Lafayette, IN

Murdock Park - Old Layout

2.795(based on 14 reviews)
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1 0
ElementZ
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.9 years 212 played 197 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 21, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Based on pure speculation, I would say that this course has come a very long way since it's inception in 1984. I believe this course used to be 9 baskets with multiple tees, but now the course has expanded to include some very cool shots in the woods so that it's 18 holes all with their own basket. I think a reevaluation is necessary from past reviewers, since it definitely merits at least a 3.0.

This course has a big mix of shots, whether it's the six new holes that are super tight in the woods, or the some what more open holes in the first half. It's very balanced for right hand vs. left hand and is great beginner course.

It has a very vintage feel to it, which could definitely also be viewed as a con...

Cons:

Not the best condition equipment. The tees are like...gravel/dirt, the baskets are rusted and brown, and the tee signs only contain minimal information. This course could be awesome if it gets cleaned up a little bit.

Navigation was mega confusing for me, especially the transition when you had to cross the road. I would highly recommend printing and bringing a map along.

Other Thoughts:

I don't think I've ever said this, but if you're in town and only can play one course, ditch this 18 holer and play the 9 holer at Purdue twice. It has a much bigger variety of shots, better quality course equipment, and is overall just a lot more fun to play.
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2 1
smithwb
Experience: 16.9 years 77 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 10, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The newly added 6 holes in the woods provide a new challenge for the course. The new woods holes add a lot of difficulty to a previously more beginner friendly course. 3 of the new holes have very tight challenging lines. Of the previous holes, #1 requires a well shaped shot for birdie from the back tee. #3 becomes a harder birdie due to the low canopy. #10 plays close to the swamp which creates a good risk/reward of following the swamp to the basket.

Cons:

Although the tee pads aren't dirt anymore, the paver tiles are still smaller pads that don't have great grip.
The swamp is an absolute nightmare to retrieve a disc from. Further than 10 feet in you sink to your shins in mud that smells awful.
It is hard to notice the new 6 holes exist at all when going between old #11 and 12. If you do manage to notice them, the navigating through them is difficult.

Other Thoughts:

I would have agreed with a 2.75 rating for this course the 20+ times I played there before the additional holes, but now that the course if much more difficult and not as repetitive it is more worthy of 3.75.
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0 2
ski3
Experience: 25.8 years 5 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Best Local Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 21, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Maintained. Good use of long shots with short shots. Front 9 easy to follow.

Cons:

Some holes don't have pads. Hole 4 has a basket on two poles so its above your head. It's irritating to get a solid score on that hole. Back 9 is not finished and honestly looks like what they have so far is going to be difficult to follow/find.

Other Thoughts:

The course is fine for a quick throw around, but it really doesn't provide any challenges except the irritation of low hanging tree fairways. For where it is built they have done a great job utilizing the space.
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0 5
Discalier
Experience: 40 played 8 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Murdock 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 14, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Pads aren't grass.
Will be 18 soon.
A good course for a bunch of different shots.

Cons:

Pads collect water
Can get swampy
5 of the holes don't have cages yet
Pads are pavers

Other Thoughts:

Could be good, they just need to finish it.
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2 1
jcjohns
Experience: 22.8 years 81 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Under Construction! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 26, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Dual tee's (mostly paved)
In town
Plays fair to both RH/LH players
"Next Tee" arrows

Cons:

Incomplete (a few tee pads are being worked on but nearing completion)
Multi-use park and noticable; course does a good job at staying away from other activities, but walking path does come into play
Street crossings (speed limit is 10mph so people should be going slow, but you do cross the street 4 times total)
Tight wooded holes need trimmed up (freshly installed so understandable)

Other Thoughts:

I would say for being an in-town course in such a small park, the land has been used wisely. Looking forward to getting a round in when the construction is complete. I would say if you are coming through town, this is the course to stop at in Lafayette (unless you have time to go to Camp Cullom DGC). I'm looking forward to writing a review for this course when it is all said and done. I think it could easily move up to a 4.
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3 0
astomps
Experience: 12.7 years 76 played 42 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 17, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- course makes good use of a very small amount of land
-Holes are fun to play for beginner players but I would imagine not too boring for even veterans
-Multiple tees for most holes
-Marked clearly enough

