Toledo, OH

Ottawa Park

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3.035(based on 33 reviews)
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13 0
Chickenbiscuit
Experience: 4.2 years 10 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not Bad drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 16, 2023 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Recently outfitted with new signage.
- Good variety of shots to keep things interesting, not a lot of vanilla short holes.
- Good amount of trees but not thick enough to lose discs in.
- 2 sets of tees for every hole...

Cons:

- ...but the short tee pads are very short and sometimes awkward to run up on
- Baskets are old and aren't very satisfying to putt into, but work well enough.
- Gotta keep an eye on people walking through the park.
- Might want udisc to navigate the first time, 2 spots are unintuitive to navigate.
- Some scraggly dead branches here and there that can slap down shots that look good/lots of old trees in general that might not last much longer.

Other Thoughts:

Hole 14 might be the toughest hole in the region with a tight gap off the tee, low ceiling and the basket tucked to the right nearly 400ft away slightly uphill. I have played here a lot but somehow its just not as satisfying to play here than most other courses in the area even though I like the shape of a lot of holes. I tend to have more fun at Whiteford, Vienna, or even cruising through a couple rounds at Woodlands.
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13 0
DiscinOhio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.8 years 200 played 191 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A Classic 90’s Park Course In Western Toledo

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 16, 2022 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I got to play Ottawa Park for the first time in a recent sanctioned tournament. Trying to keep track of key points to put in a review while competing can be tough, but I'll give it my best!

+ There are 19 permanent holes, each of which have two concrete tee pads. There are two temporary holes that are brought out for competitions, including the very fun island hole! The permanent baskets are older, but still catch pretty well.

+ Despite being on the shorter side, the design has stood the test of time. The huge mature trees throughout the park add a rustic feel to it.

+ Some of the basket positions were tough, with multiple OB rollaway possibilities.

+ Navigation was pretty easy, especially with what looks to be a newer edition in the next tee signs.

Cons:

- Most holes are on the shorter side, making this an easier track for more advanced players. While I did not shoot well compared to the field, touring pro GT Hancock shot -24 for two rounds from the longs (-15 under the second round).

- There can be a few areas that might feel a little cramped. Head always has to be on a swivel, especially when there are several groups on the course.

- A few holes play close to oncoming traffic and parked cars. A couple of mando's might go a long way in preventing accidental disc-on-car collisions.

- A few of the lower hanging branches could use a trim. I'm all for tight courses, but a few limb-hits were borderline unfair.

- The course is in a sketchier part of town, and you might have some "stragglers" wondering around during your round. Just play with caution (and lock your car).

Other Thoughts:

Ottawa Park is a classic park-style course that is still hanging around despite changes in the surrounding areas. Unfortunately the Toledo disc golf scene is lacking many notable courses, but Ottawa delivers a fun little 19-hole experience.
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6 0
JerrodStevens
Experience: 7.9 years 10 played 9 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Nice Course, But Could Use Some Fixing Up 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Multiple Tees!
-Some elevation changes
-Close to the University of Toledo, so perfect for college students looking to get a round in between classes
-Course Map
-Course loops back to parking lot after 9 and 19 holes
-Extra hole, perfect for tiebreakers

Cons:

-Not in a great part of town
-Teepads are run down, narrow, short, and dusty due to accumulation of dust
-Grass can be long
-A bad throw on Hole 15 could end up hitting a park vehicle
-No signs pointing the way to the next hole
-Teepad signs with distances are old and some are chipped away
-Park has lots of litter

Other Thoughts:

The condition of the teepads is what really draws me away from this course. If they put in new teepads and cleaned up the litter in the park, this course would be very nice.
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4 0
cmsieja
Experience: 12.7 years 19 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

My Home Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 21, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good distance shots and a few short easy holes, no water to lose your discs in, great for beginners

Cons:

Poor signage, litter in the park, very few trash cans disbursed within the park, no permanent bathroom facilities and sometimes there are no porta-potties either, especially in winter/early spring.

