Littleton, CO

Ken Caryl DGC

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2.275(based on 46 reviews)
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10 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.9 years 970 played 542 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 24, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Ken Caryl DGC is one of the three oldest courses in CO. This is originally a Steady Ed design so it was absolutely on my radar. I love to see some of the OG designs in any state I play. I have no clue how much of this is original or not, but it's certainly got that frisbee golf type of feel to it. This is a tiny course by today's standards. All par 3's and green light go ace runs. Very popular course from my two runs through it.

The tee pads are decently sized concrete. Level, grippy, and all around perfect for a shorty like this one. One tee pad per hole. All you really need is a standstill drive/throw/putt here. More than serviceable.

The baskets are Mach III's. New, number plates atop each one and catch great. One pin position per hole. Good stuff.

The design is about as well done as can be expected for such a small parcel of land. The course itself plays in what should be a disc golf exclusive area. Even in this little space there's not much crossing of fairways. Navigation is as simple as can be, birdies are all right there and ace runs are staring you in the face on all nine. Get greedy and you'll regret it though. Starts and ends near the same spot.

This course is in a pretty well off area. The grass is lush and well mowed and maintained, there's deciduous trees that offer shade and the park itself is just all around very inviting. This didn't feel like I was in CO. More like an Iowa nine. In a good way.

Free to play, permanent and great for beginners and youngsters. Fun ace runs for more experienced players too.

Cons:

Very short course. Again, This is from back in the days when you threw Frisbees. Frisbee golf course. Not a con in any way. But leave the Destroyers and warp speed drivers in the trunk.

Busy, busy, busy. This will not be a quick play. Or not as quick as you'd think it should be. We played two rounds here and there were people on almost every hole. It makes sense, it's just a fun course. I don't normally play more than a single round when bagging courses but I played two here. Throwing putters is fun it turns out.

Keep your head on a swivel. No fairways really cross. But there's some noobies out here throwing bosses on 125 footers just ace running hard AF. We were nearly hit a couple times on the 18 holes we played.

Other Thoughts:

Very fun little slice of history. Not a must play or anything unless you're into the history of the game. If so, play this one. It's a Ed Headrick designed course and is meant to be played with a lid. Bring your putters and maybe a Zephyr or something similar. Not much to say that hasn't been said but this is kind of a must play tbh.
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5 0
Breh
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.8 years 191 played 189 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 14, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice baskets, good tee pads. Every hole can be seen from the tee box. Lots of ace chances I hit one ace and went off basket on another hole. Very well manicured, and impossible to lose a disc. Great for families and starting players.

Cons:

Very short leave the drivers in the car. Not many obstacles. Won't really test many advanced players. No distances on tee signs

Other Thoughts:

It's a great warm up or cool down for a disc golf day.
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8 0
DeebsTundra
Experience: 6 years 11 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Good Basic Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 2, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

--Manicured Park Grass
--Good use of older trees for some more challenging shots
--Quick rounds due to small course
--Lots of shade, hot days are great here.
--Concrete teepads on every hole

Cons:

--Crowded during peak hours
--Course is very narrow, several holes have you throwing almost straight at another teepad
--2-6 pretty much all share the same general fairway area
--Shanks can end up on the road or in the parking lot

Other Thoughts:

I don't mind Ken Caryl Ranch, it's basically impossible to lose a disc, the grass is golf course manicured. There are enough trees around to keep every shot from being straight from the teepad to the basket, although if you are looking for a technically challenging course, this is not it. And example of the most technically challenging shot on the course would be 9, which is still just a little RHFH flick through a somewhat narrow opening. Aside from that, don't go in with the expectation of being challenged.

It's a nice little diversion. It's easy to get to, free, well maintained. If you could ever play here without other people you could make up some different holes by just throwing at different pins. But this course is pretty busy and there is going to be some waiting to throw as somebody has no choice but to play across your fairway.

It's not bad, and very early in the morning or maybe for a glow round it's pretty solid, but when it's packed, just take your time down the street to Dakota or Front Range Christian for a little bit more of a challenge.
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2 2
sjroesinger
Experience: 7.8 years 37 played 37 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Lots of fun in the trees 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 23, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very fun throws through mature trees
Well marked, easy to access

Cons:

Very short
If crowded, could be dangerous with tight hole locations
Fairly crowded for weekday

Other Thoughts:

I had a lot of fun here
I would bring beginners to a good intro to the sport
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8 0
bobmcnelly
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.9 years 324 played 189 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 1, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- super easy access quick play course with parking right next to he 1
- concrete tee pads
- decent baskets
- fun short practice course average hole like is around 200 feet, with 1 300 foot hole
- despite the small price of land, there are several trees to make for some fun holes to shape some shots
- very quiet location, you will probably have the course to yourself

Cons:

- very short course, basically just a warm up course or a straight beginner course.
- tee signs only have hole numbers
- most fairways and baskets are very close together making the course a little confusing
- also with the close fairways and baskets brings some danger

Other Thoughts:

Fun little course to warm up with, otherwise I would really only recommend it to a beginner.
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3 3
Mr72datsun
Experience: 10 played 10 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Sweet little course - beginners 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 14, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Great course for beginners. My wife got three birdies which made her very happy.
- On lawn.
- good ace opportunities
- required forehand and backhand.
- easy to navigate.
- everyone was chill and having a good time.

