Houston, TX

TC Jester Park

3.465(based on 27 reviews)
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17 0
HyooMac
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.7 years 415 played 382 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Note to Self: It’s Windy in Texas!

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 23, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fun, flat, largely open 21 holer in a public park. Lots of wind and lots of groundplay.




+ Grippy concrete tees (some have two positions), excellent signage which must have been installed after a few of the previous reviews, Dynamic Veterans that catch fine. Navigation is easy in most spots (you can generally see the next tee), but there are a few long walks connecting various sections of the course


+ There are a few patches of woods, but most of the park is largely open, with areas dotted by trees. The layout does a great job of using the few wooded areas (hole 5A is worth playing, even if it's not on your card: it's narrow, tightly wooded across a small ravine. You might think you're at Idlewild!).


+ Most of your teeshots will be wide open, and your discs will spend the majority of their time traveling through open space - but the holes are laid out to use all the available trees to create lines. You still have to be careful to dodge the trees, but the general openness means that scrambling up and down for par is pretty routine. Rough is very rarely an issue


+ Great incorporation of the concrete-lined canal/river/bayou that runs through the middle of the property. Hole #4 is a really fun throw directly across it, and other holes run alongside. Watch out for the overflow drains on the fairways running next to the canal: they are low concrete platforms with drains that are wide enough to swallow a rolling disc. The drains can be accessed by clambering down to the canal and walking stooped over through the drainpipe (trust me on this)




Cons:

- All par 3's, and the distances don't vary much. Most felt like they were in the 300' - 350' range. A few shorter and a few longer - but pretty much the same disc from the tee, then an upshot and a putt


- Others have remarked about all the walking, and it's true. This is a long and narrow multi use park; the layout was created by grouping loops of holes in various places that don't interfere with ballfields, a pool, a dog park, etc. It's not the worst layout, and at least you're walking through a nice park


Other Thoughts:

~ Texas disc golf is famous for its windy conditions, and T.C. Jester did not disappoint. The added challenges created by gusty winds made the course better - on a still day you could lean on high hyzer routes for much of the round


~ The greens are all hard-packed bare dirt (and most of the fairways in October were also firm and dry) - there's a lot of groundplay here. And with the wind, a skip can completely change your outcome


~ There are lots of alternative ways to play, and some locals told me there's a new 9 holes across the road from #8 and #9. Some replay various loops to minimize the extra walking


~ The blue tees on most holes add variety and some additional distance challenge; they are just dirt...but they're as hard as concrete!

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11 0
kevdiv48
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.4 years 263 played 30 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Well Done Park Style Course with long walks

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 15, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Grippy and adequately sized concrete teepads, new baskets installed in late 2021, informative tee signs. Practice basket is directly before hole 1 and has around the world bricks in the ground. Layout makes the most out of the mostly open landscape and holes offer multiple lines to throw. Generally good variety across 21 holes. Course is clean and mowed regularly. Low chance of losing plastic, errant shots on 4-7 have a chance of going in the bayou especially in higher winds.

Cons:

The biggest con of TC Jester is the long walk between holes. A full round is over 3 miles of walking and is quite long considering average hole length is around 300 feet. Bring lots of water in the warm months.Hole shapes are predominantly R-L moving. Can be a lot of hyzers for RHBH throwers or frustration for LHBH ones.Minimal score separation for players that can consistently throw 350-375+. The longer holes are rarely birdied or bogey'ed by the majority of the field. Minimal punishment for errants on most holes to prevent a par save.No true standout holes. Hole 4 is a fun 200' water carry over the bayou but mainly challenges the very low powered players.Long tees are only blue posts and rarely played. Adding concrete tees for these to generate a few par 4's would add to the rating of the course.

Other Thoughts:

TC Jester is a highly trafficked and popular track that is a good but not great example of park style golf. It integrates well with other users and retains a good fun factor due to hole variety and birdie and ace runs. The flat mostly open landscape is used as best as possible to create variety and challenge. Coupled with Milby on the opposite corner of I610 they are the two 18 hole courses closest to central Houston.
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8 1
blake833
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.9 years 160 played 140 reviews
3.00 star(s)

It's long, and not all in holes 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 30, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

TC Jester is 21 holes that make great use of the local space around one of Houston's bayou's. The hole designs are fairly diverse, include a good variety of lengths, with a few long and few short, but mostly in that mid 300s range. All the holes are fair, but you're going to have to have a pretty big and accurate arm if you want a good look at birdie on some of these.

