Ashland, KY

Armco Park - White Course

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3.635(based on 30 reviews)
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Armco Park - White Course reviews

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13 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.9 years 970 played 542 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Reviewed: Played on:May 15, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Armco White is the shorter of the two courses onsite. Although the course is shorter there is still plenty of challenge here. It's like the little brother to the Blue course. The elevation is everywhere and there's more trees for the most part. It's the more technical of the two courses.

The baskets here are Discatchers with a white top band. These stick out really nicely in the shade of the woods, better than yellow even. These are all mounted level and catch great. No complaints with these.

Just like the Blue course, these all recieved new tee pads in the spring of 2022. These are solid tees. Plenty long and wide enough with excellent grip. Two tees on every hole.

As I mentioned above, this course is more technical in the lines you need to hit. It's in a more wooded section of the park. Whereas the Blue course you can get away with being a little off in certain places, It's not quite as forgiving on the white course. You'll need to be able to bend shots both left and right with accuracy. Having both a decent forehand and backhand will help tremendously.

The flow of the course is generally pretty easy to follow. Having the Udisc map is recommended for sure, but it's doable without.

The course is permanent and free to play. Restrooms are located by the parking lot and there's also one by hole 9 and 10. The park itself is very pretty and looks to be very well maintained.


Cons:

As with the Blue course, and a few other nearby courses, the tee signs are the biggest con here. They're just like the tees on Blue. They have the hole # and distances. A hole map and next tee arrow would be greatly appreciated, especially for first time players.

There's a number of holes that have you throwing over or very near the park roads. Nothing egregious, but you'll need to be aware of your surroundings. This is where some better tee signs would really help as well.

There's not much trash laying around the course but there is broken glass all over the place. It's disappointing to see this but not really unexpected for a popular public park like this. Wouldn't recommend wearing sandals and certainly not going barefoot.



Other Thoughts:

I played both the Blue and White courses on my visit to Armco. I enjoyed my rounds on both courses but I'd give the slight edge to the White course. It doesn't hurt that it's shorter and I don't throw far, but to be honest I felt like it offered more unique looks. The Blue course starts to feel a bit repetitive by the end, wheras the white course stays fresh the whole time. Just a solid overall design and a pleasure to play.

I'd definitely recommend this one if you're anywhere nearby. This is actually a really good area for disc golf. There's some high caliber courses within around an hour of here. Bonus points for there being 2 courses onsite, but you'd be happy if you only got to play this one or the Blue. It's whatever mood you're in or skill level you want to play. Very fun course.
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1 0
sruth1975
Experience: 2.7 years 3 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Amazing course and it is right in my backyard practically! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 18, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Beautiful scenery
Plenty of cardiovascular exercise
Challenging

Cons:

Lots of hill and trail climbing
You will hit plenty of trees
Could be scary challenging to a new player because of the terrain and trees.

Other Thoughts:

I love this course and have even signed up to play as a novice in an upcoming tournament. I know I am going to probably be embarrassed and shoot like 70 over par, but I want the challenge and the experience. Plus I get fresh air, exercise and some beautiful Eastern Kentucky scenery at the same time
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7 0
goosefraba1
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.2 years 82 played 40 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Baby Brother 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 2, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Design: 4
Beauty: 3
Amenities: 3
Teepads: 3
Replaybility: 5

My actual Rating 3.6... Will round down to 3.5.
_________________________________________________

This review takes into account both the long and short tees as I have played both several times.

Design: What can be said that hasn't already been? This course was designed by our one and only MPO and Masters World Champion Johnny Sias. He has been in the sport for a very long time, and s much appreciated in the area. This course really is great and works well with the Blue Course. As the Blue course is more about distance and course maintenance control aspect, the White Course is more about technicality.

The White course plays up and down what I believe to be more steep elevation than the Blue course. If you play the short tees, almost every hole can be an ace run (depending on pin position) with lots of different lines. If you play the longs, you will be trying to throw very specific intended lines. Great course to practice getting up and down from the longs.

