Pittsburgh, PA

Linbrook DGC

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3.575(based on 27 reviews)
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9 0
The Red Death 30
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 26.9 years 81 played 36 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Best 9 Hole in Pittsburgh

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 1, 2024 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I start any review of a course with the natural aspects and Linbrook doesn't disappoint here. This course was built on a beautiful piece of land full of good, thick woods. The 3rd hole plays along a creek. As the lowest spot in the course, it tends to fill with mushrooms and animals. I've seen deer, turkey, etc on that hole. It also does, yes, have plenty of fairway, which to me adds to the sense of grandeur here as everything looks spacious while still feeling secluded, which is rare.

The course, itself, is really well designed and fun to play. You cross a road on 1. You get a downhill dunker on 2. There is a chasm to cross on 4 and again on 9. There is a nice balance of left leaning and right leaning fairways, as well. You, also, get to play a lot of elevation here. It's definitely a hike and you'll throw both uphill and downhill, as well as across those "canyons" mentioned earlier. The 7th Hole on this course is one of my favorite holes in PA, just fantastic. The drive is a huge, sweeping hyzer downhill. If you go too far you're in deep trouble. If you fall to the right or left you're in trouble. Once down the hill you still have quite a distance to go to either pin from there. It's a challenging hole that is also fun to throw. To be this deep in the woods without having to negotiate 100 trees on every fairway is NICE. I love the design in play here.

I love that there are two baskets here, which is one of the things that makes this most stand out for me. You can play 18 holes without it ever really feeling repetitive. They are actually even numbered 1 and 10 or 2 and 11, etc. It does feel like the back 9 pins are harder on most every hole. I wish they would change them up a bit more than they tend to do. The course, also, has three sets of tees, which I always appreciate. As my wife is learning to play the sport, it's important to me to have Red tees at a course for her.

There is a good bit of parking here any time of the year. There is a portable toilet avaialable year-round and a picnic pavilion right beside the practice basket that I've never seen used so it's always available for a rest. There are also benches and tables along the course, as well as garbage cans.

Cons:

There are three sets of tees, but they are all mostly just carpet or turf mats. Most of them could desperately use an overhaul. A few, in particular, are rough. The Red tee on 5 doesn't make sense. The carpet is nowhere near the sign and directly behind a hanging branch that makes the drive you need to throw impossible. The white tee on 7 needs a level badly. It's a downhill run up on bad carpeting.

The course gets very muddy during certain times of the year. A lot of that has to do with all the elevation and the drainage in certain places, but a few holes in particular are always a mess during rainy seasons, as well as the worst culprit is the trail from 9th basket down back down to the 1st tee. That is made even worse because there is a lot of horse walking happening in this park. That's cool with me, but those horses can destroy that trail even more.

During winter months, be warned. The park actually closes the main drive that comes up to the first tee. Before I picked up local knowledge, that meant walking a half mile uphill to get to the course. The right way to do it is to park on the far left of the bottom parking lot. You'll see a walking path leading over a footbridge. Just keep following it to the 3rd tee and play starting at 3.

Other Thoughts:

Always rumors of a back 9 happening here and I'd love to see that someday. This course seems to be a hidden gem to a degree because it never has the crowds that Knob or Schenley get and yet is still close to most any North Hills neighborhood.
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14 0
jamespenn
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 4.1 years 35 played 36 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Pleasant woods course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 6, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

For a course entirely in the woods is relatively wide. Then again my usual home course is Lenni Lenape in Lebanon PA and everything looks wide compared to the woods holes on that course.

Not too difficult to find and get disc off the fairway

Holes aren't on top of each other but you don't usually have to walk far either.

Nice mix of short holes and longer par 4s

Hilly without being overly brutal.

8 of the 9 holes are really fun, shots up and down hills, through valleys, lots of variety

Cons:

There's a par 4 that's a little contrived, I'm not a huge fan of par 4s where your tee shot is a short layup and then you have a long second shot. Then again if i could throw a 300 foot forehand Hyzer I wouldn't have to gripe.

It's a little tough to find the first tee on your first visit. When you park you have to walk behind the cricket field and the trees to get to the back tees. The shortest tee is along the road on the right. The first tee sign points you to the short tee. After that is pretty easy to find the next hole.