TC Jester is a popular park, being right in the middle of one of houston's major residential areas, it get's a lot of traffic. There are a lot of other attractions at the park the course plays around, in addition to a walking path through most of the course.

The mix of chainstars and discatchers are all nice baskets to putt on, and have really held up well so far.

It's hard to find a pretty course in Houston, but this one has a couple nice holes around the woods in the middle of it.

Cons:

It's long. It's just freakin long. There are so many long walks between holes. There's a 24 hole course near me that I play fairly often, this felt longer.

Most of that is several stretches between holes, or a walk around the bayou. Given the holes are all pretty well designed, I'm ok with it. I'd rather walk a long way for a good hole than play a sloppy one in between.

The course is flat. But if you're in Houston, you should've expected that.

Along with the long walks, navigation can be hard for a first timer. Even on my third trip, if i wasn't with one of the locals, I would have still been lost sometimes.

Tee signs are numbered posts, it would be great to have a distance on them or something.

Other Thoughts:

I still think this is one of the better courses in the Houston area. If I lived near by, I would be more than happy to play this course a couple times a week, and really work out those "local lines" for each hole. It's not very technical, but it's enough to want to keep coming back.

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4 2
billyjacko
Experience: 6 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

When we gone get those Blue TPads? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 13, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well maintained with a great group of people who represent the sport through Leagues and tournaments there. 21 holes are well layed out. A good course to go unleash the hyzer with many holes over 350'. If you're intermediate or above you can score really well and still feel good about it. Lots of OB with paths weaving throughout course.

Cons:

The biggest con is that this park can be kind of seedy. There will be cars parked in the parking lot all day with the windows blocked off and running. Consistently see cars with windows smashed in in the parking lot. Often times there will be some competition for course play with Soccer players and picnic goers taking up fairways. The course feels somewhat redundant at times. Lots of RHBH hyzer lines. There's not a ton of obstacles as the course was pretty hard hit from the drought in the mid late 2000's.

Other Thoughts:

This is my home course, and probably my most played course. Really a great group of people that show up week in and week out for Wednesday league. It's the type of course you can come out and feel ecstatic with a -7, but feel crumby about a -3. Somewhat birdy or die since they moved all the teepads closer. Can't wait for this course to get teepads on the longs.
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6 1
webulu
Experience: 6.8 years 28 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good park golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 26, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is my home course and it is a pretty well-balanced park golf experience. The park is pleasant and generally well maintained - mowed and kept clear of trash.

- The bayou! The bayou also shows up in "Cons", but it adds some very welcome elevation to the course in this very, very flat city. Holes 4, 6, 13, and 14 incorporate some rises or dips. Hole 4 crossing the bayou is a really fun one.
- Variety is pretty good, with some tunnels and low ceilings, some guardian trees, water hazards, distances spanning 210 to 460. Some hyzers, some anhyzers/turnovers, some holes that favor a flex shot, some straighties.
- Almost every hole has alternate tees if you are feeling like a challenge or if you've gotten bored with the main layout.
- Word on the street is that there are some NEW holes off in the woods towards the south end of the park. Haven't gotten to check them out yet, but some more tight, technical shots would be a nice addition.
- Wind plays a role on quite a few holes, especially those adjacent to the bayou, and the different orientations of these holes really make you interact with the wind in interesting ways.
- There are generally a few different lines there are viable on each hole. I've played this course a dozen times and there are still different shots I'm experimenting with.

Cons:

- This is Houston, so the course puddles up quite a bit after big rains. Make sure to consider the recent weather and gear up appropriately.
- Pedestrian safety is a big concern on this course. Heavily used walkways and bike paths run alongside about half of the holes and it is also quite possible to put a disc on either TC Jester road or 42nd street on holes 1, 2, 8, 20, and 21. Also, on nice days, you will find boot camps and family picnics just set up in the middle of fairways, so you may have to skip a hole.
- The bayou will eat your discs. On holes 6 and 7, your discs are especially at risk.
- Only one par 4. A couple more would be welcome.
- Many tee signs busted :(
- A lot of holes are very forgiving. On most holes, you have to have a HORRIBLE drive to have a difficult upshot.