Beauty: This park is great. I don't feel like the White course has as many Awe moments where you are looking to pipe and technical shot 500 feet downhill, but it still has the Appalachian beauty.

Amenities: This course has 19 Innova baskets (personal favorite). Nice bathrooms at 2 locations on the course. It is missing a big Kiosk sign with a beautiful map. Also, other than tables at a few shelters, there are zero benches. Signs are old and don't have much information on them.

Teepads: I think for the most part, the tees on the white course are actually better than the Blue course. I believe parks are still looking to put nice new teepads in. The current tees are grippy, but pretty slanted in some places. Again, not as bad as the Blue course.

Replayability: Again, this is a great course. Very replayable if you are in shape to get up and down the hills. I like to pair Blue/Blue course and White/White course when I am out here.


Other Thoughts:

This park is amazing. 2 great courses in one location. Johnny knocked this one out of the park. Be sure to thank the locals as well as the park staff for keeping this place looking nice!
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7 0
williams363
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 9.8 years 79 played 37 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Tight Throws, Tight Lines 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 17, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Lots of variation between uphill, downhill, left and right hooks.
No water hazards make it fun to let it rip.

Play is really fun; i love the throws going across the gaps (like #2).

Parking is right there.

Cons:

Baskets have some unique placements; most are on the top of the hill or on the side of one. So rolling can become an issue. (but thats the challenge)

Some new signs could help; one of the holes did not have a sign, just a teepad(which i think is both the long and short.)

Really tight spaces with OB's and lots of trees. Not as difficult as Armco Blue Course, but it's still pretty tough.

Had to watch for cars and wait a few times, but it's not that big of an issue.

Other Thoughts:

Cons really aren't complaints, its just added challenge. I like this course a lot. I wish it were closer to me, honestly.
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5 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31 years 764 played 386 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Park , 19 Holes , Fantastic Environment 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 15, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

After taxing my legs on the Blue Course here at Armco Park , I walked across the road ( same side where you will park ) and started the White course . Johnny Sias , the veteran course designer of about 40 course to date , has done it again . He did not have to tinker with elevation , as this park oozes with it , He not only convinced the park board and city to install 2 cement tee pads , multiple pin placements and give him free reign in which to make 2 separate courses , these baskets are white topped discatcher ( Blue course is blue topped ) , which is very cool . The White course is quite a bit shorter than the blue course , but it is entirely separate so that you will never bump up against the blue course during your round for your 19 hole round . You will still want to print a course map ( both courses are on the same map , which is a nice touch ) , because even though there are a lot of NEXT HOLE signs in the park , you can still wander off a time or 2 . Although the course is shorter , the holes are still creative and difficult because of tricky pin placements . Did I mention the elevation ( Yes ) ? You are pretty much walking up or walking down to your disc throws . Plenty of trees are on the course , but still giving you a couple of fair lines per hole . The canopy of large trees bring some much needed shade to this round . A family or newbies could play this course and not feel as beaten down like the blue course . The first 3 holes seem fairly easy for the casual player , pretty makeable pars and possible 2s for the more experienced players . You may want to step off the pad just to see where the basket is located on these , or risk adding another throw to your score . You will start to ascend and descend along the park roads as you drift away from the parking lot . A hole that sticks in my mind is #4 , longer than the norm on this course ( 348' ) which you have to slice through a row of trees . If you keep serious score and enforce rules , then the roads will be involved in a lot of your decision making on your drives . A real good hole is #10 , which is an uphill drive with a row of trees on your right and some trees as obstruction on your left , to a basket the sits on the steep portion of the hill , with a bit of a dropoff in the front and back . one of the next holes ( you better look at where you are throwing to ) is a downhill putter or short approach right to left that will drop off to the basket . Throw too soft and you land on a level shelf away from the basket , tucked on the only somewhat level part of a hill . Throw too hard toward the hole , and you may wind up WAAAYYY down a large embankment , making a short 2 or 3 score hole a 5 for sure . The next basket works you back up a steep hill ( only hole that Johnny didn't design ) with a short burst throw . One of your next throws (13? ) was my signature hole , a humbling tunnel shot that you have to punch your drive through as far as you can , then you will throw a second shot to the right of the slightly opening tree line to the basket . Somehow , I didn't hit a tree and took a 3 on this hole , but my new friends and guides for these courses , Bob and Collin weren't as lucky ( it's okay . I think they both deuced 18 . The course will take you through a couple more medium length to short tight tree lined throws until #16 . This is a right to left extreme downhill short toss that will beak to a basket that basically sits on a strip of elevated ground that severely drops off in front and behind it . There is no easy way to approach it except pray that it digs into the side of the hill and stays . Your next hole will be a more sane one through some low limbed trees . #18 is an uphill left to right throw , not far but placement and touch are the key . #19 is a great finisher hole . Long downhill throw with a couple of options , but both are pretty tight , and you better have a disc that you can S in your bag . The basket sits on the downhill , so your real trouble is either your disc slides downhill on the left , of behind trees and foilage on the right . This course of the 2 in the park tests more of your patience and your touch because of the shorter distance . You have to like the fact that you can park your car and play 37 holes before you turn the engine back on . you should never lose a disc on this course , save maybe that short downhiller that drops off on around #11 . The design itself will make you want to play this course over and over . Restrooms are at the beginning of the round .

