Hudson, OH

Hudson Springs Park

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3.325(based on 17 reviews)
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1 1
The_Pav
Experience: 13 years 8 played 8 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Beautiful course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Lots of wide open area, good for beginners or people that want to chuck it.
Very clean, upkept property.

Cons:

Small parking lot and can get busy during the summer.

Other Thoughts:

Great location, friendly atmosphere and fun holes. Difficult to lose your disc on this one.
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9 0
jjtwinnova
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 8.8 years 246 played 97 reviews
3.00 star(s)

18 Holes at Hudson 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 26, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Hudson, Ohio is a beautiful town north of Akron and south of Cleveland, a town filled with nice neighborhoods, and of course the beautiful Hudson Springs Park. With plenty of land, a disc golf course, and the large lake area, there are tons of activities for you to do here.

For starters, the course has nice concrete tee pads, bright yellow discatchers, and tee signs that are much different than the pictures, with a great map and all the adequate information needed. The park is mowed extremely well, and the upkeep is superb. Getting off the fairway does provide a tough challenge to get back out, but the chances of losing a disc are slim.

The front nine holes are mostly deuce or die, with some interesting lines and different trees to make then fun, but the back nine is where this course comes to life. The back nine features mature trees, and tight lines forcing both power and accuracy.

My favorite hole is probably hole 17, a downhill drive to a narrow fairway, followed by a putter upshot, or a putt if you really go for it, with a creek threatening you on the right, and a large group of trees on the left.

Cons:

A few cons that keeps this course held back from being great.

- The front nine
While I enjoy the holes on the front nine, and they are indeed very fun to play, they are not exactly world class holes to say the least. All but one of the holes is reachable with a putter or a midrange, and, even as an intermediate player, I got a two on seven of the nine holes, which is something I really am not supposed to do.

The fact that there was only one tee and one basket position for each hole is also bothersome. While there isn't a lot of room for new tees and baskets on the front nine, the back nine could use alternate positions, and more unique positions on a few holes.

Lastly, the holes on the front nine play closely together for a few of them, and bring the road and other park activities in the way. I say this in every review, but wait your turn and don't throw when safety is not 100 percent guaranteed.

Hole 18 is the most boring finishing hole in disc golf. 650 foot par four, so not incredibly long, and absolutely wide open. There is no reason to not get a three or a four on this hole, so scoring separation is not very possible.

Other Thoughts:

This course is definitely a fun play, and I would love to come back and play more tournaments here in the future. The worst part of the course is the front nine, which is still fun in it's own regard, just not signature holes. Don't miss out on a fun opportunity to play this course in Hudson, Ohio!
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6 3
DiscinOhio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.9 years 203 played 192 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Back 9 Saves the Day 2+ years

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

Pros:

Hudson Springs is the "keystone" of the Hudson Park District. It boasts 240 acres of land that hosts several different activities. It's one of the wealthiest communities in the state of Ohio, and the parks are maintained extremely well.

Very nice equipment and amenities. The course boasts concrete tees, new colored tee signs, and Innova DISCatcher baskets. There are tons of trash cans and benches around the course as well.

Nice little kiosk that has an information board, disc lost and found, practice basket, benches, and a picnic table.

Front 9 loops right back to the kiosk so you have an option to play nine or 18.

For the most part, it's a relaxing round. Not a whole lot of challenge, but it's a good place to unwind.

Pretty easy to navigate, didn't have any issues during the round. There were a few signs on the blind holes that pointed towards the pin location.

The back 9 is more challenging and has some interesting lines and tougher shots.

Cons:

The front 9 was a real drag. It was short and predictable, and provides almost zero challenge for advanced players. There are plenty of ace opportunities on the front side.

Feels like 18 was kind of crammed into the space. They could have condensed the front 9 into 6 holes and made it more enjoyable. Quality > Quantity!

Only one set of tees, no variation for different skill sets and abilities.

10, 11, and 18 play on a field that can get crowded. 18 plays too close to the playset in my opinion.

I was hoping that the lake would come into play at some point, but it didn't. I saw a temporary "Hole A" spray painted in the grass for a past tournament, but there was no basket. I'd like to see that hole become permanent. It's a short water carry, with the basket being on a peninsula.

Maintenance vehicles park pretty close to #9, so be careful on your drives.