The turf tees are mostly not very level but they weren't slippery so it wasn't bad.

There may be 3 hole locations but only two baskets are up at any given time. Since this is a 9 hole course there is a front 9 and a back 9 basket. On the day i visited the front 9 was the basket on the right on every hole. The tee signs say there are 3 locations but no.

You might be just starting but a big wall of people might be just starting #10....i think the people just starting #1 get to go first though.

Other Thoughts:

I enjoyed this place a lot. It's wooded and challenging without being too brutal and frustrating. The rough is no place to be but it's not so bad that you spend much time looking. Tee pads are old but they still work. Having 2 different baskets does give it a little variety on your second time around. It's not exactly the same shots.
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9 0
Nutcase168
Experience: 11 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Hidden Gem 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 9, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Multiple Tee locations
Multiple pin locations
Challenging course
Technical shots

Cons:

Old Turf Tee pads
Tees pads aren't level
All woods, no real open holes
Not for new players

Other Thoughts:

I know this course is a incomplete project, but its a lot of fun. For 9 holes it will challenge you, especially from the Blue tees. Par 32 for 9 holes is amazing. And Hole 7 is so picturesque. I'd rather come here and challenge myself on 9 technical holes than play a wide open easy park style course.

Its not quite a 4, but its definitely better than a 3.5. I'd say its a 3.75 right now, with new tee pads and a back nine this place could easily be a 4.5-5 course. Here's hoping they do get it finished!

If they get to put in the back 9 and its of the same caliber as the front, this place will rival the other big name courses in the area.
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6 0
Jeriicco
Experience: 19.1 years 23 played 4 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Linbrook 2019 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Seclusion, this course takes you on a hike through the woods up, down and away from the other sections of the park. No distractions.

-Hole length variation, for just 9 holes you get it all. Short and long par 3s and 4s. There are a few holes that have ace potential and two monster holes with distances that you'd typically not see on a woods course.

-Signs leading you to the course, parking, practice basket with a pavilion near by. Easy course navigation, it flowed pretty nicely from the parking lot, through the woods and back to the parking lot.

Cons:

-Tee boxes, they are small, bumpy and slick. The turf is worn out and at the end of its life. You can still drive fine from every hole but this is one minor issue I found with the course.

-Maintenance, this is a tough course to navigate let alone maintain. It's has some steep up and down terrain and its in the middle of the woods relying on more natural features to define the fairways, I assume many discs have been lost on this course. Much respect to whoever maintains it...if anyone.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this course. Some of the holes would provide a challenge to even the best of players. It has some narrow driving lanes and can be unforgiving if you find a tree with your disc. I had my 10 year old son with me and found the red tee's really give beginners a much easier look. The blue and whites were pretty similar with the blue tees being only a few feet back from the whites on several holes both providing a much more challenging drive than the reds.
This course is truly a hike, you ascend and descend through some fairly steep hills. I played the course through a very rainy stretch and some of these descents were slick. When in rains there will be unavoidable mud but as long as your ok with that it's still good disc golf.
I loved hole 7, it's an absolute monster in length at 800+ feet, you drive down hill through a lightly wooded fairway before it opens up into a small clearing with a few patches of trees to keep it challenging. More experienced players could ace holes 4, 8 and 9.
The one thing I want to say before I end this review is I really wish it had 18 holes. I have no idea who's behind the course but they did an excellent job winding this course through the woods. It would really add another level if it had some open holes and in my opinion the park could accommodate more. If you find yourself in this area playing some of the more popular courses I think this course is worthy of a visit.
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15 0
armiller
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 9 years 275 played 60 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Long, Technical, and Fun Niner 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 21, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

- challenging, long, and technical 9-hole - fun golf!
- good elevation change and good wooded golf
- good park with easy access and parking
- good baskets, good navigation, good tee signs

Cons:

- the rough was very rough, with slightly overgrown but manageable fairways (I bet maintenance is difficult especially in wetter seasons) - we didn't throw any multiples for fear of losing discs
- some tees a bit short (7 white, as well as a couple others)
- no course map online (no big deal, since on-course navigation is very good)

Other Thoughts:

Park quality: very good, including multiple sport facilities (I was surprised to see a cricket match in progress), picnic areas, a playground, restrooms
Access: easy to find, lots of parking
Course essentials: great tee signs, great baskets (Discatchers), great course navigation, adequate tees (the local club may still be making improvements, from the looks of it)

I played Linbrook as a bit of an afterthought while in the area for other reasons and after playing Moraine earlier in the day. The relatively high rating caught my attention, but I didn't read any course information and started blind on hole 1. Everything about Linbrook was impressive throughout my round here. Having no idea what to expect, I was surprised to find a 9 hole with so many par 4s and with nothing ordinary or easy about it.

