Marriottsville, MD

Patapsco Valley State Park

3.995(based on 59 reviews)
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16 0
Monocacy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 23.8 years 474 played 74 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Manageable to (Green) Monster-ous 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 22, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course offers wonderfully challenging and varied disc golf options. With two tees and two permanent baskets on every hole, you can play P'tap as anything from a challenging ~4,900' par 3 course to an intimidating ~9,000' par 63 monster. Terrain features rolling hills, steep drop-offs, mature woods, park-style areas, and a couple of open or semi-open holes. This course offers something for everyone - there are even rec tees marked by painted bricks.

Green baskets are permanently set in the long ("C") position, and the grey baskets are rotated between the "A" and "B" positions. Baskets are well mounted, level, and catch well. Two 9-hole loops, both starting and finishing near the parking lot.

This is where I go locally when I want to see discs fly. Patapsco offers plenty of opportunities to bomb a big downhill drive through the trees, and plenty of tricky approaches with drop-offs past the basket. A few holes feature pucker-inducing drop-offs alongside the fairway if your drive kicks sideways.

Well-maintained indoor restrooms are located between holes 3 and 4 near the parking lot, and between holes 10 and 11. The latter restroom has an outside drinking fountain available during warm weather months. Port-a-pot also located near the parking lot and hole 4 long tee.

Cons:

No tee signs or directional signs. This can make navigation and basket location very difficult for first-time players, especially since the long baskets are usually blind from the tee. If you cannot find a local guide, make sure to have a map available the first time you play here.

Teepads are made from stone dust. When maintained and leveled they are some of my favorite teepads to throw from. If they are not maintained a divot develops near the front left of the pad where righty backhanders plant, and sometimes this divot fills with water. If you don't have a long run-up you can simply start a little further back - a few extra feet on a 500' hole doesn't make much difference. Tees have been well maintained recently.

Green baskets can be hard to spot during the growing season, but stand out nicely during fall and winter. Long grass or rough beside the fairways can eat discs on a few holes, especially in late summer.

The back 9 plays around a large open area that is used for Boy Scout gatherings. You can still play when the Scouts are active, but please be careful and considerate.

Currently there is no practice basket. There used to be one but it was removed for a playground.

Other Thoughts:

Patapsco Valley is a difficult course to rate. Having played it many times, for me it is easily a 4.5 course that can challenge and entertain everyone from hackers to touring pros. But if you are playing the course for the first time you may find the lack of signs and blind long baskets frustrating and consider the course more of a 3.5. On balance I am giving the course a 4.0.

For first-timers I strongly suggest using a map AND playing a quick short-to-short round to scout out landing zones and long basket locations. No one ever follows this excellent advice, but my rating will make more sense if you do.

Traditionally, Seneca Creek and Patapsco Valley were the yin and yang of Maryland disc golf. Seneca Creek challenged your ability to shape lines, while Patapsco Valley challenged your ability to throw bombs up and down big hills in the woods. Together, the two courses offer a remarkably complete spectrum of disc golf challenges.

Play long tees to long baskets for the full "Green Monster" experience, and prepare yourself for the mental strain of relentless distance. Playing short tees to long baskets (~7,900') offers slightly more manageable distances, but requires you to hit an early gap on several holes.

Regardless of which tee you play, the long baskets make the course special. If a long technical approach with a steep drop-off near the basket does not sound like a fabulous disc golf experience, Patapsco Valley might not be the right course for you to play. For me, Patapsco has excellent replay value because most long baskets require two drives (or more) to reach, so your second (third, etc.) shots provide a different adventure every time.

The back 9 starts with three fairly open holes, giving you a chance to warm up and dial in your throws. I often play the back 9 first for this reason, but both loops have excellent finishing holes. I prefer finishing on holes 7 (long, technical), 8 (big downhill tunnel), and 9 (downhill bomb through big trees and then uphill to a beautiful rocky wooded green). But the finishing holes on the back nine - holes 17 (technical and dangerous) and 18 (big downhill bomb followed by a technical approach) are no slouches.

There is no water in play on the course, but park roads that cross the fairway play as OB "rivers." Where park roads run alongside the fairway, typically the road and beyond are OB. One may occasionally have to wait for a car to pass before throwing, but generally there is not much traffic on park roads.

Lots of other activities are available at the park and nearby. If you follow the trail past the parking lot between holes 1 and 2, you can hike along the Patapsco River falls. Downstream of the falls the rocky river is a great place to hike or cool off an overheated dog. The nearby Turf Valley shopping center offers ample dining opportunities and a grocery store.

The park charges a nominal entry fee.
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14 0
DumfriesLizzie
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 5.5 years 111 played 101 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Lovely course, lovely park 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 23, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Very beautiful space to play with varied open and wooded holes of varying degree. Holes 1-4 skirt a meadow and are in/out of woods. Holes 5-9 are all woods. Holes 10-18 play around another rolling meadow, mostly in the woods with more elevation changes.

I like these elevation changes though tough on my bad foot. Especially on holes 3, 8, and 9.

The uphill holes pose a welcomed challenge for me to figure out better to play. Holes 4, 14, and 16.

There is a 1-disc golf disc holder on the kiosk board at the DG parking lot - for lost discs. Maybe add 2-3 more?? (smile)

Port-a-potties in parking lot and two restrooms along the course are most welcomed. Other restrooms in other parts of the park.

