Rainier, OR

Trojan Park

3.335(based on 27 reviews)
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14 0
Schreuds2.0
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.8 years 93 played 81 reviews
2.50 star(s)

What seems to have once been a spectacular course is now...delapitated 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 6, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

-the fairways on this course are quite nice, shortish grass, granted, a little soggy and covered in goose poop because of the lake and other water, but overall, the fairways are in pristine condition.
-the rough is also very good, or should I say, bad (to be in). There is a clear difference between the fairway and the rough, which makes the rough more punishing and the fairway more desirable.
-This course is pretty darn flat. But, whenever there is a ridge or a bump or a slight hill, it is a feature of the hole.
-This course also has great trees, they are rather sparse out at Trojan, but they are well incorporated into the design.
-Water is really what defines this course. Without water, there would not be much reason to come to this course. Probably the best incorporation of rivers and lakes into a disc golf course I have ever witnessed. Most holes have water, but it isn't forced, a very fun (and dangerous) feature, expect to lose a disc
-Trojan Park is a very pretty location, super cool to have a disc golf course on it

Cons:

-Tees themselves are concrete, which isn't bad, but the tees are quite small. Also, a few holes seem to use paths or other concrete things to tee off of, according to the map at least, however, on the actual course, there is nothing marked, this is seen on holes 1, 10, and 13.
-Tee signs are not present at any tee area. This is very bad for this course as there is also no indication of where the next hole is, and no indication of where the basket is either.
-The baskets are older Mach V's which aren't too bad, pretty typical really, but they don't have numbers or anything on them, so it can be confusing which basket you are throwing to, especially without tee signs.
-Navigation is nearly impossible out here. I'm sure locals can find their way about, but I would not have been able to play this course without uDisc's maps
-This course is missing two baskets by my count. Both hole 2 and 4 had no basket. There did seem to be a random basket in the area labeled "pet area" so I'm not sure why it wasn't put out onto the course.
-Another con unique to this course is the fishermen. Now I know they're just out there having fun, and they have as much right to as disc golfers do, but, there simply isn't a hole that has water in play, but fishermen not in play. They are essentially obstacles that are part of the course. I skipped hole 10 because there were people fishing directly in front of the basket.
-as mentioned in the title, this place seems a little beaten down, I counted two overgrown and closed parking lots and one picnic area that looked like some ruins, the baskets are old, the tees aren't marked, people don't seem to know there is a disc golf course there anymore. I find this highly unfortunate, considering that if there was a little more effort put into this course it would be a heck of a lot better.

Other Thoughts:

This course has a great design to it, and is fun to play because of the challenge. However, it is very difficult to navigate and seems to have already passed its glory days.
Bring your waterproof shoes, especially in the rain
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9 1
radsnowsurfer
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.9 years 175 played 49 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Stunning Water Course - Hidden Oregon Gem 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 22, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

While the water may be a challenging or even frustrating aspect for a lot of players, it's hard to list the presence of all the water as anything but a huge plus for this course. Trojan is one of the only courses in the NW that has this extensive of a set of water hazards, and on roughly 10 of the holes, water is a serious factor. That said, one of the best things about Trojan is the fact that the water holes never feel "unfair" (at least for relatively skilled players), there's lots of risk-reward, and most of the water holes offer a nice chance to choose how much you want to "bite off."

As far as the technical elements of the course, Trojan has fantastic tee pads and solid baskets, and with the exception of the most rainy months in the winter, the course and the park are generally kept in very good shape. Unlike most of the top courses in the Portland metro area, even on a beautiful summer day, the course is almost never crowded.

Another thing to mention is that the course, in my opinion, has great "flow," I've seen a few complaints about the initial holes, but I would disagree. The first four holes offer a nice simple warmup, followed by a well laid out but scorable par 4, before getting you started on the grind of 10 consecutive water-oriented holes that play around the course's gorgeous lakes, then the course finishes up with a few relatively merciful forest holes to finish up. All around the course, you're treated to beautiful lake scenery, and the course truly utilizes every extent of the property to its advantage. I'll also note that Trojan does a great job of mixing in different distances, shot shapes and holes with a number of different viable approaches.

