Milan, IL

Camden Park - II

4.495(based on 44 reviews)
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16 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.9 years 970 played 542 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Camden II is one of two courses onsite. This one, nicknamed "The Other Side", is the newer and more challenging of the two courses here. It's a completely (almost) wooded course with elevation at every turn. It's set in a section of the park that is disc golf exclusive. There will be no distractions out here from other park users or activities. It's just you against this beast of a course.

The elevation is apparent right out of the gate. The valley that runs throughout the course too. So are the trees. If you don't like what you see from the tee of hole 1, you'd better turn around because it's 17 more of these. The design here is top notch. There wasn't a single hole that felt forced, and more importantly every hole had at least one fair line. More than can be said about the other course onsite. There's lots of up and downhill holes but theres enough flattish holes sprinkled in to let you catch your breath. There's bridges and stairs everywhere they're needed on each hole as well as the trails between holes. As long as you stay on the fairway that is.

The baskets here are beautiful, brand new, red Mach X's. These things are great. Love these baskets. The bright color makes them pop in the shady woods. There's one basket per hole but up to four pin positions. Apparently they're all in the shorts in the winter, which is to be expected. They're rotated around in the warmer months. Today there was a majority in the longs but numerous others where in one of the other, shorter positions.

The tees are concrete. These are strangely shaped. They're not the longest pads I've seen but they get the job done for the type of shots you're throwing here. What's odd is how wide they are. This was nice on a few holes were I'd prefer the far left of the pad while my wife would use the far right. These open up the angles better for different shot shapes/styles as well as suiting different angles better depending on the pin placement. Nicely done with these. One tee per hole.

The tee signs are solid here. Big and bold with a nice hole map showing all the different pins, landmarks on the fairway, and trails leading to the next hole. There's also the pars and distances listed/color coded for each basket. There's also random pictures of sections of the hole which aren't really helpful at all, but do look cool. The best part is that on every post/tree the sign is attached to has a bolt with a colored square denoting the basket placement currently. This was fantastic and saved a lot of extra walking up the fairway. Again, very well done.

The creek can come into play in numerous spots adding to the risk factor out here. It was pretty dry when we played luckily, though I surprisingly didn't land in it. I was close a few times. This is just a beautiful piece of property for a course. It feels like you're in the middle of nowhere when in reality you just outside of a pretty decently sized metro area.

The course is free to play and in the ground year round. Ample parking with a few practice baskets and a pavillion and restrooms by the parking lot. One other major, major plus was the fact that the course brings you right back to the parking lot after hole 8. Hole 9's tee is less than fifty feet from the lot. Very nice to replenish on fluids.

Cons:

The chance to lose a disc is very real out here. The rough is pretty dense in spots, also sharp and itchy. Lots of thorns and nettles in the summer. My wife rubbed up against something that gave her a little rash on her arm. And if the creek is high there's that too.

Not really any signature holes and the last hole is just kind of average compared to the rest of the course. But that's still a compliment since the rest is so good.

There's a few fairways that play very close to the next tee pad if the baskets are in the longs, which numerous were when I played. There's also some longer walks between holes. Understandle, but you'll be sucking air just getting to the next hole in a few areas. Well worth it though.

Other Thoughts:

Camden II has been on my wishlist for years. I've actually been in the area twice and was stormed out both times. The first time I was literally IN THE LOT when the sky let loose. Third time was a charm and man was it worth the wait. Definitely a top 3 course in IL. You could debate for hours and never agree on the top one but this one is right up there.

Must play course. If you're anywhere nearby this needs to be at the top of the list of courses to play. Just fantastic, memorable golf. Loved it. And of course there's the fact that there's another solid course right here. Get out here if you haven't already.
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5 0
Johnsondere
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 9 months 136 played 83 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Such an Amazing Course!

