Sacramento, CA

Santa Anita Park

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3.175(based on 30 reviews)
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5 0
Philrmonic66
Experience: 2.7 years 9 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Gorgeous Walk in the Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 13, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

* Great baskets
* Perfect layout for such a small space
* Basket placement is really good.
* The park itself could not be more picturesque
*Perfect for putters and kids.
*Plenty of parking right across the street with a crosswalk.
*My son and I easily were able to navigate it with no map.

Cons:

*Tee boxes could have been better maintained. Lots of roots sticking up. This wasn't a problem for me, as all my shots were stand still, but my 13 year old son had to look down during as he was doing his walk up.

Other Thoughts:

I took my son out there for his first ever trip to a disc golf course. It was a perfect distance for him. He got mostly 3s with a couple of 2s and 4s. We were able to go around twice in the span of 40 minutes, max, and we had a really great time.

1 is just out in the open, but the rest of the holes have some kind of guardian tree to contend with. 9 is downhill with a low ceiling that makes it really hard to get inside 20 feet. It is totally worth taking a putter and going for a nice walk around a gorgeous park.
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5 0
BobbyB
Experience: 3.8 years 10 played 3 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Little 9 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 31, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fun little Pitch and Putt 9 hole course.
Great for youth and beginners.
Cages are labeled with hole #s and good condition.
Park is well maintained.
Serene ambience.

Cons:

No hole signage.
Tee markers are in the ground and some need re-painted with the hole numbers.
Parking is limited, unless you park across the street in the Howe Park Parking Lot.
Pedestrians walking though holes 7-9.

Other Thoughts:

This is a great place to practice short approach and putt. Great place to shot aces for advanced players. There aren't any tee platforms to walk or run on, so you get good practice developing your throwing arm.
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3 0
bobmcnelly
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.9 years 324 played 189 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

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

Pros:

- fun little quick play 9 hole
- easy parking close to hole 1
- good quality baskets
- marked dirt tee pads
- fairly easy to navigate
- fun little technical holes

Cons:

- very short, absolute putter course
- most holes are around 100 feet, longest might be 200.
- tee pads could use a post or something so they stand out
- despite the course being in it's own little part of the park there were still lots of pedestrians and random people just wandering around.

Other Thoughts:

Fun little course for a beginner or for someone to practice their short approach shots on.
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2 2
geodude
Experience: 40 played 38 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Small, shady, creek, easy 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 24, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Quaint course follows a creek in a narrow City park. Short holes but you can safari it to make them harder, Shady, peaceful park, easy access from highway. Holes 3 on are worth the play.

Cons:

A fair amount of people walking which makes the course harder to play, lots of kids in the way people sitting on benches. Holes 1-2 are really short and open.




Other Thoughts:

Play hole one from across the street- which is where you park in the other park.
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4 0
the_bird
Experience: 6.8 years 11 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Now this is a great little pitch and putt! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 11, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-An extremely fun little pitch and putt course that was apparently designed by the Boy Scouts of America as a youth course. As a result, all of the holes are right around 100' feet with the exception of a couple of the holes that are closer to 150'.

-There is a small creek running through the course that you cross over twice. You are only forced to throw over the creek once (on hole #6 i believe). But, if you prefer it you can also play the third hole over the creek. I do it this way as it adds about 60 feet to the shot and makes the angle a little bit more challenging and fun. There is a steep little hill directly behind the basket that acts as a great backstop, along with a mature old tree in front of the basket, which make this a fantastic little ace-run. I think it is the best shot/hole on the course (when played from over the creek).

-While there are a lot of trees in the park, the trees don't overwhelm the players on any of the holes. There are a few holes for sure (especially #9) that force the player to take the trees into consideration and shape their shot accordingly.

-Being such a short course it is a great course to go and get aggressive on. For newer disc golfers Santa Anita will be your best place to take some serious ace runs.