Hole 10 should be highlighted as one of the best drives in all of Oregon. The hole is just an elevated tee from the road (hole 10 is one of three holes without a dedicated tee pad so watch for a spray painted tee) then nothing but water, to a small lateral green on the other side of the lake. While it only takes a 250' shot to reach the green, the downhill visual effect looking out over the water is stunning.

Cons:

Obviously this comes up in all of the reviews, but as an 2018 update, the course still does not have any tee signs or directional arrows. Even rudimentary signage would immediately push this course from a 3.5 to a 4 in my book.

The walkout from hole 12 to 13 is incredibly long (5 minute walk minimum), which is particularly unfortunate because in that space the course could easily accommodate a few more holes, the walkout after 18 is a bit on the long side, but not excessively so.

I would tentatively agree with a few other commentators that the course has a couple of relatively mundane holes that aren't particularly bad, but do keep the course from reaching an even higher-quality status (1, 4, 16, 18).

The course can be difficult to play in November-February when heavy rains occur, but with boots and logical NW gear, this is not a huge issue.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, I think Trojan is one of the true NW greats, and in many ways is an underrated course, even among locals. It's certainly not for everyone, I would strongly suggest that newer players avoid this course. It's easy to lose 2-3 discs in a round, and it's possible to lose even more (however, skilled players who play safe can avoid losing plastic). The lake is artificial with fairly sharp drop offs, aside from a few places, if you're even 3 feet from the edge, your disc is gone.

*IMPORTANT NOTES FOR YOUR FIRST TIME AT TROJAN*

-When you enter the park, there isn't any signage to show you where to start. Right after you enter, park on the side of the road (by the portable restroom and basket 1), the first tee is about a 300 foot walk past the first basket on a small raised concrete platform with some old wooden benches. You play from the corner of that concrete platform. After that, the course is fairly easy to follow from the course map.

-Hole 10 tees from the top of the road, you will see a natural clearing if you follow the course map, there is usually a painted tee indicating where to throw from.

-Hole 13 tees off from the painted line in the middle of the large concrete platform, follow the course map as it appears after a long walkout that follows the concrete path around the picnic areas.

-Lastly, PRINT or have on your phone the course map. The one here on the site is accurate and useful.

-If you can find a guide out on the course, it would be a good idea to follow a local. If you have questions about the course or would like to find a local to play with, feel free to email me at [email protected]. I want to ensure that future players have a good first trip to Trojan.
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1 7
johno
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 29, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of hazards to lose discs in which makes it challenging. Good scenery with lots of water and trees. 18 good holes. Free. Well kept. Concrete tees.

Cons:

Hole 7 is missing it's basket. Too many gamma rays. 😁
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11 0
Hector Chain
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 222 played 189 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Beware Condom Puns 2+ years

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

Pros:

The defining feature here is water. It comes into play on about half the holes, and you may become desensitized to it.

After the first few fairways play in a safe area, you're ready for a new kind of hole. Number 6 is a great fairway with water danger to the left and overhanging trees protecting a huge forehand hyzer. If you aim wrong you might get shafted by those trees, so you're better off going low and trying to jimmy it in there.

Hole 8 is a fun drive across a canal to a peninsula with the basket sitting near the reservoir tip.

Hole 14 is my favorite. The basket has a noticeable bend to it, but don't be scared of that. A big forehand or RHBH anhyzer can get you around the bend, but go too far and you'll end up in the water. Your second shot is a real butt clencher as the basket is on a hilly peninsula exposed to the wind. You know what you need to do, but in the end, you need to pull it off.

Given the name of the place, you might expect rubber tee pads. Nope. They are solid and firm and ready to get the job done.

Cons:

Navigation is okay if you use the map, but a couple of the baskets aren't there (#1 and #7, off the top of my head). You don't want to spend time looking for a hole and find out you're not even in the right area.

You will lose discs here. I didn't lose any in my one round, but I can't see playing many rounds and not losing any. This isn't that big a con to me. If you've been playing long enough, you have a trunk-full of discs you don't throw, and now is the time to put that junk in your trunk to work. If you don't have spare discs, you haven't been playing long enough to enjoy this course.

If you're frustrated with big swings in scores vs your friends, you may hate it here. On many holes, you could be laying 2, laying 4, who knows.

My biggest complaint would be the final couple holes. They mainly play around some parking lots and roads. It's not as hard at the end.

