Springfield, MO

Tom Watkins DGC - Old Layout

1.835(based on 20 reviews)
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1 0
vonWangus
Experience: 6 played 6 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Its a "course"... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 2, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

It "is" a disc golf course.
18 holes.
2 easily ace-able 150ft holes.

Cons:

In a big open field, NO technical shots.
Signs not legible, they put bolts through the info.
Course navigation is terrible.
Dirt tees.
No restrooms.
Homeless people. live on/around the course.
Course neighborhood is not friendly.
Area of town.

Other Thoughts:

There are many other courses in the area to play. I would strongly suggest finding an alternative. They are less littered, in much safer areas, and just better courses. I am giving this course 1/2 star simply because A) it is a DG course B) it has 18 holes..
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2 3
M4Prodigy
Experience: 12.1 years 74 played 8 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Fine for Beginners / Avoid if Experienced 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 6, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ Easily accessible from I44.
+ Decent other park amenities for Grilling/Playground.
+ Open layout for those wanting to work on "gripping and ripping".

Cons:

- Missing a couple baskets...
- Tee pads are dirt
- Difficult to follow and determine next hole location

Other Thoughts:

There is nothing special about this course... I was in the area and wanted to play. I walked off the course halfway through and found another to play in the area. There are much better options within 20-30 minutes.
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3 1
BigRedRocker
Experience: 8.7 years 14 played 8 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Stopped and Played on a Weekend Away 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 20, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

HUGE play area.
Multiple long holes where you can really let it rip.
Some newly replaced baskets.

Cons:

There are no marked Tee-boxes, only had signs marking where to start, and dirt patches where people have trampled ruts into the ground.
Not the easiest to navigate.
No bathrooms near, only a single port-a-potty.
Some of the baskets were very close to the picnic pavilion running the risk of hitting someone standing too close.
Perhaps not the safest neighborhood, especially after dark.

Other Thoughts:

I really did enjoy the course/park. I especially liked the really long drives. There was an outdoor concert going the day we played, filling the park with people. The only real trouble we had was finding the #10 Tee-box. The course could use some better markers. I definitely recommend this course to anyone with the itch to really let loose with their drivers.
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4 6
theRHW
Experience: 10.9 years 9 played 9 reviews
0.00 star(s)

Don't waste your time 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

+I guess it IS a course

Cons:

-poorly maintained baskets
-some baskets are missing partial chains
-navigation is non-existent, good luck figuring this one out
-tee pads are just dirt, with no pad markers
-tee pads and baskets overlap, and multiple holes (I can only assume) share the same basket
-bad neighborhood to be in after 5pm
-course has no direction and no flow, it's just an open field with a few trees

Other Thoughts:

I won't be back to this course. Once was once too many.
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2 0
hhardaway
Experience: 14.6 years 8 played 3 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Open course in a small park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Looks cramped at first, but tee and hole placement makes for some open shots where you can rip it in the middle of the course.
Tees are clearly marked with maps of each hole (some still took scouting for my first time).
Minor elevation changes make for some fun shots
Grass was well kept, keeping discs visible

Cons:

No basket on hole one
A few holes in the middle are close together and hard to tell which is which (probably cleared up by playing a couple of times).
Natural tees are worn and rocky in some places, tricky for my bad ankles, but easy to just step off tee a little for a good run-up.
Some holes on the outside run right along residential yards, making it a hassle to recover shank shots.

Other Thoughts:

It's nice to have an 18 hole course right here in town. Smallish park but with enough variety of shots to make it a fun relaxing course. I played at 1pm and was the only one on the course, and from what I here it's almost never busy. Overall an easy course with a couple shots to let your driver fly.
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2 0
nealyb
Experience: 19 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Long Holes, Good for Working on Drives 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 9, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Some pretty long holes, with some decent elevation changes. Great for working on your drives. You can really grip it and rip it on most holes. Not alot of trees around, but those that around are used effectively.

Cons:

In a pretty crummy area of town, and those that live on the course aren't really very friendly to disc golfers. Tee pads are washed out in some places. 2 of the holes can interfere with other park activities, like kids playing and the parking lot.

Other Thoughts:

Great location for those who live north of Springfield. I really like playing here, despite it's obvious downfalls. Since all of the other courses in the main part of Springfield, this one is a nice change of pace.
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3 1
Bigben932
Experience: 15.1 years 8 played 6 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Not returing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 19, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A decent day time course. Not ever crowded. A few decent holes(very few). Excellent for practicing your distance shots on middle holes.

Great for a driving range and practice

Cons:

Unkempt rough by the trees. I lost 2 discs on simultaneous "bad" throws. Bad neighborhood after 5pm.
Monotone, bland, boring holes. Unfriendly yard owners next to course. The challenging holes are only challenging because they are next to a tree eating forest and 3 foot tall grass land.

Other Thoughts:

Straight shot only. A decent walking course, No bathroom or water(i think not 100% on that one)

The only thing I would use this course for is to practice your throws on the open holes, because there is almost no one ever there.

Please don't lose your disc on hole 14, 15 or the holes next to the yards. You will be lucky to find your disc after a bad shot.

