Manchester, CA

Manchester Beach KOA

Permanent course
1.925(based on 6 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Manchester Beach KOA reviews

Filter
2 1
felix-j
Experience: 23 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

short ace heaven 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 18, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

free if you're camping @koa

never crowded

great for beginners/kids

every hole is aceable

Cons:

no teepads and some of the designated teepad areas are loaded with big chunky roots. they can be ankle breakers so watch out. most holes are fine with a standstill so it's not a huge deal. it's pretty well maintained otherwise.

Other Thoughts:

with a buncha holes at 150' or less this is really a mini-discgolf course. still fun though for practicing throw-ins and putting. i appreciate this little course for what it is.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Manchester KOA Offers A Perfect Campground Course! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 22, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

$5 for non-members isn't a bad deal but the course is campground all the way and I happen to think it's a perfect course for the clientele here. Most of the holes are in the 125' to 175' range. There is a limited amount of shot shaping needed and almost no chance of losing a disc. The course is setup in a small grove of trees so it's protected from the summer sun. However, there is a pretty strong ocean wind blowing through.

The equipment is pretty standard issue with natural tee pads, basic tee signs, a disc golf rules sign and DGA baskets. This makes for a wonderful beginner course and that's who going to be playing here. It's easy to navigate.

Baskets have been placed in, around and behind any trees making the course both a little more challenging and a bit more interesting. Nice work there! You will need to throw a easy hyser here as well as an annie on other holes.

Cons:

The signs are placed at the left front of the tee pad, probably the worst place they could be.

Very windy.

# 8 tee sign is broke.

Distances are short but absolutely perfect for the campers who'll be playing here.

These KOA officials are Nazi like in their obsession with parking. They have a campground the size of Yosemite National Park and they will instruct you to park at a designated parking space in their visitors only lot.

Other Thoughts:

I was glad to pay my $5 for this 25 minute bag. If you're a serious course bagger, by all means, stop and chalk one up here. If you're a serious player, you probably want to drive right on by. It might be a fun course for an Ace race type of game. Otherwise, leave it to the campers with their loaner discs from the KOA office.

I know the course is not really an average 2.5 rated course by normal standards but because it works so well for the campground crowd, I'm giving it the higher score. Really, for their needs, it rates out a 4.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 0
GVDiscr
Experience: 19.8 years 109 played 21 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Great pitch/putt Gem on the Coast! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 24, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Located on one of the best KOA Campgrounds I've been to around California. Very clean and super nice hosts! It's not a big arm course at all and was made for family style fun which is what KOA's are all about! Not sure why folks would give it a 1 star - I look at a 1 star being terrible with baskets falling apart and no challenge at all. This is definitely NOT that.. onto the Pros of the course!

*Tee signs with distance
*Beach access right off the course (Hole 13)
*Mach V Baskets
*Technical for being so short
*Cabins / Camping on site
*You have the course to yourself most the time

For the land they have to work with they really did make the most of the course and fitting in all 18 placements while keeping the technical level up. I'm thankful to have another course to play near such beautiful California coastline!

Cons:

*Fairways overlap a bit
*Dirt Tee Pads (some with roots)
*Wearing/Carrying vest when playing (play before 8 to avoid) They're just protecting their private course and can understand that.

Other Thoughts:

The prior complaints about paying to play if your camping there would be valid but they have since stopped charging if your staying on premises and already paid. This course is an excellent destination course if your already planning on camping on the north coast! I really enjoyed it - I highly recommend taking the trail over the fence on 13 to Manchester Beach in the middle of the round - it's breathtaking and the beach is usually empty!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
0 0
heitzmidan
Experience: 11 years 6 played 2 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Great for beginners 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 20, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

A few challenging basket with a few tree obstacles. Free to play if you are camping at the KOA though used to charge campers and the KOA website still says you have to pay $3.

Cons:

Short distances between 130 and 217.
Have to wear a vest to show that you are a KOA guest during business hours. 18 basket, but only 9 are open in the summer. The back 9 are pulled so they can open the area up to campers.

Other Thoughts:

Great for beginners, but not worthy to go out of your way to experience the course. Play before Store opens at 8am and you won't have to sign in or wear the silly vest. KOA will provide disks for a small fee if you don't have your own. They sell disks, but only a small selection.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 0
kinfolkfan
Experience: 18.8 years 96 played 18 reviews
1.00 star(s)

A few kinks need worked out 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 6, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The drive to the Manchester KOA is one of the great American drives. The beautiful Pacific hundreds of feet below the curves of highway 1 is a stunning view. The course has a warm up spot for putting which I really think all courses should have. They have nice baskets for all 18 holes and signs with the distance for the hole as well. They have cleaned up the ground so there are not many sticks lying around to trip on . For a short course there is a lot of OB that makes it kind of fun. Lots of trees for some techy up shot practice.

Cons:

The cons to this course mainly start at the cash register. They charge you 5 dollars to play and make you carry or wear a bright orange penny like in grade school. Even if you camp there, which even in the off season is kinda pricey, they still charge you 3 more dollars to play. I think that they will learn and make some changes in this department, or I would hope.
Now for the lay out of the course. There are no shots over 210'. The tees are soft dirt and tree roots. The design makes you walk back into fairways that you have just played. Some times it is hard to tell where the next tee is. There are some trailers and other campers near the course most of the time. Half of the course is closed for half of the year. One last thing watch out for falling pine cones, these are no joke they are heavy.

Other Thoughts:

So if I didn't have to pay this course may be more than the 1 that I gave it. There maybe improvements that change my rating, but it is overall a bad design and a rip off. I really would like to rate my local courses higher, but when they are just out to make a buck off of us, I can't. I hope that with feed back this location can have a better course. Lets hope for the best!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
humchris85
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.8 years 143 played 77 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Bleah... 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

-There's baskets
-Nice wood signs on every hole with distance and map.
-Good for beginners, kids, first timers.
-Multiple routes through the woods on most holes
-You can walk to the beach from here...

Cons:

- They charge people to play there, not just if they aren't staying there, but they charge guests too. It's supposed to be $3 for guests and $5 for non-guests, per round. Though it seems like they stop checking after 6:00pm and no one was out to charge me in the morning when I played before I left.
- Only 9 holes during summer / fall, only 18 during the off season
-Super short holes ranging from 216' at the longest to under 125' on the shortest
- Every hole ace-able
- Flat, no elevation change.
- ...It's a long walk to the beach from here
- I checked out the signs for the back 9 and they don't look much better.
-Holes packed in a super small area, so many have the chance of hitting people either playing on the course, or people just around in the campground.
-Hard to tell what basket you are throwing at sometimes, I threw at the 3 basket from 2's tee, and almost hit it.
-Children climing the tree right next to 9's basket keept hopping out and grabing our discs, which was quite annoying, not to mention dangerous.
-Some holes play dangerously close to some campsites and the dog park

Other Thoughts:

Want to get some cheap aces to up your count, enjoy being charged to play a boring course, don't like that pesky distance thing, than this is the course for you. I was really annoyed with the concept of having to pay them $3 to play a round at a weak course when I had already paid them $35 to camp there in my tent. The area around here on the 1 is a beautiful drive, too bad there aren't more good disc golf courses around there. O well, more rounds at Mendocino High.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Top