Other Thoughts:

There was no one here. On a late Sunday morning I didn't see any other disc golfers. It's a terrible place for true beginners, but I thought there would be some people here. Contrast that with Pier Park, Milo McIver, and any other course in the Portland area. It is well worth the drive for the solitude. Sometimes the best practice happens when no one is watching.
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4 0
adrianlandon
Experience: 8.8 years 4 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Diamond in the Nuclear Plant 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 15, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Drove by this course many times on the way towards Astoria but never had the time to stop until recently. The bottom line is that it is a unique course and although I've played a lot of golf I've never played one quite like this. As mentioned in many of the below reviews, the water makes for plenty of risk/reward scenarios that can be quite fun. This is the kind of course that you play for some "mental" golf (or go to the mental ward if it goes badly). The setting as a whole, despite its notorious past, was aesthetically pleasing enough and there were only a handful of people around when I played so I had free reign to take me time and enjoy the round.
I felt some of the hype about lost discs might be overstated. This probably isn't a course for a beginner but even someone new to the game could play pretty conservatively and probably (maybe) be okay. Since I wasn't sure when I would have a chance to be back I went for it and walked away with all my plastic.
Given that the course is relatively empty, you could certainly design some of your own holes. Someone with skills or a sense of humor laid some pads that faced a basket about 400 feet over water. I skipped that.

Cons:

Navigation can be tricky but with a little patience and the correct map (print out the second map available on the website) it shouldn't be a problem to find your way around. I made the mistake of printing out the first map and as such couldn't find the first hole. That was on me, not the course.
Many of the holes were fun to play but I have to say that the first (and incorrect map) had a couple holes that seemed enjoyable and a bit longer. I think a couple par 4s where you have to strategically place a shot and then throw over water would have strengthened this course.
Given the history of this place I would probably refrain from swimming, drinking the water, or eating the geese.

Other Thoughts:

Oregon has so much great golf that this isn't the best option for beauty and challenge but it is certainly worth playing. I've played quite a bit up and down the west coast and nothing similar comes to mind.
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13 3
ohtobediscing
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 44.5 years 401 played 41 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Meltdown on the Columbia 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 22, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Much as the Tumwater section of the Wenatchee River would frighten my kayaking persona as I drove by, so Trojan Park gave me the willies the few times I saw the course before playing it. Fortunately, for the sake of both my mind and my wallet, I waited long enough to have the experience to control my drives well, THE CRITICAL ASPECT to having a good round here.
The course abuts both the Columbia River[you'll never notice] and Hwy 30[tough to ignore on 5-7 and 10,11], and borders on being both beautiful and treacherous. Formerly the site of the Trojan nuclear power plant, the skyline was once dominated by a 500' cooling tower[imploded in 2006]: the irregularly-shaped pond, the basis of so much water-angst here, was storage area for cycling the tower's waters.
With mature trees, finely manicured grounds, and the low slanting sunlight of early morning/late afternoon, Trojan has a very dreamy, estate-like feeling, as if you might be playing on a multi-millionaire's private links. There's lots of under-the-canopy drives early[rollers!] and late[hyzers!], with the open drives [6-14] having the greatest water-risk. Large percentages of the fairways or sides of these holes are step-in-over-your-head deep water; the width of the lake arms render floaters useless too.
The only holes of any great length are #5[two drives] and #s 8 & 13[drive & longish upshot], and the same three holes + #s 10 & 14 are the only holes with little shade. There's a swath of disc-hunting undergrowth outlying the fairways right of 5, 12 & 13 and left of 15-18.
But that's summer, and those perfect sunny days that happen randomly the rest of the year. Winter, with its riverside fogs and endless drizzles, can be muddy, oppressive, mentally disturbing, and filled with government-financed lies, like your own private Chernobyl.
The course winds in an oblong infinity symbol[a nod to Oppenheimer], the tees are cement and baskets are good, and there's benches and trashcans to be found at the start/end, and along those long walks between 8-9 and 12-13.

Cons:

Navigation/signage: One can only hope that the Worlds notoriety also brings an urge to make this course discernable for the general public/course baggers. Grabbing a map at the info board north of the park entrance road is imperative.
Stay home, kids & newbs--you'll wet your pants[and everything else] on this course. Not for the timid, twitchy or hydrophobic.
In good weather fisherfolk can be found on 1, 3, 9, 18----oh hell, you shouldn't bother to try to play here on summer weekends/holidays, or salmon/steelhead season in the fall.