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 21, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Very challenging wooded course
- Rotating pin positions
- Open year round, pin positions in short for winter
- Variety of shot shapes and distances required
- Such great use of the elevation

Cons:

- There isn't necessarily a "signature hole". Plenty of solid holes though
- The hills can get super slippery during the winter and early spring.

Other Thoughts:

Not much to complain about with this course. Camden 2 is such an amazing play! Challenging in all pin positions, plenty of variety, and overall just a great time!
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17 0
Countchunkula
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 17.8 years 210 played 68 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Best Sequel Ever (read in comic book guy voice)

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 13, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Camden II is the second 18 hole course to be installed at Camden Park in Milan and oh what a sequel it is. We're talking Godfather II here. The original course is a solid park course with plenty of elevation, but Camden II is a treacherous, wooded beast. The course is nicknamed "the other side" and as compared to the original course this is a perfect description. This is no walk in the park. Camden II features mostly grassy fairways cut out of the woods, a ravine that winds it's way through the course (sometimes running parallel to the line of play, sometimes perpendicular, and sometimes snaking every which way), and the kind of elevation changes perfectly suited for disc golf. There is one hole that begins in an open field, but otherwise this is a totally wooded course. The course is laid out with one tee and 3-4 basket locations per hole. Not all positions on a given hole are given the same par, so the potential variety here is off the charts. The tee signs are some of the best that I've seen and do a good job of showing the locations of all pin positions. A color coded washer mounted on the sign post let's you know which location the basket is currently in. Due to the wide variety of basket locations, the concrete tees are way oversized and square. The Mach III baskets, while not state of the art, catch just fine.

If you want a warm up, start with Camden I, Camden II throws you right into the fire. You step up to the first tee and have to choose whether to try to clear a fairly deep ravine mid-fairway or try to lay up just short without rolling into said ravine. The hole can be parked with a pure drive, but the potential for disaster is high. The fun and challenge only get better from here. Many (if not the majority of) holes require risk/reward decision making, and I stepped up to the box on many holes only to completely rethink my strategy and rummage through my bag to grab a totally different disc for a totally different shot than I had intended to throw. This is not the norm in my experience and I greatly appreciate the added challenge.

There are too many potential "signature holes" to list here, and the pictures don't do the elevation changes any justice. I came here expecting a challenge, and while I wasn't disappointed, I was amazed at how much fun this beast of a course was. The layout I played featured some of the tougher holes I've played interspersed with others that while not easy, were certainly birdie-able with good execution. I only came across one potentially unfair fairway (a shorter, uphill hole on the back nine), every other hole had a reasonably line (or two).

In my experience, it's a truly rare course that combines challenge and fun to the degree that Camden II is able to pull off. It was hard to wipe the smile off my face (even when I followed back to back deuces with a double bogey).

Cons:

It's hard to find much wrong with this course, but I'll give it a shot. The below complaints are complete nit-picky, whiny BS, but no course is perfect and I feel I should address any shortcomings.

While the fairways are plenty wide, the rough contains copious amounts of poison ivy. Since I don't get an allergic reaction, I generally end up doing all off-fairway disc retrieval for the group when playing courses infested with PI. At Camden II, I saw poison ivy on most every hole where I (or my son) ventured off of the fairway. Most fairways are very fair. If you are able to place your throws where you intend, you will probably not encounter any PI, but that doesn't describe most of us.

The course lacks a long water carry. I'm sure during rainy times, the creek at the bottom of the ravine gets much higher than what I witnessed, but it isn't quite the same as a >200' water carry when it comes to pucker factor. Granted, I chose to lay up short of the ravine on a few holes, but it is an easy pitch across after the layup.

It was dry when I played, and the excellent bridges and steps here must have been a huge undertaking, but footing is going to be baaad in places when wet. The nature of the course with the excellent use of elevation and the ravine means that there will be slippery slopes when wet. You can't expect stairways and terraces in every possible landing spot.

