Festus, MO

Jokerst Memorial Park

3.245(based on 19 reviews)
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15 0
Tyler V
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.8 years 147 played 98 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A Very Fun Rec-9 That Will Give New And Experience Players A Fun Round

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 15, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Jokerst Memorial Park plays host to a park style 9 with mature oak trees and rolling hillsides. This course makes for a fun quick round and can be enjoyed by many different skill levels.

Location of Jokerst is extremely accessible from Interstate 55; take the Veterans Blvd. exit, go east, go left on Mill, immediately go left on Brothers Ave., and you'll see the park on your left. Parking seems limited along Clyde St., though it looks like what used to be basketball courts is now just additional parking. Hole one's tee is just to the left of the pavilion near the parking lot. Course baggers should enjoy how easily accessible this course and West City Park are off the highway, along with having some other short courses like Hillsboro and Grace Way nearby as well. Festus also has plenty gas and food options, most notably Krabby Daddy's Seafood Eatery on Truman/Hwy 61. This place has a 4.3 on Google; I don't know if this is a true 4.3 or a "Festus" 4.3, but please let me know if you decide to find out.

Course Equipment checks all the boxes and is great for a 9-hole course. The baskets are Gateway Titans, and while they look kind of old, they still catch great. Each hole has two concrete tee pads and three possible pin placements, by far the greatest variety I can think of for any 9-hole in the greater St. Louis region (not to mention most 18-hole courses as well). Tee signs are showing their age given the perceived temporary feel of them, so hopefully some metal signs can be added here. That being said, the current signage is good enough to give you all the info you need, and navigation isn't too hard to figure out with or without signage.

Course Design at Jokerst revolves around mature oak trees and rolling hills, with just enough obstacles to make you think about your intended line. The openness of the course means there's little chance of losing a disc, and the distances are both accessible for newer plays while still providing fun for more experienced players.

Elevation is definitely a highlight of the course, as most of the holes will force you to factor it into your plan of attack. Holes 1 and 3 are downhill with greens that can have risky putts, with holes 2 and 8 being uphill. Holes 6, 7, an 9 also have a valley area for you to throw over, leaving short drives with additional work on the second throw. Holes 4 and 5 even have greens with hilly parts that can make for a challenging putt. All in all, the elevation really makes this course.

Shot shaping on this course doesn't really force you into a specific shot for the most part, but some holes do have some specific lines. Hole 6 is a RHBH hyzer shot that will challenge forehanders or lefties. Hole 9 also has some lower branches that can favor a left turning shot over the valley. Hole 4 is also one that can favor a right-hand turnover. Other than that, the mature oak setting will allow most folks to choose their preferred drive type of choice.

Distances can vary pretty greatly throughout this course thanks to the multiple tee pads. Generally, most of the holes are in the 200 to 330-foot range. Hole 8 is shorter at around 170 feet. Holes 6 and 9 are both over 330 feet from the red tees, with holes 4, 5, and 9 being between 360 and 430 from the blues.

Difficulty is definitely fairly easy across the course, with newer players likely having a good time while learning the game on this course. Intermediate to advanced players will be able to challenge for birdie on just about every hole on their first round at Jokerst from the reds, while some blues might have you settling for a par due to distance depending on your max drive capabilities.

Course Highlights have to include hole 6; it's hard to beat a relative downhill backhand hyzer line for righties, and the line of brush in front of the pin makes for a fun challenge if you want to go for an ace run. Hole 9 is also a fun ending hole over a valley, with no straightforward way to park the pin.

Cons:

Spacing/Safety can be a little tight in a few spots due to the relatively small space provided for the course. Holes 3 and 5 have pins that are pretty close to each other, as my friends and I had a moment where we second guessed which basket was right once we got a little way down the fairway. Some pavilions can potentially come into play as well if you have a bad drive or griplock/early release off the tee. Overall, this is a minor issue on this course but is still present.

