Medford, NJ

Freedom Park

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0.715(based on 17 reviews)
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6 0
dino2disc
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.6 years 73 played 39 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Try to Eagle the Funky Mando on #2 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 9, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

As all the reviews here should tell you, don't expect too much more than 4 nice baskets and 4 short concrete tees in an open field. That being said, I've seen and played worse, and there are 4 nice things about this place:

- Discatcher baskets are the best, and they're still in great shape.

- This could be a great place to practice making accurate bomb shots on a windy day, away from people and any serious hazards.

- #2: it would be easy to view the 90 degree mando right turn around the tree 'island' on this hole as an awkward, forced, ridiculous choice of hole layout, but I tried to evaluate it with an open mind. In the end, after playing it twice, I kind of like it because of how bizarrely unique it is. Without the mando turn this would be a fairly boring flat and open hole. Even better is the "first eagle" potential for intermediate players: if you throw a high, hard, and strong-arcing forehand (as a righty that is) around the tops of the trees in the island then you could be left with just a fairly long, straight, and very slightly downhill approach shot to setup an eagle putt on this par 5.

- Easy to find with plenty of parking.

Cons:

There's not a lot of point of going into exhaustive detail since there's only 4 holes, but the main drawbacks would include:
- Flat terrain, no hills, water, or even any trees really in play except for the 'island' on #2 unless you really overthrow or shank a shot.
- Yes the concrete tees are a little short, but at least they are concrete and they are even with the grass surface so you can simply start further back on the grass if you feel you need something longer.
- Only tee sign remaining is for #3, and it's mostly hidden in a bush that is really close to your arm follow-through position if you're a righty -> really poor choice of position for it.
- With a lack of any trees it might get kind of tough to judge the distances and the strength you need... just the reality of open field holes I suppose...
- You might have to wait for a dog walker or throw around a picnicing family or two, and it sounds like there may be informally organized sports on these fields sometimes.

Other Thoughts:

- Seems like this place gets kind of thrashed by reviewers for how boring and open it is, but hey there are nice Discatcher baskets and it's important to remember that they were installed as part of an Eagle Scout project - so how judgemental can we really be? I think the best viewpoint on this "course" is to applaud the scout's effort to put a few holes in a popular park if for no other reason than to introduce more people and families to the sport!
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2 0
Tiwal
Experience: 10 played 10 reviews
1.00 star(s)

There are chains... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 11, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

There are chains. You can practice distance throws in open field, as long as you don't hit people. Flat grass so you can't lose discs.

Cons:

4 chains in the open. Goes through a park with traffic, so remember to yell fore!

Other Thoughts:

It could be a good putting practice area with some work.
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2 0
HyooMac
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.8 years 419 played 387 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Practice in this field 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 19, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

+ 4 good Discatcher baskets

+ Plenty of room to throw / test discs with few hazards

+ The layout is simple, but the distances are long enough to throw more than mids

Cons:

- The concrete "teepads" are very small: you can use them for standstill only

- Three of four tee signs are missing

- I didn't know about the hole #2 mando. Yes it's superdumb, but I updated the uDisc map to show it anyway

Other Thoughts:

~ Use uDisc to find the first teepad and to understand which basket you should be throwing toward

~ Despite intentions of the designers, this really isn't a "course." It's four baskets in a big field. Approach it like a practice facility; use it for warmups, for testing new discs, or for just getting out and throwing for 20 minutes.

~ Go and enjoy throwing at baskets, instead of throwing at a soccer goal, home plate, or an end zone
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6 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.9 years 222 played 184 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Free Parking at Freedom Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 18, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

(Skip down to 'Other Thoughts.')

Cons:

(Skip down to 'Other Thoughts.')

Other Thoughts:

How does one evaluate a course that has, say, only 12 holes? Only 9 holes? Or indeed just 4 holes? Should any such course be held to the same standards as any given 18-hole course? Or must the courses with fewer than eighteen holes be graded within a realm of their own? Are they all placed on the same relative scale, or should certain affordances be made to accommodate the courses with less play space?

For instance, if I one day in the future play at a 9-hole course that has striking elevation challenges, perfect tee boxes, splendid signage, a lost disc box, brand new baskets, a bench at every hole, pre-made scorecards for the taking, plenty of water hazards, expertly carved fairways, top-notch tunnel throws and sublime scenery from start to finish, then could I be right to award that course a 5 out of 5 for being the best 9-hole course? Even though courses with 18 holes have literally double the disc golf to offer, can a smaller course possibly overpower a "proper" course simply because it has a tighter and more cohesive appearance out of all the other 9-hole courses?

