Bakersfield, CA

Hart Park - Suicide Flats

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3.425(based on 24 reviews)
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1 3
Smonsie91
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Love the course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 13, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of long shots, nice teepads, new teesigns to help people find there way around. Multiple pin positions. Never to busy on or around course

Cons:

Lots of longer throws, bathroom not near by, no trash cans
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8 0
markmcc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.9 years 278 played 254 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Long Holes, Big Trees 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 14, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a beautiful plot of land for a course. Acres of mowed grass with large scattered trees throughout. Holes lengths vary from 275' out to well past 600', depending on the pin positions.

Based on the tee signs there are three pin positions for most holes. The distance change from the short pin to the long can be dramatic, and often much farther than the distance listed under "Hole Info" here. The day that I played it seemed that most of the pins were in the long position.

Excellent concrete tee pads. The tee signs that were there had good photo diagrams with the location of each pin position shown. Baskets were very nice, with clear hole markers on the top of every basket.

There are several holes with water in play which adds challenge. The water is deep and murky and I saw several players fishing for discs the afternoon that I played. Hole 18 in particular hid a creek just beyond the basket. Surprise!

Cons:

Virtually all of the holes on the course require long drives over grass, with widely scattered trees to work through and around. There are no holes that require a specific line or even a particularly accurate drive, and no elevation. After a few holes the course begins to feel one-dimensional.

Many of the tee signs have been vandalized, with a few missing completely. No indicators for which pin position was in play.

Navigation was tricky for this first time visitor. The map was a huge help in knowing where to look, but even then there was a good bit of walking around looking for the tees.

Other Thoughts:

Although the course can get a bit monotonous, the park is green and beautiful and it is a pleasant place to play.
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0 2
Odane12
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 26, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

I like this course. Long and you get a lot of walking out of it.

Other Thoughts:

I LAST PLAYED THERE DECEMBER 21, 2016. Five of us. We lost 4 disks to the creeks. Died laughing doing it. Very fun. But be causes about the water traps.
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1 0
MidwestMarksman
Experience: 10 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Big Sky, Big Heat 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 28, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

When you're looking for big bombs and great breezes this is your course. Many holes were 350+ and there seemed to be a nice mix of fades and turns for any type of golfer. the W to E breeze made for lots of great distance tosses. Most holes were very wide allowing for 2-3 viable approaches.

Cons:

the heat! bring water, water, and more water. graffiti on tee signs made some unreadable, lots of walking between holes and 17 appeared to be missing.

Other Thoughts:

Overall a good experience. My first time out I hit 8+ and finished under 2 hours. I like the long drives and breeze. I look forward to finishing under par!
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0 1
cdamon
Experience: 43.8 years 9 played 9 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Nice course that needs some attention 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 28, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course is in a great venue for disc golf: a grassy park with moderately spaced trees, and a bit of water. There are multiple pin positions on every hole, and some of the holes (at least when I played) are set up very long. For example, hole 4 was about 770' through the trees, making it a very challenging three.

Cons:

All the drawbacks could be fixed with some attention from the local club (if there is one):
- hard to find the next tee; arrows on the targets would really help; I gave up trying to find 15 and 16
- some of the signs are in disrepair; most had decent maps of the different pin positions
- some of the positions are so near water that losing a disc is probable

Other Thoughts:

I hope vandalism isn't a problem. Looks like it might be.
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3 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Some Shaded Relief After Shark Tooth! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 19, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Having two courses at one location is always a bonus and Suicide Flats is a nice contrast to the grueling punishment handed out by the Shark Tooth Mountain course. The Flats course plays through large sprawling, almost totally flat green grassy park. There are just enough scattered mature trees to provide shade on those hot Bakersfield days but also to challenge your shot selection.
As others have commented, there is some water to be aware of in the form of a creek bordering 2-3 holes. And this is a great course to break out your roller disc.
I was lucky to be guided through by Scooby Dew and Andy, two locals, so navigation wasn't a problem for me. I think it would be difficult for anyone trying it on their own as many of the signs and tee pads have been redesigned and now are out of date.