Repetition can become a factor as well, as hilly and sparse big oaks are the name of the game for most of the round. If this is your cup of tea, then you're good to go, but if you want a bomber drive opportunity or some woods, you're not going to fin that here. There's also a general lack of technical requirements here; if you have a bd drive, you still have a very good chance to save par given how open the course is.

Course Equipment is good overall, but some smaller improvements would really elevate this course. The tee signs currently in place were clearly a quick update due to new pins but are not lasting long term. More permanent signs that can handle weather would be a great addition. There are also plenty of bridges on the course for a creek that runs along the valley, but there was clearly one for 8 (and 9?) that have at some point been taken out or collapsed. While the creek isn't wide at all, a new bridge would be a really nice touch and would make an already cart-friendly course an A+ example for cart users.

Other Thoughts:

Jokerst Memorial Park is one of the higher rated 9-hole courses you're likely to run into; it even spent some time in the past in the top-25 list on this site for 9-holes. While it's not a perfect course, it really does do a lot of things very well. The elevation is great, and if you're like me, mature oak trees can make for an extremely fun round when the fairways are designed right.

I don't have many bad things to say about this course, and if a few things were a little different, I could see a 3.5 from myself; I get why some folks have given a higher score for this course. My friends and I played this course the day after very strong storms, including some tornados just north and east of town. The park had a couple of big branches and a tree down, but the ground was still solid with few exceptions. I can only imagine what this course looks like in dry conditions on a sunnier day with few days after the most recent rain. I'd be hesitant to play a lot of St. Louis curses after the storms we had the day before my round here, but Jokerst is one that clearly can provide fun golf in almost any weather situation.

If you're a course bagger or driving up or down 55, Jokerst is too accessible to pass up. It's out of the way from most of St. Louis, but it's one I certainly want to get back to sooner rather than later. When combined with West City or other nearby courses, this area can make for a fun day of course. Despite being only 9 holes, you'll likely leave this area with Jokerst being your highlight of the day. Hopefully this course continues to get the love it clearly has gotten over the years; it more than deserves it.
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11 1
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.2 years 652 played 631 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Pleasant Park Style Nine 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 26, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

(2.529 Rating) A recreational nine with moderate elevation change.
- FUN FACTOR - This course seems to strike all the right chords for those looking to have a good time. For one thing, this course is lightly wooded and is under a giant old oak tree canopy. With just a few exceptions, bad shots off the tee should be easily found and almost never lost. Novice players will have ace potential from the front tees on a few pin placements and they will occasionally have birdie looks on 275 foot plus holes. I'd guess that this course has ten times as many regular players compared to nearby West City Park.
- CORE AMENITIES - Gateway Titan baskets and two concrete tees per hole, except hole (8). I like it when the basics are done right.
- SIGNAGE AND NAVIGATION - Scorecards with maps on them were at the community board on my play. The signage is adequate, although they don't show the C placement which I assume is a new feature within the last couple of years. Zuca's should work fine on the moderate slopes.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Most beginners should not be overwhelmed here. A forgiving landscape and opportunities to work on form without hitting trees on every shot.
- QUICK PLAY - It took this speedy bagger 26 minutes to complete nine from the short tees. Normally I would have played the blues, but West City Park wiped me out just prior.

Cons:

A solid niner with no major or even moderate detractors.
- HOLE VARIETY - The variety on this course is probably a touch above average for a nine holer... which isn't really saying much. The available land to use at Jokerst is less than 8 acres. Although it's an interesting parcel for its size, it sort-of has a one theme environment being wide lines under big oaks. The hole distance variation is mild and there are some 30 foot risers and fallers. According to the scorecard, there are three placements on every hole, so hopefully they switch it up regularly.
- SPACING - As noted above, less than eight acres and lightly wooded. My disc found another fairway once, but I easily could have done it on every hole here with a bad throw. The course is mostly separated from other uses, but its very likely that non disc golfers could stray through the course as well. I think a pavilion comes into grip-lock range a couple times. Overall, these concerns are very minor and it only makes a minimal impact on my score.
- NO BENCHES - I was surprised that there were no benches on this hilly layout. If I recall correctly, I think there's a pavilion with picnic tables next to tee (5). Could be a good half round resting spot.
- PARKING - a very small parking lot with maybe room for five cars. I ended up parking on the basketball court because two other vehicles were already on it. Before leaving, I did my trademark 360 reverse frisbee dunk over my car.

