Carnation, WA

Loutsis Park

2.695(based on 16 reviews)
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5 0
Schreuds2.0
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.8 years 93 played 81 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Through the meadow and through the wood 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 1, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-the park is really cool, hole 1 is my favorite, because you have the lines of trees that you can throw through and it looks really great.
-Baskets are very visible and in great condition
-Fairways are well maintained and the rough is not overgrown, but still will punish a bad throw.
-Holes 1,2,7ish, 8, 9 play through dense trees, the holes all have at least 50 trees in play, but there are still some lines to take.
-This course is flat and is easy to walk around on
-This is a nice neighborhood park that has no garbage or graffiti which gives off a comforting vibe.
-This course gets a 3.5/4 on the New shoe Index, the ground in the trees has grass, and so dothe more open fairways
-This course has a ton of variation between shots, you have technical wooded holes, an open 400' Bomb, an ace run or two, and some typical mid distance, partially wooded par 3's

Cons:

-Tee areas are bad here, it is pretty unclear where next holes are, only some holes have signs, and tees are either dirt or carpet, which are hazardous in the rain.
-Navigation is a problem, there is no map, nor any indication where the next hole is. I looked around and guessed where next tees were. Hole 2 in particular is impossible to find
-No benches to rest on between holes while this is a short, not busy course, it is nice to rest. I played with my elderly grandfather and there was no place for him to sit.
-This course is far from "civilization" but if you are in the area it is worthwhile
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2 0
Dadio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 39.6 years 174 played 75 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Ok if in area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 4, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

This park 9 hole course is in a rectangular park along a popular trail in Carnation. It is about 1/2 in a tighter cedar grove and 1/2 around a field with fairly thick roughs or fences to private property. Early on a weekday there were no other golfers but a fair number of people on the trail.

Port-a-potty by parking lot, much appreciated since it took a bit to get to Carnation.

Cons:

This seems to be a popular trail and 2 or 3 of the holes either cross it or throw along it, you will need to be alert and on a busy day may need to skip holes. Signs are adequate but missing on many holes and numbers on the pins are very small which led me to throw at the wrong hole on 1. I didn't realize this can be a double 9(2 tees per pin) until 5 so didn't try, only saw 1 other well marked alt tee and 2 possibilities. Would be difficult to do without guidance from someone that knows the course until marking/signs are upgraded.

The carpet tees were saturated and slick enough that I threw beside or behind them after slipping badly on the 1st one. Not uncommon, there were places well set up for doing this.

Other Thoughts:

More cons than pros listed but it really isn't a bad little park course. Very shady so would be good on a hot day. Really didn't have much to work with in this space, did pretty good with what they had.

Nothing really stands out but if you are traveling through the area it is worth stopping and throwing a quick round.
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2 0
Pactime
Experience: 8.9 years 25 played 9 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Glad it's here! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 18, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is spaced nicely for being a fairly little park, with opportunities to air out a few and carefully pitch a few too.

I was mostly alone when I was out there and so had time to learn the layout and make my way with ease. I thought the drive was lovely too, just as far as having to get out to Carnation. I tend to play early so maybe it's more active later in the day.

Two tees per, making it 18 holes. Many of the tees are carpet pads now. This is maybe newer than some previous reviews. I've not played on carpet before. It was ok...a bit squishy but not too slick even with late winter rains. The natural tees are also decent. The course is mostly marked on the front 9. (#2 and #5 are missing)

The canopy areas can be pretty confounding but it forces me to stay low which for me is a plus.

I only ever saw dog poo while walking to 1, far as previous comments go.

Cons:

Some of the tees on the back 9 are not easy to find...especially the natural ones. I lucked into a couple, actually. Once you know the layout, it's ok, but I was constantly aware in the back of my brain that the signage needs work.

Need to be modestly careful on holes 5/14 or you'll climb the fence for the football field, and need to be more careful at 6/15 because the out of bounds there is fenced private property. My guess is they're sick of stray discs in those yards. Another reason to throw low.

There's one honeybucket out there but no actual facilities.