This was an interesting course to me. I've seen many 9 holes with 9 short, technical holes, and would probably have been more than satisfied with something similar here. Instead, the designers have taken a thickly wooded area on good up & down terrain and made a very special, relatively long 9-hole course that seemed even longer due to its technicality and elevation changes. As a first timer, hole #3 showed me what was in store, with relatively technical 600-700' par 4, the narrow fairway running between a hillside and a creek bed. These par 4s were well done and probably the most memorable holes on the course. On hole #6 I like the ability to choose between an upper and lower fairways that both cut sideways up a hill. Hole #7 was a very fun downhill par 4 that begs you to sneak a distance driver through some initial trees and try to avoid crashing into some thick rough. Even the par 3s tend to be long, or tight enough that 300' here seems much longer. From the longer tees, the nice downhill on hole #2 is really the only ace run opportunity. In summary, this course is more challenging and requires way more shots than I'd expect, between the variable technical lines, uphill/downhill shots, and wooded greens. Playing all these holes was memorable and fun.

Rating: As I was playing, I realized this could be the first 9-hole I'd consider worthy of a 4.0 (Excellent). In the end, I settled on 3.5 for Very Good. It's really fun, and I might come back here even before returning to Knob Hill. It's good golf from both a fun and challenge perspective, and a course I would plan to play twice in a row during my next visit. The rough, and sometimes even fairways, can be really rough, and the tees in particular could still use some small improvements. But as is, it's already very good, worthy of a disc golfer's time, and definitely one I'd recommend. I'll be back.
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3 3
superium
Experience: 15.9 years 138 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Best 9 hole course I played 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 23, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Elevation, 3 sets of tees with turf pads in process, tee signs and signage for easy navigation. Discatcher baskets. Well defined fairways especially for long challenging holes.

Cons:

Only 9 holes. Probably gets a bit sloppy after a hard rain.

Other Thoughts:

It was hard to give this less than a 4 star rating even being just a 9 hole course. Such a fun and challenging course. Add 9 holes with similar characteristics and this in my opinion would be the best course or at least top 3 in the Pittsburgh area.
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16 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1562 played 1507 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not The Course To Play Solo As Evening Approaches! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 17, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

I decided to play Linwood Park DGC at the last minute when I had a little extra time. The park is fairly large and seems to be the epicenter for the less traditional sports such as lacrosse and cricket. I wish I could have spent some time observing these games.

The disc golf course seems to be in a area that is mostly disc golf exclusive. As you enter the park, there is a sign pointing to all the park's rec areas and, sure as heck, there is disc golf listed. We're becoming mainstream, I reckon. There is a pavilion at the start as well as a practice basket. A 1st tee sign points the way into the woods and to the 1st tee pad. There are three tee pads for each hole (some carpeted, some not) along with three basket positions. The baskets are Discatchers. There are quite a few next tee signs. For me, navigating the course was easier than navigating many individual holes.
The course plays at an intermediate level from the longs. From the middle, I would think it's intermediate to recreation level. My problem here, was the very thick rough that eats discs and makes this course really difficult to play alone. I spent most of my time searching for errant throws, some of which were just barely off the fairway. I'm not really a fan of 500-600' holes with narrow fairways and thick rough. But I see where some players enjoy this challenge. I do really like the fact that there are three separate tees that can give you three such different looks at the basket. This is truly a course where, by playing the different tees, you get three vastly different rounds. Other than the omnipresent rough, it would be like playing three different courses. Number 9 is a great example of this. From the long is 219' over a gully with foreboding rough to throw over and needing a little anhyser action towards the end. From the middle, it's a straight forward Ace run.

Cons:

Course could be treacherous in the rain.
Deep rough makes losing/searching for disc commonplace.
Length, rough and tightness, while a Pro for many can be a Con for others.
You really need multiple players in your group to tackle this course. There are too many holes where you lose sight of your disc over a hill or around the bend.