Other Thoughts:

On Hwy 30 there's the Goble Tavern 1 mi. south, and Rainier with bars and stores 2 mi. north. Camping 1 mi. north at Prescott State Park. Yankton, Rainier and McCormick courses nearby, and all should be played for different reasons.
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9 0
b-mart
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 66 played 61 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Well, I only lost one... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 16, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Located just south of scenic Rainier, OR... Okay, I couldn't tell if it was scenic because it was foggy. But the drive from Portland had that "old highway" feel to it, and I like that. So I'm going to call it scenic. Back to the point: Trojan Park is a very unique course. Unlike the majority of courses in the country, Trojan brings water into play on nearly every hole. This adds a whole new psychological wrinkle, as you have to focus not only on your disc flight and the intended path, but also have to be very precise on where you land. Even a seemingly perfect shot could skip and leave you one disc short.

The water is used to its full potential here, with my personal favorites being holes 6, 8, and 12. The risk to reward ratio on these holes is through the roof, and the creativity of the designers really shows through here. There's nothing more rewarding than having a backhand shot turn over around a tree and park on the fairway with a good sized lake looming to your left (hole 12) or having another backhand shot turn out over a canal before fading safely onto the fairway on the other side (hole 8).

There's a pretty decent variety of holes here. The tiny bit of elevation comes into play when possible. There are long and short holes (5 & 10), right and left turning (14 & 17), and holes where you want your disc to hold anhyzers (6 & 12), hyzers (11) or go dead straight with water in play (8, 9, 13, & 15). Very few of these holes are safe, and it really can get in your head if you aren't careful.

Due to the secluded nature of the course in relation to the rest of the 18 holers in Oregon and Washington (and due to the water scaring off rec players), this course will probably never be crowded. The park is closed anyway in the winter, but there is ample parking on the street with a peanut gallery of geese waiting to welcome you to the area.

The teepads are concrete and the baskets are still pristine, and maps were provided at the entrance. I never want to forget to point that out on a course, no matter how bad it may be...

Cons:

Which brings me to the bad. I really wanted to love this course. I actually really liked aspects of it. But this cons list is going to be a doozy considering the rating I gave it:

Navigation: If it hadn't been for the maps provided on this site (and luckily at the entrance to the park), I never would have found my way around here. The baskets are ribbon free, the teepads are sign free, and many of the holes are so far away from the one preceding them that I guarantee that I would have been lost. Hole 1 is on the parking lot side of the road, and apparently you have to throw from the top of the stairs on the sidewalk where all of the benches are. From there you cross the street and commence throwing from completely unmarked pads of concrete.

Teepads: These are quite possibly the worst pads I have ever used. I hate natural pads, but those would be preferable to these. It was damp there (it is Oregon after all), and every pad was dangerously slick. I almost fell down the stairs on my follow through on hole 1. That's an injury waiting to happen, and you have a very good chance of shanking a disc off into the highway or the lake on a lot of these holes. I'm really not exaggerating here.

Geese: Those geese started threatening me the instant that I parked. I commenced threatening them back and walked off to play my round. What I didn't expect (but should have) was the utter volume of goose scat on the course. The fairways of 2-5 were absolutely covered with the stuff. I really doubt that there was a square foot of ground that was completely clean across a couple of acres of field. I was afraid to put a marker down, and my towels were disgusting before I even made it through that stretch. Not the worst con in the world, and it's completely impossible to combat, but it has to be mentioned.

Flow: Trojan already bears the distinction of "worst teepads". Now it gets "worst flow" as well. I appreciate that the designers wanted to bring the water into play, and as I've already mentioned, they did a great job. But the walkouts on some of these were just stupid. The worst were 8-9 and 12-13.

Water: Honestly, I like the challenge of the water. I do. But so many others want to call it a con that I've decided to include that here. My only issue was with the immediate depth of the water. Again, nothing can be done about this, but it's incredibly frustrating to lose a disc 2 feet from the shore. I tried pulling it in with a stick and promptly buried it with mud and leaves. I guess losing a disc is a right of passage at Trojan, and I expected to do so... But 2' from shore? And don't bother with floating discs either. I spotted at least 4 floaters, but the water moves so slowly that it would take hours to bring them anywhere near shore. Even then they'll just wind up in the middle of the pond by hole 9 until someone either swims out or brings a canoe.

