1) Well maintained (usually) multi-use park in downtown Henderson, KY. There are multiple covered pavilion areas, a skate park, a bathroom house, several ball fields, and lots of paved walking trails throughout. All this residing on the banks of the Ohio River with some decent and breezy views of the water.

2) While the first 12 holes and the 18th Hole are mostly flat with sparce tree cover here and there, 13-17 changes pace and utilizes much denser woods and great changes in elevation

3) Nice long, wide, sturdy and well textured concrete tee pads. Course signage is obviously old but is full color with a hole map and all relevant information.

4) Multiple benches and trash cans scattered throughout the course which aids in keeping the course very neat and trash free.

5) Beginner level friendly with a few more advanced holes mixed in. Distances on the short side with some really soft Par 4's.

6) Hole 6 is definitely the signature hole on the course, a downhill 300 foot par 3 into a peninsula protected by a steep rocky drop off into the Ohio River left and long and protected by thick woods and grass elevated on the right. The green itself is further protected by several large mature trees making this a very nervy tee shot, especially if the wind is whipping off the river. Beautiful to look at, and the challenge level is there.

7) In an otherwise wide open field there are two baskets placed atop earthen mounds that provide a little challenge and spice to what would otherwise be extremely boring holes. It's not much, but it does show that some thought and effort went into making things better.

8) Holes 13-17 feel like different course compared to the others. The use of elevation and difficult gaps through the trees ratchets up the difficulty of an otherwise bland extremely scoreable course. Without these holes, this course would be a simple hyzerfest beginner course, and the only reason I didn't score this course lower.

9) Cart friendly for sure, and great for older players, juniors and/or ladies without a ton of distance.

10) Hole #1 basket was moved to a much more challenging location on this visit and it appears to be the new permanent location. This subtle change definitely helps the course in a positive way.

1) Older Innova Discatcher baskets that have rusted chains, some baskets are slanted instead of being perfectly level.

2) Most of the course is wide open with little to no tree cover. There is very little outside of the end of the back 9 in ways of getting out of the scorching sun during the summer months.

3) There is no signage or indicators to help with navigation beyond looking for tee pad signs and the number on each basket. Could be a pain to navigate without U-Disc or a photo of the course map/

4) Easily forgettable start to the course, compounded with the massive amount of walking trails throughout that section. This park sees tons of use and there will almost always be people, walkers, dogs, or even parked vehicles in your way throughout.

5) Flooding potential. Most of the fairways are in low lying areas near or right up against the river and water has a tendency to accumulate throughout the course. Would not suggest playing after a solid rain storm.

6) Too many open see how far I can throw it holes. Most of the Par 4's are VERY eagleable in the 400 ft range with only minor defenses.

7) Very strange low ceiling 400 ft difficult Par 3 (hole #3) sprinkled in with a large drop off into a creek on the right and deep, and OB road on the left all the way down, into a very heavily guarded green with tiny gaps between a wall of old mature trees. Feels very out of place (even though par is relative) compared to the skill level of the rest of the course.

Atkinson is an older course, built in a time with less disc technology and less need for beauty and difficultly to be taken into account in design. While it still serves it's purpose, it is a course that you can quickly outgrow and there are much better quality courses in the area. I'm sure if I were a local this would still be in my regular rotation but it is not a destination course. It's worthy of getting in though if you have some spare time and are in the area visiting other courses, or just need to get a quick 18 in before heading off somewhere.

+ Some hills here and there give the course nice texture.
+ Tee pads are wide, long, flat and sturdy poured concrete.
+ Benches and trash cans scattered around. Please don't litter!
+ The course plays within a well-groomed township park, but...

- ...It's way too open and plain with just a few exceptions.
- Some of the baskets are showing signs of damage and/or rust.
- There are no 'next' indicators.

I really didn't like the first and last holes because of how boring they were. I liked looking at hole6 the most. That hole looked like a disc golf peninsula with how it was surrounded on three sides by trees and the actual Ohio River in sight just beyond it. I enjoyed playing hole14 the most. After thirteen holes of nothing but wide open fields and a few park style holes, it was a nice change to see an actual tunnel, even if it was the briefest hole on the course.