Other Thoughts:

Other Thoughts:

I think a 3.0 rating fits this course pretty well. It's close to being a 3.5, but the front 9 kind of killed things for me. I'd give the front a 2.0 the back a 4.0. Split that down the middle and you have a
rating of 3.0

Hudson Springs is an enjoyable place to throw if you want to relax a little bit. Not sure if I'd return, because I like to be challenged by courses. If you need a confidence boost, come here! If you need to practice for a major event, then I suggest finding a tougher course in the area.
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7 0
BigAl724
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.6 years 178 played 144 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Quintessential Park-Style 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 20, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Hudson Springs is the perfect every day, after work, unwind round. The course doesn't take too much concentration to score a decent round, but there are still enough challenges that keep you from getting bored. Its design does a great job of meeting the aim of what I'm sure it was meant to be: a park-style course that accommodates different levels of players. While the course is mostly on the shorter end, there are still a couple holes over 400-500' that give big arms a chance to open up. In addition to the long, open holes, accuracy is tested with multiple wooded shots as well.

It's set in a pretty, well-maintained, and large park. The first several holes mostly consists of shorter, ace and birdie run holes that incorporate the elevation of the gently rolling hills in different ways and play through patches of trees. Hole 8 and on opens things up a little bit with some longer holes. Not that you're not already having fun, but 12 is where it really starts to get interesting and steps the course up a level. I really enjoyed the wooded holes from 12-16, which do a great job offering different looks through tight paths. No two of these feel the same, which nicely adds to the variety.

Hole 12 is one of the highlights for sure, which has a stream snaking through its fairway and you have to hit a specific landing zone. You also throw from a tight space, into the open, and back into the woods. I love holes like this that are diverse from tee to basket.

A couple of smaller details that add to the course: OB and mando's on a hole or two, streams that threaten on a few holes but aren't too scary, new and detailed tee signs, and many well-protected pin positions.

Cons:

Not a huge problem, but one detractor for me is that a lot of the course plays close to other activity and rarely do you feel secluded during the round - something I look for while I'm playing new courses. The main road is near a couple of holes, and the park road is right next to a couple of others. I also had to play around two different sports teams that were training in the park. I did play in the afternoon on a week day right around when school lets out, so keep that in mind when timing your round.

There are a few times in the beginning when two/three baskets are in sight and it's not initially clear which one is for which hole.

While the front 9 is fun and designed well for what it is meant to be, it's very straight-forward. Great for beginners but not much to offer for more experienced players.

Other Thoughts:

I came here after playing Sunny Lake for the first time, so I joyfully accepted the style of round Hudson Springs offers. It's a fun, casual round that avoids becoming too boring or monotonous. Quintessential, above-average, park-style golf. I teetered between giving it a 3.0 and 3.5. The front 9 is fun, but too straight-forward to give it a higher rating. Still, definitely a fun round to play because it gives a nice variety through all 18 holes, and I can see players of many different levels enjoying certain aspects of this course. A classic in the area that compliments nearby Sunny Lake well.
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1 4
stellar732
Experience: 26.9 years 17 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 15, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

I have always loved this course. It was the first one I ever played. And, I must say that the new layout plays better than the old one.

Cons:

Although, I did say the layout plays better, the front nine is almost too easy now that some trees have been cut down.
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5 2
Billy K2
Experience: 13.9 years 34 played 28 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Solid Course in a Beautiful Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 11, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Hudson Springs was a very enjoyable course that played through one of the most beautiful and family friendly parks in northeast Ohio. This course is the definition of variety. The front nine, which I will call "The Family Nine", is mostly open with some obstacles. Most of the holes on the front are made for beginners, as most of them are around 210-300 feet, with one par four over 500 feet. The back nine turned this course from a 2.5 to 3.5. Most of the holes are wooded and long, which appeals to a good disc golfer who felt rather bored with the front nine. There were many unique touches throughout, adding a fun twist to the course. The park itself is stunning, especially during October when the leaves are bright oranges, reds, and yellows. There are many things to do in the park for non-disc golfers including a fishing lake, kayak and canoe rental, pavilions, an extremely nice playground, volleyball, and much more! The tee signs were great, and were in terrific shape. All of the tees were concrete, and were in perfect shape. Many of the tees were surrounded to unique items like boulders, rocks, and logs. Navigation was easy(Almost too easy, see cons). There were many signs pointing the way from hole to hole, and both nines looped back towards the info board and parking lot. There is a permanent restroom next to the parking lot. There are also many trashcans throughout the course, therefore the course was one if the cleanest I have played on. Hudson is one of the safest, friendliest cities in all of Ohio. You can tell the locals really care about the park and course, because it is extremely clean and beautiful.

