Merrillville, IN

Hidden Lake DGC

2.935(based on 14 reviews)
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4 0
birdieboi
Experience: 24.8 years 57 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Worth one visit 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 20, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Clean park
-Baskets and tees generally in good shape
-Signs at every tee with hole layout and pin positions with distances
-Good mix of holes requiring every type of shot off the tee, several holes offer multiple routes to the basket
-Good mix of long/open and short/wooded holes
-#3 is a cool downhill tee shot from the top of a sled hill
-Pedestrians not a problem, had the course to myself

Cons:

-Navigation between holes is confusing/unclear at times (between holes 9&10, 18&19, 22&23)
-Some long walks between holes
-Picnic tables right in the middle of the fairways" on several holes on the "back 12"
-$8 park entry fee in season

Other Thoughts:

First time at Hidden Lake. It is a fun course in a clean multiuse park with many short holes and opportunities for deuces and even aces. The course map attached to the DGCR profile is outdated and was not very helpful. Having played many courses from championship level to beginner I'd rate this as an intermediate level course for difficulty. There are several fun tee shots and ace runs and as a RHBH player I found myself throwing a lot of low hyzers off the tee. I took water out of play with conservative lines off the tee. This course could use better signage in terms of pointing first time players to the next tee. Three times I walked around cluelessly in the wrong direction in search of the next hole. No signage directing you to the disc golf course upon entering the park. At the end of the day I was glad to check another course off my list but with other great courses in the area I never see a need to pay $8 to play Hidden Lake again.
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5 0
Bart
Experience: 46 years 7 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Re designed course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 2, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I'm part of the Red ROC DGC that is improving this course. The pipeline construction that killed 8 of the original holes is finished as is the redesign of the 24 hole course. All tee pads are improved with concrete or brick. Multiple holes have multiple pin placements and many holes have benches. Signs are in place and improvements are ongoing.

Cons:

We are currently mitigating the water issues on holes 6-8 but holes 16 and 17 can be unplayable when the creek rises...fortunately they are easily circumvented en-route to hole 18.

Pay to Play Memorial Day thru Labor Day

Other Thoughts:

This is the home of the Red ROC Disc Golf Club....the same guys that built the Lemon Lake complex. We will continue to develop and improve our home.
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2 0
Kainbelmont
Experience: 10.1 years 82 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Course Redesign 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

This course has undergone a major redesign in the last year or so. Many of the holes have been changed and 6 holes have been added to a total of 24.

Mostly flat and moderately wooded.
8 holes come very close to the lake and stream.
Front 12 is more wide open and longer holes. Back 12 is more technical and shorter.
Has a lot of variety (long holes, short holes, tunnel shots, hyzer shots, anhyzer shots...)
Lots of chances for aces. (Pretty much the entire back 12)
All but 3 holes have concrete or brick tee pads.
Plenty of trash cans.
Good signage.

Cons:

Holes 6-9, 16, and 17 get very wet when it rains and can become unplayable.
Lots of chances to lose a disc with so many holes close to the lake.
Front 12 can be very tough when it's windy.
Long walks between hole 11 to 12 and hole 22 to 23.
Some holes have picnic tables in the fairways which can be a problem if people are sitting at them. (I have not had a problem with this as of yet)

Other Thoughts:

This is a true Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde course. One round you'll play great and the very next it will eat you alive, along with your discs
.
$8 fee to non residents to enter park from Memorial Day through Labor Day. $5 for Ross Township residents.

The walk from hole 11 to 12 go between the 2 softball fields and the tee pad is just over the center field fence of the softball field on the left.

The walk from hole 22 to 23 go past the barn and other buildings toward the playgound, tee pad is between the playground and the old beach.

Overall it's a good course. I would recommend playing at least once.
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1 3
Jpopi1995
Experience: 9.1 years 30 played 6 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Never Going Back 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 19, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

-It's a course
-You can play through this course with imagination and patience

Cons:

-Hard to find the first tee off
-Tee's are inconsistent through out course
-No map showing where to start
-Large playing Fee
- Was able to play 1-9 as for the rest we had no idea where to even start
- Saw over 3 hole 18's but with no map or being able to find the first tee
- Poison Ivy is present

Other Thoughts:

Overall this course was just really frustrating and confusing, when the course is so bad that you can't even finish it not because of being ticked off but because you can't find holes and certain tee's. I would recommend not coming to this course
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5 0
ajbova
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18 years 112 played 94 reviews
3.00 star(s)

All over the place 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 29, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is an intermediate level course with multiple water hazards in a multi use park.

