Farmington, MO

Engler Park

3.545(based on 12 reviews)
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11 0
Tyler V
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.8 years 147 played 98 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A Nice Open Rec-18 With Some Challenge For Rec and Intermediate Players

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 9, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Engler Park hosts a recreational 18-hole disc golf course that has a mix of wide-open shots as well as others that bring water, wood lines, and other obstacles into the mix. This course plays on the easier side for the most part, but has enough variety or challenging moments to be both accessible and fun for a variety of skill levels.

LOCATION of Engler Park is on the south side of Farmington, off Highway 67. A turn onto New Perrine Road and a right onto Airpark Drive will get you to the entrance, where you can swing right and park in the second parking lot to find the big course map and sign. There are food and gas options aplenty in town, but you'll want to stop a couple exits before this one on the highway if you're coming from the north. As for nearby courses, the two 18 hole courses in Park Hills made for a nice day of disc golf for me and my friends, where we managed 3 18 hole courses between 8:30am and 2:30pm; all three come with a collectively nice variety of styles as well.

AMENITIES fill Engler Park; other than disc golf, this park hosts two lakes that are apparently used frequently for fishing, a baseball field, tennis courts, trails, soccer fields, and four pavilions. There are also two nice playgrounds as well as a nature sanctuary. You'll see plenty of these as you walk the course, and will also get some time to take these in while walking back to your car from hole 18. Bathrooms look to be seasonal, but there was a port-o-john after hole 18 when we played.

COURSE EQUIPMENT is pretty nice at Engler Park. The baskets are Gateway Titans thanks to the Dave McCormack design, and they catch great. The baskets are in great shape; I'm not sure if they're the originals from the course opening 12 years ago or if they've been replaced, but all Gateway baskets tend to look like they could survive an atomic bomb. Each hole has two concrete tees that are nice and grippy as well. The tee signs also have just about all of the info you could ask for: Pin locations, distances from each tee to each pin, which pin is in use, par, and a hole layout. There are also plenty of trash cans throughout the course, so don't be a litterbug.

COURSE DESIGN at Engler is primarily more open and spacious with the fairways, with occasional wooded holes and other obstacles coming into play. Between the two tees and what variety of obstacles and elevation are incorporated into the design, a round here should be fun for a wide variety of players.

ELEVATION isn't a huge factor on this course but comes into play a little bit. Hole 4's fairway has a sneaky amount of downhill play to it, which can lead to overthrowing the green a bit. Hole 7 is a fun downhill shot are well with a couple trees to navigate. Hole 9 plays uphill, hiding the lake that can eat up shots that go long. 13's primary pin location is on an elevated hill, which will make any putt nervy.

SHOT-SHAPING is something you won't always need to full consider, but some holes will ask for some specific. Holes 5, 7, and 14 are left turning shots, each with varying challenges such as a lake on the left on hole 14 and a downhill drive on 7. Holes 10, 12, 13, and the long pins of 17 and 18 are all right turning shots. The rest of the holes are pretty open and can handle a variety of shots with some exceptions. Hole 3 is tight and wooded which will require a straight, slightly right ending shot. Hole 6's pin is around an island of trees and cabbage, requiring a left or right ending shot around to the pin.

DISTANCES are pretty accessible as a whole, with total distance being between 4,600 and 7,200 feet give or take a few, depending on which tees you throw from and the pins in use. There's a lot of short A pins on the course; as of this review's posting, UDisc has four holes under 200 feet in the A positions from the short tees. When longer pins are in place, holes like 9, 13, 16, and 17 will make for genuine two drive holes. The pars on site are pretty forgiving, with birdie or at least a par being pretty easy to achieve with decent accuracy and a little power in your throw.

