Bowling Green, KY

Phil Moore Park

2.765(based on 25 reviews)
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15 0
sisyphus
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.6 years 397 played 383 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Kinda wanted to heave 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 26, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Technically the second longest course in town (Ephram White has more total distance), the Phil Moore course is known for its three huge bomber holes of 760', 800' and 911', more so than the nine wooded and water hazard holes it could just as well brag about. If you look at the course map, you'll see some open 'shorter' holes, but even these are more in the 370' range, so just a bit too long for the casual to Recreational player to enjoy. So the overall takeaway I have for Phil Moore is this: if you can easily throw open drives in the 400 foot range and can carve a line through woods at around 300 feet, you'll gain stroke after stroke over those with a shorter game, no matter how well they can control their throws. That means this course might appeal to Advanced level players. You are forewarned in tourney play right from the start: the posts beyond the path on hole one must be cleared, or you take a stroke penalty and go to the drop zone. Beginners who can't make the shortest spot at about 250' (off to the right) might just want to try another course.

It has really good concrete tees, including an extended pad for the longest holes. Excellent tee signage and a course map, an occasional bench and trash cans, DGA baskets, and pretty easily spotted posts for most of the OB lines used in tournaments, are all plusses. There's plenty of parking (you can even park way down at the far end of the course if you need to), and ball fields, a playground, and so on, as the course shares space with a cross country trail.

The disc golf play itself requires a wide selection of shots, due to the 'open and woods' variety of holes. It did seem like there were more left to right finishes on the technical holes, so if you're a long, controlled, rhfh player, this might be a plus. Personally, I enjoyed the top of the world shots on 10 and 18, and the use of available elevation. I suspect the creek-side and pond-crossing holes (3-6 & 12 & even 15) might be the most fun during dry seasons. There are many challenges and gut checks out here when it's wet and/or windy!

Cons:

The use of artificial OB to constrain the bomber holes has not always held as much appeal as you'd think, and can be frustrating in the frequently windy conditions for which Bowling Green is known. When it's wet, many of the water holes are actually unplayable, as was the case for 5 & 6 for BG Ams this year. I nominate hole 12 as the next candidate: the clay mud running the entire length of the fairway is treacherous when wet, and ankle deep in mud if you try to get to the stream to retrieve your tree-kicked discs. This year, hole three over the 'pond' also had a huge tree (branch?) debris fall obstructing the green, which was not removed for the tournament. It's already a tough hole, with trees to knock you into the buggy looking water, and I thought they might've cleared that out before the big event.

Which leads me to another observation...as the rough greens up in the woods, this course still has a ton of poison ivy and thistly weeds, along with debris piles big enough to give you fits if you don't hit the perfect line. I know there's an interest in keeping things 'natural', but it just gives the impression that Phil Moore doesn't get a lot of solid, casual play (due to its lack of appeal to lower level players?)

There are a few places where you'll walk as much as 400' to get from one basket to the next tee (6 to 7), adding to the immensity of the course. And take the map, because there are places where you'll need some help finding the next tee. Finally, there are actually safety concerns where the hyzer line (rhbh) on hole 13 throws right at the 14th tee pad, and the 18th goes straight over a trail-side bench and (if you go long) directly at the playground.

Other Thoughts:

When I first started playing, I committed myself to giving courses multiple looks before considering writing a review, so it's actually been a few years between plays for me here. This time, I'm trying not to let my disappointment in my own play (and the loss of two discs to the water) flavor my review inordinately. But when it is wet, the technical woods holes here are too rough on lower level players like me (900 rating or so), and the open field shots are a little too long and redundant. I like to give ratings as a combination of the disc golf challenge and the fun factor, but tend to give a little more weight to the fun, which I struggled to find here. It pulled my number down to 'average'. Sorry.
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4 0
gmoney1984
Experience: 11 years 308 played 26 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Long and Open 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 14, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

1. Really large Tee Pads

2. Chances to Air out a lot of shots

3. There's a couple of slightly elevated spots to tee off from

4. near the interstate

5. Good tee signs

Cons:

1. Not much shot variety

2. Very few obstacles on open holes

3. A lot of loose limbs and rocks and logs in woods to climb thru if you throw your disc off path

Other Thoughts:

This is the first course we went to when we played 111 holes in one day and not a bad spot to start out if your course bagging. It gives you a chance to warm up but does have some long holes that will make your round sort of long. This is a pretty boring course overall and it's not all that tricky to navigate but theres a couple of spots where you could get hung up. It took us (2 avg Disc golfers) 2:19 Minutes to play
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4 0
Declarkus
Experience: 20.8 years 287 played 16 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Long 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 12, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good tee pads, the 911' hole has a laughably long pad, well maintained

Cons:

Signage was confusing. Threw the wrong way twice b/c the sign is on both sides of the pole and the pictures were vague. No arrows pointing to the next tee. Too long.

