Cascade Locks, OR

Locks Approach DGC

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2.755(based on 10 reviews)
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10 0
chevis
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.8 years 194 played 39 reviews
3.50 star(s)

wind up the lock 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 21, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

+solid baskets that catch well
+concrete tees with grippy grooves (4 asphalt tees)
+informative tee signs
+mature trees and columbia gorge views
+shot variety: length, left/right, up/down, trees/open
+benches on a few holes
+rarely busy
+old school practice basket next to the parking lot
+plenty of parking

Cons:

-wind seems to always blow, or it's raining, or both :(
-train/freeway noise (just the first 4)
-grass gets tall in summer & blackberries overgrow
-1st time navigation in a few places
-no restroom
-shares a bike/hike trail in the trees (i'v never seen anyone on it tho)

Other Thoughts:

weather always seems to be a factor when i play here; getting it on a nice day is a real treat. the course starts in the open (few trees) with a couple longer holes, then 5-9 in the trees, 10 open (guarded basket), then 11-13 in the trees & 14-18 open again. on windy days all these open holes result in a difficult course. 15 used to have a ton of blackberries (maybe a tree), but they've been leveled, so now it's a wide open shot. no real standout holes, but plenty of different shots off the tee. there are a few places where you could lose a disc (i lost one in the blackberries right before 18s basket). the rough off the fairways is thick and pokey, so beginners might have a tough time. the course drains pretty well, but there are a few places that have standing water after/during rain. a cart would be pretty tough to roll around in a lot of places.
maybe it's the location or the empty roundabout, but it feels like abandoned property. there was basket stolen; it has been replaced (now blue). the baskets catch well, but they don't give the cha-ching i like to hear from the chains/pole. i prefer n. bonneville across the bridge, but this one is worth playing and has more elevation. solid 3, but giving it a 3.5 to try to get that rating up.
it's good to have more options in the gorge.
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8 0
Breh
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.8 years 191 played 189 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 26, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Baskets our orange and fairly easy to see on the open holes from the tee box
Good tee pads
Not super hard to navigate
Most holes have tee sign with distances on it
Mixture of wooded/ open holes.
Good distance holes to air out driver with good clearly marked ob lines
Lots of park room for potential at a great course

Cons:

Hole 2 basket is missing
Some of the tee signs our missing on the holes
The wooded section is a mess and way overgrown half the lines our gone and the rough is very rough I recommend pants no matter your skill level
The open holes feel very repetitive after awhile and boring same shot type feel on like 6 open holes.

Other Thoughts:

This course could be amazing with time and upkeep. However you can tell that it's never taken care of which is sad because the potential here is huge. The wooded holes could be good if they had routine work parties. However all in all it's a course I would avoid but if a club was to come in and do some work I could see it becoming a solid course
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2 4
Javy818
Experience: 15.8 years 25 played 11 reviews
4.50 star(s)

I LOVED this course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

In an AWESOME area! Cascade Locks is a beautiful place and very unique to me for disc golf. Zuca cart friendly. There is a beach so you can hang out by the river and take in some views on hole 6.

Cons:

Poison Oak everywhere. Bring a selfie stick or some sort of stick to grab your disc out of the thick. Unpredictable weather means it can rain and get super windy in a moments notice.

Hole 9 is an uphill blind shot. The course doesnt flow good after that unless you really know where you are going.

Other Thoughts:

I was all alone when playing and lo and behold the course designer, DC Dan was there playing! He showed me around the back part of the course and told me about it. Nice guy! Hi Dan!
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7 4
creeddude98
Experience: 6 played 5 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Very Disapointed 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 23, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-The first five holes are decent
-Signage is acceptible

Cons:

-Not well maintained
-No map of entire course
-Land up for lease, redevelopment
-Briers/Blackberry bushes overtake the course
-Easy to lose your disc in the brier patches

Other Thoughts:

I had high hopes for this course. I read the reviews on here before I left and felt that this course was worth giving a shot. I was really disappointed.