Other Thoughts:

There used to be an abandoned house on this course, which was kind of a neat feature. They tore it down last year. They also moved hole 14(?) and made it a little longer now that the house is gone. Personally I liked the old placement a little better because it was shorter but more challenging. Now it is a straight shot for the most part, but very long. They usually have a porta-potty or two, but last time I was there, no facilities could be found! Luckily, my sister-in-law lives right down the street! There is a lot of litter at the park sometimes; it looks like a few homeless people might take shelter in some of the trees at night, and they leave bottles, cans, and other debris behind. It doesn't help that when the park people clean out the garbage cans, they leave them all in one spot at the front of the park instead of disbursing them. I'd really like to see a movement started to keep the place cleaned up. There is a map at the beginning of the course, but some of the holes can be tricky to find if you aren't familiar with the course.
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8 0
Derek B
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 398 played 46 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Discs from the Hood 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

1) concrete tees
2) 2 sets of tees
3) elevation changes
4) well placed tees utilize the the trees to create interesting holes

Cons:

1) Not in a great area of town (won't affect course rating)

Other Thoughts:

Played this course from the shorts last year 1 time and played it again last weekend in the Michigan Ohio Border Shootout from the longs.

This course is fun. It's somewhat open, but there's plenty of mature trees around to affect your shots. Elevation comes into play on some holes, which is awesome for this area of the state.

The tees are set up in such a way as to create shot shaping to get around the trees. You've got straight, S shots, anhyzer and hyzer shots. There's quite a few mature pine trees that are gorgeous. They're so big that it reminds me of some Northern Cali courses that I've played.

The pro tees are even better than the shorts. If you're looking for challenge, you have to play the longs. If I go back there, I'll play from the longs for sure.

The only complaint I have is that the neighborhood isn't the best around the course. That said though, it's not that bad and it didn't affect my round or my feeling of safety while playing. Maybe just only play with at least 2 people and you've got no worries.

If you're looking for a challenging and fun course to play, this is it for the Toledo area. Worth traveling to if you've never played it. Other people have knocked it for navigation, but I didn't have a problem. Just pay attention and use a course map and you'll be fine.
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5 0
Puckstopper
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.8 years 36 played 36 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Typical Toledo area disc golf 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 3, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Best course in Toledo area (south of the border at least, I haven't' tried any of the courses just into Michigan)

Heavily wooded compared to Carter Park or Woodland Park.

Multiple Concrete tees for each hole.

Easy access from all parts of Toledo

Baskets in decent shape

Multi-use park so there's stuff to keep the kiddies busy while you disc (if you have kids of course)

Strong police presence, which is good, because...

Cons:

the neighborhood isn't that bad, but it's not great.

The course is nothing special

Navigation can be challenging.

Several holes play too close to roads for comfort.

Other Thoughts:

Ottawa Hills is my least favorite course I've played in Northwest Ohio, even though I've rated it higher than Carter Park. The neighborhood has everything to do with why I won't be back to this course. First off, it really is NOT that bad a neighborhood, but when my other options are in very safe suburbs and more importantly have positive memories for me (Carter Park was where I learned disc golf, and Woodland Park is set up in the park in front of my old elementary school) why take chances with playing a course in a somewhat rough neighborhood that isn't that much better than the competition?

With that said, technically Ottawa Park is the best course between Bowling Green and the Michigan line. It is the most heavily wooded and has multiple tees, which both Woodland and Carter lack. 12 years ago I used to not like Ottawa Park because it was much harder than Carter, and didn't cater to my game. Now I don't care for it because it doesn't compare to the courses I regularly play in Michigan (Deerfield and the Vines) or the courses I play in Columbus (Simsbury, Hoover, and Alum Creek). But comparing Ottawa Park to it's direct competition within a half hour drive of my parents house in Perrysburg it is still the best course Toledo has to offer.

Don't let the people talking about how rough the neighborhood is scare you off from trying the course. I've never been bothered while playing, although there is the occasional character walking by.

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2 12
Steffner
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
0.00 star(s)

Don't do it. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 12, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

You get to tour the ghetto on way to location.

Cons:

No listed directions to next hole and baskets were very close so you don't know where you are aiming.

