Manchester, CT

Wickham Park

Seasonal course
4.25(based on 56 reviews)
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13 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.8 years 216 played 182 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Wide Open & Wooded Wickham

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 20, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ The whole course takes place in a well-maintained scenic park with several other features and attractions. The $7 park entrance fee at the gate is worth it. ($10 on weekends and holidays.)
+ Elevation challenges abound. Some are gradual and leisurely. Some are sudden and dramatic. Flat holes are in the minority.
+ A lovely assortment of wooded, wide open and park-style fairways.
+ Tee signs are big, well illustrated and have all the right info, but...

Cons:

- ...A few of them were missing during my visit in July 2022.
- Navigation between holes can be a hassle here. At times, it was necessary to use Udisc's map to find the next tee.
-/+ Rubber tee pads are flat and functional, but some people don't like them because as time passes they tend to wear down and/or take on the shape of whatever lumps and bumps are beneath.

Other Thoughts:

My favorite hole at this course was definitely hole14. The first half of the fairway is a woodsy puzzle, and the second half sucker punches you with a striking downhill approach with just as many trees to worry about. As for a least favorite, that might be hole10 for its flat and wide open fairway.

Holes like that aren't very common at Wickham, thankfully. No, the course at Wickham Park is largely a shotgun blast of variety. One hole has you throwing along a half-open tunnel with a low ceiling and OB to the left, the next dares you to sneak through a maze of tees, and then you're given a straightforward ace run in the middle of the woods. Most disc golfers' preferences will be accommodated here, but that means it doesn't specialize in any one area.

Speaking of 'area,' this place is huge. Wickham Park's disc golf course fully stretches its legs and makes hefty demands of its players throughout the 18+4 holes here. There are an optional four holes in between holes5 and 6 to sprinkle a little more disc golf atop your disc golf. Whether you play the shortest layout or the optional longest one, the average hole length is longer than 350 feet, so prepare for a literal walk in the park. You'll pass some impressive trees, calming fields, curious gardens, decorative stonework and more.

But maybe that's just because you'll get lost once or twice. For the most part, the 'next' signage is great. But there are some spots where the player will have no idea where to go next. Sometimes there will be just one arrow pointing vaguely in a direction, and you're left to use your disc golfer's logic to figure out the right way. It's a good thing that the property is so nice to look at- especially during sunset.

Scenery aside, let's not forget that disc golfing is the primary reason a person plays at a course. The holes on offer here are good. Like we said earlier, this course isn't about specialty but rather a general cross-sampling of what most disc golf courses can offer. It's not terribly difficult or insultingly easy. Most players should feel satisfied here, and it gets a strong recommendation from me.

In closing, I would caution against getting too worked up about the course. Fun as it undeniably is, your wallet might not like you playing here too much. Visit it once if you're passing through with no problem. Savor it. Take pictures. Take multiple shots. In all honesty, you'll probably end up liking it for its presentation and satisfying fairways, even if you were hoping for a less balanced experience.
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20 0
HyooMac
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.7 years 415 played 382 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Excellent, but maybe not “all that”

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 6, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ A magnificent park using the grounds of an old mansion (similar to Norwalk's Cranbury Park), in immaculate condition. The views (especially of downtown Hartford on the #7 "Skyline" hole are unmatched


+ Some alternate tees and/or baskets, along with an "extra" loop of four holes (A-D) make for excellent replayability


+ With the exception of a few missing tee signs, everything was in excellent shape (although you have to like rubber tees). The addition of metal plaques commemorating aces and eagles on the tee signs was a really unusual and personalized touch


+ The course winds in and out of heavy woods, giving you great variety throughout the round. The open holes tend to be wide open downhill throws across mowed fields with little concern for obstacles



Cons:

- Throwing across open fields becomes a bit repetitive. It's great at first (hole #1 and the amazing hole #7), but after a few more, #12 is just dull, then #17 and #18 felt like "oh - this again"


- Others commented on navigation issues, and I think signage may have been improved with more arrows since. There are bricks painted with arrows at the bottom at the base of the baskets. Mostly it was pretty intuitive, or the next tees were visible. The one exception is the transition from #12 to #13 as you go down into the woods. I didn't see any arrows, and it would be easy to take a wrong turn down a hill - just to have to walk back up