Other Thoughts:

The ever changing layout due to the multiple basket placements (this isn't an all long or all short scenario; the course stewards use the multiple sleeves to create many different combinations) could be a pro or a con. On one hand, it provides ultimate variety and replay-ability, on the other, you may have to wait quite a while to replay a favorite position on a particular hole. This also makes it hard to chart your progress against previous rounds, when you may not see the same layout again for years. I loved the layout that I played and walked by plenty of fun and plenty of brutal positions.

Prior to playing Camden II, Maple Hill was the only course that I considered a 5. As hard as I tried, I couldn't convince myself that Camden II was a tier below. If DGCR had a more granular rating scale, I would probably call Camden II a 4.75 and Maple Hill a 5, but it doesn't, and Camden II is closer to a 5 than a 4.5 in my book. I've traveled a bit and played a decent variety of courses, and from what I've seen Camden is about as good as it gets.

*8/20/23 update: I've reevaluated some course rankings and as much as I love Camden II, it's not separated enough from the rest of the 4.5 courses (in my book) to call it a 5.*
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10 0
Horsman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 222 played 100 reviews
4.50 star(s)

A thing of beauty 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Easy to get to. GPS takes you right to the course. Plenty of parking and its easy to find hole 1.
- Potty in the parking lot
- The course flowed pretty seamlessly. Find the next pad was pretty simple thanks to the course being beat down over the years and the signs they put up pointing you the right way.
- Great concrete teepads. They were nice and long and nicely raked. Grip was great.
Teesigns were pretty good. They have the pin location on each sign which is nice to see and the maps are pretty clear.
- Lots of elevation change. It was so much fun playing up and down the hills here. Its not something you see everywhere and even when you do see it its not always done right but this course was definitely designed by a proficient designer and they did a great job.
- Basket placements were great. There was never a time when I looked at a hole and scratched my head in wonder why a basket would be there.
- Lots of trash cans and awesome custom benches that were as unique as each hole was. Stadium bleachers were the best by far.
- Very very tight fairways and tons of trees but there were not any holes where there wasnt a fair way to get to the hole.
- Winding creek through the course with OB making a lot of simple shots seem a lot harder then they are. Just adds to the fun.

Cons:

- Bugs, the gnats here were terrible when I played. It just slightly took away from the experience but not from the golf.
- At times the baskets kinda camouflaged into the woods. Not terrible but it happened.

Other Thoughts:

I loved this course. It was a ton of fun and had pretty much everything I look for in a course. Some of my favorite golf comes from playing a wooded course with some rolling hills and this is exactly what this course is. The course was challenging but not too challenging that beginners will want to stay away. Its very refreshing to see a heavily wooded course that is fair and has all its trees in the right place. My hats off to the designer. Thank you for this gem in Illinois. Its so hard for me to choose a favorite course in IL now between McNaughton, Dellwood and Camden 2. Great job. Ill be back.
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5 0
birdbrainDG
Experience: 102 played 7 reviews
5.00 star(s)

A Midwest Destination 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 22, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Where do I begin? This course has the most character of any I have ever played. From the well-thought pin locations, to the engraved trees throughout the course: Camden II will leave you smiling even after beating you up.

Camden II is in a dense thicket of woods, carved into an extremely challenging course with several rolling hills that provide a unique challenge. The course is extremely well maintained by the locals and they are always striving for improvements. Perhaps the most memorable hole at C2 is Hole 4 in the C pin location, a Par 5 that really captures the epitome of the course: elevation drop, tight fairway, treacherous ravine right where your drive would want to land, all the way back up to the same elevation you teed from.

Another trait this course carries that really sticks with me is the serenity felt on the course itself. C2 is not very beginner friendly, so it doesn't garnish a ton of casual play. It is usually pretty quiet on the course.

Benches, garbage cans, course/hole info etc. are easily available and easy to locate. Each hole has a colored washer on the tee sign indicating pin location.