On that note, let's get into it right away. Atkinson Park relies a bit too heavily on wide open fields for its disc golf. I appreciate the practice of seeing how far I can throw, but it gets old pretty quickly. Holes4 and 5 introduce a little bit of variety into the front nine with a peppering of trees, and holes14 through 17 are undoubtedly the stars of the show with their combinations of trees and hills that hide the baskets, but everything else is plain and straightforward.

On the positive side of things, the infrastructure is consistent, mostly. The tee pads are the right size and sturdy. There are benches and trash cans sprinkled around the course. The tee signs do the trick. The baskets are numbered. The whole course plays within a breezey, sunny and safe public park with well-maitained grounds.

It's just a shame that there are walking paths everywhere. I played here in summer heat during business hours on a weekday, and I still had to wait multiple times for pedestrians to clear the way. How will this place be during pleasant weather on a weekend? It's also a shame that there is no 'next' signage. Sure, the course's flat and mostly treeless landscape turn that into a small issue, but there's nothing wrong with a course guiding its players along. And I've already mentioned the biggest problem at Atkinson: the straightforward and wide-open nature of the majority of holes.

There really isn't much else to say because most of the course plays in fields. I view Atkinson serving its purpose best as a training ground for newer players looking to extend their reach and a practice gallery for those of us still trying to work on perfecting that snap and get some birdies in the process. What few wooded holes exist here are welcomed breaks from the blazing sun and refreshing tests of focused accuracy. However, the overall experience is one of simplicity. Then again, sometimes that's a good thing, right?

So, come here expecting not much beyond a simple test of might, and you'll find it to be a harmless course. Just don't make it your only stop if you're in the area.

Atkinson Park plays through and around a multi-use park with ball fields and walking paths. I played on a cold November morning and there were surprisingly plenty of dog walkers about, but it didn't seem like we were ever interfering with each other.
the front 12 play mostly flat, but with several trees in play on each hole. I cant remember the hole number (maybe 6 or 7?) that plays down to a basket close to the Ohio River- very cool hole with water hazard left and thick rough to the right.
Two baskets sit atop man made hills to add challenge and wage risk-reward approaches and putts.
Quality concrete tee pads, good maps, and baskets on every hole. Holes 13-17 stand out as memorable holes* (see cons below). These holes on the back nine really make up some big points for this course. They offer everything the front nine could not- elevation changes going up and down, a blind tee shot, tightly wooded, throwing over valleys, fast and challenging greens with severe roll-away potential. IMO these 5 holes raise the rating of this course a full point.

Besides the memorable holes listed above, the rest of Atkinson Park didn't leave much of an impression on me. Some holes bordering the ball fields felt cramped in and not needed. The open and basic holes through the first 12 created a kind of plain, vanilla feel for much of the front.

Atkinson Park has a lot of good things going for it as a DG course, and if I lived nearby I would play it on a regular rotation.
I think this course could be improved if it were cut down to 14 or 15 holes. This could create more space for more interesting holes and help with the bland and smushed feelings through the front half. Overall very solid course, but there are much better in the area.

Lots of room to play! Not a bunch of out of bounds play area.
There were many people out enjoying the park and only had a few times that we had to wait before throwing.
All baskets and launch pads were numbered.
Clean park with tables and trash cans.

It would be helpfull to new players to have arrows pointing to next launch pad. A few times we headed in wrong direction.

-Nice multi use park where you don't feel crowded near the non discgolf areas
-Layout is pretty good with a variety of open and more wooded holes.
-Designed so 9 and 18 end right at the parking lot

-Unmarked tee pads from the older layouts are still in place and can cause confusion in a few spots.
-4 wide open holes that were just bland
-Course was a bit soggy in a few of the flat spots.

While I enjoyed a round here I couldn't get over the blandness of the 4 holes in the middle of the round. I do like the fact that they have the man made elevated greens on these holes to make it a bit tougher. The few spots where they changed the course, and left the old tee pads really confused me especially around hole 4-6. I enjoyed the first 8 holes and 14-17 the most. I would come play this course again because it has a neat feel to it being so close to the river. The course doesn't seem to be designed to be challenging, however the challenge comes in the form of wind. I felt it was even a factor on a relatively calm day.

