Bridgewater, NJ

Chimney Rock DGC

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2.145(based on 36 reviews)
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6 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.8 years 216 played 182 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Smokin' Chimney Rock 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ The course plays mostly away from the rest of this active yet peaceful park.
+ Good balance of lefty vs. righty, open holes, tunnel throws and true wooded challenges with some water features to boot. I was impressed with the diversity at this 9-hole course.
+ About three or four of the holes have significant elevation changes. (A lot of trials are densely packed into this course!)
+ Approachable for new players thanks to two tee off areas for each and every hole...

Cons:

- ... but there are no actual tee pads here: just patches of worn down dirt denoted by stout vertical wooden markers painted different colors depending on which distance it is, which can be hard to see in the first place. Some tee areas have exposed roots and rocks.
- The tee signs have distance and par but no diagram of the hole.
- It's rather brief with only two holes near or exceeding 350ft from the long tees. (A positive thing for the new players)
- Some of the tees are too close to the previous fairway or basket. Tee4 and fairway3 come to mind.
- Some areas of absolutely impenetrable rough here- especially on hole 2.

Other Thoughts:

My favorite hole here was definitely hole 5. From my limited experience It's so delightfully rare to encounter a 9-hole course with a healthy stream that the player throws over not once but twice! Hole five is a downhill glide through some trees and over that stream. My least favorite hole was hole 8. I was nervous throwing out of there because it's the part of the course that heads back towards the main park, and I couldn't see if anyone was at the end of the tunnel. It felt necessary to yell, "Fore!" both times I played it.

As for the course as a whole, Chimney Rock deserves a higher score than what I gave it today. Everything that I love about a course is right here. It's got some nice elevation challenges, a well-used water feature, a nice setting with an enjoyable walk, tree dodging, and the kind of hybrid-style holes that are both open and just wooded enough to force the player to think before they throw. It is a great example of what a 9-hole course can be.

But the tee areas have a lot to be desired. Those roots and rocks in the wooded holes can easily cause a stumble, and the areas probably get soggy after rain. The tee signs should be updated to include diagrams of the hole ahead, and maybe they could be installed at each tee area instead of just the black (long) one. And even though it is a brief 9-hole course, some 'next tee' signs would be nice to help out new players as well.

In closing, Chimney Rock is already a good 9-hole course with some enjoyable disc golf for all players. All that's missing is some extra love of groundskeeping and some touches of infrastructure. I aim to return one day in the future. If the above issues are addressed, then I will gladly award a higher score! Recommended.
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5 0
HyooMac
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.7 years 415 played 382 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Big Aspirations in a Small Space

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 3, 2023 Played the course:5+ times

Other Thoughts:

A park nine with several wooded holes. It's got two tee positions, good DisCatcher baskets and a local following. But the park doesn't appear to do anything other than mow, and some of the holes have changed for the worse as trees and bushes have grown over the years.

The non-wooded holes (1-2, 6-9) play along narrow grass fairways that are fair. They require accuracy, but the punishment for being offline is pretty brutal: very thick and tall rough, lots of prickers, no clear lines to the basket. For a mild nine in a park, the penalty for missing your shot is pretty extreme

The wooded holes are a different story: 5 and 7 are very short (7 is almost a straight jump putt, and 5 is a crazy hard turning right dogleg down a steep slope - also a putter shot). Hole #6 is a gem: straight, almost 300' along a river bed with a creek crossing, and plenty of trees guarding the green. The only drawback is that the natural tees are in the old riverbed, and footing is very rocky (especially the White tee) - you can't run up, and have to throw 250' from a standstill

Tees have never been more than natural, with small markers embedded at ground level. Many are missing, but the signage is located at the back (Blue) position. Some of the signs are gone, leaving only the posts.

Holes 8 and 9 were always blind teeshots, but returning recently for the first time in more than three years, I was struck by how much less playable they've become due to growing trees and encroaching rough.

When I first played Chimney Rock in 2018 and 2019, it was fair, fun and a great place for "advanced beginners." Short, but more challenging than wide open parks like nearby Harry Dunham, a good stepping stone to longer, narrower and wooded courses. It still is - but the lack of park maintenance hurts. It looks to me like a situation where the park management just tolerates having a sport that it doesn't really understand (not uncommon in northern New Jersey).You can't blame the enthusiastic local supporters when the park won't help out

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3 0
bobmcnelly
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.9 years 324 played 189 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 8, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- i guess this course recently had some improvements done to it
- new tee signs
- long and short tee pads for each hole
- good variety of distances with 2 par 4s
- several technical holes that require you to hit your line
- some elevation change
- navigation of this course is relatively easy

Cons:

- tee pads are all natural and some have roots and rocks on them
- there are some very thick and nasty areas on this course but mostly all far off the fairway
- lots of random pedestrians walking through the course when the park is busy
-hole 9 plays pretty close to a walkway and a picnic area, could lead to a safety issue

Other Thoughts:

A fun little course that works well as a quick play option for this part of New Jersey. This course is definitely better than the previous reviews would make you think.
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2 5
ChainSmoker19
Experience: 18.1 years 28 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Not Worth Your Time 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 3, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Holes in the woods have some potential.
1-2 of the wooded holes go over a creek, which is always a plus.