Other Thoughts:

Just because I can throw it over 350 doesn't mean I want to twice on 4 different holes. A creative 400 is much more fun then a demoralizing drive that is still 2 drives away. The OB adds an interesting twist on otherwise long and boring open holes. The half of the holes are wooded are fun and well cleared of brush and such. I actually really like this course. I just played with guys getting owned by the length
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5 0
AdamE
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.5 years 264 played 143 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 12, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Phil Moore is a diverse course with about half the holes being long grip it and rip it holes, the other half are shorter and wooded and there are elevation changes on some of the holes. The discatcher baskets are in good shape, there are tee signs and amply long concrete tees. There's a large course map near hole 1 and a practice basket. Water and restrooms are near by in the gym if it's open.

The open and wooded holes are split up so you play a few in the open, then a few in the woods, go back into the open, then back in the woods and finish with a fun downhill shot out into the open.

The open holes are generally long and flat, although two of them tee off from elevated tee pads and hole 9 has a raised basket. There is some OB on the open holes, but it really only comes into play on hole 1. All this really helps to add some variety to the open holes.

The wooded holes are shorter and some are fairly technical. They have more elevation changes in play and the large creek looms near by on most of them as OB and discs are generally unretrievable from it.

Cons:

Hole 18 is a little dangerous. It's a downhill hyzer shot with a playground just right of the basket. So a shot that goes too straight could wind up there, in fact I've seen it happen there before. A hole where it is a distinct possibility that discs can land in a playground is major design flaw IMO.

The course is in a flood plain. Water tends to pool on some of the wooded holes and make them muddy. The hill on hole 12 looks treacherous, muddy and like an accident waiting to happen.

The tee signs are adequate, but the diagrams seem less than accurate on the wooded holes.

The open holes are long for the sake of being long and boring. To make matters worse holes 1 and 7 are tweener holes, meaning they're in between par 3 & 4. They're so long only a small percent of people can throw long enough to get a 2 on them, but they're short enough a 3 is very easy.

Hole 15 has so many trees protecting the basket it seems like pure luck as to whether a good drive will get through.

The shot selection here is poor. Two of the wooded holes call for a RHBH anhyzer or RHFH shot.

Navigation is a little confusing in a couple places. After hole 2 you walk right by hole 11's tee to get to hole 3. After hole 6 there's a long walk to hole 7. Hole 17's tee pad can be a little tricky to find. Of course once you've played the course these things aren't a big deal.

Other Thoughts:

I want to like the diversity this course presents, the wooded holes are ok but the open holes are boring and there's little shot diversity on this course. There are lots of courses in BG and unless you want to add to your list of courses played, I would suggest playing another course.
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4 0
wake911
Experience: 22.8 years 63 played 18 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Enjoyable Course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

-MAX D DRIVES!!!!
-tight wooded holes
-did i say max d drives?
-both FH and BH were needed in woods to score well
-elevated basket on 9, some elevation change on both woods and open holes.

Cons:

-some of the wooded holes didn't seem very defined for the path to the basket.
-poor drainage caused some VERY wet holes, new creeks and water hazards to spring up

Other Thoughts:

I loved this course overall. my 2nd favorite in BG (of the 4 I played) It was an interesting situation to throw a drive as far as I can, and then have to figure out how far to throw the second shot, knowing you still had almost a full driver to go. It was fun to air it out.

The woods holes, while needed to counter the wide open holes, seemed a bit rushed. On a few I felt like it was a "let's just throw and see if anything good happens" not "lets hit that line and it'll be good".

I thought the OB stakes and paths provided a level of risk on the open holes that wouldn't have been there without it.

The elevation change on a few holes added a level of thinking to the shots that wouldn't have been there without it. 360' downhill is way different than 360' uphill or flatland.