Other Thoughts:

Linwood is a difficult course for me to rate. For a rec player who frequently plays alone, I could see myself giving it a 2 or 2.5. For those you looking to be challenged more than a Schenley Park experience, I can totally understand you rating this course 3.5. I hope I reached a fair compromise at 3.0. I would like to play it again with a team of spotters at my side. Number 7 would be great if you could just let her fly without fear of your disc disappearing off the fairway.

And when someone finds my beaten in old red Leopard in the deep rough on # 9, call me and I'll be glad to order you a new disc of your choice. I've been with that old Leopard for a long, long time and I'm already missing her!
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2 3
abreneman
Experience: 25 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course! Natural OB is tough in summer 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 13, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Great elevation changes
- Very challenging
- Good hole design, requires good forehand and backhand
- Multiple tees
- Minimal course traffic, never waiting on another group

Cons:

- During spring and summer the rough is "rough". It is very easy to loose quite a few discs
- Only 9 holes
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12 1
swatso
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.7 years 755 played 414 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Moon Zappa 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 7, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Tee signs: At each tee. Shows all tee locations, all pin positions, current basket position, distance and elevation delta to all positions.

Three tees and three pin positions per holes.

Easy navigation.

Practice basket, pavilion at start.

Cons:

Played just after a rain. The near entirety of hole-6, early on hole-7, and a long stretch of hole-9 were quite slippery. Several lower spots were quite boggy.

Other Thoughts:

Course plays up, down, and across the wooded slopes towards the back of a public, multi-purpose park. Elevation change on practically every hole, more downs than ups, but mostly my favourite - across valley/ravines.

The throwing lanes are all quite fair, relative to the distance you are throwing. Straight off the tee will work well on a majority of the holes, but some rights/lefts are required in the middle of the course.

Tee pads are a work in progress, with the front half complete. The tees are good quality.

This is the best niner I've played, and it stacks up well against the other top greater Pittsburgh-area courses.
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6 1
jkleissler
Experience: 6.9 years 12 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Course developing nicely 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 17, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Relatively good navigation from hole to hole after hole 1.
Excellent use of elevation changes in most of the holes.
Holes are well designed and require a good variety of throws.
Course is rough but well maintained.
Nice practice basket/pavilion positioning near parking area.

Cons:

Hole to hole navigation in a couple spots was difficult to discern.
For a first timer, it's not entirely clear where one is supposed to go to find the tee for hole 1. While the tee pads are well maintained for hole 1, I recommend clearer signage for getting to them.

Other Thoughts:

I played it last year but without a guide I couldn't find most tee pads and struggled my way through it. Now that temporary tee signs are posted and the tee pads are clearly marked this course was a pleasure to play and i'm eager to return. I highly recommend this course. This course is the closest to Deer Lakes in terms of elevation usage. And the woods are very nice overall. Hole 3 is a gorgeous valley hole. Love the look from the white tees on Hole 9. Also, I think the tees are well designed so that the red/blue tee is not just a shorter/longer look of the white tee on most holes. They often are unique looks with different throws required.
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7 2
KoolaidOverdose
Experience: 16.8 years 27 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 29, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

•Tight technical holes with a few opportunities for long bombs
•Wonderful use of the landscape
•Benches at nearly every hole
•Separation from the rest of the park helps to feel at one with nature

Cons:

•Tees: 1) Some holes have 3 sets of pads (carpet), some have only 2 (unless I just couldn't find the third), and some tees don't have pads at all (just flags). 2) No hole signs
•"Next tee" signs are hard to spot on some holes. The sign from hole 3 to hole 4 is confusing for a first time player. When you go up the hill the sign points to the right, but when you get to the top of the hill you find the basket for hole 9, the gravel road that goes back to the parking lot, along with two other paths. Eventually I figured out the tee pad was actually to the left behind and around hole 9's basket. In hindsight I understand how the sign pointing to the right is to deter players from walking into the field of play for hole 9. My suggestion would be to add a second sign at the top of the hill pointing to the left.
•Not a good course to take small children. My 3 year old was constantly asking to be carried due to the steep uphill climbs and downhill treks.