The first few holes were great, but the grass between the tee and the basket was not cut; as high as six feet in some places, and full of small blackberry shoots. The terrane of the first two holes is flat, open field with a few trees. At tee three, large blackberry bushes dot the landscape, but with a clear shot to the basket. Tee four, the blackberry bushes and trees begin to thicken and makes it challenging to get a clear shot to the basket. Tee five shoots off of a ravine and the basket is off to the left behind the trees (not visible from tee). The path going down the slope into the ravine below is very steep. It looks like at one time, there were stairs carved into the dirt and gravel put down, but the stairs have mostly eroded away and is mostly dirt with a few rocks that help somewhat with traction. On a wet, rainy day, this would be nearly impossible to traverse without injury.

Tees 6, 7, 8, and 9 are in a densely wooded area with lots of briers along the path. If your disc is not perfectly shot, you will lose it in the briers, unless you have a machete with you to cut your way to your lost disc. Tee 8 is very confusing. No sign posted here, except for a tree painted with a big number 8 on it with an arrow pointing to the left. Follow the path up to the left and go up the ridge. There is a tiny sign with the number eight on it, but you don't even know it is the tee. There is no concrete pad on here and no direction to the basket. Hole eight is behind you down the hill towards the water. Not well thought out here. Tee 9 is the last shot in the wooded area and have to shoot up a 30 to 40 foot hill towards the end of the fairway. The basket is just over the ridge.

The back 9 are pretty awful as well. Hard to find out where the tees are, no signage, and is very easy to shoot for the wrong basket. Since there is a lack of signage, some of the trees have the tee number painted on them, so watch out for any indication as to where the tee is.

In conclusion, this course is defintely not very well thought out and does not appear to be maintained on a regular basis. Grass is long and full of stickers, thistles, and blackberry shoots. the overall quality of this course is dismal to say the least. Over half of the course sits on land slated for development in the future. The course is full of blackberry bushes, especially from holes 5 through 18, lightening up a bit on the last few holes, so do not wear shorts on this course. Probably would be helpful to where leather boots, shin pads, and a thick, long sleeve shirt, especially if your disc lands on either side of the narrow fairways. My recommendation is to find another course and skip this one altogether.
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8 2
JerichoBronco
Experience: 10 years 36 played 19 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Great front 9: Abysmal back 9 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 7, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

*Signs at the tee boxes
*Benches/Garbage cans
*Nice baskets
*Holes 4-8: This is where the course gets fun. You have a blind 300 ft hyzer off the tee (one of the best holes I've ever played), then you are throwing through the forest, which is fun and beautiful. Ending at hole 8 which is a downhill shot you have to keep low through a beautiful canopy.

Cons:

*The back 9. And hole 9.
*VERY poor directions between some of the holes
*Thorns in the rough. Wear good pants!!!
*Decent amount of foot traffic: bikers, fishermen (parking right next to baskets)

Other Thoughts:

I had high hopes for this course after reading the reviews but by the time my friend and I were done, we couldn't wait to leave. I live in the gorge and expected high winds but there are far too many holes where you are throwing in an open field right into the wind. After hole 8 the course just loses its fun. You end up back on top of the area throwing against the wind for almost all of the remaining holes. So picture yourself in a large field throwing into 25+mph winds again, and again and again. It gets old fast, as there just aren't enough trees to break it up. The coup de grâce being the 18th holes a 521 foot par 3 into the wind.

I would rate the first 9 holes a 3 1/2 and the back 9 a zero. I know my review seems low based on the quality of the front 9 but if I could give a negative score to the back 9 I would. No imagination on the holes.

I've never felt so frustrated after a round of disc golf as I did after doing the back 9. I don't plan on going back unless the back 9 is redone, so if you choose to play this course I would stop at hole 9.

5/18/15 UPDATE
Played this course for the first time since my review and would like to add a few things. Although there is signage and a course map they still need arrows pointing between several of the holes to help with transitions.

I liked this course a bit more but the reality is it is for big arms. I can throw 350 and luckily I made it on a day with no wind and I was able to stay just over par by a few strokes. So my advice is until you can throw 325+ stay away from this course. This is for the experienced disc golfer. I was too raw the first time I played it is the bottom line.