Cons:

If you are here for the first time, take a course map printout or take a photo of it at the disc golf parking-lot kiosk or save the PDF here to your phone. You will need it. I only found the no. 1 short tee after a side trip to the rapids. I mistook tee 7 for tee 6 the first time I played the course. No. 6 tees are across the street just beyond the 5 baskets and 7 tees. I wasted a great deal of time trying to find no. 11. A following group of young men confirmed the way to go (far side of the restroom building and picnic pavilion). No. 17 hole is even more hidden than no. 6. Halfway between the two baskets of 16, there is a spur lane off into the woods to the left, and there you will find no. 17. The one "next hole" sign I saw was entirely unnecessary: from the far basket of 12 to the tees of 13 (virtually at each other). Maybe someone has a sarcastic sense of humor... .

No tee signs either, so if you really need to know the distance, print that from online as well. There are red and blue circles on the tee boxes with hole numbers.

While no. 8 is a beauty, that dense underbrush all over the fairway and beyond is disc-eating rough. Throw a *bright* colored disc (yellow, orange, white) when the carpet is spring/summer green, so there is sufficient contrast for you to have some luck finding your disc.

Other Thoughts:

It's a very lovely park. The rapids and small beach at the end of the main road (spur down further) are gorgeous. Steep and can be slippery going down and walking around. Nobody is supposed to be swimming here but...

I have yet to explore the non-DG course trails but shall in the future. Some do come through the course at 3, 8, 17 and 18. The main field at the gatehouse is massive and can be used for picnicking, field play, etc. There is a playground there for the kiddos and another near the DG parking lot. There are basketball courts midway back. And picnic tables and picnic shelters all over.

The first time I came, it was a weekend day and somewhat busy in the park. I did find two young ladies having a picnic dead in the middle of the 7 fairway. Seems to be a regular problem in multi-activity parks (Burke Lake is really bad...)

Disc golf course map here does indicate all pavement is OB. I guess you make the decision... The cliff exposed at the no. 12 basket continues on down through 13 as well. The drop-off behind the 15 baskets is less severe but no picnic.

Don't confuse the 18 short basket with the 10 short basket. Ten is straight ahead and uphill. Eighteen (from the 10 tee) is around the right bend of trees.
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12 0
gtg888h
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.8 years 40 played 27 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Terrific State Park Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 5, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Two tee pads and two pin locations per hole. S/S and L/L (famous "Green Monster") configurations are the best.
-Course is beautiful, with lots of rolling hills, woods, and open holes. Well maintained. Great place to make a day of it with the family (picnic areas, playgrounds, hiking trails, pavilions).
-Challenge levels are just right. S/S is good for beginners or as a warm-up; L/L will challenge even the best players. Rough can definitely be rough in a few areas, but provides a good risk/reward for going for big shots.
-None of the holes feel gimmicky or just "thrown in" to get to 18. A few really well-designed holes, including #8 (huge drop from the tee pad through the woods), #11 (giant, open hole with a fairway through the tall grass after 10 wooded holes), #12 short (absolute death putt), and #18 (like #11, but bigger rough and a great finish).
-Course loops through the parking lot between #9 and #10, so easy to take a break at the car or cut the round short if needed.

Cons:

-As mentioned previously, signage (and the lack thereof) is an issue. The long pins in particular can be tricky to find on your first go. There is a map on the bulletin board in the parking lot showing all tee and pin locations - definitely take a photo of it for reference on your first time playing.
-I don't mind the sand/gravel tee pads since it's a SP. But a few have wood ties that are completely rotted out and have major leveling issues creating dangerous footing issues.
-A few holes on the front 9 play across/alongside roads that can have a fair number of cars (#1, #4, #5, #6, and #9). #10 plays along a road but one that is rarely busy. Minor safety concern.
-(Updated 7/7/2020) So I played for the first time on a weekend, and there were *major* issues with picnickers and other day-trippers setting up shop on holes (1), (3), (4), and (9). On hole (1), they were occupying the space between the short and long pins such that the long pin was unplayable (short was still fine). On (3), people pulled a picnic table right into the mando gap, making any configuration of the hole unplayable (and they refused to move). On hole (4), they set up lounge chairs on the bottom right of the fairway - if you shanked a drive, they'd be in trouble. And on (9), they set up right behind the short basket, making either configuration unplayable really (thankfully they came through after I played 9). I'm guessing this is a weekend-only thing, and I played on a holiday weekend (never had this issues on weekdays), but I would recommend playing very early if you come on a Sat/Sun before people come out in the mid-afternoon.
-Haven't played the S/L configuration, but L/S is not a good combo (in terms of the fairness of the par). S/S and L/L are definitely the best.

Other Thoughts:

$2 entry fee per car during the week, $3/adult on weekends. Well worth it.

This course would easily be a 4.5 if the bad-condition tee pads were fixed and even basic signage was available at each hole. I know the latter might be a challenge in the SP.

All in all, well worth the trip from DC or Baltimore. Roughly 50 min drive from 95/495 intersection on NE side of DC without traffic. Probably 30 min from downtown Baltimore without traffic.

(Updated 7/7/2020) Recommend playing weekdays or else as soon as the park opens on the weekends. As detailed in the updated "cons" above, non-DG park-goers can really mess up your front 9 on the busy weekend afternoons. As long as you plan accordingly, though, it shouldn't ruin anything.
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6 0
Chopper1
Experience: 38.1 years 106 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Wooded but friendly 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 5, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Multiple tees/pins make up variety of configurations that no golfer could see as boring. Elevation changes on most holes equals a good challenge too. Played red pads to short baskets once and blue tees to short next. Would like to have tried blues to long baskets but just didn't have the time!

