+ SIxteen of the holes have well-built, colorful and easily understood tee signs. The other two just have numbered wooded blocks where the tee ends.
+ The whole course takes place in a quiet and mostly wooded area surrounding an American Legion park.
+ The baskets are brightly visible and numbered, but...

- ...There are few 'next' indicators. This is combated somewhat by there usually being just one path to follow and the tee signs having numbers indicating loosely where the next tee is.
- The tees are simple dirt or gravel. Sometimes there is a wooden frame. Sometimes there is an uncontained mess.
- No lost disc box, practice basket or information area.
- There are rocks and roots everywhere.
- The flat wooded holes get kind of samey.

The course at American Legion 781 is an efficient little course that pulls no punches with its players. Most of its fairways play in dense woods and requires precise (or lucky!) throws.
My favorite one to play was hole2 because of the combination of a gentle upslope and giant rock with a stand of dark pines.

The distances are manageable, though. I always appreciate it when course designers understand that heavily wooded fairways ought to be shorter, on average, to compensate for the increased difficulty. This has the added benefit of better maintained fairways, since the distances are shorter! My favorite fairway to look at was hole14 because it resembled something like a cursed path, which is always fun to see at a course. Plus, shorter distances also encourage new players to try again more often.

It's not all good news, though.
The gritty tee areas can be a bummer-- especially after wet weather.
I really didn't like hole6 because it plays right next to the entrance road, and that fairway's gaps into the circle were kind of crazy.
Be sure to throw brightly-colored discs so you can find them if a nasty ricochet happens. The undergrowth can get kind of nuts here in the summertime. There is no lost disc box.
There are loose rocks and exposed roots all over the place but especially in the wooded holes, which are two-thirds of the eighteen here. Worse yet, the undergrowth can sometimes hide some of those tripping hazards. The most notable offender is hole17, which I have affectionately nicknamed "Ankle Sprain Valley." Thankfully, the overall elevation isn't demanding. After hole4, the course becomes largely flat. Still, players with bad knees, bad ankles or who are just accident-prone should take it slow in those rocky parts. Watch your step, of course.
In addition, those wooded holes can feel repetitive. On flat ground, it's hard to pick apart one wooded tunnel from another unless it does something noteworthy. Hole15, for example, takes the player on a sharp ninety-degree dogleg right pretty early on. That's kind of sadistic, but I'm not sure if I hate it because at least it stands out from the other wooded holes.

In closing, the course at American Legion does enough things right that it gets a gentle recommendation. It's nothing to write home about, but people like me who prefer wooded disc golf will find plenty to smile about. The downhill tree-dodger of hole1 is a friendly greeting, and the slanted hillside as you escape hole18's forest is a lovely wave good-bye.
Just have a jokebook or something handy for that long walk back from hole18.

This course deserves a fresh review. I think the cumulative average rating of 3.0 is low, and mostly based on specific conditions found in the past.



+ VARIETY: The course features a lot of variety, and it will test different skills. Take the first four holes: #1 is down into the woods, with lots of trees to kick a shot you don't control from elevation. #2 is up a nearby hillside, with the basket tucked behind a large rock at the crest. #3 is a long, flat wooded alley, and #4 is a wide open downhill. That basket is tucked just left, with a seasonal runoff stream right behind it


+ The course continues with multiple transitions between open and wooded holes. The elevation changes are less dramatic after the opening, but truly flat holes are rare


+ CHALLENGE: While this isn't a particularly long course, there's almost always some obstacles near the basket, so there's a premium on being able to find the right line 280'-300' away from the tee. There's only one par 4, so you might find yourself scrambling to make par more than you would expect on a 5300' course


+ This course isn't some championship style monster that's going to beat you up at every turn. There are a handful of short and easier holes sprinkled in. You're going to make pars, you will have some birdie opportunities. But it you don't stay alert, you're also gonna card a bunch of bogies

- ONE BAD HOLE: #15 is a poorly designed sharp dogleg with most of the distance after the turn. It's a 90 degree right: less than 100' to the corner, and more than 200' after it.

