Franklin, KY

Franklin Simpson DGC

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3.275(based on 22 reviews)
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15 0
PastorofMuppets
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 4.8 years 148 played 118 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Franklin falls flat

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 4, 2023 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

1) This multi-use park sits just outside of the Bowling Green area just off I-65. Ample parking, rural views on your drive in, several pavilions and shelters, playgrounds and sports fields.

2) The park/course are very clean and inviting. The park was well loved the times I played, with people utilizing multiple sections of the park. It was still easy to find parking near Hole #1.

3) Innova Discatcher baskets in well used but OK shape that still caught well, Textured concrete tee pads on each hole (2 per hole, one long and one short), and simple, probably a little outdated, tee pad signs that give the relevant information and a crude drawing of the hole shape and features. Course Kiosk with course map near Hole #1 (You will want to take a picture of this now or use something like U-Disc to navigate, Trust Me!)

4) Fairly open bomber course, with some trees in play whenever possible to design a hole around. Mostly flat course, but does take advantage of elevation changes where possible and incorporates them well.

5) Solid mix of interesting basket locations, challenging shot shapes where possible, and variety (which is well done based on the property given to work with)

6) You can play 1-9 (or 10 also really) if you want to loop back to your vehicle after a quick round or proceed on and play the entire course. (Fair Warning - 18 does not end near the parking lot)

7) Definitely a big arm bomber course for those with 400+ power. Even from the shorter tees, if you are under 300+ feet off the tee you will struggle here. A lot of the holes are in that mid 400 ft to low 500 ft par 4's (from the short tees) and you can make a ton of birdies, but it will probably feel like you are playing the same holes over and over on repeat. But if you enjoy letting the disc fly and have the ability, this would be a good course to open up.

8) Simplistic holes with the potential for fun for varying skill levels.
Hole #1 - Easy Putter or Mid downhill with a single guardian tree. Ace Run.
Holes #2, and #3, are pretty much the same, long narrow fairway par 4's that go straight for a while and finish slightly right into semi guarded greens.
Hole #4 - Very similar to a Par 3 version of the previous two holes and just at 250 ft. Short chip forehand or turnover putter.
Hole #5 - Begins your long bomber let it fly holes, slightly uphill and over a rolling hill, wide open. Avoid the fenced in fields to the right.
Holes #6- #10 are very similar, throw hard and far, avoid a single tree, a pavilion, a playground, a parking lot, a basketball court, kids, parents, pets, fishermen, aliens, whatever... Very bland, and nerve wracking when the park is in heavy use. I could see these holes having to be skipped often.
*From here on out the course was flooded both times we played making some holes unplayable. We just looped the front 9 twice, once from each pad but I did walk what I could of the back 9 to give insight.
Hole #11 - (After you find it and make the several hundred yard walk to it) Downhill smash protected by a road and a small rock filled gulley
Hole #12- #14 Are gentle rolling hill wooded slightly narrow tunnel shots. #14 plays next to a creek and seems to be the originating point for most of the back 9 flooding
Holes #15 and #16 are essentially the same hole, throw as hard as you can and avoid the river on the right (another source of flooding if the river is up)
Holes #17 and #18 are short Par 3's one uphill, one downhill with basically the same shape, but alternated elevation.

Cons:

1) SAFETY!!! There are SOOOO many basket locations right next to playgrounds, pavilions, courts, fields, parking lots, and the next tee that you will often be scared to throw a disc. I get it, it's park golf, but I'd rather pack up and go home than risk hitting a child on a playground. Several holes are blind tee shots over small rolling hills directly at pavilions and playground equipment. Nope. Not for me. I don't know how much of these "problem areas" existed when this course was originally put in, but they do exist currently and bring the rating for this course down significantly.

2) Flooding. Both times I've made the trip down to play here all or most of the back 9 has been under water or so muddy with standing puddles that it was impossible to play. Course would have almost been better served as a dedicated strong 9 as opposed to 18 that put 9 holes in the flood plain. The back 9 are much better holes comparitively, but if they are unplayable what is the point.

3) Long walks between holes, no next tee pad directional signs, multiple baskets in view from tee pads without a strong indicator which one you should be throwing to, and as mentioned above, too many blind tee shots that could hit park goers.

4) No protection from the wind or elements. If it's a windy day, this course is so open, and close together in spots, that errant throws will impact others on the course and possibly those using the park for other means.

5) The long trek uphill from 18 back to the parking lot. It's kind of deflating (even though had the hole played uphill back to the parking lot it would have felt different somehow). But after finishing this course and having to trudge your way back up to the parking lot, it leaves a sour taste in your mouth. Hard to explain, but most of us have been there.