Cons:

Signage is lacking so 1st time did a little play walking. Baskets are sometimes hard to find also. I'd have thought with 2baskets per hole the designers could've made them more visible? Tee pads are big but the gravel beds are rutted. Good footing for planting your foot, but some are downright dangerous.

Other Thoughts:

I highly recommended this course! With the variety of tees and pins you're sure to find something to meet or challenge your skill level.
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5 1
kenlukas
Experience: 42 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

First Impressions 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 13, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good Distance
Beautiful Park
Big Tee Pads
Fairways well groomed

Cons:

No Tee Signs
Tee Pads are gravel, and slightly rutted
Very little direction to the next tee.
Not easy to determine which basket position is in play
Fairways are well groomed, off-fairway is not
No idea what OB is
Throwing across active roads.
Pedestrians walking the course

Other Thoughts:

This is a challenging course, utilizing the elevation changes nicely. The tee pads are in decent shape and a very nice size. I played the long tees to the short pin position. I'm still not sure what pin position that was, but I think it was 'B'. With that in mind, this course didn't wow me.

It was very hard to get around for the first time. There are no tee signs so you need to bring your phone.

I had to refer to the course map on almost every hole to find the next tee. I had a lot of trouble finding 7 and 17 even with the map.

With a 4+ rating I expected a course like Nevin or Hornets Nest in Charlotte. In my opinion, this course pales in comparison to both.
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6 0
TLeeG
Experience: 6.7 years 12 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Something for everyone 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 7, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Two very large gravel tee pads per hole, and a recreational tee marker.
Two baskets per hole. Gray is short and moves between two pin positions. Green is long and stays at the long position.
Good variety of open and wooded shots.
Playground near the parking lot for young kids.
Porta Potty's at the parking, and regular restrooms near the hole 10 baskets.
Benches placed at various holes.
Lots of picnic areas around.
A couple areas with "death putt" approaches. Really requires some risk/reward decision making.

Cons:

Some of the later holes run back and forth next to one another, which is fine if you're an accurate thrower, or it's not busy, but if you're new and throwing towards other players at the previous hole, it can be unnerving.
Gravel tee pads were pretty level when we played, but likely become choppy and uneven during heavy useage season.
First timers, or those with moderate color deficiency like myself may have trouble locating the baskets from the tee pad. Nothing major, but plan to scope out the baskets on a few holes before throwing your first time.
We played on a slow day, but you do throw over the main road quite a few times, so be mindful of traffic on busy days.

Other Thoughts:

Beautiful park. Well maintained course. Lots of young trees that will create some awesome tunnel shots once they mature. Perfect place for a family outing. Playground for the kids, disc golf for the parents. I can't wait to go back.
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6 0
PureAngus
Experience: 13 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 24, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Although I have only played this course once (so far), I feel like I can certainly cover everything I liked and disliked about it.

I have been to this park about a dozen times, but this was my first time playing the disc golf course. Thankfully, some good weather over thanksgiving weekend gave me enough time to get a round in on the short-short.

The course is well maintained and was gorgeous to walk through in the fall. It offered a great mix of fun and challenge even on the short layout. While the distances weren't huge on some holes, the layout of fairways and great use of the natural layout of the park had me using more molds than I anticipated I would be. It's got elevation change, line variety off the tee, and technical shots in just the right blend. While accurate drives and approaches were rewarded, a tree kick or wonky drive was not overly punishing.

The long to long course seemed like a whole other beast of a course with some huge distances and some tight fairways. I can see it offering a very hearty challenge to the experienced player and I would have loved to try it if I had enough time in the day.

The rough wasn't bad even with fallen leaves everywhere. Even if the grass is a bit tall or thick, I never had any issues locating an errant drive well off the fairway.

Good blend of left/right handed holes. I found myself throwing backhand and forehand almost equally to hit one of the multiple sweet spots in the fairway off the tee pad. I assumed each hole was a par 3 and shot about +2 playing casually but with good effort.

I didn't encounter any pedestrian traffic aside from other golfers (who were very courteous). Maybe it was just the time of year I was playing but I didn't notice any trails or gathering areas close to the course.

Cons:

Being my first time playing here, I had a few issues navigating the course (as did my partner). Now that I've played once I feel like all of my confusion is gone but it was a little frustrating at times walking to what seemed like the next hole only to find out I had skipped over two.

Lack of signage and concrete pads. In most places this wouldn't bother me, but a course with this great of a layout deserves something better than uneven gravel tee boxes (some fine, some with large holes). Tee signs would also be great as there were a hole or two I just drove blind on. I couldn't imagine even trying to play long-long without knowing where some of the tucked away long pins are.

Other Thoughts:

While this course is technically pay to play, I think the few bucks per car fee (honor system) is more than fair for access to this park which contains a great deal of pavilions and some amazing hiking/biking trails. The locals are all very friendly and the grounds are well maintained without any riff-raff running about.

I wish I could give this course a 3.75 and I understand that my gripes over tee pads and signs may be a limitation of being withing a state park, but with them I would have no restraint in rating this a 4. I had fun as an intermediate player and my partner playing their first round ever had a blast. I will absolutely be returning here in the future.
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5 1
Orioles_Lefty
Experience: 8.7 years 60 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Probably Need to Go Again 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 27, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

The multiple tees and multiple baskets provide a number of different routing options. The majority of the holes are interesting and well designed. The designers were clearly disc golfers, it would seem. The highlight holes, playing short to short and short to long, were 8 and 17, two of the holes that would fall into the "more wooded" category as the course ranges from wide-open shots to significantly wooded holes. And I didn't have trouble finding discs, even when I left the fairway on wooded holes while throwing multple discs. Might have been luck or it might have been a lack of underbrush for the most part.

