Aberdeen, WA

Sam Benn DGC

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2.445(based on 8 reviews)
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13 0
royvin
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 7.8 years 188 played 66 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Sam Benn would be proud

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 20, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Great variety of shots
-Long, concrete tee pads
-Hole maps at each tee pad
-Baskets marked with hole number on pole
-Very well maintained course
-Multiple tee pads on a few holes
-Good for beginner/intermediate level players
-Elevation change
-Parking by hole 1
-Pretty little city park

Cons:

-A couple fairways overlap
-No benches or trash cans
-No signage pointing towards next tee pad

Other Thoughts:

If I founded Aberdeen and they built this course on my memorial park, I would be honored and proud.
Hole 1 sets the tone as a medium-arm strength course where baskets are well positioned beyond the partly tree lined fairways. Our family really enjoyed the elevation change and variety of throws needed here.
Hole 5 is a wide open bomber hole, which is fine, but glad only one hole is this long.
Sounds like a lot of improvements have been made here and it's hard to complain about anything. I think posting up a couple mando signs on holes 2 and 3 would be appropriate for not having crossing fairways, but really, this is a great little course.
Other note- cool toys and a long slide at the kids park up top.
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9 0
radsnowsurfer
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.9 years 175 played 49 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Solid little city course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 24, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

The first thing I'll note about Sam Benn disc golf course is that for a in-city 9-hole course, the park/course has some very nice, professional amenities. Lots of parking right off of the first tee (though the first tee itself is a little hard to find), nice picture tee signs, solid concrete tee pads, and some good Innova Discatcher baskets. The only "extra" that the course could really benefit from might be some sort of information sign near hole one. The Course lacks "next tee" signs after each hole, but there was only one transition (hole 6 to hole 7) where it took more than a minute to find the next tee. Overall, from an amenities/ease of play standpoint, I loved the fact that, driving through town, without a map, I was able to get through an my whole round in no more than 20 minutes.

I'll also note that it seemed like about half of the holes (though I wasn't looking too hard) had alternate tee pads. All of the extra pads seemed to be tacked on "pro" pads, as they didn't have tee signs. I list it here as a "pro" on the course as I imagine for bigger-arm locals I'm sure it adds variety, but at the same time, the pro pads were generally not much longer than the normal pads, and didn't seem to add much to the course itself.

The design of the course was also quite solid, especially for an 9-hole park course. About half of the holes did a nice job of utilizing the large trees to create some challenging, but not punitive, tunnel shots. The one long open-field hole, hole 5, was a bit on the boring side, but did allow for a great roller opportunity. I loved hole 4, which is a sloping downhill par 3 to a protected pin tucked on the right side with OB right and OB long; the hole offers a choice between a skipping RHFH shot, or a RHBH roller, punishing RHBH players who possess neither.

Overall, there are quite a few fun shots on the course, a really nice distance/elevation blend for a course of this size, nice use of the landscape, good course amenities, and a pretty good overall "fun" factor.

Cons:

It seems like perhaps there was some redesign since the reviews of JR Stengele and Sillybizz, but there are still some weird course design choices on the final few holes. I didn't see the bathrooms that were in play before, so that seems to have been resolved, but holes 6-9 do have a lot of potentially dangerous overlap/blind tee shots. Hole 8 in particular is very odd, the hole is a 90 degree dog leg right, where you throw right over hole 6's basket, and right near a few of the early hole tee pads. Holes 7 and 9 also have overlapping fairways. Fortunately when I played the course was near-empty, so it didn't cause much trouble, but I can imagine on a busy summer day, eventually someone could get hit badly on a blind tee shot.

Other than that, I would say that the course lacks a bit of the "wow" factor that would keep it from reaching the 3-3.5 disc rating range. If this course was 18 holes of similar quality I would certainly bump up the rating to 3. Some of the holes are a little on the easy/simple side, and I could imagine with a little redesigning work, the course could be made more dynamic, with more distinct "am" and "pro" pads that push the boundaries of the park a bit more.

