Pineville, LA

Fort Buhlow DGC

4.145(based on 7 reviews)
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7 0
PMantle
Experience: 11.7 years 67 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Fort Buhlow DGC 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 19, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Varied terrain and shot shapes. Almost no duplicate holes. Easy to follow. Aesthetically pleasing. Large concrete pads. Well maintained. Routed back to parking lot. Picnic tables with grills. Trash cans on course.

Cons:

1 set of pads. Water fountains are broken. 1 very questionable hole. Too little use of contour.

Edit: I'm told the fountains were shut off for winter. I'll check them next time out. I have gotten used to bringing multiple water bottles anyway.

Other Thoughts:

I really could play just this course the rest of my life. It has almost everything. One must shape mids/putter in the woods, then air out their drivers in the open. Shape varies a lot too. The dogleg woods holes really help one develop different shots and reward accuracy over power. The open holes provide varying winds and force crucial disc selections. Even the open holes have either ob or some trees to avoid. Risk/reward comes into play several times. Imagination can be rewarded big time.

Keeping this course from being perfect:

One set of tees. I could see longer players wanting to throw farther off the tee. Even with my poor power, there are only two holes I can't reach.

13 is just a bad design. If one can't throw over the tree line(which may not have even been intended by the designer) the player must throw a precise distance to an opening in the trees at a bridge over a drain in order to negotiate the nearly 90* dogleg. That "opening" is guarded by several disc grabbing trees. Getting across the drain in 2 can be a challenge, then you are presented with a basket guarded by several ash trees and two mystery bushes.

No drinking water.

A few baskets are crowded by trees or overhanging branches.

7 and 13 are par 4s by any real definition.
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1 3
Austin Aschbrenner
Experience: 11.3 years 15 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Fort Buhlow 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Long Holes
Difficult Holes
WELL kept
Concrete Tee-boxes
Just the right amount of difficulty.
Many different types of scenery in one course.
Easy to cross water hazards when grip lock gets the best of you.
Strategically placed trees that magnetize all drives.
Some of the baskets have a different type of grass planted around them symbolizing actual golf greens, which is very amusing.

Cons:

The 490 and 500 feet par threes should probably be par four.
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2 2
RRRTourney
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Excellent course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 11, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

There is little to complaint about on this course. It has a good mix of open, forested and holes in between as well as some well utilized elevation changes. It seems very well kept and clean. There are plenty of trash cans and benches and it is laid out in such a way with adequate signs to keep you from getting lost. It is a lot of fun to play and most holes have some unique character to them. There is only one wide open hole on the course (16).

Cons:

Signage could be a bit better, but this is just a small complaint.

Other Thoughts:

I last played this for the tournament held there in November, 2012, and had a blast. It is centrally located and easy to get to from most of the state and well worth the drive.
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1 1
Mung
Experience: 11.9 years 61 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great course in Cenla 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 16, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Long course on lots of land; very little chance of getting lost or confused. Great variety of holes, terrain, elevation and potential shot selection. New holes being added will make this a 36 hole course.

Cons:

Sometimes the grass in the long open fairways gets a bit high; poison ivy infests the woods; mosquitos can be tough. Two holes, #7 and #13 the holes could be par 4.

Other Thoughts:

This is a great course, and in a perfect location, on the edge of the terrace and Red River bottomland, which provides some elevation changes unlike most courses in Louisiana. I've played several other courses and this one has numerous advantages. First, it is so spread out that you can't really get confused as to which basket you are throwing to, like the courses set on a small plot of land. The hilly terrain of Buhlow Park allowed a huge variety of hole types. The park keeps the fairways and travel paths between tees mowed. I think it has really boosted the number of visitors to the park, which is mostly used for boating on the Red River and Cross Country races in the fall. Every time I play a different course, I appreciate this one more.
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4 0
Doofenshmirtz
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.8 years 121 played 72 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Grows on you like poison ivy. 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 7, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course has lots of variation of both terrain (from open shots to forested tunnels) and difficulty level. The first four holes are in thick hardwood forest. Holes 5 & 6 open up a little with trees guarding both baskets. 7 has a wide open tee shot and requires a precise second shot just to get into a small opening back into the forest. 8 is completely forested with significant elevation change. 9 has an elevated tee over a wide open fairway. The rest of the course is just as varied. The grounds are well kept and the course layout is easy to navigate.