Other Thoughts:

A way more enjoyable track compared to nearby West City Park. I loved the rolling elevation changes under the big old oak canopy, but the similar feel, and nine hole aspect, holds me back from scoring it higher. Definitely worth a look see once for those in the southern metro area, but I personally don't think its exceptional enough to travel more than 45 minutes out of the way to, unless you're a course bagger. Could be a good leg stretcher course as it's under 5 minutes from the I55 exit. Among just niners I've played, (143 of them as of this review), I have it ranked 12th in this grouping.
- CHALLENGE - The difficulty from the short tees is lower rec level while the backs are Intermediate level when looking solely at the distance figures. Normally I would have pro'ed the course for providing this level of challenge, but I felt there was a major lack of technical challenge. Most baskets can be attacked from several different angles. A misfire by a veteran will likely just be a chip shot approach and tap in birdie. I personally didn't get much of an adrenaline rush throwing any of these holes.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - A pleasant park overall. It was moderately maintained and mostly free of trash. The big towering trees and hilly landscape are the best aspects. The lightly wooded sameness is the lone drawback. I scored the course 55 percentile, so a touch above average.
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7 0
birdman101
Experience: 14.7 years 59 played 24 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Jokerst 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Concrete pads are an adequate size and there are 2 per hole.

2 pin placements on each hole (I can't attest to how often the are moved)

Lots of elevation change you throw both up and down the hills

Signage is in good shape.

Logical flow once you figure it out, but there are a few spots where you see multiple pads, and a few holes where you could debate which pin to throw at.

Very solid beginner course, or an opportunity to work on your short game. I threw mostly putters and mids

Cons:

No way to indicate which pin is in use

Few spots where a first timer might be confused as to where to go, but I found my way pretty easily

The drainage creek that runs through the course seem to get swampy and stay swampy, although there are some stakes that make it appear as though some work is going to be done maybe.

course plays pretty close to some of the picnic areas so on a crowded day there might be some conflict

Some will find the distances too short.

The mature trees are nice, but don't force any real shot shaping.

Other Thoughts:

Overall a decent little 9 holer set in a nice park with tennis courts, playground, picnic areas, etc. Seems to be well maintained other than the wet drainage area.

No real risk of losing any discs.

This course is worth the play, but not really worth a trip out of your way. If you live close or are passing through its worth the stop though.
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3 0
Centurion Disc Golf
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good Park 9 Hole 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 22, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course has three pin location on every hole with both Red and Blue tees.
Good variation of terrain with up hill and down hill holes.
Good place to take new players to learn.
You can play this course (18 holes red tees then blue tees) in under and hour.

Cons:

No hole is over 350 so relatively short.
Tee signs are in the process of being updated, fortunately the holes are short.
Could use a few benches.
Need some erosion control on the course.
The valley between hole 8 and 9 tends to be very wet and can be "buggy" there.

Other Thoughts:

Great local club.
Restrooms could use an updating, but that would be on the city.
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2 0
itsmerowe
Experience: 8.4 years 20 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun little course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 17, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Short holes but high pars. Makes you feel like a king when you eagle or birdie the holes. Good mental booster.

Cons:

We mostly play early mornings, so there hasn't been a lot of people there, but as we leave the park starts filling up. So I can see where people could get in the way of a couple of the holes.

