a car or person on the road or walking path. Be aware of your surroundings.
-The course doesn't bring you back to your car after the front 9, you'll have to walk the whole 18 before you can get a refill.
-Holes 1 and 18 are two of the least interesting holes on the course, but the truth of the matter is that there's just not a lot of good disc golf land that close to the parking lot. They could have chosen to start the course from a different location, but I'd assume they wanted both the disc golf course and the ball golf course to originate from the same general area.

Other Thoughts:

-This course sits on a nice piece of property, and the design makes good use of it. There are other activities going on in the park, but there's generally enough room to coexist. Several holes play near a playground, but it's the teepads that are near the playground rather than the baskets, so you're never really afraid of hitting a kid who's climbing on the jungle gym.
-If you've ever played the course in Radcliff, then you need to play this one. Madisonville is the course that Radcliff wishes it could be. It sits on a bigger, better, prettier piece of land, but the hills and trees will call to mind some stylistic similarities between the courses.
-I wish this course was closer to me so that I could play it more often.
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3 5
pTelli
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

MUST PLAY 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Best corse I've played. The course has it all. Hole 1 is a straightforward par 3 that will lull you into thinking the course is a piece of cake if you've never played it. After that, better bring your big-boy arm for this long course that has everything. Some holes will challenge your distance while others will test your technical skills with obstacles and doglegs in both directions. Pack every disc. The two major water hazards have alternate boxes, and you will probably use them unless you are very confident with your distance and control. The front 9 skirts a big beautiful lake and takes you through a mature pine stand. The back 9 takes you through a mature hardwood stand. Many trees were lost during the ice storm of '09, but a recent grant has allowed the park to replant hundreds of trees. Some of the trees lost decreased the difficulty of a few of the holes, but overall the course came out unscathed. Fill up your water bottles at the cooler on hole 12 thanx to the local cub scout troop who built an enclosure for it. If you throw in the drink, wade in the water at your own risk - large snapping turtles. Thanx to HB Clark for designing this beautiful course. Top tier tourney held here every year in June. Had 110 players this year. MUST PLAY!

Cons:

nope
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1 2
NOStheBOSS
Experience: 15.8 years 96 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great course 2+ years

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

Pros:

Many memorable holes. No gimmicks, great use of natural obstacles. Awesome water shots. Good mix of distance. Very challenging. Well maintained.

During the tournament, they had 6 temp holes set up as well, and these were all pretty good. I would like to see them make these holes permanent.

Cons:

No major cons for this course
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8 0
weeman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20 years 644 played 60 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great course to let 'em fly! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 5, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is a fun challenge to consistently make long accurate drives and in several cases upshots. Madisonville DGC sits among a large multi-use park along with a couple lakes, a playground, baseball field, walking trail and golf course (doesn't come into play though). Near number one is a practice basket in a large area for some decent length putter shots. There's also a good course map and scorecards available at the first tee. All the pads are large and very grippy even when wet. The signs are accurate about tree, OB and water locations. This is very important as several of the drives are to hidden baskets that have some hidden water hazards. Madisonville is one of the most consistently long courses I've played in a while with only two holes less than 300 feet with multiple holes pushing 600 feet. The front nine plays closer to the lake with two (number 7 & 8) requiring long drives over water. Both of these holes have shorter alternate tee pads/drop zones as well. The back nine traverses a large moderately wooded ravine for several holes before heading back towards the lake near the end. A good portion of the holes play through large old growth trees with high ceilings (pines on front nine, oaks, etc. on back nine) with little to no underbrush throughout the course. Each hole utilizes elevation in some way, shape or form. These can range from extreme to very subtle with several playing across a large ravine. The ravine holes don't seem that long unless you hit a tree and end up at the bottom for your second shot. The elevation changes makes multiple holes play shorter than they are with the large descents. THe park also drains very well with few spots I saw with standing water (played it first while raining). All holes that have trees leave multiple routes to the basket so you're not confined to one line. That being said, you have to hit your lines otherwise you'll be scrambling to make par. This is great to practice different types of drives.