Good mix of long holes and some birdie holes.
Several "fast greens".
Beautiful views of the Ohio River and railroad bridge.
Well maintained park and disc golf course.
Dolly Parton Memorial on Holes 10 and 11.

Always windy here next to the river.
The front of the course (holes 1,9,10, and 18) always seem to hold water.
Hole 14 had a new chainlink fence where the end post sits on the rightside of the fairway on top of the hill making it look much narrower.

This is the third version of Atkinson Park I've played. First it was 9 holes, then expanded to 18. Third, holes 4-6 were modified. I couldn't tell why the third modification was needed, but I don't really miss the old hole 4. It was long, boring, and I always hit a branch early! The new hole 6 really is awesome. With the changes, I don't feel this course is any better or worse than it was before.

This is a nice park course. The course has some very flat holes, but there are also a few holes that have some elevation changes. One of the unique things about this course was that I found a bunch of the baskets placed on the side of slopes. The park itself was well kept. The course had a nice course layout sign, while each hole had an accurate sign of the trouble on the hole. There is a little something for everyone on this course. There are 5-6 holes where you can just let it go without much thought to line. There are also some holes that will really make you think. Hole 3 is the first thinking hole. It is a long turn par 3 with a kind of low ceiling. It requires and turn off the tee and 3 very large trees guard the basket. Hole 6 is a troublesome hole. It begs you to throw for the basket, but big trouble lurks to the left in the form of a huge drainage ravine. A layup and a decent midrange can secure a par, but birdies will require an awesome shot. Putting on holes 10 and 11 are unique in the fact that the baskets sit on the grassy knoll. Aggressive putts that are missed will require quite an effort on the comeback putt. Holes 14-17 are the best stretch of holes on the course. 14 is a short but really tight hole while 15-17 are long holes with tight lines to throw through. I really enjoyed the nice long tee pads on this course. They were in great shape and offered a good platform on the holes where launching was needed. The course has several benches on it which was nice. I have played this course a couple of times and it is always windy on the course. The course is literally less than 100 yards from the Ohio River, and the wind seems to blow off the river all the time. I see this as a pro since quite a few holes have few to NO trees on them. The course did have a practice basket and parking very close to the first tee. I did like the out and back layout of the course. The 9th hole and the 18th hole both end very close to the first tee and parking lot.

The main drawback to this course was drainage. The area had quite a bit of rain recently and the flat areas were holding quite a bit of water.

This course does favor the big arm players . (IMO) My group does have one big arm player in it and he seemed to have more of an advantage on us than he normally does. The course played in 3 different segments for me. Hole 1-6 where one segment, holes 7-13 where totally different segment, and holes 14-18 were the closing segment. I would have liked a couple of trees on the totally open holes but that is just a preference. I like the layout and would play here anytime I have time in the area.

This course is very unique. It has baskets on mounds, huge uphill shots, long par 3s, a lot of wind from the river, and finally a huge creekbed with a very steep drop where you're lucky (as I was) to find a disc if you throw it in there. The main thing this course has going for it is elevation. Not every hole is hilly, in fact a lot of them are dead flat. But the ones that are hilly, are big hills and make a huge difference to the shots. Also this course requires all the shots. I threw backhands, forehands, and a thumber off the tee. It also has a good mix of open holes and wooded holes, and short holes and long holes. It is difficult, but the par 4s and some of the shorter holes allow for birdies to be made. A lot of times placement on the drive is more important than being as close to the basket as possible and that's a rare quality. The tee signs, pads, and baskets are in pretty good shape.

The grass was long on the 2 holes on the golf courses property. (I'm guessing that's what it was) No tightly wooded holes and I would like to have seen a couple.

I've never played a course like this before, and I probably never will. They did a pretty good job with the area to work with. It had rained a lot when I played and there was no standing water, so it drains well. It's a nice course for a quick round.

