Chandler, AZ

Mesquite Grove DGC

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2.15(based on 20 reviews)
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2 1
ShaneGlass
Experience: 16 played 1 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Abandoned course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 20, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Course has potential and seems like it was once a good place to play. It has some nice lines and a variety of shots needed.

Cons:

Course seems to be abandoned. The trees have all overgrown and died. The signs are all faded to where they are difficult to read. Many of the baskets are now missing.

Other Thoughts:

We still had fun playing there, but we spent more time trying to figure out the layout than we did playing. If you are up for an adventure, it's still great to get out and play.
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5 0
ElementZ
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.9 years 212 played 197 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 14, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

+ An area dedicated solely to disc golf. This entire desert area is very isolated and is just used for the course. If you've never played in a desert (I hadn't), then this is definitely a pretty cool experience.

+ Mix of shots. There are a couple holes where you can air it out, but also several that require some precision shots if you want to hit the 2.

Cons:

- The course equipment needs to be updated. This ranges from the baskets needing to be fixed/upgraded, the tee signs needing new visuals, and the tees needing more visible markers.

- Not a fan of the design. So often, I was running ahead looking for the basket and was just totally confused. There are many, many blind shots that make it very frustrating for a first-time player.

- The mesquites are thorny as hell. They're not fun to retrieve discs from and you will inevitably land in one with the way the course is currently laid out.

Other Thoughts:

I had a chance to play this course because my wife's parents live less than a mile away. I would have preferred to play Paseo Vista, but it was during leagues and I would rather have had a course to myself.

With some design tweaks and equipment upgrades, this course has potentially to sneak into 3-3.25, but as it stands now, the current rating is very representative. You're not missing much by skipping out on this guy!
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3 0
CabMakio
Experience: 4 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Unique for the Area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 26, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Lots of challenging and blind shots that force you to take interesting lines that you wouldn't need at most of the other local courses. Iv'e played here 10-15 times and only once have I seen anyone else. I usually end up here on the weekends when I go to Paseo first and see it's packed. As someone who is not an Arizona native, I like the environment of the course, it isn't pretty, but as soon as you walk through the gate you feel like you're in a completely different environment.

Cons:

Many of the baskets are in bad shape. The tee signs seem inaccurate. The first few times I played, I would run ahead on the blind holes and look for the basket before I threw. The baskets were often in completely different spots than I had imagined by looking at the signs, sometimes 100+ feet in the other direction than I thought. It is also sometimes tough to find the next basket before you learn the course. It took me 3-4 times of playing before I found the 18th tee.

As others have said, there is a very good chance you'll leave this course with scratches. I have thrown discs 3-4 feet into the mesquite trees that still took me 15+ minutes to dig out despite being in arm's reach, some discs I almost gave up on even though the disc was in plain view. Having said that, I've always brought home all my discs as well as the cuts to prove it.

Other Thoughts:

The course is very different from the other local options. I love playing Paseo, Freestone, Emerald, and Vista, but they all feel like throwing straight to the basket without much in the way for the most part. That is not the case here, you'll be forced to throw down tight fairways, over trees into small gaps etc and you'll be punished heavily when things go wrong, this isn't my favorite course by any means, but when I'm in the mood for it, it's great.

I spoke to someone who said whoever is looking after the course is slowly replacing the baskets and signs. I played today and noticed a couple new baskets and signs so the rumor seems to be true though I get the impression it could be a while before all baskets/signs are replaced.

I wouldn't recommend this course if you only have time to play once in Phoenix, but if you live reasonably close you should give it a try.
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1 3
pianocomposer
Experience: 26.8 years 21 played 21 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Challenging but Boring and Frustrating 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 6, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Challenging shots on #1 - 6. Well thought out holes.

Cons:

Monotonous... just throw above the trees into blind shots and that's it. Too crowded. It needs more space and variety. Hated the rocks. Unsteady and poor tee pads. Hard to find next hole.