I will be hitting Phil Moore again on my next trip to BG. The wind wasn't too bad (maybe 10-15mph?) the day I was there, but the layout of the open holes makes it so you throw at least once into each wind direction (L to R, R to L, Tailwind, Headwind) so you really have to know what discs will do to score well on those holes.
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2 1
SARRS
Experience: 25.8 years 33 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Hometown love 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 15, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Some really valid long distance ripping holes, decent technical wooded holes, and water hazards along Drake's Creek. You are going to have a good time.

Cons:

It's a newer course! This course flooded big time a while back and did some damage, but it's bouncing back.

Other Thoughts:

Great course during the dryer months.
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6 0
craigd
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.7 years 179 played 118 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Phil Moore 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 30, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Phil Moore Park hosts a lengthy and challenging par 61 course. There's an acceptable mix of shots on a half open/half wooded layout. A few holes take advantage of some elevation changes and are a welcomed change of pace from the flat open areas. Longer holes define the open part of the course and will definitely satisfy the appetite of big arms. OB areas are scattered around to keep you on your toes. Number nine's elevated basket is a nice touch on an otherwise boring hole. The wooded holes are scenic and have you playing near a river. Hole three requires a toss over water but only shanked or overthrown shots will get wet. Overall the wooded side requires fairly precise shots with some tighter than others. Lots of risky shots and present a reasonably good challenge. Hole eighteen caps off the round with a fun downhill finishing hole.

Nice tee pads, signs, and good baskets are all here. It would appear that the course is maintained fairly well including mowed grass in the fairways and clean fairways in the woods. Overall it's a nice setting for a disc golf course.

Cons:

Many long wide open shots can get boring and repetitive, especially to weaker arms or new players. For the bigger arms, wind and artificial OB are the only things that'll make these holes difficult/challenging.

Losing discs along the river/creek could be an issue for errant shots.

Evidently the course can get marshy or even flooded after significant rain.

Other Thoughts:

Although this is not one of my favorite courses in Bowling Green it's really not too bad. If you play in the Am Championships this course is a nice addition to keep the course types interesting and different. But to be fair, lots of players I talked to dislike the course.

Overall, it's worth playing to get it on your "courses played" list but if you are in Bowling Green with only enough time to only play a couple I believe there are more enjoyable courses in the area.
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3 0
asjzn6
Experience: 18.6 years 136 played 59 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Half and Half 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 31, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Good signage, marked OB always, Good baskets, Elevated basket and lowered basket interesting addition, tee pads are nice and big, When you are in the woods that is the place to make up ground but you really have to work a disc to get those birds.

Cons:

The wide open holes can be monotonous but test your ability to throw long and straight. Flood plains can cause trouble with recent rains never experienced that personally.

Other Thoughts:

I really like this course, even though there are three holes 700+ straight and flat, that still test your ability to golf, if you spray your distance shots you can easily add a stroke on those i watched a guy throw 350' straight and had real nice scores on those holes. The wooded holes are amazingly shaped and a lot of fun.
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2 1
entangled
Experience: 14.9 years 20 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 15, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Scenic area with great blend of tough shots to weed out the nubes, whiners, and sissys.
Good signs, benches, cans. Come here to drive some awesome long slammers. Rookies beware this place is a disc eater since alot of the holes are along a creek with pro pin risk reward placement early on. Pro Caliber. BG needs to realize what they have.

Cons:

Wind is harsh in BG but you have to be able to play in it if your gonna do tourneys ever. Flood plains are a problem check weather before making the trip. Should be okay for most of the season.

Other Thoughts:

Can't wait to play again. The 911 shot will test your chops.
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7 1
gkeberhart
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 36 played 31 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not as Exciting as Expected 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 2, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a semi-championship course; distance and marked OB make it a challenge in anything other than calm conditions. The signs were very accurate and the tee pads were always easy to spot from the previous basket. Something that really struck me as an excellent use of a relatively plain plot of land was the use of posts to mark OB. I don't think there were too many holes that didn't have some sort of OB on them. In general the Pars were marked according to the average amount of throws it should take a person to get to the holes plus 2 putts. There was an elevated basket on hole 8, which was a change to the course; it definitely took a different mentality to play it. Some of the holes played along the river, which added some extra difficulty to the shorter holes where you might think you have some easy deuce runs.

Cons:

The course was pretty bland, lots of open hole throw with no real shot shaping. I can't think of a single hole that really made me throw something different other than a normal backhand. While there was a lot of OB, which made the course play tighter; at times it really just became boring, repetitive and not really needed. The wooded holes were definitely the deuce holes on the course; unfortunately in some cases they didn't really have a route. Hole 17 in particular had to direction as to what you needed to do what so ever. It was basically a throw and pray type scenario.