Cons:

-some hazard shots for sure (picnickers, oncoming traffic, marshy type weeds, other players on other holes)
-only 11 holes

Other Thoughts:

Originally drove to Ross hills, but found that is a free-for-all scavenger hunt so we were recommended Murdock. Murdock is definitely a city course in the sense of size and tight boundaries. Most seasoned players who can throw 300 ft on a given line could 2 every hole on this course, but that isn't me, so I found it fun. One crucial thing I would note also that this course definitely caters to RHFH players.
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3 3
Steamrohler
Experience: 13.5 years 56 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Come see the changes 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 28, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

see previous reviews they were pretty accurate

Cons:

throw all the old reviews for the cons out, just come and play the course and see the diff

Other Thoughts:

I am gonna keep this simple and to the point. I am putting this "review" in so ppl know that the course is changing drastically. If you have ever played before, you are gonna be pleasantly surprised with the new layout and equipment that is being put in place. This course will soon be a complete 18 hole course with AM and PRO tees.
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4 0
Matthew boals
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 29.9 years 274 played 65 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Perfect Location 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Right across the street from a School. Mach 2 targets are old but still catch well,they do have an inner set of chains. Bulletin Board between Parking Lot & #1 tee. Great design for a beginner course. A lot of Mature trees that force more finesse shots.That compliments Ross Hills mostly open,longer course. Trash cans and Benches run along the gravel path,but can be used by disc golfers.

Cons:

Tees need a lot of help. They are marked with lumber and filled with gravel,that's not level. Tees signs are 5' tall posts with the "Front 9" painted red. The "Back 9" are painted yellow. All have the tee number and distance on them. The gravel path can slow your game if you play it the wrong day/time. The baskets on the Mach 3 are shallow.

Other Thoughts:

Nice little,somewhat tough beginner/Neighborhood course. Pros could have fun by playing a Safari round. Only 9 targets with two sets of tees. Most of the Alt. Tees do make a different hole, not just behind the front ones making it a longer hole.
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1 0
LevinTBlack
Experience: 19 played 4 reviews
2.00 star(s)

My original home course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 28, 2006 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Trees make for precision. It's heavily wooded but not the most wooded course I have seen. However the trees are mature oaks and it is easy to hit it dead on and completely stop your disc.

The second tees (so you have 18 holes sort of) for the most part offer a completely different angle so it seems like a new hole.

Cons:

Short course that is easy to out drive for experienced players.

The swamp eats discs. I've played this course at least 100 times and any time someone gets in the swamp (most rounds had it happen) you have to spend 30 minutes looking as a team and have to removes your shoes since it is a swamp. It will leave your feet completely covered in thick, sticky mud that cause your feet to stink. You will also lose discs somewhat regularly in the swamp although you also find as many as you lose.

It can be very frustrating due to so many mature oak trees and also there is a lot of pedestrian traffic that will make you wait to throw (popular walking path and baseball diamond).
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1 1
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Meh... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 23, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a city park that is mostly grassy with some large oak trees. Most holes play through these mature oaks, with several possible flight paths, and not very much brush to punish an errant shot. A couple holes play around a swampy area for a little bit of risk/reward if you go for it over the swamp. There is some elevation here, and it's used pretty well to add some interest to the course.

There are dual tee pads on all holes, and many go at the hole from totally different angles making for a pretty different round from the "front 9" to the "back 9". There are numbered signs at almost all the tees making it fairly easy to navigate. There is a course map on the kiosk at the beginning of the course that also helps with navigation.

Cons:

There are some pretty big safety issues with this course. A walking trail runs through the park, and is in play on nearly all the holes. It seemed to be pretty well used, and you throw over it blindly a couple times. Even if you are paying attention and letting walkers clear the fairway before throwing, you'll end up waiting a lot during a round on a nice day.

The tees are terrible, they're basically sand boxes. They had some holes and ruts, and didn't make for a good tee surface at all. The signage was pretty basic, with nothing but hole number and distance at the tees, and that was missing on a couple when I played. The baskets are showing their age, and don't catch all that well any more. Some holes play very near one another, so watch for other players throwing your way.