DIFFICULTY LEVEL is on the easy side at Engler, with this being a rec-intermediate course for the most part. That being said, some holes do have some risk/reward factors or obstacles that could give newer players a hard time. Holes 9, 14, and the long pin in 17 can bring water into play with a poorly thrown shot. Hole 16's short pin is also tucked really tightly into a tree line in a way that makes it a very hard birdie.

Cons:

COURSE LAYOUT AND NAVIGATION – I haven't given Dave as much crap as others for his layouts that sometimes have weird and/or long confusing transitions, but the walk from 18 back to the parking lot is a bit much here. That lot isn't in view from the pin at all, and you could easily walk to the wrong lot if you don't have a good sense of direction. I'm not saying I know more than Dave when it comes to disc golf course design – I totally don't. But looking at the overhead map of this course, even if the holes stay mostly the same, there's got to be a better option here. I felt like a hobbit with jewelry I didn't want walking from hole 18 to the car, minus the whole volcano and Smeagol thing.

SIGNAGE is nice, including the large map at the parking lot. That being said, some of the transitions are wonky, such as holes 4 to 5, 13 to 14, 14 to 15, and 17 to 18. Some of these are tricky without UDisc, and I didn't notice any directional info to the next tee. Some additional directions would make for a smoother playing experience here, as I don't UDisc to be necessary to find my way around in a timely manner.

OPEN HOLES aren't a problem on their own, but the amount of purely open shots gets a little old on this course. The land provided for the course means there wasn't really much of an alternate option, but the lack of obstacles does take away from some of the fun factor of the course. Multiple holes have sand bunkers as the main thing to look out for in an otherwise wide-open shot, which isn't really what I want to see in a park as opposed to if I was playing on a ball golf course. Overall, this is a course where you may find yourself picking the same disc up to throw off the tee for the majority of the holes.

PROXIMITY TO OTHER PARK USES is a factor on a few holes. Some fairways or pins play close to or borderline over pathways, so please look before you throw. Hole 16 could be a sketchy hole when leaves are fully on the trees, as you're throwing over a tree line that a path also comes through, with a green that is blind from the tees. Hole 17 also plays close to some soccer fields, and the layout of the hole seems to encourage hyzers to the long pin that would likely go over a bit of that land. It's OB on the sign, but if that part of the fields are getting used for other sports, it could get awkward and lead to the disc golfer needing to throw some weird shots over the tree line.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, Engler Park is a fun course that has enough variety to keep things interesting and fun, and would be a fine course for new players to learn the game at. While many of the holes are wide open drives, there are some fun moments on the course, especially 13 with that tall pin placement. This isn't a bucket list course or one I'll find myself driving an hour out to play annually, but I would not be upset to have this as a home course.

If you're driving south of St. Louis, give Engler a look. When combined with Park Hills and other courses along 67, course baggers might find it fun to take a detour off I-55.
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2 1
lemmmy_acemister
Experience: 9.8 years 12 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 17, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice tee pads.
Tee pads and baskets are marked.
Course has a little bit of everything.
Water hazzad.
Elevation
Makes you throw back and forhand shots.
Mostly open. Most pins are placed back in a wooded area which allows for technical shots.
Multi pins and tees
Good lay out
Holes don't cross each other.

Cons:

18 pin is a long walk for parking lot by 1 tee pad.
Some holes are spread out pretty good. Udisc app made it easy to navigate. Without app it would be a challenge first time playing.
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2 1
itsmerowe
Experience: 8.4 years 20 played 4 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Room for improvement 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 1, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

New signs - finally! Last ones were faded.

Multiple trapezoid tee pads.

Holes have at least 2 pins positions, more than half have 3.

Usually well maintained.

Walkers and park visitors don't usually get in the way. The course is pretty much designed around those areas.

Cons:

Lack of restrooms. There is sometimes a port-a-john between holes 14 and 15. There is a pavilion with restrooms a short walk from hole 3, but don't count on them being unlocked after "business hours"

And despite new signs, they do not tell you which position the basket is in.