Cons:

As I discuss below, my relative disappointment with the course may simply be that I had had the course talked up to me in advance of going.

The four major drawbacks to me are: 1)lack of signage, 2)minor-ish navigation issues, 3) gravel tees and 4)issues that come with "state park" territory.

Given the lack of signs and the number of blind shots (even short to short), you pretty much have to walk the course once to get any sense of the holes. I chose to do that instead of walking up many fairways for research(the back nine features fewer blind or "dense in the trees" pins.

Others have touched on the navigation issues in earlier reviews, so I am not going to harp on them. What they all said remains accurate: some confusion in the middle of the front 9 and some backtracking necessary hole to hole, especially if you play the long baskets.

The loose gravel (powder gravel) tees are pitted from wear. I mentally allow uneven tee pads to get the best of me, so that's on me. But filling in the wear sports would be a huge improvement. Some are better than others, with perhaps 1/3 being worn enough to really be uneven.

As for state park issues, I decided to play the front 9 again (short-long) after completing the 18 holes. I ended up playing long-long on the first hole because people were picnicking in the fairway. When I got ready for my approach shot on 2, a man walked up to the pin and started reading the hole number signs. Odd. And twice I encountered people walking at me in fairways. Perhaps the holes share some "hiking" trails, official or otherwise. Not sure, but I prefer not to have interaction with non-disc golfers, especially if they are picnicking in the fairway. Oh, there's also a picnic table between the B and C pins on 1 that was being used. I worked around the people but still a problem.

Although the park costs 2 bucks, I don't see this as pay-to-play. It's "pay to get access to a state park," but that access doesn't guarantee a disc golf experience free from non-disc golfers. I guess I was looking forward to that (based on what I expected the course to be).

Other Thoughts:

This is a course I wish I could write about without ranking. At just over 4, the course clearly has been a good experience for many people. I don't know if I'm there. I really felt it was a 3.0 but bumped it up to 3.5 wondering if I was scoring based off of disappointment relative to expectations.

Until I moved to the Balt area, I had never played a state park course. Now, having played two (I know, small sample size) I see them as doing the best they can with the space and contexts offered by a state park. And the designers did a really good job. That said, a number of the back nine holes (11, 14, 16) were pretty boring. Also, the short tees turn many shots into "straight" shots. The 2 tee/2 basket design offers variety, but the variety requires concessions from individual layouts.

I can't say much about the Green Monster (long-long) other than I opted out of a few long pins on the front 9 because they required throwing in or over much rougher (and sometimes overgrown) areas. That didn't interest me with my limited skill set but others may have a different experience.

I wanted to write this review because a recent one hadn't been posted. I wrote it specifically for someone who is only going to visit the course once. The course takes a lot of labor in terms of getting a lay of the land. I suspect I might enjoy it more on a return visit but I can't really say I enjoyed playing it today (I never felt in the "disc golf" zone). Like I said, I settled on a 3.5 as a protection against my own possibly unfair biases, but that seems like a high score for a course I didn't much enjoy playing.
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12 0
mullethead326
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.6 years 377 played 13 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Don't Expect a Birdie-Fest 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 16, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-This is one of the best-maintained disc golf courses in Maryland. It is well-mown, facilities are clean, teepads and baskets are in good condition: this is the case for pay-to-play.

-Patapsco blends open and wooded golf into a long and challenging set of layouts. The long-long ("Green Monster) and short-short layouts are, in my opinion, the best configurations, but each (including perhaps the "yellow" tees) offers something distinct. Several holes pose thought puzzles that may take several plays to figure out a viable attack. Having to think about stability, landing zone distance, and finishing angle add another level of interest to a course--Patapsco is scenic enough that the course alone is fun; having to self-caddy is a nice bonus.

-The most consistent theme I notice on the course is basket placement, especially on the long setup. Several are on steep slopes that, like elevated baskets, serve as their own hazard for poor execution. In some cases, it works--one such example is on hole 6, where a really good tee shot can get to the green, and the safest place to lay up is a log about 20 feet uphill of the basket--still a tester putt. In some other cases, the hole length an grade seem to result in everyone laying up, and the hole becomes tweener-y.

Cons:

As much as I enjoy playing Patapsco, there are a few things that don't thrill me.

-Signage and navigation. My understanding is that PVSP doesn't want the permanence of signs set into the ground (see also: teepads). I rarely mark courses down for lacking amenities, but in the case of this "finished" course that has some navigation difficulties and whose reputation may attract out-of-town visitors, the scarcity of directional signage, hole diagrams, or distances makes several baskets or entire holes difficult to find.

-It's a shame that a course of otherwise high quality throws over the internal park road on four separate holes, with 5 & 10 paralleling the road. On busy weekends, I've seen all three major parking lots near the course full with cars flowing in and out, along with cars and horses using the roads. I'm not sure what the original space limitations entailed, and the course is developed and accepted in this condition, but I'd think it preferable to transition across roads without throwing over them.

-A couple holes could use more valid lines. Hole 7's tee shot to any of the three locations, 8's shot to the long basket, and 16's tee shot are three I really notice. On 7, the two longest positions effectively become tweeners (3/4 for B, 4/5 for C) because the primary gap is too small for the distance off the tee; many players throw without a definite correlation between "well-thrown shot" and "effective shot". Hole 8 has numerous evenly-spaced trees without a truly preferable line. 16 has one tree that everyone throws at and hopes to miss in the middle of an otherwise fair gap.

-Some of the routing for the green (long) baskets in particular makes them seem like an afterthought. One has to backtrack on 11 holes to the subsequent teepad.