-I have played Santa Anita at least 5 or 6 times now, always around 12-3pm (both midweek and on the weekend) and I have never seen another disc golfer out there. I have had the course all to myself every time I've been to Santa Anita. There have been walkers, joggers, and people having picnics, but never once another disc golfer.

-Because I have always had the course to myself I have been able to use the course more as a little practice facility than as an actual golf course. Instead of playing a legitimate round and keeping score I instead bring out all of my putters and approach discs (leaving everything else in the truck) and throw every disc on each hole, trying all the different throws and angles. Doing this has really helped my game and helped better familiarize me with the putters and approach discs in my bag.

-You can come out and play a quick 9 holes in all of about 20 minutes, making this a perfect lunch break course if you work in the area. When I go to Santa Anita I'll usually play 27 holes (3 loops), throwing 5 discs off of every tee, and still get out of there in a little over an hour.

-Being such a short course there is no need to carry your bag around here. I recommend that you just grab a handful of your discs (putters and approach discs) out of your bag, and then go out and enjoy your walk in the park.

-The park and course are in immaculate shape. The park is very well manicured with thick green grass and mature trees growing throughout.

-It pains me to say anything positive about our local government, but the city really does do a good job maintaining this park. Not only is it very well manicured, with a really nice walking path, but it has also been completely free of trash on all the visits I've made to the course/park.

-There are trash cans and benches throughout the park. The trees provide ample shade, so it's a nice place to sit and relax after a round of golf.

-One of the very best courses I have ever seen for young golfers and beginners that are older as well. If you have a youngster that wants to get out of the house, go buy him/her a couple of frisbees and bring him/her out to Santa Anita Park. They will be hooked!

Cons:

-The tee boxes are rather simple. Instead of concrete tee pads Santa Anita uses a wood board set in the grass/dirt to mark the tee box. Behind the board the grass have given way to hard packed dirt. While this may seem like a big negative, it really isn't. Being that most golfers will be throwing just about every shot with their feet set and planted at Santa Anita, the more natural tee boxes work out really well. I was actually using the edges of the wood boards (they come up about 8 inches off the ground) to plant my front foot against.

-Most of the course plays right along the main park pedestrian path. Being that the course is scenic and in such great shape, it does attract some walkers. It by no means is overcrowded, but you will have people out on the pathways walking while you play. So, because the course plays right along the pathway you will have some waits while people are walking by.

-Like others have said: the park has a lot more room which could have been used to lengthen the course. At the very least it could have been used to make a few of the holes quite a bit longer. It's a long and very skinny park, so there isn't a ton of room, but there is definitely enough to have a couple 300-400' holes. You can still use the baskets and play your own course that you make up in your mind. I've done that a lot here, making a couple of the holes quite a bit longer.

Other Thoughts:

-While the course is in Santa Anita Park you actually park your car in the lot directly across the street in Howe Park. Then you take the little cross walk across the two lane road to the first hole. The two parks are all of 15 feet away from each other. Because of this your car is parked super close to the tee on #1 and the basket on #9.

-Santa Anita is exactly what a super short pitch and putt course should be. Even though you are really only throwing little 50% up-shots for most of the holes, you are having a blast doing it.

-The location of the course is awesome. It is centrally located in Sacramento, which makes it super easy and convenient for people living in the city to get to. Its minutes away from Sac State, East Sacramento, Arden Fair Mall, Arden Arcade, Midtown, Downtown, and North Sacramento.
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0 4
nathanbutgame
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Tiny 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 27, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good for putting and practicing hole in ones
Nice, cool park

Cons:

Way too small to be considered a real course. It annoyed me that there was a long huge opening on one end of the park where they could have made a legit hole, but they didn't.

Other Thoughts:

Go there if you just want to putt around, or with kids
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0 6
Taz Michael
Experience: 34.8 years 26 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice in Autumn 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 12, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great surroundings. Quiet. Creek runs through it.