Other Thoughts:

- A very slight annoyance, but the course switches to Innova Disc catchers around hole 17, and it still messes with me. I swear, those big yellow bands have a magnetic pull on my discs.
- This might be a pretty easy round for an advanced player. Everything is birdie-able if you have 375 ft range or so. I usually end up around -2 or so
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9 2
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
3.00 star(s)

I Thought A Bayou Was Like A Swamp In Louisiana! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 22, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Down here in Houston, they call these canals bayous. And these were the water that flooded over their banks and cause so much anguish and trouble for Houstonites. TC Jester park is a large sprawling park with the canal (bayou) running through the park. The park also contains everything a park could have from two dog parks to ballfields and was filled with joggers/walkers at sunrise this morning.

The course is fairly long, flat and has some nice scattered mature trees. They are used whenever possible but often result in having out just throwing around 1-2 trees. So mostly, the course is of a shortened "grip it and rip it" variety. The new concrete tee pads are nice sized. The signs are small metal ones showing the route, distance, par and the next tee. I was lucky to tag up with local player, Chris, (dragging a 4 month old and two dogs) so I didn't need to worry too much about the navigation. I think I could've have figured it out but there are a couple of long to very long walkouts, after #9 and #13 which probably would have caused me problems.

There are longer blue tees marked with a simple pole giving the hole # but no tee pads. Mostly, they looked to just lengthen the hole by 50-100', but didn't really appear to give you a different look.

# 4 is probably the signature hole. It's a 254' throw over the bayou but probably only requires about a 200' short to clear the water. One month ago, it would require about a 12 mile throw to clear the bayou's swollen banks. Most players will throw a mid-range here while I muscled up and made it comfortably across. I also enjoyed # 3 and # 18, both of which had baskets semi-protected by trees.

Both the bayou and surrounding streets are close enough on a number of holes to at least, give you thought before throwing. I would think us recreational players should check traffic before teeing off on a couple of holes.

The park was in nice shape, especially when you consider the flooding of the last month.

Cons:

Flat.

Only a few trees to navigate around.

Probably three tee signs are missing.

# 16 and # 20 are both wide open and mostly, boring holes.

Navigation issues.

Three long walkouts. A previous reviewer commented that a round here would mean walking 4 plus miles. I believe him.

Other Thoughts:

This is a very solid course. It's wide open enough for beginners and rec players and probably long enough that better players can get their kicks here. Lots of pedestrians to be aware of, while scatter armed players should, at least, take a look at the oncoming traffic on TC Jester before throwing and yes, I do realize that TC Jester looks to be a very busy throughway with lots of traffic which might mean a wait. Just be aware while enjoying your round here.
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3 5
ken1645
Experience: 19 played 6 reviews
4.50 star(s)

TC is Awesome 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 12, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Concrete pads for short tees, new Discraft Chainstar baskets and rebuilt bridge on path from 5 to 6 along with a nice bench by the bridge make for nice additions to the already amazing layout. Very close to 610 loop makes it a central course for Houston. Drains very well into the bayou with only 2 or so holes retaining water after it rains. Good mix of RHBH hyzer and a few LHBH hyzer shots as well.

Cons:

Minimum of 4.7 mile walk to complete all 21 holes. The grass along the bayou seems to be never mowed as the Houston Flood Control District people like weeds. Blue long tees could use concrete pads is the only improvement I think it needs.

Other Thoughts:

TC has a pool open for free during the summer from 1pm - 8pm except for on Mondays when they are closed for shock treatments.
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2 3
richspor
Experience: 45 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Bless yer jester 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 18, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course was in awesome shape. It has nice new tee pads and signs. The baskets are not top end but they work just fine. A great course if you want to just play a few holes repeatedly because there are three sections here. Or all 21 make for a fun round. The sign to stop trashing disc golf courses with butts was a awesome sight on the new walk from hole 5-6. Hole 12 centeral pine tree is a favorite feature in all HoustonDG for me, the amount of gauges from discs is quite remarkable.

Cons:

Not much, the pedestrians, the lack of elevation change, no extremely wooded holes( it seems like there is a spot to get all of those things between 5-6 that was not used)

Other Thoughts:

Have fun and be safe. No reason to hit a pedestrian or have stuff stolen from your vehicle.
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6 0
Bennf
Experience: 18.8 years 2 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 30, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of great shots for such a simple setting. Very little interference from the actual park on your shot lines. Well-paced design. Teepads are good across the whole course.