6) Navigation. Beyond the long walks between holes and lack of next tee sign indicators, trying to figure out where you are going next is a nightmare without a picture of the course map or using something like U-Disc. On our last visit we saw that there was a 21 hole layout on U-Disc but we didn't even try and locate the 3 additional holes as most of the back 9 was flooded out again.

Other Thoughts:

Not a skill intensive course and mostly an open bomber park style layout. Will leave most casual golfer uninspired, and some downright infuriated if the park is packed with pedestrians. It's saving grace is the soft par 4's which make shooting under par here very easy for most skill levels. Definitely feels more like a, "just bought a new distance or fairway driver and want to go try it out on a few long lines" course than a really want to work on my game course. Too much course for beginners and I'd say targets the recreational to intermediate golfer with some distance but not refined short games or accuracy. Unless you are local or just trying to bag this course, Bowling Green has better options to spend your day playing.
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8 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.1 years 764 played 387 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Park Course , BYD ( Bring Your Drivers ) 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 15, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Franklin-Simpson Disc Gold Course sits in a park with a lot going on in it . There is plenty of parking near hole 1 . The baskets are Discatchers , there are 2 tee pads per hole , both cement , the the signage gives hole number , distance , par and a flight path . The kiosk is up near hole #1 . The course kind of splits into 2 , with the first 10 , then a walk leading to the last 8 . The course plays fairly open , with trees utilized whenever possible . This course would look somewhat flat or rolling at first glance , but there is surprising elevation here . after maybe 2,3,&4 . Course designer H B Clark makes sure you have some interesting hole placements and shot variety .Make sure you print a map or take a picture of the kiosk before starting or you may wander off and miss a basket or 2 . You can also play 1-9 for a short round as 9 ends right next to 1 . The park was mowed and very clean when I visited . If you like to just leave your car , stretch your legs and air out your arm , then this course is perfect for you . There is some fun factor here . Don't give up on the course after #10 . Walk straight back from that basket a couple of hundred yards and the course gets better . #1 is a putter/rock throw down a hill with a tree guarding it . 2,3,&4 throw to the right side of the park with all breaking a little left to right . #5 is your first real bomber throw ( 500' just from the short tee ) 6 breaks you left to right to a front of a shelter . 7 goes to the right and uphill behind that same shelter and 8 comes back down the other side , downhill with a bush in front of it . #9 is an uphill blast . 10 has a tree next to you , but other than that , it sits on top of a small valley you throw over . A long walk behind 10 leads you to 11 , which is a downhill blast to a basket which sits in front of a tiny gully filled with rocks that started parallel to your drive . the hole slopes downhill after the basket so be wary of a missed putt or approach that went too far . 12 starts to the right and down a bit from 11's basket and throws uphill to a basket protected by medium sized trees midway . 13 is on the other side of a shelter at the top of the hill and throws into a woods area . 14 is a downhill tunnel shot to a green and pin to the right and in front of a large creek . 15 and 16 throw tight with a creek running alongside you on the right and hillside to the left . 17 is a top of the hill shot to a basket protected by trees and a dry creek bed ( nice bridge next to it ) . 18 tee is hard left of the 17 basket and uphill to a level area and pin along a tree line with branches protecting the left side and any air less than 10' high . This took me over an hour to play ( I will explain part of it in cons ) . Disc Risk : Pretty Low . A little rough is thick in a couple of spots but avoidable and should be a non factor . The real problem would be the creek holes , maybe 14 , 15 & 16 . Signature hole : I really liked the downhill tunnel shot with it's pin location up against the creek bank . ( I also like 16's pin placement midway on the hill with a hill on the left of the fairway and the creek running along it on the right ) .

Cons:

#1 Safety . I had fits here . mostly from 1-8 and some people fishing on the bank at 16 . #1 is right in front of the only children's playground in the park You can easily ruin a child or parent's day with even a slight overthrow . 2 , 6 , 7 and 8 are dangerously close to baskets or fairways , and the park had full shelters the Sunday I was there . #2 Course is too open . This could be considered a pro or a con . Yes , there are unobstructed throws like 5 , 8 , 10 but it could be considered a break from the more difficult holes . Wind might be a factor here , too .#3 navigation . Without the map ( Print it or take a picture of it ) you can wander around to find tees , like 1-2 , 6-7 , especially the terribly long walk from 10-11 . The worst walk is after 18 , when you have a long uphill walk to the parking lot . I also had trouble finding and throwing hole #7 because cars were lining the fairway because of filled shelters . Next Tee signs or simply putting electrical tape on the bottom rungs of the basket pointing to the next tee would help a lot . .