Other Thoughts:

I just truly hated playing this course. It wasn't interesting. It was frustrating but there was no variety. But I admit it's tricky and well thought out.
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4 0
JNichols
Experience: 13.1 years 54 played 13 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Mesquite DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 10, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Well laid out holes to start. The course seems thought out and holes are placed decently, for a Flat, Desert course. This is also a Challenging course. The abundance of mesquite trees, especially on the front 9 (Overgrown mesquite trees, I might add), make for some challenging lines to blind baskets. This course has a good blend of hole lengths from 150ft-475ft and everything in between. Being a flat desert landscape, the addition of a couple holes with the baskets placed on top of dirt mounds adds some fun/challenge. Fair baskets placements allow backhand and forehand lines on most holes. A very fair course to right handers and lefties. Very little traffic on this course. I have played it 4-5 times now and never seen anyone else. I have also seen many types of birds, rabbits, lizards, a coyote, and other various wildlife on this course. The course is actually a city park in the middle of farm land, so there is some good wildlife viewing. A couple picnic benches in the shade of trees and garbage cans help out. There is also a Porta-Potty in the parking lot.

Cons:

The course seems a bit run down, or lacking up keep. The pictures of this course look NOTHING like it is now. The trees are really overgrown on some holes. Hole #4, for example, has a fairway no wider than 10-12ft at it's narrowest point. A good tree trimming would be in order to give some of the holes a "Fair" fairway. With this being the case on quite a few holes, you end up having to take riskier lines over the tops of trees on many holes instead of down the fairway. Playing this course with someone else would be Highly suggested, at least until you know basket positions. It really helps to have a spotter on this course.The baskets at this course are also just plain BEAT. A couple of them have the cage wired together to keep discs from falling out, cages on most are bent up (a couple are fairly bad), and the baskets just plain allow spit throughs more than any others I have seen. Some days, there is quite a lot of trash to pick up, too. This course gets BLOODY Hot during the day. It is desert landscape. Bring PLENTY of water/liquid. The Mesquite trees will poke you, stab you, and otherwise cause you to bleed. Be careful. Natural tee pads on some holes are littered with long metal nails sticking up in spots, where I am assuming they used to have rubber mat tee pads. Check your path before you tee up.

Other Thoughts:

****UPDATE 10/24/2018 Several holes on this course are now so grown over by Mesquite Trees that no fairway exists. Can be very frustrating to even try and play if you are used to throwing low shots, because you have to go Over everything, at this course. The City has a Master Plan for the property and the course will be removed in the next few years for a Baseball/Soccer complex. The city has no desire to keep the park up at all. Even though some local DG'ers have been raking, trimming a few trees, and building benches for the course, it is still in shambles.

This course is deemed a City Park in Chandler. I think this course has a lot of potential. With a good tree trim, some general clean up, and a little TLC, it could be a gem in the rough. I am tempted to contact the city of Chandler and see what they would allow to be worked on out there.

Overall, this could be an Awesome course for the area. It is different than any of the others I have played. It could be Great with a little work.
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2 0
snakekeeper
Experience: 14.1 years 19 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Different from most in the Valley of the Sun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 15, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Not your typical treeless desert course. The mesquite trees are a definite challenge for this hacker. They force you into all kinds of interesting shot selections (if you have them, which I don't). Usually very quiet, we are often the only ones playing. Port-a-john at the entrance. Picnic tables (mostly in the shade) at Hole 7 basket and Hole 10 tee. We enjoy the seclusion of this course as a break from the often crowded Paseo Vista (which is a much better course). Plus, for our limited skills, the mesquite trees and narrow lanes to throw through present an interesting challenge for us. Maps are okay at most of the tees. Some with the hole number kinda faded and misleading directions and distances a bit off (distances for 7 and 8 are way off, I've corrected them in the hole info and in the course map in the Links/Files tab). Baskets have arrows below the basket on the poles that point to next tee which are mostly accurate. Although there are really only nine baskets, it is laid out in such a way that some of them you don't even recognize when you are coming back at them from a different direction on the back nine. Kinda cool.