Cons:

Weren't too many holes that stuck out as natural beauties. The course isn't long at all if you have good distance or form but personally​ I think some holes could've been shorter by a HAIR just to make ace runs more realistic--the course design wouldn't suffer IMO.

One or two "next tee" signs are missing which can lead to some confusion.

The layout could've had a bit less backtracking but it wasn't anything bad.

Other Thoughts:

Amazing for where it is. Definitely a good course for practicing ripping out longer drives--I'm on the east coast and our tight wooded courses are definitely not usually so open. Had great upkeep on the grass. The live oaks scattered throughout are beautiful and really make a few holes pop. Would be a really fun course for a roller-heavy player.
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4 2
jamminbales
Experience: 7.4 years 46 played 15 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A solid course that can be replayed many times 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 23, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Has a practice basket
-A good difficulty for all but the top skill level
-Hole 4 is definitely a signature hole

Cons:

-Dirt teepads
-No tee signs
-Could be difficult to navigate if you don't know where you're going

Other Thoughts:

Difficulty (3/5): A good mix of distance and obstacles. I played this course as a very new player and never got to a hole where I thought "I can't do this." I think this course will provide a good challenge for a wide array of ability levels.

Equipment (2/5): No tee signs and dirt patches for tee boxes. They get muddy after a rain. The baskets were fine though.

Variability (3/5): The majority of shots off of the tee I'd say were ripping a fairway driver in a way to try and avoid the smattering of trees. And if there was only one type of hole allowed on a course, that'd be my pick. There is a tunnel shot, a low ceiling shot, and a forced hyzer/anhyzer or two, but it's not the most diverse course I've played.

Flow/Experience (4/5): I played the round with someone who had played before so I was always lead to the next teebox. But for someone who wasn't being lead around, I could see it being tough to navigate. There aren't any tee signs, just short posts (some of which are missing) and there are a number of spots on the course where you can't see the next teebox from the previous basket so you'd have no idea where to go. I imagine a lot of first time players at this course play it out of order or miss a few holes. The course does start and end right by the parking lot though. In terms of experience, Hole 4 raised my rating by an entire point. A driveable shot over the flowing bayou was extremely memorable, and my biggest takeaway from this course!
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1 2
MarkCrawdaddy
Experience: 8.8 years 15 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Skinny, busy, city park. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 25, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Easy access, an activity center in the inner city. Lots of space strung out along a concrete bayou. Lots of the soccer playing type, so dirty diapers and trash in the woods. Bienvenido to Houston.

Cons:

An activity center in the inner city. OK I played on Christmas day but there was a lot of activity. Electric vehicles, kite flyers, so many dog walkers, joggers, bicycles. Some people just plant themselves in a fairway, looking at you to dare to throw at them, I did, sailing over there heads.
The course trys to be technical by putting a large tree on the right of lot of holes, just diminishes the fun. I played on a windy day so course was challenging just to keep discs in play.

Other Thoughts:

I would have to play on a calm deserted day with someone who knows the course. The signage is poor, bring a map. Numbers on baskets would be good, and arrows pointing to next tee. People scratched their initials in fresh concrete tees, why didn't someone put an arrow with number?
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3 3
patrickdrinksbeer
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

wide open, not too technical 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 25, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

fun course to play. as a somewhat new player, super technical courses through woods arent that fun for me. on jester, there is really only 1 hole where i cant throw a driver. there are trees on the course that come into play, but really no holes where you just hope to get lucky and miss a tree. 2/3 of the holes are birdie-able for a decent player. probably all birdie-able for a good player. playing solo, i can finish 21 holes in about 75 minutes. plenty of parking and easy to navigate once you figure out holes 5-9 are across the bayou.
course is much more difficult when the wind is whipping.

Cons:

long walks between 9 and 10, and 16 and 17. course holds a lot of water after a good rain. no concrete pads. could use some trash cans. on weekends, picnickers can campout on a few of the holes between 15 and 21.