Other Thoughts:

This is a nice clean multi use park that sits just off of I-65 . A fairly quick play if you hit it when there are few shelters in use and they aren't overcrowded . for locals , a perfect place to throw early in the season when you are working your arm in shape or even later when trying out that new driver . This is not so much a thinkers course than a precision hard driving one . Enough challenge to make you think , but not overthink . You can pair this one up with any of the courses in Bowling Green and have a great day . My Recommendation : Great for locals , newbies , travelers , also even intermediates and pros just want to work on upshots and distance drives . This might play too long for most families or high school buddies just getting together and throwing a few . Give this course a chance .
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12 0
Jaysauls
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 129 played 71 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Grip, Rip and Repeat... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 16, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

I have to admit, when I drove up on a warm, very windy and clear blue sky day, I was enthused. The park is very nice, clean and welcoming. Hole 1 was very easy to find, parking was great and course had a nice vibe. But the warm and fuzzies didn't last long...

#1 is a fun shot down a slope you can run with a putter.

#2 took a moment to find but was a decent - but long - throw to a slightly hidden basket.

Okay, so far, so good.

#3 was a long anhyzer shot, followed by...
#4 being a relatively short forehand shot.
#5 began the flat, straight grip-and-rip-and-grip again. Slightly uphill and over the top.

#6 - #10 were basically the same, throw as hard as you can, as far as you can and maybe have to navigate 1 tree. Sigh.

#11 took me a long time to find, it's a real hike from hole #10 (head with toward park entrance) and was a decent down hill throw with a road to the right and behind the basket. But at least it took a bit of skill

#12 - #14 are the best holes. #12 actually has trees you have to navigate to run the 450' uphill shot!

#13 was a loooong drive to gap in the woods! Now this is golf!

#14 is the best hole in my opinion. Downhill bomber shot that's a narrow shoot to a basket at the edge of a fast flowing river. Nice pucker shot here.

#15 & #16 were essentially the same. Through hard and straight with a river on the right.

#17 & #18 are the last of the chances for a 2. One down hill, one short uphill.

Cons:

I have a real problem with a basket in close proximity to a play ground. With a stout tailwind I sailed a putter to the sliding board. I also had a kid come flying off the playground as another shot was in the air and just about had his noggin' dented

Hole 11 was hard to find and a really long walk. I didn't see any arrows directing the way toward the basket.

Several baskets can be seen from other tee pads, so I through to the wrong basket a couple of times.

Lastly, the walk from 18 is a long one, uphill to the car. So if you've hauled a cart with you, the last thing you want is a long uphill walk to the car.

Other Thoughts:

Course - except for a few holes - is easy to play, wide open shots not requiring a ton of skill. If you can throw 400' you'll love the course. If you only throw 300' like me, it's a long trip around a mostly uninspiring course. But on a positive note, the pars on most of the holes were a 4, so I birdied the heck out of the course ;-)
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5 0
dad_of_dg_junkies
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.8 years 50 played 22 reviews
3.50 star(s)

You better deuce Hole 1... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 19, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

The park is absolutely beautiful and very large. It was also very clean.
Parking was ample and close to hole 1
There is a practice basket and a course map near hole 1. Take a picture if it's your first time.
The baskets were DISCatchers and were in good. shape.
This course is a throwers delight. If you like to air it out, you will love this place.
There are not many trees on this course, but the design does use them very well.
There are some elevation changes on the course that will effect distance control.
Basket placement is very good on this course. You run a putt and miss, you could pay dearly on several holes.
Adequate sized concrete tee pad with good grip.
There are nice hole signs with accurate distances.
The course may seem open, but in our round today, I saw rollers, hyzers, Anny's, forehands and overhead shots.

Cons:

There are a couple of areas that you may need to make sure you don't throw into people.
There are a couple of long walks on the course.

Other Thoughts:

I am not the type of disc golfer that thinks that we "have" to play in the middle of a forest or it isn't disc golf. This course is long and challenging from the pro tees. There was a uniqueness to it that I found appealing. Wind is also a problem on this course. Due to elevation and a lack of trees, trying to control such long throws with the wind blowing was a HUGE problem.
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2 1
Declarkus
Experience: 20.9 years 287 played 16 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Glad I stopped 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Right off I-65, Park was virtually empty. Good signage, good tee boxes and baskets

Cons:

Pasture golf on the first few, a little long for average players.