Other Thoughts:

This is really a fun course to play. Take time to play it and you won't be disappointed.
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5 0
Wise Fool
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.1 years 125 played 116 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Solid Nine Hole Park Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 11, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Nice concrete tee-pads
-Multiple tee-pads and pin positions on each hole.
-Very well maintained park.
-A small creek comes into play on several of the holes
-This course has a lot of elevation change and it is one of the strongest features of the course. Most holes include either an uphill shot, a downhill shot or a side-hill shot.
-Course is easy to navigate, the flow made sense and we never spent much time looking for the next hole.
-For a nine hole course, this course had a good variety of shots. There were some more wide-open shots and then some holes that had a decent amount of trees on them. The aforementioned elevation changes also help add some variety to the course.
-The Gateway Titan baskets on this course were in good shape and they caught well.
-This course had a solid variety of distances, more than I am used to seeing on a nine hole course. The holes ranged from in the mid 200 feet to a little over 400 feet.

Cons:

-The course plays very close to some picnic shelters and even throws over one. When we were there on a Sunday, the majority of the picnic shelters were in use, so there are a few safety issues and potential for conflict with other park users.
-While some of the holes had a decent amount of trees on them, none of the holes required a lot of shot shaping or were overly challenging.
-While the holes were solid, none of the holes really stood out as memorable.
-A few of the holes, especially 3, 4, and 5 play close to some neighboring backyards, so be careful not to throw your disc in their to avoid conflicts with neighbors.
-While the distance was nice on this course for a nine hole course, it would have been nice to have one hole over 5000 feet, especially since a few of the longer holes played slightly shorter since they were downhill.

Other Thoughts:

This is a solid neighborhood park course that made for a very pleasant round. I wouldn't go out of your way to play it, but it is directly on the way to Crystal City Underground, so it makes a nice stop before or after playing a round at Crystal City.
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9 0
jhgonzo
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.8 years 92 played 45 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Jokerst Wildt 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 25, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

1. Variety. For a nine-holer, there is a great mix here - uphill and downhill (in fact, not a single really flat hole), ace runs, some long midrange shots (the pins were mostly in the A positions when I played, so there was nothing over 400'), a few moderately risky greens with rollaway potential, minimal rough, a creek that doesn't seem to get too deep and is easily avoided, and while there aren't any truly tight fairways through the woods due to the spacing of the trees, I could appreciate the implied/suggested routes from a designer's perspective. Each of the 9 baskets have two tees (red and blue), except for single shared tees at #6 and #8, and the tees for the most part change the hole enough that playing through twice doesn't feel too repetitive. For locals who play here often, there are also dual pin positions that hopefully are changed regularly.

2. Navigation. Maps are provided on the back of the scorecards available near the parking lot, but it's not a problem getting through this course.

3. Equipment. I love Gateway Titans, and they're in good shape. The concrete tees and tee signs were also sufficient. Small bridges provided for crossing the nearly nonexistent creek if needed.

4. Setting. A surprisingly nice little city park full of mature oaks (the primary obstacle out here besides elevation and wind), with a few other activities and amenities (restrooms, pavilion). Very clean. The park itself was pretty easy to find.

5. Scorecards. Plenty available when we played. They show 18 holes, suggesting two play-throughs (which we did), and distances for each tee and pin position are provided, as well as a basic map on the back with a few simple DG and park-related rules.

6. Fun factor. Very beginner friendly. Playing through twice gives you the chance to get revenge on a birdie that got away on the first 9. If you're local, I see lots of potential for awesome safari holes to change things up (obviously imaginary holes don't get bonus points, but these are things I consider since I do things like make up new holes at MY local courses)!

7. Design. Somewhat related to the navigation section above, but I particularly liked how the course was fit into this small park without much conflict with other tees and fairways (though see Cons below).

Cons:

1. Safety. A few gripes here - shanked drives from #2 could interfere with the pavilion/picnic area (or even the parking lot), and a pretty busy road could come into play on #8 (playing too aggressive off the tee on this ace run and going deep) and #9 (RHBH drives hyzering out; I tried to imagine what the chucker crowd would be capable of here, especially with the long B position, and I envisioned high-speed drivers skipping into traffic). There is also potential to land on private property with nearby houses (but hopefully not a common occurrence).