Other Thoughts:

this course is about 4 blocks from my house so its super convenient to play. typically well maintained and although its probably considered fairly easy, every hole is fair and there are lots of birdie opportunities.
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12 4
Texconsinite
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.2 years 138 played 77 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great course for big arms 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jan 10, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The redesign added alot of different holes to the course that were not there before, and reworked the old holes to add more distance to them. The course starts with several holes that force some controlled distance with scattered mature trees in play. Then, the course shoots across Buffalo bayou, and takes you into the woods across the bayou. This collection of holes is the most technical, with tighter lines than the rest of the course, and a little terrain in play. One hole forces a loong blind right curve, with the basket on a rise with wicked rollaway potential. The bayou comes into play on several holes on the far side, but none more than the bayou crossing shot. This adds some intrigue to 2-3 holes. These far side holes IMO are the jewel of this course, bringing the most interesting shots and terrain into play.
The course crosses back across the bayou, and switches back to more open, flat holes, that test your controlled distance driving, with a few obstacles in the way. The holes past the dog park are mostly open, power holes that you will need 300+ distance to shoot well on. Unlike its previous 9 hole layout, this course is not a deuce or die course full of birdie runs. In fact it now is more the other end of the spectrum, you will need a good rip off most tee pads for a shot at par. There are at least a few trees in play on every hole (except hole 21), plus OB paths, so pure distance is not the only thing you will need here, however, the trees are too few in number on most holes to really punish you unless you hit one. Thus this course does not require you to hit very tight lines, nor does it particularly favor lefties or righties, since there are multiple ways around to the basket on most holes. The reforestation clumps in original 9 area are used very well, and do restrict lines in some holes, but overall this course is pretty open and forgiving.
Those who like longer holes to grip it and rip it, and not super technical plinko holes in tight woods, will love this course. You will get loads of chances to use your distance drivers, and there's not much shule to get buried in, while still enough trees to keep the holes from being all the same. However, short drives are punished here more than errant, long drives. The course is challenging from both long and short tee pads, and will stretch your arm.
Also, this course is in a great location for players inside the loop, and in a good neighborhood where you don't have to worry about

Cons:

This course suffers from several unavoidable problems. It's in Houston, so it is very flat. The holes across the Bayou bring some terrain into play, but mostly it's just flat, like many Houston courses. The designers here had a long skinny piece of land to work with, so the general down and back flow on the near side of bayou is somewhat set in stone as a result. That being said, they use distance on this course to overcome a general lack of terrain, and only scattered trees, which gets a little stale for me by hole 21. The designers are limited by the canvas they had to work with(ie not solid forest) , but it feels like they overcompensate with distance to much and too often, and it makes the last several holes boring for me.
This course doesn't do a lot to keep big arms honest, and distance really helps on course. The difference in length from long to short tees seems minute in some cases, even the short tees are going to be long from someone throwing less than 300ft.
The dirt tee pads and colored posts are functional, but basic. Considering that most will need their max distance on many holes, some kind of more permanent, level tee pads (rubber or concrete) would be nice.
Flow is also an issue on this course, as it can be hard to navigate the bayou crossing, and back, without a course map. Also, hole 12 is hard to find from 11 (its towards the practice basket)
One of the biggest issues I have with this course is so many of the holes are long for the sake of being long, and seemingly stretched out to utilize as much of the park as possible. Many of the holes are in that gray area of distance, 350-500 where it's a tough par 3, but they probably didn't want to make it par 4 because they aren't very technical holes and big arms will still bomb them for 3s. Many courses will have easier and harder par 3s, but the setup here gets old. If they wanted a tough course, make several of the holes a little longer and call more of them par 4s. Otherwise, make the short tees shorter so the course is more fun for more players. As it stands now, on holes 14-21 it gets repetitive. The holes are challenging just because they are long, but they are not memorable and not that fun IMO.
The earlier holes on this course have better protected baskets with more trees, and reforestation areas to make them more interesting, or throwing off the top of amphitheater. The bayou holes have water in play and some technical shots and terrain. The holes after you walk past the dog park are forgettable.
There are several things that could make the back end of this course better. Intentionally letting some reforestation areas grow in strategic spots (right side of hole 17) would be environmentally friendly would restrict lines and improve the holes. Planting a few smaller trees, with protective tubing around them, would instantly change several of the holes (16 & 21). Putting one basket on ad terrace, or throwing a pile of fill on a fairway or two to create some terrain would also help spice up existing holes.
Across the bayou has the most interesting holes, and there is a long walk through the woods from hole 5 to hole 6 that has tons of terrain. Every time I play here, I can't help but wonder why the walk when the could create some very interesting holes here. Especially if you kept them short and technical, it would give this course more variety and a balance to the steady diet of bomber holes that the course is full of.
I could see this course being rounded out to 27 holes, with more diverse shot types. Put two holes in the woods between 5 and 6, then another wooded hole between 6 and 7.
The low spot by the pool fence is an interesting area, why not put a short hole there after 13?
With a little reshuffling, 3 more holes could be found on this land (even if they are short) and this would be a 27 hole course in town with challenging long holes, but also birdie opportunities and some technical and memorable line.
It seems like the course overall fills the area allotted for it, but some of the most interesting pockets sit idle, and instead players walk through them. The layout of this park, and the bayou, force some of the walks between holes, but some are avoidable and could be holes instead.
This course is fun if you have a big arm and don't like lots of trees, but its short on very interesting holes, and for how long is it, just isn't than fun. I'd rather drive 15min further and play 2 quick rounds at Moffit rather than 1 long round here with all the walks btw forgettable holes. Some players love this course, and the location is hard to beat. I like parts of this course, but overall its not a course that I rush out to play, and not one I would take new players to. Its too hard for newbs, and not interesting enough for advanced players. I dont understand what level of player this course is catered to, make a shorter set of tees, make it more technical, or both.