For a good 18 hole course go to Ozark. Or Play the short and longs at Oak Grove
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1 1
Disc_Legend
Experience: 11.8 years 4 played 4 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Hmmm.... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 14, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Open enough to grip it and rip it on some holes.
It is the only 18 hole course IN Springfield.
Fun to play while in the area, but not worth it to drive up to play.

The valley adds some good signage to the course which helps what little the course has.

Cons:

Baskets are in poor condition.
There are no tee pads which makes navigating the course that much harder!

ALSO: I found a shotgun wad and a beer bottle in the park so it can be a little shady. BE CAREFUL
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3 1
nocohammerhead
Experience: 10 played 1 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Maybe, Maybe Not 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 20, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

There were 18 baskets, some pads had maps next to them. Open park with little traffic.

Cons:

Maps were very inacurrate, baskets ranged in height from the ground, baskets were on top of each other making it hard to determine which one you're throwing to, not very technical.

Other Thoughts:

The neighborhood is ROUGH, be careful and be aware of your surroundings. Luckily the park is open and you can see the parking lot from most baskets.
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3 0
Bender
Experience: 19.6 years 68 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Grip it and rip it. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 3, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Course is open with some lengthy holes. This makes it a great course to play on the super windy days. Prolly my favorite course in the area to play for that reason. Good layout keeps you out of the way of other golfers. Great use of the space that is given at the park. Great course to play barefoot. Tee signs are a few years old and are very helpful.

Cons:

Chains on the baskets are stiff and like to kick out discs. Not many trees on the course as a whole so if there is no wind when you play its easy to shoot 10 down or better. Dirt tee pads will be muddy from time to time.

Other Thoughts:

Good course to hike around and grip it and rip it. When I first started playing I thought some of the holes were impossible due to length. After playing a few years I am now able to get to every hole in one shot. Careful on the north side there are lots of thorns and its easy to lose a disc in the trees when the sun is going down.
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1 0
christopher2313
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 6, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Easy course to navigate. Great tee signs that show you around. Great course for a new player. Perfect place to get somebody interested in the game. Course was well maintained and mowed.

Cons:

Dirt tee pads and some construction on a building next to the course.

Other Thoughts:

I will play this course again. This course was not like some of the other reviews said. Alot of work has been done to make it a better place to play.
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4 0
dudiablo
Experience: 18.1 years 97 played 12 reviews
2.50 star(s)

very blah 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 1, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

There is a valley that runs through the center of the course that adds a bit of excitement on holes 1 9 10 (if the basket is there and in the right place) 15 and 17 and adds some difficulty on 8 13 16 and 18 with some elevation change.

Decent variety in length (a few ace runs as well as holes where you can try to trow for some real distance.)

Some older trees adding some difficulty.

The tee signs are top class.

Cons:

not enough trees to make things very interesting

open enough that wind comes to be a big factor.(could be seen as a positive because the same course will play very different from day to day)

hole 5 is just a bad design (mando around a backstop 300+ feet from the pin makes you throw about 100 feet out of your way to get to the pin making birdies a miracle and aces impossible.

Very shady area (not from the sun); Lots of skeptical characters in parking lots and sleeping int wooded areas surrounding park.

Other Thoughts:

Unfortunately this is the closest course to my school so I play here very frequently; but if I would NOT travel to play this one. Its a great place to throw the disc and kill time between class though. AND its the only 18 hole course in Springfield so that adds to its appeal as well.
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4 1
cookrite
Experience: 15 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good Course to play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 8, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Good mix of long and short holes.
- Some mix in elevation.
- Good Signs, easy to navigate.
- Some Good use of out of bounds and mando.

Cons:

- The park is not very well taken care of.
- It is not mowed nearly enough.
- Dirt Tee pads.
- A little too open (could use some more obstacles).

Other Thoughts:

Some people have mentioned that there are no signs and that there are baskets are missing. This is no longer the case. As of Aug 2010 everything is in order so many of the early negative remarks on this course can be disregarded.
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1 8
Aupps
Experience: 13.8 years 32 played 23 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Boring 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2003 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

It's been along time since I have played here so I hope I am think of the right course.
-Long tee shots

Cons:

-Boring
-No shade
-Most of the holes were in open areas, no use of trees

Other Thoughts:

I just remember hating to play this course.
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4 1
FriedOkra
Experience: 14.4 years 171 played 11 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Typical Springfield Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 19, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very nice tee signs. Variety of lengths of hole and some variety in obstacles.

Cons:

The course and park is in the need of repair and maintenance. Two baskets were missing, the tee pads were short or just grass, dirt, or mud. The grass looked like it had not been moved in two weeks. The baskets did not have hole numbers on them.

