Iowa City, IA

Turkey Creek - Old Layout

3.685(based on 34 reviews)
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1 1
mmeseck
Experience: 8 years 5 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Real True 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course offers a nice mix of open holes and wooded ones. Has well maintained cement pads to throw off of. Holes have multiple pin locations and are changed monthly. There are a few holes with a nice change in elevation for Iowa. Being close to a major university it does have a tendency to get crowded but if you get out early enough you are ok. One thing I personally really love is that the undergrowth isn't out of control on this course and that means less poison weeds and lost discs.

Cons:

Only one or two holes you can really let lose your throw on. Can get crowded.

Other Thoughts:

Watch out for the warming house on 18.
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1 4
Spike Hyzer 23
Experience: 30.7 years 92 played 87 reviews
4.00 star(s)

It's No Turkey! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 11, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

It's a well designed course that has a fair balance of right and left, some open shots, and a variety of distance. It's well kept and the signage is good. It's more densely wooded than is indicated and it's quite difficult to find a good line to the pin on some of the shorter and more reachable holes in the woods (that's a good thing, and I laud the designer for allowing several options on most of those holes rather than forcing everyone into a single line).

Cons:

There is some elevation, but it's only very slight.
Very busy and some roadways in play.
As well kept as the landscape is, it is still prone to trash.
Pack out your trash people and pick up after those who don't!
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3 0
MitchMileHigh
Experience: 19.8 years 40 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Best Course in the Area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 22, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Well maintained and clean rec area dedicated to disc golf
-Plenty of parking
-Bathrooms on-site
-Two practice baskets for putting before you start your round
-Decent signs at each hole
-Trash cans and seated areas at each tee pad
-3+ pin placements on almost every hole
-If you are in a hurry, one can play a quick 9 holes easily because hole 9 ends at the parking lot.
-Open front 9 with a more challenging wooded back 9.
-Great elevation changes on some of the holes, hole 5,10,13,14, and 17 in particular are some awesome holes.
-Everyone is very friendly and this course is just very fun to play during all seasons!

Cons:

-Hole 18 located a little too close to the parking lot, hitting someone else's car with your drive isn't very fun.
-Place can be quite busy on nice summer days and on the weekends
-Other than that, there isn't anything bad to say about this excellent course.

Other Thoughts:

In my opinion this course should have a higher rating than its counterpart, Sugar Bottom, but maybe that's just me. I would definitely recommend that you stop by this course if you are in Iowa City, you wont regret it.
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4 0
prerube
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.8 years 274 played 235 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Potential 4 star course! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 3, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Course starts out with some nice holes. 1 is a deuce or die scenario, 2 has an elevated basket reminiscent of Turkey Hill (MD) or Winthrop. Hole 3 was a wooded tunnel shot. Then the excitement slows down.

Some elevation changes, back 9 more wooded than front 9 and the excitement begins to build again.

good variety of shots. Hole 17 was a fun ending hole.

Another 18 hole course on site with lots of other activities for non-disc golfers

Cons:

Hole 18 had 2 pins with in 30 feet of the parking lot or road. Very bad location.

My biggest problem was multiple pin positions with no idea where you were throwing. No indicator on tee signs.
EDIT: I have been told there is a bolt system to denote pin position. I wish I would have noticed it.

Long walk from 7 to 8. 600+ feet it wouldn't be so bad if you didn't walk directly down #3 fairway. It takes 2 1/2 minutes to walk it.

Other Thoughts:

If I remove hole 18 and only review the first 17 holes this course would easily be a 4+
(I have raised the review based on the new information about the bolt system that I somehow missed)

My family loved the area. The fossil gorge, parks, and other recreation would have kept them busy enough were I could have played Sugar Bottom if I was not under a time constriction.
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1 3
Mayes2158
Experience: 10.8 years 16 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Challenging yet Fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 7, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very well maintained, everything was marked decent. Great use of terrain to give a nice mixture of open and wooded shots. Some good elevation changes. Really enjoyed some of the tight wooded shots. Was able to get through 18 in just under an hour.