Other Thoughts:

Course work would really make this course worth visiting regularly. Now that all the pins have been installed, it's time to make tee signs and install permanent tee pads.
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3 11
TXDiscDude
Experience: 16.7 years 113 played 13 reviews
1.50 star(s)

not fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 14, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice and green on the course.
A few nice shots
Easy to navigate alone
Nice practice area

Cons:

Nasty carpet tee pads
Garbage fairways
Lots of searching in trees
No flow
Had to walk pretty close to most baskets to find out where I was throwing

Other Thoughts:

Go to knob hill instead. This course is lacking basic necessities...Trash cans, benches.
Huge branch came crashing down close by. Be careful
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5 1
Jags
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 9.6 years 84 played 42 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice wooded course, hard to follow. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 13, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very nice wooded course with some technical shots. I rather enjoyed this course other the the below mentioned cons. Worth playing but play with someone who knows the course.

Cons:

Tee pads are pieces of carpet. Holes have NO SIGNAGE to show pin placement. The only signs are wooden blocks with green spray-painted numbers on it which are hard to see being GREEN. Most holes I'd walk halfway to the basket to see where it was located. Course doesn't have the best flow to it. Their are some next tee signs with arrows pointing in general direction while other times it leaves you guessing. Course is very wet and soggy/muddy in places.

Other Thoughts:

Much better signage and cement tee pads would make this a much more enjoyable course. I know I have more cons than pro's but if a couple issues were taken care of with some TLC this course would be quite the gem.
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10 0
leath
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.9 years 142 played 17 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A wooded challenge, rough around the edges 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 23, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- This course is heavily wooded, with a number of tight fairways and elevation changes on every hole. It offers a very secluded atmosphere, which will be even greater when the trees and brush have leaves in the summer.
- Multiple tees on each hole, marked with colored flags.
- There are "next tee" signs near each basket, which makes navigation more manageable.
- Holes #1-6 form a clockwise loop and #7-9 form a smaller counter-clockwise loop. The baskets for #6 and #9 are both reasonably close to the parking lot, so you can stop at the car to rehydrate if needed.
- Variety comes in the form of both hole shape (left, right, or straight) and use of the hilly terrain (up, down, or some combination).

Cons:

The course is pretty rough, and the locals I played with said that it isn't maintained all that well. Plan to spend some time searching for discs in the summer, especially if you get off the fairways into the rough - they looked pretty uninviting even in March.
- Tees are natural or carpeted, which is understandable; it would be really difficult to get gravel or concrete to some of those locations. Unfortunately, they weren't all level, which is harder to overlook.
- No tee signs. If I wasn't playing with locals, I would have spent a fair amount of time searching for the baskets, and probably the tee pads. I played in late March before the leaves were out, so I know it gets much worse.

Other Thoughts:

I'd rather play a wild, wooded course than an open city park, so I definitely enjoyed my round here. But I probably won't make it a regular stop because of the lack of maintenance and because it's designed for advanced players, which I'm not. If there were visible tee signs and a set of white tees to go with the blue and gold, it would be appealing to a wider group of players.

Family friendly rating - 1.0
PROS: I think there are two different playgrounds at the park, one being near the start of the course. There are also a number of baseball and soccer fields, so plenty of space to run around. The 9-holes are made up of two smaller loops, so access to the parking lot is okay. With all the athletic fields, it seems likely that there is at least one restroom facility on site, but I was in a hurry and didn't think to look.
CONS: It is not stroller accessible, and I would not recommend taking small kids for a round here - you'll spend time in the rough, and no one will have a good time. You'll need someone to stay with the kids at the playground if you want to play a round.
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4 1
Mark Sachon
Experience: 10 years 22 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Linbrook - An Underappreciated Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 13, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course was just a hop from the city of Pittsburgh and barren of anyone on a seventy degree day in mid December. The overwhelming ambiance was very naturalistic and organic. Very little noise from any vehicular traffic or off road activities. The rolling hills and valleys proved to be tricky and should not be taken fro granted for the player looking to breeze through a quick nine.

Cons:

Some of the tees have aged and the markers distinguishing between blue and orange are hard to find on certain pins. If it's your first time there you'll have to do some scouting to find the pin.