I appreciated having a working water fountain near the beginning of the course (in the little round rock building) and being able to splash through the sprinklers multiple times during my round.

Cons:

Course could get a little mundane with lots of long straight holes with little in the way of obstacles.
There was one large trash can overturned with trash all over the place.
Navigating this course would not be easy without local help.
I believe it's fortunate that I was able to miss the disgusting bathrooms here.

Other Thoughts:

After playing Lake Piru and then the City In The Hills course, 36 holes of disc golf on a 100 degree afternoon in Bakersfield was a heavy workload. Honestly, I felt saved by the sprinklers in the lower park area and the hose on # 8 on Shark Tooth. I kept drenching myself and soaking my head and hat to keep cool. At the end feeling pretty refreshed, I ended up heading over to play one more course, Silver Creek. Thanks for having the sprinklers on! And thanks to Scooby Dew and Andy for showing me the Hart Park dirty twosome and kicking my behind on both courses!

Bakersfield has this nice range of courses stair stepping up in nice increments, from the very easy Pitch & Putt beginner course at San Laurel to the brutally hard physical challenge of Shark Tooth Mountain.

From Easy to Hard:

San Laurel Park
City In The Hills
Silver Creek Park
Kern River Park
Riverview Park
Suicide Flats
Shark Tooth Mountain

Bakersfield disc golfers have a nice variety of courses to choose from, with two easy beginner courses, one slightly harder beginner course, two intermediate courses and then two courses that will challenge anyone.
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5 1
mattdabbs
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.8 years 104 played 61 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

The course has variety and is very, very scenic. There is just enough water to make you be careful but not enough to ruin your round. Some very long and challenging holes that are strategically placed among the trees makes getting a birdie fairly challenging on most of the holes. I really like when a course takes you somewhere, where it is not all open and all the baskets are visible from across the park. This course takes you all over the park like you are on a disc golf journey, wondering what is just around the corner. Nice locals. Beautiful view of the mountains. Course loops back around during the round thanks to to great course design and forethought. Last, two courses in the same park...hard to beat that! Gave this course a 4.0 due to all the great features just listed. I hope to play this course again.

Cons:

A lot of straight and hyzer shots with very little need for anhyzer. I am sure this changes as there are multiple basket positions. The trees almost felt a little ridiculous after a while as I hit tree after tree after tree and then even hit the little powerline that goes across one of the holes on the back 9. Navigation challenges, a few next tee signs are needed in a couple of places and it just leaves you looking around for the tee sign, which are hard to see from a distance on 3 of the holes. The grass was a little high when I played it. Also, beware some of the trees as they are very thick and like to eat discs (unless they are blue :)

Other Thoughts:

Great course in a huge park that is multiuse but not enough to really get in the way (except, I hear, on holiday's). If you are in Bakersfield, try this course and Sharktooth mountain as well! Fun, fun, fun!
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6 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice park course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 17, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course plays through the grassy flat areas of the park. Mature trees are in play on most shots, with very little rough. You'll have to navigate some low ceilings off some of the tees here, and some of the holes have a little bit tighter lines to hit. You have multiple options on many shots on how you want to approach the hole.

There's great distance variety, from ace runs to some nice long shots where you get to pull out a driver. With short grass and hard flat ground, this is a great course to throw rollers especially on the longer low ceiling shots. An OB creek comes into play a couple times to add a little bit of risk.

The concrete tees are in nice shape, and the baskets show little wear. The tee signs are adequate to figure out where you're throwing. The park was very nicely maintained, and the peacocks wandering around were a fun touch.

Cons:

This course is very repetitive. With no rough and mostly open fairways you have your pick of shots on almost all the holes. You could score equally well with only a hyzer (left or right handed). A bunch of the holes are in a tweener distance for a lot of players, where most won't ever reach it for 2 but there's not enough punishment or hazards that a 4 is all that likely.