Cons:

I really do not have any cons, really enjoyed the course

Other Thoughts:

Look forward to coming back and playing again.
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3 0
MidwestZest
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.8 years 103 played 72 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Solid, solid. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 31, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Some great land for disc golf, and for the most part it is dedicated to disc golf.
- Great signage, the same as over at Sugar Bottom.
- Good concrete tee pads.
- Multiple pin placements for each hole, indicated by a bolt in the tee sign.
- Good variation in lengths, depending on the pin placement.
- Some good elevation on the course, mainly on a few holes in the back nine.
- #3 is the first wooded hole, and boy is it a doozy. Fantastic lines, and two main pin placements, one across a little gulley, and the other sort of at the top of it.
- #5 has a great window to be hit about 150 feet off of the tee, where it opens up to a variety of pin placements out in the open. The last times I've played it has definitely been more overgrown that when I've played in years past.
- #10 is the signature hole for me, great downhill hole on the spine of a little ridge. A few pin placements here, the best being on a little putting green of grass, often illuminated by some stray sun beams peeking through. Fantastic.
- #13 is a shorter, but very difficult straight-away wooded hole. Only a few lines to be had, and if you miss and go right, you will be rolling down a 30 foot bank to small drainage creek below, with plenty of growth to lose a disc in.
- #17 is another memorable over a small gulley. Not particularly hard, but certainly scenic. Decent log steps and stairs in place, although some have certainly deteriorated over time.

Cons:

- Sometimes very busy, as it is a pretty popular course.
- Navigation can be a minor issue, but it is mostly not a problem.
- Some graffiti, trash, and beer cans around some of the holes, as it attracts a lot of college-aged players.
- Definitely buggy any time that I've played it in the spring to early summer.
- #1 and #2 are fine opening holes, but they're just that. Open.
- Not too many penalties for bad shots, other than coming up short by hitting trees. #13 is really the lone exception

Other Thoughts:

- This course is a fantastic challenge for rec and intermediate players, while still being worthwhile for more experienced players.
- The front nine is more open, while the back is in general more wooded.
- Wonderful complement to Sugar Bottom, nearby, definitely worth playing as part of a day of disc golf.
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1 3
Hix375
Experience: 14.1 years 8 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great place to start discing 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Mostly open holes.
Fun first 9 and challenging back 9.
easy to get through and find next course
very well maintained.

Cons:

Can get busy, but nothing common courtesy and patience cant fix.
a few holes play into each other.
plays alongside a road for a few holes, never fun to get a disc run over by a car.

Other Thoughts:

It's a great place to start out, most of the holes on the first 9 are very forgiving and have a lot of room for error. can be played back 9 first.
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6 6
Martin Dewgarita
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.4 years 1589 played 93 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Door to Door Watermelon Salesman 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 29, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Personal Rank: 102

Many other reviews talk about the crowds and safety hazards, I have only played this course during quiet times in the off season and this review only reflects my experience there, heed their concerns if you care.

A very fun course that works its way through a variety of relatively flat, lightly wooded park style holes, then takes a dive into the heavily wooded ravines to introduce some rather adventurous technical holes. This is one of those courses that on coming to hole 18 I wish the fun would continue. It's a quick enough round that playing another time through will often win out over moving on to another course.

This is the only course in the Iowa City area that made my favorites course, Peninsula and Sugar bottom are both near the quality and make for a very enjoyable trifecta for a day of disc golf. I wouldn't quite recommend the area as a destination area, but being so close to the freeway makes it a great layover on a long drive across Iowa.

Other Thoughts:

After playing 1000 courses, I'm excited to share my opinion on some of my favorites. My top 100+ list can be found on my blog, my favorites list is at 110 of 1020 as of writing this review. Of all courses played, the top 1.5% receive a rating of 5, down to 6% is a 4.5, and 15% is a 4.0 creating a bell curve distribution. I apologize that my reviews are not as detailed as they have been previously. I have included the details as to why this course stands out to the best that my memory serves.

My personal criteria is very subjective, a gut feeling:
~Physical beauty stands out, both scenery and the beauty of each hole.
~Amenities don't mean much to me, it doesn't much matter if there's benches, concrete tee pads, or garbage cans.
~Technical design - How well designed are the fairways/airways and landing areas? Are there unique holes that stand out? Variety of holes - distances, shapes, elevation, tree density, rough thickness. Pars 4 and 5?
~I love extreme/adventure golf. Rugged and secluded courses stand out more than park style courses. In general I prefer more technical over more open.
~Local Scene. If I was involved in a tournament or league or met up with some locals and played the course multiple times I appreciate different aspects of a course.
~The main thing I ask myself is "Does this course make me want to come back?" if the answer is yes, it makes the list.