Baskets - 18 discatcher baskets that catch great on the 18 holes. There are also 4 random baskets around the course that do not come into play.

Signs- Each hole has an updated sign with hole number, small map of hole, and distance. Some of the signs still have the old hole number.

Tees - 1 tee per hole, some of them are brick, others natural.

Variety - Long open holes as well as short an technical. Minimal elevation changes surrounding the lake and creek as well as a few holes in the woods with narrow fairways. Multiple water hazards, 5 holes surround the lake, a few other holes have a large creek that come into play. Wind is a major factor at this course.

Water - Major factor on this course, especially on a windy day.

Benches and trash cans throughout the course.

Concession stand for the baseball fields as well as a playground available.

Potential to be a great course once all of the rearranging is complete.

Cons:

Course has been different each time I have been. Some of the hole numbers do not match up with the basket number.

Only one tee per hole.

No accurate course map.

No signs pointing you to the start of the course once you enter. Have driven around the lake twice looking for the right starting point.

4 random baskets on the north part of the lake as well as the north part of the building on the east side of the course.

No flow. Long walks throughout the course getting to the next basket. Can get lost if new to the course.

Always some sort of construction at the park altering the holes.

Pay to play from the end of May to the start of September.

Course could use some consistency including uniform tees, better signage, and better flow.

Other Thoughts:

There are many holes that stand out to me. I always appreciate the water holes because they can make or break your day. The creek holes stand out to me compared to the open holes here. They all are surrounded by trees which create challenge. I gave this course a lower score due to the ever evolving layout and the lack of signs.

With better signs at the tees and pointing to next hole, better flow, and consistency at the tees, this course could easily be a 3.5 or a 4. Wanted to give it a 3.5 but the layout was confusing and it was all over the place. Absolutely loved all holes involving the lake and creek.

I am in this area a few times a year, if I come back and see the official layout actually in play, or other improvements were made, I will update my review to reflect the changes.
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2 2
bigronbowski
Experience: 13.8 years 39 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Pipelining in Progress 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 20, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Lots of variety. Beautiful park. Great t-pads. markers for most tees.

Cons:

$8 entry thankfully it doesn't go on all year.

Other Thoughts:

This course is currently rearranged to accommodate some pipeline/utility work. Tees and baskets are missing for 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10. The tees were missing but baskets in place for 9, and 11. It looks like the baskets were placed around the lake in the meantime. There is pretty much water hazard everywhere now so be careful. The signs keeping you from entering the water are for your own protection as the lake is evidently teeming with e-coli.
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7 0
davetherocketguy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.7 years 114 played 105 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Worth the $8 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 20, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Navigation is not bad. A lot of "next tee" signs . Get lost here and you aren't paying attention. The only real issue I had was going from #2 to #3. That was a little...odd.
- Nice Innova baskets with the yellow band on top.
- Well kept up park.
- A variety of holes. Big arms will love it and so will the noodle arms like me. There are long/short and open to very tight.
- Nice use of elevation where available. #5 and #6 come to mind along with #13 through #17. Those were really fun.
- Trash? What trash? This park was so well cleaned up I had to wonder if I was really on a DG course...Nice!!! Kind of unexpected considering the rough nature of some of the surrounding neighborhoods.
- Signs at the tees were nice and informative. Although I am not completely sure but some of the distances seemed a little off...
- Nice use of water hazards.
- I liked the use of old spools as benches. I like to see things reused like that rather than being thrown into a landfill.

Cons:

- While I said navigation was not bad there are some pretty ridiculous walks between holes. From #12 to #13 and then #17 to #18. #18 was just confusing. From 17 you have to walk a long ways down the road and go to the other side of the pavilions.
- There are some safety issues here. #4 is probably the worse and #12 is a close second. The tee shot is required to go between the lake and the road and down the middle of the fairway are benches.
- I did not care for #2 and #3. Wide open bomb shots...yawn.
- The tee pad brick surface used on many of the tees is nice and grippy but in many instances is waaaaay too small. On some tees there is nothing to tee off of.

Other Thoughts:

NOT A CON but be aware there is poison ivy off the fairway on some of the holes. I noticed small patches of it near 8, 9 and 10. While I did not specifically look for it there is very likely some on the 13-17 section of the course as well.