Other Thoughts:

Stay away. Drive to Bowling Green course only 30-40 min away.
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8 0
AdamE
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.5 years 264 played 143 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 9, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This popular course is in a nice city park with an area devoted to disc golf. There is a large course map and practice basket by hole 1. There are two sets of large concrete tee pads on nearly every hole so the course is great for players of all skill levels. There is a wide variety of hole distances from 163 to nearly 400 feet.

This semi-wooded course has lots of large, mature trees that come into play on nearly every hole as well as some modest elevation changes on a few of the holes.

The available land, trees and features are used very well to create a number of quality holes. There are turnover shots (for RHBH players), a couple low ceilings, multiple routes to the basket and some tight but fair fairways that reward a well executed shot and punish a poor one. Some of the highlights are the hill 9's basket sits on top of, the drop off right of 15's basket, the big downhill shot on hole 16 and a couple great turnover shots.

Cons:

My biggest con with this course is navigation and lack of tee signs. There is a large map by hole 1, I strongly suggest you take a picture of it with your phone before you start playing if this is your first time here or you WILL get lost or miss holes.

Only a couple holes have tee signs making it even more difficult to locate the next pad. When they do have tee signs, they're attached to the back corner of the tee pad itself and act as a tripping hazard. Few of the baskets have hole numbers on them so you don't always know if you're throwing at the correct basket.

There are a number of places where I could see two or three tee pads but wasn't sure which was the next hole. After hole 8 it is very easy to skip hole 9 since 10's pad is so much closer than 9's. After hole 14 you walk through the front yard of an old abandoned house to find hole 15's tee hiding on the other side of it.

There are a few places where fairways are too close together, be sure to watch for other people.

A few holes bring the road in play if a shot is poorly executed so watch for cars.

There was a sign by hole 1 saying the course was being evaluated because of litter. I saw a LOT of litter on the course and was happy to pick some up as I played. The problem is I only saw one trash can in the front 9. It was in the middle of 2's fairway and not near any tee pad. By the time I finished hole 6 I had tons more trash and had to walk back to the trash can on 2 since I had yet to find another can. After that I gave up on picking up trash since garbage cans seem to be scarse.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun, challenging course for all skill level of players. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge the course presented from the longs, and the short pads and lack of underbrush make it great for newer or less experienced players.

The course design is solid here and If I was rating the course solely that aspect I would easily be a 3, probably a 3.5. This is a good course and I hope some of the con's are addressed so I can update my review next time I'm passing through Toledo.
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3 0
Foofoohead
Experience: 21 played 21 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Holy Toledo! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Dual Concrete tees and good baskets.
Very nice park setting.
Large trees throughout the course.
Nice length variation.
Great sign atbthe first tee.

Cons:

Some of the tees are short.
Little difficult to follow the first time.
Holes not marked too well.
Can be a busy park.
Some of the stated hole lengths were incorrect.

Other Thoughts:

Very nice park setting but can be very busy at times. I really liked the flow of the course. All the very large trees were great and on many holes were directly in play. Very good elevation changes on the back nine. Didn't have any security issues but understand the concern. There was a police cruiser in the park when I played.
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9 2
deBebbler
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 28.8 years 75 played 34 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Still Trying To Get The Vanilla Taste Out Of My Mouth 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 12, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Dual tees have cement pads and the Ams have some fairly different looks at the tee even if the distance is similar. There are also some old tees that still can be used if you are feeling inventive.

Fantastic Trees - The trees here are big and sprawiling. Since there are very few elevation changes here, it is the trees that define the holes here, and the low, fat limbs keep your lines very close to the ground.

Pleasant Park - This park is kind of an "According To Hoyle" city park; it fits the definition without any unique characteristics. Big trees with lots of shade, lush grass, with a urban feel.

Great Access - Easy to find, and great parking make this an easy stop. I was into the park and out of my car in two minutes, and able to find hole one two minutes after that.

Cons:

Lack Of Originality - There aren't any distinguishing facets of these holes. Sure, you are required to use different shots on different holes, but they all feel/look/play quite the same. It made me feel like I was playing the same basket or two, but coming at them from a different direction each time. It wasn't exactly bad, but I imagine I would tire quickly of it.

This could have been remedied by some greater disparity in the length of the holes, but even the distances played much the same.