Cons:

No restrooms. Crosses pathways and people are walking quite often in the way.

Other Thoughts:

Great course to play in the Fall (Autumn). Leaves are falling and many colors abound. Was a refreshing round of DG
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5 0
sumo21
Experience: 10.2 years 35 played 26 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great for Beginners, definite ace runs 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 28, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Although it is a course built for children, it provides ample opportunities for putt and approach practice

-And because it was built for children, all holes are definite ace runs

-Good course for a person beginning to play disc golf to start out on

-Most drives (except maybe 5 and 9) are straight point and shoot

-All holes range from 105-156 feet

-The course horseshoes back to basket 1, so you end up where you began

Cons:

-Watch out for ants in the leaf piles around basket 8

-Since it is a park, basket 2 can pose problems if people are picnicking or BBQ'ing

Other Thoughts:

Nice course to work on point, shoot, release, accuracy and mechanics.

No need to bring anything but your putters or a speed 3 disc.

The creek comes into play on baskets 1, 2, 5 and 6.

The creek portion near basket 1 tends to be dry and a non factor every time I played there.

Use your hyzer on basket 2 and the creek is not going to be a problem.

Basket 5 is 156 feet and a skinny tree in your path. Hyzer your shot between the basket and just to the left of the walkway. Be careful not to put too much on the shot or it may end up rolling into the creek. Use a disc, like a Rhyno, that will sit where it hits.

Don't hit the tree branches that are just in front of you on tee pad 6 or your disc may end up in the creek.

Tee pads are dirt patches with a 2 X 4 marking the front of the tee pad, tee pad 3 has no 2 X 4.

Bring your Disc Gator, Disc Retriever or water shoes just in case your disc goes in creek.

For Sacramento residents or people that know the Sacramento area: The course is located on Bell Street, midway between El Camino Ave and Cottage Way, across the street (sometimes referred to as behind) from Howe Park.

Easy to access using public transportation.

1) Route 87, get off at/across from Howe Avenue Elementary School then walk to Howe Park. Walk east, towards the back of the Park, then cross Bell Street and you're there.

2) Route 23, get off at Bell Street and walk south on Bell (towards and past the church on the corner) about 5 minutes and the course is on your left.
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1 2
elvenschool
Experience: 41.9 years 12 played 12 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Short Putter 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 19, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Shady, grassy park that makes for a quick short course. Water winds through the course, although it's not much of a hazard, given the short hole lengths.

Cons:

This is a practice course for an experienced player, as all the holes are very short. Nearby backyards on each side of the course keep the drives conservative by necessity. Every putt should be short, except for the drive, which is like an approach or long putt on every hole.

Other Thoughts:

If the water had been made a larger part of the hazards, my rating would be higher.
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0 5
discsNmysons
Experience: 3 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Perfect starter 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 26, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Perfect for us newbies. The baskets are open with little obstacles to contend with. Good for putting. Nice clean park. Good for walking and enjoying the day.

Cons:

The kids that ride through here are on the bad side. Dont let your disc stay on the walkways. They go out of their way to run over or move your disc.
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8 1
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Where Are The Horses? 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 25, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Amazing, there's no horse manure anywhere. Oh, this isn't that Santa Anita? What this is is an almost perfect little pitch and putt course with holes length ranging from just over 100 feet to 150 feet. It's a pretty little grassy park, with mature trees providing shade and with a creek running through it. The trees are seldom in play except on maybe # 9. The baskets are DGA with orange tape on them. The pads are natural with just a front board which works just perfectly here. The hole # is stenciled on the board.

This is just the ideal course for kids or beginners. The holes, although short, are well designed and feature some fun little ACE ops. Three rounds in an hour would be easy and with little hustle, you young guys could probably squeeze four into your hour.

The park is litter free and very well maintained.

Cons:

Other than it being short and just nine holes, I don't find any Cons with this little course.

