Good use of space
Easy navigation
a mix of woods and open
fun use of elevation

Some broken glass on the fairways and greens
A few 'hidden' baskets that blended into the park

I just played once, and only the 'short' holes but each hole had a little something going for it. With only 9 holes the designer really made it not feel repetitive.

A well-designed park 9 with the benefit of alternate tees/baskets and a couple of memorable throws across a valley




+ Most of the holes have an alternate tee ("A" and "B"), and several have alternate baskets instead. The design is good enough to want to play both for the variety


+ Very clear new signs, good DISCatcher baskets, solid rubber/concrete teepads. Top drawer amenities for a municipal park course


+ Much of the course plays along a hillside across a wide valley from the first tee. There's a flat "shelf" along the hillside, providing nice flat landing zones and fairways for several of the holes, but the designer cleverly placed baskets to give this park course some personality:

The "2B" basket sits on a terrace halfway down the steep slope on the right, to put a premium on gauging your shot (if it's long, it's gone)

Holes 6 and 7 play down and back up a hillside that's dotted with tall pines. There are plenty of open lines, but the real challenge is handling the change in elevation

The basket on 8A sits right up against a long dropoff, and the basket for 8B is across a ravine


The real "hero" shots are on Holes 1 and 9 that play across the wide valley with some marsh, tall weeds and water

- The main walking/biking path for the park is pretty much through the middle of the course. You're throwing over it on the first two holes, alongside it on 3 and 4, and at baskets next to it on 6 and 8. Not a problem if the park is deserted, but there's a chance you'll be waiting for, or yelling "fore", at the same walkers several times

~ I did not see any broken glass or maintenance issues noted in the reviews from a few years ago. The park was clean and the equipment was in great shape



~ You need a considerable arm to play for par on a few of the holes, and that's unusual for a 9 in a park. Hole 4B is an almost 800 foot (with a lot of it uphill) par 4, and 9A is 500+ foot par 3 hole "top of the world" type shot (and if you lose it to the left, you're wet). These are not bad holes at all - but unusually challenging for a "9 in a park."



RECOMMENDED COMBINATIONS:

The obvious choice is Wickham nearby. I strung together a series of 9's from West to East: Pomfret, Garrison, Creaser and Center Springs. Center Springs far and away the best of the four.

The Course is set towards the back and far end of Center Springs park . There is plenty of parking , and the main building that you passed has a nice bathroom . There is A Post O Let in the lot , closer to the beginning of the course . This is a 9 hole course .
The Equipment - There are either 2 tees or 2 baskets per hole , which can make for a mix-n-match 18 hole layout . The tee pads are rubber and in great shape . The small tee signs are good and informative giving info from both tees or to both baskets . The baskets are Yellow Discatchers . There are some benches scattered in the park . A nice Kiosk is at the end of the parking lot with a course map on it .
The Landscape - The park was clean and mowed when I was here . The course is park style , with some trees guarding cleverly placed baskets . There are some grades to the course , And a huge gully that comes into play for both #1 & #9 . The back hill makes for some uphill ( #5 , #7 ) and downhill ( #6 ) . If your drive strays left either on holes 2 or 3 , you might find yourself at the bottom of a steep hill , #4 has some overgrowth on the left , too . A large nice pond could come into play on hole 9b if you pull it hard left , or 9a if you don't drive it hard enough over part of the pond . The course sits on a scenic piece of the park .
The Highlights - I was kicked off of Wickham because of the pro tour in town , but a lot of the pros picked this course to practice and warm up with . #1 at 366' is a great starter hole , throwing from an elevated tee over a gully to a basket sitting on the hill with trees forming a canopy and a barriers to the green . #2 runs through a tight fairway to one of 2 baskets that are on a dry inlet with a steep dropoff on 3 of the 4 sides . There is a large tree guarding the entrance to the inlet .
#5 ( 646' ) starts from an elevated tee to a fairway with a tree midway . The flat midpoint starts to rise to the left to the basket at the end of a treeline . #9 is a top of the world shot from either tee pad . One goes over part of the pond ( 537' ) to a landing area , then to the basket sittin part way up the hill . The other tee takes the pond more out of play , but still a top of The World shot at 463' .
Signature Hole - #8 . You either attack the shorter basket with a long hyzer shot , or shoot through the trees and over a small ledge to the basket ( 470' ) tucked to the right and close to a dropoff if you have a rollaway .
Time - I played this course in about 35 minutes while dodging the pros . A group of 4 will take all 9 holes in about an hour .
Disc Risk - Minimal if you can keep it away from the overgrowth and steep hill on 2 ,3, & 4. and keep it out of the large pond if throwing over it on 9a . Discs are easy to spot everywhere else .
The course is free and not a secret with the locals . Several were mixed in with the pros at 9:00am on a Friday morning .