Very well maintained.
Good Concrete teepads
Good parking and convenient location
A few very attractive holes.
Pretty park in general with views of Ohio river.
Good signage.

Not too many memorable holes.
Hole number 6 has a ridiculously hazardous rough area.

The last third of the course is more interesting to play than the first 12 holes. Stay to the right on your drive on #6, you don't wanna wind up in that deep ravine filled with riff raff.

The parks department keep this place well maintained. Even though it doesn't stack up to Mesker, Madisonville, or Yellow Creek, it's still a nice little course to play for something different or if you are in the Henderson area.

- Surprisingly long. It "feels" like a short little par 3 course, but it's nearly 6000 feet. The longer holes, while open, are still fun. Many courses have no 'grip and rip' holes. I appreciate the courses that do.

- Large concrete teepads were in good shape.

- High quality DISCatcher baskets.

- Good signs which include topographical map of hole.

- Flow from hole to hole was good, no trouble navigating as first timers.

- Practice putting basket.

- Course loops back around to the parking lot after the front 9.

- Park looked to be well maintained.

- Some holes had benches and/or trashcans

- The open holes that play nearest the ball field lack any real character.

- On several holes, the street and/or walking path can come into play.

- The proximity of ball fields, walking paths, playgrounds, etc make you keenly aware that you are in the middle of a shared park that has many uses. You don't have the sense of privacy or "escape" that many courses offer.

- Lack of any real signature holes that "wow" you. Although having said that, several holes (2, 3, 17, etc) were quite attractive.

- This course was better and more fun than I expected. I'd really like to give it a higher rating than 3.0, but my conscience won't allow me to do so.

- We played it as a double with Mesker and it was a good day of golf.

Plenty of parking and good teepad and signs. Well kept course and grass is cut frequently.

Mound holes keep things honest for open field throws and the front nine redesign kept the courses integrity without decreasing difficulty.

Windy next to the river.

After a rain the course is nearly unplayable because 80% is flat and holds water.

OB on the new hole 6 is so dangerous that if I can find my disc I am tempted to leave it.

If its softball season look out for random people walking in your fairways or parking next to or on the course.

- Very well manicured park
- Big, clear Teepads
- Excellent Teesigns showing the details of the course
- Practice Basket
- Map/Board of Information near Practice Basket
- Discs available for sale at Golf Course Pro Shop nearby
- Places to sit on most holes
- Some trashcans throughout the course
- Man made hills on several holes producing elevated Teepads & Baskets
- Lots of OB because of several walkways and roads going throughout the course

- Mostly Flat course (a couple of natural and man made hills though)
- Limited obstacles (trees, bushes)
- Walkways & roadways can present a problem with cars and pedestrians

Overall this is a fun course despite it being mostly flat and open.The holes that are open and flat are generally longer to make up for the lack of obstacles (>300). However, there are a 6-8 holes that have mature trees and require a more technical shot. Those holes are generally shorter in length (<300). The OB presents some challenges to holes making them more interesting.

Some Memorable Holes:
#10 403 foot shot onto a basket upon a mound
#11 327 foot shot onto a basket upon a mound
#12 360 foot shot from an elevated teepad

Final Verdict:
This course is fun even though it may appear boring. The use of length and OB makes the open holes more interesting and the wood holes provide a moderate challenge. While this course is not as good as Mesker Park, it is definitely a must play for locals. If you are in the area, play Mesker Park first and if you have time, play Atkinson Park.

Most of the holes are completly open but 4 or 5 have some tree obsticals in the fairway. Good course to let you open up your throw without having to worry about hiting anything. Even though alot of the course is pretty open it still offers some challenge. like holes 10 and 11 they are both on pretty steep mounds so if you try and run at and miss your gonna be shooting uphill at least one more time.
Very well marked, easy to navigate.

you get alot of cars parked on the edge of the course on the front 9, especially during the summer months when baseball season is in. Also if the couse has several low spots so if it's rained rececently your probably going to be geting your feet wet.

Scorecards are available at the start on the course map board.