Cons:

Holes either poorly marked or not marked at all.
Cars park on the course during weekends.
Brush is incredibly thick, you have to play extremely conservative if you don't want to lose any discs.
Hole 9 is in the middle of a picnic area, which surely could cause an issue if being used by pedestrians.

Other Thoughts:

I'm not sure what this course was like when it opened, but I know it is in very rough condition now. There are a couple better courses in the area, so I truly cannot think of any reason ever to go back to this course.
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5 5
Spirit of Rich
Experience: 6 played 3 reviews
0.50 star(s)

CERTAINLY NOT 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 4, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

It's about 15 minutes away from Harry Dunham Park in Bernards, a nice 9-hole course that respects the integrity of the game.

The first hole in the woods wasn't bad.

Cons:

This "frisbee golf" course had several holes virtually unplayable due to crowding for a softball tournament, which led to park goers treating the fairway of hole 1 as a parking space and people literally driving through other parts of the course. If you still wish to pursue this tumultuous experience, avoid weekend afternoons.

When it came to the holes that were playable, we spent more time trying to figure out where to start most holes than actually playing. What a mess!

Hole 7 is a disc eater. Simply unethical to have rough this wild.

Other Thoughts:

If this is your hometown course you gotta respect your roots, but otherwise I can't justify coming to this course without major changes. Sad!
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3 2
gbikofsky
Experience: 31.8 years 17 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A little of everything. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 14, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Tee#1 is on the top of a slope and is a great spot to practice long throws. We liked that three of the holes were in the woods.

Cons:

The starting marker for hole 4 and 7 had fallen down and we had to look around to find where to start.

Other Thoughts:

I played with my two children. They liked the three holes in the woods. The course was fun and a little bit challenging, due to the narrow fairways.. Except for the missing tee off markers, it was pretty well maintained. It is a beautiful park. After we played, we practiced distance throwing on the first tee.
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3 4
owvanguard
Experience: 15.8 years 170 played 34 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Don't Go 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 21, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Bathroom with running water. Grass is cut.

Good baskets

Cons:

No tee pads and in most cases no clear idea where to tee from.

Some holes have tee signs and others do not.

Fairways are too narrow and the rough is a wall of thorns.

Good chance to loose a disc on every hole.

Hole 9 has a blind tee shot right at a picnic bench.

Other Thoughts:

I lost two discs here, hole 7 I did not play because of super tight and dense rough. Hole 9 I did not play because unsafe.
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2 4
turbotime69
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Needs Work 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 5, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

1 - Quality professional baskets
2 - Clean
3 - Short but enough obstacles to compensate

Cons:

1 - No tee pads, markers or anything to indicate where to tee off.
2 - Signage is poor or nonexistent
3 - Woods are THICK and littered with sticker bushes

Other Thoughts:

Far ways are narrow which is ok and forces you to work on accuracy but the thickness of the woods makes going for distance unappealing as a shanked disc will get swallowed.

The course layout is pretty simple but could be really great fun if all my "Cons" are addressed.

If someone wants to organize a clean-up effort I'll help, PM me.
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3 0
nwinnie34
Experience: 10.2 years 11 played 11 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Cool course, needs a little work 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 27, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Cool layout, secluded, great woods holes, baskets are in great shape, was a fun course for both beginners or the more advanced

Cons:

Poor signage, couldnt find Hole #9 tee box, the place needed a good mowing, WOODS ARE THICK, stay in the fairway or else you'll spend half the round in the woods searching for a needle in a haysack, i lost a Silver Discraft Ti Buzzz on the 6th hole, please call me if you find it, i had it for literally one day

Other Thoughts:

The idea is there, this is my 2nd time playing this course and I'm not sure if i will go back, id rather play other courses and not spend an hour per 9 holes looking for discs.... i know i should stay in the fairway... haha but sometimes it don't work out like that, ill come back in the fall when the foliage is less thick, TONS OF PRICKERS in the woods
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4 3
EWSdiscgolf
Experience: 10.6 years 89 played 28 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Less than Decent NJ Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 12, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

1. There was a decent use of terrain. Some holes were downhill, some uphill, and some flat. I especially liked the downhill holes.
2. Chimney Rock offered a long tee but half of the time I couldn't find it.