Or, if all courses are graded on the same scale, should the best-ever 9-hole course always earn a lower rating than an "almost perfect" 18-hole course? 18 is nine doubled. Surely, that means it takes double the effort to keep the course in order, so how fair would it be to award 9-holes a higher rating than 18-holes?

I found myself faced with questions like those as I played the 4 holes at Freedom Park today.

Why? Because this place is atrocious.

All flat. All wide-open. All boring. The challenge is just distance and nothing more. The one mando at hole 2 does precious little to breathe life into this place. But you wouldn't know it's a mando because there is no signage of any kind to speak of expect at hole 3, but it stands way too close to the pad, and the little shrub there gets in the way. The area around you is dull and repetitive to look at. The tee pads are concrete, but they're too small to sensibly use, and they are hard to find in the first place.
The baskets are probably the best thing about the course. They exist, and they aren't damaged. They give the disc golfer a reason to be there, I suppose, but only if the player is completely brand new to the sport or lives supremely closeby.

As I threw, I started asking myself all of those questions I mentioned earlier when it dawned on me:

Sure, this course is awful, but what if there is an even worse course out there? Statistically speaking, there simply must be some 9-hole or maybe even a few 18-hole courses that are in worse shape than this collection of failure. But would a cruddy 18-hole course be automatically better than an equally cruddy 9-hole course? Or would I rate them on the same scale? Freedom Park is where I began to seriously question and consider my methods of evaluating courses because the disc golf here was too boring.

Bottom line: An effort has been made at one point in the past, but this course has been long forgotten. Come here only if you want wide-open driving practice. I cannot recommend this course to anyone looking for a proper disc golf experience. Steer clear of this place.
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1 0
Gunslinger82
Experience: 5 played 2 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Practice Makes Perfect 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 25, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

If you want to practice your booming drives in a wide open field or get a feel for how a disc will behave with no impediments this is the course for you. At sunset there's some really gorgeous views of the sky in such a wide open park. The grounds are well mowed and it's hard to lose a disc here. Really great for putting practice if you don't have a portable. Since I know hole 1 is 273 feet I can tell almost exactly how far my drives are judging by distance from the basket. I usually just throw back and forth to basket 1 and then back toward basket 4 from wherever I land.

Cons:

It's only 4 holes with no real challenge obstruction wise. There is no direction or map for newcomers to figure out where to start or end. My first outing ended up with me throwing at the wrong baskets and I didn't realize until I came within sight of the # on the top ring. I've lost 2 discs here due to utter stupidity and extremely dense brush along the edges of the course. After a rain I wouldn't attempt it because the area between basket 1 and 3 becomes mud soup.

Other Thoughts:

Hole layout is as follows:
1.Concrete pad to basket directly ahead.
2. From basket #1 wander to the right of the tree clump in the middle and you'll find a concrete pad facing perpendicular to the first. This is a MANDO around the left side of the tree clump with the basket within view to the far right.
3. There's actually a sign on this one with distance and Par. It has a guardian bush on the sign. The only threat here is going long on your approach.
4. Final concrete tee pad faces back toward the first and the basket is on a slight incline. There's water to your right so if your disc turns too hard you will be sunk in the swamp.

If you have a portable you can make this a 5 hole or expand the existing to create your own layout without teepads. Get creative and have fun. Isn't that the point?
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3 0
whitefedora
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.6 years 906 played 36 reviews
0.00 star(s)

just don't 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 1, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Concrete tees. But you can't even really use them... soooo....

Hmmm.... easy to navigate and bag in minutes. Seriously had to think of any positives.

Cons:

The sign is in the way and dangerous for your follow through.
People are everywhere. Dangerous.
The holes are flat, boring and the one with a huge mando is dumb.

Other Thoughts:

Just don't. I used to think that any course is better than non until here.
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4 0
hawk12
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 33.6 years 272 played 28 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Driving & putting practice only 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Four baskets, four concrete tees, bathrooms & pavilions. Not much else here.
Good place for area Golfers as there were no basket courses anywhere in the are until Stafford Woods went in last year.

Cons:

Tee signs are directly in front of the concrete tee pads = serious injury risk to player during throw if use the tee.
Not much here for a serious disc golfer. Just a driving range and putting practice. FLAT, no trees on any holes, no obstacles, no challenge at all.