Atkison sits in a nice multi-use park between a road bordering the park and the Ohio River. Each hole has nicely sized tee pads that are grippy and each have good signs that are quite helpful. The flow of the course is very easy to follow and the baskets are Innova Discatchers that catch well and are in great shape. The layout goes from completely open to semi-wooded and back again several times. The open holes are seemingly completely open with no obstacles while the wooded holes force either only one route or possibly two if you are creative off the tee. Atkison has hardly any underbrush to lose a disc in unless you go way off the beaten path. There's a good variety of length with several longer holes to let 'em rip and others that force a more technical shot. Most of the course is on a flat plot of land with a few exceptions. One plays across a large drainage basin, a couple on some man-made mounds, and the last few on some nice rolling slopes.

The completely open holes don't really do anything for me. Four or five of them are quite redundant in that you throw 350-400' in a wide open field to the basket. There's no real challenge there. Several of the walking paths and roads come right next to several tees and baskets which can be hazardous to foot and four wheel traffic. With as flat as the course is in spots, lots of standing water can accumulate after rain. Also with the Ohio River less than a putter throw away from the park, the course is in a prime spot for flooding.

Atkison is a fun course that plays quickly and can be gotten for low scores. When the wind isn't blowing off the river, this is a straight-foward course without any surprises. More skilled players won't really be challenged here except to hit their putts. Less skilled players can enjoy the openness and lack of difficulty here. The setting is enjoyable with the river adjacent to the park and most of the locals I talked to there were very friendly and happy to hear about how my round went.

Very nice park location. Well maintained. Front 9 good for beginners. Back 9 a little more difficult. Good balance of holes. Easy to follow course. Benches. Trash cans. Really nice. My wife and I drive from Evansville to play here as it is more "fun" for the both of us together than the more difficult Mesker course and the easier USI course. Enjoyable play.

Variety of holes - grip and rip as well as more technical. Variety of terrain and putting areas. But not too long for those of us with shorter throws.

A couple of holes have roadways, walks, and parking areas. Must watch for cars, walkers, and runners on a few holes.

We really enjoy playing this course and the surrounding park is great for a picnic or family get-together.

This course has long shots that require a little bit of touch to them. The mound holes add a unique touch and make putting on them very scary. This course has a lot of good holes that will work your game.

This course needs more trees for two reasons. The first reason being that alot of the holes are wide open so you can any line you want. The second reason is this course is wide open so it gets hot.

This course has a great Parks Department behind it, who really cares about it. It has a water fountain and a restroom. This course could be outstanding if more OB was put into place..or more trees were added.

Course map by Practice tee. Plenty of Trash Cans and Benches. Very nice Tee signs,Concrete tees,Innova Discatchers. Grassy fairways,Front 9 flows and uses rolling terrain well. Mature trees with very little underbrush (#2?). #7? has "Ridge to ridge" shot....not extreme. The Back 9 has man-made hills for roll-a-way greens,on #11,#12. interesting that a city park would o.k. this feature,they are usually worried about liability.It gets more interesting on holes #14,15,16,17. Using the rolling terrain well. To me #17 is the signature hole. Usually the basket is on top of the second hill not on the back side for a roll-a -way green, also having a low canopy shot just before the second hill is a little different.

No Alt. Tees or pin placements,water holes. A few wooded technical holes would be a plus. The paved trail COULD be problem for beginners or if you ricochet one off a tree. I did have a few walkers & joggers. But I threw anyway with no problems. The flow from #14 to #15 could be a problem,just cross the road,or you'll tee off on #17. Just look for the tee sign.

It was hard to find the park entrance. Take the street between Wendy's & Grandy's restaurants,(no street sign). One way road thru park. I played on a Sunday eve,about 6:00. It was still 90 degrees and being next to the Ohio river the humidity made it feel like 105. Bathrooms are at the end of the parking lot.

Fun 18 hole course near my hometown of Evansville. A couple views of the Ohio river make it uniquely scenic. Distance throwers will like this course as you have a chance on several holes to air it out. Decent beginner course, but just challenging enough to trick the amateur player as well. Amenities are well placed throughout the course, i.e., bathrooms, shops and trash cans. The holes on top of man made mounds are very unique, and I made an amazing putt on the first one that I will probably never do again, first time course playing luck I must say haha.