-Hole 1 is a comedy of strange design decisions. It throws across a road, has a bailout hyzer option (on the long tee) only available to RHBH power throwers, has a baseball backstop right in the middle of the hole (an obstacle, but a very contrived one), and a has basket close to two meters above the surrounding ground (current PDGA specs call for 82 cm +/-6 cm). The concrete tube just looks ugly and out-of-place.

Other Thoughts:

-The park has some other amenities to appeal to a wide variety of visitors. The trail network, in particular, is well-known throughout Maryland for bicyclists, hikers, and equestrians.

-Every now and again, it'll occur to me that this is a lefty course, then I'll throw a stable backhand on the next three holes. This is the disease of recency and sampling bias, but I think there are some hole sequences that may favor a particular throwing style.

-Best holes:
17 has two choices off the tee, with plenty of trees and a punishing valley to navigate. It's the kind of hole I look at and my heart starts pumping. You can't cheat it and you can't bail out.
13-15 are a down-up-down sequence that play generously for the lefty. The shot-shaping required is well-timed after two wide-open holes. I will say, the backtracking is rough on these and Green Monster 13 & 15 are megatweeners for a gold-level player, but they're otherwise quality holes.
3 is a placement shot off the tee, then a touchy approach to a runaway green. It takes a few plays to figure out throwing angles and distances.

-This is one of the best courses in Maryland and the mid-Atlantic. It forces players to make quality shots and accept punishments for bad ones. With a few small changes, I would have no problem bumping to a 4.5. That's what my heart says already, but throwing over roads, lack of signage, and just a couple of plinko trees make this a solid four.
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5 0
Jhayesh2o
Experience: 20 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Objective Review from Out-of-towner 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 15, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

I found myself in the greater Baltimore area and after playing down at Rockburn Branch, was looking for a bit more challenging course to play. Having never played here before, I was a bit wary to play because I read others' reviews regarding how it was to navigate the course. I attempted to obtain a map from the ranger office (11AM on a Monday) and was unable to do so because the Ranger was out. I did see a map through the window, sitting on a table. Alas, I digress. I followed the gps coords right to the parking lot and there is a map displayed on a bulletin board that I snapped a pic of with my phone. The course played naturally along two loops (front nine and back nine). Each hole has two tees and two baskets. Other reviewers noted these were hard to distinguish, but I didn't find this to be the case. Most of the longer tees were designated with a blue post and for most holes the two tees were only about 20 yards apart so it was pretty obvious for me which was the short one and which the long. The baskets were also fairly easy to spot. The silver/gray baskets are the shorter and the green baskets were the long. On a few holes I could not spot the green basket until I was at the gray basket, but this was not an issue since I opted to play short to short. The other pro I can offer is that while I don't claim to be a great player by any means, I don't usually find short to short to be challenging for me on courses that have this option. Not so for this course. For me, most of the short to short holes were still quite challenging averaging probably 350 or so. That said, the long to long probably averages 450 or so, if not longer. So my point is playing the long to long would be quite challenging for even pro throwers, since most of the time I play long to long.

I also think it is a pro that there weren't a lot of places where you could lose a disc. I have played those courses where even a moderately poor throw can land a disc in a 4' section of grass that can take a dedicated discer 30+ minutes to find. On this course, the ground was pretty clear of dense brush and finding a disc was pretty easy. The only exception I would provide is hole 11 since the field has a few areas where tall grass resides. But if you watch your disc carefully you should be able to find it in a few minutes with the help of your mates.

Cons:

Not really a true con, but for a first timer the only trouble areas I found navigation wise was on the front nine. Moving from 4 to 5 is a bit tricky if you just look for the nearest set of tees after the basket. Directly across the road are the tees to hole 9 and we inadvertently threw to 8's basket. But when we got there and saw the 8 on the basket, we knew we messed up. No worries, turned around and saw 5's tees just 50 yards up the road from 9's tee. After you play 5, the only other hiccup is that 6's tee is across the road playing back. This may be bit confusing since the tees for 7 are close to the basket on hole 5. But as long as you look before you throw, you will see that the tees for 7 are labeled. This may seem a bit confusing, but the point I am trying to make is that as long as you refer to the map at the parking lot (take a picture and refer to it after every few holes or so) you will be just fine.

Other Thoughts:

I read in one review that this course is a lot like New Quarter Park with greater elevation. I hazard to compare courses because they are all so unique in their own regard. But I think the comparison is pretty good. It is also a bit like Mt Airy DGC in Ohio as well in that it has a few open holes and some wooded ones as well with a few mixed uphill and downhill holes.

A final thought is that I think it is good that they added a third T at most of the holes for the kiddies. I didn't know what they were at first, because they are just two cinder blocks in the ground, but after looking for a disc at hole 11, a dad and his daughter caught up to me and we finished playing together. His daughter played from this third set of Ts and I thought it was a really good touch to make the course truly playable for all walks and ages.
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5 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 548 played 429 reviews
4.00 star(s)

60 Throws in the Valley 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 17, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Patapsco Valley State Park has a disc golf course that can be tailored to fit your arm, or just give you a new look. If 4.25 rating was an option, I would place it there. Right between excellent and phenomenal. There are dual tee boxes that are flat and level, and dual baskets on all of the 18 holes. I played long tees to short baskets, and wound up shooting a 60. Only deuce was hole 12. I don't remember water coming into play at all. The short tees might have let me get closer to par, but the longs were worth it on some of the elevation holes. My favorite holes were mostly in the middle of the course, like 7-10 and 17 and 18 in particular. I actually began on the back nine, and 10 is a better beginning hole, but I liked the front 9 a little better overall. Both halves begin and end near the parking lot. There are several places throughout the course with slight to considerable elevation changes, and and about half of the holes are moderately wooded also. The average holes on this course are a stiff enough challenge, but the great holes are what would make me come back for more. I loved 9 and 10, and 18 was a pretty good finisher also. Great downhill shots with enough trees to keep it interesting. Very interesting. Park is mostly clean and free of litter.

