Maple Ridge, BC

Thornhill Park DGC

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2.315(based on 8 reviews)
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5 0
Treeplant
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 8.8 years 109 played 62 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Decent Little Tone Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 28, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Tee pads marked with posts, intuitively laid out, easy to navigate between holes even without a map.

- Good quality tones in good shape.

- Good drainage in spite of being on a slope, not a bad wet weather course, doesn't get as mucky as other courses due to canopy and litter on forest floor.

- Lots of parking, year round course, shouldn't have any access issues with it.

- You're probably not going to lose discs on this course unless you put it in the creek and the disc gets carried away. I'm confused by a previous reviewer who said to bring discs you're willing to part with. Wide open forest floor and short holes = hard to lose.

- Interesting lines on a few shots with the trees, good use of space.

- You don't really have to worry about the general public/walkers for most of the course, other than the couple baskets at the front around the tennis courts.

Cons:

- Holes are tightly packed together. If the course were busy it might be a little crazy to play.

- Tee pads are well marked, but three tee pads per hole is overkill as others have stated and the three tee pads (in most cases) aren't far enough part to change the line or significantly alter the difficulty of the tee off. They typically just add 30 feet or whatever.

- The course lists a bunch of the holes as Par 4s, but none of the holes should be more than a Par 3.

Other Thoughts:

Not a destination course. Play Langley (best course in the area by a long ways) or Mission before this one. That said, a fun little tone course if it's on your way or if you've got a bucket list. Great place to practice midrange lines around trees.
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1 0
sgfocus
Experience: 11.8 years 21 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Diamond in the Rough 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 7, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A very interesting variety of holes. 14 holes with three different tee placements for each. Each tee placement has it's own sign displaying name,distance and what the par is.
The course is quite technical, lots of trees to get around. It is a beautiful location with lush greenery and a small stream running through parts of it. To me it has a little bit of the Pender Island course feel to it. It has a little something for all levels of play.
Vancouver and it's suburbs can be subject to a lot of rain and I find that the majority of courses around here hold the water and become quite muddy. That is not the case with Thornhill. It can downpour for days and soon as it stops raining you can confidentially play the course without worrying about mud or puddles.

Cons:

The first few times I played the course I found the holes a little confusing, not too sure where to go next. Some of the holes run very close together and 2 actually cross over each other, so you need to be a little wary of wayward discs.
Some of the tee offs could use some grooming.
They use tonals on 13 holes and baskets on one. I personally don't mind these tonals, they have a very nice ring to them when you make that difficult putt :)

Other Thoughts:

I was actually surprised at the poor ratings the other reviewers gave to this course.
Come out and give it a try, I think you might be pleasantly surprised playing this Diamond in the Rough!
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4 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.00 star(s)

I Could Love This Course? 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 22, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

If it had baskets, I could love this course. Thornhill Park is a most surprising little country park. From the street you see a small community building and an older tennis court. But starting near the building is a enjoyable little 14 hole Tonal course set in a very lovely forest of mature cedar trees. The forest floor is covered with ferns making it the quinessential BC forest. I almost expected to see some native BC Indian types carving a cedar canoe or drying some bark around a campfire.
Each hole is named after a native BC plant.
# 1 = Huckleberry
# 2= Red Cedar
# 3=Trillium
# 4=Big Leaf Maple
# 5=Foam Flower
# 6=Sword Fern
# 7=Vanialla Leaf
# 8=English Holly
# 9=Douglas Fir
#10=Hemlock
# 11=Twister Stalk
# 12=Blackberry
# 13=Wood Fern

The Tones all have three teepads. Each gives a slightly different look but mostly each one is slightly longer. Most holes play in the neighborhood of 175-200. The courses climbs slightly up to # 8 and then plays back to the start and the community building.
The tonals here give off the most pleasent melodous chime like noise. It resonates for what seems like 15 seconds.
# 13 is a hanging Tonal approximately 10 feet off the ground, it makes for a nice added challenge. And then # 14 is the only actual basket on the course.

Cons:

The holes are short probably averaging 175'. Only having one basket is a huge downside for me. The tonals, even with their lovely sounds, just don't compare to baskets.
Previous reviewer Mr. JR Stengele was probably spot one (And he almost always is) when he commented that having 42 tee boxes probably constitutes overkill in such a small area.

Other Thoughts:

If this course had baskets, I'd love it. The towering cedars and the ferns. The little stream running down through it. It still wouldn't be a championship or a destination course but it would be one of those beautiful little wooded pitch and putt throws. Find me some baskets somewhere!
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8 0
cefire
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 24.8 years 1123 played 136 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Surpasses expectations 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 6, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Thornhill is a surprisingly fun little tone course in a small suburban (bordering on rural) neighborhood near Vancouver. The course mostly plays through tightly wooded and fern'y' forest and offers many short, but tight lines through the large trees - pretty classic Pacific Northwest terrain for a disc golf course.

Variety: The tight woods and shortish nature of the course usually call for controlled putter or midrange shots but there are quite a few utility holes where a short sidearm, skip, or other funky shot is best. This variety does not really apply to hole lengths at the course with many being quite short (although multiple tees tend to add a bit here).

Replay-factor: The replay factor isn't all that high here, but it is fairly good for such a small course. The tight woods often allow for several, relatively equally enticing lines to reach the pin and the three teepads, which, while usually not all that different, do allow for some variety in layout. Having all of these teepads in such a small course does come with its own drawbacks in that fairways are often VERY close together or, in some cases, overlapping. If this course ever gets busy, it would be a pretty big problem. However, if our experience is any indicator, the course is usually not very heavily trafficked.