Thank you, enjoy my reviews and if you don't find this information helpful, please let me know what I can do to improve.
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2 0
IHearChains
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.8 years 211 played 34 reviews
3.00 star(s)

busy but fun 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 22, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course has a good mix of wooded holes and a handful of holes with scattered trees. Most of the holes have multiple basket positions, some have as many as 4 or 5 positions. A couple holes require precision line shaping but the rest of the wooded holes are kind of forgiving. There are lots of deuce runs on this course, but depending on the layout, it can still provide a solid challenge and test some different shots. There are two fairly challenging long tees which turn par 3 holes into par 4s. The course winds around a wooded area with large ravines, and some holes play up and down, in and out of the ravines.

Cons:

Turkey Creek is an old course,and some holes show signs of overuse such as erosion, soil compaction, and tree damage, although some effort has been made recently to help control these problems.

The course is often really crowded with people, many of whom have no concept of disc golf etiquette. On a nice summer weekend afternoon, it is normal to have a couple groups waiting on every tee. I find it better to play in the early morning on a weekday.

When it rains some sloped holes can get muddy and slippery.

Other Thoughts:

Edit: Movable bolt in tee sign indicates current basket positions.
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0 1
DjKilliQuik
Experience: 21.8 years 57 played 17 reviews
3.50 star(s)

fun stuff 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 23, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Solid course. Lots of different types of shots. It has a very nice use of the terrain around the camp grounds. Liked holes 3, 10, and 13. Especially hole 10 from the alternate placement. The wooded holes were all pretty awesome. Had fun playing this course. Nicely kept. Bathrooms and water fountain were key.

Cons:

There was a few holes that kind of impeaded on other holes. The tee pads were pretty much in other fairways. Also hole 18 was too close to the parking area pretty easy to hit someones car.
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0 1
jwetter
Experience: 110 played 29 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Turkey Creek 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Good tees and baskets
-well maintained park
-Good variety of different throws in the woods and open
-Good variety of short and long holes
-Good use of change in elevation

Cons:

-Park was packed the day we went
-holes 10 and 11 were closed because discs were hurting the trees
-The walk between holes 7 and 8 was very long and kind of confusing (we had to ask for help)
-On holes 2 and 18 the basket was raised up and it made putting on those holes a little weird, however, this does add a little variety so not all bad.

Other Thoughts:

Worth the play if you are in the area!
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3 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Popular college course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 24, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a nicely kept park with a mix of grassy areas and deeper woods. Several holes play fairly open with scattered mature trees and a few gradual elevation changes. They offer multiple lines to the pins and little risk on errant shots. The remainder of the holes play through defined lines in the woods with a few interesting elevation changes along some ravines. Some greens offer potential for long rollaways, adding some nice risk on the short game. These holes have moderate rough, punishing errant drives but leaving opportunities for recovery shots. There is decent distance variety, with a few longer shots and plenty of ace runs.

There are nice concrete pads with decent texture. The signage is solid, and makes it pretty easy to know where to throw, and the course flows well enough that the couple long walks aren't too difficult to figure out. The park is well kept, and surprisingly free of trash with the amount of traffic the course gets.

Cons:

There are some major safety issues here. There are some areas where several holes share space with little buffer to keep discs out of other fairways. Many groups were playing into each other when I played, with little consideration for yelling "fore" or waiting until fairways were clear. The park road and parking lot come into play as well. I hate seeing safety issues like this on courses that are popular with newer players, it compounds the issues and potentially causes courses to get pulled.

There is some great elevation in the park that isn't used, the wooded holes are a bit disappointing given the cool ravines and slopes that are adjacent to many of the shots. The open shots don't offer much challenge, simple hyzer shots suffice for most of them.