Other Thoughts:

While I wouldn't *quite* call Sam Benn Disc Golf Course the "epitome" of a quality in-city multi-use park 9-holer, it's pretty close. There's nice variety that keeps players of different abilities/playing styles happy, and nice tee pads/signs/baskets that do a good job of ushering in new players and putting a good face on the sport. While I wouldn't go too far out of the way to try this course, for anyone traveling through this part of Washington, it's more than worth a very quick stop off the highway to get in a quick, enjoyable round.
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7 0
PNWTurnandFade
Experience: 13.1 years 24 played 9 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

A few blind challenging holes.
A few hard hyzer shots.
Good tee pads.
Good baskets.
Nice little park it's in.
Playground next door if you have kids with you.
Has signs at tee pad for length.

Cons:

Small course
Short holes
The park is in a neighborhood with parking on the street and some baskets are close enough to the street parking that you might bite some nails on your drive.

Other Thoughts:

A course worth playing if you are in the area. I finished it in 30 min by myself.
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2 0
KD77
Experience: 11.6 years 3 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great Amateur Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 22, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Family friendly course in a wooded park setting. Many changes have been completed on the course since some of these reviews were posted. My whole family can play this course. Course is designed well to create a challenge if you are just a beginner or have been playing for years. Array of hole types from open, to wooded to uphill.

Cons:

It is a park so you have to pay attention to other users. I haven't had any issues with this.

Other Thoughts:

Tee pads and baskets are great. Signs at each tee show an aerial view of the hole and yardage.
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11 0
JR Stengele
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.9 years 251 played 191 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Sam Benn DGC 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 14, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Sam Benn Disc Golf Course in Aberdeen is located in a beautiful park minutes from the ocean. The park is well maintained, with mowed grass and clean underbrush. It has a large bathroom near tee pad 8, baskets 7 and 9. Garbage cans are also around that area, with a few places to sit and people watch or take in all the activities. The park has large beautiful trees throughout the course, and a few walking paths.

Tee pads are good enough for the course (although fairly small and made of asphalt). Baskets are DISCatchers and are in excellent shape. The signs are absolutely stunning, providing distance, an aerial photo of the holes layout, and also include the tee pad number. Each hole has some elevation that comes in to play, with undulating hills throughout the park. Pin placement on most of the holes is really well thought out, where others seem a bit dangerous (7 and 9). Accessibility from the freeway is quick and easy as well.

Some holes had wide open drives such as 4, 5, and 6 where others were more tightly wooded like 1, 2, 3, and 8. Holes ranged anywhere from 162 - 445 feet and all presented a challenge (although the course was most appropriate for amateur players). Great course to practice on and with no other course close by, most disc golfers only chance to play.

Cons:

Although the course is located in a beautiful setting, much of the upper part of the park was not used for the course which is a real shame. Some holes on the current set up seemed forced and without any real thought. Both holes 7 and 9 were short blind shots that dog legged right and have a high risk of hurting someone. Both baskets are about 30 feet from each other right near the bathrooms. With so many park users, it is a matter of time before a car, dog, or human is hit and the course is pulled. It would make much more sense to pull the two holes and try to add them in the upper vicinity of the park that is unused. This would make a decent course in to maybe a great course.

Navigation seemed a bit confusing as well for a first timer. The baskets all had numbers on them (which was a plus) but each asphalt tee pad had a different number written in chalk. I stuck to following the signs but, with baskets 1 and 3 pulled with no signs telling players so, I found myself looking for something that was not there. Tee pad two is also currently gone so I waited for a local to show me to a small rubber pad. Once the baskets and tee pad are reinstalled I am sure navigation will be much easier again. It looks as if they are working on irrigation which will also improve the overall play of the course (especially during the winter and spring).

Other Thoughts:

For no other courses being very close, Sam Benn DGC was a much needed addition to the area. It is a perfect course to learn on and enjoy, and seems perfect for families too. I can't imagine however, that it is easy to play during the summer months with so much grass and a large open area. I imagine families picnicking, playing games, or doing other activities right on holes 4, 5, and 6. My advice would be to get there early or plan on playing late in the evening when most people are back home.

The locals have done a terrific job with the course and with some improvements, it could be a great nine hole course. Hopefully, some holes eventually will be redesigned to make the overall course safer for everyone. If you are ever in the area I highly recommend playing here, and if you have time heading to Elma too so you can play GH Hostel.
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8 1
sillybizz
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 22.2 years 407 played 392 reviews
1.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 14, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Sam Benn is a nice little city park in the middle of Aberdeen. If you were planning on going to Ocean Shores this a course you can play in town that's not too far off of the freeway. There is an open field on one side of the park that is used for a number of holes, this field is perfect to practice your roller shots. The baskets, tee pads and tee signs are all in very good condition, although the pads are not concrete, they are asphalt instead.