Cons:

My only real main complaint about this course is that there are so many other things around it. The playground can be very busy and noisy on nice days and can be very distracting as its adjacent to 3's tee, 8's basket, 9's tee, 14's basket and 15's tee. Also the road that leads you through the park to the course runs right next to several holes and right behind number one's basket. Several of the holes had benches on which to rest while others didn't but there didn't appear to be any scheme to where they were placed. I'd have put one each after each of the 600 footers and other difficult holes. I felt like number one and 18 were tweener holes that are only included to make a full 18 hole course. Neither provided anywhere near the same kind of challenge as any of the other holes.

Other Thoughts:

Madisonville shows how to make a fun course with a decently challenging design. The wind out there definitely adds another element to the round. It was a stiff breeze out there when I played and wouldn't surprise me if that was normal conditions for the course. I'd rate this course for mid-level amateur players and up to go out and be challenged to score well. Less skilled players will enjoy the lack of underbrush and inherent searching for discs but may be frustrated by the consistently long holes. I had read there is a pro shop near the course in the park but I didn't have the time to seek it out while I was there. Maybe next time I'll get to stop in for a few minutes.
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6 0
link_smitty42205
Experience: 16.9 years 63 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A must stop for western KY. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 26, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

I was staying in KY over the Thanksgiving holiday and came on here to see what courses were around the area and this one jumped out at me from other reviews. Let me tell you, this course did not disappoint. It was worth the hour drive to play.
This course required a variety of shots if you wanted to play it well. It was a course primarily designed for RHBH throwers from what I could tell, and being that I throw that style, I loved that this course was very friendly for my style of play. A lot of opportunities for hyzers, anhyzers, straight shots, S-Curves, you name it.

All of the holes are between about 280 to 600 ft long, with the average distance probably falling between 350 to 400 ft. If you can throw a consistent 300 foot drive, you will be able to play this course fairly well. The course is fairly open with opportunities to hit some trees on at least half of the holes. Therefore, it is a very fun course to just open up and give your drives all you can muster.

One of the major positives was the challenge of the water hazards. It only comes into play on about 4 holes, but I came close to the hazard on all of them. The lake was low when I played, which made it a bit friendlier, but when it is at its regular level I am sure it is rather intimidating.

Elevation was utilized well for multiple holes with the rolling hills and valleys to help compliment the water hazards. I love a course that has these challenges along with some distance, which is why this course was a joy to play for me.

I thought they utilized the land well for this course, and made the most out of what they had to work with.

The course was very well groomed and you could tell they took pride in its appearance.

Cons:

A major con for me was that the signage, while being in good condition, did not direct you to the next tee pad. The map at the beginning of the course gives a great idea as to where all the holes are located and the general flow of the course, but unless you have a photographic memory, it will be hard to remember exactly the right direction to the next tee.

The lack in direction of the signs kind of made the flow a tad off. It flowed well for the most part. Much better than a lot of courses I have played, but there were a few spots that could be better. I am sure a lot of it had to do with the fact the tees were around other attractions and they had to make do with what they had available. (playground by tee pads 3, 9, and 16.)

As mentioned in other reviews, some overflow from some of the other attractions causes you to stay on your toes and not be too careless with your drives. I played in late November, so the activity in the park was minimal, but I am sure it is a different story in the summer. So be aware of other park users while playing.

Too many par 4's. This is a par 3 course in my eyes. Very reasonable to reach every pin in two good shots and finish with a solid putt.

If it weren't for holes 1 and 18, this course would have gotten a 4.5 from me. But they were let downs. Straight forward and were both very easy to park next to the pin with little room for error. 18 should be the the best hole on the course imo that ends your round "with a bang" so to speak...luckily the rest of the course makes up for it.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, I thought this was a must stop if you are in the area and have the time. It won't disappoint. Its a very nice course and there is something to do there for the whole family. (regular golf course, tennis courts, playgrounds, etc.) Worth your time.

The course was in good shape and was very clean. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and really wish I lived closer to a course like this.

If you are looking for a course that is fairly open with some distance to the drives, while utilizing multiple hazards, this is a fun course to play. I wouldn't pass it up if I were you.
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