Cons:

This course is in a thicket of woods. Do not come here expecting to air out a bunch of sky shots - you will need your technical game here for sure.

Other Thoughts:

This course is one of the gems of the Quad Cities Disc Golf scene. This course is 100 miles from my home and it is always on my radar of possible weekend courses to visit. Make sure to pay a visit to one of the best courses in the Midwest!
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10 0
dickwolf
Experience: 27.8 years 50 played 21 reviews
5.00 star(s)

phenomenal! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 27, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

-best tee signs i have ever seen. pics of hole, distance to every basket placement. colored washer indicates which basket in play.
-best tee pads i have ever played on, extra width allows for ability to attempt the line YOU see rather than the designer.
-incredible, incredible layout hole after hole.
-elevation changes aplenty.
-tight course, but multiple lines on most holes.
-incredible attention to detail.
-benches, trash cans, brooms.
-every shot in the bag will come into play.
-incredibly well cared for, clearly loved course.
-very fun to play and potential to score around par if you have "A" game going, under par is doable but will require "A+" game. i am an advanced player, but really far from pro.
-steps, ropes, everything in excellent repair.

Cons:

can get buggy, muddy, but soooooo worth it.
not cart friendly (so what!)

Other Thoughts:

i have only seen one course with a better layout (wildcat bluff) but only because 2 holes there are so blow away, the rest are extremely comparable.
this course is more fun because it is a little more forgiving, but not much.
spoke to a couple locals who told me that mondays are work days and the dg community in the area spends time caring for the course. for example, there are new slats on benches that have either rotted or broken, there are ropes tied to trees to help you get out of creeks or ravines where steps would be pointless. this place is super duper cared for. it looks like everywhere your disc can land, someone has been before and given you a reason to be less frustrated after an errant shot by helping you out.
you get out of the car and jaw drops on the first tee. this course is LEGIT.
i would not recommend this course for the casual round with your girlfriend (unless you are dating paige pierce😁) but the beauty of that is there is another course on the same property that is perfect for the beginner or the date night.
do yourself a favor and make a destination trip to northeast iowa/ nw illinois and play here, wildcat bluff (urbana ia) and shaver park (cedar rapids ia)
to have 3 courses in this level all within about 2 hrs of each other is truly incredible.
DO NOT MISS Camden Park II!!!
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5 2
kbeetdigger
Experience: 16.6 years 56 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Amazing course ... thanks for all of the hard work 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 18, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is absolutely amazing. It is carved (probably the best way to describe it) out of a very dense forest in the hills of Camden Park. Some holes you have to hit a very tight line through the trees. Some holes you have a little bit more generous fairway, but it is still a forest course. Elevation is used marvelously where the holes have such a wide variety of shots you have to throw. When you do have a steep incline up or down, volunteers have put in stairs to assist you, as well as bridges and other terracing. You absolutely won't believe the amount of work that has gone into making this course and great terrain playable and user friendly. Truly one of the best courses I have played.

Cons:

Not cons ... but be warned this course is not beginner friendly, and you do need to be in shape to play it. It is built in some rather demanding terrain with steep ascents and descents required.

Other Thoughts:

Amazing course ... thank you for all of the hard work making this beauty possible.
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2 9
Senorpinchy
Experience: 35 years 117 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

ADV REVIEW. IGNORE IF YOU SHOOT >930 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 11, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Again this in advance styled review.Very technical ,a lot demanding left and right hand throws, flick ability for both left and right backhand is almost required to score low. Oh... and ability to throw An-hyser's with power was fun, and not something I usually get to contribute in the woods when it's this tight, in some spots.

Cons:

Only that I can't play it everyday.