Other Thoughts:

It's an awesome course, tricky and challenging to tempt the pro but fun enough for the rank amateur. Don't miss it if you're in the area.
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2 1
DaveSantoro
Experience: 7.9 years 19 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Play Linbrook 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 15, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great 9 hole course with changing elevations that winds through the woods. Challenging tee and pin locations makes you throw many different discs. Perfect for short fall days after work. Takes about an hour and 1/2 to play.

Cons:

The course being situated IN the woods means there a lot of leaves and they can eat your discs so watch them closely. Also lots of ticks.

Other Thoughts:

I love playing linbrook it's a great course that needs to be sued more. Also it serves as a great practice facility, because the 2 adjacent fields are open and large. So take out your new plastic and bomb away on the field then jam out a quick round.
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14 0
Qikly
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.8 years 181 played 150 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Well-Designed Course for the Big Dogs 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 5, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Although it's only 9 holes in its present incarnation, Linbrook offers a degree of epic challenge I've rarely seen on 18 holers. 3 and 5-7 are all well over 500 ft from the short tees, and are complex, multistage par 4s with lots of obstacles and elevation changes. These holes really challenge your game from drive to putt, and it's rare to make par without a textbook play through. The remaining holes consist of tight, turning lines down wooded fairways (2, 8) or more open shots forcing you to choose and navigate a challenging window (1, 4, 9). The last of these are your best chance for birdies, but they're far from gimmies: drastic elevation changes and thick rough mean that one unfortunate bounce or roll away can add 2 or 3 strokes in an instant. Overall, Linbrook is characterized by thick woods, tight windows, extreme elevation changes, long holes, and smartly-designed, unique lines that require you to accurately control the entire course of your disc's flight. It's a spectacular challenge whose golf stands with the best courses in the area.

Navigation flow is well done, considering its penchant for winding paths; the course is helpfully marked where needed.

The proximity to Knob Hill and other quality courses makes this an easy course to hit as part of a larger disc golf trip to the area.

Some holes to single out:

3 is one of the hardest holes I've ever played. The combination of distance (584 or 680), hazards (plentiful mid-fairway trees, a winding creek that borders the fairway's right before cutting in front of the basket), tightness, and elevation (the hillside to the left if you end up there, and the fairway's gradual upward rise) combine to make this a very challenging 4.

6 is another tough 4: a slight hyzer up a steep hill whose fairway straightens out to play along the hillside. Plenty of rollaway potential here, with a tight cluster of trees guarding the pin and some serious rough beyond the basket combining to really challenge your approach game.

7 is a beautiful downhill hyzer that plays into a gorgeous clearing. Birdieable if you hit your drive right. Playing too far to the left means some challenging upshots through the many trees that shield the basket.

Cons:

Without a doubt Linbrook's biggest con is its rough present state. The tee pads are natural, and are vulnerable to getting mucked up. The rough is largely ungroomed, making shots from off the fairway almost impossible on several holes. When the fairway gets overgrown, even your most well-placed shots can be swallowed. Coupled with a tendency towards blind shots, having a spotter can make or break the enjoyableness of your round.

Tee signs would be welcome, especially given the quirky nature of many lines and the frequent inability to see the pin from the tee. There are white tees on some if not all the holes, but I think I've only been able to pick out one or two of them. Even the blue tees can be hard to find on occasion.

The level of difficulty is extreme here. If you go in knowing what to expect, it's fine, and the fact that there are only nine holes helps temper the sense of getting beaten on. Beyond all that, I appreciate Linbrook's challenges - they're part of the fun - but if things aren't clicking it can be a downer of a round. I've come out of here feeling the sting of an especially tough round more often than not.

There are some limits to the hole variety to be had here given the constantly wooded environment. I think the course design is pretty brilliant, but playing in the thick woods does rule out certain portions of your bag. Coupled with the fact that there are only nine holes, Linbrook presently makes for a very particular kind of disc golf, which can be good or bad depending on how you take to its challenges.

Other Thoughts:

The course was in pretty rough condition the first time I played it (July 2013). I was disappointed, and it marred my overall experience of it, but I decided to delay my opinion until visiting again after hearing from locals that the course usually looked better. I'm glad I did, because this is truly one heck of a course: the long, winding holes are really unique, and the entire thing challenges your game in a way I hadn't experienced before. I think this one is really worth a visit, and presently overlooked more than it should be.