This course hits all the check boxes of shot selection/ types of fairways/etc, but does it without any sense of flair or character. It is a textbook example of how to do something correctly, and completely fail at the same time.

Ghetto-Fab neighborhood - There weren't any incidents during my round, but plenty of stories were told painting a picture of urban bliss. Not to say that it is a dangerous place, but you aren't getting any kind of seclusion or quiet.

Other Thoughts:

I had course guides helping me (thanks Canis Lupus and Hooked312!), and I'm glad I did, as the lack of next tee signs would have left me scratching my head.

This is a good course to get a DG workout session. You can get in a couple of solo rounds easily in two hours, and work on your game, while keeping your car close if you want to swap out discs.

I hit this course up on the way home from West Virginia, and I stopped because I wanted to meet and play with some DGCRers. This was an acceptable course in a nice park. I imagine I would play it often if I lived in Toledo, but I don't ever plan on returning to play it again. My 2.5 disc rating has much more to do with the good quality of the park than the course itself.

Just writing this review is making me taste the vanilla.
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1 3
Dupaloop3611
Experience: 18.9 years 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

ottowa 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 18, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Course has 19 baskets and a practice basket. both am and pro teepads.

Cons:

No mulch at baskets. dirt and sand get all over your discs around the baskets. Not in the best area. inconsiderate people are always just walking in front of you on the course.

Other Thoughts:

this is my local course and ive played it 100 times. it has a lot of simple easy shots.
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1 3
borisbecker475
Experience: 11.9 years 221 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Ottawa 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 25, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very nice laid out course.
Option to play Pro or Smokey Safari tees.
Skilled Shots to get around the trees.

Cons:

Lots of traffic on the roads right next to the course. Be aware of the cars.
Ghetto on one side of the park!

Other Thoughts:

Being a recreational park, there are many other golfers playing at the same time. Make sure to let faster or smaller groups play through (I was in group of 3 and the group of 7 in front of us DIDN'T let us play through!!)
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0 4
Nemer06
Experience: 14.8 years 8 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Toledo's finest Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 13, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

It is the best and only dg course in toledo
a wide variety of shots some with some good distance. there is pro tees

Cons:

no course map. not enough trash cans.
gets pretty wet

Other Thoughts:

This is overall a great course plus you can alaways find the disc man there selling discs for super cheap just look for his Mini-van around hole 19.
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5 0
AKormendi
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.6 years 65 played 27 reviews
3.00 star(s)

open slopes endangered 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 4, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Nice tees. Smooth concrete, with only a few having mudholes in front of them.
-Big scenic trees create texture in a mostly open hillside.
-Two tees for every hole, short tees giving a fun beginner game, longs pretty challenging.
-Trash cans around course, though not at tees.
-Good use of elevation changes. Though the hill the course is built on is pretty mild, you feel like there's a lot slope going on.
-It goes up to 19. It's one bigger isn't it? You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at 18. You're on 18 here, all the way done, all the way done, you're on 18 on your course. Where can you go from there? Where?

This goes to 19.

Cons:

-No signage to guide you around outside of the course map at the first tee. A lot of opportunities to get confused as to which is the next shot. The baskets are a little crammed together at some places, too, exacerbating this. In addition, the painted spokes on the baskets to guide you to the next tee are completely wrong at some spots. If you're used to these clues, be warned. The flow isn't bad if you know your way around, but if we hadn't had guides, there would definitely have been a little backtracking.
-Not a very technical course. Most shots are pretty wide open, giving nearly unlimited options on the lines.
-Crowded. The course is surrounded on all sides by city and roads. Wild armed newbies may run into some trouble, throw carefully. Lots of people out here, too, even in December. This didn't slow playing, but its certainly something to watch out for.
-Trash. Some from disc golfers, others just from the local city folk. But there's a bunch, and it may cause the course to get shut down.