They move the baskets lazily, usually between the 2 closest pins. There are some positions that haven't been used in a year at least.

Not a lot of diversity in the layout. Mostly RHBH throws.

Inconsistent Pars. Hole 8 has a Par 3, pin C at almost 750ft away, while hole 9 has a Par 5, pin A at barely 200ft. However, as noted, they rarely move them to these pins. That would require effort on the part of the parks department.

Local DG group will sometimes overtake the park. Don't get in their way. For the most part my interactions with them have been friendly, but a few times they have been rude and basically told us to get off their course. Don't let a few bad eggs ruin your attempt to play.

EDIT 01/11/2018: I wanted to emphasize that my interactions with the local group after my initial negative one have been nothing but positive. It's clear to me that the negative experiences I had was not the norm.

In the late summer/early fall, the local high school's cross country team uses the park for running, and they mark their course right through the disc golf course. They will run right in your path without regard, so watch out for them. They have the right of way.

Not much in way of elevation changes.

Other Thoughts:

Still a decent park for what it's worth, and worth playing, but I would recommend going to play Columbia Park in Park Hills if you want some diversity and a challenge.
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3 0
eggmixer
Experience: 27.1 years 113 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

middle of MOwhere 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Gateway Titan baskets!
Good use of large section of park
concrete trapezoidal pads on both red and blue tees
Well maintained and ongoing improvements apparent
Never crowded
benches and trash cans at most holes

Cons:

Faded signage - some unintelligible
Confusing pin positions - baskets out of place
Not much elevation change
many similar open field distance drives for RHBH

Other Thoughts:

overall a sweet 18 but a bit out of the way for St. Louis players
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2 0
kirk
Experience: 10.6 years 27 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

a nice surprise 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

very well maintained, good amount of diversity, nice use of limited elevation changes,multiple tee pads..good combination of shorter technical holes and longer bomber holes, awesome gateway titan baskets..signage was easy to follow..great park setting..

Cons:

the loop for 18 holes is very long ( but pleasant) pretty good walk back to parking lot after # 18.

Other Thoughts:

This coarse was very enjoyable and a pleasant surprise, I would suspect that whoever maintains this coarse is a disc golfer because it was in amazing condition, great use of the land available, will return to play this little gem again
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7 0
Golden Tuna
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.1 years 185 played 31 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice, scenic park, fun round 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Scenic, Well Maintained, Multiple Pins, Multiple Pads, Easy Navigation, Unique Obstacles, Descriptive Tee Signs & Directional Arrows, Trash Cans and Restrooms

Engler Park is a nice, scenic park for a disc golf course. The layout is well designed and makes use the the limited natural obstacles available from the land. Though the mainly wide open format of the course can get a bit redundant, the multiple tee pads and pin placements offer a nice change for those who play the course regularly. It also appears as though they've planted some young trees, which will continue to add character to this course in time. The tee pads are narrow at the back and wide up front to indicate the direction of the hole, which I thought was a nice touch. There are bunkers carved out of the fairways and filled with mulch which play as a hazard (take an OB stroke, but play from your lie) that add an extra challenge to the mostly wide open holes. A lot of the holes play near the park's lakes and creek, which adds to the aesthetic value of the course, but the water rarely comes into play. The course is obviously well maintained and the local club has added nice benches on many of the holes. The tee signs, while slightly faded are nice as they provide the hole description and distances for both tee pads and both pin placements on each hole. Unfortunately, some have chosen this as a good place to record their aces, which I really do not like.