Cons:

The biggest problem I have with this place is all of the unused land that could have been used to make a pretty decent nine hole park. I saw some potential for some really killer holes on the top part of the park as well as changing the current layout to make this course a three or three and a half stars. While I was there construction was going on with irrigation and they pulled baskets one and three. Holes seven and nine are just ludicrous to me; they placed those baskets very close to each other with both tee positions being blind tee shots into an area that gets people walking in it and this could have been avoided easily.

Other Thoughts:

This is the only course in the area so if you are going on vacation or live down here there is a course to play but for my time and money I would just assume drive to Elma to play the GH Hostel course instead. I wouldn't recommend playing here in the summer as this place looks like it gets busy in a hurry with walkers and picnickers.
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9 2
puaahunter
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 45 played 36 reviews
2.50 star(s)

a nice stop on the way to the beach! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

a nice little park in a quiet part of town, not far off the main drive through Aberdeen to the ocean.
well treed.
lots of uphill/downhill shots.
nice course layout.
signs are awesome!
very nice baskets!
a good mix of technical shots.
decent teepads.

Cons:

this was a "short" course. [which is probably why i scored so well!]
there was a Par4 [hole #5] that i thought could have been a Par3.
i couldn't see some of the baskets from the tees, so i had to go looking before my shot.
this wasn't negative, it's just a beginner needing to check out the course.
in the winter, it is swampy wet!

WARNING: i had to throw across a blind walking path on hole #7. if i threw 30seconds earlier, i would have taken a lady out who was walking her dog.
this would have made my experience horrible, it would have really hurt her, and potentially could have shut this great course down, which would have been a shame since the next closest course is pretty far away.

i do think the course designer did a fantastic job setting up 9 fun holes in this small park, but that is definitely a hazard.
i had some sunbathers driving around the anhyzer [RHBH] shot into hole #9, but i asked them to have a heads up and protect themselves in case my disc got away from me. they seemed kind enough.

Other Thoughts:

this was an enjoyable stop on our way to the ocean. my wife and mom-in-law took the kids to play at the playground while i banged out this course in 25 minutes. they said there was some shady drug-related activity going on up there, so they loaded back in the van and drove around to look at the nice houses while i finished.

this course is not long in length and should be quite easy to get a par or birdie on the course.
it didn't feel really challenging, but it was fun.

the amenities [signs, baskets, tees] were great.

i made lots of comments on the pictures i uploaded, so be sure to check those out.
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8 1
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
3.00 star(s)

New 9 Hole Course Near The Pacific! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 13, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The course is located in the lower section of a nice city park with towering Cedar and Douglas Fir trees. The park is probably only 6 acres. The first tee is right by the giant silver bell! There is some elevation to throw up and down. The baskets are brand new Disc Catchers. The tee pads are small, asphalt ones but they work well here. It has metal signs which show par and distance with an aerial photo. This course has a monopoly as the next nearest course is 21 miles away. I would like to congratulate the course designer(s. Don't be fooled by the short distances on most of the holes. They are all well very thought out, most offer multiple flightpaths to the baskets. # 1 basket is seen as a straight shot through the trees but the more advantageous shot is an anhyser throw over the ditch. A roller on # 4 looks to be the shot of choice but I could see a strong player throwing a high overhand tomahawk of some kind. Many of the holes will make you think about your shot choice.

Cons:

Just a couple of small cons. On # 9, the preferred path on the sign shows an almost 90 degree anhyser shot around some shubbery but I could see some players cutting the corner and shooting almost straight to the basket. I'd make this a mando around the corner to protect the integrity of the hole. And a small peeve of mine, # 6 is a 274' uphill hyser shot with an uphill sloping teepad. Why can't we make these teepads level?

Other Thoughts:

This is not a destination course but it's an extremely well designed one. And despite it's relatively short distances, it's not particularly easy. Stop by if you're on your way to our Washington beaches. You might be disappointed in our cold, gray beaches but you won't be disappointed with this course.
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