Cons:

There is a cost to enter the park, more for out of staters like me. The disc golf course is in the PVSP - McKeldin area, and of course I made the error of not specifying this in my GPS. This results in extra 25 minutes driving from the other PVSP - Hollofield area it guided me to. I had a course map, and still got lost looking for the next hole more than once. Paying attention could have helped, and so could a few helpful signs. There are holes that play across roads, not ideal but not a major problem. All holes were ok at minimum, but holes like 1 and 11 are a bit dull in comparison the rest. To open and flat for me to get excited about. Grass was mowed, and the rough was covered with heavy clippings on hole 11, causing lost disc delay for me, on a wide open hole. There are saplings that will eventually impact this hole also Constant noise from a nearby gun range, they were busting a LOT of caps on the Sunday afternoon I was playing at PVSP. No trash cans, park goers must pack trash out with them.

Other Thoughts:

I am not accustomed to seeing dual baskets on courses where I live, but I liked the added dimension. This course was well worth the price of admission. The State Park is expansive and other recreation and camping is available in the vicinity. Sort of similar to New Quarter in Williamsburg, VA but with more elevation.
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11 0
New013
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 179 played 120 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Pattatat Sco Field 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Layout - Patapsco plays through a state park which gives you multiple landscape elements. The course offers two permanent pads and pins so each hole has four ways to play it. For the purpose of this review we played all long pads and a mixture of long and short pins; however i did see all of the long pins.

The course starts off in more of a park style area with more open/sparse tree type holes playing near other park features. It crosses a park road and goes in to the woods where some more technical holes and sharper elevation changes start to come in to play. The front nine rounds back to the parking lot and the back 9 plays out through a more rolling hills open pasture area with larger trees coming in to play.

The long course (long pads to long pins) dubbed the green monster shells out an extremely challenging gold level beating. Most holes from the long pad uses longer distances to help create challenge however the long pins are usually backed up/tucked in a tight corner or area that is very hard to access off the tee or on approach.

I like how the course is balanced in terms of hole type. I don't think it's a course that makes you use a lot of imagination or a large repetoire of shots. It's more the this is the line hit it or don't type in the more technical areas. When you get to the more open holes you have more of a variety of options due to the space but from the long pads you mostly just need to be able to be accurate over large distances.

Solid rolling hill type elevation changes throughout the course that help create challenge. There's some holes that make you throw really straight going up or down which isn't easy. Some of the green areas are positioned on sharper and quicker elevation changes which can offer up some challenging putts.

There's a few really awesome holes here that make it easy to see why it's a favorite in the area. The finishing hole is especially awesome and a great way to end the round. Big downhill bomb that starts in the open and goes down in to the trees where the green is situated.

Equipment - - The pads are crush and run and large, really nice size wise. The baskets are in good shape and caught well. The long and short pins are different colors so you can distinguish which is which. There's a course map at the beginning you'll want to examine if not take a picture of if you didn't bring a map.

Atmosphere - A little over half the holes are in a more secluded area away from other park activities and roads. Overall the park is nice and well maintained. Not overly scenic but more of a nice quaint little area.

Cons:

Layout - There's no huge problems with the course overall. I think the first few holes that are in the more shared area of the park are a bit on the boring side and not as interesting. A few of the more open holes on the back 9 are to open for my taste as well.

I do think the challenge on some of green monster seem to be created through overly tight approaches or basket locations that aren't really all that accessible off the tee. It is meant for gold level players but in some cases even if you have the distance to get there you'd need an almost perfect shot to be inside the circle.

The park roads come in close proximity to a few holes and in some cases some blind situations where you can't really tell if a car is coming when you're throwing near or across the road.

The flow of the course can be confusing in some places due to backtracking and long walks. This is compounded by the lack of teesigns on the course so you basically have no real idea where you're throwing in a few places. The shorter pins are usually easier to see but the long pins are green and blend in so you basically need to know where the are before teeing off. That got annoying so we started to play the shorter pins in some cases.

Another thing I noticed is that on some holes the long and short pins weren't that far apart and didn't create much of a difference in hole difficulty. I enjoy courses that offer multiple permanent pin placements but in some cases you have to ask what's the point if they're going to be not that much different.

Equipment - As stated above there are no teesigns for each hole and to me this is a huge drawback to the course for out of towners who don't know the layout. We would of liked to play all of the long pins but in some cases you just couldn't figure out where they were unless you walked more than halfway down the fairway.

Atmosphere - It's not the most scenic or remote course and that takes away from the experience a bit. It just doesn't have the wow factor truly great courses have.