While there I noticed a plethora of new DG baskets that were not on the course. After talking to some locals there is apparently a redesign in the works for this course. A lot of this appears to be filling the gaps between the long walks between holes. In particular, the stretch between 17 and 18. Some of those look VERY interesting. I will definitely be coming back and while the $8 may seem steep for some to me the ability to play in such a kept up park was worth it to me. Once the new baskets and tees are set up this course, Rogers Lakewood and Lemon Lake would make for an EPIC disc golf roady.

I am going to give this a 3.0 for now because I just can't justify a 4.0 considering that this isn't on par with places I've played like Hickory Hills in Traverse City, MI. Although, I will happily return to this course once the new holes are complete to revamp my review. ;)
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7 0
cmchavis
Experience: 42.1 years 26 played 12 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Decent course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 4, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Hidden Lake park is a fairly new disc golf location in Merrillville right off Broadway.

There is a wide range of hole types, but the variety leans towards wide open field. There is also a nice selection of long and short - left and right holes. The open holes are fairly boring - for instance hole #2 is 700ft where 600+ft of it is wide open field and the last 100ft have a creek and a lower overhang of trees that adds some interest.Hole #9 has a 20 wide window right after the tee, but wide open field after that - there are holes like 3, 11 and 18 that are nothing but field.

Some of the holes are great - I love that 4 is right along the side of the lake with an OB road on one side and lake on the other. #17 is close to the same as 4, but on the other side of the lake. 10 and 15 are short, but requires an exacting paths down an alleyway.

13-17 are tucked away behind the ball diamonds and are nicely shaded and have some nice old growth trees and 17 is a cool tunnel shot down through a window, over a creek to the basket.

Holes 5 and 6 are a really cool duo where 5 is short up a steep hill and 6 is a short bomb down the other side of the hill and this is where the course transitions into a few wooded holes.

Cons:

If you're travelling and going to pay - I would suggest stopping at Lemon Lake before here. This park charges $8 for out of Ross Township people. But still $5 if you are local. For a buck less I'd rather Rogers Lakewood or pay the same and get 4 courses at LL.

The girl at the lake asked why I was coming to the park, and I told her disc golf, but she didn't mention anything about where the course was or if there were scorecards or a map. We ended up driving around the lake once since we didn't know where the course started and we passed tee 1 the first time around. I had no idea what the black spoke was on the basket - didn't know until I read someone elses review here. Would have been nice to have something at the front gate.

There are huge signs forbidding entering the lake. If a disc goes in you are not allowed to enter the lake to get it. With all the geese around, I wouldn't want to enter the water, but I am not about to leave a disc in there. It looks like there was a beach and lifeguard chair there, so it must have allowed swimming at one point.

Someone did mention safety issues - this park was definitely packed with people when we were there. We seemed to be the only DGers there though. People were walking all around by 1, 4, 11, 12, 18. There was a little girl playing on the 17 basket while her dad was fishing. I overshot 12 and my disc ended up on the entrance road and multiple people ran over my disc before I got to it. RIP Starlite RR. 13 and 14 are through a picnic area with a grill, so I could imagine that being used too and having to skip those holes.

Other Thoughts:

Tee one is back by the soccer fields and the sign points to Ball fields 5,6,7,8 - the first tee is right off the parking lot from there.

Hole 2 is probably the only one (beside dunking one in the lake) for nasty OB - there is a fence on the right side of the fairway that borders railroad tracks that if you go over and cannot climb the fence, it might be a lost disc.

Transition from 17 to 18, unless we missed a sign was a little 'guesswork' of course the park was packed with people in the pavilions, so we just walked past the picnickers and when we saw a basket we hadn't used we just looked for the tee. For those who are reading this and haven't been there. Hole 18 tee is down the road from 17 next to the lake, past the beach.

Not really a con, but more an observation - there are a few memorable holes here mixed in with a lot of completely forgettable holes.

There was quite a bit of trash around the park - we finished our Gatorade after the first couple holes and ended up having to carry them for a number of holes. There aren't any trash cans around the tees, but there are plenty around the lake in the parking lots. They might want to think about mocing some around the tees since it looks like people are filling the wire spools up with trash now.

The wire spools as benches are nice as well as actual benches on some of the holes.

A lot of this course is wide open - so bring sunscreen and the layout wraps around the lake so once you are out there is no quick stop back at the car. Bring what you need with you.

Lastly - It looks like the holes have multiple pin positions - but I didn't see anywhere that indicated which position they are in. For the most part, this is a non-issue and it's nice that there is this added chance for variety.