Other Thoughts:

None. Perfect course, could use bathrooms that are closer. #1stworldproblems
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12 0
Bgso
Experience: 16 years 223 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

The best that only gets better 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 11, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I have played CII twice so far, the first was for the rumble in April. The course is in the "Meat Grinder" layout. All long pins. What a challenge! Par 3s, 4s, and 5s all over the course! A lot of tough decisions to be made with regards to risk/reward and at the outer limits of the park the OB really challenges your shot selection. The second time the course was in a slightly easier layout, with a few shortened pin positions. The shorter pin positions still provide unique challenges that are not any easier to conquer!

-Tons of elevation. Downhill shots, uphill shots, shots that go downhill and then uphill.

-All sorts of shots required. Every hole poses a new challenge whether it's a unique line or pin position that is 2-3 shots away.

-Different pin positions on each hole. The layout we played the second time was a little easier than the rumble layout. But every pin position poses a new/different challenge than the others.

-Amazing Tee signs! Every tee sign has a washer to tell you the pin position. There are also points where they show you pictures of the blind fairways on the par 3s and 4s. Finally, photos of the "Camden Crew" are shown on the tee signs from the courses earlier days. Gives the tee signs some character!

Cons:

-Not Cart friendly (is this really a con?)

-The ravines (don't throw into one, or prepare to get muddy)

Other Thoughts:

My favorite course in "Illinois," a must see if you are visiting the quad cities to golf. The crew that made and works on this course is amazing and is constantly making changes to improve the course. Compared to my home courses in Northern Illinois CII provides a variety of challenges and golf scenery that is almost alien in its nature.

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6 0
DiscHuker
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Wow 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 30, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Don't be scared off by the "wooded course" reviews that you see. In my opinion, this is not a wooded course, rather, it is a course in the woods. When I think "wooded course" I think 10' gaps, thick underbrush and being frustrated for most of the round. Camden II is not that.

It has everything you need to have fun and at the same time to be tested. Every hole has a fair way in the truest sense of the word. You don't need to thread a needle 100' away at any time. There are landing zones that put you in good positions or there are aggressive shots that can yield birdies or bogies.

Plenty of elevation without feeling like you need an oxygen mask to finish the round. However, lots of elevation usually mean lots of awful roll aways. Not here. The stewards have put in an unbelievable amount of time manicuring this place to include logs to stop those rolls in the most strategic locations.

Cons:

This isn't a "con" per se but rather an observation. Because they are constantly improving the course, there are always areas that are being worked on. I can see the things that were installed 6 months ago and I can see the things that will be great 6 months from now.

There is one tree that I dislike and Sprague knows which one!

Other Thoughts:

I was hosted by the course designer so I got to hear the stories of each hole; what they used to be, what they have changed and what they will be doing next.

This place is incredible and it made me want to be a part of this disc golf community.
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1 6
GoneDiscN
Experience: 101 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Gem Of A Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 14, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Phenomenally crafted fairways with little to no chance of losing discs. Course flows very nicely. Not once did we get lost the first time playing. Seems like they're enhancing the course everytime I'm there. Overall a great course through and through.

Cons:

None
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1 3
ALitt
Experience: 24 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Don't miss this one 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Love a good hike in the woods? This course is for you!
The ever-changing bridges and decorative features are great.
The course is a challenge with several pin locations, it's rarely the same thing twice.
The maintenance crew for this place are creative workhorses who have gone out of their way to add directional signage to keep you on course.

Cons:

The underbrush gets thick in summer. Discs are easily lost. Wear some pants if you plan to go digging for yours or you'll meet up with the poison ivy and itch-weed.

Other Thoughts:

We are lucky to have this place so close to us!
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5 1
BuiltTooLong
Experience: 21 years 182 played 3 reviews
5.00 star(s)

MUST PLAY 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 27, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Absolutely one of the most memorable courses you will ever play. This course has obviously had more man hours put into it than I can even comprehend. The creative gusto exhibited on this course design is unparalleled. The elevation changes and tight lines will challenge even the most seasoned players, without impeding the more recreational players' fun. It seems that every hole has it's own unique twist that will leave you coming for more. Truly a work of art. Bravo!