Cons:

The mesquite trees. While these are the source of the challenge on this course, I can almost guarantee you will end up bloodied from digging your disc out from under or out of the tree. These are not your typically well manicured and tall landscape mesquites that you can walk under. These are in their natural state where they are more like huge 15-25ft tall bushes with their branches reaching the ground. This course would be pretty cool if Chandler actually trimmed these mesquites. We just play from behind the tree if we end up with an unplayable shot either in or under the tree without penalty. We are not big sticklers for the formal rules. Just informal hackers that enjoy throwing the discs. Dusty. Flat. Very hot in summer (May through middle of October) if played after 10am. Of course that kinda applies to anything outside in the desert during summer. If you are playing in summer, you will want/need some water. In the fall/winter/early spring (Middle of October through maybe April) you can get by without. Or at least we can. Signs missing at holes 4, 17 and 18 but the poles are still marked with the numbers. No concrete tees, but the dirt is almost as hard as concrete. If you don't have a map, you will spend some time scouting out the location of the baskets until you learn the course. Since some of the baskets are kinda close to each other, it can be a bit confusing. Download the map in the Links/Files tab. Unfortunately, some people seem to be in the habit of letting their dogs use this place as a bathroom (mostly around the first couple of holes). Watch out for the dog crap. As one reviewer mentioned, the layout can be hazardous with blind shots, doubling back, crossing/shared fairways, etc, but since we see so few other people here during our preferred times, it is has never been an issue for us.

Other Thoughts:

Front nine are tougher since there are more blind shots with narrower lanes to shoot through. The back nine has a few more open and shorter holes and play easier for me. 17 is particularly interesting as you are basically guessing at where the basket is even after you have scouted it out and walked back to the tee. You either take the safe way out and follow the slightly open lane out to the path where you can see the basket or you try your luck at winging it 188ft over a few copses of mesquites and hoping for the best hoping that you can at least find your disc. Surprisingly, as many times as we have blindly ended up in or under trees, I don't think we have ever walked away without all of our discs.
Not a pretty course at all but since it is pretty close by, it holds a special place in our hearts.
Check out the links/files tab for a course map I constructed using Google Earth from phone GPS coords and knowledge of the course. There is wildlife out here. The area is full of little burrowing chipmunks, or something like that, so you will see them skittering around from one of their holes to another. Haven't seen any snakes but it is the dessert so they have to be there somewhere. If you have never played a desert course, this probably shouldn't be first on your list to try. In my mind, Paseo Vista takes that honor (in this part of the valley at least). If you have but you haven't played here, give it a shot. You might enjoy the desert "forest" at Mesquite Groves.
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3 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Not very scenic 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 20, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a flat dusty park filled with mature mesquite trees. I was pleasantly surprised by the design on a few of the holes, they forced some interesting lines and tricky shots. You will need a mix of left and right turning shots to score well here, and the mesquite trees are really good at punishing errant shots. You will certainly lose strokes if you aren't careful with shot placement. There is an ok variety of hole lengths as well, with a couple longer shots mixed in.

The tees are natural, but the ground here is hard packed and level so I had no complaints about the surfaces. The "back nine" tees add some extra variety and some really different looks at the same baskets. The color coded signs and next tee markers make navigation pretty easy for the most part.

Cons:

I understand the desire to fit as many shots as possible in a small space, but it leads to safety issues. Even within each of the loops of 9 holes there are crossing fairways and holes that play very close to one another. Throw in the overlapping layouts using the same baskets and lots of blind shots and you have some real potential for conflict. There were only 3 groups playing when I was there and there were still several times when discs came flying in unannounced or we had to wait on people to clear the fairway.

With a handful of signs missing and several others that were very inaccurate on hole distance and layout there were times it was unclear where to throw. The mesquite trees are great obstacles, but they also tend to be pretty brutal to get discs out of. There is a lot of broken glass on the ground throughout the course. Many of the holes have a high hyzer line so you can just avoid the obstacles, making it play a lot more open and repetitive than it looks.

Other Thoughts:

Beginners will find the thorns pretty rough here, but the holes aren't too long or technical. More experienced players won't be all that challenged, there just isn't a whole lot you can do with this kind of property. I wouldn't go out of your way to play this one, it's not very exciting nor is it the most scenic course in the area.
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7 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Navigational Aids Help On This Course! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 26, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is another example of a desert course where the terrain is hard packed dry dirt which actually ends up being a decent surface on which to play. The course is very flat with these nasty ass mesquite trees providing the main obstacles. You're forever throwing over, under and around them. The main problem arises when your disc lands in/under one of them. More on that issue later.

For the most part, the course has navigational signs which are welcomed and much needed here. On the last two holes where the signs were missing, I became lost very quickly. As previous reviewers have commented on, the course only has nine baskets but plays 18 holes. But that isn't readily apparent because the course is designed so well. The tee pads are natural and on some holes the same pad is used for two different holes throwing in opposite directions. The tee signs are both on the same pole facing in different directions. Pretty clever design, I think.