Cons:

Only a couple that I can think of . First and most : Signage . The signs give you distance at both tees but not where the baskets are or even might be , so you may have have to walk ahead to find . a couple of the holes ( #6 , maybe one of them ) are close to shelters and people park every which way causing you to chance nailing a car or someone going to or from one . The roads may come into play on some of these holes . Good in the area of making the holes harder by shot shaping your throws to avoid them , but increasing risk of hitting a vehicle on a drive .

Other Thoughts:

A great course to couple with the blue , but can easily stand on its own . Again , I would be stunned if local disc golf enthusiasts didn't take advantage of this treasure of a park . Ashland outdid itself by allowing these courses to be installed at Armco Park . Careful word to the discers that like to partake in adult beverages with their walk . A State Police outpost sits right next to the park . Johnny Sias has made a masterpiece of piecing together 37 unique holes of disc golf that never crowd each other . I was able to talk to Johnny just as i was writing these reviews and he offered his take on the development of these courses . Ashland should give you the Key to the city ( or at least the park ) for this gem . Johnny has been taking care of his ailing wife lately so his disc golf courses in Lavalette and his enthusiasm for the sport is on hold for the time being ( a classy move to say a prayer for her speedy recovery at hole 1 ) . This is a must play and a destination course and park , the Mecca of disc golf in Kentucky . PLAY IT !!
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5 0
pmay5
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 480 played 245 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A great park Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 27, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well designed course in city park, shorter of two courses in same park. Typical park-style course with large, old-growth trees and not much underbrush. There is some on the backside, but even that was manageable.
Restrooms available at first tee along with picnic shelters. Looked like just DG and picnic shelters in this park, and the layout manages those two pretty well.
Two concrete tee pads on every hole, they are a little short, but since most holes are under 300', not a big issue.
Nice elevation change, I think every hole has some elevation change.

Cons:

The tee signs were basic: course, hole, tee and par. Even though the courses stay on separate sides of the park, the course was listed on each one. No hole layout, which was a little challenging the first time through.
The course is listed as "Moderately Hilly", I realize in this part of eastern KY and nearby WV that these hills are probably moderate, but most people would feel it is Very Hilly. So, first timers should be ready for a workout on these courses. Every hole has some elevation change with several straight up or down a hill.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this Johnny Sias designed course. I didn't have time for both courses on my visit, so played the shorter, quicker round. The elevation change gave me a workout in the early morning, I imagine the Blue course is a big time workout.
Really enjoyed #2, a nice little downhiller, #6, a dogleg around a park road, #16 an epic downhiller and struggled a little on #18, pretty steep uphill.
It looks like the maintenance is kept up pretty well in the park and these courses benefit from that. Defined fairways through the large trees, and very little doubt where the next tee is.
Very nice DG geared park.
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0 2
bvilleberry
Experience: 24.8 years 18 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A Good, Challenging Beginner's Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 4, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of shot variety. Very nice park. You'll be playing through lots of trees, and there are a lot of vertical changes. Just about anything you can imagine in a disc golf course, this place provides it!
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3 0
1234
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Armco Park White DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 16, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