Cons:

While the teepads are incredibly wide, a lot of them are not long enough for me to complete my normal run-up. However, I know that their dedicated staff has been working on extending a lot of these pads and I am eager to put them to the test.

This entire course is in a heavily wooded forest, so in the middle of the summer it can understandably get pretty hairy in areas leading to some lost discs.

Other Thoughts:

This is a gold level course that I feel will soon be mentioned with some of the top courses in the country. Add this course to your bucket list, you won't regret it.
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2 3
ABrown4444
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

C2 The Other Side 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Always changing Pin locations. Holes are fair yet still challenging. We have a local work crew that meets every Monday night and tackles various projects around the course. The amount of work and dedication put into this course really shows. The creativity is really unmatched and is a true one of kind course that when it's in the long pins it gives the best of the best a run for their money.

Cons:

Summer time does tend to get thick in areas. The locals refer to it as the green boom. Also the creek running through the middle of the course and be like quick sand in places.

Other Thoughts:

If youre near the Quad Cities check this place out. Also make sure to stop into our local pro shop Iron Lion with one of the best selections in the country with a ton a knowledge of the game and the discs they sell with competive prices too.
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9 4
XylaZoo
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Who does this stuff??? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 13, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Playing Camden Two is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to find. Nougat, creme or mint. Except you are guaranteed a chocolate! Three pin locations in all but 5 holes (to date- more coming) means a varied golf experience. Par could be anything from 54 to 63 with a slope rating from easy to hard. The thing that does not vary is the beauty, and most importantly, the uniqueness of the course. Benches and trash cans at every tee. Almost litter free. There is a long standing volunteer group that has constructed dozens of unique features that you seldom find elsewhere. Walls, bunkers, carvings, stairs, plaques and terraces abound. Thorny bushes and trees have been removed and replaced with other types of trees and bushes to ease play without making play easy. There are protocols adopted by the course builders years ago and they are beginning to take hold. With a work day every week, the saying, "there's always something happening at Cam Two" is oh so true! This course is still evolving, and being close to Interstate 80 worth a stop for any cross country disc golf adventure. The course has both a website and a Facebook page run by course designer Chris Sprague. Remember camdentwo.com worth a look.

Cons:

Fewer than yesterday, fewer still in the future.

Other Thoughts:

As a retiree, I spend a lot of time at the park and have personally met dozens of out-of-towners who have used DGCR to plan stops along their route. Have never spoken to anyone who was disappointed they had Camden Two on their schedule.
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12 0
AHagglund
Experience: 16.9 years 77 played 19 reviews
4.50 star(s)

A work of Art. 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 21, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-The course is absolutely beautiful. Deep ravines and near-100% canopy cover
-Lots of different pin placements, and they rotate through fairly often.
-Very efficient use of space. Even though the holes look and feel remote, they are surprisingly close together. The course can easily be played in an hour. Great for multiple rounds!
-Custom woodworking, custom benches, flags on the baskets,stylish foot bridges...tons of attention to detail. Everything seems unique and original.
-10x10 teepads which are a godsend on a course like this. They help to ensure that there will be a decent line off the tee on every shot regardless of pin position.
-Probably the best thing about this course is that even though it is nearly 100% wooded, every single tee shot is fair with a distinct line to aim for. This means that you can score well if you hit fairways. But if you don't....