Equipment upgrade - The course has been round since 2015 . If you like the attention the course receives and the design , change the rubber tees to cement , and upgrade to bigger and nicer signs .
Only 9 - I was looking at the land here . I think that this course could add at least 3 more holes , and possibly make an 18 hole course if some of the woods was given up for it just past the parking lot .
When playing hole #4 , I saw a man entering the park from the other side with a liquor bottle in a brown paper bag in his hand . I hope this isn't the norm here .
Bring bug spray . The pond brings out the worst in the insect world . Also , you might have to dig through the brush for your disc . I saw a local lose his disc in about 1 /2 feet of overgrowth and get eaten alive while he looked for about 5 minutes .

As far as 9 hole courses go , Center Springs is a breath of fresh air . There is a good amount of variety here , and it's challenging without being intimidating . The park is nice to look at , and the elevation makes for a quick but good workout . If the goal was to make a playable 9 hole course in a small section , then mission accomplished . If I lived close by , I would share disc golf time between here and Wickham . Center Springs is the place to go if you want 30-35 minutes of disc golf after dinner , or right after chores . There is a lost disc dropoff slot in a door facing the pound behind the building ( nice touch ) . Make sure you check the course facepage for league or tournament play . I think they have doubles Thursday evenings . The course receives a lot of care from the parks department . Thanks , for promoting disc golf in the Manchester area .
My Recommendation - With the 2 basket or 2 tee system , this is a great course for intros , newbies , families , dates , 1 discers . and locals . long and challenging enough for intermediates , and amusing enough for ams ot pros to either get a quick round in , or warm up for Wickham Park down the road . Travelers will like the short leg stretcher between interstates in Hartford , and Course Collectors can pick this quick one up , maybe Wickham Keney and Ecker Hill all in the same day . It's only 9 holes , But Deinitely WORTH A PLAY !!!

Scorecard/course map available at course entrance
Bathroom available in the main building as well as a port-a-poddy
Great tee pads with nice rubber matting
Innova DISCatcher baskets easy to see and catch well
Nice use of the land...multiple elevation changes and uses large oak trees well
Fair lines and fair pars on every hole
Several holes that let you bomb it, some in the open (1,5,9) and some carefully around trees (4,6,8) and a few shorter technical holes (2,3,7)

Broken glass covers every hole, be careful picking up your discs
Only 9 holes, would love to see this course expanded to 18

Very nice course with a lot of future potential
Tee pads are top notch and should be in great shape for years to come
Grass is mowed short and finding discs is not a problem (unless you go left on 1 and 2)
The ninth hole is a fun hole...537 feet with about 60+ feet in elevation change...let it rip, but be careful of the pond on the left!
A failed turnover or a hyzer that gets caught up in the wind might lose your disc (I had to wade in a few feet to retrieve a destroyer)
Overall, a very nice 9 hole course that is clearly well taken care of. Would be nice to see this course expanded to 18 holes in the future. I will definitely be playing here again

Course Map and scorecards at entrance
Neat little putting area with bricks marking distance
Super nice tee pads
Excellent Baskets
Well groomed
Good tee signs on each hole
Next tee signs giving good directions
Blend of uphill, down hill, tight and open shots.
Fair lines, fair med speed greens.
Port-o-pot on site
Not a lot of traffic for a multi use park
Great setting for a course

Broken glass around the entire park.
If there where more people using park, probably would become an issue during your round
3 and 4 seem like same hole twice
Only 9 holes and looks like there is room for 18

Had a great time playing this 9 hole course multiple times in one day.
At times it gives the feel of a tight New England course, yet has the air space up above opening things up.
The downhill bomb on 9 is a very fun way to get you back to your car or first tee again.
I also enjoyed 8 a great deal. This hole let you rip it, but made you place it for your second shot towards the protected basket.
The holes are very fair and challenging.
Worth a look see especially in route to or coming back from Wickham.

Hidden gem in the middle of downtown Manchester. Only 9 holes but very challenging. Course is very well maintained by the course director and fellow volunteers. Tee pads were installed last spring and held up very well through the winter. The town picks up all of the leaves during the autumn season. Course is open year round. Foliage is prenominal during the autumn season. Course is free to play.

Minimal broken glass on course.

There is a lost and found box next to the door of the recreation building in the parking lot. Discs can be picked up Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.

This is a great course to practice on or just get a quick 9 holes in.

There is a weekly random double league that is played during the spring, summer and fall on Thursday nights.

Fun yet challenging holes. Elevation change. Rollaway greens and fairways. Barely any branches in the flight path.
Quiet. Gorgeous during the autumn.
Great 9 hole course. Nice design and flow.
Good times!

None

Well pruned wooded holes with a few elevation changes.

Only a 9 hole.
Broken glass in some areas.

I played for the first time there today and ended up playing three rounds because it was so quiet and nice there.

New tee pads on all nine holes. Local club has done a great job cleaning up the area.

Park is not as clean as you would expect. Lots of broken glass and some litter throughout. Hole five usually has you hiking through some tall weeds but the rest of the holes are very nicely situated.

Enjoy hole 9 and watching your drive just sail on down. Hope you avoid the pond! Course designer does a great job running a league here, doing cleanups and has worked with the town to incorporate improvements. I keep coming back, since it's a small gem in the area.