Navigation is a bit tricky in some spots, the map available online or at the kiosk is helpful. I would have liked to see pin position indicators on the tee signs.

Other Thoughts:

Beginners will find this course very long, but not terribly frustrating. More experienced players will enjoy the chance to throw some longer drives or rollers, but the lack of punishment on an errant shot and the lack of real variety makes for a less exciting round. I do like the contrast between the two courses on site here, though I wish this one had been made a little more family friendly perhaps with longer tees for more experienced players.
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6 0
Hazer
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18 years 168 played 53 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Long Distance 18 In Tranquil Setting 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 13, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very long distance throughout the course. Moderately wooded with great use of trees to dictate shots. Signs with photos of the hole showing flight paths, pin locations, and distances. Cement tees throughout. Multiple pin locations on many holes. Hole 4 is a 700+ft par 4. Hole 6 shoots over water (need to throw 275+ft to clear it). Water is in play on a few other holes as well. Several water fountains and garbage cans scattered throughout the course. Some benches. Overall the course is fairly challenging. Restrooms not far from holes 10 & 15. Very beautiful and quiet park. Nice course design with good use of natural and man made obstacles. Well maintained and clean course.

Cons:

A few signs are missing or were vandalized. The course is pretty flat with virtually no elevation change. A lot of holes weren't all that challenging besides being long. Only one tee per hole (an amateur tee on every hole would make this course more enjoyable for less experienced disc golfers).

Other Thoughts:

This is a great course to test your distance as no holes are under 300' and most are far beyond that. The course map is handy for your first time playing. Hole 9's tee is kinda tucked away down right next to the creek. Challenging due to its distance but not extremely punishing besides on the holes that play around water (don't go in the river on 15 or 16; it will carry your plastic far away!). The park seemed very peaceful to me and I enjoyed playing it very much. There were quite a few peacocks on the course as well which was pretty cool. Just seeing those beautiful birds made me smile and added to my experience. With Shark Tooth Mountain this park is a great destination for serious disc golfers. Allow 4-5 hours to play both courses.
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0 5
Dieno
Experience: 32 played 16 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Need a Canon 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 2, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Pretty much a backwater course. An older park with some long roller holes. It tests your idea of long. Met some guys that showed us around. Good league folk.

Cons:

Older park that is somewhat rundown but sets up good for discin'. The washrooms need some rebuilding.

Other Thoughts:

Interesting play with lots of long get around big trees shots. It was an enjoyable afternoon.
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10 0
Danger
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.7 years 105 played 68 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun compliment to neighboring course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 13, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

-18 of the longest collection of holes to be found in Southern California.
-Relatively flat terrain makes for a pleasant round with little effort.
-Park is huge and quiet, spread out enough to eliminate any stress from other golfers or park goers.
-Cats AND peacocks roaming around. How cool is that?
-Tee signs and concrete tees. Distances are marked but holes are so long that it is hard to determine which pin placement's distance we were going for.
-All grass for you dirtaphobics.
-Some unavoidable water hazards....rare for the area.
-Great for big arms and rollers.

Cons:

-All shots are great for big arms and rollers.
-Most holes follow the same pattern: Navigate the spread out trees and get it far!
-First time navigation without a map will probably get confusing.
-For being a park course, it lacks 'park course amenities.' No benches, few trash cans, and the two bathrooms were pretty sketchy.

Other Thoughts:

Suicide Flats is a very long, relatively flat park course in a remote area near Bakersfield, CA. While the surrounding area is predominantly brush, the course like an oasis in the area; all grass, lots of trees for shade, and a variety of water ways that meander throughout the region. Even on a weekend, we found the park to be sparsely populated, resulting in essentially a DG exclusive area for us.