Other Thoughts:

They tried to do a lot with some pretty lame land, but in the end it really just seemed like a course where all you did was air your arm out. The wooded holes were a nice change of pace, but they were such an extreme difference from the rest of the course I didn't really feel like they belonged. Most of the posts out there were to mark what I am assuming is a cross-country course, so you may find that it is unplayable during certain portions of the year.
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3 4
jcburton24
Experience: 31.8 years 90 played 8 reviews
1.00 star(s)

once was enough 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 8, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice tee pads and tee signs. Great baskets. Nothing else good to add.

Cons:

Very boring course. The open holes are just too open with white posts marking the fairways. The holes have no character to any of them.Felt like I was just in a open field throwing discs around. The wooded holes seemed unfinished almost.

Other Thoughts:

I only played this course once during the 2010 Bowling Green Ams and that was enough for me. Next time I see that course being played by my division in any tournament I'll be skipping it. After playing three other courses in the area this one was total disappointment.
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4 2
andrewkh
Experience: 16.8 years 54 played 27 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 24, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

-huge open park
-well maintained
-very nice tees/signs/baskets
-big arm holes don't even begin to describe
-lots of rolling hills
-mix of wooded and open holes
-professional grade course

Cons:

-mostly open
-can be very windy
-next to a busy highway, can be loud
-kind of confusing the first time you play

Other Thoughts:

i found this course by accident, i was driving along and looked over and there it was....i had to stop. this place is a monster, only the biggest arms can truly appreciate this course. i'm surprised this course isn't rated a lot higher
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12 3
weeman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20 years 644 played 60 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Either wide open or tightly wooded 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 16, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course sits in the middle of a large multi-use park with walking trails, baseball fields and an indoor gymnasium though none of these features really coming into play with the course. There are large grippy tee pads and good baskets that are in good condition. The open holes are exactly that, open. Only about three holes have any trees on them so there's no worries of getting stuck in the trees or hitting them. The basket on number 9 is on an elevated pedestal to make for an interesting putting situation. The wooded holes provide some well defined lines to the basket with the omnipresent risk of getting kicked into the creek if you have an errant shot.

Cons:

The open holes don't have much going for them other than wide open expanses with plenty of distance. The only way to go OB is to shank one 60 feet off the fairway. These holes have very little elevation change and are quite repetitive in that you throw 350ft plus on mostly flat ground with no obstacles. The wooded holes provide more of a challenge but the course upkeep by the local club and parks department is minimal and the grass/weeds is usually very long unless there's an approaching tournament. Any errant shots are very difficult to find in these growths. The location of the course and the wooded holes on the front nine in particular are situated in a floodplain for the adjacent creek so its not uncommon for lots of silt/mud, large logs, and debris to be all over these holes and tee pads. At other times, especially during the Spring these holes are completely flooded and unplayable.

Other Thoughts:

This is arguably the least played and least popular course in Bowling Green. For all the times I've played here, I've never run across any other golfers out there except for right before the BG Ams. The course could potentially be a championship caliber course but it will take several years of work on various aspects of the course (trees/obstacles on the open holes, better maintenance on the wooded holes) for this to occur. There's only a couple holes (5, 12, 15, and 18) that really entice me to play here but its not enough to keep me coming back regularly. My two cents would be to skip this course unless you're dead set on playing it and go play almost any other course in the Bowling Green area.
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8 2
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Mixed feelings 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 10, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a large park with some heavily wooded areas and some open rolling fields. Half of the holes play through dense woods with thick rough and tough punishment for errant shots, and a nice variety of lines to hit. The open holes rely on distance and o.b. stakes for difficulty, but offer a range of lengths from reachable to a 900'+ bomber, with some minor elevation and a raised basket on this part of the course. There are nice large concrete tees that make good surfaces to throw from. The baskets are in great shape and catch well.

Cons:

The wooded holes don't feel finished, with lots of brush and branches on the fairways, and some more clearing needed. The open holes get a bit boring, even with the contrived o.b. lines they're still just open holes with only a few small trees (they'll be a nice obstacle in a decade or so, but not yet). The signage was inconsistent throughout the course, with a few tough spots in terms of navigation and some missing tee signs. There were some random people wandering around the course that didn't seem to know what we were doing, a little surprising in an area like B.G. where the sport is so popular.