Cons:

none

Other Thoughts:

Don't come here looking for championship course.
Bring the newbies.
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3 3
Brody
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great family course. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 21, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great for families
Demands a variety of shots to be used.
Wasn't very busy.
Pretty park

Cons:

Usually muddy
Baskets seem to be much taller than the other courses around the area.

Other Thoughts:

Please DO NOT park on the far North side of the parking lot...you're just asking for your vehicle to get hit by a disc and when people are parked on the north side hole #9 becomes very inconvenient because of people parking on the North side.
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3 2
WhaleParty
Experience: 21.3 years 18 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A great Disc Golf Introduction course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I really enjoy this fantastic beginner course! This is about as good of a beginner disc golf course as you can get. Lots of more seasoned players will skip this course because it is only 9 holes and only short par 3s. However, don't bypass this course! Instead use this course for what it is perfect for, bringing friends! This is one of the best courses to bring someone who is brand new to the sport and perhaps never thrown a disc before. Very nice layout in a great part of town, well kept, decent tee pads, and Parking is right next to the course with spots always availible. Not normally too crowded.

Cons:

- The holes are short.
- The holes are very close to each other so there is occasional overlap between groups that are playing.
- Sometimes you run into big groups of high schoolers

Other Thoughts:

Grab some dics and bring a friend or family members teach them how to throw here they will love it! Also a great course for dates!
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3 2
be_trickshots
Experience: 23 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 10, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Easy for new players
-Good for a fun time with family
-Good if you need a confidence boot

Cons:

-Not a lot of variation from hole to hole
- There is no distance or par on tee sign

Other Thoughts:

This is great for a fun time with family and friends, but the tees are close to the holes and if you want to get a real challenge you might want to back up, away from the tees.
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6 0
Bwatkins
Experience: 10.6 years 33 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Simple Easy Fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 8, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-9 quick and easy holes
-Great course for dialing in midrange and approach shots.
-This course offers a very relaxed round

Cons:

-If you want to practice driving you can't do that here
-sometimes gets crowded

Other Thoughts:

You can play this entire course with a midrange or putter. I really enjoy how quickly you can throw a round here and the simpleness of this course.

Even though it's a short course there is still a large variety of shots that must be thrown.
1 veers slightly right with a tree directly I front of the tee
3 has a slight "tunnel shot" between 2 trees
5 is longer with trees scattered without making for a precise drive
6 has a very large anhyzer or tomahawk opportunity on a very short hole
9 is interesting with virtually no straight path to the tee

This is a fun simple course. You just have to approach it knowing it's short, easy, and you're midrange is your best friend.

Big power drivers will be disappointed here.

Every hole is aceable

***I am updating this to 3.5 VERY GOOD. Although I call this course "simple" the variety of shots and usage of existing land/trees is great. This course really makes you focus on your midrange and although all the holes are short the course is anything but open requiring a little extra focus on your chip shots. I frequently play 2-3 rounds at a time here.
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5 0
Streaker52
Experience: 12.1 years 21 played 5 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Quick & Easy 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 21, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

1) 9 short holes allows for quick rounds.

2) Great for beginners or confident boosts.

3) Difficulty mainly comes from navigating distance and trees obstacles.

Cons:

1) Baskets are old and falling apart.

2) Course not a good evaluation of skill level.

3) Holes are set up so that they criss-cross one another very closely. You have to be very aware of other golfers as to not hit them.

Other Thoughts:

I stopped by Ken Caryl because I had 30 minutes to kill and was in the area.

It took me about 15 minutes to play the full round and the course was a great way to satisfy my DG craving and not taking up very much time in the process. This course would be a great "lunch break" course.

I recommend this course for beginners or anyone who just wants to get a quick game in.
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8 0
sillybizz
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 22.2 years 407 played 392 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Time Machine Golf! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 6, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Playing this course is like jumping in a Delorean, flipping on the time circuits, powering up the flux capacitor and going back in time to 1978. This has got to be on the few courses left on the planet that still has 35 year old mach 1 baskets on it in somewhat working conditions. The great Steady Ed designed this course so long ago and was probably a really awesome course at the time when everyone was throwing beach frisbees. In that spirit I used my SuperClass disc (Zephyr) on this course and had a blast. It's a fun short course, all ace runs here!