This course is almost exactly 3 miles from I-49. It is very easy to get to if you are traveling through Alexandria.

Cons:

Poison Ivy! There is lots of most of the year. It is so thick in places that it may be difficult to find a disc that wanders into the woods.
The signs can be less that clear with respect to OB and mandos. The distances are off and the pars are incorrect on a couple of holse. But these are minor issues.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun course to play, requiring a variety of throwing techniques. Even the difficult holes are fun. There are no 'throwaway" holes with only one (16) that is truly wide open and even it has a little character with a long OB roadway to the left and elevation changes near the basket.

The more that I play other courses, the better my impression gets of Buhlow. This course uses a lot of acreage and the layout was very well thought out. As a result, it is sneaky difficult but fair. Missing the line on a short wooded hole can leave you with a 5. But the same hole can be birdied if you hit that line. Holes 1-4, 8, 17 and 18 fit that mold. I have birdied all of them multiple times. I have double bogeyed all of them multiple times as well.

Most of the more open holes require some shot shaping to get you in birdie position. In many cases, an errant drive will cost you a bogie. Some holes are easier, 14 and 16 come to mind, but an errant tee shot can be very problematic (OB on 16 and a picket fence of trees guarding the basket on the left on 14). Some holes virtually require backhand throws, some holes are set up perfectly for forehand. Big hyzers, anhyzers, turnovers, flex shots and tomahawks all have their place on this course and sometimes as alternate throws on the same hole (15). I haven't played all the courses in Louisiana, but prefer this course to any that I have played so far.

There is one navigation issue on this hole. When you get to the No 7 tee box, pay close attention to the sign. You cannot see the basket which is 550 feet into the woods to the left of the No. 6 tee box. The basket that you can see is for hole No. 9. Do not throw off the side of the tee box a the No. 9 basket.
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5 0
bayouace
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.8 years 49 played 24 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Addition to Louisiana Disc Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 29, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Wow! The new Ft. Buhlow course has a bit of everything - hills, tight wooded holes, open grasslands. Holes you will probably never get a 2 on. A really nice experience. Start with 1-4 in the woods with tight fairways that are both anny and hyzers. Lots of disc-nicking trees to navigate. Then you move on to 5 and 6 which are reasonably open but protected. 6 is on a hill and I saw a putt roll 50 feet from the basket yesterday. 7 is a bugger that starts out wide open and long into a tunnel of trees. Better get the line right approaching the woods. 8 is an uphill hyzer wooded, and 9 is an anny with open left and trees right. 10 has two choices -risk a shot through the tunnel over water and a canopy, or go around with no chance at a deuce. 11 and 12 move into a combo grassland and pecan orchard situation, and you better be able to thread your shot. 13 is the signature.Throw it long to a landing area and then right angle across a tree-strewn creek with little clearance to the basket another 100' plus. 14 and 15 give some open relief, as does 16 up a small hill. 17 and 18 finish back in the tight woods with annys. What a fun, challenging experience. Water and restrooms at the parking lot. Picnic tables and a practice basket also. Friendly park rangers. Balance of shade and sun holes.

Cons:

Poison ivy - hey its woods in Louisiana. Road construction which makes it kinda hard to find the turn into Ft. Buhlow. The sign heading north is gone. If you get to the VA hospital, turn around and head back, The sign heading south is there, and you right turn immediately on a hairpin angle.

Other Thoughts:

Cross the US 71 old bridge northbound off I-49. When you see Buhlow Fun Park on your left and soon after a boat launch area with a big parking lot, get ready for the left turn off 71 at an angle. I met friends from Shreveport and West Monroe and it is so central to the state for that. Hope there is a tournament soon to show Ft. Buhlow off. Don't trash the course. Saw some beer bottles and cans, plus empty plastic that is just sad. Carry out what you take in and have a blast!
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3 1
Luddy
Experience: 28.8 years 5 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fort Buhlow DGC 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Concrete pins. Moderate to difficult pin placement and high degree of shot selection. Camping, boat ramp access, softball field, municipal airport. Play park for kids. Tabernacle for picnics or family reunions.

Cons:

Park closed at 1930 (only a problem in the summer hours). Bring drinks and snacks because the closest store is 10 minutes away (small con).

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this is a great course. Who ever designed it did a great job and put a lot of thought into the pin placement. The grounds are well kept and for the most part, the wooded holes have a defined approach (only #7 doesn't).
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