Other Thoughts:

This is a challenging course. The creek runs along the right side of several holes, forcing you to respect it. There's even a downhill hole where your disc can sail into the deepest part of the water. Pretty open with pin placements behind the few trees. Worth playing, even if its only the back 9
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2 1
etaylor777
Experience: 15.9 years 14 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

great landscaping 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 11, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

I think that this park has gotten a bad rap. I really enjoyed it. The course was very well manicured. One of the cleanest parks I've been to.Nice layout. Nice variety. Nice risk/reward holes. I really liked it.

Cons:

I do agree with some of the others on walking, but it wasn't all that bad. I also agree that a couple of the holes are too close to the playground. Hole 8 throws off of a hill, almost straight towards the playground. I skipped it due to heavy winds and not wanting to take a chance at smacking a kid.

Other Thoughts:

This course is not extremely challenging, but is a great course if you just love to disc it up.It would be great for beginners. Not much chance at losing discs and most holes are easy to hit par.
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6 0
weeman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.1 years 645 played 61 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Not a course for the weak armed 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 21, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

As the title suggests, this course is a bomber course even from the short tees. The course sits in a large multi-use park and plays around several of these obstacles. Approximately half the holes are on rolling hills and the other half on level ground. The design uses these elevation changes well throughout the course. Each hole has two sets of tees and large adequate signs. The baskets are in good condition and the grass is almost always well manicured. This is a prime course for rollers as long as you can keep them controlled. A steep cliff drop off comes into play on several holes, making for some interesting putting situations. For course navigation, the tee signs indicate where to go on the subsequent hole.

Cons:

You could fit another hole between each of the holes here with as far as you have to walk. Don't be surprised when you have to walk anywhere between 200-500 feet between a basket and the next tee pad. The long tees add nothing but distance to this course, no character or technical shot shaping added. No trash cans are provided at any of the tee pads besides number 1. Course can become crowded with other park users that aren't related to disc golf, so beware. The basket placement on number 1 is poorly placed due to the kid's playground about 50 feet past the basket. I've seen kids nearly hit with discs and parents picking discs up and throwing them back at the golfers.

Other Thoughts:

Course could greatly benefit from tweeking or an outright redesign. Overall this course makes you drive far and accurately to score well. Not many places where you can get into a lot of trouble but not so much that it would cost you many strokes. Wind can be a big factor here especially on the front nine.
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2 2
big shot dobbs
Experience: 28.1 years 26 played 4 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Tweener Holes 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 26, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course has a lot of potential. There are a couple of signature holes like hole 14, which shoots down hill with water right behind it!!

Another one is Hole 13, which has a nice tunnel gap about 300 ft out, if you dont hit it.....look out. A decent score on long pads would be 54, and 50 from shorts....should get you close to a 1000 rated round.

A lot of similar death putts, that will go over cliffs and into water.....a nice long course to throw some bombs!!

Cons:

Too many tweener holes!! Obviously not designed by someone who understands basic golf course design...Playing the short pads is the only way to play this course....long tees are just not rewarding, even for the 500+ big arms. At least 3 holes you have to watch out for children and crowded picnic areas. The long, long walks from hole 10 to 11 and the walk back to the parking lot from 18....leaves a sour taste in your mouth. The unlevel concrete pads are uncalled for....take some time and do it right next time.

Other Thoughts:

This course could be 4-5 stars if someone came in there and redesigned it.....
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4 0
ChrisWoj
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.1 years 158 played 27 reviews
3.50 star(s)

B-B-B-Bomber 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 10, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

There is elevation, there are shots that bring schule into play, there are tunnel shots and wide open bomber shots. Gap shots, straight shots, hyzers. I have a relatively decent arm, so I appreciate the opportunity that this course affords to truly open up and BOMB. It allows you to test the sort of bomber drives you throw, as well. Side hill shots (landing the disc on the angle you need it to land on), uphill and downhill, long drives placed at the gap entrances, giant turnovers, etc.

Cons:

There is a predominance of wide open shots, to be honest. Every shot has plenty of room to bail out off of the tee and let yourself have an open (long) up shot. You won't go way under with this strategy, but in the lower divisions you won't fall way out of contention. It is also too far outside of the BG course zone to really be considered highly by players - no one likes traveling in the middle of a tournament day's rounds (speaking of BG Ams).

Other Thoughts:

My rating may be influenced heavily by the joy I find in watching a disc fly far - but I really like Franklin a lot. I believe HB Clark created a very cool creature in this course. In 2008 when I played it for BG Ams a lot of us thought it was weak that we played this AND White Park both, and I agree - variety is needed for putting together a tournament lineup. But that doesn't take away from the fact that it is a fun course, and well put together.
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12 0
tamahawk
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 50 played 50 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 31, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has 2 sets of tees on each hole, Pro/Am. I've only played it once from the Pro tees, but there is roughly 2000ft difference between Pro/Am tees, so I have no doubt that the course plays significantly different from each set of tees which could impact a reviewer's opinion. This review is based solely on the Pro tees.