Holes 9 + 18 still suck, they should really be 4 par holes.

So I am increasing my original rating of 1 to a 2.5. This isn't a course I'm looking forward to going back to for a long time again. They try to clear the underbrush but if you miss the cleared out areas you are going to get cut up and spend some serious time looking for your disc. I'm fine with a challenging course as long as when I fail I don't want to spend a lot of time looking through thorns for my disc.
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4 1
longandwrong
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.2 years 59 played 39 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great scenic views and wind 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 1, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Other reviews pretty much give the full lowdown. I really liked the holes down by the river in the woods. Number 5 was an awesome hizer for this forearm thrower and with the right super high throw the disc sailed right into birdie zone! Next hole was a (whoa, I'm a forearmer) great little flick with my Max to another birdie shot. Valkerie Kid's review is really good. I played on two consecutive days with no or very little wind and that made a huge difference. Nice bright orange baskets.

Cons:

A lot of 340 foot shots. I think I used my one driver for 11 of the 18 holes and then you get to 17&18 and it's like a nice easy backhand with a mid or putter. Interesting. Could use a large thrash can at Hole 1, I didn't know what to do with my coffee cup.
A map the first time was necessary but I think that goes for almost all courses I play the first time. Pads were on the street here and there and someone had at least painted a number and a throw line.

Other Thoughts:

For a second year course I thought it was great and a lot of fun. Maybe a few less 340foot holes by changing a basket or two to give a 500 footer and a couple of 400's would be good. But I do know that my arm from cranking sidearm throws was getting tired by the time I finished. Parking sign would be good but the notes on this site helped to identify the correct parking. Hole Number 1 pad needs a large sign. Welcome to the course! Oh---the course managers are doing a great job on poison oak control. Thanks it was fun and I will play it again. Maybe I'll get lucky and play it in the wind! Bonneville and this course make a great 1 - 2 punch.
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9 2
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

The Locks Are Gonna Be Locked Down And Sold Soon! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 17, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a tale of two courses. The holes out in front are set in the area of an industrial vacant lot. Then you move into the middle holes which are heavily forested so there's quite a contrast. As sillybizz so aptly explains, the open holes in front aren't the most impressive areas for a course. This area is mostly open with a few scattered trees, noisy from I-84 and features the always present Colombia Gorge winds. This wind makes this area a world famous destination for the sail boarders on the nearby Colombia River but I had no interest in battling it on the back nine.

The baskets are awesome while the tee pads confused me more than a little. You start on the first few holes by teeing off marked sidewalks and streets. Then I came to # 4 and found the BIGGEST, MOST HEAVY DUTY pad I've ever seen. I'm talking logging truck, heavy duty, industrial strength here. It's a standard issue concrete pad, surrounded by another two feet of gravel with a log border around that. These logs are two feet around so the pad is raised at least a foot! The # 5 pad is the same heavy duty type. Then you find normal concrete pads? Confusing, just a little?

# 5 is a downhill, hyser throw with the basket tucked way back into the woods to the left. A spotter is surely needed. I walked halfway down the steep trailway and still couldn't spot the basket.

# 8 stands out to me as the signature hole on this course. It's a downhill, maybe 270' to a visible basket, but you need to keep your tee-off low and the tunnel is very tight. The rough here is not too unforgiving.

The next hole, # 9, is a uphill shot, where I think the basket should be placed right at the top of the hill. I have a couple of reasons for this. First, so it's visible off the tee and secondly, that would make for some treacherous putts and possible rollaways.

After 9, the course just fell apart for me. Navigation was ridiculous even with the map I had printed off. The Gorge wind was blowing gale force, right in my face and that terrain is frankly, pretty uninteresting.

Cons:

The open industrial feeling area is mostly uninteresting and not too stimulating. Navigation is a nightmare on the back nine. The ever present winds were just no fun throwing into.

I think moving the basket to a visible spot on both # 5 and # 9 would make those holes more enjoyable than they now play. # 5 could be made a fun little downhill ACE run. It wouldn't have to be an easy ACE run, just the possibility would be great!