-beginner friendly
-two pin locations for baskets make for variety
-restrooms and water at several locations
-beautiful and well maintained park
-park is easily located just off major thoroughfare
-located near many businesses

-nice course layout with several interesting holes
-Ky State Police Barracks located adjacent park

Cons:

-many, many, many trees.
-holes have thick vegetation lining them in warmer months so new players should be prepared to look for discs in thick vegetation usually with thorns.
-elevation and terrain changes on some holes can be what some may consider to be severe and when wet can be hazardous
-park roads cris-cross course and vehicles can come into play

Other Thoughts:

Great park in a great place making for a nice outing.
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5 0
sidewinder22
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.7 years 297 played 197 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Legco White 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

19 holes with dual concrete tees and single discatcher basket with two pin positions and some tee signage. Excellent use of the elevation and terrain to create a variety of short par 3s. Very well maintained mostly wooded/shaded and no underbrush, low risk of losing discs. Interesting military sculptures. Bathrooms and water by parking lot in season.

Cons:

Plays along park roads. No loop back to parking lot. Short holes, just a couple had suspect fairways. No pin indication. Navigation a little tricky, map outdated on here. Some tees uneven or raised. Lots of uphill. Steep slopes can cause roll a ways.

Other Thoughts:

I like the design of the White course over the Blue course as it has more variety and better defined fairways. I wish the White course design was the length of the Blue course. There's some fun little holes on this course and like the other course a whole lot of elevation. Great course for beginners to advanced that don't mind a serious hike.
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6 0
BigAl724
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.6 years 178 played 144 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Blue's Little Brother 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

The Armco Park - White Course is a shrunken down version of the giant Blue course that also sits in this town park. This is a rec friendly course that appeals to more casual players, but does a nice job of still providing a similar rugged/woodsy feel like the Blue Course. Both courses start on top of a large hill toward the center of the park, then venture off into different sections. The White course starts and ends among a heavily wooded area and has a few (more) open holes in the middle.

Armco Park has a very cool setting, being in a town park right off a main road, but feeling like it is well secluded at times. This course travels far from hole 1 and then circles back, so the middle of the course offers a truly peaceful setting. While this course is shorter and flatter, most holes still have a nice combination of obstacles with the trees and elevation. Holes 2, 16, and 18 do the best job of mimicking the great design of the Blue course but set on a smaller scale. Most holes provide multiple lanes from tee to basket which gives you options - something I really appreciate.

This course focuses on precision shots with mid-ranges. With only one hole over 300' you would think that it would be easy to park your drives. This is not always the case on the more heavily wooded holes like 4, 8, 13, and 19. There is little room for error on holes like these, with seemingly inevitable chances at tree kicks and touch shots utilizing the elevation changes. The course does well from this design standpoint.

Having two tee pads and two pin positions is nice and everything was in great shape. Tees are concrete and appropriate length for the course, while the baskets are white in order to stand out from the other course. Long tees provide a higher level of difficulty and the short tees really give a lot of leeway since about half of them are under 200' and cut out some of the obstacles.

Cons:

While this is a well-designed course, there is nothing too special about it with no true signature holes. Part of this is due to having an incredible course right beside it that is better in every aspect IMO. I would suggest playing this course first as a warm-up. I agree with another reviewer that this course felt a little repetitive and bland after playing the Blue course. Still, it is great for what it is in being designed with the more casual player in mind.

Players with big arms who like to show off their distance will not feel satisfied playing here. Even from the long tees there are three holes under 200' and only one over 300'.

There was no basket for 12, not sure if that was due to my timing or if that has been the case for a while.

Bathrooms were closed when I played in December, so keep that in mind if traveling far to get here during the offseason.

Tees were good sized, but were poured above grade and sometimes sloped to the grade of the hill. This made run-ups uncomfortable.