2. Repetition. Oaks, oaks, oaks. I can never tire of elevation changes, so while I felt the uphill/downhill design was executed well here, the widely spaced oaks and lack of big bushy shrubbery and low ceilings just don't tighten things up enough to equal the challenge of other nine-holers I've played and loved (like Campton Hills in St. Charles, IL, or Lime-Kiln in Grafton, WI). The dual tees didn't change things up TOO drastically, either.

Other Thoughts:

I don't have much in the way of Cons for this course, and I initially said I was going to give it a solid 3.0, but as I've written this and considered some of the finer points, I feel that it just can't quite creep into 3.0 territory being what it is. That said, it's a really fun round or two for the traveling golfer, and I'd find ways to get creative if I were a local. One suggestion I would make, which would be a big improvement, would be to have all 18 baskets in at all times to increase the replay factor!

Beginners can learn well out here with the elevation changes and multiple routes - in fact, while we were playing there was a graduation party going on in the pavilion, and much of the crowd stopped their talking and eating to watch us all tee off; as we approached the blue tees for our second round, I noticed some of the kids watching us even more intently, and remembering that I had brought my big bin of old discs, I ran back to the car, grabbed 6 unwanted discs (2 putters, 2 mids, and 2 fairway drivers), and left them by one of the adults in the pavilion. "Let the kids play with these if they want to give it a try," I said, and as soon as I met up with my group on the tee there were a few kids walking over with the stack of discs looking excited. They asked a few questions, I gave them a 2-minute instruction, and off they went! They finished ahead of us, and as we completed our second round and headed back to our vehicle, one of the kids (in fact, I think he was the graduate whose party it was) ran over to me with the stack of discs. "Here, you forgot these," he said. "Did you have fun?" I asked. "Yeah!" he replied. "Do you think you'll play it again sometime?" I inquired. "Definitely!" he answered. I told him to keep them all, or divide them up, but just to get out and keep playing and get his friends to play. He thanked me, ran back, and I was given a friendly farewell with numerous waves from the partygoers. That moment really made my journey to this little course worth the trip!
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9 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Solid 9 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 6, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays in a small hilly park that doesn't have many conflicts with other users. Elevation comes into play on most holes, making for a good walk and some fun holes. There are some nice downhill shots and some tougher uphill shots. There is no rough, but mature trees are scattered throughout the park and the holes use the available obstacles well. A few holes have moderately low ceilings, and a variety of shots are needed to take the best lines and score well.

Dual concrete tees add some variety, several offer some pretty different distances and often have different amounts of elevation change. Dual basket positions offer a chance to change things up. Decent signs at the shorter set of tees show hole lengths and both pin positions. The flow of the course is easy to follow.

Cons:

There is no punishment for errant shots here, with no rough and plenty of space between the trees. None of the holes really forces a specific line, there are multiple shots available throughout the course so you can get through it ok with only one type of shot. A few of the holes have tees that are only slightly different, offering similar lines and only minor distance variation.

Other Thoughts:

The short tees here are very beginner friendly, with reasonable distances and no punitive rough. More experienced players will find even the longer tees fairly straightforward, but for a 9 hole city park there are some decent shots and some fun elevation. If you're in town, this is a quick but enjoyable stop.
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7 0
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.7 years 568 played 281 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Beginner/Intermediate 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 7, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is set in a small, hilly park set in between a main road and a neighborhood. There is a pavilion, and some picnic benches, but it doesn't come into play too badly. Other than a stray park-goer, interference shouldn't be a problem.
- The hilly terrain is the best feature of this course, every single holes is affected. #1 is downhill, #2 is a pretty steep uphill, #3 is downhill, and so on and so forth. Some good valley shots as well, #9 is the best example of this. Some sloped greens come of this as well.
- Good amount of trees here, and they are used well to force lines and take others away. #1 is a straight shot with a low ceiling, #3 has a pretty low ceiling and offers a RHBH hyzer or a big anny, #4 has a very low ceiling from the long tee, #6 and #7 are both hyzers, and #9 is best suited for a big LHBH hyzer around a large, low tree.
- Some good hazards near a couple pin positions, like the woods behind #4 long, a big patch of rough to the left and in front of #5, and a pair of trees surrounding the basket on #8.
- Decent variety in hole length, especially with two sets of tees and two pin positions. #4 long to long plays a lot longer than 438', same with #9's valley shot at 407'. #2's uphill shot also plays much longer from the long tee. Good mix.
- Very nice pads, signs, and baskets. Navigation is easy, flows well.