~ There are a couple of spots where it helps the first time player to walk ahead before throwing. #9 is across a field and into thick woods - the basket is farther to the left in the woods than you think it is, given the alignment of the tee. From the tee on #6, it isn't obvious where the sharp left dogleg is (play as close to the OB road as you dare, or you'll choke off your approach)


~ The course is very spread out - it's a long play for 5300'. There are a few transitional walks and it's a long walk back to the parking lot from #18. Pro Tip: Start on #8 (which is a forgiving open hole for your starter). You still have the long walk from #18 to #1, but you'll end your round near the parking lot


~ The layout plays through other activity areas. Most notably the open field on #8 has lots and lots of clay pigeon fragments under foot...because you're crossing the skeet shooting range (!)






COURSE AMENITIES:
Fading wooden signs and worn gravel tees; DisCatcher baskets in good shape. A few tricky places to navigate without a map or uDisc. I used my cart with no real trouble once past the wooded hills on the first two holes. Lots of parking, the Legion welcomes disc golfers to the bar.


RECOMMENDED COMBINATIONS:
I found the American Legion course to be much better than any of the closest courses, four of which I played on the same day. To the north, Nesbitt Park is just OK (a wide open 9); Linesville and Francis Walter Dam to the South are less enjoyable to play - compromised by terrain or poor upkeep. Knowing what I do now, I would have stayed and played American Legion a second time

-Wooded course
-Well maintained
-a few open holes to throw longer shots
-mix of backhand and forehand tee shots (for me front 9 were mostly RHBH and back 9 were mostly RHFH)

-Signage. at one point I'm sure the wood burned signs were beautiful. Now they are dated and faded
-Finding the first hole. (its behind the playground to the right of the parking lot)
-Hole 15. Personally I cant stand a 90 degree right angle on a hole. This one is LIGHT putter throw for 50 feet then 200 feet straight. Just make it an enjoyable hole by getting rid of the 50 foot putter shot to start this hole.
-Gravel tee pads. they are well maintained. but concrete is better
-The walk back from 18 to the parking lot isn't ideal. but its not like walking isn't part of the game.

This course is not your typical putter only par 3 course. It will test the most experienced players. Shooting under par is an accomplishment. You'll pull out every disc in your bag and throw every angle. It takes a few rounds to really find those "local routes."

The peat bog/trailer park area hole is one of my all time favorite holes. Aim to the left side of the stone wall and if you clear wall by two feet or so you get rewarded with a tap in. (the wind can make a difference on this hole as well).

Kudos to the designer of hole 16 "dedicated to the mind of Kurt Vonnegut".... brilliant, and I can actually see some Kilgor Trout in the way the old damaged tree blocks the basket at a weird angle.

walk from 18 back to parking lot....if you start on 8 you can go from 18 to 1....can be nice alternative way to play.

Mostly short holes that will punish you if your shots are off.

bring the bug spray, wear long pants

This is my home course so I play it a lot, over time as it gets more worn in Previously hard to maneuver areas are becoming more playable adding to enjoyment.

Enjoy the M-60 (A3?) tank as you walk back to the parking area.

Really fun course. Great to work on your accuracy.

1, 2, 3 and 4 are through the woods and are tight. 5 is a fun open shot down a hill and basket is tucked to the left. 6 is open with two main alleys to the basket. 7, 8 and 9 are open shots that lead into wooded approaches. Hole 9 you throw over a rock pile into the woods which is fun. 10 is wooded but there is different throwing lines to the basket. 11..... not a pro for this course. GET A SIGN on the tee pad. Also there was just one pink ribbon marking where to throw into a broken fence. 12 to 17 are all tight and wooded. A lot of dog leg rights (bring on the lefties/flicks). Hole 18 is open. There is a forehand line between the trees to the left (parked one 10 feet away). Also a open backhand line right down the middle.