While the park is mostly flat, some holes have +/- upwards of 10 feet in elevation. I know its not much, but it has not been mentioned so I thought I would. Most of these elevation changes occur nearer to the tee than the pin, often playing some role in your shot selection.

If you have a roller in your bag, you will be pretty happy out here. Make sure you are familiar with the hole though, as at least two holes hide some water hazards, one of which is a stream that is completely invisible off the tee.

Hole 6 could be their signature hole, one of their shorter ones, crossing a road and a pretty wide creek. Safety throws for par near the edge of the water are possible as well as attempts for birdie as well. A road behind the pin punishes throws that are too strong. Hole 6 would definitely be a winner if you did not have to take a 5 minute walk to get from the tee to the pin, across a distant bridge and out of sight from your plastic for the majority of the time.

Two par 4 holes are sprinkled into the course, however we did not find their length or design to be different than any of the other 16 holes on the course. In fact, they were shorter than some of the par 3's.

Navigation at this course was pretty weird. Nothing too surprising at first, but after the long walk to hole 6's basket, you find yourself finding holes in little groups. 7, 8 and 9 are all close to each other, then a long walk. Same with 10 and 11. And 12 and 13. 15 to 17 are close, and one more weird long walk gets you to hole 18. I mention this because the walks between the above mentioned holes are quite long and the direction is not obvious. Bring a map! The walk to hole 18 takes you next to this weird abandoned mill that has been taken over by random house cats that dominate the area. And peacocks.

Hole 9's tee pad is down the hill a little bit by the river. Some have had trouble finding it, but just go next to the river, and you will see it. It's location adds around 10-15 feet of uphill elevation to the hole, and makes for one of the more unique experiences on the course.

Hole 18 looks like a simple, long closer to the course, but it hides a dirty secret about 250 feet up the fairway. A relatively wide and 'deep enough to be annoying' river hides between two hills that will eat your rollers and normal throws alike, so just keep that in mind to keep your disc dry and your score low.

Aside from holes 6, 9, and 18, the course is all 'flat, grass, spread out trees, roads ob' disc golf that you can find anywhere at any course. Combined with Shark Tooth Mountain, though, this course suddenly becomes a worthy visit for any Californian looking for some variety outside of their home courses. This course is certainly the longest I have ever experienced and would not be fun for beginners purely due to its length. While long, it does not require a ton of energy to play.

A day needs to be set aside to enjoy the two courses out here, as they are just too long to 'stop by' to on a road trip. Play Shark Tooth first as it requires more elevation and is clearly the destination to the area. While overshadowed by its neighboring course, Suicide Flats is a descent park course in itself, helps absorb any crowds that may be around, and makes the two hour haul from LA justified.
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7 0
roadtripstuff
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.1 years 286 played 57 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Perfectly Named 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 12, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful Mature Trees Provide Some Challenge
Water Hazards on a Few Holes
Concrete Tee Pads
Huge Park
Plenty of Parking
Clean
Very Quiet
Another Course In Park (Total of 36 Holes)
Camping in Park

Cons:

Navigation Was Difficult (Even with Map)
Restrooms are Downright Disgusting
Trash Cans Were Overflowing
Many Holes are Somewhat Monotonous

Other Thoughts:

This is a fairly long course located in a huge county park. Park is home to two 18-hole courses which would make for a decent day of disc golf. While the courses seem to be well-maintained the park itself could use a lot of work. The bathrooms were disgusting and what trashcans were there were over-flowing.

The course itself lives up to its name, flat, and to be perfectly honest could drive you insane. It seems nearly every hole was the same, long, flat, and straight. There were some highlights however, hole 6 being the first. The only hole with any elevation change, it also has an awesome water hazard making it the signature hole on Suicide Flats.

While the holes were all pretty repetitive, the mature trees and the water hazards throughout make it worth the play if you are in the area. Add the second on-site course and its worth the drive out there.