Other Thoughts:

There are some good shots through the oaks here, and if not for the walking path this course would be a fun little track. As it stands, on a nice day when the path is busy, it's not fun or safe to play, so I wouldn't go out of your way at all for this one. Beginners will find all but one hole (the hole that plays directly over the swamp) approachable, and the course has pretty reasonable distances. More experienced players will find a couple challenges here, but not enough variety to really test much of their game.
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1 1
Luckytiki
Experience: 3 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not much has changed 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 27, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Easy to get too
-Relatively easy to figure out the "route" of the course
-Can be a challenge to all skill levels (short drives, but lots of trees)
-A variety of different types of holes

Cons:

- Some tees are marked with distance, but none have the par
-Some baskets are hard to see from the tee
-Sandbox tees are uneven and need to be groomed. They're not great, but far from unplayable (just watch your footing)
- Thunking a throw off a tree can get old.
- The swamp that comes into play at #13 is pretty much unplayable for anyone except really experienced players
- Lots of people walking the path that snakes through the park add an extra hazard (mostly for them)

Other Thoughts:

I like playing a quick 9 (or 18) here a few times a week, because it's close to me, but it's not a course I would seek out if I didn't live in the area. I find the lack of "par" information annoying and that's probably my main complaint with the course other than... the swamp.

Playing from #4 is not a big deal, because the disgusting thing is to the right, but playing from #13 is almost impossible because you have to play over it and there's no clear way to drive over due to trees/reeds. I would recommend just replaying from the #4 tee unless you want to go fishing for your disc in the trash and chemical infested bog.

The other concern is the path that winds through the park. There's usually a few people on it and you have to make sure you watch out for walkers. This really comes into play on #7/16 as you throw down a blind hill where a good drive hugs the walking path. My advice is to be patient and respect other players and walkers when throwing. On the flip side watch out for flying discs as people don't seem to think there might be others around.

Overall this is a decent course for a quick round. A few improvements would go a long way here:
-Add "par" info somewhere, even if it's at the beginning of the course
-Groom the sandbox tees
-Trim the vegetation on the tee side of the swap
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0 1
NicedGuy
Experience: 29.8 years 131 played 4 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Murdock 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Large mature trees define fairways.

Cons:

Baskets and tee pads are in very poor condition. Course plays around a swamp. Hole #13 might be the worst DG hole I have ever played. Theres a running path that circles through almost every fairway and always seems to have someone using it.

Other Thoughts:

Some sites have this listed as a 18 hole course, its really a 9 hole with dual tees. If you live in lafayette it can be a fun little course to feed your disc golf needs but not worth traveling for.
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2 0
Rockwell
Experience: 17.9 years 137 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun but dangerous 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Requires a variety of shots.
Beautiful large oaks fill park and define flight paths.

Holes well designed for the amount of land available. Makes good use of what elevation is available. Only hole 13 is without an easily identifiable fairway.

Cons:

Very unsafe layout for a pubic park. Requires throwing into blind walking paths and crisscrossing fairways. Very unsafe.

Tee boxes are washed out sand. No tee signs, though does have tee numbers.

Some of the baskets have seen better days.

Other Thoughts:

I love that this mature city park has a disc golf course in it to be enjoyed by the community and nearby college.

This course will develop your midrange and putter control, with a few chances to pull out the driver.

Tailored more for beginners than advanced players, but still some definite fun to be had for all.

However, unsafe flight paths, sharing of fairways, and unkempt teeboxes detract from
this otherwise enjoyable layout.
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2 1
Niven42
Experience: 5 played 4 reviews
2.50 star(s)

City of Lafayette, IN 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 2, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Easy to find and get to. Most of the holes are well-suited for both beginners and pros alike. Tall oak trees provide shade and inhibit the growth of tall grass.

Cons:

Holes #4/#13 cross the infamous "Murdock Swamp" which is a small patch of run-off water overgrown with cattails and sapling trees. My group avoids #13 altogether, since its only purpose seems to be to eat discs. Becomes infested with poison ivy during late summer. The tee "pads" are sandboxes, which some players really hate.

Other Thoughts:

A nice use of a city park for a disc golf course. There are some jogging/dog trails, but they are reasonably maintained. Vandalism is a minor concern. #3/#12 is fun to play - the fairway runs alongside Ferry Street through trees and ends under tall oaks with park benches.
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