Other Thoughts:

My round at Trojan was a pleasant one, and I managed to walk away only one disc lighter, so I feel like I shouldn't complain. There were too many cons not to complain though. However, I really did appreciate this course. I liked the challenge of the water and most of the holes were creatively designed. There are definitely some "filler" holes, but I liked the majority of them individually. If the flow were better and this course wasn't so far off of the beaten path I would probably play here every time that I went to Portland. If you have the time to hit Pier and Trojan in the same day on a trip to or from Portland, do it. That's exactly what I did. But keep in mind that it's a pretty big detour and you should expect to walk away with a few less discs.
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2 5
mbkart3
Experience: 11 years 15 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Bring your A game 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 2, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Trojan has alot to offer; beautiful scenery, nice diversity in shot types, pretty good flow, challenging. I consider the water a pro for the fact it makes you realy think about your shot instead throwing in a open field.

Cons:

No tee signs

Other Thoughts:

Trojan is were I learned to play and is my favorite local course. I have lost many a disc, but I feel it has improved my game and given me confidence in my shot making.
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4 2
longandwrong
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.2 years 59 played 39 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Did they move the course? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 18, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

UPDATE: The few holes I was able to identify were fun if you consider that a 'pro'. One thing has turned better...the bridge across to 8, I guess it was 8 has been replaced with a nice new one. END Update. Easy to find the course. The terrain is mostly level (a few hidden holes which can make you go down). Course is pretty open, in a park, that is mowed. Has cement tee pads for all but 3 holes...1, 10, 13. One par 4 number 5 but could be a 500 foot par 3. Nice pleasant day of disc in the park.

Cons:

UPDATE: No change in NO signs anywhere. If they had The Worlds here then I'm stumped. I couldn't even find signs that the Worlds played here. I must have been at the wrong course, Huh? Did I say no signs, no sign saying that this was Trojan Disc Golf Course or maps in the box or anything...stink, stank, stunk! END Update. Absolutely NO signs. Hole number one you go by the picture on the map that you download from this site, Disc Golf Review. Without the map you could be very frustrated. The bridge that is closed is the only way to get to 8, 12 and beyond. Well not really, you could walk around the sloughs 2 extra times which would only add 1 mile to your walk and interfere with players playing holes 10, 11 twice. Parking is along side of entrance street. Even though there is a great parking lot right as you enter. I think it belongs to the old Trojan plant. No trash cans, one portable bathroom at start.

Other Thoughts:

UPDATE: I still believe I was at the old course and somewhere there is a new one! I drove from Silverdale Wash. to play here and that WON'T happen again. END Update. I enjoyed playing this course. The map was essential. Throwing over water at least 5 times was challenging and cost me one driver. Also a couple of holes run right along the sloughs and if your name is "longandwrong" you might be fishing for a disc. I did. Luckily there are some dead branches by the road that helped me going plastic fishing :))) Have fun. After the first 5 holes I thought this course is 'easy peasy' but then I got around the water...made it a little more challenging. Good day on a fun little course.
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5 2
WeakToss75
Experience: 14.8 years 161 played 1 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Seriously Overrated 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

It's fairly quiet and free to play This course is never crowded with disc golfers and a good place to work on certain aspects of your game. A few of the water holes create a unique disc experience and can be alot of fun.

Cons:

Numerous.
-No signage.
-Difficult to navigate.
-No other disc golfers around?
-Locals don't seem to know what the baskets are even for?
-Water that eats plastic.
-Not beginner friendly.
-Intermediate friendly?

Other Thoughts:

This course is seriously overrated. I've played here numerous times and have never been able to complete holes 2-7. Those holes ALWAYS have people in fairways sunbathing or fishing right next to the baskets. My experience at Trojan is always the same. The park has only 20 people in it and 18 of them are in the way. I'm the only person with a disc.
I usually come here to practice and play only 12-14 of the holes. Holes 15-18 I play over and over usually throwing every disc in my bag. Why practice in a field or a busy course when you can come here and not worry about getting in the way of other golfers.
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3 5
AceAtHornings
Experience: 12 years 2 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

If you want to be challenged, this is your course! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Overall, this has to be one of the most challenging courses I've played. I even lost a couple discs today. And this course is unique...you're not going to find too many courses with this much water hazard.