Other Thoughts:

For the season (wet) this course was in fine shape. I played the bog that is Juel Park a few times recently, and this is better on many levels...especially that it's not a swamp. Loutsis is a nice flat course, fun, clean, seemingly maintained, and with a mix of shot types. It plays fast despite the trees...not quite pitch and putt, but nothing huge either. I'm glad and grateful it's there and will be back.
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5 1
Seatown
Experience: 9.7 years 12 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Cool little Carnation course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 31, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Fairly easy to find stray discs. Even with some moderately wooded/brushed up areas, its very easy to track down errant discs. Locals are great about asking if you lost any that they came across (no collection area tho)

Fairways are well maintained, and there are very few muddy spots, even in wetter weather

Not as much dog poop as some are saying. Just saying. Folks seem to be pretty good about their dogs crap.

Great little 9 hole course. For what the city of Carnation has done with this sliver of property nestled between 2 developments (along a walking path), I have to commend the planners for how well everything works. Theres very little overlap between holes, and it makes use of every inch of the allotted space.

2 tee pads are provided, which adds to the complexity of some holes, and or could double as a 2nd 9 if wanted.

Nice equipment. The city went with some decent baskets, and come around often to check on the condition of everything.

For the type of land available, theres a surprisingly wide array of holes, with varying degrees of technicality required. It makes for a challenging, yet overall fun and enjoyable experience for beginners - Advanced.


Cons:

Tee pads are not all labelled properly. Some are missing, and its ads to confusion for new players. Technically, the tee pads are there... but not in the best condition. Rated a 5/10. Most are well worn gravel patches marked by 2 faintly visible bricks embedded in the ground. More could be done to show where these are, and make them visible from the prior basket/area.

Lack of benches gets tedious at times, but the overall length of the course makes it so it isn't a necessity.

There are no amenities at the park, which isn't a kicker, but should be known if youre making a drive. Bushes abound. And no drinking fountain/water available onsite.

Signage for each hole is still missing, or overall confusing. But once you make through the course once (usually quickly), it (layout) makes perfect sense.

Adjacent properties. If you lose a disc to the neighbors, good luck. A lefty friend with a tendency for late releases lost 2 discs to the folks lining the 6/9th holes. They just didn't want to allow access to their yards. Beware.

Other Thoughts:

Not heavily trafficked by discgolfers, so theres a chance you may not even see anyone through 1-3 rounds. There have been days Ive seen large groups, and plenty of waiting time spent at tees, but overall, it relatively empty weekday afternoons and weekend mornings.

No practice basket(s). Again, these aren't essential, BUT there have been a few occasions where people wanting to practice, or show their toddlers how to play... will end up on one of the holes (oblivious to the fact others are playing that hole). A dedicated basket for these and other folks would lessen the chance this continuing to happen

No lost disc collection area present. Not a big deal, but the last 2 times Ive played the course, a local player has approached me asking if I had lost any of the discs they had come across. A collection bin and a smidgen of oversight to try to return lost discs would be a welcome addition.

An excellent course for an intro to new players, or those looking to build their confidence in the game, I highly recommend this park. Its near level elevation for 90% of the course, and moderately woody areas (60%) make for a fun, challenging and new/interesting round anyday.

Plenty of opportunities for technical shots, controlled mid-range shots, and a few wide open bombers make for a cool little course tucked away in the armpit of Carnation. who knew!!??
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5 1
Strongbow
Experience: 27 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great course for space provided 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 4, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great layout for space
Decent variety of shots
Stays reasonably dry in winter
Fun course
Grass is mowed regularly

Cons:

Only 9 baskets
Carpet tee pads, or dirt

Other Thoughts:

Shorter 9 basket course with a great variety of shots. This is a fun course to play and even though it is short, most holes provide some sort of challenge. I'd play this course more often if it were closer to my home. This might be the best course on the east side at the moment.
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8 0
jessicaS
Experience: 4 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Quiet, Serene, and Wooded 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 4, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

*Disclaimer* : My husband and I are beginners. This course was great for us; the courses that we're used to playing on have long, relatively straight fairways leading to obvious baskets. This course is heavily wooded, and we had to put a lot more thought into our throws. This is really good for us.