- Speaking of walking down a hill just to walk back up, I think the weakest holes at Wickham are #13 - #15: uphill, downhill, uphill - all on the same damn hill. This section reminded me of nearby Ecker Hill: they are relatively short holes with elevation changes of 40' - 70' (steep!) with blind throws. Having three holes in a row like this made the section feel like it was stuck in to make a full 18 hole layout


Other Thoughts:

- It wasn't clear to me if all the Alternate positions had baskets in place, and it became confusing which basket style I should be expecting on the Regular layout. Playing #2 and later on #7, it was visible that the Regular position had the older Chainstar basket, while the Alternate had the newer white-banded DisCatcher. But on other holes, the only basket was a DisCatcher - so I thought that on holes where the Alternate is created by having a second tee, they use the DisCatcher on the single basket position (like they have on #1). But I'm just guessing, because later in the round, #17 had no basket in the Alternate position - but had a DisCatcher in the Regular position (and weirdly, #14 had no basket in the Regular position, so I threw to the Alternate). This was surprising given how well-kept the course is. It may have been an aberration, or it could have been User Error.


- The Regular layout is 7100 and par 58. I understand how they take elevation change into account on some of the par 3's, but downhill par 3's of 540' and 700', and the uphill closer par 3 at 480' seems to stretch it a bit, especially for rec players who are playing against par


~ Not a lot of directional aids as you drive through the park. Just keep driving until you see Parking Lot "E." It's almost all the way to the (closed) exit gate


~ I had no objection to paying $7 on a weekday. Even if the disc golf wasn't all that I had come to expect, it's clear that money is paying for upkeep


~ A park employee told me that there's a chance they will stop closing the course during winters. He said there's a new guy in charge, and this employee admitted this was the only course he's heard of that pulls its baskets for the winter


~ Wickham is worth the money, and absolutely worth the visit. Taking nothing away from the experience at Wickham, Connecticut also offers better-rounded and more challenging "New England style wooded golf" in Rockwell, Killingworth and Nichols. And courses like Bittner, Panthorn, Cross Farms, Cranbury and Page are very good too (and I haven't even gotten up to Norbrook yet). Obvious solution to any debate: Play them all!


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2 2
BigD64
Experience: 41.9 years 6 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Review Update 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 8, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I did a previous review and just wanted to update a few things for those who have never played this course before. When entering the park request a score card at the entry gate. It has a map of the course listing all the holes and alt tees and baskets.One of the cons usually listed is finding the next hole. This year a lot of the Chainstar baskets were replaced. They are still just silver with no bright colors, the park management does not want them to stand out, leaving a more natural look.
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11 0
jjtwinnova
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 8.7 years 246 played 97 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Wickham is Worth it! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 1, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Wickham Park is located just off the highway, and is super easy to get to. The park is absolutely tremendous. The landscaping is wonderful, with the grass incredibly well groomed. The gardens on site are very nice, and there are so many things to do here, you could spend a day and still miss out on something.

The course, like the park, is also in fantastic shape. It is obvious that someone is putting in a lot of work to make this as nice as it is. The bushes and trees are trimmed, and everything else is in great condition.

The tee signs are some of the best I have seen, with a lot of great information. It had a map with every tee and every basket for the hole, the distances and the pars, as well as the elevation, a very nice touch.

There are two layouts per hole, with either two tees or two baskets. This gives everybody who plays a chance to choose the layout that best fits your skill level or your favorite type of shot.

The elevation on this course is also great, with a few downhill crush shots, as well as brutal uphill throws. This also makes for some death putts and signature holes all throughout the course.

Cons:

This course is a great example of what golf can be when within a park. It does not interfere with other park activities, and it has layouts for every skill level, however there are a few cons.

The navigation for this course can get a bit confusing. There are a lot of navigational signs, which is great, but the signs could be a bit more descriptive in getting you to the right tee. An online or printed map would really come in handy when playing this course.

The Chainstars on this course are not my favorites. They are not super visible in the woods, and they also don't catch quite as well as other baskets on the market.