The course is surrounded by a chain link fence on all four sides and with the high school athletic field bordering one side. There are gates/openings in many places on this fence so errant throws came be retrieved without scaling the fence. I'm also surprised that there's not more vandalism/trash/graffiti on this course as high school students are usually not too kind to disc golf courses.

Cons:

The mesquite trees are really thorny, grabby and nasty. As mentioned before, trying to retrieve your disc from them could often lead to bleeding limbs and foul words.
The flatness, the dirt, and the mesquite trees do not add up to a pretty course. I was really surprised that the course was not trashier than it was. It just seems like a place where people would dump trash, especially with the high school so close. Maybe I should say Kudos to someone for keeping the course relatively litter free.

There were some signs missing near the end (and along the high school side of the fence) of the course around hole 17. I was lost without them. I was hurrying to get through this course and pretty much just skipped 17 and 18 without the signs. Didn't have enough time to really investigate those last two holes. I was disappointed in not getting to play them.

Other Thoughts:

On golf courses a player is allowed to "Take Relief" at times such as when there is standing water on the fairway. I think on this course, a player should be able to "Take Relief" when your disc lands under or in a mesquite tree. It would save a lot of cut up hands and arms and make this course a little more enjoyable.

Course designers did a surprisingly nice job creating an enjoyable course out of a fairly drab desert environment here. Their creativity should be commended!
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3 3
mcbmaz
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 10, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Many blind shots make it a little difficult. Signage is good. Easy to navigate. Porta-John at entrance.

Cons:

Baskets are a little beat up. Digging discs out of mesquite trees full of thorns.

Other Thoughts:

Good course if you don't want to deal with many people. The most I have seen out there was 4 people and that was including me and my buddy. Overall I gave it a 3 because it serves its purpose, not a pretty course, but not horrible either. I am sue that if you head out you will have fun.
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1 6
chillis
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.8 years 103 played 28 reviews
1.50 star(s)

What to say that hasn't already 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 21, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I like the narrow corridors to throw down, reminds me of most Midwestern courses. A couple holes with some decent distance.

Completely fenced in, so I like letting my dog off the leash here to run around and chase vermin.

Cons:

Shared tees and pins, painful mesquite bushes to fight with. Hot, dusty, no facilities (port-o-john only).

Other Thoughts:

Reviews have been spot on, there is very little variation here, of any sort.
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8 0
Sunday Mike
Experience: 21.9 years 61 played 21 reviews
2.00 star(s)

This one needs some love 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 23, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is a great place to practice blind shots...there are a lot of them here, particularly on the front nine. Considering the amount of space available, the layout is very clever. Placing 18 (9 forward and back) in that area was pretty ingenious. Lots of chances to practice your hyzers, anhyzers or dead straight shots. #18 is a mandatory tomahawk throw so that its even another type of shot you can practice here. It is by Basha High School and may raise interest in the sport. Despite being by the high school this course is very private, I have rarely seen other golfers out here while I was playing.

Cons:

There are a lot of blind shots. The course is really in a Mesquite grove and any time you put your disc into a mesquite tree you run the risk of getting ripped to shreds. I've played this course over 20 times and had blood drawn almost every time. It is flat, dry and dusty. You WILL need a lot of water, even in the winter. The signs and baskets are in bad shape. This place needs someone to adopt it and fix it up. It is way out in South BFE of the Phoenix area. South Chandler is a good 45 minutes away from Central Phoenix. It is by Basha high School and suffers from teenage vandalism. Because of the blind shots this a difficult course to navigate. I don't know of any maps available for it, so if you come here bring someone who knows the course.

Other Thoughts:

This course was originally installed with the baskets from Hoopes Park (which was closed due to a woman being hit in the face by a disc and raising a stink with the City Council). Many people complain about this course, but I have always enjoyed it because it is a disc golf course, and one that is not too long. There are birdies to be had.
Unfortunately since the installation of Paseo Vista a few miles away, this course has become completely ignored (though in truth it was mostly ignored before that as well). I have heard rumours that it will be removed in the near future, but I've been hearing that for several years now. I hope it isn't true because playing Paseo Vista, then coming here and going back to Paseo Vista make for a fun day of disc golf.
I really wanted to give this course more stars but because of the state of the course I could honestly only give it two. With some love this could be a very entertaining course to play
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5 1
IsaacIRL
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.1 years 83 played 46 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Mesquite Grove... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 18, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Pros? Hmmmm...let me think...there were 9 baskets and 9 tee signs? There were "trees"? Thats about it...