Course was maintained from a mowing perspective.

Nice quiet park in a residential area.

The flow of the course seemed to work really well; the tee for #1 is near the parking, and the basket for #9 ends in the same area.

Cons:

Fair amount of dog poop on the ground.

One or two easily avoided mudholes.

Tee signs were inconsistent - some were there, and some were no longer in existence. This created a problem for us only on #2, where we spent time looking for a sign when there was only a relatively inconspicuous tee pad.

When there are tee pads (sometimes there are just brick markers), they're made of carpet. This wasn't bad when we were there, but I wouldn't want to use them when it's been raining.

Other Thoughts:

There are alternates for many of the tees, although it wasn't entirely clear to us which tees were supposed to be more advanced (no signage/markers that we could find).

Although there are only signs at around half the tees, once we figured that out, we had no problem navigating the course.
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2 3
Russh
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Carnation 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

great use of the limited space, nice group of locals always willing to show a newbie the course, trees make many of the holes play longer than they are. carpet pads hold up better in the rain than you would think.Rarely busy. This is the ONLY course i almost always get lost discs back from.

Cons:

lots of dog walkers that don't clean up the poo!
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2 6
intheory87
Experience: 8 played 1 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Wouldn't go back 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Only course within 30 minutes
- Variety of holes for all players
-Wasn't a lot of traffic at the park
- Desent flow if you can find the tees

Cons:

- Tee pads are covered with carpet, can only image how soaked they are after it rains.
- Hole one is very confusing, there is a sign but no pad
- Couldn't even find the tee for hole two, and only accidentally stumbled onto hole 5
- Tee signs were greatly inaccurate, sometimes the baskets wasn't even where the sign said it would be.
-Outside of the course is covered in thick brush, and houses making it a bitch to find a bad through.
- No locals present to help navigate the course

Other Thoughts:

-Probably fun for locals that play the coarse often
-Pain in the ass for out of towners
-Could be really fun if they repaired some of the holes by add concert pads, and making sure all holes are properly marked.
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5 1
Geepster
Experience: 13.7 years 40 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A Fun 9 Hole Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 12, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Excellent use of the land provided. Even with the short distances of the holes the setup is such that no hole feels the same as the other. Quiet course. Friendly players.
Drains well and plays well in the rain.

Cons:

Natural tees. Though #1,2,5 utilize existing gravel paths.

Other Thoughts:

#5 is one of my favorite holes anywhere. It is a short hole with a slight elevation drop. The shot from the tee is through an overhanging branch and a tall shrub. It provides a great frame for the basket.
The other hole here that I love is #8. It is a alley shot through a grove of trees.
This is a great course for taking the kids along and is stroller friendly.
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2 4
Amuzed2pieces
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A sweet and fast course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 20, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Short, but well thought out holes, utilizing a variety of techniques. Friendly and helpful locals. Much under brush removed recently, a big project to clear out blackberries, makes its even better. Its a small area, but they did a great job with the design.

Cons:

Some of the alternative tee's could be farther from the first set.

Other Thoughts:

Never a wait, never an attitude.
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8 0
b-mart
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 66 played 61 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun little intermediate 9 hole 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 29, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The baskets are pristine. Navigation is simple. Good use of the land provided. A good amount of challenge even though eight of the holes are well below 400 feet. Not too much rough but plenty of tight windows through the trees. The designer did a great job here.

Cons:

The signage is temporary and won't survive the fall if my own experience of being a teenage boy was any indication (if you know what I mean). The signs rotate easily too, so it can be difficult to navigate if you aren't being alert. Elevation never comes into play on this course, but one can't quite call that a con when the piece of land provided is completely flat.