Cons:

-Some nettle and ivy cover, but nowhere near the level that exists on most wooded courses in the area.
-If you drove a long way to play and happened to find all the holes in the short positions, you might be slightly disappointed that you didn't get the challenge you were looking for.
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14 0
MidwestZest
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.8 years 103 played 72 reviews
5.00 star(s)

"The Other Side" that Jason Derulo was really singing about. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 1, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- What a gorgeous piece of land for disc golf! Secluded from all other park activities.
- Multiple pins for every hole - at least three, sometimes four. Great varieties of layouts available. Makes for good distance variation, as well as shot variation. I drove FH, BH, hyzer, and anhyzer multiple times all over the course.
- Benches at every tee pad. Some made of logs and stumps, others are obviously whatever the Camden Crew could get their hands on. Love it.
- Good signage. Looks very new, and has a lot of thought put into them. Each sign includes par and distance for each pin placement, along with a map of the hole. Also, pictures of what the hole looks like from the pad or fairway, with the pin positions indicated. So if you can see the basket, you can see on the picture which pin position it is. Very nice.
- HUGE tee pads. Like, 10' x 10'. This is great (and needed), since there is such a variety of pin positions, on some holes a normal 4 ft wide pad just wouldn't cut it.
- Massive elevation on many holes, as the course cuts along/through/across two ravines with deep creek beds at the bottoms. I played the day after a heavy rain, and the water in the creek beds was manageable when discs made their way down there. I was not afraid of losing a disc under water, or it being washed away.
- Great upkeep on the whole course. Can't say enough about it. Lots of underbrush is obviously kept clear. I would not call any of the underbrush dense, in the slightest.
- Great bridges, walk-overs, and steps in most of the right places. With so many holes crossing the ravines and swells, they've taken the time to put in log and paver steps to get you down into the creekbeds, which I'm sure get a lot of use. There's also evidence of spade-cut steps as well, directly into the sidewalls of the ravines.
- Fantastic warm-up area with putting-accuracy baskets, and regular baskets.
- Many memorable holes, and a handful of epic ones. A strength of this course is that there really are no true filler holes. Each one seems to have been designed with specific shots and shapes in mind.
- Just entering the woods, and seeing hole #1 in front of you is a grand experience. You suddenly realize the type of course you are about to encounter. Fantastic starter hole over a deep gully. Number 10 is a similar hole, but does not feel in the least bit repetitive.
- #4 is the signature hole on the course in my opinion. Long, downhill shot over the ravine, but wonderfully green, and open enough to let you see your disc flight the whole way. Etched in my memory.
- #7 is a daunting hole from the bottom of the same gully up the hill right next to #4. Easier than it looks, but there is always the chance of a roll-away if you hit something.
- #8 is a nice long hole that finally gives you a chance to grip and rip without too much chance of hitting a tree within 100 feet of the pad. Still plenty of timber guarding the last half of the hole, but a clean, powerful drive can get you a long ways on this hole.
- #12 may harbor the steepest of descents of any hole on the course. Many pin positions here, allowing for short ace-runs at the bottom of the hill, or longer rips to get across the valley.
- #13 is the only wide open hole on the course, but that doesn't make it a cake-walk. Massive downhill par 4 that requires a huge 400 foot left to right turning shot to get even a look at an open approach.

Cons:

- My list of qualms, that obviously don't bother me all that much, but should be noted:
- Navigation can be a bit tricky if you don't pay attention to the tee sign. There are a few 'next tee' signs by baskets, but since there are so many pin placements, they're not always near the pin. If you make note of the indicated path on the tee sign, you'll have no problems.
- On some blind/longer holes, it can be difficult to tell which pin placement is in. The signs have done a pretty good job of making this obvious, but from time to time it takes a little dissection.
- I played the day after a heavy rain, and well-worn paths on hillsides were definitely slick. Fairways were all still in great shape, however.
- Just one porta-john on site in the parking lot, and no water available.
- As with all damp, wooded courses, I imagine bugs are a major issue in the spring. And of course poison ivy, which will never be eradicated from any wooded course.