Cons:

This course should be at least a 3.0...I gave it a 2.5 simply because the course is hard to navigate. The lack of labels and signage took away from the experience...I want to take in the scenery and think about my game, instead of racking my brain trying to figure out where the next hole is. Also, part of the course is right smack next to a two-lane hwy...detracts from the overall experience just a little.

Other Thoughts:

Add some basic signage...and I mean basic (like arrows painted on rocks, etc). Then I would consider rating this course a 3.0
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9 1
forehandfranz
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.8 years 226 played 128 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Water Park of the Northwest 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 26, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is one rare place to throw some discs over water for a nailbiting experience. As other reviews have stated, there's not much that a mid level player cannot handle (as far as making it over the water). But that water just will get into your head which will cause the mistakes that will result in lost plastic. The course is enjoyable if you can keep your wits and bring some discs you don't mind losing (which I did bring, and it reduced the tension of the water holes) Overall a fun course.

Memorable holes - water holes # 6 (right turning hole that is over water the whole way), #8 (over water to a peninsula) then 14 which has the pin perched on a thin heavily sloped peninsula which is surrounded by (of course) water.

The layout is flat, treed and grassy and is beautiful and quiet as a retreat. It is very unique with all the water, much like Fountain Hills in Scottsdale. This might, in itself, make it worth a trip for you!

Cons:

The course is a bit out of the way, but I would not consider it something I would go out of my way to play. And since it is out of the way, it's hard to justify going there with a high possibility of losing plastic. I went on a snowy, icy winter day and would have lost a least 3 discs if mine hadn't skipped off the icy water. If were local I would adapt, because it's a decent course, however I would be throwing all DX or pro plastic.

A few holes were a little too open and simple (#1, 10, 15)

Other Thoughts:

Take a map with you, otherwise navigation will be very confusing with a few long walks between holes.
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10 3
cefire
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 24.8 years 1123 played 136 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A rare water find in the rainy NW 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 1, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Trojan Park has some really great natural features for a disc golf course: sections of light to moderate treed areas in the midst of rolling grassy stretches all along the banks of a few interconnected ponds. In my NW experience thus far, a genuine water course like this is a rare find in the Northwest, but Trojan is good enough and is centrally located to provide both Oregon and Washington golfers with their fix for the wet stuff.

Challenge - As I stated earlier, water hazards present a unique challenge for golfers in this area; contrived "false-lake" OB just doesn't give the thrower the same rush as the experience of throwing over water. Just like trees and distance, emotional challenge will factor into the overall difficulty of these holes. However, gold level golfers who have developed hard and set composure under these circumstances, with a few exceptions, will probably not be adequately challenged by most holes on this course.

For Silver and Gold players who haven't developed this mental composure, a lot of these shots strike a really great balance between the hole difficulty (which under normal circumstances would be quite easy) and requiring those players to rise to the challenge of consistent and accurate shot-making under pressure. For example, hole 6 is the first water test that the golfer comes to which is a simple midrange turnover for RHBH or rather short sidearm with a pretty much forced fairway over water. You've got all the room in the world on the left side and trees lining the shore on the right. Its not a difficult shot to make......BUT any error will result in a penalty and, very likely, another toss over the water.

Fun - Lets be honest here, its just plain fun to throw holes with water hazards; especially with a group of friends; and especially when you aren't the one landing in the drink : )

Cons:

Navigation - As other reviewers have stated, you will want the map when finding your way around here, there are several twists and turns and a section where you loop around lakes in a figure 8 pattern. The teepads are flush with the ground so you'll really have to look around at some points in the course even with the map. Having said that, if you have the map, you should be able to find everything without too much trouble - so...print the map!!!

Beginners probably aren't going to like this course very much. If you can't throw 200 feet and/or keep a disc from hyzering hard at the end of a RHBH throw, you are in for a frustrating and probably expensive round. Several of the holes don't really have reasonable "safe" routes for true beginner players and often have water danger on the left side of the fairway in prime areas for hyzers that fall too short - but note that these are "Pro's" for higher skill levels.

Mud - It should be fairly obvious but, with most of the holes bordering the ponds and being fairly low and flat land, the place gets quite wet and muddy after it rains. Not a huge con really, just bring your boots and a towel.