Other Thoughts:

I really did enjoy this course. I didn't mind the natural tee pads because the course was so new. The designer made use of the gravel roads several times in place of tee pads, which is a great idea. As Carnation is isolated from the greater Seattle area, I don't expect a ton of play that will ultimately turn the teepads into obstacles like the ones at Sunnyside Park in Pullman. I would place this one right behind Howling Coyote in Bothell as the best 9 hole that I've played. Word is that there's sponsor money sitting out there waiting to be used too, which could turn into better signage and something other than white bricks in the ground to mark a teepad. Although I wouldn't drive all the way to Carnation just for this course, it's worth a look if you're in the area or heading up to Spirit Ridge.
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6 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Enjoyable Recreational Course! 2+ years

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

Pros:

Loutsis Park is a fairly small, narrow, flat city in the quaint little town of Tolt or Carnation. Even the name is an interesting story. Save that for another day. This is another typical city park Rec course. It plays 4 holes out, 1 across and then the last four back to the parking lot. There is a nice mix of open, tight technical and lightly scattered mature treed holes. This mix of holes does give you a chance to use a variety of shots providing your best drive is about 280'. I found a roller worked well on # 9.
The pads are natural and are marked by two white painted bricks. Only one brick has disappeared thus far. The baskets are brand new out of the box DISCatchers. The tee signs are very simple little plastics. So far, they haven't been marked up or vandalized.

Cons:

Like most of these Rec courses, the challenge isn't there if you are a serious intermediate player or better. There is some serious rough around # 5. Best to Advoid it.
I don't know that I think this course will ever see enough play to really do much damage to the teepad area. I think they're (the way they are) fine here and putting in pavers or concrete would amount to overkill. With enough players using this course, the pad areas would become problamatic over time aad then I think pavers would be a great solution but until that times comes, don't worry about it.

Other Thoughts:

A solid beginners/Rec course. I hope the youth of Tolt/Carnation take up the cause, buy a few a discs and play the heck out of this course. Then they can graduate to Spirit Ridge, the big boy course up the road a spell. You see, I'm learning to talk just likes the loggers around here, ya'll.
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8 1
JR Stengele
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.9 years 251 played 191 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Loutsis Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 15, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

*Established in 2011, Loutsis Park is a fairly technical nine hole course located in the quaint city of Carnation, WA. Best suited for recreational and intermediate players, it is quite enjoyable for more experienced disc golfers as well. The designer Getty did a nice job utilizing the area he had to work with. What the course lacks in length it makes up for in creativity! Both the beginning and end have players throwing through tight lines of tress where holes #3-7 are more wide open. However, on the more wide open holes there is punishing rough and many of the pins are heavily guarded. Holes range in length but most range from 180-250 ft with the exception of hole #3 which breaks 400 ft.

*Flow to the course works well with the first five holes playing away from the parking lot, hole six playing perpendicular, and holes seven through nine playing back toward hole one. Navigation is easy for first timers thanks to tee signs, although basic, which are easy to locate from fairways and near the pins. Distance and par is given, and a few obstacles and the ideal flight line are listed although I am not sure how accurate that info is. Baskets are all DISCatchers and are in immaculate shape. Port o' Potty located near tee one.

Note: Since the last time I played there has been nine additional tee pads added (blue) which add more variety and some length to the course. Hopefully they will add more pin placements as well in the near future.

*Favorite hole/s: Hole #5 and Hole #8

Cons:

*Loutsis Park although small, is ideal for those learning the sport or for more veteran players wanting to hone in on their skills. What the course lacks in length it makes up for in creativity! The largest issue is just how isolated this course is from the greater Seattle area. Fortunately, there is also Spirit Ridge, a wonderful little private course, just miles away which makes the combination of the two courses well worth the trip.

*Although the tee pads are natural, they really don't seem to have a negative impact on the course with the exception of hole #3. Considering it is the only hole that allows players to air it out, it is essential that there is good footing. Loose gravel and dirt along with uneven footing results in poorly executed throws and perhaps injuries.

*Over time as the fairways become more developed and the tee pads are installed, I could easily see my rating bump up .5 to 1 full point. As with any course, nothing is built in a day as it takes a lot of work to properly install and upkeep any course and this course is well on its way.