Cons:

1. There really weren't any tee pads. They were grass and on a rainy day you have absolutely no footing. They should really add new concrete tee pads
2. The signage is awful here. Most holes have faded signage and some holes don't even have signage at all! I heard that they were supposed to make new updated tee signs in January 2015 but they didn't.
3. Absolutely no course amenities. No benches at tees, garbage cans on course, disc bag posts/hooks, next tee arrows, etc.
4. Not really that much hole variety in distance. Other than one 485 par 4, all holes are 160 feet.
5. There really wasn't a signature hole on the course. Most holes are not very unique. Maybe if they extended hole 2 and moved the basket to on top of the hill, it could be signature.
6. Most important: the overall fun factor. I really don't know what to say but most of the time this course really isn't interesting at all but it is a good course for a quick round.

Other Thoughts:

Don't really come here if you are looking for a challenge or hoping for a solid 4 rated course. Play the new Thompson Park or Greystone Woods.
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3 4
Akavar
Experience: 10.7 years 3 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice Short Course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Well maintained.
Good mix of hilly, wooded, open and flat.
Good practice for accuracy.

Cons:

Could be better marked.
Could not find the 9th tee!
No benches or anything to sit on.

Other Thoughts:

This is a short course that is good practice for accurate shots.
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4 8
seanyboyhoward
Experience: 10.7 years 40 played 12 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Dislike 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 10, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Ace runs. Playing over the creek is fun but SO short. 100ft.

Cons:

Signage is awful! Overgrown, just overall terrible.There is no organization to the course. There was garbage in basket #4. You spend more time looking for where to tee off from then actually playing. Tee 6 isnt there. There are trail signs that confuse you with tee signs... Gave a .5 because there were 9 baskets.

Other Thoughts:

If a club adopted this course, the land and space where the course is could be turned into a great 9 hole course. The open area where hole 1,2,6,7,8,9 are could turned into a fun 3 holes and the woods could be utilized much better. but as of now they are better off donating the baskets to another 9 hole course and calling it a day.
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3 6
Sketto
Experience: 12.4 years 147 played 10 reviews
1.50 star(s)

A beginner's course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Well manicured park.
- Uses the space it has adequately.
- Convenient and clean bathroom.

Cons:

- No real challenges here for the serious player other than keeping your drives straight.
- Signage poor or non-existent.
- Only a couple teepads. Others are just "throw from this spot".
- Short.

Other Thoughts:

If you're passing through and want a tune-up, it's cool. But not a course for a regular, avid player.
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4 0
K. Butter
Experience: 13.9 years 74 played 5 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Has the potential... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 29, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good mix of open and wooded holes, not to mention the use of a stream to add the water factor. Has some nice technical shots and the change to rip some long drives. Nice scenery.

Cons:

Signage
-Should include at least a crude map to show what and where you're aiming for. Example: For #1, the sign orientation suggests to aim to the left, which I believe was actually #8's fairway. On second inspection, it seemed that the fairway was to the right of the tree line and left of the playground. Finally, after walking around a bit more, I located the basket and realized that you shoot through a prison of trees. (At this point I brought up dgcoursereview on my phone).

-Should include a next tee location as well. I could not find the tee for #4, even with the help of the site. The signs are all mounted on the same type of posts as nature trail's signs, so it got somewhat confused.

Overrall, for a first time visitor, I had a lot of trouble navigating (this does not mean the course didn't run smoothly, because it does flow nicely). I'm sure the addition of a map would solve this.

Holes
The #5 hole is a joke. I could practically spit to the basket. Yes it's over a stream, but from that close, a water hazard doesn't even factor into it. If the tee box was backed up a few hundred feet it would definitely turn into a great hole.

Other Thoughts:

Should add permanent tee pads and better signage. Make #5 hole longer. Decent layout but could have utilized a lot more trails and elevation changes.
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5 0
geminiguy88
Experience: 11.8 years 13 played 12 reviews
3.00 star(s)

nice mix of the long and short 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 8, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A little bit of something for everybody; both long and short holes, with a few middies thrown in for good measure

Challenging for newbies and vets alike, a good course to work on all aspects of your game.

Nice mix of open lane and wooded, close quarters terrain

Cons:

Signage is pretty weak, but not the worst I've seen. Once you go through the course once, well, maybe twice, you will know it like the back of your hand. No visual representations given, only distances. See the media section of this page.

Tee boxes can use some work in terms of footing and safety. Tee #5 comes to mind.

Tee #9... did the designer decide to drop some salvia then decide to put the tee literally in the bushes? Do I shoot to the left or right of the bush column? Or just straight through them? I'm going to say to the left. I usually just skip this hole for this reason. Its become a tradition now.

