Van Buren, OH

Van Buren State Park

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1.795(based on 14 reviews)
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6 0
DiscinOhio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.8 years 200 played 191 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Slightly better than expected, but still not very good

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 17, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Van Buren State Park is one of the smaller state parks that I've played in based on what I could see. Despite its relatively smaller size, they were able to fit in 18 holes of disc golf.

+ Each tee on the front side is concrete. Unfortunately that doesn't stay true for most of the back, but there are still very nice colored tee signs.

+ There were a few memorable holes that actually ended up being pretty solid. #3 is my favorite on the course. It's nearly 300 feet downhill to a blind basket at the edge of the water. It provides a nice view and a fun couple of throws.

Cons:

- The design could make things a little dangerous at times. For example, #4 is a completely blind drive that plays over the fairways for #17 and #18. If there's anyone else in this area, make sure you check before you throw.

- Most of the back-9 has natural tees. On hole #9, there wasn't a tee pad or sign anywhere in site.

- The course wasn't in the best shape. There were several instances of low hanging branches blocking tees and baskets. Some of the baskets were leaning as well. I couldn't find the basket for #4, so I just used the basket for #17, and proceeded to almost get hit by another disc.

Other Thoughts:

There are some redeeming qualities about Van Buren, but lack of basic course maintenance and a poor design take away from those qualities.

I felt like this course was right between a 1.5 and a 2, so I elected to give it a little higher score than the average score right now.
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6 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31 years 764 played 386 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Van Buren 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Van Buren State Park is a nice piece of land with a lake and a lot of camping . It also features a 18 hole disc golf course . Coming off the road and down the park driveway , drive towards the lake . there is plenty of parking here , and once you park , you will realize that the first hole runs parallel to the driveway you just drove . Bathrooms are close to hole #2's tee .There is a Port O Let down by hole #12 .
The Equipment - Some of the tee pads , mostly in the front of the course are about 3 1/2 X 7 cement . A lot of the ones in the back are natural . Signage is nice and answer all questions . The baskets are the old Machs with no numbers at the top , but catch okay . One of the bottom rungs in the baskets are painted orange to point you to the next tee . There is a kiosk near the parking lot with a map of the course . Take a picture of this or print an online map , or you will be lost after the first few holes .
The Landscape . The Park looks nice . It is flat with a couple of short gully shots . The lake where you parked shouldn't come into play on this course unless you overshoot hole #3 by a good distance . There are some nice uses for the mature trees on this course . This course is typical park-style . The Highlights : #3 is a nice park drive . 296' , it has the lake behind it , but even though it is sloping down behind the basket , you shouldn't hit the water . #6 , 381' , has a brush/treeline on the right and the fairway bends to the right at the end . A good basket placement extends the hole . #11 is a tight putter shot over a gully to the basket on the right . Only 105' , a clip of the wrong tree can send your putter downward on a hill with overgrowth .#16 is a 305' drive o a flat fairway to a basket tucked into trees with low canopies . #18 is a nice finishing hole . 365' , it has a tree line on the right where you will eventually have to break your drive left to right . The trees form a canopy to where it is hard to avoid it if you put lift your driver too high .
Time : It took me about an hour to play here . A foursome will be done in just over 2 hours .
Disc Risk . There are a couple of places that the overgrowth will give you trouble , like #6 , that wraps around a brushline , or a couple of the short gully holes . Other than that , much of it here is fairly open park and your risk is minimal .