Other Thoughts:

As I've stated earlier, this course is suited to a wide range of skill levels except for novice and elite level professionals but should offer at least a fun round for all except the true beginner.

I've been to the park on two weekends this winter (2009-2010) and have found it pretty much empty - sounds like it gets very busy in the summer.

Warning: Watch out for the water beyond the basket on hole 7 - each time I've played here, I've totally forgotten about it and only worried about water lining the left side of the fairway.
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10 2
JR Stengele
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.9 years 251 played 191 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Trojan Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 7, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Trojan Park in Rainier, Oregon is just minutes away from the border of Washington State and is located in a beautiful park setting which surrounds water. The course is mostly flat, with trees and other native foliage spread out along the grassy fairways. A walking path meanders throughout the park (primarily along the water) which means that one must constantly be on the lookout for pedestrians whom are walking, biking, picnicking, or fishing. Because the course is isolated from much of the other courses in or near the Portland area, most of the time you will find very few other disc golfers playing. However, the locals I did come across the day I played were extremely helpful, whether it was helping with navigation or lost discs.

Course maintenance at Trojan Park was fantastic! The fairways were all mowed, trees and bushes were well manicured, there were several trash cans placed throughout the park, and there was also a gazebo toward hole #9 that had benches and tables. The cement tee pads on the course were fairly new, large, and in great shape. Baskets too seemed fairly new, sturdy, and well taken care of.

The design of the course seemed to challenge players of all skill levels, especially amateur. I found many of the holes were well thought out and required a lot of strategy. Pin and tee placement added to much of the challenge, and deflections from the trees could be fatal to both your score and discs (splash)! This course had some of the best holes I have yet played, including holes six, eight, and twelve. All three were high-risk high-reward, with tee pads on one side of the water and pins on the other. The holes require you to throw toward the pins which were all positioned on the end of a peninsula. These holes were great in the sense that they could create a lot of separation in player scores which is what makes this course so great!

Cons:

Even though this course truly had some epic holes, there were some that just seemed thrown in. Hole one was wide open and gave little to no challenge. Hole ten was extremely short and boring, and hole eleven was extremely narrow and like ten, VERY muddy! During the winter months I could see skipping these holes and continuing on with the rest of the course.

Navigation is a serious issue too. There are no tee signs or arrows pointing first timers toward the next tee pad. Getting to tee pad 9-11 could be rather difficult, making a round at Trojan that much more frustrating. However, once played it is much easier to navigate. Hopefully it is just a matter of time before these issues are taken care of. It is obvious that the local scene is doing a lot around this course, improving it all the time.

Lost discs can be a problem on this course so just know that you are going to most likely lose at least one (especially your first time). This would be a very tough home course to have with so many chances to lose discs. With twelve of the eighteen holes having water on it, one must really think about each and every shot. It wouldn't hurt to keep some cheap dx plastic in your bag just in case.

Last, geese poop. I know others mentioned it earlier but I really didn't think much of it till I played here. It is everywhere, and gets on everything! Extra towels are a must, and hand sanitizer could go a long way. I found myself slipping on tee pads because it was all over them.

Other Thoughts:

I have wanted to play this course for sometime. I must say that Trojan did live up to it's hype as the Fountain Hills (AZ) of the Northwest. Over time I can see this course getting better and better. With such a dedicated local scene in the Portland area, and continual improvements, this course's rating will continue to climb.

I played here when it was raining and still had a great time. I can only imagine how amazing this course plays during the summer months (especially during the Rose City Open). I look forward to coming back and playing this hidden gem as it was worth every minute of my time. If traveling near Portland this is a must, as well as Pier and Horning's Hideout.
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9 0
joshkns
Experience: 15.8 years 22 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 23, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Water hazards
-Kept fairways & nice baskets
-Never crowded
-High Risk

Cons:

-Must have course map
-Couple of holes not playable in the wetter months
-Fishermen can come into play
-Flat

Other Thoughts:

I love this course!! The water hazards make this course great. One of the more relaxing places, during the week the place is empty.In the summer the fisherman can get in the way of a few holes but seem pretty cool & the Mosquitoes can be a b*tch. Trojan is one of my favorite courses, I am thankful I live so close
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9 0
sillybizz
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 22.2 years 407 played 392 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 7, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Trojan is a beautiful course set around a lake. As we all know there are several spots on this course to lose a disc but I believe the pictures online make it look worse then it is. I played using a bag with discs I have either never thrown or haven't throw in quite some time and had no idea what to expect out of them and I lost two discs but they were both on shanks that might have been lost in bushes or something else at a forested park. If I would have brought my regular bag of discs I most likely wouldn't have lost any discs in the water. There are safe areas to throw to on every water shot if you are willing to take a par or bogey but I would recommend bringing some discs you don't care about just to try and throw the water shots because it's fun. The place is quite pretty with a great little walking bridge near hole twelve, there are plenty of opportunities to take wonderful pictures.