Some nice elevation change would really put it over the top

Other Thoughts:

I see a niche for these types of courses in our sport. There were four groups playing here this morning during the time I played my three rounds. If I lived close, I'd drop by constantly just for the ACE ops. I might actually get one to stick eventually.
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2 2
Micronaut
Experience: 11.8 years 7 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course For Beginners 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 31, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very pleasant atmosphere. Well landscaped. Trees provide shade. Each hole is different. A good balance of reasonable challenge, but not too much frustration. Basically, it's fun. It's a beginners course, and for that it is perfect.

Cons:

Pedestrians walk along trail that winds through the park. Sometimes you have to wait for them to get out of the way. Once in a while inconsiderate people have picnics or birthday parties right on the fairway when they could easily do so in the park across the street. :p Garbage cans aren't emptied all that frequently, and sometimes stink really bad. Hole 5's basket is mislabeled as 6. Hole 6's basket is missing its label. There are no actual tee pads, just dirt with toe boards. But you don't really need them, as you won't be x-stepping to throw these short distances.

Other Thoughts:

This is the park where I started playing, and still the one where I play most often. Some of the other area parks, like John Mackey, are more challenging in terms of throwing distance, but few are as pleasant as this one. Mackey for instance, is kind of dried up and wide open. While this park is lush and green. And the holes are quite well designed to be interesting. It's a joy to play.
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2 1
swampdisk
Experience: 20.3 years 57 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

easy ace 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-nice and shady
-not too easy
-great for putting practice

Cons:

-no tee signs
-dirt pads
-hard to find a few holes

Other Thoughts:

Great putter course with a few challenging holes. hole 1 is kinda boring but other than that great putter practice
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12 6
jasonandsharon
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 39.8 years 498 played 65 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Near Perfect Youth Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 11, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a youth disc golf course and as such is near perfection. The setting is ideal, the holes are well thought out and perfect distance for children and practice. This course is well shaded with a small creek and can be played on a hot summer afternoon when many other courses are just too hot. This is a fun course for putt and approach.

Cons:

This is NOT Shady Oaks, DeLaveaga, Condon, Golden Gate or anything resembling a Tournament Level Course. The holes are short and designed for children, but since it was built for children it is near perfect.

Other Thoughts:

If you're looking for a long bomb course then this is not the course for you. If you have children or want to practice this really is an awesome little nine hole. It was put in by Boy Scouts and they did an excellent job in its design and layout. This park really never got much attention other than as a place for elderly walkers and bums, but since the construction of the course this has become a very well used park. This was definitly a win win for disc golf and the city.
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2 0
kwmowery
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great beginner Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 29, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great course to practice on increase your game!
I played with my driver for the fisrt hole and then switched to my mid and putter...shaded. great parking

Cons:

because of the space available...they could have had a few holes on the other side of the road and stretch the course out...but the did the best they could in the space they had available...

Other Thoughts:

Great place to take some one who is just learning the sport...I personally like this one. I will definitely frequent this one for practicing. We were the only ones there...My g/f and I saw a cone and said we will add this as an extra hole (10th hole) and she hit it with her first throw...I said it was luck cause she has only played 4 courses...but it was very impressive!
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2 0
Sitzmann420
Experience: 14.2 years 78 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

putt and approach 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 18, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-great park for beginners
-perfect place to practice putt and approach shots
-clean and quiet
-never crowded
- a map of course at the beginning
-nice new basket
-picnic tables and room to relax and barbecue
-water plays on several holes
-free parking across street

Cons:

-short course 9 hole but not very challenging
-On a few shots you need to shoot through pathways where people are sometimes walking


Other Thoughts:

-Great course for beginners to learn how to play the game, yet a also its a great place for seasoned disc golfers to get an ace and practice vital putt and approach shots. Overall a nice and quaint little course.
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4 1
martianmusic
Experience: 13.1 years 11 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 3, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great course for beginners. This is my "home course", the one that my friend and I learned on. It is well maintained, nice scenery, some challenging shots around trees and trying to avoid the creek.