The finishing hole is quite boring.. Just two uphill throws to an unguarded basket. It loops back to the parking lot, but that is all it was really good for.

Some of the wooded holes played close to eachother, mostly the 13-16 stretch in the woods. That was probably the most disappointing stretch of the course.

Other Thoughts:

This is a really beautiful place for disc golf, and the design is very nice. There are a lot of good park courses, but only a few reach the category of great, which this is right there.

If you are driving through Connecticut, I would recommend this course in a heartbeat. I would not call it a destination, but it is a great course in it's own right.
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3 2
Dube3200
Experience: 18.8 years 45 played 6 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Give it a Play! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Great hole diversity. Some wide open and long, some short with trees and elevation. A couple of holes that offer a birdie chance, and some that are a tough par.
- Always very well upkept (mowed and little to no trash).
- Pretty park with other things to do (playgrounds, aviary, sports fields, etc.) and a nice view of the Hartford skyline.

Cons:

Not much to dislike here. It does cost to park inside Wickham ($5-7 per car). Also, they do take down the baskets in the off-season.

Other Thoughts:

Don't miss this course, one of the best in CT!
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3 3
Smithreyjeff
Experience: 75 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Would go out of my way to play this course!! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Great signs from primary tees, even in the rough was more groomed than other courses belief of the fairway. I would drive out of my way to play this course again.

Cons:

Playing the alternate tees it was sometimes difficult to find the next tee.

Other Thoughts:

Played on a Friday afternoon, was an awesome course, everyone we ran into was friendly and would go out of my way to play this course again. onthe trip between holes 11 and 12 walked next to a bird sanctuary with pheasants, peacocks, doves, a huge turkey it was pretty cool, wife and infanct hung out at the playground too!! Best $5 I've ever spent playing disc golf so far!!
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8 1
xred54x
Experience: 8.1 years 6 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Best course in CT 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

A good mix of open holes, long holes where you need a big arm, as well as wooded shorter holes.

Best course in the central CT area. No water hazards and you can generally always find your discs when they go off course.

The park is well maintained and you don't generally find broken glass or other neglected aspects. Players do tend to leave trash at the tee pads.

Pros play here in June at the Greater Hartford Disc Golf Open.

Water fountains almost midway prior to holes 12 and 16.

Cons:

To get par you need to be able to throw long. Holes 6, 7, 8, 11 and 18 can be a challenge if you can't throw long.

There are a few areas to park outside the park but I've heard stories of cars that were broken into. Park is surrounded by appartment complexes. Suggest you pay the parking fee and park inside ($5 weekdays and $7 weekends) to be safer. Don't leave valuables visible in your car.

The park closes at sunset. Right now early August you have to be out by 8pm.

The large OB grass area on hole 1 does not seem to get cut in the summer. Wear longer socks in case you have to go search for your disc.

Other Thoughts:

Don't pass up the chance to play here if you are in the area. It's rated as the top course in Connecticut and 39th in the country.

If you are going to play all 22 holes, head to A right after hole 5. The basket on D leaves you back near the tee pad for hole 6.
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8 1
EWSdiscgolf
Experience: 10.6 years 89 played 28 reviews
4.00 star(s)

I can see why the GHDGO is at Wickham 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 7, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

- There was amazing signage! The signage could not be any more great, they included OB, trees, paths, etc.
- The course had great variation on the distances. A couple of times there was a 700 footer, then a 150 downhill putter shot
- The course can be challenging to walk but it is a great workout.
- The course had nice elevation. Hole 7 and the first letter hole had some nice downhill opportunities. Hole seven was my favorite hole.
- Wickham has a mix of open and wooded holes. Half of the holes wooded and half of the holes more open.
- The course was designed very well with the big piece of land that they had.

Cons:

- The first hole is EXTREMELY hard to find if you don't get a map. I suggest getting a map from the entrance. It was still hard even with the map.
- The letter holes were hard to locate. Even with the next tee posts on trees, it was far away from the majority of the course.
- Hole 15 is quite hard to find. In a rush, you might have to skip it because of the toughness of location.
- This really isn't a con, but a beginner would get destroyed on this course. Unless you can throw 230 or more, you will be shooting around 30 over.