Course Essentials:
-Baskets: Innova DISCatcher, all in good shape. Single pin placements. Practice basket near first tee.
-Tee Pads: Concrete tees are level, appropriately sized, and in good condition. There are Pro/Am tees on all holes.
-Tee Signs: Located at Pro/Am tees on all holes. Signs accurately display hole layout, length, suggested Pro/Am pars, and direction to the next tee. (Small issues w/signage explained in cons section)

Course Design & Layout:
-Fairway Variety: 4Left/4Right/10Straight
-Elevation: Minimal throughout the course, but good use in design.
-Elevation Variety: 4Up/4Down/10Flat
-Length: 8,200 Total (455ft avg). 1<300, 7@3-400, 6@4-500, 2@5-600, 2@600+.
-Water: Potential on holes 2-4 (but not likely), and definitely in play on 14-17.

Overall, course design was pretty good, but had some flaws which will be discussed in the "cons" section. The course is comprised of 2 9-hole loops. Hole 9 finishes near the parking area, but the finishing hole requires a decent hike back up the hill to the parking area. Flow is good for the most part, but there are a few holes with a long walk between tees which disrupts that a little.

No major elevation changes, so the uphill/downhill holes are more gradual slopes. The elevations are used effectively to help create variety and to create a few real challenging pin placements, namely holes 2-4 where missing on the wrong side could put you down a steep hill in the creek. Length is the major asset of this course. It is the longest course in the Bowling Green area. An intermediate-advanced level player will most likely find the course to play similar to a ball golf course in the fact that you'll be throwing a drive, having a variety of short-long approach shots, and then putting for par/birdie.

The course has a few really great holes (4, 11, 14-17), but for the most part, it is a lot of long open holes with limited variety, and not real challenging other than the length. There are only 4 holes that I would consider having "technical" lines to hit off of the box (4, 13-15), and a handful of holes with "preferred" lines created by trees near the tee area or in the fairway. The other holes are pretty much open with plenty of room to work the disc for whatever shot type you prefer.


Navigation:
Following the course was really easy with the "next tee" markers on all the tee signs. A couple holes have really long walks between them (5-6, and 10-11). When you walk for a while and don't see a tee close by, you may begin to question if you are going the right way, but if you follow the direction indicated on the tee signs, then you are good to go. *NOTE: Hole 11 is over the road and across the soccer fields, just keep going, you'll find the tee near the dry creek on the other side of the soccer fields.

Maintenance:
Excellent. The course was in great condition and well-maintained. Mostly open holes with large trees, so no real "rough" or foliage to contend with. Area of taller grass between holes 4-5 used to differentiate and define these fairways that parallel each other.

Ammenities:
Mailbox near the first tee, I'm assuming it's for scorecards and/or course maps, but was empty when I played there. No benches or trash cans that I remember.

Epic Holes: (4, 11, 14-17)
-Hole 4: Excellent risk/reward hole. Great left to right shot bordering the steep slope leading down the hill to the creek. Plenty of room left to play a big sweeping anhyzer and stay safe, but if you successfully challenge the technical line through the trees, you just may be rewarded with a rare 2 on this course. Hit the trees and kick right, could be big trouble. Also watch for the drop-off down the hill just behind the basket!
-Hole 11: Simple, downhill hole at 480ft from the Pro tee w/dry rock creek running OB down the left side and crossing in front of the basket around 420ft. Just a really fun hole to unleash a big drive and let disc ride the slope for some extra distance.
-Hole 14: Open off the tee until you hit the 25ft tree-lined gap that proceeds down a semi-steep hill. Once you clear the tunnel, you have to watch out for the creek situated just behind the basket.
-Hole 15: Nice tight line off the tee with trees on the left and the creek on the right. This hole requires an accurate right to left shot off the box to clear the trees and fade back into the fairway.
-Hole 16: Fantastic hole at nearly 600ft requiring a low shot between a couple of large trees or a big left to right sweeping shot around the big trees. Once you clear the trees, the hole opens into a large fairway with a row of trees along the left side, and trees/creek on the right side. Basket situated on a side slope off the left side of the fairway.
-Hole 17: Straight forward hole but made fantastic with the pin placement. The basket it nested in the trees 425ft from the box with an 8ft deep drainage ditch that runs in front of the basket, situated only a few feet from the edge. A nice little wooden bridge was constructed to cross the ditch and get to the basket, very nice work on this green.