I saw older adults, kids and even a Grandma playing this course while I was here, very family friendly not only because of the length but also it's in a private club so very little vandalism or unsavory characters. Navigating this course is as easy as pie and getting a round in takes less than 20 minutes.

Cons:

Disc Technology has destroyed most of the challenge of this course at this point but it really doesn't matter much as it is just a fun ace run course. That being said leave the sharp discs at home and throw the lid around here. This is a course to introduce your kids to not for serious golfers.

The baskets are 35 years old and they are in great shape for being that old however several of the baskets have missing sections that have been replaced with wire. A few of the baskets have been replaced altogether with newer mach 3's.

This course gets VERY busy and can't handle much more than one or two groups anyway. I saw several large groups of families playing here at nine o clock in the morning and it can get a bit frustrating with all of the waiting and ducking for your life.

Other Thoughts:

This is not a destination course but if you love the Father of Disc Golf, Steady Ed Headrick and you love to see history in action then I recommend you come and here and have fun. Just make sure your time machine has enough juice to get back to the present day!
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3 2
brandenhead
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A solid intro course/practice run 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Layout is actually pretty simple. Just use your common sense and follow the dirt paths in the grass to the next tee and you'll be fine.
- Not too long, not too short. The perfect size for newbies, children, and people wanting to test out their new discs.
- Free to play.
- Baskets are very visible, and not hard to miss at all.
- Well trimmed grass makes it very easy to find stray discs.
- Trees are nice, both visually and as an obstacle.
- Depending on when you go, it can be a nice, quiet play through. Best times are weekdays, in the morning, around 8 - 10, and Sunday evening.

Cons:

- Like I mentioned before, depending on when you go, you might also run into a lot of foot traffic. It's a really popular course, especially among younger crowds. Unfortunately, these crowds tend to be more rowdy rather than supportive. But if you don't mind waiting to throw on a certain tee while the group ahead of you goofs off and re-throws for a while until they get the shot they want, then go for it.
- If you're a long distance thrower, prone to more wide-open areas, this course might challenge you on that. You have to be careful not to overthrow your disc and have it end up in the parking lot, or in the road right beside the course. But, this can be seen as a way to get you to hone your mid-range and putting/approaching experience.
- When parking, park as far away from the course as possible. As I just mentioned, the whole disc-in-the-parking-lot thing happens a lot.

Other Thoughts:

In short, I think this is an excellent course, despite the limited space and brief window for a nice quiet game. I highly recommend for newbies and kids, as it's not too long, or tough. Unlike most other courses, the basket isn't too far away from the tee, thus my saying it's perfect for seasoned players to practice their mid-range and putting/approaching shots.
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2 3
Sarahbellum
Experience: 10.8 years 33 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

short n sweet 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Clean, mixture of short and longer tees, some slightly technical. Quiet. Quick run.

Cons:

Almost too short of a course. Signs would help, although the tees and baskets are marked it could be confusing since its all so close together.
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4 0
mndiscg
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 480 played 478 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Ken's Ace Runs 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 8, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Ace runs! Every hole is ace-able if you have a decent arm and 8 of 9 are ace-able for most players.
-Nice tall trees that provide a few obstacles to shape shots around and some shade.
-Nice tees, concrete
-Half the baskets are DGA with numbers the other half are older
-Nice flow, very easy to follow.
-Plenty of parking
-I'm sure you can find a bathroom and water in one of the nearby buildings
-Great for beginners, kids, aces and practicing approaches and short drives.
-Already ready for an ace run after you change just one tee
-Can't lose a disc here
-Steady Ed historical course that is 10 years older than me.

Cons:

-Crowded, the course is in a small area. There were two groups of 10+ high school boys who were loud, stupid, obnoxious and dangerous. Luckily they didn't roll in until I finished 2 rounds.
-Erosion- tons of use has killed about half the grass on the course.
-Half the baskets are older
-Super short, advanced players might get bored
-Could hit a car in the parking lot. I would avoid those spots next to 8 and 9 while parking.

Other Thoughts:

-I did have a lot of fun here. If I lived in the area, I would probably find times to play that were less crowded and run some aces and practice shorter shots. It is a nice place and has some character.
-I would stop here if you have a few minutes. Ideally, mornings during the week if possible. It is historical, has a high fun factor, and has many ace ops.
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6 0
bjreagh
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.6 years 350 played 317 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Old-School Steady Ed 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 16, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Ken Caryl is a very nice course in nice park in nice neighborhood. It makes for a good beginner course, or mids and putter course for experience players, or even an ace race (8 of the 9 holes are legit ace runs for most people.)