Other Thoughts:

I remember playing this course when it was nine holes, before the drought took so many trees. Back then it was a much shorter course. Back then as a novice, I found it fun. It has changed alot with the new layout, and I realize that without those trees, those old holes wouldn't be the same now, so the designers opted to add significant distance to almost every hole to up the challenge. They didn't have much choice, but having shorter "short" tees would still be nice. I appreciate all the work that went in to expand this park, and I mean no disrespect to the many volunteers who put their time and effort into the park as it stands now. Getting any park from 9 holes to 21 is a HUGE step, and I applaud the locals for making this happen. However, I personally prefer a more technical course that rewards accuracy as well as distance, and this course is all about distance. I'm sure I am not alone in liking the holes across the bayou the best, and wishing there were more of them. I feel there's room to do just that.
I believe this course has room for improvement, and I hope the locals share this view and continue to tweak and improve this course. If/when that happens, this course can certainly achieve a higher rating, but until then, there are lots of better options in Houston area.
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8 0
bogeymanjr
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.7 years 35 played 24 reviews
3.50 star(s)

My Kind Of Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 19, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

It's not very often I say this about a course, but I genuinely liked this one from the start. True that this is mostly a flat course with few challenges except trees, but there is enough here to make most golfers think about a good many shots. I approached hole 4 with some apprehension with its throw over the bayou as I do most holes, but that turned out to be the easiest for me here. I ended up getting a birdie on that one. The whole time I played here, I only hit one tree. That was on hole 9. Even so, I got par on that one on a great 75-foot putt. I found the flow to be good between holes with one exception which I will mention in the cons. I can see why this course is so popular. The layout is good, the park is nice, and the holes are not too intimidating. If I was to recommend an overall course for someone to play in Houston, it would probably be this one. Great overall course without too many obstacles and a good one to learn on as well.

Cons:

The only con I found was the long walk between holes 9 and 10 back over the bayou bridge. I understand that some areas are like this due to available land in a park such as this, but even so, it is not so much to play a good course such as this one. And yes the short tee on hole 12 is gone, but I could tell where it had been and I played from the long tee anyway because the distance between the two was not that far. Not more than 50 feet anyway. I could mention the walk between holes 16 and 17, but that was not so long either. Very little else can I point out here.

Other Thoughts:

This course was a pleasant surprise for me. I had probably one of the best first rounds I could have at any course I played anywhere. Kudos to the designers. They did an excellent job with the layout putting this one together and I know I will be back to play this one again many times.
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9 0
Jefflogix
Experience: 13.6 years 29 played 13 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun Recreational Course for Long Birdies 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 22, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