Other Thoughts:

Patapsco is a really solid course and definitely worth checking out if you're in the area. If you want a challenge the green monster will definitely deliver but the option of playing shorter pads or pins makes this course playable by a lot of different skill levels.
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5 0
JohtoVillage
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24 years 160 played 73 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 1, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

I played the Long Tee to the Long Pin so my review is based on that design. What a challenge it was to play the Green Monster. This course was truly par 4 golf. I would recommend only playing the long tees to the long pins if you are an experienced golfer. There was not one hole under 400 feet! This course is listed at par 64 but I would probably put it at a par 67. It was an awesome test of golf that you simply do not find that often. Kudos to the designer and the park for allowing this course to be put in. On a long course I like to have long tee pads and these were some of the biggest tee pads I can remember playing. I like to be tested on a disc golf course and this course really tested your distance and your ability to hold a line. The course also had some sneaky elevation by the basket that really added some extra challenge. I had a few 50 foot jump putts that I attempted - one went in and one went 40 feet by and the one that I missed hit the basket. It appeared that most holes had three tees and every hole had two baskets. There are not many courses in the country that can boast having two baskets on every hole while offering enough variation to make it a different feel with a different challenge. Even though this course is really long from the back tees, it offered some nice variety where you couldn't just grip it and rip it without consequences. Hole 2, for instance, was this way. Even though the hole was 423 feet the fairway was tight enough to give me pause about crushing my destroyer and trying to make a 2. I threw my Buzzz 340 feet and took my three and went to the next hole. Finally, kudos to the designer for getting the baskets to be different colors. With two baskets on each hole I think it was imperative to go with a different color for the long baskets.

Cons:

I truly wanted to give this course a 4.5 rating. I truly did. I knocked the course down to a 4.0 because of navigation issues. Even though I had a very detailed map I was simply lost on a few holes. After hole 5 I played hole 7 thinking it was hole 6. I went back and played hole 6 and was scratching my head at the navigation. Hole 5 played along the road and then hole 6 went across a road and down the other way. Unfortunately none of the holes have signs on them. Most holes do include some directional signs for going to the next tee but a lot of the time you are "hoping" that you are playing the right hole because as I said...none of the holes have any type of sign. I thought about giving the course a 4.0 rating but the combination of the tee pads and the safety issues forced me to give this course a 3.5. The tee pads, while really big, are soft gravel. The addition of concrete would immediately raise this course up in my opinion. On the safety issue, this was two-fold. On many holes (at least six I can think of), the long basket finished down a hill about 150 feet past the short pin. You then had to walk back up the hill to get to the next hole. In my opinion this is a safety issue. If someone was playing behind you and didn't know you were there I could see someone getting hit. Even though the addition of the second basket on each hole is WONDERFUL, walking back up the same fairway is not ideal. The second safety issue were holes 4 and 9. 9 was actually one of my favorite holes but throwing across a road of which cars are constantly driving down is just not a good idea. Hole 9 is not as bad as hole 4 because the angle allows you to see the cars more easily. Hole 4 is unfortunately a very dangerous hole, in my opinion. Because the latter 250 feet play somewhat uphill, you simply cannot see if there are cars coming or not. This is simply not safe. I think this is easily solved by simply finishing this hole before the road. I think having a road cross a hole is okay if its at the beginning of the hole where you can easily see if a car is coming, but putting a road where cars travel 30MPM 300 feet from the teebox is simply not safe.

Other Thoughts:

PLEASE NOTE: Please pay attention to the location of this course. If you type Patapsco Valley State Park in your GPS you will be out of luck. I would recommend punching in the latitude/longitude coordinates or using the address listed on the first page when getting to the course. In addition, it is imperative that you get a map from the ranger station. If you do not have a map you will not have any distances and you will not know where to go on some holes. Also please note this is a pay to play course. I think this is the future of disc golf and was okay to pay the fee. It was $5 because I was out of state but that probably keeps some of the chuckers off of the course. Some others have commented that it was $3 but they definitely charged me $5. It this course adds signs and concrete I would definitely raise my rating to a 4.0 and would even consider a 4.5.
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5 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Patapsco Gives You Options! 2+ years

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

Pros:

With two pads and two baskets per hole, Patapaso Valley DGC always give the player the option of playing the easier layout or the more challenging Green Monster or something in between. On a long hard day of disc, playing along I chose the short to short route but wasn't always sure which basket or tee pad I was using. They're not all that clearly marked.

The park is a lovely piece of greenery with rolling elevation. Fairways are mowed with the fringe roughs usually just taller grass with the true rough a thicker mass of bushes.

The courses forces you to throw accurately less you find yourself finding time looking for your disc. I did appreciate the variety of hole length and also the nice combo of lefty and righty balanced holes.

The tee pads were extra large but filled with sand. They tend to get rutted and are problematic when wet.

Cons:

Playing alone, the navigation issue with the lack of signage was kind of annoying. I had to wander ahead at times to figure out which basket I was throwing at.

I'm not a fan of the sand filled tee pads.

$3 to enter the park for out of state isn't too bad. But it's not a PRO either.

Other Thoughts:

With the combination of two tee pads and two baskets for each hole giving players four distinct challenges here at this beautiful park, it makes Patapaso Valley a top notch course to visit time and time again. I would have loved to have had the time to played all four options. Maybe I'll get a chance some time in my future.
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3 5
timray109
Experience: 12.8 years 2 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Decent course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

As I read in previous reviews, one of the main things you will definitely need is accuracy.This course is a great course that I will definitely come back to it time and time again. It was very challenging and fun at the same time. Whenever I made a bad drive, soon enough I would make a birdie, and I would be happy again. It also had a great variety of elevation changes and hole lengths. Price was alright, at 3 bucks a pop.