Cons:

-Limited Variety: A lot of flat/open holes.
-Safety Concerns: Several holes located near other features of the park. Hole 1 is way to close to the playground. An errant drive here could easily wind up on/near the playground. Holes 7/8 play on opposite sides of a pavilion, and the basket for 12 is located near a pavilion. Groups using this area may not know to watch out for flying discs, so use caution through these holes.
-Long walk between several holes (5-6, 10-11), and from 18 back to parking.
-Inaccurate sign info: Played Hole 15 from Am tee due to flooding creek, listed as 260ft on sign. I can throw around 300ft, threw a really good drive, and was still 50ft short. Maybe the pin has moved or something, but this definitely was not accurate.
-Flooding: Played here after some rain moved through the area, and several of the holes had standing water. Hole 15 and 16 were affected by flooding creek, and 16 (one of the best holes on the course) was not playable due to the flooding.
-Inconsistent ProPar values: I know "par" is a debatable topic, but consistency is the issue here. Holes 6, 9, and 10 are pretty simple, open holes between 400-450ft listed as ProPar 4. Hole 5 is 750ft uphill, and hole 12 is 625ft uphill both noticeable more difficult than 6, 9 & 10 due to the elevations, also listed as Pro Par 4. Then hole 17, 425ft straightforward, little trouble, ProPar 3. Holes 6, 9, and 10 really need to be ProPar 3's, 4 is a bit inflated given the difficulty level of these holes.

Other Thoughts:

Franklin-Simpson is overall a decent little course, and worth the time to stop and play if you are in the area. I'm going to give the front nine a "3" and the back nine a "4". The front nine is a little plain, and could use a few upgrades to increase visual appeal and challenge. The back nine is significantly more fun, challenging and visually aesthetic with some really great golf holes, especially 14-17. The overall experience was good, the park is very nice, clean, and family oriented with lots of stuff to do. Check it out.
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7 0
AdamE
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.6 years 267 played 148 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 16, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is a distance lovers dream, nearly every hole is a crush. There are long and short pads with a good amount of distance between them so players with less D can still get out and enjoy this course.

This is also a great course to work on your up shots. Since the course is so long, nearly every hole takes a good drive, approach and putt to get your par.

Some of the holes have well placed trees and/or nice elevation changes to keep things interesting. Two wooded holes in the back are a nice change of pace. Holes 3, 4, 14 and 15 play close to a large stream which makes a great obstacle. The stream was moving pretty quickly when I was here so stay away from it or lose a disc forever.

Cons:

About half the holes are wide open and can start to get boring.

There's almost no chance of a birdie on most of the holes here (from the long pads) unless you can throw 425+ very accurately. With the exception of holes 1 and 14, the shorter holes seem to be throwing uphill so there's little chance of a birdie without mega distance anywhere.

There are a few very long walks between holes. Next tee is marked on the tee signs so that helps. After hole 18, there's another long walk back to the parking lot.

Bring plenty of water when it's hot out because there is very little shade here.

Other Thoughts:

This is definitely a professional caliber course, but it can be a good place for players of all skill level to work on drives and up shots.

This course is just minutes off I-65.
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1 2
RayRay
Experience: 19.8 years 156 played 35 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Get out your big guns 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Fun to bomb on most holes
- Some good golf shots with OB and tricky pin placements
- Course is clean, pretty with a clear layout

Cons:

- Could be frustrating to Rec player or (gran)masters player
- Easy to lose disc off of cliff (2, 3, 4) or river (14, 15, 16)

Other Thoughts:

The course is all about length. The holes are open but diverse and most the pins are guarded. From Am or Pro tees the course pushes the limits of your throw by tacking on 100 feet of distance to shot that needs to be fairly accurate.
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6 0
craigd
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.7 years 179 played 120 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 26, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Franklin Simpson was a fairly fun course convenient to the Bowling Green area. This course is mostly open with a few pretty tight holes for diversities sake. This one also has a little more distance than others found in this area. The majority are navigable with a few mature trees being the only hindrance for the most part., especially on the front ten. For the most part the first ten are fun but they do lack anything particularly memorable. Eleven is a nice slight downhill shot with a gravel runoff area as a OB and will require a decent drive to get past. Twelve is a fairly long hole with a few trees that direct you shot selection and you will have to watch the OB walking path and OB drainage pond if you have a bad roll down the hill. Thirteen has an open fairway that punches into a wooded area and will require careful aim and maybe a hint of luck. I would say that this is where the most difficult part of the course is found. Fourteen's downhill shot is pretty nice with the river looming behind as a pretty good hazard. It requires a fairly descent amount of finesse to make it through but enough control not to over through or else your disc will take a swim. The next couple follows the river's bank and still demands a certain amount of control to pick up birdies. They are risky holes that will you reward you for accurate shots but could easily punish you with a lighter bag on the way home depending on the rivers level. Seventeen's shot is nice too with a punch-in past a drainage ditch with the basket tucked in some trees. Eighteen is a fairly tame slight uphill shot and almost apologizes for the last few holes, especially if you lost a disc in the river. Over all this is a pretty fun course and seems to have its own personality as far as the Kentucky courses I have played so far are concerned.