The pine trees and sticker bushes can get a bit annoying and will swallow discs from time to time, but its not the end of the world. Some players are just spoiled with boring, vegetation- free courses. These obstacles let you know that you need to work on accuracy. Consider hiring a caddy to do your dirty work if disc retrieval is an issue. And to carry your oh so heavy bag while their at it. And wave a palm frond/carry a parasol over your head on sweltering days. Pansy elitists.

Other Thoughts:

Not my favorite in NJ, but its come to grow on me. I have gotten much, much better since playing this course quite a few times. Its a great place to work on all facets of your game. Chances are you will get better too, if you give it a chance to begin with. Highly recommend a spotter.

My favorite memory of the place was when my best friend narrowly missed acing hole number 8 by six inches. Not an easy feat even for the pros, considering you can't see the hole from the tee at all, not to mention the serval rows of impervious pine trees in the way.
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3 2
SZRoll
Experience: 11.8 years 8 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun time! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 13, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-All 9 baskets are present and in good shape

-The park was not crowded

-The park was clean

Cons:

-No hole signs

-Missing tee signs

Other Thoughts:

A good course for practice and beginners. The tees do flow with the baskets however there are no signs to show you which direction they are in. So it takes a little bit to walk around and locate all the tees your first time through but after that first time the course flows.
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4 5
mmblink86
Experience: 13.8 years 24 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Very Underrated! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 21, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Room to work, ability to create tee shots further from baskets to overcompensate for shorter holes. Longer tee-pads for holes 3-5 makes the trip in the woods worth my trip every time to this gem. Great place to practice each and every shot!

Cons:

Signage is poor, however course flow is easier than portrayed. Check out the Media section...there's a guided tour of the course. Know before you go!

Other Thoughts:

Great practice course! Even though I lost a few discs in the brambles on my first play, I learned quickly how to play in tight conditions.
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4 3
gemini55
Experience: 15 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 18, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

I am shocked at all the negative comments about chimney rock. its a really beautiful and fun course. 3 of the holes go into the woods, its really nicely designed.

Cons:

agree that the course needs better signage, however i don't think its that complicated to follow the course, even without signs i was able to navigate from hole to hole
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3 5
krauset2
Experience: 12.9 years 5 played 4 reviews
1.00 star(s)

layout ruins potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

nice park, a few interesting holes with elevation changes. hole #1 is the best of the bunch

Cons:

signage is an absolute joke, very thick thorns and briar patches just off the fairway, course, 100 ft holes with no obstacles are pointless

Other Thoughts:

like others have said this course has potential, but is not worth the headaches.

couldnt play holes #4 or #9 due to not being able to find the tees. picked a natural staring point for hole #6 since the sign also appeared missing. the sign for hole #1 points in a different direction then the shot, took a while to find this basket as well. no tee areas at all, not even dirt, just random pieces of wood with numbers written on them. if course was crowded the poor hole layout would result in lots of traffic on the fairways.

there are lots of extremely thick thorns and briar patches just off the fairway, long socks or pants are a must. there is a hill near basket #2 consisting solely of monster thorns, dont bother entering this if your disc goes here, not worth it.

hole #1 (once found) is really cool, a downhill shot into a clearing between tree patches. hole #3 is fun, a severe downhill drop into the woods and hole #8 is a cool shot as well. the straight shot 100 ft holes are wastes, not sure how someone would need more than 2 shots on these or how these holes are fun or helpful at all.

overall, the frustration of wandering around trying to figure out where to shoot outweighs any of the positives of this course. all the baskets are relatively easy to find (except #1), but you might as well just create your own tee in some cases since the course makes no sense. the course area is very nice, but a waste of potential, not worth a return trip.
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4 0
Aupps
Experience: 13.8 years 32 played 23 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Where is the next &$%# hole?!?! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 1, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

After playing Greenwood Meadows, it was nice to use different shots and discs other than my mids. Holes 3, 4, & 5 are the best holes on the course. They play down the hill and incorporate water hazards (#4 especially).

Cons:

There is no course map. If I hadn't read on here that the first tee was behind the basketball court, I wouldn't even think that there was a disc golf course in the park. The signage is terrible, it just has the hole number, length, and par listed (if the sign isn't missing), doesn't tell you where the pin in located or where the next tee could be found. The sign for #9 was missing completely, or maybe it wasn't but I couldn't find it.
Since the signs are terrible and there are other sign posts in the area with information about the planets, navigating is the hardest part to the course.

Other Thoughts:

If the signage issue was taken care of this course would be an excellent 9 holer. This can be combined with Greenwood Meadows and Harry Dunham to make up a fair 27 holes.
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