Cons:

As a somewhat of a beginner, I found this course to be quite challenging. Narrow fairways and tight pin positions just add to the difficulty. I found myself having some drives off the tee that looked alright, but do to the tight fairways, seemed terrible. Out of the whole time I was there, I probably spent 10-15 minutes looking for discs, and it would've been more, had I not had friends to spot where my discs landed. And because disc golf is not played from the ground like regular golf, it would help if the "rough" wasn't so tall. That is where the bugs live! Directions were not too good, at numerous holes I could not find the next hole.
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7 5
Martin Dewgarita
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.4 years 1589 played 93 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Frying Eggs While Sleepwalking 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 23, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Personal Rank: 105

A very enjoyable course - not one of those that blows me out of the water, just one that leaves a very pleasant taste in my mouth. It accomplishes this with well defined fairways, a variety of shots needed on each hole, good elevation and differing lengths of holes. Never did I approach a hole with an "oh, this hole again" feeling, rather an "alright, a new challenge," from long bombs to shorter technical holes makes for an overall well rounded course.

I definitely recommend this course, it was nice to have a guide, it's definitely one of those courses where some local knowledge helps. If possible you might want to find a local to show you around. Though I'm sure with a map I could have experienced this course solo just fine. If you're planning a trip through the area, make the stop, but I wouldn't necessarily make this a destination area with better options nearby.

Other Thoughts:

After playing 1000 courses, I'm excited to share my opinion on some of my favorites. My top 100+ list can be found on my blog, my favorites list is at 110 of 1020 as of writing this review. Of all courses played, the top 1.5% receive a rating of 5, down to 6% is a 4.5, and 15% is a 4.0 creating a bell curve distribution. I apologize that my reviews are not as detailed as they have been previously. I have included the details as to why this course stands out to the best that my memory serves.

My personal criteria is very subjective, a gut feeling:
~Physical beauty stands out, both scenery and the beauty of each hole.
~Amenities don't mean much to me, it doesn't much matter if there's benches, concrete tee pads, or garbage cans.
~Technical design - How well designed are the fairways/airways and landing areas? Are there unique holes that stand out? Variety of holes - distances, shapes, elevation, tree density, rough thickness. Pars 4 and 5?
~I love extreme/adventure golf. Rugged and secluded courses stand out more than park style courses. In general I prefer more technical over more open.
~Local Scene. If I was involved in a tournament or league or met up with some locals and played the course multiple times I appreciate different aspects of a course.
~The main thing I ask myself is "Does this course make me want to come back?" if the answer is yes, it makes the list.

Thank you, enjoy my reviews and if you don't find this information helpful, please let me know what I can do to improve.
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1 7
beagle757
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

My favorite course yet. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 24, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Nice variety of holes; you have a chance for long distance throws down a fairway, as well as threading trees (fairways are favored however). There are two skill levels of baskets and tees, so players both new and experienced can be challenged. Park is very well kept.

Cons:

Admission fee is somewhat irksome, but not unreasonable. WARNING: the fee changes from 2$ per car on weekdays to 3$ per person on weekends, so be ready.
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4 3
mikeyg
Experience: 22.9 years 42 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Really fun course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

The course had a really nice layout with a wide variety of throws required. There were a lot of well protected baskets without any heavily wooded "pinball" holes. Good use of elevation and overall a beautiful park. The park was also very well maintained. Two tees and two pins on each hole, good variety. Tee boxes were all really big also

Cons:

The main con and the reason that this course only gets a 4 from me instead of a 4.5 is the lack of good signs. Most tees had only a small wooden stump with the hole number and some didn't even have that. If I hadn't taken a picture on my iPhone of the course map posted near the parking lot I would have had a very difficult time navigating. Even with the pic I didn't know how long holes were which, while not necessary, is better than estimating. I have no problem with courses in pay to play parks. I feel good about contributing to the courses. However, with some money coming in for the course, the signs should be much better.
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14 1
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Options 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 23, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a large park with well used rolling elevation changes. Many holes use the hills to add challenge and variety. There is a nice mix of a few field type holes with some rough and protected pins in play and lots of technical shots. There are two tees and two pins on every hole, most of which change up the shot length and shape quite a bit. This makes for lots of options on how to play the course with 4 distinct shots on every hole, offering appropriate challenges for different levels of players.

There is a really nice balance of hole shapes here, with a mix of left and right turning wooded holes and some shots that offer multiple lines. There is also a nice mix of hole lengths with the different tees and pins, the shortest layout offers some fun ace run shots, and the longest layout has lots of holes requiring long accurate drives. The park was nicely maintained when I played, with all the fairways mowed and cleared. The course loops back to the parking lot at 9, always a nice bonus when the land allows that design feature.

Cons:

The tees were a little frustrating here after a recent rain. They seemed like they'd be fine when dry, but most had minor ruts and depressions that held water and turned the tees into muddy puddles. Signage is lacking here, both at the tees and between holes. Many holes are blind and you have to walk them to know where to throw and guess at the distances. There are some navigation issues as well, especially with tees that aren't always numbered. Some roads come into play throughout the course taking away from the natural feel and potentially causing safety issues.

Other Thoughts:

The design of this course is great, especially with two pins and two tees. Every combination seemed to be a solid hole, a lot of thought went into this layout and it's cool to see that level of commitment by the locals and the park. The longest layout offers a great challenge to experienced players that tests all kinds of shots. The shortest layout is accessible to newer players, though it still has enough length and rough to potentially frustrate inaccurate throwers. The replay value is great here, with 4 levels of difficulty to choose from on every hole and beautiful wooded scenery.
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1 9
LukeMetz
Experience: 128 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Green Monsters 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 26, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has a great mix of open holes, technical wooded holes and elevation change. I was sceptical about the tee pads at first but after using them, I realized that they are perfect.

Cons:

Playing the back tees to the Green baskets: all these baskets seem to be heavily guarded. a great drive left me with questionable up shots.

Other Thoughts:

Its possible to 3 every hole in long locations. 2s are harder to come by.
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