The course is relatively short, but still has plenty of trees to avoid. Requires shot variety- various lengths, left, right, and straight. The fairways are very green and grassy and there is no chance to lose discs. The concrete tees and baskets are in good shape.

And of course I must mention that anytime you get a chance to play a historic Steady Ed designed course, then do it.

Cons:

This course (like most in the Denver city area) is popular and is often played and can get crowded in a hurry. It is in a small area with tees close to baskets and holes close to one another. Could be issues of throwing in to people or getting thrown in to.

Baskets were fine, but the course had two different styles- some were old while others were new- too bad when some of the baskets were upgraded that all of them weren't.

Other Thoughts:

I had fun playing this Ed course, going for aces and racking up birdies. We played it twice in a short amount of time. There were lots of other people playing, but everyone was friendly and all were having a good time.


If I lived in Denver, and was introducing somebody to disc golf, I would take them here first. If coming in town for a disc golf vacation, this one is skippable, unless just driving by and you want to play an older classic Ed course then it is worth a stop.
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5 1
Wawgster
Experience: 10.8 years 2 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Easy Course, Kid Friendly 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 7, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

There is alot of parking for this course. We went pretty early on a Sunday, around 10am. There were hardly anyone there and we were able to play through twice before it got to be busy. There is no water to worry about so this is a great course for kids and not having to worry about losing your discs. There are a fair number of trees and hole 9 has a bunch right around the basket making it fun.

Cons:

This course is very small in its layout so you have to wait for the group in front of you to play completely through before going. Most holes you can easily get to the hole in 1 throw if your Several times disc came close to us while on the next tee so pay attention if its busy. If there are more than about 3-5 groups playing(depending on size) you will be waiting. This is a beginners course so if you want a challenge don't come here.
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7 0
Wise Fool
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.1 years 125 played 116 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Nice Beginner Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 25, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-About 4 of the holes have nice double chained baskets
-Concrete tee-pads (they are not very long but on this course they don't need to be)
-Good use of the available land and trees to make some nice holes
-Some fun holes that use the trees available for some interesting and well thought out pin placements
-The course plays through a nicely kept and very pleasant park area. You won't lose discs here.
-All baskets are well-numbered and easy to see from the tee-pads and thanks to the numbered baskets it is very easy to know which basket you are throwing too.
A great place to introduce new players to the game. Other than hole 5 all of the holes are under 200 feet but unlike some easier courses, none of the holes are wide open and the trees provide some fun holes that keep new players interested in the game.
-A few trashcans at some of the tee-pads

Cons:

-About five of the baskets are old single chains that have been repaired several times and will probably need to be replaced sometime soon. There will be spit-outs on some of these older baskets.
-Other than hole 5 (which is 312 feet) none of the holes are very long.
-A few fairways cross slightly and if the course is crowded there could be a few conflicts on a couple holes.
-More experienced players won't be challenged here and will probably be able to get twos on most of the holes with a putter or mid-range.
-No benches to rest on
-Road nearby on some holes that discs could go into if there is a bad shot.
-No tee-signs (just posts with the hole number on them).

Other Thoughts:

This is the best course in Denver to introduce a new player to the game. It provides some interesting holes that will challenge new players a little bit but not too much. This course won't challenge more experienced players but it is good for a quick putter or mid-range round.
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6 1
little oz
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.7 years 102 played 31 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun little course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 13, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great vibe on the course and in the neighborhood. This would be a perfect place to introduce someone to the sport, play a round with a significant other that doesn't play, or even go mano v. mano with a buddy for bragging rights. Ace runs on pretty much every hole. There was a good amount of thought put in to basket placement and the mature trees require some actual shot making. Grass feels good on bare feet on a hot day. A pleasant place to play. Putters and mids only.

Cons:

no signage, so it's a small hassle to find the next tee. Single chain baskets. The course probably can't support more than 3-4 groups on it at a time because it is so compact, so keep your head up for errant throws.

Other Thoughts:

I was pleasantly surprised at how quaint and well thought out this course is. It's not for someone looking to play a serious round, but this is the kind of course that will help grow the sport, as it is surrounded by a neighborhood full of kids. it gets a 2.5 based on the fact that it is "typical" on a small scale. The lack of distance isn't a knock because the course doesn't try to be anything but fun.
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2 1
joeharker
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

nice 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

love the grass
sized so the kids can keep up
good shade on hot days
nice park
indoor rest rooms

Cons:

no elevation changes
not obvious where the next tee is

Other Thoughts:

perfect for
lets go play a quick game
or come see what Frisbee golf is like
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