The two tee pads have distinctively different lengths that separated them nicely. Any seasoned player should find the pro pads formidable just by distance alone. The short pads are forgiving enough to allow recreational player to be challenged too. So in that regard this is a great course. Most holes play fairly strait with very few that requires slight anhyzers for RHBA. Conversely, the shots that play along the river will be a little more forgiving for the righty's shooting backhand. Additionally, there is a decent mix of elevation change considering the land available.

The course is pretty clean and seems maintained pretty well. Concrete tee pads and nice baskets are always a plus.

Cons:

At times the course could play through areas that interact with other park users. Number one stands out in my mind with a playground behind the tee. There seemed to be longer than normal walks between holes with several of them pronounced more than others. I played here on a calm day but can see the wind changing the whole course. I played in the hottest of days and found little refuge from the summer heat. The first few holes can be a little repetitive. For those of you who find them convenient, I don't remember any benches or trashcans to speak of. There was a longer walk to the parking lot from eighteen than you would like but it is certainly not a deal breaker.

Other Thoughts:

Overall this course is pretty fun. Don't let the cons scare you away. If you are in the area then by all means you should hit this course. I traveled up from Atlanta and through Nashville on to Bowling Green and found it quite convenient to stop and play. I can't imagine anyone of any skill level being disappointed by stopping by and playing this course. Stop by and give it a try but most importantly, enjoy!
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0 4
Topper_34_1
Experience: 15.9 years 14 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Fun to play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 27, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I live about 2 miles from this course so i play it everyday, so i might be a little impartial to this course, but anyway. This course has a wide variety of shots that will test every skill level of disc golf players. There are nice elevation changes and some nice holes along the creek which add a nice challenge.The course is mainly open throughout the whole course, except for a couple of holes on the back nine. Other than that this is a good course to play from beginnners to pros.

Cons:

This course is laid out ok, but you have to walk a pretty good ways to each tee. Also on hole five if you throw in the tall grass you can pretty much kiss it goodbye.

Other Thoughts:

Very nice course. I usually play it 6 times a week. There is hardly anyone playing out there so there is never a wait to play
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6 0
bjreagh
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.6 years 350 played 321 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Solid course when playable 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 5, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Nice 18 hole course spread out in well-kept city park. Good variety of holes (very open to a few trees to very wooded holes) and a couple of unique/signature holes. Some of the park things (fences, playgrounds, pavillions) end up as obstacles as well. Some holes have quite a bit of elevation. There is a decent sized creek that runs right along the fairway and does come into play on a few holes. (I seem to always manage to lose a disc in it!)

There is quite a bit of diversity from hole to hole- in length and no repeition. There are 2 sets of tees for a wide range of skill level. The signs are very good and informative and there are concrete teepads. #9 also finishes back near #1 so you can stop by your car at the turn if you need to.

Cons:

Some of the holes require long walks from basket to next tee, and #18 finishes nowhere near #1. #2, #6, and #11 are kind of hard to find without a map.

The biggest con is that during peak park hours (weekends and evenings) you may be unable to play some of the holes, or will at least have to constantly be aware of other park users.

A few of the holes lack enough obstacles for my taste as I play it over and over again.

Other Thoughts:

Print out or draw a map to help with navigation and you will have no problems. There is a link on this site and there is a map of the course at the kiosk beside tee #1. This can be a pretty fun course to play from the shorter tees and extremely challenging from the long tees.

*Note- The last time I tried to play here I was unable to- it was a Saturday in the summer and there were multiple large family reunions as well as the normal park activities of baseball/softball leagues and other general park use. There were cars all over several of the holes despite all the signs that said not to park in the grass. Funny thing was I had no problems finding a parking spot (I guess because everybody else was in the grass!!!)

I have played here before on a weekday morning and had the park all to myself, so if you are coming from out of town I would plan accordingly.
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3 5
g1iguy
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
1.00 star(s)

There is a reason no one plays here! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

This is a nice piece of land.

Cons:

Poorly designed course. Very first hole is unplayable most of the time because you have to throw right at a play ground? 7 & 8 throw over and at a pavilion. Hard course to follow. No signs to tell you how to get to the next hole.