Cons:

- Same terrain from start to finish, so it can get a little repetitive. Avoiding the trees isn't that difficult on many holes, and saving par isn't too tricky even if a shot gets knocked down.
- Some holes play close to a busy street, never fun when relaxing and throwing some plastic.

Other Thoughts:

- Not too many cons here; it is a solid course that has good elevation changes throughout, and enough trees to make things interesting. The long tees add good length, and offer different lines, and the basket positions make a big difference as well. Should be a good time for beginner and intermediate players, more advanced players might find it a little cut and dry.
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3 4
wildcat5415
Experience: 12.7 years 26 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

very fun course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 6, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

nicely laid out, concrete tees, like the elevation changes and pin placements. would be very difficult to lose a disc here. playground for the kids, bathroom on site. pavilion, pic-nic/sitting areas.

Cons:

cant really think of any cons, i really liked playing the course.

Other Thoughts:

very nice course, played thru it twice today and i was pleasantly surprised. generous par 4's on some holes. i concider myself to be somewhat of a beginner and i had no trouble getting pars, even a few birdies. i really enjoyed the course. parking near first tee, bathrooms. nice course, cant wait to play it again.
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5 7
Stud Muffin
Experience: 18.3 years 30 played 14 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Disc Golf Heaven 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 7, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

>Cement Tees, Multiple Tees, Multiple Pin Positions.

>Well kept, only real place once can lose a disc is left on #4.

>Great elevation changes. Enough trees to make you adjust.

Cons:

>Only 9 holes

>Front pin positions on 1, 6, and 8 WAY too easy, all putter runs.

Other Thoughts:

I met with a few dilemmas rating this.

1 - Can a 9 basket course get a 5 rating? - I believe being 9 should at least get a -0.5, out of fairness to the 18 hole courses that had to pay 2x as much for everything. 4.5

2 - Easy Pin Positions - They have multiple positions, and the other positions are not 'easy' on those holes, so no penalty. 4.5

3 - NO Grip and Rip holes. A lot of generous par 4's, but the holes are wooded and uphill. Number 4 in the back pin position is good length, so it's not lacking the length, you just have to avoid a tree most all the time. 6 and 7 give some nice downhill flight views, so no penalty. 4.5

For a 9 basket course, they do not get much better. 4.5

*After playing Deer Lake in PA, and seeing what a true 5.0 course is, it is wrong to rate this 4.5. I am taking it down to 4.0, which is still high for a 9 basket course, but it is a awesome 9 hole course.

*Ending my personal debate.
A Par 9 should always be -0.5 of a 18+ course of equal stature. For what Jokerst is, a limited amount of land for a small 9 hole course, it is at it's full potential. While I am rating it a 3.5, it's truly more comparable to the 4.0 courses I rate, it is just lacking the extra 9.
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9 1
stubborn puppet
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.2 years 48 played 27 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Nice little niner 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 30, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

A feature of this course that really stands out is it's multiple concrete tees (for all but 2 holes) and multiple pin placements; no other niner in the entire area has both. The course was very well groomed/maintained when I was there (with the exception of some recently fallen tree branches that were in the way a little) and the baskets were all in good shape. This is a quaint little park with plenty of shade and it's in a nice, quiet little neighborhood.

The course has a very easy to follow layout that only got confusing a few times (when I had a little trouble figuring out which of the two baskets that were out in the direction the tee pointed was the one I needed to shoot for).

A small creek runs right through the middle of this small park and has created a good deal of topography that gives the course a desirable variety for disc golf. Most (not all) shots seem to involve picking a line that avoids a few trees and then flies over the creek towards the basket. The baskets are easy to spot and it's easy to find the next tee.