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11 2
Apothecary
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 26.8 years 66 played 36 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Get Your Suicide On! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 21, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Clean concrete pads
-Semi-reliable tee signs
-Pretty good use of the meandering stream in hole layouts. A good amount of danger on a few holes.
-Long holes with plenty of trees cutting off the high road...those with a developed roller game will thrive here.
-Lots of wildlife. In the 3 hours we spent there dog got sprayed by a skunk, the roving peacocks mocked my putting and a coyote eyeballed our more tender pieces for dinner.
-Seemed a relatively unused park when we were there. Didn't see another golfer or patron of the park.

Cons:

-Navigation. Not all tees have hole maps (I think. Somehow, even with the aide of a map, we lost hole 9...no sign of either that tee or basket.:() and it is often a hike from basket to new tee.
-Topography. This course is as flat as your first girlfriend.
-Hole design is on the repetitive side. Flat and straight or with water to the left of target.
-Restrooms few and far between, as are water fountains.

Other Thoughts:

Suicide Flats is a fun little course, especially for rollers. The course is longish with plenty of trees in between the shooter and most targets.
The signature hole would have to be hole six. It is maybe 240', slightly downhill on a little island across the stream. Danger in front, left and right. A pair of trees close to the tee to compound the problems this hole presents to golfers. Fun and rewarding.
Suicide Flats is a great place to practice your rollers, but, overall, the course sits on an unremarkable piece of land for a golf course.
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14 1
JMONEY
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 227 played 41 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Flat! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 21, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of parking, not crowded, large concrete tee pads, new baskets, new tee signs, wildlife, water hazards , picnic tables, BBQ's, shade and best of all it's free

Cons:

Trash throughout the course, tee signs lacking information or direction of the basket, navigation was challenging and restroom facilities.

Other Thoughts:

This has a typical links course layout with a longer than normal walk to the next tee pad. Sometimes requiring you to cross over roads with no navigation aids(next tee signs). The course is very flat with manicureed grass throughout and no underbrush. There is some water hazards that come into play and can wreak havoc if not careful. The course is a dream for those that have a roller in their arsenal with the low ceiling and the flat manicured grass. There are mature trees throughout the course with basket placements leaving you narrow lines or low ones. Most holes are long playing upto 700ft with only a couple under 300ft. This is not your beginner course. Eventhough this is out of the way for those traveling on HWY99 or I-5 its worth the time just make sure you bring a lunch and plenty of water!
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7 0
JHern
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.8 years 82 played 49 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Surprising Disc Golf Oasis 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 7, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

We were returning to NorCal after visiting NorAZ, and looked on the map to see where we might be able to stop and play a round or two of disc golf. Bakersfield was perfect, and we arrived around 5:00 PM, just when we wanted to be off the road for a while (hwy 99 can be trafficky during rush hour).

We were amazed to find, after following Comanche Rd for about 9 miles from hwy 58 (we checked it, though the course description directions say 8 miles), a wonderful oasis full of trees, manicured grass expanses, ponds, lakes, streams, etc., unfold in front of our eyes. We found ourselves in a manicured park next to the Kern River, with great shade trees, ponds with bull frogs, dozens of peacocks, scores of cats, a handful of skunks, and even a large snake! And of course, 36 holes of disc golf.

We had hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon the previous day in blistering desert heat, so as attractive as the Shark Tooth course sounded in principle, the lack of shade and the steep topography were not nearly as attractive to us as the wonderful shade and green expanses of Suicide Flats.

The holes were a lot of fun. Some of the positions were set over 700', which made for a fun challenge to score a 3. Most other holes were in the 350-460' range, and only a few were under 300'. The creeks and ponds come into play on a few holes, giving a nice psychological challenge and a serious gut check. I watched my wife chuck her Tee-Rex right into the middle of the pond on hole 6, and we also got wet on a few of the later holes as well (although we recovered the discs).