OK, let's be honest. This is a course that has medium long holes, fairly wide open fairways, with occasional trees to navigate around. Other than distance, there really wasn't much that was excruciatingly challenging. For me, the joy of this course was trying to place a 300-400 ft drive close enough to the basket to go for birdie--and that was from the white tees. There were enough trees to provide some shade, while waiting for others to throw. Although no cement tee pads, most of the tee pads were fairly level with one or two exceptions. Although many holes play next to the bayou, you would really have to go off course to lose a disc. The course was mowed. The tee boxes were marked. The baskets were generally visible. There were nice asphalt and gravel paths that could generally be used to walk from hole to hole. There were enough mild challenges to keep it mostly interesting... a few low ceiling, a few anhyzers RHBH. Good parking. It is true that the course runs fairly close to two busy streets, but they are far enough a way that an average amateur golfer doesn't have to worry about them. The baskets were generally really nice; however, there are a few holes that have freaky funnel shaped baskets (like #13) that can spit your disc out, even after a decent putt. Hole #4 across the bayou was fun and different. Hole #5 is a short low ceiling anhyzer (RHBH). Hole #12 is a tunnel shot through off the tee, as is hole #6 (only when playing from the blue tees).

Cons:

The biggest con is probably the lack of really challenging holes (other than just pure distance) where you really have to think and nail a precision throw. It is also true that some of the holes can seem repetitive. But if you know what the course is, you can set your expectations accordingly and still have and enjoyable game. I think the course would be much nicer if it had cement tee pads. The walk from hole #9 to hole #10 is VERY long, backtracking past 3 different holes. There is also a very long walk between holes #13 and #14 and holes #16 and #17, and another long walk after hole #21 back to the parking lot. As stated above, many of the holes run next to busy streets. While these generally don't come into play for golfers with decent ability, I can see where they could cause problems for recreational golfers who may throw a little wide occasionally. If you can't throw 300-400 ft drives, I think this course might get pretty boring with a drive, upshot, putt, over and over. However, if you can drive 350-400 ft, you can try to go for birdie on nearly every hole, and that can also be a fun challenge.

Other Thoughts:

Despite the mildly challenging holes and the somewhat repetitive throws, I did enjoy playing this course. It is a great place to practice drives or try out new discs because there is enough room to generally see the full flight of the disc without hitting trees or other obstacles. It is generally clean, mowed, and maintained. Good place to practice long precision drives IMHO.
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6 1
McC.Alexander
Experience: 25.8 years 42 played 16 reviews
3.50 star(s)

One of the best public courses in Houston area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 29, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

+there are enough hazards around to keep your game interesting (especially if you follow the out of bound rules suggested on this site)
+I love the fact that there are long and short holes. this pretty much means I can play 2 courses here

Cons:

-no tee pads
-this is a fairly open (light amount of trees but surrounded by roads) course so on a windy day you have to be careful with your shots
-Im not a pro but I have been playing for a while so Im decent and didnt have any water trouble but there are some intimidating water shots that can easily cause a new player to lose a disc. the good news is that I watched someone wade into the bayou to find their disc and it was only about 2 to 3 feet deep so if you can spot your disc you can retrieve it. just be aware that the water is moving very quickly. (I read another review that talked about a place down river that might be a good place to check if your disc floats away too fast to find)

Other Thoughts:

the first 9 holes are not connected to the rest of the course. once you finish 9 you walk around to the other side of the bayou. the walk is time consuming but the positive note is that if you are short on time you can play a quick 9 without feeling too bummed about leaving mid game since you have to walk back towards the parking lot.
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8 0
griff17
Experience: 15.8 years 69 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

great course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 15, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

short tees are fun , not alot of trouble to get into. should get quite a few birdies. somewhat repetitive. BUT....the long boxes make this a great course . with minor elevation change and being played around a bayou with walking path and beyond ob's, this course is very challenging . For me, it is relatively easy to shoot around par , but if you hope to shoot a "hot" round (-5 to -7/ 1020 + rated ) you will have to flirt with some ob's and shape some shots . the course does not have many densely wooded areas , but the ob's make controlling shots a big factor. You have to use your noggin and risk/reward comes into play a good bit. A big , accurate arm will get you a couple extra birdies (and i believe it should ) . you can go out and lettem fly here , but you better know where they are goin'.

Cons:

couple long walks between holes , but , i would much rather walk a little than sacrifice the integrity of a hole or have a couple "filler" holes . concrete boxes will be great addition if /when they get em'.