The worst problem is that all the holes but two of them are tweeners. A 1000 rated player will get the same score as a 800 rated player.

All of the par threes are way to long. Imagine if Tiger woods had to hit a driver on a par three and hope to have a putt?

The short tees play much better for a 1000 rated player and the long tees play better for the 800 rated player. Just add a stroke to the par on each hole for the 800 rated player.

Other Thoughts:

Basically this course is very boring to play! No way to score. You can only not mess up. This is a very typical HB design?
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8 0
Joey
Experience: 24.7 years 113 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Not Your Typical Walk in the Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 31, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Franklin-Simpson DGC is situated in a large, spacious park. The course uses the space advantage to provide both challenging amateur tees and long distance pro tees. Elevation changes, water hazads, out of bounds, high grass, and trees provide a variety of obstacles. One fairway drops straight down a hill with trees on either side. At the bottom, a creek flows not too far behind the basket. I've had the pleasure of playing this course in both the summer and the winter. Both times, it was in top condition.

Cons:

In the summer, the rough can eat discs. On one trip, I spent 15 minutes looking for a disc in the waist high grass of fairway #5. I have also heard stories of lost discs on the two wooded fairways. Throw a stray shot and your disc can be swept away by the creek on holes #3, #4, #14, #15, and #16. The course flows well; however, it may speed up navigation if you use the course map posted under links. There is considerable distance between basket #10 and tee #11. Just follow the power lines and the road above the soccer field to find tee #11. Use caution when throwing at #1 and #8. A stray shot can dangerously float into the playground area.

Other Thoughts:

The first time that I played Franklin-Simpson DGC, my wife and I alternated shots from the amateur tees. I consider us recreational disc golfers and the course was challenging yet enjoyable for us. The last time that I played the course, I threw from the pro tees. I quickly discovered that you should play the pro tees only if you are an advanced disc golfer. From the pro tees, Franklin-Simpson DGC is one of the longest 18 hole courses in Kentucky. The course is only a 30 minute drive from Bowling Green and well worth it for the amateur or the pro disc golfer.
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6 0
SimonCarr
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25 years 115 played 57 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A nice alternative 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 29, 2006 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The Franklin Simpson course is well laid out in a fairly open park, not too far from I65. This course is a nice alternative to a lot of other courses in the area.

The course requires distance - with one of the pro tees being around 700 ft. Undulating hills make for constant elevation change. Several baskets are perched on the edge of extreme drop offs, and several more holes play along the edge of a creek.

The layout makes good use of natural obstacles. Par is possible on all of the holes. If you are able to throw over 350 feet consistently, there are a half dozen birdie opportunities.

Cons:

The wind at this course is brutal. The area surrounding this course is very flat, so gusts of wind come in very strong - especially on the front 9.

Water hazards can claim your disc on 3 or 4 holes.

Other Thoughts:

Nice course, but typically very windy. The front and back 9 are very different, but both equally challenging. Some of the trees on this course are young, but as they mature the course will get even better. This one is worth playing if you are in the area, and is probably the most challenging in the area around Bowling Green.
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4 1
joshwtuttle
Experience: 16.9 years 11 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Awesome Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Fun, challenging course with some unique hazards. The front & back nine are like 2 different courses, which I like. And the park is very well maintained.

Cons:

A couple of baskets are close to pavilions. On a few rare occasions I've had to skip some holes because there were so many people and cars there. But it was a Saturday in the park, what do you expect.

Other Thoughts:

Great place to play. Just as good or better than most of the courses in Bowling Green.
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8 0
tfcdawg
Experience: 19.6 years 78 played 8 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Excellent Track! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

This is a fantastic golf course! Using the entire footprint of this very large but still uniquely charming park, a disc golfer of any skill level will have a great time playing here. Most of the holes on the front are pretty open, however a unique hazard offers challenge on virtually every hole. The backside has several fantastic throws, utilizing rock beds, rivers, forest meadows and huge elevation changes. This course is not joking when it says long tees. I do not recommend these tees if you are out for a casual round or don't throw with a lot of power. The front tees, I believe, would be fun for just about anybody.

Cons:

Be prepared to do a lot of walking. If you are playing in the middle of the day you will not find much refuge from the sun. Water is somewhat hard to come by, so be sure to pack some with you. Also, a couple of the holes play very close to the playground and other park activities. If it is a busy day, you will need to take extra caution on where you are throwing the disc.

Other Thoughts:

This course is absolutely worth the short skip off the freeway! After just having played the Bowling Green courses, this one actually ended up being tied for my favorite in area.
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