This course requires you to hit some narrow gaps and tunnels, and there are usually several routes to choose from. For big arms and strong overhand throwers, some of the tree lines are low enough to allow over-the-top routes. The grass was a bit too grabby/sticky for rollers when we were there, but if it ever stiffens up I can imagine this would be a great roller course, which would also mitigate the risk of hitting tree branches and such.

The tees were fantastic, and all the baskets were in great shape and quality (Mach 3). There was even working water fountains near the 1st tee (in the small round rock building).

Cons:

A lot of the fairways/available routes were hockey sticks, favoring RHBH/LHFH throws. I never once felt the urge or need to throw a forehand shot. I only once thought about it on number 8, but instead I hyzer-flipped my Valkyrie and parked the hole with little trouble.

Other Thoughts:

There is no visible sign that you are entering "Hart Park" as such. It just kind of appears around you. I'm not sure how to describe better directions, but the 1st tees for both courses are near where the road forks in 3 different directions.

The bathrooms were a little dubious, but heck, at least they exist! I'll take almost any bathroom in a pinch.
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9 1
DSCJNKY
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.6 years 682 played 129 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Suicide Flats 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 30, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- 2 Courses in 1 Park. It's always a pro when there are two good disc golf courses in one park. I love tagging two new courses in one day. Plus, it makes for a great day of golf!
- Roller Practice. It's not too often I get to break out the old roller disc and go to town. Because this course is so long and flat, and has manicured grass, it is a great place to throw rollers. However, when you don't throw rollers all the time, it's not necessarily best for your scorecard.
- Winged Wildlife. There were so many different types of birds there it was amazing. Possibly one of the most bird filled disc golf courses I've ever played. We saw black cormorants, great blue herons, egrets, mallards, some other kind of ducks, acorn woodpeckers, wrens, finches... all types of birds. With the river, creeks and waterways, as well as grass fields, variety of trees and mountains nearby, there was something for every kind of bird.
- Lots of OB. Although a fairly open, flat, grass course, Suicide Flats has enough OB and pins positioned in proximity to OB to make it interesting. OB is usually in the form of park roads, but there are also several fairways that are flanked by water, and one hole (#6) that requires a decent drive (250') to carry the water.

Cons:

- Straight, Straight, Straight... x18. This course is appropriately named... because I wanted to commit suicide after about 6 holes; and not because it was flat, but because every hole was STRAIGHT. Sure, you could throw a hyzer, or anhyzer, or a sidearm... but it certainly wasn't the holes design that forced your shot. Not one dogleg, not one mandy designed to force you to have to shape a shot... Just grip it and rip it, and hopefully straight. After about the 6th hole it became a game to see if the next hole might offer up something new... but, it never did. Disappointing.
- Litter. This place is trashed... LITTER-ally. Diapers, food trash, soda cans, water bottles, beer cans wedged in trees (???)... And, unfortunately this trash has blown into the waterways that much of the bird wildlife rely upon. Here you are, watching a mallard swim along or watching a crane wade on the edge of the creek looking for a meal... and then an Aquafina water bottles floats past the mallard and paper plates and plastic bags line the shores with the crane. Terrible.
- Poop before You Arrive. Probably one of the worst bathrooms I've seen in my life! It's the kind of restroom where people hover when they take a shit because they'd be too scared not to, but they accidentally miss the toilet and their crap lands on the seat... and then they do nothing about it, but neither do the park maintenance personnel. The kind of bathroom where there are no doors on the stalls and the walls are 10" thick with layers of paint covering up graffiti.

Other Thoughts:

- Overall... It's great that the city decided to put two - really decent, but far from perfect - disc golf courses in one location. At Suicide Flats: the shots are decent, but in general lack variety. The long Par 4/5ish holes are great, but tee-signs are needed to tell you the actual distances and pars. And, although there are plenty of birds who call Hart Park home, the course is probably just a little too long for 95% of players to see a lot of "birds".
- My Score: 59
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2 7
sideArmSal
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Small arms need not apply 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 7, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful setting, lots of trees, well groomed grass. Long holes, big arms and rollers will love it. It is like having two drives on half of the holes.