Cons:

The fun factor was a big, fat 0 here. The course is located in the flattest, dustiest part of Chandler, which makes some really boring shots. The ground seems to give your disc a brownish color when your done with 18. There are tons of ant hills and I saw some either small rats or large mice running around. Mesquite "trees" (which are more like bushes than trees) seem to be the absolute worst choice for vegetation in a disc golf course I've ever heard of. They're really thick and have the longest thorns I've ever seen! If you land in one, you're going to come out with a few cuts. Tee signs are terrible. The distance is way off and the map doesn't help at all. The tees, even though there weren't any, weren't too bad since the ground is so hard and flat. No trash cans anywhere near the park. Broken glass everywhere. There's a field that's the school's where an errant drive could easily land on a couple holes. Navigation is terrible. Almost every hole is a blind shot and the maps on the sign confuse more than help. Theres really long walks to the next tee. Hole 9 plays to a basket and a sign points you to number 10. Once you walk over there you realize you're throwing right back at the same basket. Baskets are in ok shape, but anything except a solid putt will bounce out.

Other Thoughts:

The high school band practices right next to the park and theres a super loud metronome that seems to echo through the whole park. Once you finish you still have that sound stuck in your head. Restroom at the entry to the course and a nice sign which is the only good sign you'll see in the whole course. There's a weird gravel path going through the park that doesn't lead to anywhere. I still don't know what it is. Head over to Paseo Vista Recreational area instead, it has hills!

-------------------------
If you mark this review unhelpful or you find a mistake, please send me a personal message here on DGCR explaining what is wrong with it.
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4 1
Jax11
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 103 played 35 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Frustrating Course Layout 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 22, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course's only obstacles were Mesquite trees. It was interesting terrain and very isolated. There were some blind pin locations and some interesting lines. It was easy to find and has a port-a-potty right at the entrance. signs were well detailed but had issues (see Cons). Baskets were in decent condition.

Cons:

Mesquite trees were the only obstacles, they have thorns which makes chasing down errant throws painful. Though they are actually trees, the Mesquite trees can easily be thrown over. Spike Hyzers seem to be the shot of choice as there is no reason not to go over the trees. The course was very repetitive, by the 6th hole I felt like I had played the same hole six times. There are serious navigation issues here. My group felt we took longer finding the where to throw then actually throwing. There are blind baskets which have other hole's baskets in view adding to the confusion. The signs were adequate, but the small aerial pictures were inaccurate and the distances listed on them seemed inaccurate. The tees were dirt and due to the random placement of the tee signs in relation with the "tees boxes" it was very hard to tell what was in fact the tee box and which way we were supposed to throw.

Other Thoughts:

Very frustrating round of golf for my group. I highly recommend trying to find some locals who play here often to help you get around the course the first time. I also suggest finding a stick or something of the sort to help pull discs from under the thorny Mesquite trees. There is very little grass so baseline (DX or the like) plastic will get pretty beat up on this course. Very little shade in the afternoon, bring water and sunscreen

This course could be significantly better if the navigation issues were fixed and you spent less time wondering which basket to throw at.
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6 0
wolito
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.1 years 88 played 86 reviews
2.50 star(s)

TREES! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 10, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Finally some trees on a course in the Pheonix area! Mesquite trees on the course make you actually choose a line. This provides a challenge not found elsewhere in the area. The teesigns are decent enough and on the baskets there are arrows pointing you where the next tee is. THis definately helps out. Decent mix of long and short holes. Ground is bare and therefore porbably hard to lose a disc here. Easy parking right by tee one. A port a potty is there as well and some trashcans. A few picnic tables on the course under trees that provide a place to rest.