There are lots of birdie and ace opportunities on this course and only 2 holes where a seasoned player would have no excuse for not sinking it on the 3rd shot. This would really be an ideal opportunity for a single disc round.

Cons:

I'm a newer player to DG than most (pretty awful by most standards), but I still didn't find myself challenged by this course. None of the holes were really instant "gimmies", nor were any totally void of some sort of obstacle or topography... but it all felt easy and a bit repetative. Sure, there's a steep valley right in the middle, but when you're mostly throwing across it... it might as well be flat (unless you really botch the throw or hit one of the well spaced trees.

There were two bridges for crossing the creek, but they were only helpful on 7,8 and 9 - the rest of the time they were too far away to bother with. When/if this creek were to get full or spill over (which there are signs of it doing), it would suck to have to walk all the way to the bridge to cross and then walk all the way back. This is a minimal concern.

I was a little concerned about safety on two of the pin placements: 2 was very close to a covered pavilion and 9 was right behind a smaller covered picnic area. These probably could be made safer by marking some "mando" trees.

There was no toilet, so "go" before you come.

Other Thoughts:

Get your directions worked out before leaving because it'd be easy to miss a turn. While you're here, if you're looking for a very challenging 18 hole course, look up West City Park (also in Festus).
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2 3
timmyd
Experience: 13.1 years 4 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Best 9-hole in STL! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 20, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Very nice elevation changes! Amazing ace runs! Great fairways! What else could you want in a course. If you are reading reviews and are contemplating on playing this course, turn off your computer/phone, grab your bag, get in the car and drive here. you WILL NOT be dissapointed!

Cons:

a little muddy at the bottom of hole 8. but thats what the bridges are for right?!
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5 5
discdork
Experience: 21.8 years 11 played 11 reviews
5.00 star(s)

best 9 hole 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 9, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

nice nine hole (best in st.louis area), concrete tees, signs, titan baskets!, park full of ace runs, multiple tee and pin placements , only takes about 30 mins to play nine, great local club and league (jc sharpshooters), restrooms, playground for kids, skatepark, barbeq pits

Cons:

water seems to saturate ground at bottom of hill on hole 8 , thats it!

Other Thoughts:

all three of my aces are here(1,7,8) and alot of metals (every hole but #2) , always a good time here play here about every day, great warmup for west city
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5 0
jmoslander
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Excellent Course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Excellent course. I would consider this the best 9-hole course in the St. Louis Area. There is little to no ground debris and just a small water hazard (a small creek runs through the middle of the park). Therefore, it is about impossible to lose your disc here. The hole variation is great as you have both up and downhill shots. Two tee boxes and multiple pin locations give this course great play. Although there is not much underbrush the park is filled with mature trees that make for great natural obstacles. The course is also easy to find as it is just minutes off of the highway. We were not sure of the exact location of the course so we stopped into the 7-Eleven and the clerk was able to tell us were both courses were in the area, and they were also selling Gateway Disc.

Cons:

The course was a little muddy, but nothing to hang your head about. Most all of the holes were par 3 length, yet there were some that were listed as par 4s.

Other Thoughts:

Great Course, quick play, easy to find, its not a long drive, 20 minutes from South County. If you play Watson Trails or JB, this will be a refreshing course to play..
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7 0
hognosesucker
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.9 years 443 played 85 reviews
3.00 star(s)

nice little niner 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-nice little compact course with pavilions, grills, bathrooms and water
-course makes good use of topography: every hole either plays uphill or downhill. 1 is slightly downhill, 2 uphill, 3 down, 4 plays over a valley and slightly uphill, 5 plays slightly uphill, 6 down, 7 is fairly flat from shorts, downhill from longs, 8 uphill, 9 uphill
-good shot variety hyzer anhyzer and straight shots
-two concrete pads for each hole except 6 and 8 and 2 pin locations for all holes
-good flow and easy to navigate

Cons:

-concrete pads a bit short, 2 extra ft would be nice (but very minor con)
-signs located at short pads
-only 1 pad for 6 and 8
-no really multishot (true par 4) shots even from the longs, there is enough area here for at least one of this type of hole.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this course is just a solid course, it is fun to play, the cons are very minor, it is fairly easy from both pads, but some holes still present challenge for experienced players. This is definitely in the top 3 of nine hole courses for me
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14 0
tamahawk
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 50 played 50 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 3, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The Disc Golf Course at Jokerst Memorial Park is a great little 9-hole course set in a small, 12 acre park with mature trees and subtle elevation changes. The Gateway Titan baskets looked brand new and have multiple placements on all holes. The concrete tee pads were just a little small, but they are level and in great shape. Multiple tees on all holes except for No6 & No8. There are tee signs on all holes that are mostly accurate with hole layout.

The course flows well from hole to hole and loops back near the parking area after Hole9. The fairways were well defined, and the course in general was in great shape and appears to be well taken care of. There was no excessive foliage or underbrush of any kind to speak of.

There were subtle elevation changes throughout the course that was utilized very effectively to offer a good mix of uphill, downhill, and sidehill lies. The course is well laid out through many large, mature trees, but there are not any tight, technical holes. Some holes create more obvious lines to the basket, but there is certainly enough room to be creative with shot making. The course is pretty short, only averaging 280ft from the long tees. Not a real challenging course, but a lot fun to play.

Cons:

There were multiple tee pads on 7 of the 9 holes, but several of the long pads were located directly behind the short pads and only 40ft or less away from the short pads. The longer pads on these holes don't really make much difference on the hole layout or overall challenge. It looked like there was plenty of room to move the pads further back with more strategic placement to create some different lines and make the holes play completely different. They did utilize this strategy on some of the holes, making the longer tees play completely different from the short tees, but I would have like to seen this done for all the holes.

The tee signs weren't completely accurate, but with that being said, the course wasn't hard to follow. All the tee signs were at the short tee pad. Not being familiar with the layout, I had to walk to the short tees to see the layout, and then backtrack to the long tees. Signs in both locations would be nice, but with several tee pads being so close, this wasn't a big issue.

Other Thoughts:

For such a small park, Jokerst Memorial has a lot to offer this community. The disc golf course is really nice, and the park also has a couple of covered pavilions, basketball courts, a skatepark, and playground equipment. A great recreational course for the novice player.
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9 0
Dthunderchicken
Experience: 50.7 years 9 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

One of the Best 9 Hole Courses 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 22, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Excellent use of trees and terrain make this a fun and challenging course.

Multiple tee pads on most holes and multiple pin locations on all holes make this course a little different every time.

Nice mix of long and short holes.

Very little extraneous traffic.

Skate/bike park located on property.

Cons:

Benches between holes 4-5 and 8-9 would be nice.

Score card supply spotty. (Very minor gripe. The course is easily navigated without a map.)

Other Thoughts:

While most 9 hole courses I've played are kiddie courses, this one is my favorite. I often play it as an 18 hole using the different tees.

Large pavilion and BBQ grills make this a nice tournament site.
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9 1
REDARMY
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 53 played 34 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Fun For A 9-Hole Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 14, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good balance of uphill/downhill, left/right, pins in/out of trees shots.

Nice big concrete pads.

Great maintenance save for one problem (see cons).

Gnarly wind created by the valley-esque shape of the park can fubar even the best-thrown shots.

Straightforward layout of the holes means it's easy to follow from one pin to the next tee, even though there are no signs of the sort.

Good maps on the tee signs to show you where you're throwing.

Cons:

Could use a couple more benches and trash cans.

Signs from one hole to the next aren't necessary, but newbies could use the help.

Pars overestimated.

Someone hacked up a few dead trees to clear some flight paths (thanks!), but just left the debris on the ground.

A porta-john wouldn't hurt.

Other Thoughts:

In my (limited) experience, this is the best 9-hole course in the St. Louis area.

As long as you're already in Festus, hop across the highway and go play West City Park and make it a full day of fun.
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