*Least Favorite Hole/s: Hole #4

Other Thoughts:

*For those traveling to the area for the first time and looking to get in multiple rounds at both Loutsis Park and Spirit Ridge, I highly recommend getting in touch with Ron Werner to schedule a round. He not only is an avid disc golfer, but also designed and maintains Spirit Ridge, and will guide you during your visit.
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10 0
sillybizz
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 22.2 years 407 played 392 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Newest East Side Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a fairly technical short course that is a lot of fun. The starting and ending holes (1,2,8,9) are under a canopy and there are skinny, single trees all over the fairways that you weave your way through. These are my favorite types of holes because of the endless possibilities of routes and types of throws that can get you that birdie. Holes like these can be played over and over and not throw the same shot and/or line the entire time. The other holes that have obstacle challenges again have tight lines and low ceilings. The fun factor here is high with the birdie fest and easy to follow lay out that loops back around to the parking lot. This is an excellent course for newer players honing their skills, locals and passer by course baggers like myself. The course designer (Getty) has done an excellent job turning this little property into something fun.

Cons:

The park is just too small to support any holes that are long enough to be challenging and most of the time you will be using your putter for these holes. Tee pads have rumored to be on the way and it really only affects the long, open hole three as it is hard to get distance with a bumpy tee pad. Even poor tee shots that hit trees are still able to get a three fairly easily, I would like to see the rough be more punishing; I wouldn't be a fan of clearing it. Really there are few cons here, just a couple of nit picky things, the big con is that the course isn't challenging.

Other Thoughts:

This is a decent little option in Carnation if you want to kill some time. If you can, I would get a hold of Ron Werner who created the Spirit Ridge DGC and try and schedule a round there while you are here, it is an amazing experience and when added with this makes for a really fun day of golf.
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3 1
NBdiscgolfer
Experience: 13.2 years 11 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

The Nation 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 8, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Great mix of tight and open holes
-Well maintained
-Great flow from hole to hole with signs at every hole
-Even the holes under 200ft still have a good challenge and its no guaranteed birde

Cons:

-Only 9 holes(for now)
-Some of the baskets and placed in areas with to many over hanging limbs(IMO)
-A little more length would not hurt

Other Thoughts:

All in all its a great fun little course. Great mix of open and tight holes. Good for begginers and more advanced players.
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11 0
InnocentCrook
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.8 years 183 played 15 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Decent 9 hole course. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 31, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Nice, quiet, well-maintained park.
-Brand new DisCatcher baskets.
-Very easy to navigate.
-Tee signs at every hole which seems to be an oddity here in the Seattle area. Basic signs have hole number, simple hole diagram, par, distance, and next tee marked.
-Good course for beginners.
-Designer did about as much as possible with the available space, using the trees as best as possible to try to create some interesting shots.
-Most holes have more than one line to the basket which helps keeps things fair for lefties as well as righties.

Cons:

-Lengthwise, the course is very monotonous as 6 of the 9 holes are between 227-259 feet. 2 holes at 180 feet (Hole 4 and 5), and one at 409 feet (Hole 3).
-Anyone with at least some level of skill/accuracy should be able to easily shoot par or better. Not very challenging for anyone other than beginners.
-A few holes are somewhat interesting, but for the most part it's all low-ceiling, moderately wooded shots.
-Hole 5's basket is surrounded at about 15-20' on three sides by nothing but dense thorny plants. Do not get off target.
-Natural tee pads are at the mercy of the weather (typically wet).


Other Thoughts:

-Course occupies a very small strip of park space between two residential streets. Holes 1-4 work directly away from the parking lot, hole 5 runs perpendicular to all the others, then holes 6-9 take you straight back to the parking lot. The trail that runs the length of the park is utilized as the tee on holes 1, 2, and 5.
-Be mindful of people walking the trail as it is close to play for holes 1-4.
-No garbage cans except for the one at the parking lot so pack out any trash.
-I don't see how/where the additional 9 holes mentioned on the main course page are going to go. If they try to add 9 more tees and play to the existing baskets I have a feeling it will be way too cramped. I hope for the sake of the course there is additional space to be utilized.
-Not a bad little 9 holes course. I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to play it, but if you're close by it's worth a quick trip. -You could easily play this course with a mid and a putter and be done in less than 30 minutes.

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