Cons:

Wide Open, Redundant, Long Walk Back from 18

Though they did do a lot with the land that was given for this course, it is not a technical course as there are only a few holes that have more than a couple trees as obstacles. Again, the designer did well to make use of the obstacles that he were available, but overall, the course is not very challenging. I found myself throwing the same disc the same way a number of times, so you really do not need to be great to score well or enjoy yourself at this course. Lastly, hole 18 leaves you a good way away from the parking lot, so you have somewhat of a long walk back to the car/hole 1. Its not really that big of a deal, but I prefer to start and end at the parking lot.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this is not a championship caliber course, but it is still a lot of fun to play and worth checking out. High marks go to the local club and volunteers that maintain the course as it was pristine when I played it - not one spec of trash anywhere to be found. In the future, I think it would add a lot to the overall challenge is they allowed the grass to overgrow in some areas, thus creating tougher fairways, but even if they keep it as is, its a lot of fun to play.
Traveler's Tip: There isn't a whole lot around the course/park in the way of food, gas stations, etc. So, if you need drinks, food, snacks, etc. make sure to bring them with you.
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3 2
darrick mecey
Experience: 12.9 years 27 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Challenging course with alittle bit of everything
from long open holes to wooded,tight hole,very well kept

Cons:

No real cons

Other Thoughts:

I lived near this course and played it frequently,the course is great and the locals there are super friendly
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1 5
Teebird Elvis
Experience: 18.8 years 20 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Fun and Challenging 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 16, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Awesome course with everything one would need, map at the start, cement tee pads, good signs, directional signs to help you locate the next teebox, scenic, water holes, but not so dangerous that you are bound to throw one in the water.

And improvements. Some of the holes were just open holes, but young trees have been planted specifically for the course, so 3-5 years from now, the course will be playing completely different.

Cons:

No real cons, except you wish he young trees were mature to challenge already. A solid, challenging course as is.

Other Thoughts:

It's no onla great disc golf course, it is a great park period. Trails for both walkers/joggers and for bicycles, fishing, playgrounds, and huge soccer fields for DG practice when they are not being used. The facilities are great, not too far from Farmington, quiet, peaceful place. Just a wonderful place to get your head straight, and get your mind on disc golf.
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1 11
eupher61
Experience: 21.9 years 110 played 13 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Hey, another course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Not much to complain about. Typical of the designer, certainly is true.

Cons:

meh...but, a single loop course is a lot less inviting.

Other Thoughts:

A very average course, nothing to be thrilled with, nothing to complain about, aside from the lack of looping.

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2 1
MSeaton
Experience: 6 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 14, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Very well kept course, signs help to guide you around the course so you're not searching for the next hole in most places. Great design that is friendly to new disc golfers, yet challenging to everyone else. The park is very beautiful, and the city seems to be taking very good care of the park and course, it shows that the DG course isn't an afterthought.

Cons:

Natural tees that are half dirt, half grass. If you're not careful you can twist an ankle. It would be great if a little bit of work had gone into them with the vegetation being removed and woodchips or some other medium being put in place.

Hole signs are not uniform in their orientation. Some are on the left as you tee, some on the right. If you haven't played before expect to either flip a coin and throw, or walk ahead to find the pin. Directional arrows have been added between most holes to direct players so they don't waste 5 minutes searching for the next tee. One exception is between 11 and 12, there is no directional arrow, andif you haven't played before it's not intuitive to find.

Other Thoughts:

The course is one of the better ones in the area, and I look forward to playing it every time. A common theme with the McCormack design that I have found between Farmington, Potosi, and Rolla is that if you weren't present when the course was being built, you're not going to be able to easily navigate it and find pins or where the next tee box is. Navigation for players that have never been to the course seems to be an afterthought, make sure that you have a map.
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10 1
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.7 years 568 played 281 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Intermediate 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 7, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is set amongst the wooded sections of a large park, which also has two fishin' holes on site, and some soccer fields. Overall, layout does a great job of avoiding these areas, so interference shouldn't be a major issue.
- Lots of holes make use of the forest here in some way or another. Lots of baskets are tucked into the woods, like #2, #5, #7 a little bit, #10, #13, #14, and #18. That's a lot. Helps to add challenge to the holes that are more open. A few other holes are deeper in the woods, like the fully wooded #3, a tight gap to hit shooting into the woods on #4, and a super tight wall of trees on #12. A lot of RHBH hyzers to execute, though some approach shots tail right.
- Other holes use rough, or the water, to force shot placement and some line shaping. #6 has a large bush in the fairway to get around, #1 has a patch of rough behind the basket, #9 has water left of the pin, #14 has the lake on the left the whole way, and there are some odd patches/ditches of nasty stuff on #15-#17. While these things are easy to avoid, they will provide real punishment if you can't.
- There are definitely some wide open holes here as well; but long hole lengths provide the challenge. #9 is an uphill BOMBER at 725', with water near the end, #10 is 550', #16 is 500' with a rough ditch running through the middle, and #17 is 660' with hedges in the fairway and more water behind the pin.
- As mentioned, land is used well to provide good challenge. Water definitely comes into play on three holes, in a big way. Tough basket placements in the woods help out too. Elevation changes aren't too crazy, most are gentle.
- Natural tees in good shape, signs are good, and baskets are top notch. Navigation is tricky in spots, definitely check the map first. A few tips - head across the gravel path and turn- right after #13, go across the lake after #14.

Cons:

- A lot of open shots here, with distance being the only challenge. A lot of holes end in the woods to make up for it, but the tee shots are unobstructed. Longer hole length means you usually don't even have to worry where it ends up on some of the holes.
- Park is more or less flat, there are slight slopes on a lot of the holes, but only one or two shots where it's a big factor. A very minor con.

Other Thoughts:

- Overall, a fun course that uses the land very well. A large amount of open shots, that use the woods, water, and other rough to make things interesting. A few holes are really 'in' the woods, and are pretty tricky. Lots of length for bombing drivers out there, but most holes have some sort of wrinkle.
- Course is accessible for almost any skill level. It's longer, and there's water, but beginners can take care not to lose anything. More advanced players will get to rip some drives, at the very least.
- Long pins seem to be a work in progress, coming soon?
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17 1
Stud Muffin
Experience: 18.3 years 30 played 14 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Proud Disc Golfer! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 16, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Engler Park is a well kept, beautiful park that features 2 lakes. (Giessing Lake & Thomas Lake)

*Park Features
When you enter, the first parking lot leads to the soccer fields, and there is plenty of room to use it as a driving range to warm up, so long as no one is using it.

There is fishing in Giessing Lake with Black Bass, Crappe, and Channel Catfish, though there are daily limits on how much you can catch.

There are some wonderful nature trails that I thought was going to be used for the course. There are a lot of walkers on these trails, so always look before throwing.

Also, there are 2 playgrounds that are well kept and maintained.

*Utilities
There is a massive amount of trash cans scattered around the park, but on the Disc Golf portion, only #9 has some trash cans near the lake.

There are 2 permanent bathrooms, 1 in the building center of the soccer field, and one in the pavilion by the tee of #4. I also saw a temporary bathroom in the first parking lot.

There are a large amount of tables in the pavilion by #4, but there is also some individual picnic tables with small bbq grills by Giessing Lake that really looks inviting.

*Disc Golf Course

**UPDATE - signs are now up across the course.

The course is open, with slight elevation changes. The front 9 is much shorter and less challenging than the back 9.

1 - a straight away tee to a basket in a open field.

2 - a straight away tee to a basket placed into the edge of the woods.

3 - the only hole on the course that is completely in the woods. A shorter hole with difficulty getting to the basket from the tee because of the great pin placement. I did not see a Post like the other holes had, but there is a smaller wood stake and paint on the ground indicating the tee area.

4 - a beautiful hole, and probably most challenging of the front 9. A straight away from an open tee into the woods. Beautiful view of the stream from the basket.

*Leaving the basket, go down towards the trail, turn left, and follow until you see a post painted blue on top, and "3K" painted on a tree, there go left to arrive at the #5 tee.