Nice for a quick 9 holes. Fairly open with a lot of tree trunks in the way. Multiple paths to most baskets from the tee's. On most holes with a good drive if you can avoid trees you can get a clear shot to the basket. Holes 4 and 5 play the longest with 5 stretching my capabilities for a par 3. Hole 8 has a nice ditch in front of the basket that's a perfect natural stop for a good roller. Hole 9 has water to the left which I didn't think would really come into play until I had to wade out 15 feet to recover a Katana that hyzered way out on me. Decent layout that lets you air out a drive on 1,4,5,8 and 9.

Tee's are dirt and soft with lots of ruts. There are tons of roots and 4-6 inch sapling stumps on some of the holes that can alter what would have been a good shot. This should improve with time(at least the sapling stumps). Signage could be a little better. Only other Con is like most New England courses in the fall..... leaves on several holes a great drive in the middle of the fairway could lead to a 15 minute search for a disc. The park was finally cleaned up after about 4 weeks. For a while it was so bad players brought rakes with them. Oh there is also a bench not far in front of the 9th tee that if occupied can be shot altering.

For a new course very good. I'm sure it will get better as the Parks department gets suggestions.

• Great Urban Park Layout. Provides a nice mix of hole shapes and distances that are challenging enough for advanced players but don't punish beginners and rec level players.
• Free to play.
• Safely stays away from all other park activity. Never throwing directly at other park activity. Does play along and across some lightly traveled walking paths, but always with good visibility. With just a little awareness players can keep out of the way of walkers and joggers.
• Plays in and around some stately huge oaks and pines. Trees will force you to shape shoots to score well, but with little to no undergrowth not much chance for beginners to lose discs and errant tee shots aren't too badly punished.
• Good use of elevation changes.
• Nice new Innova DisCatcher Pro baskets, well mounted. All of the "greens" are obstacle free. Many of the greens are on a bit of a slope to add a little interest to approach shots. Go for it but risk a roll-away, or play safe.
• Tees are well marked with posts and granite squares. They are currently natural but there are plans for something more permanent in the spring. Navigation was for the most part very easy even for someone playing for the first time.
• Beautiful wide open finishing hole, long downhill with a big pond off the left side.

• Only nine holes
• No signage and natural tees, but I expect this is because the course is so new. I may have to come back next spring and bump my ratings by ½ star.
• Great urban course, but not the finish and amenities of a top level course. No benches, no trash cans on the course.
• There is a bit of trash in the park, mostly coffee cups and lids but some empty liquor bottles and beer cans too.
• Goose droppings on the 9th fairway.

I wish every small city in America had such a great urban disc golf facility. This park is set in the middle of a neighborhood of well-kept old wood framed homes and had a good neighborhood feel to it. I expect it will pick up a neighborhood following and hope it attracts many young players to the game.
This course fills a niche within the Manchester area and nicely complements the existing courses. A place where you can get in a quick round when you don't have time to play one of the other courses in the area, or a great course to bring a new player.

When Wickham closes for the winter this park will take up some of the slack from players getting Wick-drawal. Great options within a short drive: Wickham, Cross Farms, Ecker Hill are all within a 10 mile radius of Center Springs Park.
Hole by hole from a rec play perspective:
#1 - Short walk from the parking lot, have an open throw downhill, then have to pick a path through some trees up the hill to the basket tucked on the hillside below the gazebo. Had to walk part way down from the tee to see the basket. At 366' a three is possible with a good drive and a well-shaped approach that misses the trees. For a rec player this is either a tough par 3 or an easy par 4.
#2- 288' and straight and flat, but well treed on either side of the fairway. Fairway is wide enough to be reasonable.
#3 - 235', straight and mostly flat, but a few more trees to contend with.
#4 - Another long and straight hole, well over 400', takes a long drive & missing a lot of trees (at least by rec player standards) to have a reasonable approach to the basket.
#5 - The tee is a bit of a walk up the hill after putting out on #4. Very long slight dogleg left and uphill. This hole measures out at 646 feet and with the big oak trees to negotiate it's a solid challenge. To me I threw a full out drive, then a drive that wobbled badly and blew down the hill a bit, then a pretty solid approach and was still left about 40' below the basket. I missed my putt. Did it feel like a bogey 5 or a missed birdie for a par 5? I think for me it felt like the latter.
#6 - Slightly downhill 337', again with some giant oaks guarding the way, though a fair and clean line to the hole.
#7 - Up hill, a couple of different viable lines to the hole, you just can't go straight at it. 223'
#8 - Long, fairly level 408' again with lots of tall oaks defining some tight lines to the hole. There is both a left-to-right and right-to-left line in there somewhere. Felt like a challenging but fair par 4 to this rec player.
#9 - The signature hole for this course, very nice. Wide open downhill shot to a pin tucked on a slight up-slope 537' away. The fairway is wide open, but some well-placed trees guard the basket once you get past the footpath. The pond is way off to the left but still is at least in the back of your mind at you crank up your drive.