Navigation isn't too bad, but isn't always intuitive either. I had some trouble finding holes 3, 18, and 19. I'd recommend bringing a map.

While I love wooded holes that require precision shots, some holes have way too many trees with no clear lines (13 for sure).

I agree that there is an overabundance of left to right shots.

Other Thoughts:

I found this course a little hard to gage. It is less daunting than the Blue course without the massive length and elevation changes. However, the Blue course always had well-defined lines and this course didn't always have that.

I do appreciate how this course was designed to be less of a beatdown. There are just a few design flaws here in terms of ease of navigation and shots required. Combining this with the fact that no holes truly stand out, I can't give this course higher than 3 discs. However, I encourage anyone to come here to this unique park. This is an awesome destination having two courses - and one being one of the best I have ever played.
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12 0
sisyphus
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.6 years 397 played 383 reviews
3.50 star(s)

It might have its way with you! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 28, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

If it were the only course in the park, Ashland, KY's Armco White DGC would get high marks for its technical, (mostly) uphill holes that play really tough with tourney OB and sloping rough, along with its fairways littered with park trees. But it will inevitably be downgraded slightly because it sits next to its more magnificent big brother (Armco Blue).

The White course boasts two concrete tees and two basket positions on each of its 19 holes, with the long tees being roughly 1000% tougher than the shorts. ;) . Played long to long, and strict OB rules (like in yesterday's inaugural Oil City Classic), this course is a real challenge for the Intermediate level disc golfer (and even a technical workout for Advanced and Open players). But for variety, it looks like the short tees to short baskets would still be fun for Recreational and casual players who have a little experience under their belt (I would not recommend it for absolute beginners, though).

The layout does tend to favor rhfh or lhbh players, because the majority of the holes play left to right with the driveway running down the left side of the fairway. There are a LOT of trees, because (I'm told) they were not allowed to cut anything for clearing lines during installation. The flow is good, with no crossing traffic on the course, and makes tremendous use of the impressive elevation in the area. If you play here often, you won't learn to crank big distance drives off the tee, but you will develop a lot of mid & putter control, along with a nice 'touch' with uphill and downhill shots. ...unless you really enjoy brutal recovery shots back up to the basket from the deep woods!

The park infrastructure and maintenance looks really good, with shelters, bathrooms, water fountains, and so on. The baskets are white DisCatchers that grab your disc nicely, and they have deep cages to keep your disc in.

Having two tournament caliber courses, both with twin sets of pads and basket positions, all in one park, is incredible. You will be exhausted playing them back to back. But in a good way. Between Ashland and Huntington both having this type of setup, they appear to be vying to make this a destination region.

Cons:

The concrete tee pads are decently sized, but were usually poured above grade and conformed to the slope, instead of being level, so run-ups can be awkward.

Though the short tees seem to have been located to create decent fairways, there were a lot of times when the longer tees were sited to be a bit brutal, with trees forcing overly precise lines. I found myself giving up on the idea of deucing most of the holes. Combine that with the fact that the sweeping left to right lines with the OB driveway down the same side each time, and the holes seemed to get a little repetitive after starting the day on the Blue course.

Being a huge fan of downhill shots, it seemed a little bit unfair to 'pay' with so many uphill holes, only to have seemingly disproportionate (few) downhills. A couple of times, early on (like hole 3), you go from the top of a climb, walk down to a tee, and shoot another uphill.

Just like the Blue course, Armco White has places where first timers can get confused. The map is good, but a guide would be better. And since they've added a hole, some of the info on DGCR needs a little updating. Though the tee signs are very well done, the trees obscure basket positions, and the longs are not indicated on the map. In a dream world, the tee signage would someday get an upgrade to the type with a hole layout diagram for each position, plus 'next tee' diagrams. I know, it's only money, right?

Other Thoughts:

Having just played each of these courses once, in a tournament setting, no less, I have to admit that I was really worn out by the time I finished the White. I hope my review caught the flavor of how a first timer might see the course. But the overall takeaway is that these courses are challenging, exhausting, and still fun. Don't expect to have it easy with them, or they might have their way with you!
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4 5
upfromtheashes
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.6 years 42 played 38 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Hope you’re feelin lucky... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 4, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Water spigots located around the park were great and very welcomed.