Other Thoughts:

ima 984 rtd pro with a 450 + arm. this course lets me "play". it is not just a big arm course , you must have accurate up shots and hit some putts to shoot really well here . the short tees also give newer players a good course to play . great combo .
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7 0
richardfason
Experience: 16.9 years 26 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 23, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Easy to get to from loop 610 or Highway 290. I Great example of what can be accomplished in a multi-use park environment. Best part of the course is #4 through #9, #13, #14, where there is more interaction with the Bayou and some elevation changes. #5, #7 are both subtle downhill throws. Some I know like to play #4 - #9 three times for 18 holes. With subtle elevation changes near the Bayou and enjoyable differences between the dual tees, which are correctly marked and rated based upon the PDGA ratings of white and blue and a regularly mowed park environment with bathrooms and some picnic tables, and plenty of parking either in the lot or along T. C. Jester Blvd, this is a good example of a public park course, which has other park amenities including a swimming pool, dog-park, softball fields, amphitheater, playgrounds and exerscape.

Cons:

#15 has a picnic table in what is the fairway if your shot goes left requiring additional care and attention by the golfer. For some the walking from #9 to #10 and #13 to #14, #17 to #19 and from #21 to the parking lot is a con, and I agree it is not an ideal flow but appears to be the best the course designers could do with the space allotted, yet, having played it many many times, for me, it does not1 detract from the disc golf experience for me. Be careful of some of the poison ivy on #5, #6 and #11 and at the very end of the nature trial coming from #5 to #6.

Other Thoughts:

With the expansion of the course to the west side of the Bayou, when the high school track team competitions occur in October the course will not be completely shut down and you can play #4-#9 a few times like we did in the last week of the HFDS Wednesday night Fall league. If you play all 21 holes, it is an approx. 3.5 mile walk.
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11 0
c_a_miller
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.9 years 299 played 207 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

-The course has dual tees (blue and white) that are very easy to see and are all present. They both have different shots on a few holes rather then just being longer.
-This course has a diversity of shots. There are short <200ft shots in the woods and then there are >500+ shots that you need a good drive to hope for a three. The excitment factor is here on a few holes, especially on hole number 4 where you have to get your throw about 220' over a bayou. There are several holes like that that are very unique for the Houston area.
-The tree has obstacles on about every hole, not so much that is becomes frustrating but enough that it does not get boring throwing in an open field.
-The course of 21 holes uses the entire narrow strip of land that the park is located on. Who ever designed this course did a great job utilizing every bit of land he could on this park.
-There are bathrooms and COLD water fountains near the parking lot over by the baseball fields.

Cons:

-Natural tee pads. The ground at the tees is starting to become worn in and will only keep getting more worn in with the high density of players that comes through every day. Concrete tee pads would make this course great.
-From a logistical standpoint this course is a mess. After #9 there is a quarter of a mile walk back to #10 then after #13 there is a long walk to the next tee. No matter who designs this course or how it is designed this will always be a problem. There is not enough land that makes it so that the course runs smoothly. If a second bridge was built over the bayou then maybe someone can look at re-configuring the course so that there is not a lot of walking back.
-The back 6 or 7 holes were very repetitive and boring. The front few holes were all different but once you get to the final stretch of the course you are looking at 350' straight holes with trees guarding the basket on basically every shot.
-The course is heavy with walkers, no way to fix that just be careful when throwing.

Other Thoughts:

This is a nice course for people that live inside of the city that do not want to drive out to the NW or S side of the city. This course trumps MacGregor Park and Anges Moffit in terms of excitement rating and being a better course. The new layout is leaps and bounds better then the previous layout and rumor among the locals is a new layout could be in the makings soon. This is a great course for the Houston area. A great place that is challenging and diverse.
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7 0
nomex
Experience: 11.8 years 10 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice course with a mix of shots and distances. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Nice mix of shots, especially Hole 4, which is over the bayou. It's perfectly makeable, but just that bayou makes it seem so far. Hole 6 was a nice short surprise, for a birdie (playing from white tees). I liked the mix in distances, there were a few holes with tree obstacles, like 18 and 19, and I enjoyed hole 12 which is a tight, straight shot. As long as you stay out of the bayou (water), you won't have a problem losing discs.

Cons:

I wish the walk from hole 9 wasn't so long and uneventful. A return bayou shot could have been fun. I also wish there wasn't such a long walk from hole 21 back to the parking lot. This is a well-used park, so be mindful of the other park users. I had a jogging couple walk up to the blue tee box on 15, sit down and start stretching! It's I good thing I was playing white tees that day.

Other Thoughts:

This was my third course to play after MacGregor park and Jack Brooks Powell. I live in the Loop, so this is one of the closer courses to me.
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