Other Thoughts:

The secret to this course is to study the very nice tee signs. This is your key to know where the next tee pad is located. I played this course early on a Monday morning. There were about 30 players spread about the course. I saw one other person playing with their dog and ran into a fellow geocaching. Other than that, there wasn't anyone else using the park. You would think the park board would drop a little money into making the necessary repairs on a course that is well utilized.
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5 1
Donovan
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 37 years 300 played 187 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Which Came First: The Baseball Field Or The Course? 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has been update since the previous reviews. This course uses elevation and some old trees well. There are lots of holes with OB. The tee signs are brand new now and some of the tee locations have been adjusted. So, the problem with #6 tee is no longer. With all the updates, this course is not so bad anymore. There is a good hole length variety here. There is one really unique hole here. #15 is a very short hole on a downward slope with a large tree blocking a sharp right turn into an opening in the brush/woods where the basket is resting on top of a rock pile.

Cons:

The basket for #9 is still missing and yes, the locals use basket #13 for the hole which adds about 100 feet to that hole. The dirt/grass tee pads are not in great shape. The tee box itself is undefined. There is still the hole with the baseball backstop in the way. The hole is actually about 100 feet past the back of it. So, it still doesn't make sense, but it is not impossible to play, except during a game of course. It makes me wonder which came first, the baseball field or the course. I would obviously ignore the mando if people are present on the ball field. The grounds are not that well maintained, but it isn't too bad. Be aware that some of the residence where the course runs along does now have some big dogs. Now, they all seemed friendly enough, but they were not chained up.

Other Thoughts:

The Fun Factor was just OK. This is a wide-open course and the fact that many holes were along people's yards was a bit frustrating. I hate thinking I could be bothering them. The dogs were all fine with me, but some were decent sized and may scare a few people. This course was not bad, but not really a "go out of your way to get here and play" kind of place.
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4 0
DaddyD
Experience: 13.8 years 9 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Getting Better and Better 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 19, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The park has a nice valley that runs through the middle, so you can get some decent air without elevating the discs too much. The wind does come whipping through the valley, though, so be ready for that. Pretty open course, but a few trees here and there to contend with if you're prone to off-line throws.

The long-drive holes are wide open so you can really put everything into your tee-shot without worrying about OB. The challenge for the shorter holes come from close OB areas.

Hole 9 has been replaced to its original location, making it a well-treed hole with a medium distance. A great improvement that rounds out this park very well.

Cons:

There has been some disrepair, but this is a public park and it has slowly been improving. The tee signs are in better shape than the older reviews would indicate, but could use some freshening up because of weathering and bird deposits. The Mando around the backstop is a little annoying, but this park was around decades before disc golf was even a concept, ad DG is be about skill in throwing as well as distance. The OB areas are pretty close, since the park is directly bordered by residences.

Other Thoughts:

Don't let a few bad reviews that are years-old now push you away from what can be a great DG experience. Unfortunately, some reviewers may be basing their initial opinions on the neighborhood that the park is located in, but that shouldn't be the case.

This course is a great mix of long wide-open drives and short skill throws, with a couple of surprises thrown in (I'm lookin' right at you, Hole 15).
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4 2
dajuicej
Experience: 43.9 years 60 played 11 reviews
0.50 star(s)

terribly rundown course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 25, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

none

Cons:

refer to the other reviews. as of march 09 it certainly hasn`t gotten any better and if anything it`s gotten worse. we were there so we played it. we found tees that had no numbers or hole description. as mentioned the course is so jumbled you can`t figure out which basket you should throw at from the unnumbered tees. we fumbled through the course because we were there and we wanted to play.

Other Thoughts:

skip this course or if you live in springfield call up the parks department and tell them it needs a lot of work. there`s a lot of potential here but it`s wasted at this time.
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3 8
gravedigger
Experience: 15.8 years 55 played 40 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Don't Waste Your Time 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 16, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Grass was mowed?

Cons:

Let's see where to begin? Boring. Very difficult to navigate. Layout just didn't make sense sometimes. A little run down.

Other Thoughts:

You'd be better off enjoying one of Springfield's other courses.
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10 3
Three Putt
Staff member
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 29.3 years 152 played 127 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Yuck! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 5, 2007 Played the course:once

Pros:

None that come to mind!

Cons:

This is one of those classic terrible courses. You stand on the first tee and wonder which of the five baskets you can see is the one you should throw at. The tees signs are no help, they were written with magic marker and are washed out. The whole course is wide open, and very poorly laid out. There were a few longish holes, but nothing about it was challenging.

Other Thoughts:

# 5 is a fine example of poor hole design. The tee was in right field of a baseball field and the hole played back toward the ball field. The basket was behind home plate on the other side of the backstop. The post on the third-base side of the backstop was a mando, so you are forced to throw AT people playing on the ball field. I thought this was weird but figured it out when I got around the backstop. The tee for six was between the backstop and the basket, so if you took the anhyzer route around the first base side of the backstop to avoid the ball field (which seemed logical,) you would throw right at the # 6 tee. Not that the other way was much better. The tee and the basket were so close that when my approach shot hyzered out a little it landed right next to the # 6 tee anyway. The whole thing was a perfect example of horrible course design.

*Update: According to some reviews, the course has been improved since I last was there. It's around a two hour one-way trip for me to play this course, and as bad as it was I'm not optimistic that it will be worth the trip even with improvements. It will probably be quite some time before my review is updated. *
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