Other Thoughts:

Rating Breakdown (Each category is 0.5 star or 0 star):
TEE PAD QUALITY: 0, the tee pads were dusty and I had close to no footing.
SIGNAGE: 0.5, perfect tee signs, full color with trees, OB, etc.
AMENITIES: 0.5, there were garbage cans some places and benches every hole.
PARK AMENITIES: 0.5, tons of sports fields, playgrounds, dog park and other places for non disc golf fun.
ELEVATION: 0.5, I would give it a full 1 star if I could, because there was the best disc golf course elevation I've ever seen in my life.
TERRAIN: 0, I think the designer could have made 2 courses, not a 22 hole course
HOLE LENGTH VARIETY: 0.5, sometimes there would be a 700 foot bomb, then a 150 foot finesse shot would be next. Great job with variety.
EXTRA TEES/BASKETS: 0.5, there was either 2 baskets or 2 alternate tees, and even sometimes 2 tee and 2 baskets!
SIGNATURE HOLE: 0.5, there were so many beautiful tee shots, especially hole 7. It just makes you want to empty your hole bag down the hill.
OVERALL FUN FACTOR: 0.5, the course is my favorite out of two I played in Connecticut, one of the favorite out of the 58 I have played!

Rating: 4 Stars

I loved Wickham Park and I look forward to the time when I come back again!

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3 1
atonalruss
Experience: 20.8 years 11 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Picturesque and family friendly 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 25, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is one of the most beautiful parks and courses I've come across. Well groomed landscapes, clear directions from hole to hole. The mix of difficulty levels can be pretty dramatic, which I list as a positive, especially for leisure play and families with children learning to play (though it is a very long course for a young child). Really great facilities - clean restrooms at multiple locations on the course, plentiful parking, benches throughout the course.

Cons:

The easier holes seem a little too easy, and there are five or six that are fairly short. Allows more players to birdie, but might be a downside for more experienced players.

Other Thoughts:

I was traveling from NY to NH by myself and decided to make this a half-way stop for a round. It is right off the highway, just west of Exit 60 on I-84, and was very easy to find. If this was on my commute, I could see myself spending a lot of time here. Major props to the groundskeepers!
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3 9
prospector84
Experience: 4 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 9, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Lots of variety of holes, has some great big distances as well as tight technical shots
-Extremely well maintained course
-Beautiful park with rolling green hills and great views of Hartford

Cons:

-Its a public park so it can get a little busy
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4 6
eric40817
Experience: 12 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Awesome course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 13, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has a lot of wide open holes that allow you to really crank on your drivers and watch them fly. The view on hole 7 of Hartford is pretty cool. The layout is fantastic, and covers a large area (over 7000 ft). For me this course was a great change from my local courses that are predominantly wooded, tighter courses that don't allow you to go for big distance too much. The course was very well maintained - probably the best I've seen.

Cons:

Its pay to park - yet its only $5 per car, and some of it ($1 I think) go to the disc golf fund. If you get a group of people to go in one car, say 4 or 5, the cost to park literally pocket change that we all probably have tucked in the console.

Other Thoughts:

If you're an outdoorsman like myself, you'll appreciate the fact that Cabela's is only an 8 minute drive from Wickham.
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4 1
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 548 played 429 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Not Exactly Roughing It 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 20, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Wickham Park is worth visiting even if you don't play disc golf. Since I know you all do, let me tell you a little about it. One of the nicest parks I've seen. Several themed garden areas (oriental, Scottish, wetlands, lotus, English, etc...), an aviary, a sensory garden (whatever that is), a bird sanctuary, multiple playgrounds, tennis court, volleyball, pavilions, and a large cabin. There is also a great view of downtown Hartford on the 7th hole. The weather was perfect when I got into town, and the first hole was the kind of big opener you like to see at any new course. A lengthy downhill drive without a lot of interference until the landing zone. Elevation change of - 45 feet , and 540 feet in distance. There is a lot of OB short of the green and left side. The hole is in an odd notch cleared in the woods, and fenced on 3 sides. Really a perfect place for the pin. Not every one can reach this one from the tee, I managed to get close, but couldn't make par since I found the OB. Hole 2 two is flat, with average length, and the basket residing under an old tree with a lot of personality. There are woods squeezing the gap in the 3rd fairway, and if you can hit it, a birdie may be your reward. It is a 314' par 4 on the scorecard, and that what I took after missing my first putt. Holes 4 and 5 are both under 200, and 5 is another drastic downhill, dropping 35 feet in elevation from tee to basket. There is an optional 4 hole loop near hole 6, but I overlooked it, sadly. Wish I could tell you more about it. 6 itself is long, another par 4. Uphill, but lots of airspace to use on the right, favoring the RHBH thrower, with the basket to the left in the trees. 7 is par 3, long (600'), very downhill (-65'), and if you'll look to your right, you'll see a panoramic view of East Hartford and downtown skyscrapers in the distance. 8 is 640' and par 4, with a line of sizable trees a little past half way, and more clustered around the basket. 9 is a much shorter with a hard right turn. 10 is a dogleg right, and served me a bogey, two putt. 11 is the final par 4 and 720' slightly uphill. Long, but few trees to contest, just a wall running the length on the left side. To get to 12, walk past the area of the sensory garden and aviary, to the left along the path. Another long drive downhill, the elevation change assisting with added d from the tee. 13 takes the elevation the other way and then some, climbing 65' through the woods. 14 is steep slope down 70', and the pin has more downhill drop behind, giving me a double bogey, three putt. 15 is under 200' but uphill and with trees making things harder. 16 is dedicated to the loss of a beloved player active in the area, memorialized with a lovely bench and mini garden. 17 brings the end into sight, down an open hillside to a basket shaded under the fringe of the woods. 18 takes you back up the hill to the parking lot, mostly open but 480' and 40' of elevation makes it a tough par 3. There are very good quality concrete tees, more than one on a couple of holes. The signs have all the info you could possibly want. Baskets are nice condition Chainstar targets. I loved the topographical ups and downs, that really make this course. Great contrast of open and wooded, as well as long and short holes. Wish I would have noticed the extra holes, consult the scorecard/map that the gate attendant passes out, along with park logo golf pencils. The public restrooms are near the aviary, and concessions as well, according to other reviewers.

Cons:

Cost to enter is not high, $4 per vehicle listed on the flyer I brought home. Alcohol is prohibited, and pets must be leashed. The park hosts weddings and other gatherings, as well as other recreational and athletic facilities, though not many should affect disc golf areas.

Other Thoughts:

Wickham Park is really nice and a fun course that is moderately challenging. I only made one birdie (hole 4), and shot a 65 (seven over par). I think I could do much better with a little more familiarity, but enjoyed the one chance I did get. Such a nice place, I would have loved to explore further. You could really get you moneys worth and see a lot of features if you get there early and do a lot of walking. Absolutely worth the visit.
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4 2
Will_S
Experience: 13.7 years 66 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful grounds 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

- Hands down the most beautiful park I've ever played

- Did a great job utilizing the elevation changes which lead to a lot of challenging shots

Cons:

- Took me forever to find the right parking lot. May be a good idea to ask the gate attendant how to get back there.

- Some holes seemed unnecessarily long and open. Those didn't feel very rewarding.

- Make sure you have a course map for some areas. Finding the next tee can be tricky in a few areas

Other Thoughts:

The bird sanctuary is cool and the grounds are beautiful. During my week in the area this course was my second favorite after Maple Hill. I'd go back and play this course in a heartbeat.
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1 6
ziggynagy
Experience: 9.7 years 3 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Well maintained, but bring a map 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 17, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful terrain, fields are mowed and the course is well maintained. Mix of short, medium and long range baskets.

Cons:

The signage on this course is somewhere between unnerving and frustrating. There are maps at the blue tees which are not drawn to scale and completely misrepresent where alternate tees are (example: compare the map and sign for alternate tee #8). Not all alternate tees are on the course map either, and i cant find the alternate tee for #10.

Several baskets leave you guessing where to go next.