Cons:

#1 Safety - WOW ! Where do I start ? There are overlaps on holes , mostly in the front . You could catch a disc in the back in a few places . Beware . Hole #1 is a narrow drive where most don't wan't to drift their drive into the brushlined gully to the left . The right is the driveway you just drove down . Imagine having your car whacked while driving to the parking lot . On #7 , I had to skip this hole because you have to throw over parking spaces , I guess for campers , and one of them was filled . Since the canopy is low , the chances were good I was going to nick this person's car . Bad hole location . Many of the back holes might be full of campers on a weekend . I played early in the morning , but the familes could be grilling and chilling right in fairways 12-15 . 2,3, 17 and 18 are also hot spots for park patrons to either walk through or set up chairs . . I think on #2 , you throw right over a picnic table !
#2 Navigation - The park is fragmented ( print or copy the map ) . 1-7 + 17 & 18 , 8 & 16 , and 9-15 . You will have some walks between sections . 16-17 is one of them . I never did find the tee pad or sign for hole #9 . It is supposed to be behind the #8 basket in that path leading to the woods .
#3 Challenge . Many of these holes look to mirror one another . Straight or slightly altered flat fairway drives with little or no obstruction . There are exceptions , like #14 , a slight downhill drive with trees in the fairway and small alleys to throw through . Most are mundane or easy . This will be a birdie fest for many .
Crowd Control : This park will fill up in the summer and on weekends . I can see someone skipping several holes because of campers or park patrons .
No amenities to speak of . A shelter near #18 but away from the bathroom would be nice . maybe a bench or 3 along the way for crowded days .

Other Thoughts:

The park is nice , and seems to be in constant use . There were joggers and walkers on some of the roads , and lots of people camping on the early Monday morning that I was here . The park extended the holes from 9 to 18 at some time and had to jam them wherever they could find open ( or not open ) space .
I do have to admit that I had a little fun when I played the course .I just wish that the fun could have been extended instead of on random holes .
My Recommendation : Definitely something to do here if you are camping , or visiting the park . :Okay for newbies or locals and families . This course will feel like a waste of time for frequent plays , intermediates , ams or pros . The course is okay for a traveler to step off I-75 and get a flat play in ( hey , you may only be able to play 12-14 holes anyway ) , and very good for the Course Collector to grab this along with North Baltimore , Firestine and Riverbend . Do NOT go out ofyour way for this course , but if in the area , take a look .
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3 1
shiftyjoco
Experience: 36.6 years 28 played 15 reviews
0.50 star(s)

BAD 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 23, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

First I would like to compliment the state for putting a course in a state park.
the signage was actually pretty good.
it actually starts out between a row trees to your right and the edge of the park and railroad tracks to the left on if i recall about a 300 foot straight shot. there is some small inclines, and some blind shots along with some hyzer and znhyzer shots. Nothing extremely challenging, but is what I would expect to be fun for a more diverse group of people and ages.

Cons:

Like i said, i compliment state for putting in a course, unfortunately, it is laid out about as bad as can be, in my opinion.
the first hole is about 15 feet running parallel with the on coming cars. by the time you get to the fourth hole , the basket is less than ten foot from a BBQ grill. holes 7,8,10 also running directly in line with tight edge of lake and brush and roadway. We looked all over, NEVER found the tee.
The park seems to be more concentrated on being a campground than a park. now it is late September, and there there was a decent amount of people. waiting to tee off on 10, ther was people playing hackeesac in the fairway, like Zi said , it is between the edge of lake and road anyhow, but we walked up and asked to play through. in which case they walked towards the tee(10 still) and we waited for them to clear, by the time they left another group had replaced them in the fairway. so we walked to 11, and there is a party in the shelter house, and of course, there is the basket also.. so we skipped that, and so went the rest of the course.. 18, had a couple laying on a blanket in the center of the fairway.
17 and 18, both run the edge of the parking lots. 15 16, and i believe 14 also ran the edge of the roadway.

Other Thoughts:

I drove 48 miles to play this course.
what a waste. I now I am taking chances making drives to play courses, but o love to see how all the different courses are laid out.
I can say, again in my opinion I have never played a presitne course. However I can say this is the worst I have ever been to.
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1 1
tonyfaurot
Experience: 7.5 years 17 played 15 reviews
2.00 star(s)

nice views. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 25, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

nice views of the lake.....liked 12 of the 18 holes....nice signs and directions to next tee pad.