Could not find hole one. For me this was due to designated disc golf parking lot was right off hole 8 and no sign pointing you in the direction of hole 1.
Hole 1 is really 400 feet away by the baseball fields and a little play ground. Had to ask a friendly Legion patron for directions to hole 1.

Hole 11. Get a sign on there. A sign/arrow right when you get out of the woods would be great.

All par 3s. Would like to see some par 4s and just one par 5 would be a deal maker.

Hole 15: IMO I had a perfect low flick right down the middle of the fairway, faded right at the corner and then denied. It is a poke and hope. No true flight path (fairway) to the hole. Needs opened up a little.

DO not play barefoot or with thin shoes. Rocks on all paths and fairways in wooded areas. (hey that is their train, but be warned)

Not cart friendly. Rocks= speed bumps walking to every hole and on every fairway. No a deal breaker, but definitely backpack it.

Lots of TIGHT holes with one line (this might be because I am not a local). But with that said, this is what makes it so gratifying when you run through a tunnel and hit the bottom of the basket as I did on hole 17.

Just watch your footing on the rocks.

-Tee signs are a beauty (Hole 11 does not have one, but it is to the right after you leave the path from 10--there is a dirt patch facing a 330 foot+ field [look at the pink ribbons]). Can't get lost!
-Great place to work on accuracy
-Almost right off the highway and easy to get to
-The bar allows disc golfers to partake in beverages and food

-Nothing to mark the tee for 11
-The trailers are an eyesore. During Halloween time they turn the parking lot/hole 7 into a "maze"
-walk from 18 is about a mile long back to the parking lot

-Bar goers have all been friendly with me and always want to chat about disc golf.
-The Legion often hosts shooting events or parties on hole 8 over the weekend. Best to avoid the shooting. Most events are advertised near the Church road entrance.
-Some extremely difficult holes with little room for error even for experienced players.

One of my favorites in the area. Nice wood burned signage, well maintained, pretty straightforward layout, but I can see getting lost on hole 11 as I think it's the only hole without a sign.

Lots of variation, good place to practice different kinds of shots. I tend to play backhand with both hands so I find it fun to be able to have a different strategy for each hole.

Mix of elevation, wooded fairways, wide open fairways, tricky navigation. All-in-all a great place to fine tune your game.

Walk from hole 18 to the parking lot is pretty far, as others have stated. I make it a point to do long drives in the field on the walk back, because why not?

A lot of holes need to be played perfectly, getting into the rough here will really affect your score! Can be a bit daunting for beginners looking down the "hallway of trees" on the first hole.

Hole 6 is my least favorite. You need a near perfect tee shot to hug the road and S back to the narrow path to get up to the basket. Very rewarding when you do, not so great if you shank the shot.

Being the closest course from Wilkes-Barre, this is my go-to spot. This course has really helped hone my game with the plethora of technical holes.

Be mindful of the rules--mainly parking. Don't interfere with foliage on the fairways, baseball games, or events taking place at the pavilion, etc.

Beer on site!
Multiple lines to throw for each hole
Navigation is easy and signage is good
Rewarding when you're having a good day
Good mix of open/semi-open/tight holes
Plenty of parking
Very clean

18 finishes very far from the parking lot
Additional uses of the property could render some holes unplayable
A fair amount of "poke and hope" holes

Overall, this is just a fun course to play. Removing just a couple trees would make this one of the best courses in the area. Everything is well maintained and very clean.

Another local course with 18 Innova Discatchers.
Tee signs are hand made an offer a nice touch throughout.
1 asphalt tee box (hole #8)
16 natural tees, consisting of crushed stone.
once you know where you are going it is quick to play.
18 distinct holes, not at all repetitive other then being tight and technical.
Memorable holes #5, #9 and #18

Hole #11 is lacking a tee box
Hole #7 at different times of the year has, trailers in the middle of the fairway.
Excessive walking between holes and at the end of the round.