Cons:

Definate navigation issues though the next tee signs on the bottom pole of each basket does help. It is an 18 hole course, but I believe all of the 9 baskets are used twice. However depending on how you look at the basket determines the number on the plate you see. The holes are shared as well as some of the fairways so you really have to be careful of other players on the course or someone could easily get hurt. The total elevation change on this course can't be more then 2.5 feet or 3 tops. FLAT as can be. The baskets are a mix of types and some are rather worn.

Other Thoughts:

There are quiet a few negatives about this course that I wrote, but don't let that get in the way of enjoying this course. The simple fact that there are trees, though a lot smaller than I am used to, makes this course a definate challenge. You actually have to think about where you throw and what line to take. This is quite different from all other courses in the area where you just throw it down the fairway. Definately a change of pace and worthy of playing again. Can certianly get hot in the summer so bring some fluids.
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3 1
AusTexDoc
Experience: 46.7 years 39 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

worth a try if in the area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 27, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Mostly good signs with very helpful next tee arrows. Plays fast and hard to lose a disc. Lots of opportunities to make your own variation. Signs are pretty accurate (one or two are missing and one hole was a lot longer than listed)- but you can pretty much look at the sign throw the distance it shows and look for your disc near the basket. Good birdie course. More character than a park with a few tress.

Cons:

Flat, but not as ugly as the photos look. I never saw a soul. If you had multiple groups, the course would be a little hazardous. After a while, I could get bored here easily.

Other Thoughts:

I almost skipped this course due to low level reviews. I actually enjoyed this course as much as the park 18 hole courses up north.
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1 4
raley
Experience: 16.1 years 19 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Dry! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 21, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Clever layout of baskets and for a flat course, was nice to let some rip from the drive.

Cons:

HOT! As someone has mentioned....don't land in the shrubs. I grab a randon stick to help with the ones that were stuck.

Other Thoughts:

Yes....it's Arizona, so it's gonna be hot. BRING WATER
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6 1
pokamitch
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 38.1 years 30 played 27 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Desert Courses Are Cool 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 8, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Never crowded. Easy to keep an eye on your throws (only a few blinds).
All tees are level (the whole course is). Ingenius use of the holes for a back 9. It isn't like playing backwards.
Never muddy or flooded after rains (it is a desert course!!), so it is always ready for some use when the park courses (that are essentially water retention basins for the flash floods you get in the desert monsoons) are flooded/ muddy. Great use of the land.
The High School kids never interfere with your game (course is next to Basha High). Excellent signage that really give a good visualization of the hole.
The area is Disc Golf Exclusive!! The only porta potty there is always clean. Holes are in good condition
Decent mix of holes, only a few long ones, but still a decent variety

Cons:

Most holes are too wide open. Not as challenging as I like. Used a lot of hyzers/ hooks, over and over. Way to far out of town. It is as far southeast as you can get in Maricopa County.

Other Thoughts:

A MUST PLAY COURSE IN MARICOPA COUNTY!!!!

THIS IS A DESERT COURSE!!!! In most deserts you have a flat, hard pan (sand/ rocks, not dirt) WITHOUT grass and ground cover (although in the spring, the whole place gets a bunch of ground cover that you can lose your disc in easily if it ain't a bright color)...Thorny trees, bushes, and cacti. Play the course as it is, and APPRECIATE an alternate to the "Park Courses" we are used to.

Bring something to hydrate. No water available, It Gets Hot As Hell(100-120 F)!!! May thru Oct.

Favorite Holes: #14. Pretty open from the tee, then gets tight at the hole. There is a Lil window that I can get a wild S-turn thru LHBH. Trips the crew out everytime I get thru
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6 0
Texconsinite
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.2 years 138 played 77 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Dsert Maze of Thorns 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 21, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well, theres some variety of left and right curves, as well as some open holes that let you air it out a bit. Most of the course is "tunnel shots" with fairways bounded by thorny desert trees that your disc likes to slide underneath on errant drives.

The layout is actually a fairly creative flowing one. It uses 9 baskets for 18 holes, and usually you don't realize you've played to the basket before until you walk up to it and see the other tee box. Generally, you play away from the parking lot on 1-9, then back towards it or 10-18. The baskets have the hole numbers printed on the chastity belt/rejection bar facing the tee. So, if holes 5 and 15 play to the same basket, you see the 5 when you approach it from the 5 tee, and the 15 when you approach from the 15 tee.

Most holes have tee signs with hole maps that tell you which way the next tee is from that basket.