Cons:

The front nine can be boring for more advanced players, so advanced players might want to skip the front nine if they don't really care about reviewing the course. The front nine is really squeezed into the open space, so there are a few holes with fairways that almost overlap each other, which causes the possibility of injuries. While navigation was easy, many tees were extremely close to the previous basket. While there is a lot of variety, there are only two holes where water comes into play, and it's a shallow, mucky creek. It's a shame the course couldn't have at least a couple holes playing next to the lake. Some areas of the course get really crowded on the weekend, holes #1, #9, #10, #17, and #18 in particular. Parking is a struggle on the weekends as well.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Hudson Spings. The variety throughout the course was awesome, and attracted both young begginers and older professionals. I think it would be awesome if somehow the island next to the #17 tee could be cleared and they could put the #16 basket on it, which would probably make it a 400 footer and the signature hole on the course. I really recommend you play this course and enjoy the beautiful park. If you have kids, this would be a great place to take them because of the seemingly endless amount of fun activities throughout the park. Ignore the previous reviews that say the tees, signs, and baskets were in bad shape. They are all pretty much new now, and in great shape. Happy discing!
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2 2
Redwingsrox5
Experience: 8.7 years 5 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

First time Hudson Review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 27, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Well maintained
- Easy to navigate
- Variety of shot selection
- varies in difficulty on front nine compared to the back to offer something for different skill levels
- Nice baskets!

Cons:

- Front 9 is very easy. I've only been playing 2 months and I carried a +1 through 9.
- Don't assume the basket you can see is the basket to throw at. A couple holes the baskets are tucked in.
- Beware of walkers/joggers on the back 9 as you'll throw past/into/around them.

Other Thoughts:

Overall it was a nice course to play on a Sunday. Wasn't too difficult and the back 9 made up for the easy front 9. It's worth a shot if you're in the area to play it at least once. Being that it was well maintained made the course more enjoyable to play.
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2 4
mbradbourne
Experience: 10.5 years 17 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice course, enjoyable to play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 20, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

*Easy to navigate, the layout makes sense, where the signs are in disrepair

*Good variety of shots, from wide open to technical lines.

*brand new baskets!

*Good tee boxes

Cons:

*Pine trees can grab discs, so bring something to get them down with

*Signs needs some TLC in some cases

*Basket that is visible, it's always the basket you are shooting at... be sure and scope out the shot, based on the sign.


Other Thoughts:

The front 9 is a great for beginners I think, Having been playing half a year I found the front to be a good test of my skills, and I was able to score some pars and practice some different shots. The back 9 , after the 11th hole, has some good challenges as you get in to the woods.
My favorite hole is 17, throwing from the elevation. If you are in the area, it's worth checking out for sure.
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3 1
Meesta_Bleesta
Experience: 20.9 years 27 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Hudson Springs 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 15, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Concrete tee pads and decent signage on all holes

-Good variety of shot types needed

-Pretty easy to find and navigate for the most part

-Practice basket and restrooms at the main parking lot, which is revisited for a perfect loop between holes 9 and 10

Cons:

- Baskets as of Oct. 2013 are in poor shape. All are rusted and can cause spit-outs. Still playable but definitely due for an upgrade, which I heard might be happening soon, but who knows.

-Holes 10 and 18 are pretty close to a often busy playground

-Hole 17 is really close to an often busy walking path

-Hole 1 is really close to the main parking lot, if the wind catches your disc wrong or if you just throw badly you could hit somebody's car

-Some uninspired holes - for instance, 10 and 11 are basically the same thing twice in a row, and 18 is just a wide open 675 footer.

Other Thoughts:

I like the feel of this course: it can be a quick round if you want it to be, and it's good for what it is. It's like an old Corolla; worn in and by no means flashy, but reliable, and gets the job done. Maybe it has a hubcap missing, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work.

The front nine are generally really short, around 250' or less, and utilize moderate elevation. The back nine are longer and mostly wooded, with more technical lines available. My personal favorite is probably hole 4 - about 250 feet, but downhill and with trees directly in your path to the basket, forcing you to throw either a big hyzer, a big anhyzer, or a roller - any can be played with similar effectiveness. Huge arms only really get to stretch out on a few, like holes 8 and 18 - relatively open, and 500+ feet. Altogether, you're gonna have some straight shots, some big right-hand shots, some big left-hand shots, some tight windows, some ups and some downs and some trees. I wouldn't qualify any of it unfair, but it can be challenging at times.