Fun course to play. Flick friendly design for the RHBH player. You'll want to place an emphasis on accuracy and good putting to ensure a good score. I had some navigation issues the first time through in large part to the tractor trailers on the 7th hole, and lack of signage getting you to the part of the course where holes#11- #18are located. Tough course for beginners.
Beer is available on site.
Start on hole #7 or #8 and eliminate some of the walking.

Course was challenging, left me feeling satisfied, great mix of tight woods, open-ness, obstacles, baseball fields haha, and very very fine line shots to be made. Baskets were in excellent condition, signage was good enough to figure things out, luckily i went with someone who played the course before.

Course is challenging as hell, there are about 4-5 holes where there is no line.... just throw.... hit trees.... hopefully bounce somewhere so that you do have a line. Not sure where they were going with those holes, absolutely no where to throw but into trees and hope for the best. I played when it rained.... place was a mess.


Legion people can be pretty pissy with people parking in the parking lot. You must park off to the left before you get in the lot, the workers at the Legion were VERY quick to tell me if im playing disc golf they will tow my car as soon as we started playing. Thanks bud, hope you have an awesome day too.... there were 40 open spots, but your were concerned with the one i was parked in.

Overall I cant complain, I would go back, I WILL PARK in the area NOT in front of the Legion haha.

Cool place... i enjoyed myself, nice mix of shots, flick, backhand, tomahawk, if you play par golf here, you had a decent day.

Played +5 my first round, played +1 my 2nd round.... was soaked so i went home.

Excellent tee signs and easy to follow. Mowed and really fun. Wood and fields.

1/4 mile walk from 18th hole to parking. course is fairly long to begin with.

1st tee is just right of the main hall near the playground/swing set

Update: 4/23/14 - I received a message from one of the designers and he confirmed that restrictions were placed on removing foliage to find tune fairways and the trailors we're put on 7's fairway without warning. They are currently pursuing a revision to hole 7. I have to give the course designers some praise here because given their restrictions, they really identified the best parts of the land for holes which is the hardest part of course design especially when you can't cut foliage.
-----------

I rated this course a "2.0 - Reasonable" because "reasonable" is how i'd describe the course to others who have not yet played it. I feel my review below supports that rating.

The most notable thing I took away from this course was the Designers' obvious intimacy with the land used for almost every hole. Some other reviews state there are some lengthy walks between holes. Nothing was huge (other than 18 to 1), it is obvious the guys building this course knew the best parts of the woods with unique features to drop in a challenging hole. There are some unique rock formations (natural and/or handmade) that come into play, as well as the elevation changes. It is unfortunate that many holes (4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11) are designed near or sometimes on top of areas used for other activities.

The wood burned tee signs are beautiful and effective. Bravo to whomever took the time to create them all.

As of April 2014, seemed like all holes had direction arrows pointed the way to the next tee pad, however, we didn't find a definitive tee pad or tee sign for hole 11.

Very plug and play. Unfortunately this course has an overwhelming feeling that the designers said "plug the tee pad here, plug the basket there, ready? let's play". Perhaps I didn't look hard enough, but I did not notice many stumps or tree limbs removed to facilitate a refined/tweaked fairway. At least the places where they put those tees and baskets were chosen wisely for the most part.

I feel like widening/defining a few of the front 9 wooded fairways would go a long way on improving the course. The poke-and-hope method takes over early, as me and my friend traded exchanges 3's and 6's every other hole. When I'd get a 3, they'd get a 6. When they'd get a 6, I'd get a 3..... on 280ft par 3's. We both got frustrated quickly. And I knew I better wait a few days before writing a review.