Cons:

Danger of pedestrian interference. Watch out for the many large gopher holes on the front 9.

Other Thoughts:

Great course! This combined with Shark Tooth make Hart Park a must play.
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7 0
DaKineSurfer32
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.9 years 577 played 57 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Whip out your Rollers 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 19, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

- very nice sign & information kiosk in between the two Hart Park courses
- nice, new, large cement tees
- great risk/reward shots dealing with water (canals/Kern River), and the park lakes
- awesome layout, and good use of mandos & longer holes to separate the technical ones
- shiny new baskets, easily visible
- forces a player to use every shot in the book

Cons:

- as of the first Sharktooth Open there were no signs on this course, so navigation is tricky. make sure you look at the map before playing your round
- no water (only the rock structure by the course map has drinking fountains) or bathrooms close by
- kind of in the middle of nowhere

Other Thoughts:

As far as the navigation issues that I mentioned in Cons, 1-5 are easy to follow, after you throw 6 you have to walk across a bridge and then 200' back to the basket to get your disc. After six, walk back toward the bridge, and tee 7 will throw through ALL the trees toward the road about 360' away. It's a bit difficult to see the basket from the tee. After 8, Tee 9 is down by the canal to your right. After 9, walk across the street and tee 10 is about 150' up the road and on your left. Lastly, after 15, walk past the basket, up toward the road and across the bridge to your left. Tee 16 is on your right, immediately after the bridge. Hope this helps any first time navigation issues!

As far as newer courses go, Hart Park has some of the best. You come to Hart for a challenge, and use the four 9 hole course in Bakersfield as your ace run/birdie courses.

Suicide Flats is extremely roller friendly due to many low ceilings.

If you're looking for water, and don't want to wait for someone in the stone building with the drinking fountains, there is also a well surrounded by a cut-off, 50 gallon, bright blue barrel by Sharktooth Mountain 17.

I thought the Flats was a little bit better than the Mountain because of the solid tees and multiple pin locations. It is an awesome addition for the Central Valley and Bakersfield area. I recommend playing both Hart Park courses to anyone passing through.
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8 0
ibgollie
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.8 years 62 played 31 reviews
4.00 star(s)

The Flats 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 7, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

As another reviewer said, this course was designed to be the complement the mountain course. This course is shady and grassy, but still very challenging and holds good risk/reward situations. Where the mountain course has elevation to challenge you, this course has trees, OBs and water to trip you up.
-Big concrete tee boxes
-Big, long holes with a balance of shorter technical holes to get your birdies on. To play this course well you must grind out pars on the long holes and take advantage of the birdie holes.
-Great park setting with scenic holes that have the Kern river, or the lakes in the park as backdrops.
-Lots of water fountains, bathrooms and shade.

Cons:

-Until we finish the tee signs navigation can be tricky in a couple spots.

Other Thoughts:

Ignore the other post about "gang violence" that was bogus and a sheriff's training facility is at the park, which is probably why he saw a lot of police. Also the county was working on the river system for a few days and the canals were dry. Trust me, the water holes are indeed water hazards.

Bakersfield has 4 other courses that are designed for beginners. The 36 holes as Hart Park were designed to be challenging for 950+ rated players and for tournament play. If you want a birdie fest go into town. If you want a strong test of your throwing skills and course management in a beautiful, peaceful setting, then come to Hart Park. You will not be disappointed.
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1 4
pablocruz1
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Long drives and many challenges 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 8, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

*Beautiful park-like setting with some water/mud hazards.
*Very long holes which can be fun but tough.
*Lots of friendly locals who were more than happy to show us around.
*Water hazards are challenging.

Cons:

*Very long holes - be nice to have a birdie shot once in awhile.
*Lots of people in park and sometimes in the way.
*Some potential gang violence and police presence never helps.
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