Other Thoughts:

This course is popular with newer players and students at a local college for obvious reasons. It's beginner friendly with mostly shorter lengths and limited punishment or lost disc risk on missed shots. More experienced players will find a few really interesting shots, but not a whole lot of real tests or enough variety to make this a must play, and the traffic and safety issues make it even less appealing.
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6 0
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.7 years 568 played 281 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Beginner/Intermediate 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 25, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is set in a park that has some hilly woods in the middle. Seems like a very busy place, with some park benches here and there. Could definitely see the need to wait on park-goers.
- About half of the holes here are set in the middle part of the park, which contains lots of trees and some good elevation changes. #3 is a little valley shot, #5 is uphill with a tight right turn at the end, #7 is a nice, long RHBH anny line that slopes slight left. #10, #11, #13-#17 are in the denser woods, with fairways smattered with trees and dangerous rollaways on one or both sides of the fairway. Missing the trees is important to keep from ending up in trouble.
- Holes outside of the woods are more clear, with individual trees to worry about. Nothing too troublesome. #1 has a bit of a low ceiling off the tee, #6 is a sharp blind hyzer, and #9 plays downhill. Each one has a little bit of character to stand out.
- As mentioned earlier, the decent elevation changes help to keep the course interesting. Some tough uphill shots in the woods, sloping fairways, and some dangerous greens. The elevated basket on #2 is a nice touch.
- Good baskets, signage, and pads. Layout is weird, you have to loop around the forest after #8. Not too bad. At least one pro tee; the rest are hidden or something!

Cons:

- Front couple of holes, and #9, are jammed into a little space. Heads up at all times over here, seriously. #2 and #9 are almost overlapping.
- Holes out in the open don't have much in the way of hazards, any semi-accurate drive will be just fine to get a par.
- Forested holes have very similar lines, or at least a very similar feel. There are plenty of ways to get to the basket, you just have to avoid hitting the trees. A few obvious routes, but nothing is forced really.

Other Thoughts:

- Course is a good mix of good forest holes, and decent holes out in the open. The elevation changes definitely help to add fun and challenge, and there are some longer holes mixed in as well. Hazardous areas add more difficulty as well, especially getting off the fairways in the woods. Still, better suited for beginner and intermediate players more than advanced ones.
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0 7
wadeG
Experience: 50 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Open and moderately wooded holes 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 7, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good elevation with some partially open and wooded holes with a few tight fairways. Flows well with good teepads and benches.

Cons:

The majority of the drives are straight. To be a great course it could definitely use more variety of shots with a few longer holes. Busy course with the university not far away. Not many memorable holes.
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1 3
RockStarValkyrie
Experience: 25.8 years 16 played 16 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Beware of the trees 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 12, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Decent baskets and tee pads, lots of difficult and challenging shots, lots of fun, varied terrain, good exercise,

Cons:

Lots of trees, a handful of holes are literally just throw and pray, impossible with all the skill in the world to be able to intentionally miss all the trees, you can get lucky but nobody is THAT good, but it also keeps and even playing field so could be considered a pro, can get muddy and crowded

Other Thoughts:

pretty much THE place to play in the Iowa City area, very popular, fun place overall, great scenery and environment with the Lake being so close
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1 8
pdgamember
Experience: 20.1 years 5 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Fun Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 26, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great layout with a lot of risk reward shots. Great landscaping. Great mix of different pin placements. Right by the rez

Cons:

can get muddy at times

Other Thoughts:

This course just gets better and better every time play it
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1 5
shankopotomus
Experience: 26.8 years 13 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

fun and chalenging 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 14, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

good variation in holes (distance, cover/open, doglegs etc) easy to navigate.

Cons:

back nine can be exhausting (hills) if you are not used to them. a few holes have elevation drop offs at the treeline which can lead to lost discs if you catch a bad anhyzer.

Other Thoughts:

fun course! highly recommended. i regularly took my dog and could keep him off leash without problem (pretty sure it's not allowed though). good privacy, the layout of the course means that you and your group will feel like you have the whole place to your self.
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10 1
medicinalfunk
Experience: 14.1 years 48 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 24, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- the first positive thing that sticks out to me about this course is the signage. all the signs are readable and in good condition, plus they use a nut to show where the pin is currently located. there are also signs between holes to aide in navigation so you can find your way to the next tee

- all teepads are in good shape, and in varying sizes. the teepad on hole 2 is huge

- multiple pin locations on most holes keeps things fresh, some holes have 4-5 different locations!