Other Thoughts:

- I played on a mixed pin set-up, including some very short A pins, as well as a few of the longer C/D pins. It made for a wonderful round. I imagine this course would be very arduous if in a completely 'long' layout.
- While I found the course highly demanding, I did not find it ridiculously punishing. Losing focus could mean a wayward shot or inopportune deflection into the woods, but all were reasonably recoverable. Yes, it is a high-level course, but not just for the sake of being as difficult as possible. Players with just one solid BH or FH hyzer drive will struggle here, however.
- Finally, kudos to the Camden Crew of volunteers who keep this free course in tip-top shape. The obvious upkeep on this course is what pushed this course to the max rating for me, my small qualms aside. Well done.
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1 7
DirtyMeathook
Experience: 17 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

CamdenTWO turbo review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 29, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Immaculate condition

- Beautiful benches and wood carvings throughout

- "Fair" layout for both left and right handed players

- Rough is plentiful but manageable - not much time spent searching for discs

Cons:

- Difficult to navigate from baskets to the next tee

- Some of the trails were exceptionally steep and became rather sketchy when wet

- Nothing on signage indicating which positions the baskets were in
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4 7
Loomis
Experience: 16.8 years 519 played 14 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Tee Signs IN 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Tee Signs: In.
Tee Pads: In.
Well Marked navigation: yes. Who ever said it was hard to figure out is directionally challenged. Super easy to get around on this course.
Challenge: It's going to take all you got to make par here.
Visuals: Hell yeah. This is a well-loved course. How many other courses have their own four man team working this hard week in and week out to improve the course? And it has its own website. That' pretty bad ass.


This is a complete course and it's not easy. It employs tight lines, elevation, blind shots and extreme greens. It's not a course you want to play if you have a tough time staying on fairways. This is a PRO level course and anyone shooting under 900 is probably going to struggle.

Cons:

Mud. There is a creek that runs through a good portion of the course and with heavy rain this course is a swamp.

Bugs. There are a lot of them.

Poison Ivy. Stay on the fairway. That's my advice.

Sight lines. You won't always be able to see the basket. Not even walking up the fairway is going to help on some of these holes. Just go straight and pray you don't kick off the fairway.

Other Thoughts:

This is not cart friendly. There are a lot of stairs and muddy hills which you must cross or climb.

Take brightly colored discs because if you get off the fairway too far, you won't have enough time in your day to find the disc.
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11 0
Jawzx2
Experience: 11.4 years 52 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

C2 "The Other Side" 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 12, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course can be a monster or nice and easy depending on the layout and how you are playing. It is definitely designed for more experienced players as you can tell right from the get go on hole 1 which gives taste of what the course has to offer. A long drive across a valley with a 15ft deep ravine at the bottom of that. (Stairs have recently been added on both sides to allow easy access to the pit) From there on you fight through hills valleys, trees, and bushes as you work your way into the heart of the course. Holes 4-8 can make or break your round often times.

The course is laid out to loop back near the parking lot on hole 9 so take advantage of that to refill your cooler/use the restroom because rounds can take 2-4 hours depending on the layout and the size group you play with.

There is a good mix of challenging and technical holes that make great use of elevation change and woods. There are some truly unique holes on this course.

Trashcans and benches on nearly every hole, great big 10x10 teepads let you work different lines (hole 1 and 3 they are exceptionally useful.

Well maintained year round (Teepads shoveled and salted all winter), relatively few briar patches are left on the course so retrieving discs in the rough is pretty safe.

Trails are pretty well established from the baskets to the next teebox which is nice because there is a lack of signage

The course plays a little differently in the winter, leaves fall off opening up unseen lines and the ceiling rises a bit making the long drive holes a bit more manageable.

Overall it is an incredibly beautiful course to play year round, monstrous oaks and burning bush make it especially neat looking in the fall. Even if you aren't a golfer it is a beautiful place to just walk.

Cons:

Little to no signage. If you are not familiar with the course it can be easy to get lost, but I understand that will be remedied soon. (In the mean time the pin positions can be found on camdentwo.com)

Only one Portopotty and that is located at the bottom of a valley on Camden 1

Other Thoughts:

The course has really come into it's own this past year. It is the MUST PLAY course in the Quad Cities.
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