Many blind shots make force some technical shots

Cons:

Flat as a pancake. This whole course is on a flat, hard-packed, bone-dry dirt. This makes for nice level tees, but also it quite boring. Also, discs have a tendency to skip and slide along the ground, which can land them under the nasty shrub/trees waiting everywhere for you. Playing from a lie of an errant shot under these bushes is often impossible and/or painful. Retrieving discs from under them is BRUTAL. Bring a telescoping pole for retrieval, its worth its weight in blood, sweat and swear words on this course.

A few holes are missing their tee signs, and some tees are quite far from the previous basket. Due to all the thick walls of thorny bushes, this place is like a maze, so its easy to get lost trying to find the next tee.

This course has some strange flow. Sometimes it seems like you have to walk around a lot between holes. Its amazing how they crammed so many holes into a fenced in rectangle of that size, but better markers would've saved a lot of time searching for the next hole.

Baskets and/or Tees for 17 & 18 are missing or unmarked. Either way, I was unable to find the tee and just played to the basket closest to the car which we hadn't used yet on the back nine.

This course would benefit from signs at each basket, directing you to the next tee, or at least painted basket spokes (one color for front nine, another color for back nine). By the time you get to the basket, you've often forgotten which way it said the next tee was, and you can seldom take a direct route due to the maze of thorns.

The tee signs are hard to see nestled between the 15-20ft high desert bushes everywhere. If they could tie surveyors tape to the bushes to lead you to the next tee, like hansel and gretel, it would make things easier. (once again, since its two sets of 9, a different color for each)

Also helpful would be a course map to give a big picture overview of a course that gets disorienting from the ground.

Other Thoughts:

There is a restroom at the start of the course, but no water fountain. Bring a hat and lots of water, this course has no shade and the ground is cracked from the intense AZ sun. Also, a printed course map or a local would be very helpful when playing this course.

On the course I ran into some locals who said they prefer this course over Vista Del Camino or Mouer Park because they were sick of losing discs in the water, and liked the relatively simple challenges of this course.

I can understand their views, but I would rather play either of those courses than this one.

This isn't a bad course, and actually is reasonably technical with some tight fairway shots. Its just that the Cons vastly outnumber what few Pros there are. With easier navigation between holes, a good map, and tee signs+marked baskets on every hole, this could be a 2.0 course, but right now its just a brutal, mediocre desert course that will frustrate you both with navigation and painful thorns.
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5 1
ragajones
Experience: 11 played 11 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Tough course to love 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 16, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

For being a "play backward for 18" course where all the baskets are used twice, it was pretty cleverly laid out to maximize double-use baskets. Good course entry sign.

Cons:

This course is hard to love...
It is perfectly flat on hard-packed dirt. It seems like every plant on the course has thorns.

Most holes are clones of a single idea, "The basket is right behind that giant clump of thorny trees - good luck" I kept trying to find something to like but I think of all of the courses in Phoenix that get low marks for bland terrain - this is the most bland - just a dusty flat field of mesquite trees.
I think just about every hole on the front nine had to be scouted. We probably walked the course 3x further than normal because of so many blind shots. If the measure of a good course is the necessity of a variety of shots and tricks, I think the blind shot idea was used to the point of overkill.

There were really no fairways on the "closed" holes that rewarded good aim. The result was just throw after throw through thick brush.
The holes that were "open" were just throwing across empty dirty fields.

Other Thoughts:

The best part of this course was the creative implemetation of the back 9 - I found myself approaching a hole and getting ready to putt before recognizing the basket from the first round.
Bland, dusty, harsh, far, uninspired.

Only play this course if you are a local and want to check it off a list.
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6 1
Rizbee
Premium Member
Experience: 45.9 years 320 played 11 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Probably won't be back 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 20, 2004 Played the course:once

Pros:

Some interesting tunnel shots and shots around big, nasty patches of mesquite. Signage was in place on most holes.

Cons:

Mesquite bushes are prickly and left me cut and bleeding. Kind of hard to follow because of confusing layout that plays each basket twice, once in and one out. Seems like this would create a dangerous situation, if there were ever many people playing the course.

Other Thoughts:

Nice to have a course next to a high school to introduce kids to the game, but this course is so pickly and dusty that it might turn them off instead.
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