Cons:

some holes were kinda odd....tees and baskets close together...could of laid out something better with the space they had.

Other Thoughts:

lay out was kinda odd...they had the space to create something a little better.
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2 0
Ryno-5 DGT
Experience: 19.8 years 301 played 13 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Nice and easy 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 24, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Clean open space
Very scenic along the lake
fair mix of distances for beginners
Big open space to practice drives

Cons:

natural tee pads
difficult to navigate
at least 12 of 18 are forehand shots just not a good balance

Other Thoughts:

a fun place to warm up and play but not a course you would normally plan a trip around.
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4 0
kinger
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14 years 101 played 101 reviews
2.00 star(s)

The Van Buren Boys 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 22, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

~18 holes with some variety mixed in
~Nice tee signs proving good navigation
~Baskets have painted indicators pointing to next tee
~Parking right next to Hole No. 1
~Park kiosk w/ nice map and score cards

Cons:

~Natural tee areas, no actual tee box markers
~Close proximity to playgrounds, roads, picnic tables
~Fairly repetitive
~Numerous crossing fairways
~Sporadic flow, course is chopped up in places

Other Thoughts:

All things considered, this is a pleasant 18 hole course in a relatively small state park. A short jaunt from Fostoria, where we visit family throughout the year yet providing me with another option in that area. Most of the holes play around 200'-300' and are placed in areas of medium to large trees requiring good shot shaping. A few holes are short, but are placed in spots where a tight shot is needed to get close. Essentially the layout keeps you near the large body of water as you go out and eventually loop back. I played on a brisk October afternoon and the park was not crowded, even so I still had to play around some people grilling and sitting on a nearby picnic table along with some park roads and other unnatural obstacles. I can't fathom playing here during peak season as it could be frustrating. Many mature trees and a bit of elevation change every so often, but it's flat for the most part as can be expected in North West oHIo. Nice tee signs showing the hole detail, but there are not tee boxes or markers in the ground and the natural footing is hit and miss. Numerous fairways cross one another and some have proximity issues. It is unlikely I will stop back since there are better courses within the same drive time from where I visit while in town, but for Fall Golf it satisfied my need to get out and throw some plastic.
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4 0
hoyle7780
Experience: 32.1 years 16 played 15 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Hidden Gem 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Nice Course sign with take along maps
Scorecards available at hole #1
Clean Well maintained park
Course flows very nicely with new 18 hole layout
Scenic views next to the lake
Variety of shots to challenge all players
Vending Machines located off hole #9 and #16
Nice tee signs with good descriptions
Lots of other stuff to do, fishing, camping, swimming etc.
Never very crowded
Great use of land and O.B thrown in with some good elevation changes.
Even the 2 holes under 110Ft were sweet shooting over a ravine with O,.B right behind the pin.

Cons:

Some holes seemed to come dangerously close to others, and some baskets sat pretty close to the next tee's. This isn't an issue if the course doesnt have many players.
No concrete tee's (and some of the tee's are in wierd spots. #9 you are literally throwing off the incline of a hill.
Park patrons can litter the fairways of a few holes on a busy day (all the people we encountered wer'e cool about it and moved for us to throw)
Single chain baskets on 9 of the 18 holes (still nice baskets though)

Other Thoughts:

Iv'e heard allot of bad reviews about this course but since the new 18 was installed it's a great course that will challenge pro's to beginners.
Lot's of O.B to contend with adds to that challenge.
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3 3
Endloader
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
0.00 star(s)

Worst course ever 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 11, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The Clyde is in a nice small park with a lake to fish in.