As mentioned above, this is a multi-use park with a playground relatively nearby for a couple of holes - which is especially busy during the summer. It doesn't usually limit play, though, just a tad too close for comfort. The walking path near 17 can hold up play on busy days for a couple of minutes if you don't want to risk nailing somebody in the face.
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5 0
swatso
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.7 years 755 played 414 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Hornet Radiator 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Two 9-hole loops. Excellent blend of tech-light (primarily front nine), open bombing (part of back nine), and woodwork (newest holes on re-designed back nine).

Excellent long-n-wide concrete teepads, a major improvement.

Cons:

"Tee X too close to Basket Y" is something that applies to several holes.

Navigation is fairly straight forward, but note:
- most visible basket from tee-1 is basket-8 (basket-1 is left, hidden by tree)
- most visible tee from basket-1 is tee-3 (tee-2 is to left, near road)
- most visible basket from tee-10 is basket-18 (basket-10 to left, near treeline)

Some might find the highway noise distracting.

Other Thoughts:

Courses plays on the gently rolling land of a pretty public park that backs up to I80. Beginner/intermediate appropriate, while advanced players should have plenty of birdie opportunities. Minor elevation changes on most every hole. The front nine is on the lighter-technical side, with plenty of small trees, mini-forest, and elevation changes to force shot-shaping, although only #8, open until the end, has much length to it. The back nine is longer, with about half the holes open, as long as you don't go too far left too early. The newer holes, 13-17, are the best, with 13-16 twisting through large hardwoods, and favourite number-17 heading downslope, while turning right, and funneling towards the finish.

Very convenient for a traveller to play - close to the interstate, food/petrol options nearby, easy to navigate, low chance of disc loss, good variety, quick to play, pleasant surroundings - certainly worth a visit if passing by.
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4 1
Sbartlebaugh
Experience: 13.2 years 44 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Hudson Springs 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 10, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-good signage on each hole and to next tee
-variety of holes (short, middle to long, open, tree alleys, hyzer/anhyzer, varied wind direction)
-not too muddy after recent rain
-concrete tee ads

Cons:

-could use a few more longer holes
-narrow tee pads (fine by me)
- could use some elevation change. Makes good use of available elevation.

Other Thoughts:

Best course I've played in northeast Ohio. Play the shorter front with beginners or for shots through the gaps or he longer back 9 with the trees.
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3 2
trumpetman330
Experience: 11.8 years 5 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 29, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Very well groomed course
-Wide variety of holes
-Holes laid in woods are taken care of and manageable
-Each hole has an accurate and easy to read hole layout
-Practice tee before 1st hole

Cons:

-Small teeboxes
-Inconsistancy between pars on holes and on scorecards

Other Thoughts:

This course is my favorite due to the fact that it's well maintained and about 20 minutes from my house. The course is well worth an hour drive, but I wouldn't drive any longer than that. The woods section of the course is manageable and offers fun challenges. Many good holes to "grip it and rip it" juxtaposed nicely to challenging shots provided in the woods. Overall a great course and well worth the time to play 18!
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2 5
lsbaker
Experience: 19.9 years 35 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

New Layout Good... Terrible Condition 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 22, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

New layout moves and improves pin position on #12 and adds 4 holes (#13-#16) which play through the woods and back toward the lake with some elevation change and more challenging fairways.

New layout for #17 plays back toward old tee for #13 making for a great overhand ace run.

Practice/#19 basket is in excellent condition .

Cons:

Front 9 presents little to no challenge and can be played with a putter with the exception of #8.

#2 tee has been moved off of the hill and now sits level with the pin, eliminating what used to be a somewhat challenging blind shot.

Baskets are rubbish.

Tee pads are rubbish.

Signs are rubbish.

The old layouts for #13, #14, and #16 were excellent just the way they were.

New holes/layouts should have been placed in addition to the existing course, as opposed to replacing them altogether.

More effort should have been made regarding the improvement of existing course/structures/conditions before completing any design development.