Balance and Bias - The majority of the course is RHBH biased with most baskets finishing on the left side of the fairway from the center of the fairway. There are some dog leg rights on the back 9 that add a little diversity, but even those have a basket positioned on the left side of the fairway. I usually don't pay any heed to this when reviewing courses, however for how heavily wooded these fairways are, basket-position balance should be considered when most holes have very limited recovery options. Sometimes even an overhand shot was not a recovery option for a lie 5 feet off the "fairway".

Hole 7 basket was hard to find because it was behind some trailers. This hole has an extra alternate tee location that is to be used when the grass/gravel parking lot it plays over is being used. The day we played the parking lot was without cars, however the top side of the lot ( the side closest to the basket) had 4 semi-permanent trailers parked end forming a square (each trailer was a side of the square). From either tee pad, we didn't feel comfortable throwing at the basket tucked behind those trailers so we skipped it and went on to hole 8.

Hole 11 tee is not easy to find, and I still question if we played from the correct spot. We ended up playing from what appeared to be a toe board in the middle of the gravel roadway that runs between the woods and the baseball back-stop. There were no markings or orange cones nearby as others have mentioned in their reviews.

Hole 18 finishes very far away from the cars, and even farther away from hole 1 tee. This, too me, is only a big deal if the course will host shot-gun start events when players would not be starting on hole 1.

While it's a nice Club course, it is not a tournament friendly course. The long walk from hole 18 to hole 1 doubles back across many other fairways. Too many delays would be needed to allow the players to walk from one end to the other so they can continue play. The property would have to specifically halt many other activities such as organized baseball, skeet shooting, anything that requires overflow parking.
As an out of towner without knowing the current conditions at the property (ie. Will a baseball game prevent me from playing a hole or two) I don't think I will come back the next time I'm passing through visiting family. I will likely continue on to a different course I have not yet played.

Maintained well. Decent mix of holes. A couple of memorable holes. Liked the tee signs on the first few holes. Nice locals. Pub on premises, gotta dig that.

18 finishes in a different zip code. Holes 6 and 11 seem kind of stuck there to glue the rest of the course together. Hole 5 needs a fairway.

Ran into a couple of very helpful locals. Helped me get about.

Free to play
Tight technical course
Good signage at tee boxes
Lots of "Next Tee" signs on first 7 holes

Long walks between many holes
"Next Tee" signs drop off after hole 10
Some fairways are huck-and-hope.
Hole 18 finishes far away from hole 1's tee.

I stopped here as a rest stop while traveling across PA on I-80. I played at noon on a week day and there was no one else playing. There were police officers using the hill below hole 8's basket as backing for target practice so we didn't play from hole 7 to 9.

There is plenty of room between some of these holes for additional holes to be cut.

Many of the holes have very nice tee signs, and all but 2 of the tee boxes are in great shape There is good balance here, about a third of the holes are mostly open, the remaining 2/3 have varying degrees of tightness.

Very well maintained, they even shovel the snow off the tees! Friendly group of of club members were very welcoming.

No one throwing style has a big advantage here. Those who play it right to left ( rhbh,lhfh) have it a little easier with 7 of the holes favoring them. However, flickers have their chances, too, with 4 holes that clearly favor them. The rest are more or less neutral.

This is still a relatively new track, and, judging from what I've seen, it will only get better.

As mentioned, number 11. 18 finishes a long way off. Hole 5 could use a bit more fairway definition. Just a bit though, because it is close to being a great hole. Number seven shares a parking lot and sometimes has to be played from a an alternate tee. The trailers parked off the fairway and the nearby debris show a sharp contrast to the rest of the course.

A nice addition to the growing number of courses in Northeast PA. Geographically, this is a perfect fit, as a couple of nearby population centers needed a closer course.

The course requires a number of specific shots. Execution, rather than creativity, is needed here.