Not that much variety of holes. A couple are through the woods, but most are wide open shots with little obstacles to deal with. Park can also be very busy with the skatepark close to it, and the ball fields as well. My biggest peeve was the walk from the basket of #14 to the teepad of #15. We weren't paying attention and teed off from the teepad of #17 since that was right where you would think the next hole should be as it was only 25 feet or so from the basket of 14. However, the teepad was actually across the road. We had to pick up our first shots and backtrack. Not a con now as I know this and will never forget it, but can be troublesome for a new navigator as we were.

Decent course for the land available, and if you are in the area, stop in for a quick round. However, this is not a destination course. It's just an average course. I'm glad to have it near home though. Makes for a good round for locals.

The layout definately attempts to maximize the available land. There are a good number of 325-450 holes that let the average player stretch their arms a little. Several holes offer a moderate technical challenge that reward skillful line shaping. Several of the longer holes utilize what trees are avaible to spice things up a little. The patches of mature woods that offer some shade are very welcome, especially in the heat of summer. Generally a nice flow to the course without having to search around too much to find the next tee. Tees and baskets are in great shape as the course is not quite 2 years old. Risk of losing discs is nominal with only a couple of holes skirting the river presenting any level of real risk. Bathrooms available near first tee, practice basket, discs available at golf proshop and scorecards are all nice "extras" that not every course offers. The baskets that sit atop a couple of mounds are unique.

Too many wide open holes for my liking. Not the most challenging course for intermediate level and above. There is both a road and bike/jogging path that run annoyingly close to a number of holes. We had to either wait or alter our shot selection a few times rather than risk hitting someone or a vehichle. As mentioned several times already, there are no special holes that stand out in your mind after playing a round. The closest thing to memeorable for me was # 17. While the hole is only 325', it plays up and down a couple of undulating hills. There are a couple of guardian trees approx 40' before you get to the basket--it was fun.

Definately worth a trip over the bridge if you are in the Evansville area to play Mesker. We met a group of locals who were as cool as any you'll find. We also talked to several groups of folks on the walking trail who were interested in what we were doing. The park is pretty and the few glimpses you get of the Ohio are nice.

+Long, even tee pads provide great tee off area.
+Disccatchers are in mostly great shape (some of the chains have rusted).
+A mix of holes, from long open bombers (Up to 440') to short ace runs (as short as 206').
+Holes utilize the available land very well. The flat open holes are mostly longer, air-it-out shots while the shorter holes are wooded and utilize the natural elevation.
+Holes 10 & 11 utilize man-made hills which can cause problems for even the best putters.
+In the autumn and winter, you can catch spectacular views of the Ohio River, which runs alongside the course. (When the water is up, a few holes are ON the river).

-Holes 4-7 were redesigned in June, 2012 and really took some of the character from the front 9. Hole 6 can be especially hazardous if you go into the ravine left. Locals play the ravine as OB.
-No shade on the open holes. Can be particularly taxing during a slow tourney round on a hot summer day.
-Course was built on an old landfill and after it rains, the old spoil holds water.
-If you are playing between October - May, you probably want to bring extra shoes/socks.
-There is a walking trail that runs through the course, so there can be some conflicts.

I really think Henderson is a great course. For a player of my skill level, it provides enough challenge that I can come away feeling rewarded or feeling a little beat up. It won't provide as wide of a scoring range as Mesker Park in Evansville, nor will it play as quickly as Woodmere, but it is definitely a very fun course. If you have a big arm then you will love the open holes. If you play a more technical game then there are some holes for you. Also, there is a pro shop located at the Municipla golf course just up the hill. They sell discs, bags and minis (cash only, no credit cards)!

UPDATE: While the new holes aren't as strong as the holes that were previously there, I couldn't justify changing my rating based on those 4 holes. If you want to add some variety, you can still play hole 4 from the former tee pad. It's about 500' to the new location. You can also play hole 5 from old 6's tee pad for a different variety. The old sleeves are still in the ground if you want to see how the old course played.