Other Thoughts:

I really cant believe the poor job with the course map given how well managed the grounds are. The aviatrum between #11 and #12 makes for an excellent break. Course is really beautiful.
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4 1
Buchajs1
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.7 years 168 played 44 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Rolling hills and beautiful views 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

The park this course is in is great! The rolling hills, the beautiful skyline and well up-kept park make this course the great experience that it is. This is a great park to bring your wife and children, because of all of the things to do. Gardens bird sanctuaries and an ice cream stop among others.

Great signage and course flow is really easy to follow. I was surprised to find that the lettered holes were extremely easy to find and follow as well. At most courses they are a mere afterthought, but here they were well thought out. Based on past reviews, it seems like the local volunteers have put in a lot of effort to include next tee signs on every hole.

Some of the best variety around. This course incorporates huge bombers, elevation changes, left and right turns, as well as cool wooded holes and well placed ob. The elevation is great! Some if the open downhill holes really give you the feeling of throwing a mile. The uphill elevation on the other hand, found mostly throughout the adds to the challenge.

Lots of memorable holes throughout. Beautiful views, and awesome mowed fairways. Hole seven is magnificent. Long downhill 550 foot bomb. Don't be discouraged this hole can be reached. The Hartford skyline, is in the background and I can only imagine what a round at sunset would be like.

Cons:

This course is top notch, so to find cons, I have to nit pick a bit.

Some of the open par threes are a bit to long for my taste. A lot in the range of 450-550. They could be lengthened 50-100 and be made solid par 4s or shortened and made par 3s. This is just my opinion, and based on the skill level this course is designed for the hole lengths are appropriate.

Other Thoughts:

The course itself is a solid, 4.25, but the awesome amenities, and beautiful park is what puts it over the edge and makes it a true 4.5 star course.
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5 0
JohtoVillage
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24 years 160 played 73 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Wickham Park was truly a fun course and we had a great time playing it. Here are my pros:

1) Absolutely wonderful signage. The signage could not be any better, as they were full color and had distances, OB, trees, paths, etc.

2) The course had great variation on the distances. Its not often you play a 720 foot par 4 and then a few holes later play a short but challenging 156 foot par 3.

3) I play disc golf for the workout and for the enjoyment and you will get both of those playing this course. The course can be challenging to walk but I actually like getting a good workout.

4) The course actually had some nice elevation. Hole 7 and the first temporary hole offered some nice downhill opportunities. Even though hole 7 was a little on the boring side off the tee, the downhill makes it more exciting as does the view of the skyline.

5) This course had a nice mix of open and wooded holes. I would consider about half of the holes wooded and half of the holes more open. I love a good variety!

6) In general, I thought the course was designed very well with the land they had to work with. There are no water hazards but they still did a great job with the actual design.

Cons:

This was a really enjoyable course so I really don't have a lot of cons. Here they are:

1) It was a little confusing to find the "extra" holes. You essentially walked up a hill and then across the fairway of another hole to get to the first of the extra holes. It just felt wrong even though it ended up being right. It was just a bit strange to walk across a fairway to get to them so just keep your eyes open for discs.

2) Its highly recommended you use a map to navigate the course. I definitely would have been lost without it. The front gate to the park (this is a pay to play park) has a great, full color map so take advantage of it.

3) I am a huge fan of longer, more open holes but unfortunately some of the holes here were just a little too open. I wouldn't classify them as boring by any means but a lot of the longer holes were lacking obstacles. The designers essentially did what they had with the land but holes 7, 11 and 12 literally had nothing in the way of obstacles. The only obstacle we had that day was wind. Hole 12 in particular was a 489 foot shot over an open field with no obstacles. Its too long for a par 3 and too short for a par 4. I don't mind longer holes and in fact prefer them but would like to see a few more obstacles on the longer holes.

4) I am not a huge fan of artificial OB and hole 9 had this feature. Its a sharply turning, LHBH or RH flick hole that has a really tough fairway with some low hanging pines. Throwing the OB into play just makes it a little gimmicky in my opinion.

Don't take my cons in a negative way. All in all this course is VERY enjoyable and I rated it Excellent.