Other Thoughts:

The course has potential, with some nice distance and difficulty that will challenge most players. There are a few too many of the open holes, and the course doesn't feel quite finished, but it still has enough interesting holes to make it worth a stop if you're in the area. Beginners will likely be frustrated by the tight lines in the woods and the distance in the open. More experienced players will find some nice challenges here, and some variety in shot shapes required on the wooded holes.
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4 3
indydiscgolfer
Experience: 45.9 years 105 played 10 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Nothing special 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 27, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good variety. Many of the woods holes were very scenic, challenging, and fun. Several long holes to challenge the big arms.

Cons:

Looking out over the open area of the course you see a large sloping, open expanse with a lot of white stakes everywhere. Most of the open holes felt the same and seem to be forced into this area (not crowded, but forced in the sense that they had to utilize the stakes and OB's to create fairways and separate the holes). Not much excitement except for the risk of going OB. Perhaps when the small saplings get bigger the fairways will be better defined and shots will have to be shaped more precisely.

Other Thoughts:

This still appears to be a young course and also seemed to have recently been flodded, with large logs and debris scattered through the course by high water. This course could have championship potential some day but for now it is nothing special.
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7 0
gdub58
Experience: 15.6 years 133 played 8 reviews
3.00 star(s)

still a work in progress 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 10, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Decent mix of open and wooded holes.
- In a nice park with good facilities (when they're open) and plenty of parking.
- Good tees and baskets.
- Some really well-designed holes that will challenge all golfers regardless of skill level, including three holes 700' or more.
- Can add to your challenge by playing the available OB (white stakes).

Cons:

- The wooded holes are still really rough, with too much long grass, partially downed trees, and little/no signage.
- The long, open holes can be miserable in the wind (which is quite common).
- Non-golfer traffic is fairly common and can be a bother.
- Being so close to a large stream produces a lot of bugs, so between that and the wind this course is probably quite unpleasant some days. According to locals, this course is under water after a heavy rain.

Other Thoughts:

A difficult piece of land to design a really good course, in that it is at the bottom of a valley and consists of a huge expanse of flat land with some heavy woods between the open land and a large stream.

So, about half of the holes are wide open bombs, and the other half are in heavy woods that have not been been properly cleared. Also, there is a cross-country course winding through the open holes with white stakes defining the running lanes. These white stakes serve as OB lines for some of the open holes.

In some ways, it feels like they ran out of resources before finishing the course. Some of the wooded holes need more clearing and some don't have signs on the tees so you will need a map to properly navigate this course.

I played this as part of the BG Ams and if I were to come back to this area to play this course would not be high on my list even though it had a few really good holes.
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9 1
ChrisWoj
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.1 years 158 played 26 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Underrated Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 10, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is a truly pro caliber course. It is also clearly a young course. I feel that in a few years, surely by the middle of the decade, people will begin to see what H.B. Clark saw in this design when he designed it. There is a nice mix with 9 open holes and 9 wooded holes. Almost every open hole has trees planted that will make the hole an interesting play in the future. The holes aren't too clumped, with holes 7-11 being the worst clump of open holes.

Hole 2 is a great example of a hole with potential: with a row of baby pines and risky OB to the sides you can see where it will challenge big arms one day. The choice of whether or not to lay up well short of them to get a clear second shot, or to attempt to throw over/through them will be very risky.

The wooded holes are pretty solid as well. They are very technical, with only a few luck shots. A couple of the more difficult ones have "big" routes out left for the giant anhyzer. I use big in quotes, though, because they aren't massive routes, but you need to be able to hit a high sweeping anhyzer with a mid or putter to pull it off.

Well designed with a lot of variety and potential for the future.

Cons:

As has been mentioned: flood plain. On top of that hole 3 is in a frustrating location. It isn't meant as a water hole, but early in the spring you're going to be dealing with some massive casual water. Hole 3, along with hole 15, is also a luck shot (15 more specifically once you hit the green - you throw a good drive and then pray you finish clean). On top of this - another present-day con is that it is raw. With so many young trees on the open holes, those holes aren't great yet. That's a problem in the now.