5 - left to right hole from an open tee to a pin on the edge of the woods. Another beautiful look at the stream from the basket.

*WARNING - between 5 and 6 there is a lot of standing water.

6 - straight away hole with the pin placed behind some shrubs. Standing water effects most of this hole, so be sure to wear mud shoes on wet days.

*From here go up the hill and right to #7

7 - beautiful look to the lake behind you, nice downhill straightaway hole with vegetation that can effect your shot below. Basket is at the edge of the woods.

*WARNING - standing water between 7 and 8 as well.

8 - straight away open tee to open basket in field.

9 - the longest hole of the course, and uphill. A open tee, stay right of the lake, you will not see it from the tee. Basket tucked into the woods.

10 - tees from the edge of the woods with trees in the way of the tee shot. A long hole compared to the front, with the basket tucked back into the woods.

11 - straight away open tee to open basket in field.

12 - the tee is not by the post here, but back by a stake with orange paint on top. A dog leg left hole with a opening to the far right, and the basket back in the far left. A challenging shorter hole.

13 - a great tee placement in a set of trees to keep your tee shot accurate for this longer hole resembling #10 only in reverse.

*Walk across the trail and into the other field to find the #14 tee.

14 - the only place I can see danger of losing a disc, with the lake on the left, and a left to right shot required because of a large tree with long hanging limbs. Not very long, but there is danger in the tee shot. Another challenging short hole.

*Walk around Thomas Lake (and enjoy the scenery) to find #15 tee.

15 - a hole that can be played straight away, but is much safer coming in left to right because of the trees. Standing water a problem for this hole as well.

16 - a hole that makes you decide to drive over the creek, or stay on the short side. Part of the punishment of laying up is having to walk back to the bridge to get across. A long hole that is a bit downhill, with the only real danger being the creek.

17 - Signature Hole of the course. Another long hole where fence is 300' out from the tee to disrupt your drive. The pin is near the edge of the lake. During tournaments, the "island" will come into play.

*Walk along Thomas Lake to the bridge section of the island green, then go towards the woods. You will see a narrow open section in the woods, inside you will find the #18 tee.

18 - a challenging finishing hole, you have to get your drive through a small opening, and the basket deep into the woods. Great finishing hole.

Cons:

*STANDING WATER - As pointed out in the course description, there is 3 places where standing water becomes an issue. I do not think anything can really be done about this, just be sure to wear mud shoes if it has been wet out.

*GRASS TEE'S - This is a brand new course, so keep in mind the grass tees are not worn in, very easy to slide on, and I almost fell a couple of times teeing off from the soft, wet ground.

*DISTANCES BETWEEN HOLES AND PARKING LOT - Between 4 an 5 there is a bit of a walk, but it is not too long, and it is a beautiful view. The walk around the lake from 14 to 15, another beautiful view. Ending on 18, you have a nice, scenic trail to walk back to the parking lot. This makes this long course seem a lot longer, nice views, just some long distance.

**UPDATE - The signs are not uniform in their placement. Sometimes they are facing right of the fairway, sometimes left, sometimes the signs face the fairway, and sometimes they face the opposite direction. I do not understand why the signs were placed like this, I had a playing partner today that was looking for the basket and could not locate it because of the various sign placements. Doesn't really make sense why they did this. (scratches head)

Other Thoughts:

"I have waited a long time for this course to be done, and I almost teared up when I saw the baskets." - OP

If you have played West City in Festus, MO, then you would notice some similarities in the courses.

This is a fun course. You get to pull out your driver and throw hard a lot, and sometimes you have to do it while threading a needle at the same time. The course designer had mentioned some upgrades in the future years, as they will be needed with the number of wide open holes on this course. Still, the course as is, is great to play, there are some seriously challenging holes on the back 9, and I am sure there are ideas to make the front 9 much more challenging as well.

Hats off to the city of Farmington and Gateway for this wonderful course.
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