Other Thoughts:

I did not plY here for years as I knew there was not much here for me. I went to walk to the park for expansion & found the entire park is either playground, baseball field or dog OFF leash everywhere.
There is no place for disc golf expansion at this park unless there is a bridge or access across the river one day.
A nice park for picnic, good pavilions & bathrooms, nice river/creek, good place to take your dog.
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3 2
Buchajs1
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.7 years 168 played 44 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Not worth it 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 2, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

4 baskets- no variety and nothing interesting here

Cons:

Umm. Where to start.
Geese poop everywhere- my sneakers were smelly and covered in geese poop after hs crappy ordeal
gets flooded- do not come here after any amount of rain for it will be a nasty round
Too many pedestrians on path next to holes 3 and 4- this pretty sums the course up, lck of thought put ino a failed design, which posed a safety hazard.
Open!!!!- lack of variety. The baskets are only good use for putting and safari holes
Be careful not to bloody your hand- signs were put right in front of th teepads, a huge mistake

Other Thoughts:

Not worth it.
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5 0
discNDav
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 37.9 years 437 played 91 reviews
0.50 star(s)

don't bother 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

It's very hard to list any pro's besides it has 4 tees and 4 baskets, that's better than none at all.

Cons:

Only 4 baskets set in an open field with the 2 tee signs in directly in front of the short cement tee area. Single chain baskets. Un-mowed grass in the field. All baskets can be seen from anywhere on the course. Hole 2 has a stupid mando left to right around a group of trees.

Other Thoughts:

I waited 6 years before playing this course and knew it would be a waste of time, it definitely was.Unless you are already within 2 blocks nearby, go play DG at Stafford in Voorhees or Sedgley in Philly.
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5 5
fbj2361
Experience: 15.5 years 3 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

freedom park bad 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 12, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

not very good to much gees poop also dog poop. kids running and dogs running around

Cons:

only 4 holes, only hole 2 is ok because it has a dogleg but that doesnt mean i liked it i would not recomend to drive their if over 15 minutes not worth it

Other Thoughts:

would not recomend because its easy wide open and not really worth it unless your just using the baskets and what not to practice putting
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6 0
Mystic1027
Experience: 13.6 years 12 played 3 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Doesn't hold up well 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 11, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good course to get a basic grasp of the game on. Easy to find with ample parking. Relatively hard for new players to lose a disc on this course. Lots of room in the park for potential redesign/expansion.

Cons:

Short (4 holes) course with very little variety. Flat, open field is often very windy. Tee sign on hole #1 obstructs throwing. Fairways on holes 3 and 4 are often subject to heavy foot traffic from people walking to and from the dog park next door. If, by some chance, you happen to wing one off into the woods, be prepared to get very friendly with a variety of thorns and brambles.

Other Thoughts:

Not worth making a trip for, but it's a decent spot to head to if you're local for some driving or putting practice. Had usually played 2-3 rounds at a time here in the past, but after playing at course like Sedgley Woods and Tyler State Park, was completely uninspired to play more than a single round the last time I was here beore leaving.
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6 0
jparent
Experience: 14.1 years 12 played 4 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Review from first time disk player 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 7, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course is located in between a playground with a few pavilions and on the opposite side is a dog park. There is ample parking and it is very easy to find. Good beginner course since the course is quite small and wide open. Also there are public bathrooms and other things to do in the park. Skateboard park, volleyball, basketball and outside areas to grill.

Cons:

Only four holes. Hole 3 is placed right next to the path that people walk their dogs on. Hole four's fairway is flooded for 1-3 days after ANY rain. people walking their dog through hole 4 to get to the dog park. Careful not to bloody your hand on the tee signs that are RIGHT next to the concrete tee pads.
Hole 3 throws over the path that people walk their dogs.
The last two times I was here it was extremely windy, and it is unforgiving since it is just a wide open field.

Other Thoughts:

I became interested in disk golf because this park is about 5 minutes from my house. This is the first course I've played on and it is ok for a family to try out disk golf if you're local. If you have no other options or just want to 'grip it and rip it' then check out the course, otherwise drive the extra distance and go to a course with more holes with a little better layout.
I just use the course for putting practice now.
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7 2
steven2361
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16 years 286 played 55 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Open and Lame 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

It has baskets... Nice Discatchers.
Good distance variety for only 4 holes
No other courses near so if you need to putt come here. A playground is near for the kids.

Cons:

4 holes...
Signs are too close to the teepads. You feel like you're gonna bloody your hand up. Hole 2 is stupid. It is unbirdyable and an easy 3, that is bad. The hole coarse is open except for the mando clump of trees on 2. Other obstacles include oddly placed fences, people with their dogs, lots of dog poo, and the worst,,, tons of flooded fairways. When I was there there was water everywhere. Your socks will be soaked and it's not even worth it because the whole coarse is open! The surrounding woods aren't utilized at all. Again, It's just open...