You start off with a wooded downhill tee shot at just under 300 feet. This sets the stage for much of the course. It's tight, but playable. Number two is a fine hole. Shorter than the first, but a little uphill to a neatly guarded basket. Three is longer and level, with plenty of trees on either side. One thin tree right off the tee has to be contended with if you throw rhfh. Hole 4 is a downhill right to left, open and ob on the right, and trees if you fade it too much. Number 5, 288, slightly uphill, very, very hard to get through. Hole 6, ob right, heavy trees left. At 400, it still manages to play as a par 4, as the basket is tucked well in on the left and is tough to get at. Hole 7 is a straight shot with a few trees standing guard across the fairway. The alternate tee is a shorter sharply right to left shot. Hole 8 is a fun and challenging hole. Uphill to a very open fairway, followed by a tight approach to the basket. If you land in the trees, getting out is not easy. Hole 9, another favorite, downhill right to left to another neatly guarded green.

10, short, narrow right to left with a low canopy. Matter of fact, much of the back nine has a low canopy. 11 is longer, wide open, across the field. 12 requires a very precise, low right to left tee shot. Missing the fairway is costly. 13, a good flick hole....straight at first with a left to right bend at the end. Woods on both sides and a couple of trees along the way. 14 a couple different routes along the wide downhill fairway. Trees if you miss it. 15 is a tough, but doable par 3. Like most of the back nine, you have to keep it in the fairway. A mid-range flick or turnover around the corner will set up your second shot through more woods. 16 is another that rhfh will like, birdie chance if you can avoid the lumber. 17 is a fun downhill drive with trouble left and right, but a good amount of room. A few fairway trees for you to go around. 18 is slightly uphill, trees on the right and in the fairway, open green.

Short distance between most tees
Good variety of holes
Good opportunities for various throws
Excellent signs with diagrams for each hole

Hole 11 is difficult to figure out if its your first or second time

This course is a great deal of fun. I love the first holes and especially holes 9 and 17. The course is a good walk through the woods too. Many good holes for righty forehand and turn over shots.

Well marked---next tee signs on every hole
Great mix of shots---fully wooded/wide open/mix of both.
Great facility---spend the day playing with lunch in between at the Legion (join your local Legion--it's worth it)
Well kept---very clean
Good layout---course flows well. Long walk back to the parking lot, but if that's the worst...

The ONLY con, as expressed in another review, is the lack of a box on 11. We finally figured out that the orange cone (see pics) is where you throw from across the field to the right of the broken baseball fence. And with that, I'm going to try to contact someone to see if I can help build one with some buds.

This course took us by surprise. Just the fact that a course was built on the property of an American Legion is encouraging. Every hole is marked by a hand-carved wooden placard that gives you the feel for each hole (except 11--but that'll change). Lots of parking. Opportunity to bring food/cooler and eat under the pavilion. If this course was within 15 minutes of me, it'd be my home course and I'd play it 3x/week. Bring bug spray and be ready for a really good day of disc golf.

Great signage, good mix of open and technical holes. For the most part easy to find next tee. Not too easy for advanced players and not overly difficult for novice players. Played after rain when most courses would have standing water, not the case here. Baskets are new and in great shape.

Tees... Most are not on level ground and placement could have been better. Some are just markers. Probably not the easiest place to get to unless you know the area Other than that, I have no complaints.

Of the courses in the area, I'd have to say this is the best. With very little chance of losing a disc, a good variety of shots, and mainly the fact that it was more fun than expected made for a great day of disc golf at a course that many do not know about. I will look forward to making the hour trek to mountain Top in the near future. Should bring more exposure to the sport from the Wilkes Barre/Scranton area as well.

Very surprised by the quality of this new course. Many wooded holes, but not too wooded. Allows for technical shots without too much tree interference. Mix of gravel and natural tees. Really liked the hand-carved tee markers.

Very few cons other than hole #11 was difficult to find. Other than that, pretty easy to follow.

Really like this course. I'd consider it one of the top courses in the area despite its young age. I'd like to see some tournament play here!