Cons:

Well the water shots are a con for some; mostly the ones who end up in the water, hehe. There are a couple of tee pads that could have been moved to make the water come into play more in a couple of areas and they chose not to do so which is too bad because these couple of holes are the only clunkers on the course really. You are going to need a guide or the course map to find your way around as there are some long walks between holes; mostly on the back nine.

Other Thoughts:

I can imagine that during the summer months this course could get hard to play as this looks like a great place to enjoy a nice walk through the park or have a picnic, so I'm sure the course gets busy with non disc golfers. As I mentioned before the water shots aren't all that bad and you can avoid them if you are willing to not get a birdie. This isn't a great place to take beginners to and advanced players should be under par as long as you keep it out of the water.
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6 3
disc-maverick
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Trojan was great! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 18, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

A little isolated, so no people. Plus, it is October 18th. Great layout, medium to difficult, and very well kept.

Cons:

Water, but that makes it part of the fun. Not too many cons for me.

Other Thoughts:

I am not sure what everyone is talking about. While we paused for a minute or two to figure out which tee box was which, we gambled based on how the flow "should" go. And, we were right. Two intermediate, non-tournament experienced discers did just fine and did not lose a disc. We played conservative on the "scary" holes, but ended up with decent scores for our first trip. Definitely going back.
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1 9
k2trcs
Experience: 22.8 years 75 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 11, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

great course, very challenging...requires course management skills over power.

Cons:

requires high skill and course management otherwise your plastic will dissapear into the murky depths...like a couple of mine have.
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11 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Enjoyed It More Than I Thought I Would! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 4, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

I arrived being really prepared to dislike this course. I absolutely hate losing discs. But I totally enjoyed my Trojan Park water experience. Not having a strong arm, I was worried about all the long throws over water. But in reality, the throws over water are fairly short. On #'s 5, 6, 10 and 11, you need to keep it straight in order to stay out of the water. I was able to navigate the course fairly easily with the map I had printed on-line. The park is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I was there on a Tuesday and there were other people in the closed part of the park, fishing, bicycling, etc. I don't know exactly how rigid park officials want to be about having folks here when the gates are locked.

Cons:

Obviously, watching your favorite discs sinking to the bottom of the lake is a problem for some players. In my mind, that pretty much eliminates this course for beginners. It is flat with no elevation. I can see picnickers getting in the way. Some of the teepads are a little tough to find. Some are painted onto sidewalks or streets.

Other Thoughts:

I came prepared bringing 4 or 5 throw-a-way discs. But I was playing by myself and wasn't exactly worried about getting the lowest score possible. If playing serious rounds here, I know that I would probably average, at least, one lost disc per round. That could get mighty frustrating and costly too.
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14 0
TrailBoss
Experience: 47.3 years 170 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Water holes and more water holes 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Course starts out with a handful of easy holes around groups of trees, which is great to get your mojo and flow going before things get technical. Very challenging course due to all of the holes adjacent to lakes and ponds. Risk/Reward is very high on all of these holes. I loved the whole vibe and setting of the course. Very rare to play courses that have so much water hazards and provide that level intensity and focus. Very cool. Course is well designed and utilizes is terrain very effectively

Cons:

Absolutely need a map to find your way around. With the map, we had no real problems navigating the course. If you did not have one, you would be challenged. I did not find the walk outs to be an issue. They were necessary to get from point A to point B.

Other Thoughts:

Holes 8 and 13 are the signature holes of the course. Awesome pin placements out on the edge of peninsulas with tee shots over water. I found the course mentally demanding due to all the water hazards, but this is what made the course so appealing to me and worth the drive to get to it. This course would be frightening if windy. We caught it under perfect conditions. Definitely recommend this course.
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