Other Thoughts:

Muddiest round I have played in my entire life.
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12 1
Brall
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 43 played 38 reviews
3.50 star(s)

More updates coming 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 28, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Plenty of parking. There's the reservoir and canoeing and a playground for the kids.
- Nice disc golf sign directing you to the front and back nine
- Bathrooms by the parking area
- The map is very helpful
- Excellent practice basket located near Hole #1's Tee right by the parking lot. The basket also has distance markers.
- The Tee Signs on Holes 1-10 are helpful but could use some updating and repair. Tee Signs are still being updated on Holes 11-18 due to all the wonderful changes that have been done on this course lately.
- The course has a decent flow. It is more of two nine hole circles forming a figure-eight with a parking lot at the center. But Hole #18 does end near Hole #1 at the parking lot which is nice.
- Holes #1-11, 17 & 18 are mostly in the open but they still have a decent array of shots required to get around or over some of the obstacles. Holes #12-16 are located in the woods and will require more than a few technical shots.
- The scenery and landscape is very pleasing and the reservoir makes for a fantastic walk with the family. The holes in the woods are done very well, especially on Hole #15 which has a lot of decorative wooden posts along the path and a very nicely done bench.
- The distance on this course is longer than average which is nice. There are a few short holes and lots of ace opportunity on them but there are also some very long holes. The long and open holes provide you the chance to really rip some drives. The elevation adds to this with some long sweeping hills and bends. A few holes have narrow pathways through rows of trees that will test your accuracy.
- There are trashcans and the park is clean
- No vandalism
- General upkeep of the park is very nice.

Cons:

- Hole #9's basket is near to #1's Tee which is next to the parking lot. Be extra careful! This park is usually very crowded with disc golfers and a lot of park visitors so there are always cars near where you need to throw for this hole.
- There are still a few very tiny concrete Tees left but since they are close to the ground you can at least start your run-up on the grass. The other Tees are either natural or gravel and are in semi decent shape but seem to collect water and are a bit uneven. Sometimes I just prefer to throw next to the Tee's if they are in rough shape.

Other Thoughts:

- Old course and it does show. Established in 1986. Many of the baskets are old and rusty, but still workable and they are labeled
- One suggestion would be to have at least one more bench added to the front & back nine
- The front nine feel somewhat tight and confined until you get to Hole #8 and can really rip it. The back nine really opens up so you can stretch your arm a bit.
- This would be a decent course for beginners, however, a beginner may have a very hard time with a few of the holes in the woods. I cannot say that this course was challenging overall but I will say that the course had some challenging holes. A recreational player could easily score in the high 50's - low 60's here.
- The most challenging hole for me is #13. It is an easy hole to score a 4 on just by playing it very safe, but who wants to do that. There is a sharp turn to the right about 80-100' from the tee and it's a small opening to hit. Fall short like me and you are in some thick rough (this may get cleared out more but it's thick as of 08/31/11). This hole also has some overhand opportunity straight to the basket but that is above my pay grade at the moment. This is your Risk vs. Reward hole.
- My favorite hole is without a doubt Hole #15. A lot of work went into the decorations on this hole and it is beautiful. Nice wooden posts along the path and there's a fancy bench and Tee. This hole is a very long tunnel shot that turns to the left far down the path. You've got thick rough to the right and semi thick woods to the left. Fantastic hole that I really looked forward to the second round we played.
- Lately there have been vast changes to the park especially with the new holes in the woods and they are Beautiful! Huge thanks to all those that have put so many hours into making this course even better. I realize that the work is still continuing and that you have more planned to make this place ever more 'Gooder'!
- Bring the kids, play on the playground, have a picnic and make a day of it. I would not label this as a destination course (yet) to travel a long distance to play but I will say that anyone that lives nearby really needs to get to this course. Had a lot of fun and I look forward to going back.
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6 0
kinger
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.1 years 101 played 101 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Hudson Haven 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

~Good mix of holes and shots required
~Diverse layout
~Well maintained and clean
~Nice baskets
~Great flow, easy navigation
~Plenty of benches, tables and trash cans
~Hole 1 thru 9 & 10 thru 18 loops
~Practice basket with picnic table

Cons:

~Existing concrete tee pads are tiny squares
~Natural tee pads are rough
~Signage needs to be updated
~Numerous holes are dangerously close to non-disc activities and roads

Other Thoughts:

Played a mid-morning round and the park was popping with lots of people enjoying the outdoors. Awesome park with playgrounds, walking trails and a huge scenic lake. Parking is close to the start and end of the course. The front nine is relatively short with fences, roads, and numerous trees providing a lot of tight, technical throws creating much risk and reward. Low gap throws are offered throughout the course, but each hole has a clearly defined path. The tees and signage both need to be updated, these improvements would easily up my rating. Holes 12 through 17 are all amazing to throw. The new wooded section is nicely cleared and groomed and should improve over time. It's about a 45 minute drive for me, but I would have no problem coming back again and again.
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7 0
gcoghill
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.9 years 74 played 68 reviews
3.50 star(s)