Other Thoughts:

This course actually had a neat little bird sanctuary after hole 11 that was pretty neat. I always like to point out non disc golf things in the park to entice your significant others to come with you (if you are a guy and your wife or girlfriend is tagging along). Also, the park offers some absolutely stunning views of the Hartford, CT skyline. I would highly recommend this course!
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1 3
Duke CT
Experience: 12.1 years 26 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Time for Wick to drop some $! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 30, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The alternate tee on 8 is the only one I play. It makes it a great hole and a helluva par 3.

The long pin placement on 9 is excellent and makes the hole a challenging par 4. However, both alternates are out of sight and there's no sign for them, they are seldom played.

The pros have been covered well so I won't delve into them.

Cons:

The park makes a bundle of $$ off disc golf. They really should invest on more baskets so that you can choose which pin placement you want to play on 13, 14, 18 & perhaps 17. They are not changed enough.

Other Thoughts:

During clover season, June forward, bring your bee sting meds if you have a problem with them.
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3 0
Mythy
Experience: 10 years 5 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Wickham, Once More 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 19, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Beautiful scenery, and wonderous variety of terrain, distance, elevation change and throwing turns on the holes...

Ask for your FREE, high quality stock, color map scorecard at the front gate and you shall receive!!!

Spacious level rubber tee pads!

So many reviews have covered most of this course thoroughly. So I'll say this:

This was the first course I played and every time I play it I come up with something new to like about it. So nice that the most central, easiest place to meet up in the state is such high quality... I'm told "professional Level"... whatever that means :)

Seriously though... don't miss out... Play this course... often if possible.

Cons:

This is a popular spot for gatherings of like 24+ people on the weekends... and frequently they like to camp out by a hole (usually 18, sometimes 7) usually completely oblivious to what is going on less than 20 feet away... throw with an aboundance of caution lest you hit a wayward child in one of these gatherings or sunbather on 7's hill

No water hazards or even scenic water :(

Limited Restrooms along course

$5 parking per car (so it's kind of pay to play)

Wooded holes can be saturated with water/up to 3" of mud... not always but enough where investing in some fairway wood chips might be wise and would certainly raise my rating.

Other Thoughts:

Perhaps the most popular course in Connecticut and central in the state so a great meet up point... "Ballyhooed" an appropriate word? Yeah... probably...

But for all that I've never had a bad time here.

Recently they moved the pins to Alt placements on 13, 14 & 15... can't wait until the return of the wooded 100 foot from the tee 50 foot downhill blind drop on hole 14 to return... so classic
:)
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5 0
chikago12
Experience: 10.7 years 49 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

The best course in CT 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 25, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Beautiful, well maintained course.

-Wickham Park has a ton of stuff to do even if you're not disc golfing, definitely fun to check out in between rounds when you need a breather.

-Actually a workout getting up and down the hills in this park. You will be legitimately tired after a round, which is great.

-Excellent hole layout. You'll need every shot in the bag to get through this monster of a course.

-Lots of very long holes, so if you have a big arm, you'll definitely have a chance to stretch it here.

-Lots of favorites on this course, but I personally just love 4. Straight shot, like 200 feet, with a gap cut through a downed log. Trees on the right and left prevent you from taking big hyzer or anhyzer lines, so it's pretty much a straight shot. Also, you can't talk about this course without mentioning 7, a 600 foot monster down a huge hill, with the skyline of Hartford looking down on you. Awesome hole.

-Every hole is very distinct, and very unlike the hole before or after it. They're all super memorable.

Cons:

-Lots a lots of people. Especially during XC season, there are a lot of people out here, and you'll have to watch yourself or you might hit someone.

-Very long. Shorter arms (<300) will have a hard time keeping up on this course. I throw about 300 and most of the time I'm just trying to stick around for par

-You have to pay for parking, but there are other places you can park to play for free

-Course is only open a limited time, pins come out after October.

Other Thoughts:

Professional level course, and one of the most fun and challenging courses out there. I play here once a week when it's open, and it's a blast.
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2 5
museparade
Experience: 11.7 years 3 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Wickham Park 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Nice open course; good for beginners. Well-maintained. Nice long tee pads. Nice mixture of long and technical holes

Cons:

If you want to park in the park, you have to pay (at least one weekends).

Other Thoughts:

Avoid the parking fees by parking down the street and walking to the course.
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