Cons:

Even though Thornhill is relatively tight, most of the holes are too short to really adequately challenge veteran disc golfers. You'll be throwing a lot of putters and a few trick shots to navigate the wooded fairways, but you'll almost always have at least a long jump putt for the birdie.

Trying terrain: You'll be fern-hopping and managing some serious mud/water when you leave the fairways or get a bad kick which can become a bit annoying over time. Fortunately, most of the course is straightforward enough that experienced players should be more likely to be under the pin than under a fern.

Getting there: I usually don't mention this but finding the course even with the directions provided can be quite challenging. There are several roads which are numbered as 98th that are either not the same road or don't go through and have lots of dead-ends. Bring a map or GPS to avoid this!

Other Thoughts:

The finishing target is pretty fun - located in a small hollow in between two trees, the tone is actually suspended in mid-air making layup's all the more difficult. Those who aren't feeling confident with their putting might be doing a bit of back-and-forth at the finish on their way to big numbers. For those who make the putt, this is a fun little finishing hole that leaves you wanting more. Overall, I'd recommend this little tone course to players looking for something a little bit out of the ordinary although skilled players looking for a challenge should head to Langley Passive Park for a couple rounds instead of making the trip east to Thornhill.
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8 0
JR Stengele
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.9 years 251 played 191 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Thornhill DGC 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 18, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Thornhill Park is a beautiful 14 hole disc golf course located in Maple Ridge, BC. This course is moderately wooded, and plays on a long gradual hill underneath a massive tree canopy. Much of the course is covered with ferns, with a small creek which runs through, and heavy brush along the sides of the perimeter.

Many of the holes are squeezed in to a fairly long but narrow piece of land, with tight fairways and difficult approaches. With three tee pads per hole, the slightest change in distance or angle makes for an entirely new hole! The gravel tee pads are sufficient considering the course length, and the wooden frames keep the rocks intact, although they aren't on every tee. Each tee has a sign which includes distance and par, and a name based off of the surrounding foliage which I thought was interesting. Holes range anywhere from 133 - 290 feet, but average closer near 190 - 200 feet from tee pad C. Therefore, tee pads B and C are much shorter. Pins are all tone, labeled with a number, and have red tape showing where to hit. Signature hole # 13 hangs about 15 feet above ground making for a tricky putt!

The area has ample parking along the road considering it is far removed from Vancouver, and tennis courts if looking for a game of round ball. Also, there is one basket located on hole #14 where you can practice you putts before and after a round.

Cons:

Thornhill DGC has a lot to offer those who are new to the sport. However, the fact that there are 42 tees is total overkill. The course is littered with tee signs and tee pads which take away from the overall charm this course has to offer. The fact that this course is 14 holes is most likely too much as well. This course would truly benefit from having nine larger, more defined holes with one tee pad each rather than its current situation. The designer could just adjust par according to who is playing, whether it be a novice, amateur, or pro.

Although I don't mind occasionally playing tones, some might find this an issue. Especially if driving here from far away like Seattle or Vancouver. I recommend first playing Langley before making way here. It is about a 45 minute drive, but makes for a great day of disc golf.

Par needs to be adjusted as well. There really should be no par 4's on the course and yet almost all tee signs for C are par 4's, and there are a few on the B tee pads too.

Last, the crossing fairways. At times there are several tee pads from all sorts of directions coming at one another, and I could see someone getting injured. Fortunately, this course is rarely busy.

Other Thoughts:

I rather enjoyed Thornhill in Maple Ridge, BC because I went in to it not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised. It challenged me to work carefully on my shot selection, approach, and execution. The course is what it is, a perfect rec and intermediate course with the occasional challenge for someone more experienced. It was serene, quiet, with nobody else out there rushing your game. It is a great place to take a significant other for some fun and even perhaps a picnic on the grass near the entrance. If you live nearby, give it a try. Support your local course!
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2 1
gdichasaz
Experience: 14.8 years 5 played 3 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

great tee boxes, the tonal's are clearly labeled. three tee boxes make for different skill levels. bring a map to make sense of the closely-packed course.

Cons:

too closely packed together. at one point you can see 8 tee boxes, 4 tonals/baskets. it's also a pretty short course - could walk it in very little time.

Other Thoughts:

a good 'community' course - wouldn't make a day trip out of it. its something to do if you live in the area and no one is around, otherwise you will be tripping over any other players or visitors to the park.
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7 0
josser
Experience: 20 played 8 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Thornhill Park DGC Review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 25, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course has 14 holes, each with 3 tees. Hole 13 is interesting due to the tone pole hanging quite high in the air, making putting very challenging.

The entire course is covered by overhang, which makes it a nice destination on hot days if you wish to keep cool.

Cons:

This course is very repetitive, even when using the alternate tees. Almost none of the holes have something that I would refer to as a "fairway" and you end up just trying to identify the least treacherous path to the hole each time.

Other Thoughts:

It would be nice if some of the holes followed the paths through the park instead of just criss-crossing them. This would give more opportunity to try to throw down something that fairway-ish. I didn't play each and every tee, so there may be more holes that actually allow you to throw along the path than I realize.

I do enjoy the "throw and pray" type of holes that heavy tree cover such as this park offers, but an entire course of this type of hole simply does not offer enough variety.
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3 0
atalised
Experience: 22.8 years 20 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

not bad 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 18, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

We didn't loose any discs! It was a challenge not throwing into the water. Some baskets were pretty technical with a lot of tree's a bushes in the way. The baskets in the woods were tough too. We assumed everything was a par 3.

Cons:

A lot of water, dog poop and dibris. The tee's made out of carpet and one was submerged under water.

Other Thoughts:

Print off a map. Bring some discs you'd be willing to part with or wear some shorts so you can go in the drink.
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