-High quality DISCatcher baskets.

-The park it's located in was attractive and looked to be well maintained.

-Concrete teepads and signs on all holes which included distances.

Cons:

-Far and away my biggest complaint about this course is that it places far too high a premium on luck. I like to play courses that reward skill. Luck comes into play here in two primary ways: #1 - a number of holes have no defined fairway, just a mess of trees with 3-4-5 foot gaps between them. You literally throw and cross your fingers. #2 - most pin placements are on the side of a hill. As such, you can throw a perfect shot and park it right beneath the basket, but if your disc catches an edge you can easily roll 50 feet away from what should have been a drop-in. Not even pros are capable of reliably hitting 3 foot tree gaps and avoiding punitive rolls down hills. You shouldn't have to rely on luck in order to throw a good round.

-The signs have no map on them, and a number of the pins are not readily visible from the tees. We had to go hiking several times to find where we were throwing.

-This is one of the hillier courses I've ever played, and there were no benches at the tees. The course plays in and around several picnic areas, but you have to walk 50-75+ feet to reach a place to sit down.

-No garbage cans at tees.

-Teepads looked as though no effort at all was made to level them. Some were leaning front to back, others even leaning side to side.

-Many holes played left to right (from the long tees) and felt redundant.

-The multiple tees were very strange. In some cases, the long tee was only about 15 feet away from the short tee. In several cases, the short tee had a defined fairway to hit, whereas the nearby long tee had no defined fairway as it had to deal with several trees right in front of the teepad. Effectively, the only difference between the long tee and the short tee was a worse line to play.

Other Thoughts:

-I need to reiterate how hilly this course is. Perhaps this shouldn't be a surprise, given the location, but we played both the White and Blue courses on a hot summer day and we were flat out whooped. These courses are insanely hilly.

-There are not many courses in this part of the state, and even fewer good options. I'm of the opinion that the somewhat generous ratings this course has received are a reflection of the scarcity of better options nearby. This is not a course that's worth driving hours to play.
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1 2
Disc Golf Dave
Experience: 40.1 years 13 played 13 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Day at the Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 18, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is a great companion to the blue course. It may not be quite as challenging, but together they make a pair of wonderful courses. It has a somewhat reduced level of difficulty when comparing to other great Kentucky courses, but it a great day at the park. I have adopted Kentucky as my second home. Disc golf is obviously a priority there and I love to be part of it.
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1 3
Crooow
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 36.9 years 248 played 52 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Warmup 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Easy to find; convenient parking; easy to navigate; multiple tee pads; water spigots all around the park; beautiful park; free to play; baskets in good condition; nice variety; but best of all, great way to warm up before playing the blue course.

Cons:

No special holes; a little short; minor interference with other park users.

Other Thoughts:

If this course did not have a big brother, I probably would have rated it a 3.5 - fun to play once or twice but not challenging. But since the Blue course is also here, it serves as a great way to warm up and get a feel for the terrain before playing that course. The heat index was 106 when I played and I really appreciated having the water spigots around so I only had to carry one water bottle.
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1 2
jaybob
Experience: 13.8 years 18 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 18, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Distances are very manageable for newer players. I have not played that many courses but this one ranks up there with anything I've played. Course design makes good use of terrain and incorporates park facilities.

Cons:

Finding the next hole is a problem in two places.

Other Thoughts:

This is a great course that should definately be checked out if you are near. All holes have defined fairways although a couple are tight. This is a good course to work on your accuracy.
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4 2
Johnny Conservative
Experience: 13.8 years 21 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beginner friendly.....sort of. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jan 8, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is very beginner friendly in the sense that none of the holes are too long. It is a good course to build your game. All but two of the holes are par 3. The other two are very managable par 4's.

Another thing that I love about this course is the multiple tee's at each hole. You can play the white tee one round and play the blue tee in the next round and you will feel as if you have played two courses!