Other Thoughts:

You have to have patience with a course like this. One day, half a decade down the road, you're going to have to rethink what you know about this course though. I give it a 3.5 despite the fact that right now it plays like a 3.0 or even lower for most lower-division players - no offense to Am2s and 3s, but this course is clearly designed for advanced or better golfers. I don't see that ever changing - Phil Moore Park is clearly for guys that can hit tough lines and have to make decisions that are 450' down the fairway.
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1 6
Virtual PBandJ
Experience: 35.8 years 95 played 12 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Needs work 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 4, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Good mix of different types of holes, nice pads, nice park

Cons:

The wooded holes are fluky, the open holes are bland. What's the deal with the hole with the big tree in front of the pad and no fairway?

Other Thoughts:

I only played this for the 08 bowling green am, the course was brand new and didn't need to be included in the event.

: ) :
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12 1
tamahawk
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 50 played 50 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 13, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

Phil Moore is the newest addition to Bowling Green Disc Golf. The course is less than a year old, so the large, concrete tee pads, signs, and baskets (DGA) are all in great shape. The biggest asset of the Phil Moore Disc Golf Course is the potential that it has.

I like the idea of the layout, but there is a lot of work that needs to be done in order to help this course reach its' potential. The course layout takes you in and out of open areas and moderate to heavily wooded areas that border a small river running along the edge of the park. I like this feature of the course, you aren't throwing all open or all technical holes, but a mix of both as you navigate through the course. The course is comprised of two complete loops, each returning close to the parking area. There are no crossing fairways, and some fairways are defined while others lack definition. The tee for No7 is near a field used for other activities, I actually had some people walking directly through the fairway here, so be aware of others as you play through this area. A unique feature of the course is the basket on nine that has been raised a couple of feet with a man-made structure, which adds a little challenge and visual appeal to this otherwise wide open par3.


There is a good variety of hole length, ranging from around 200ft up to 911ft. Several holes on the front nine over 700ft, but unfortunately, these are basically long, wide open holes, not a lot to them. The technical holes are designed to offer a variety of shots, including hyzers and anhyzers, but need some foliage maintenance and better definition to the fairways. Restrooms are available near the baseball fields, but I am not sure if they are open all the time, I'm guessing just during the ball games. There is plenty of parking for the course, and it is not typically crowded.

Cons:

Unfortunately, Phil Moore is a long way from its potential. The open holes are pretty much that, wide open with little to no obstacles. Some of the holes have had trees planted, but it will take several years for the trees to become an obstacle and improve the visual appeal of the course.

For the most part, the technical holes do not have defined fairways, and are infested with tall grass and trees that seem to require more luck to clear than skill. There are only slight to moderate elevation changes, no drastic up/downhill shots or side hill lies. The course pretty much offers very long, but open holes with little challenge other than the length, or shorter technical holes that need a lot of work and better definition of the fairways. The visual appeal of the course is in the making, but not there yet.

Keep a close eye on your disc through the technical holes as the tall grass, etc. can make it difficult to find. The river is close enough on a few of the holes to be an issue as well, so watch your release through these areas.

Other Thoughts:

Again, I think there is potential here. As the course is developed over the next few years, I think we will see it increase in challenge, visual appeal, and popularity. If you are in this area frequently, it would be great to play now, and then play again and see how it changes and develops. If you do not make it to the BG area very often, and are limited on time, I would check out some of the other courses in the area. My top 3 in BG are Kerieakes, Lovers Lane, and Hobson Grove.
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jgentry
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 47 played 36 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Still a long way to go! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 23, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is a new course with huge teepads and nice signs. The course has some really long holes and some shorter ones. The baskets are new and extremely nice. They have planted a lot of small trees that will help this course improve in time. There are 2 holes on the back nine that are extremely nice. I really like hole #12 and #16.

Cons:

I don't quite understand why this course was placed in a flood plain. If there is a large rain the course is soaking wet if not completely unplayable. There are currently several extremely long holes that are completely wide open. I don't understand the point of a 900ft hole with nothing but a pad and a basket. Then if you are not playing a long open hole you are playing a rediculously tight hole in the woods next too a river. This course goes from one extreme to the next extreme with no rhyme or reason to it. There is also still a lot of underbrush that needs to be cleared out on the wooded holes.

Other Thoughts:

This was originally suposed to be Bowling Greens great pro course, but it came up very short of that goal. It will get better in time as some of the planted trees grow and the wooded holes get cleared out more. But it will always be doomed by flooding. It will take at least 10 years of improvements for this to be the good course it was supposed to be (that is if the river doesn't overflow and complete destroy it ever 4 years). If you want to play a great long open pro still course go south 20 minutes and play Frankln.
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