# 9 too, would be a much more interesting hole with the basket peeking out from atop the hill.

Other Thoughts:

The industrial lots up front are all posted as being for sale. You can buy a quarter of an acre to 25 acres. I'm wondering? Do you get these nice baskets with your purchase? Here's your chance to purchase your very own wind blown disc golf course or maybe just buy one hole??
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7 1
sillybizz
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 22.2 years 407 played 392 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Got it on lockdown 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 22, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is quite different that what you expect when you show up to the dirt patch that is the parking lot. Seeing four or five baskets in the open and mixed in with a few trees I'm not expecting much but don't let appearances fool you. Once you start playing and getting into the back end of the front nine you leave the windy fields, noisy traffic of I-84, annoying grass/weeds and sadly the nice views of the surrounding hills. The way heads down off the plateau and into the woods! You go from the longer open holes to a shorter and tighter wooded course. Hole eight is a nice stand out hole to me throwing downhill in a low ceiling canopy to a guarded basket maybe 280 feet or so, keeping the disc straight here is mandatory for desired results. You out of the trees and back up the to sparsely trees and throw some longer holes again until you reach back around to the beginning of the course.

Cons:

There are arrows or ribbons on the majority of the course but there are a few areas that I got lost on or was confused on where to throw. Like the previous reviewers mentioned finding the back nine was especially difficult for me as I ended up walking all over the place. Some people may find the rough a little much for them but for me I like it and believe it to be necessary for punishing those off line throws, with the one exception of not knowing where the basket was and throwing in the wrong direction I didn't have too hard of a time.

Other Thoughts:

This is a surprising course that is a good little option off of I-84 that I would play again if I was in the area. Designers of the course did a fair job with land they were given and my gripes are minimal and nit picky. Better course than it looks like from the start for sure. When you are on the second of the wooded holes (can't remember which hole, six maybe?) there is a little trail to the right which takes you out to the waters edge where you can take in the Columbia River and the surrounding rocks and ledges, very nice little spot for relaxing.
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4 2
Spectralmonkey
Experience: 12.6 years 186 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

an adventure in the locks 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 27, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

really fun course! new teepads and baskets make for excellent play.

nice variety of open/tight shots
as well as some big distance / ace runs

Cons:

the rough is mostly all blackberries and thorny bits. make sure to avoid it or at least wear some sturdy boots and pants to avoid being scratched to ribbons.
until signs are added, bring a course map for your first time through (after that it is easy)...
9 is a blind uphill shot (not really a con, just requires a walk up hill to see where to throw)
spotters are suggested on holes 5-8 due to excessive rough.
a bit swampy in certain areas...
no trash cans - so come prepared to pack out your trash. ;)

Other Thoughts:

an excellent addition to the area!
for being brand new it has a lot of potential!!!
with some signage and some more rough removal it will be smooth!
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6 2
kinfolkfan
Experience: 18.8 years 96 played 18 reviews
3.00 star(s)

New Beast in the Gorge! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 24, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The new course in Cascade Locks was well designed to challenge all skill levels. You start off in somewhat open areas with large oaks and throw a few longer open holes. The course then leads you down in to the woods by the water with a good mix of elevations. The course has great large tee pads and awesome Bentley Baskets as well. All in all it is a great course that is only going to get better!

Cons:

After hole 9 finding 10's tee can be tricky. Part of the course is located in a abandon cul-de-sac and cars may park just off the fairway of some holes. Some holes tee from the cul-de-sac and once again this could be a problem with the cars. One holes(12 maybe) basket is pretty close to a road. I am really nit picking here, none of these issues will really effect how you enjoy the course. As someone mentioned on another site it could be renumbered to move the walk out from the end to the middle of the course. Six in one hand 1/2 dozen in the other I suppose.

Other Thoughts:

My hope is this course brings more disc golf interest to the Columbia Gorge. With North Bonneville right across the river this is becoming a great head quarters for Gorge Disc Golf. Hope you enjoy the course and happy hucking.
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