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4 0
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.2 years 1508 played 475 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Hidden Stream not Hidden Lake 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 22, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Nice new Innova Discatchers with numbers on the yellow band.
2) Signs have Hole #, distance and a map of the hole. All holes are pretty self explanatory but nice signs are always appreciated for the travelling disc golfer.
3) There are directionals in a few spots which really help with navigation.
4) More wire spools used for a place to set your bags. I like that they only used these for the holes in the woods because it would be an unattractive course accessory that would only look the course and park look worse. Disc Golf needs to step it up and if those were visible all over the park, people would wonder who dumped their garbage by the tees. Nonetheless I appreciate having a place to set my bag.
5) #17 is a great hole (even though I had to retrieve my disc from the stream. It wasn't an easy recovery either). Downhill, out of the woods to an open green area with a creek tucked about 40' to the left of the basket.
6) Distance variation is pretty good. There are some two shot holes, some simple park jobs possible, and some challenging upshots.
7) One metal rung on each basket is painted in black to indicate where the next tee is. Always a helpful thing for people to see.
8) Excellent variety here. Wide open distance, controlled shot distance through open mowed turf with spotty trees, tight wooded holes, etc. It had just about everything.
9) Elevation was used on a handful of holes. It isn't dramatic except #5 and 6 but a few of the other shots had moderate to slight elevation change.

Cons:

1) Grass tees always leave something to be desired. I just wish there was a perfect consistent surface that wasn't expensive. Concrete is preferred but it is also expensive.
2) The course is broken up into a lot of little sections of the park. You cross the road a few times in between holes and it breaks up the flow a little bit with some long awkward walks.
3) #18 is an extremely anticlimactic finishing hole. I see a different routing that would have made this course make more sense and it would have taken away one of the boring open holes.
4) It is called Hidden Lake because it is hidden from the main road . . . but it should be called Hidden Stream because I had no idea that river was so close on #17. I ended up throwing what I thought was a great shot only to find it in the creek. I know I wasn't supposed to go in after it, but I did anyways because it was my only other Roadrunner.
5) I know there is Poison Ivy in spots and the rough on those tight holes is pretty brutal in spots. It makes the course look ugly and play slower.

6) I think it was $6 . . . a little much for just disc golf, but the park is also nice with other activities. In the end it was worth it for the two of us, but if you are alone you might feel like you got ripped off.

Other Thoughts:

All in all this is not a bad course. I am glad there was traffic from Chicago all the way to I-65 otherwise we wouldn't have stopped on our way back to WI. There are some good holes and it is fun and challenging all the way through. A couple of boring or simplistic holes but those were mostly for transitions between areas. I do think I could have resolved one of those holes by altering the design just slightly.
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6 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not bad 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 1, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a sprawling multi-use park. Several of the holes play in the woods along the edge of the park, with a few nice technical lines and some dense brush to make you pay for errant shots. There are a couple that call for some tricky hyzers or anhyzers, and a few that make you hit a straight line through the trees.

The rest of the course plays out in the open, with scattered trees and some elevation changes. Two holes use a small but steep hill to add some fun and challenge, a few others have some minor elevation changes around the pond. Water comes into play on a few shots, adding some risk/reward decisions. I liked the basket placed on a small peninsula, there's plenty of safe landing area to go for an easy 3 but if you try to park it for a 2 you have a much higher chance of ending up wet. Hole 17 is probably the signature hole, with a downhill tunnel off the tee and water lurking on the left edge of the fairway. Some of the holes have some good distance, offering chances to open up and throw your drivers.

The tee signs are decent, with hole number, distance and layout. Most of the natural tees were in fine shape. The baskets are new, and have painted spokes pointing to the next tee. The park seemed well kept, with no trash or vandalism and nicely mowed grass.

Cons:

There are some major safety issues on several holes. You often throw over or along park roads, over benches and picnic areas or near ball fields. On a busy summer day it could be pretty dangerous to play here, especially for newer players with less accuracy and less tendency to skip holes when other park users are in the way.

Too many of the holes are basically wide open, offering little challenge beyond length and maybe fighting the wind. A few of the tees were slanted or rutted pretty badly, many of the others were starting to show signs of erosion. If the tees remain natural, most will end up pretty messy. There are several tricky navigation problems here, with long unmarked walks between holes that could get pretty frustrating your first time through.