I can take my 5 year old with me to play and he loves it. I also enjoy it even though I have been playing more advanced courses. It is good for work on mid and putting. I usually play the entire course with a mid and a putter.

Cons:

Short holes don't allow for any work on distance driving. There is an overprotective squirrel that "barks" at you on the Hole 3 Tee..... haha

Other Thoughts:

This IS a youth course. It says so on the sign by hole 1. There is also a big park with 3 different level playgrounds across the street, so if you have kids, make a day of it. :)
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6 1
Discology1
Experience: 20.1 years 24 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Quick, Easy, Putter Practice 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 6, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Where else can you shoot 9 holes with 18 shots in 15 minutes??? Leave the bag at home for this one and just grab your putter! The layout is great considering how small the land area is, and the duration of a round is perfect for a lunch break. Despite the dimunitive size and length, the course includes nice trees, a creek, bridges, grass, and a nice path. There is a great use of the limited elevation changes, and each hole utilizes the tree placement pretty well providing some challenge. The baskets are newer DGA Mach 3, and the tees are worn dirt areas with a toe board - which makes perfect sense for a putting course because normally for putts you are in the dirt anyway. The course is easily navigable - just look for the tee patches - you won't need the map. The 3.5 rating takes into account that what I view as flaws are mostly deliberate and part of the design intent.

Cons:

Nine holes instead of 18. Length is too short to be taken seriously. Definitely either a putting course (not a "pitch and putt") or a childrens course.
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4 0
elton807
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 56 played 56 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Perfect DG Pitch n Putt 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 28, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

If you're looking for quick practice, or to introduce a youngster or female to DG, this is your ticket! Totally unintimidating, yet possesses so many qualities I like in a DG course, including a great layout. My 3 year old and wife will have a blast here. Update: introduced this course to my now 4 yr old son, and he had a great time...he even carried the water with a sidearm flick on number 6!

Cons:

Short, but that's what it's meant for.

Other Thoughts:

Such a cute & charming little course. It would be neat to watch a kiddie tourney here. I came within inches of acing #3 & #5!
=================
Uniqueness: A (never seen anything like it)
Difficulty: C+ (flat, super-short, decent amount of trees)
Fun Factor: A- (ace opps abound, great practice)
Aesthetics: A (very pretty, clean, serene)
--------------------------
Overall: A-
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3 0
Speedly
Experience: 13.8 years 14 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Short and sweet! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 22, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- The park that the course is in is well kept, and quite beautiful.
- Very short, excellent for beginners. Every day is an Ace Race here!
- Enough obstacles to make it so that playing the course is not like having a portable basket in a field.
- A good amount of shade, so playing on a hot day is still enjoyable.
- You won't need to haul around your entire bag for this course, saving yourself some trouble. Bringing just a putter is plenty for here.

Cons:

- Keep in mind that this is a youth course; it is very short. The holes are so short that they may deter some players.
- The course is tucked into a small entrance, next to a much bigger park. It's very easy to miss.
- While beautiful, this park is probably not a great candidate for night golf. The surrounding area looks like it may be kind of unsafe at night.
- If you've not been there before, the next tees are a little hard to find, since they're wooden boards placed just a little above the ground's surface level. Only an annoyance, really, not a serious issue.

Other Thoughts:

This was an enjoyable little course to hit in between classes. Every hole is aceable, except for maybe the last hole due to the low tree canopy.

This course is also a great course for kids - it's plenty challenging and introduces the ideas of working around obstacles, shot planning, and clearing hazards to them. For adults, it may not be challenging at all.

If you're over 13 years old, leave your drivers (heck, maybe even your mids) at home.

A nice little course, but I probably wouldn't go back. This seems more like a course suited for those who live immediately around the place.

Sum-up: Short, but the nicely-kept park makes up for it.
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