New Back Nine! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 24, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Easy to navigate
- Good mix of hole styles
- Good for beginners/novices while appealing to experienced players
- Full park with amenities for non disc golfers
- clean, well-maintained course/park
- friendly locals

Cons:

- tee pads (upgrades in process)
- signage (upgrades in process)
- some holes overlap other park activities
- park is near a major highway
- can get busy

Other Thoughts:

Quick Tips:

- Bathrooms are located to the right at the entrance of the parking lot
- A water fountain is located on the boat ramp turnaround
- Basic discs can be purchased from the manned entrance kiosk

Hudson Springs is my home course. Having played quite a few courses across the country (including top-rated Coyote Point, DeLaveaga, Stafford Lake, Deer Lakes), up until the recent back nine redesign I always considered Hudson Springs to be an average course at best. The new back nine changes that.

The front nine is for the most part the same as the previous layout. It has a decent mix of technical holes with wide-open fairways, but nothing too long save for the 500+ hole 8. It's challenging, but short. They did the best they could in the constraints of the area of the park it's located in.

The new back nine really ups the appeal to this course. 10 and 11 stay the same as the old layout, but holes 12-16 now take the player back into the wooded hills of the park. 17 is a bit of a reversal of the old 13, and the new 18 ends the course at the old 17, with a new tee pad location for 18. The old 18 basket is now a much-needed practice basket -- since everyone used it as such and it made finishing the round a pain at times.

The local Summit DGA club did an excellent job up bringing the course on par with some of the other great courses in the area such as Lincoln Park, Roscoe Ewing and Arboretum Spiker.

The new back nine offers mostly technical challenges, but nothing too extreme, and thankfully the wooded fairways were also cleared sufficiently to make stray drives less of a nightmare to find your disc than they could have been. The biggest plus to the back nine is the fairways no longer play through common areas of the park, which always led to frustration and delays on the old course. You'll have a slight bit of that on holes 10, 11 and 18, but it's far better than before.

Hudson Springs still suffers from old beat-up tee signs and tee pads, but both of these are in the process of being upgraded (I believe in summer of 2011) from the efforts of the local Summit DGA club. With these upgrades Hudson Springs will become a worthy course in Northeastern Ohio.

Some of Hudson Springs limitations are due to the park and location -- the park is located near a major highway, so you're always reminded of the traffic. And the course being situated within common areas of a public park brings the same limitations it would to any other course -- a lack of solitude, limited parking at times, and non discers cluttering up the fairways (although less of an issue now with the new back nine).

On the positive side, Hudson is an active course with friendly locals, in a clean, well-maintained park with an easy to navigate layout and a beautiful setting for the wooded back nine with enough challenges without making the course frustrating.

Players who love distance holes and extreme technical challenges will be disappointed, however the course still requires skill from an experienced player. New players, novices and casual players will also enjoy this course. If you've not played Hudson Springs and are in the area, you should definitely give it a round. If you've played before, you'll want to try the new course layout -- I think you'll be as impressed as I am.
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jemcmichael
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

New Layout! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 28, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is my home course so I'm quite familiar with it. The front 9 is short for the most part, but lot's of fun. It has some diversity requiring a variety of shots including shots over trees, through small holes in the tree line, and doglegs. There is one 500 foot par 5.

The back nine recently underwent a major renovation. Only the 10th and 11th holes remain intact. After that, the course veers into the woods which is entirely new. Previously, the back 9 was wide open and frankly a little boring. The renovations adds a lot of diversity and makes the course much more fun and challenging. Also, for the reviewers complaining about the proximity of the holes to the walking paths and parking lot, the new layout takes care of these issues and there isn't any danger of hitting the other people at the park.

Cons:

The major con is the tee boxes. On the front nine, they are very small and often raised due to years of frost lift. If you require a run up, you are going to want to throw off the side. on the new holes, there are just dirt tee boxes.

The other con is the par. The course is a little too easy with a little bit of experience. Before they changed the layout I shot a -13 and I'm by no way a pro. Also, on the new holes, they haven't listed the pars, so you have to decide on your own. Hopefully this changes soon.

The other con is the

Other Thoughts:

Overall, I love this course and the new layout has a lot of potential. Hopefully they add some new tee boxes and list the pars on the back nine.
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