Other Thoughts:

The cost is a little high here ($8 per car), though that's a general use fee and not simply directed at disc golfers. Beginners will find the course pretty approachable, though the water and length on some of the open holes might be a bit much. More experienced players won't find a ton of challenge, but there are a few fun holes that make this worth a quick stop on your way to nearby Lemon Lake.
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8 0
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.7 years 568 played 281 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beginner/Intermediate 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 1, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is set in a big city park that has some ponds and woods. There is a lot of other activities here, with parks, pavilions, benches, roads, paths, etc. Definitely a chance for interference on a busy day.
- Roughly half of the holes here are set in the woods/trees to force line shaping of some sort. There are some smaller shots, like a low ceiling shot on #8 and a very tight RHBH anny on #10, which require good accuracy to avoid the rough. Others are more open, like a grassy meadowy shot on #7, a low ceiling shot on #13, a small hyzer around a grove of trees on #14, a RHFH hyzer around the woods on #15, and a RHFH or RHBH shot on #16. The best shot is #17, a downhill tunnel that opens up over a small ditch, with water on the left.
- The rest of the holes are out in the open, with a variety of challenges. #2 is a 600+ bomber with a long tee over a creek, and #3 comes back over the creek from an elevated teepad. #5 is a steep uphill shot through some trees, and #6 shoots back down the hill to a basket in front of the forest. #4 and #12 are RHFH hyzer shots, downhill, with water looming on the right.
- Elevation changes aren't too shabby overall. The shots up and down the small hill on #4 and #5 are short but steep, while #3 is long and gentle. Both shots next to the ponds, and #17, are decent downhill tosses.
- Water is used well here; the larger bodies of water are definitely in play on #4, #12, and #17, and the creek is in play on #3 and #5. It is easy to play it safe, if desired.
- Good mix of hole lengths, there are some true bomber shots out here over 500', some short technical shots, and many in between. Different lines as well, plenty of chances for backhand and forehand shots, and maybe an overhand or roller in a few spots with elevation or a low ceiling.
- Nice tee signs and baskets, natural tees aren't in too bad of shape. Navigation isn't too bad with some signs and painted baskets, some tricky walks after #12 and #17.

Cons:

- A lot of shots here are pretty wide open, starting with holes #1 and #2. #6 is wide open, #9 is a shot out of the woods with few other trees, and #18 is also clear. They are all on the long side, at least, so it's fun to chuck some discs around.
- Layout is a little funky, the walks from #12 to #13 and #17 to #18 are very long and can be confusing the first time through. You're also playing near roads and fences, it's a very public place.

Other Thoughts:

- Overall, a pretty fun course that has a good number of different shots. There are the wide open bombers, some tighter technical shots, decent elevation, and some water. Nothing is spectacular, but it covers a little bit of everything. Great for beginners to learn the game (as long as they don't throw in the water or at park goers), and good for intermediate players. Advanced players will be able to cruise through it.
- $8.00 is kind of steep... carpool to save costs!
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1 4
Water_Wind_Spirit
Experience: 15.8 years 31 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Hidden Lake! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 30, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Pretty neat setup! I liked the original version of this course better, before the front 9 was relocated due to construction of a pipeline.

Cons:

Nothing really bad to say about this course. A lot of water holes. I have been lucky that I have only lost one disc at this course.

Other Thoughts:

I cannot wait for the scars of construction to heal and this course returns to its former glory.
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10 1
Jukeshoe
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 315 played 266 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Rough Around The Edges 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 20, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Hidden Lake DGC is a new 18-hole course located in a bustling city park.
- Great use of water. Hole #'s 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 15, and 17 all introduce some water hazard into play. Several holes (2 and 5) have just a small creek to deal with. Others (4 and 12) place the basket near a lake. Others still (16 and 17) incorporate a fast, deep-banked river. Not every one of these includes a ridiculous amount of risk, but the ability to swallow discs is very real in spots.
- Good use of the available elevation. A large hilltop is used to good effect on hole #'s 3, 5, and 6. Hole 3 shoots from midway up the hill, through two trees, and across a small creek. #5 shoots over the creek, between two trees, and up to the top of the hill. The green on #5 is ridiculously fast, with awesome rollaway potential. #6 tees off from the other side of the hilltop down into an open field with deep rough behind the pin waiting to punish over-aggressive ace runs.
- New baskets in good shape. One "spoke" of each basket is painted black to indicate the direction of the next tee. A nice touch on a course with some navigation and signage issues. Signs (hopefully temporary) consist of non-descript 4x4s driven into the ground and hole number and distances Sharpied on.
- Decent variety for a city park. While many holes are open with scattered trees, others are open bombs (the 600'+ #2), wooded (#'s 8, 10, and 16), uphill (#5), downhill (#'s 3 and 6), and dogleg rights with water to the right of the fairway (#'s 4 and 12). #17 shoots slightly downhill through a wooded gap, over a creek, with a winding river to the left.
-Edit: I forgot to mention the concession stand that's between 12 and 13. It's strategic location smack in the middle of a long confusing walk between holes tricked me into buying nachos and a gatorade. Pizza, hotdogs, sodas and frozen candy, oh yeah.