There are plans to expand the course to 18 holes, once the park approves. I sure hope they do, because I feel that a well-groomed, well-signed, 18-hole Linbrook would become as highly regarded as Moraine and Deer Lakes. As it stands, it's still a unique offering to the area's embarrassment of riches.

It's worth noting that, all things being equal, I'm inclined to rate an 9-holer lower than an 18-hole equivalent. I had been inclined to give Linbrook a 3.5 because of this. Linbrook's spectacular challenges and unique holes deserve special consideration, however; three months since my last visit, I'm still thinking about them. As such, as of Jan 2014, I'm bumping my rating up to a 4.0.

Bravo to the course designers for this one. I look forward to seeing this course blossom.
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6 0
nytrate
Experience: 6 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great course, I hope it improves 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 9, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course was well laid out, had some very technical holes, and was long enough to justify driving to and playing a 9 hole course. Some extreme turns, lots of elevation, and plenty of trees to avoid. A lot of narrow shots.

This is a great place to practice and get better at the sport.

Cons:

Finding the first tee was difficult for me. Once you get in the woods, the gnats or whatever other bugs become somewhat unbearable. The tees are very rough, the brush is very thick (lost a disc on hole 2 by overshooting the basket, looked for an hour), and when I played the grass was long. Many of the fairways are filled with meadow grasses and weeds and make it very easy to lose sight of a disc. It is also troubling if you don't have high socks or pants on. I saw several snakes, spiders, and other crawlers in the grass in the fairways.

Other Thoughts:

[EDIT: I have been playing the course regularly since my review. I really enjoy this course. To clarify my last review, I have no intent on coming and making modifications. I was unaware of the situation and just wanted to volunteer myself to help in case it was needed.]
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9 1
BigAl724
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.6 years 178 played 144 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Already one of the best courses in the area, despite being unfinished 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 31, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Discatcher baskets, my favorite
-Challenging shots with specific lines
-Great experience in the dense and beautiful woods
-Bathroom between holes 3 and 4
-Many different shots: Straight bombs, downhill then uphill, extreme anhyzers, long downhill shots, extreme hyzers, slight anhyzers
-Good variety of distance drivers, fairway drivers, and mid-range off the tee
-Next tee signage and easy to find next hole. There is no where to go except through the paths that are there. Going to hole 4 was a little confusing for me at first, just go around the bathroom and follow the path to the left.
-The park doesn't get crowded
-In an area with very close proximity to other courses. Just a few miles away from both Knob Hill and Old Economy Park.

Cons:

-Natural pads are a little uneven at times
-Gets pretty muddy in the fairway when it rains (but it is in the woods so can't really help that)
-Some holes (3,5, and 7)seem impossible to par at my skill level, but I only played from the gold tees so I can't really complain about that
-Bugs
-Dense rough, and makes blind shots challenging to find discs on the last few holes
-No tee signs, but after playing it a few times that doesn't bother me
-I wish there were one or two open shots to just bomb the disc
-Not good at all for beginners IMO

Other Thoughts:

It may seem unfair to rate this a 4.5 without tee pads or tee signs, but the technicality of the holes is tremendous! Each hole is very unique and you will use you entire bag on this course. That is what we're all really after anyways, isn't is? Champion level course in my mind because there is no real luck involved here as there can be in most other courses. Accuracy is a must and the layout is beautiful.

Holes 1, 4, and 9 provide downhill then uphill shots. Hole 2 is a shorter slight anhyzer with a tight fairway. Hole 3 is an extremely long straight shot with a tight fairway. Hole 5 is an extreme anhyzer then uphill. Hole 6 has an extreme hyzer then long straight fairway. Hole 7 is an extreme hyzer and downhill. Hole 8 is a pretty straight shot through a lot of trees.

Holes 1, 3, 7, 8, and 9 are my favorite holes. It is very hard to pick a favorite hole for this course because each one is so unique. Which is why I gave it the rating I did. Can't wait until this course grows to 18 holes and thus, it's fullest potential.
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2 7
Yeti08
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Work in Progress 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Many different kinds of holes that really test your skills. Easy to go from hole to hole once you find #1. Eager to see what the course will become.

Cons:

Some real sloppy holes and of course missing tees, hope these will be worked on soon.

Other Thoughts:

Promises to be a great course!
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