Because of the close proximity of the road to the fairways, a player will learn accuracy very quickly if you play this course very many
times. Also, while I consider this a beginner friendly course, it is not too easy as to not be a challenge to more experienced players.

There are many restrooms throughout the park, and places to rest if necessary.

Overall, this is a great course. ENJOY!!

Cons:

The OB situation can make it frustrating to players before they learn how to better control the flight of their discs.

During the summer months, if a disc gets away from you and flies into the woods and/or rolls down hill into the woods, they can be very hard to find. Try to use discs that are easy to see and/or have a friend spot your throw.

Once a player is experienced enough to make the OB a non-issue, there are no other cons in my opinion of this is course.
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4 1
cccp00a
Experience: 14.6 years 32 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Very Nice Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 12, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

* Very nice 18 hole course set in a beautiful park with many amenities. Another 18 hole course is set in the same park.
* Course seems to be maintained very well and is a central part of this park
* Two nice large concrete tee pads
* Very nice baskets offering two pin positions, white tops to differentiate between the white/blue courses.
* Very nice signage listing both the distances and direction to the basket. Also, signs to the next tee pad (except to #3 - read below)
* Distance are not too far for the amateur or new player but the do require a variety of shots.
* Nice offering of open shots and shots through the woods

Cons:

* Much broken glass and trash through the wooded holes. Although there are some trash cans at the pavillions may need some at tees (But, this may not stop this problem)
* Basket #3 has been pulled from its old position and a new #11 has been added. From basket #2 you will need to go to the #4 tee pad - and the basket will read #3 this will go on until you reach #10 and then a new #11 has been added.
* Some of the hole are very close to the roads through the park and potentially other park users.
* Some of the wooded holes do not seem to have any defined fairway and you feel like you are just throwing through an area of trees.

Other Thoughts:

Were able to play this course while I was in Huntington, WV at a meeting. Really enjoyed this course but, did not have time to play the blue course. Good use of the elevation by offering a number of up hill and down hill shots. The parked seemed to be kept up very well - also had a water pump to wash off after your round. Nice playground and other amenities for kids. Would be a great place to stop if you are passing through the area.
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6 1
Scazmatic
Experience: 13.8 years 12 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good beginner's course at public park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 27, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Well maintained course at public park. Easy to find off of the highway with ample amenities nearby.

- Multiple picnic shelters, bathroom facilities, and trash cans throughout the course.

- Lots of variety in terms of distance, shot type, elevation, and difficulty. Both wooded and open holes.

- Challenging yet fair course suitable for beginners but tough enough for more experience players.

- Additional course on site.

Cons:

- Course plays along the park access roads. Passing traffic is often in play, and throwing OB is always a concern.

- Signage from hole to hole could be improved. Having the online course map helps in navigation, but even then the course can be confusing at times.

- Multiple pin locations are not marked on the tee signage. Several baskets are not easily viewable from the tee pad.

- Broken glass and debris not unusual.

Other Thoughts:

I played Armco for the first time last year and posted a review then, but we went back to play this week. After playing several courses in several states, and having played this course a couple times now, I felt like I needed to update my review. I'll preface by saying a lot of this is copied directly from my Blue Course review, as most comments hold true for both courses.

Armco Park is located in Boyd County, Kentucky about five minutes off of I-64. It's very easy to find the park entrance just off the main highway behind the state police barracks. The park houses two courses, the longer and more difficult Blue Course on the left hand side of the park upon entering, and the more moderate but still challenging White Course on the right hand side. Both courses are tournament caliber, well maintained and well designed, and are worth a trip if you're coming from out of town.

In my opinion, the White Course is the more casual and less difficult of the two Armco Park courses. The lengths are much more managable, and though there is still a certain degree of difficultly and accuracy is always tested, it's definitely the more enjoyable of the two. If I were bringing new players to the park, this is the course I would play, but if a more experienced player was coming in from out of town, I'd point them to the Blue Course.

The course makes good use of the topography. There are a lot of elevation changes, both uphill and downhill, and several holes that require tight placement, both in terms of trees and the access road that serves as the OB line that wraps around the course. Holes are not particularly long but by no means are simple. There are definite ace and birdie opportunities available for bigger arms.