Cons:

- There are some safety issues right off the bat. Hole #1 has picnic tables and a grill in the middle of the fairway. #3's tee is dangerously close to #5's basket. #6's tee might also be a bit too close to #5's basket. I understand that the current set up is necessary to get the most out of the large hill (and by far the tastiest bit of elevation on the property), but it's downright dangerous if caution is not exercised. Also, # 13 and 14's fairways over-lap quite a bit. Roadways run along several fairways. With crowded course conditions (the park was busy when I was there), there are several spots that are accidents just waiting to happen.
- Poison ivy. Look, I get it. Nature is difficult to control. Dealing with Nature is a by-product of our sport to a certain degree. Normally I don't mark a course down because of Nature. But normally I don't run into fairways where the entire undergrowth is made up of poison ivy (hole #10, I'm looking at you, buddy).
- Navigation is pretty tricky at the moment, even with the colored basket spokes pointing the way. If not for those, the course would be almost impossible to follow in places. Long, unclear walks between 11 and 12, 12 and 13, and from 17 to 18. I hope some of this is mitigated by complete signage once the course is in for a bit.
- Also in the realm of "currently bad but hopefully better as the course gets its kinks worked out" is the lack of tees. Concrete tees would go a long way to making this a more solid course. Currently just grass or worn-out dirt spots (occasionally with flags) comprise the tee pads.

Other Thoughts:

- Despite the drawbacks, Hidden Lake is an epic attempt at solid (if not necessarily spectacular) disc golf. Kudos must be given to the designer for getting the most out of the available land in a tight and busy park property. Even though some of the design decisions that get the most out of the land also create potential hazards, it's still a gutsy and well-intentioned layout.
- Hole #1 is a bit tricky to find first time in. Go around the park until you see a sign that says "Ballfields 5, 6, 7, and 8". Don't follow that sign but park in the lot directly to the RIGHT of it. Hole #1 is near the road that leads to those ballfields.
- $8 to enter the park from Memorial to Labor day really makes this a pricey play. It's cheaper to drive down the road and have a full day at Lemon Lake (only $4) with a much higher quality of discin'.
- My review (5/21/12) reflects a new course at the time I played it. My rating may change with future modifications and/or additions. I view Hidden Lake as a potential 2.5- to 3- rated course once tees and signage are finalized. Currently though, I have to rank it lower than that, particularly because of the safety hazards.
- While by no means a "destination course," Hidden Lake is solid enough to hit up if you're in the area (especially because of the multitude of water holes).
UPDATE: Signage is in. Maps of each hole, with hole number, and the distance. Brick tees have gone in on a several holes, although other places continue to be an issue (# 3's tee still consists of nothing but lumpy hillside, directly in the kill zone of people teeing off on #5).

Obvious hazards such as the picnic table in #1's fairway have been removed, but others still exist. The cluster that is #3's tee, #'5's basket, and #6's tee needs a bit of reworking.

Otherwise, this course is trending in the right direction and my rating has been adjusted to reflect the positive changes.
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8 1
gkeberhart
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 36 played 31 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Has a great start 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 19, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

It is in a well manicured park. They used a lot of shots that go both ways and have elevation and water. Brand new baskets that also have number plates and are marked to tell you where the next tee is. There are several long holes as well as shorter holes. There were some wooded shots as well. They use the lake very well but didn't make it too prominent that its all you think about. Holes 5 and 6 have baskets on a big sledding hill which makes putting a very mental game.

Cons:

The concrete pads are not in yet and there is no signage at this point which makes it difficult to navigate the course at this point. Some of the wooded holes aren't cleared yet which is a pain but I spoke with the parks people and they are going to get on it when they can get the equipment back there. It seems as though a lot of the holes are 265ft which gets kind of redundant.

Other Thoughts:

Despite having a lot of holes the same length they do make sure that they are different shots. Holes 5 and 6 have their baskets very very close on the same hill and an errant shot from either of those could actually strike a player putting on the other. I know they are already talking about making some changes based on what they have seen in the first few days which is good to hear. As the course develops and gets some play it will allow for people to really enjoy it and beat in the lines. I like the course so far and as the rest of the work gets finished I will update this review.
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