Cons:

No tee for hole 1,3,5,6,7
Could not find hole one at all or 5 or 6

Other Thoughts:

Even with a picture of the map of the course it still did not help at all. Driving 15 min to this horrible 9 hole course was the worst idea ever. Wish I would have brought a fishing pole and a picnic lunch so that I could have had a good time.
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3 4
danhyzer
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 36 years 2296 played 124 reviews
1.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 17, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

# 4 is a cool hole as you have to either drive through a large grouping of pines or go around them to reach the basket.

nice park, no fees

good descriptive tee signs

very close to I-75

Cons:

Some walks to the next hole can be lengthy. Like 1/2 mile between holes, lengthy.

dirt tees (which is good and bad and good and bad in this case, as we all love having cement tees but not having them on this DGC as of yet gives hope that someone will re design this DGC in a better DGC).

Other Thoughts:

I realize that some DGC's can't be championship caliber because of a lot of variables. but this DGC in it's present state is shame cause the long walks betweens the holes were'nt nessesary and I hope some local club can redo the current layout to make the DGC more pleasurable than it is currently.
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3 0
andrewkh
Experience: 16.8 years 54 played 27 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 22, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-very scenic state park
-well maintained
-good baskets
-lots of birdie or ace opps
-appeals to a wide array of playing ability
-camping next to the course

Cons:

-lots of bugs in the summer
-possibilities of losing a disc in the water
-bad flow (but is being redone and new 18 hole setup is much better)

Other Thoughts:

in it's current state, this course layout isn't very good. however, there are plans to expand this course into an 18 and the new layout is 10000000% better. findlay disc golf league members have played the new setup using practice baskets for the new 9 basket positions and it is alot of fun. hope everyone comes back out to check out the new set up when it gets in place
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2 2
zero_43502
Experience: 19.8 years 56 played 25 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Your In for a hike 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 5, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

First four holes are great with good risk reward water holes.

Lots of ace runs

Cons:

short ,easy holes


After four you walk a very long way to five then you have to walk just as far for 5,6,7,8,9 with big gaps between each hole which destroys the flow of the course .

Other Thoughts:

Course needs redesigned some how but theres not much to work with .

I will never play this course again with riverbend being just done the road .
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4 1
o01shadow
Experience: 15.9 years 42 played 8 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Once and Done 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 18, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has some pretty scenery in the direction of the reservoir.

Nice baskets and signage and a few elevation changes, which is nice in north-central Ohio.

Cons:

This course lacks imagination, especially on the shorter holes. There is no flow to the course, and a lot of walking for the actual play length.

To compromise the great view there is a trailer-park along one side of the course, which is not necessarily what I would consider scenic.

No trash cans, and part of the course runs around a playground, so careful there is anyone there.

Sadly a single bad throw on a few holes will result in water hazards eating your discs, which is a high price to pay for this course.

Other Thoughts:

Good equipment does not a good course make. There needs to be a serious renovation for this course to increase in quality.

It is just a mile off the interstate, so if you are starving for a course, this is and easy in an out, just be prepared to walk a lot.
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1 5
naturegolfer
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nicely & Greatly Improved 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 12, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Findlay Disc Golf League has adopted this course and the 18 hole course is now completed. They've been working with park management and the Friends of VBSP to make much needed improvements to the old nine hole course. The new 18 is much improved with better flow and shorter distances between tees.
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5 1
ejvogie
Premium Member
Experience: 15.6 years 305 played 14 reviews
1.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 25, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Heavy duty baskets catch well despite no inner chains. Great scenery, as should be in a state park. Lightly wooded, most holes have obstacles between the tee area and the basket. Multiple routes on most holes, different shots required. Hole 18 ends back up near parking lot. Maps and scorecards by parking lot, by the big sign with the map on it.

Cons:

Natural tees, this is unlikely to change as they didn't install concrete when they upgraded from 9 holes to 18.

The long walks between holes have been eliminated, but the holes they replaced those long walks with are either too short or WAYYYY too short. 95 feet? Seriously?

They took the best area (the pine grove) and eliminated it. Now we hug the lake with sub 200' holes and play around a playground.

Other Thoughts:

They could have done a lot with this course, but the redesign just made it worse.
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