- variety of wooded shots. i am someone who prefers a wooded setting to a more open one, and turkey does a great job of providing this. there are about 4 or 5 holes that are "open" but still have forest on one side or another

- big turns that will challenge you, tight short fairways that will test your finesse

- well manicured by a devoted community that holds a weekly dubs league. logs set up to line fairways and steps built in many places. awesome job on the little things that make a course sweet

- garbage cans and benches placed at 90% of teepads

- water fountains and bathrooms available on site

Cons:

- this is by no means an extremely difficult course, so two-discer traffic is very heavy at most hours of the day

- the first three holes are too close together. every time i play, i hear a fore coming our way by someone teeing off behind us on hole 1 while we are on the pad for hole 2. same with hole 2's pad to hole 3's pad. heads up!

- this con is only applicable for the next three, four, maybe five months, but holes 10 and 11 are currently closed by the ACOE

- some vandalism on benches and signs. not damage, just writing

- thorns

- a few holes shoot very close to the parking lot and road leading to the course

Other Thoughts:

it was hard for me to think of plausible cons for this course. it's a very, very solid setup they have out there. it isn't an epic course, but they do a lot of things out there with design that make it enjoyable to play. this is one course i always want to play two rounds at when i go. definitely worth a play
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3 5
Earl Harbo
Experience: 17.1 years 20 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Turkey Veteran 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 13, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a fantastic course I've been playing for years. The front nine is tricky and open, and the back nine is much harder with various elevation and wooded shots. Pin locations are moved frequently. New improvements are being implemented into the course as well.

1) Moved tee pad to make the shot further and no way to cheat over the road, now incorporates two large trees that will eat your lunch.
2) New large decorative stone surround at the pin makes this classical hole even better.
5) Intimidating uphill shot, maybe an epic tomyhawk to get out? Shoot the gap. Also is the classical hole to sit down before the shot and take a break...
7) Anyone want to shoot the pro tee? Lots of trees, pro tee is difficult to say the least.
10) Currently closed, they've cut down hundreds of small trees in order to clean up the hole and plant grass to prevent erosion and too much mud. Already one of the best/hardest holes at Turkey, it will be open again in June and be nice and cleaned up.
11) Same as hole 10, closed for improvement.
12) New tee pad makes the shot further and with a trickier line to try and weave the large trees in the fairway.
13) Beware....One of the hardest on the course, currently at the short pin location making it a little easier, watch out for the far pin location. Raging tomyhawk seems to do the trick if you can shoot the gap.
14) Hey man that was a good shot....oh..oh...oh!!! Its rollin hard! Don't hit the first trees and pray.
17) You take the high road, I'll take the low.
18) Watch out for cars, 5 or 6 different pin locations.


Cons:

Kind of muddy right now, but tis the season. It dries up nicely in the summer.

Other Thoughts:

Remember to play holes 1 and 2 again to make up for the two closed holes. Holes 10 and 11 will be open in June, next year holes 12 and 13 will be closed until June, they are working through the back nine to plant grass over the next several years
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9 1
lazy42
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.7 years 40 played 39 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun course, nice setting 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice variation of open, semi-open, and wooded holes. Incredible amount of pin possibilities, not sure how often the pin locations change, but one of the holes has five pin placements and a few others have four. Pin placements noted by a bolt thru sign. Though was missing on one or two of the holes when I was there. Looked to be maintained fairly well, which I am sure most of the parks are around the reservoir. There were bathrooms and soda machines that are accessible near start of round, near hole 9, again on 12, and finally on 18. Family friendly park, I saw some younger ones playing here. Hole # 10, this hole is worth coming to the park by itself. I honestly would hit the park if I am in the area just to play this hole. The fairway is raised above a ravine on each side; you throw down in elevation towards a small creek. The "fairway" is littered with large trees that you must try to get through. A very difficult shot, truly a challenge.

Cons:

Lots of beer cans and trash. Even though I don't take part, I don't mind when groups have beer or alcohol on courses, please just take care of your cans. Not a lot of cons here. The only hole I didn't like was 16. I think it was the backdrop, which was a park shelter that needed some attention, the hole itself wasn't bad and was challenging, but the shelter was behind the basket and just turned me off.

Other Thoughts:

Really like the course and being close to the reservoir didn't hurt. It had been at least 20 years since I had been to the reservoir and brought back some memories for me. I could see that a park like this could get crowded; yes rounds may take longer if the course is packed, but it's worth the wait. I also enjoyed hole 14. It was a left to right shot up a steep hill where the basket was parked (pin position c?). If you can make it through the early trees and get a little height to your throw, you should be sitting good. # 10, see you soon!!
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