Other Thoughts:

This is a practice course. Avoid at all costs. Drive all the way to Philly to play Sedgley. Anything but freedom park. This is what you get with an underfunded eagle scout project.
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13 1
optidiscic
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.9 years 156 played 149 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Free Dumb Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 26, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Concrete Tees, Open field holes great for practice, Disc Golf course area is primarily DG course exclusive, Plenty of safari opportunities to make it interesting due to the course not being confined by other park activities. Nice Bathrooms with running water which were open in early spring. Just 4 holes but good distance for a shortie course. Empty your bag and chuck your drivers into the bigness of flat Jersey! (just watch your follow through....thwack!)

Cons:

Just 4 holes. The tee sign placement makes the wonderful tee pads useless. Kind of like putting a speed limit sign in the center of a highway lane. Ouch! There is no elevation, no use of the woods, pond, or even the gently rolling terrain to the front of the park. Kind of foolish to slap down concrete tees when I think it's better to use natural until the optimal layout is established. Stuck with this layout now. Mando 723 foot hole sounds cool but is really pretty bland. Just throw around that big clump of trees in the middle of open field to basket that is 300 feet to your right.Silly! Dogs running around seemed interested in chasing my discs, made me nervous.

Other Thoughts:

I agree this layout is a shame. I would love to see it radically redesigned bringing the rear woods and space in the front of the park into play. I think despite it being a flat piece of land that this park could sustain a creative and fun 9 holes if the woods, pond etc were brought into play. It seems it could be done safely and reasonably. This is the only course around for miles. I am beginning to understand why Tyler in Eastern PA gets so much acclaim, There simply is not much quality disc golf in central NJ to compare it too.
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7 1
LeftyToss
Experience: 15.2 years 6 played 6 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Great Place to learn the Game. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 13, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

For Beginners, Its a great course to learn on because it's very, very open and allows for errant throws without the risk of losing a disc. Tees are concrete so footing is good on them. Baskets are practically brand new and in great shape.

Cons:

Only has 4 holes. There are no trees or real opsticles to deal with. Lots of people/dog traffic on Holes 3 and 4. Lots of land mines (Dog Crap) so watch where you step. Hole 2 isn't marked well as to how you are supposed to play it.

Other Thoughts:

There really isn't anybody ever at this course so it's a good place to get in some practice. Park is very nice and kept up year round. Public Restrooms available year round (port-o-jon in winter months)
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9 0
valkyriefb11
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 23 played 22 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Needs a lot of help 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 13, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course was put in as an Eagle Scout project and is not a great course as it stands now. The course does have concrete tee pads and tee signs. Holes 1,3, and 4 are all wide open straight holes. Hole 2 is wide open, but the tree clump is a mandatory that makes it a sharp dogleg right. The park is really nice and there is room to expand the course and improve it.

Cons:

The course is flat and open. Aside from hole 2 there is no variety here. The lengthy distance of the holes isn't exactly beginner friendly, but there isn't anything here to attract anyone else.
The tee sign on hole 1 is right in front of the tee!! Also the distance on the signs is in yards, which was a little weird.
The last 2 holes are along a dog walking path which leads to two problems. First, there is dog poop everywhere which is just disgusting. People need to clean up after their dogs. Second people have a bad tendency to let their dogs run around on the field unleashed which is a real pain. Hole 3 really would be better if it were moved farther away from the dog park.

Other Thoughts:

I spoke to some local residents and they said that the park really likes having the disc golf course, but they are considering some reworking of the holes, and possibly adding more holes to make it a full 9-holer. If this course gets some help and is improved/some holes added - it will be much better and worth playing. It is the only course in the area for miles around so a better course would be a real benefit for the area. As it stands now though, it isn't worth a trip to play.
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7 0
Godard
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.6 years 65 played 46 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Designed to appeal to absolutely nobody 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well mowed. Wide open and windy if you like hucking it far like that. Tee markers are useful, and there are concrete tee pads.

Cons:

First tee sign is RIGHT IN FRONT of the pad. Silly! Tee 2 is either not aimed at the basket (a dogleg right) or is aimed because the island is a mando...the only way this hole could be 723 feet. Course is way too long for beginners, and way too lame for the experienced. Woods don't come into play at all; baskets are all wide open.

Other Thoughts:

Not worth the trip, but it is the only attempt at a course for miles around. Maybe the community will support a more thorough, well-planned course.
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