The course does play to the top of a hill and back down, so there is a considerable amount of walking and hiking. The rough is also in play on several holes around the turn, and it's easy to misplace a disc in the unmowed portions. As with any wooded course, bugs and poison ivy are not uncommon off the beaten path, so take precautions as you feel necessary.

The park itself is a really great facility, with lots of picnic shelters, playgrounds for the kids, public restrooms and water spigots. It'd be very easy to combine a round with a family trip or cookout.

All in all, I think Armco is a great course and a real asset to the community. Though it's very challenging, it's ultimately very fair and players of all skill level can get something out of a round here.
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3 0
Ben17
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.8 years 119 played 31 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice Quick Round 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Armco park is located in a nice and very large park. Many trees are planted along some of the fairways, and some holes are just very open with no trees what so ever. The baskets are nice white topped innova discatcher baskets. This is the only course i've seen with white topped baskets. It is nice so that you can tell it apart from the blue course. The one very nice thing that they have here is the shelters. There are shelters everywhere. The pedestrians here are very nice. I was talking to some of them and they were very helpful. There is a decent amount of elevation changes. I wouldn't say there is as much as there is on the blue course, but there is still a decent amount. The best part about this course is thats a well taken care of nice course. The people take really good care of the park. There is like no trash laying anywhere. There are restrooms all over the course, which can be very helpful.

Cons:

Due to the elevation changes it does get quiet windy here. The one really bad thing is that it does not get any use. When i was here there was not one other person there playing disc golf. The pedestrians can also get in the way sometimes when you are playing, so you will need to wtch out for that. It can get a little bit confusing at times if it is your first time. They dont really offer a variety of different holes. The holes are either down hill or up hill. Almost all of the holes are par threes. That takes alot of fun out of a course.

Other Thoughts:

Really this course is plain and simply fun. You can come here and play a quick round in a little bit over an hour. If you go to the links/files you will see that there is a course map. When i was there i had one but really you dont need one at all. Always look out for the people walking, they will get in your way. If you haven't already learned to play with the wind you will learn here, it gets very windy.
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4 0
wkelly42
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.8 years 38 played 25 reviews
3.50 star(s)

NICE and CLOSE!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 17, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

After playing Peaks View Park in Virginia three times, I figured I was ready for something new. Armco is the closest course to my house, and I'd heard really good things about it, so I headed over there after a short work day.

The layout is outstanding, except for a couple things I'll mention under 'Cons.' Risk-Reward is present all over the place, with multiple lines to the basket from every tee. This one has more distance than I'm used to (see the specs on Peaks View if you're wondering how that could be), but it's still accessible for beginners. After playing the shorter course, I had a lot of confidence in my disc golf ability. After playing Armco, I know how much work I still need to do.

Plenty of facilities here, and the park is beautiful. Several playgrounds for the kids to have fun on while you're golfing too.

Cons:

I got spoiled by the hole signs with diagrams in Virginia -- the signs here don't have that. Most of the time that wasn't a problem; I could figure out where the hole was based on the layout of the land. On some of the longer holes, though, it would have been a big help.

I got lost going from 11 to 12. (Follow the road and you'll see the tees for 12 on your right.) From 2 to 3 you need to just walk straight up the hill and head slightly right -- you'll see the tee pads across the road). The course doesn't flow as well as it could, but once you've played it one time you'll know where things are. Everyone has mentioned the broken glass on the course; I didn't notice it until about #7 or so.

#15 is my LEAST favorite hole. Landing area is NARROW, and of course I missed it. Very unforgiving hole.

This is a new course, and they're still putting in some things that are really needed (steps from 15 to 16 would be GREATLY appreciated -- and if I'm off when you build them, I'll even help!).

Other Thoughts:

Two sets of tees for each hole. Two pin positions for each hole. And of course, they changed to the LONG pin positions right before I play the course. This is a fun course, and a GREAT addition to disc golf in this area.
Update just to say that this course plays completely different in the fall and winter. There are lines there when the leaves are down that you'd never be able to try in the spring and summer.
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