Other Thoughts:

This course made for a fun daytrip, combined with some of the other nice courses in the area. While it wasn't super challenging, or packed with amenities, nor the most scenic, it was a very solid course. A lot of opportunities to throw beautiful shots in a new place and watch them fly. The people were very helpful in guiding us around the course, and the path taken was an interesting route around the space. I'm glad to see Toledo citizens have a good training course, and I hope it remains there. There was a sign posted warning that the city was considering closing the park due to litter. While I went through the course I easily filled my side pocket of my bag with litter, twice. I wish I could say the same about our guides. Regardless, it was minimal effort, and made the place a little nicer. Hopefully enough other concerned disc golfers will do the same. Honestly, a lot of the trash did not seem your typical disc golf refuse (alcohol, beverages, cigarette butts, snack wrappers) and I would be dismayed to see the course lost because of the uncaring ways of the local citizenry. It didn't seem too bad a most places, though, so hopefully the sign is having enough effect to save the park.

Also, if you didn't get the Spinal Tap reference in the Pros section: shame on you.
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2 0
Canis Lupis
Experience: 13.9 years 54 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Old Faithful 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 18, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Very well maintained public city course. Grass is almost always cut and they do collect leaves in the fall.
- Beginners will find this to be a little challenging, but a great place to hone their skills.
- This is a hard place to lose a disc
- Lots of good people playing the course.
- Good mix of wooded, lightly wooded, and open holes.
- Relatively self-contained course. Not much distance in between holes

Cons:

- Folks from the surrounding getty cut through the course without yielding to play. They don't like getting hit either.
- When playing for the first time, navigation can be tricky, but ask someone and they will point you in the right direction.
- Evenings can get crowded. Early morning/early afternoon should be fine though.

Other Thoughts:

As a student at UT this is my go to course. I enjoy the distance and "elevation changes" here compared to Parmalee and Vienna. I have never had a problem with the bordering getty. There is seemingly always a cop sitting somewhere in the park taking breaks if you need them. Our tax dollars at work!
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2 0
hooked312
Experience: 15.9 years 34 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

In great shape 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 16, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Well maintained by the city, always cutting the grass and collecting leaves.
- Fun open course with birdie holes throughout, mixed with some more challenging holes.
- Very hard to lose a disc, unless you shank one out of site, or into some high evergreens.
- They have added some dirt behind a few tee pads to extend their length.
- New Warm-up Basket located by the first tee.

Cons:

- Sketchy neighborhood, but I have never had any problems.
- Navigation can be tricky for first time players. The 8th basket to 9th hole is not well marked.
- Can get busy during early afternoon 4-7pm during the summer.
- With surrounding tennis courts and playgrounds very close to the course be careful.

Other Thoughts:

- Not the greatest looking course, but a great course to get a few rounds in without exhausting yourself walking miles and miles.
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2 2
andrewkh
Experience: 16.8 years 54 played 27 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 6, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-good layout
-lots of deuce opps
-lots of mature trees as obsticles
-some rolling hills add to shot complexity
-no chance of loosing a disc

Cons:

-in the ghetto
-hard to navigate
-gets crowded
-seems kind of run down

Other Thoughts:

it's been awhile since i've been to this course, usually when i'm in the area i prefer to play parmelee or vienna. i here they have a good league in the area so i might be back up to check it out
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2 0
bthoma1
Experience: 16.8 years 46 played 16 reviews
3.00 star(s)

good gone bad 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 24, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

nice course with multiple teepads, good for all.
good mix of shots, I ended up throwing about everything but a roller.
Inside park so there are a lot of things to do after/before your round.
Tennis court and a playground and I think I even saw a basketball court.
Practice basket and bonus hole
Really liked how the little elevation was used nicely.

Cons:

So when you get there, They have a sign about a litter problem. Also something about pulling the course?? But there really aren't many garbage cans throughout the course.
Navigation was a big problem, If I didn't take a picture of the map at the beginning with my phone I wouldn't have played it right
No numbers on baskets.
#19 is fun but could be bad as I was there one day. Three discs went into the road and Even seen a car hit. But not a big deal
No tee signs, a few holes had a little plastic piece on the pad that said the distance. But there was also a hole that said 212ft and was 350+

Other Thoughts:

So there is a random abandoned house on the course. Would be nice to buy that and live there right? To bad I'd be divorced then

This really could be a nice course. They just need to work on a few things.
Navigation was a huge problem, have arrows or stones in the ground pointing the way.
Add numbers to the baskets, all of them.
Teesigns would be nice
A few garbage cans wouldn't hurt
The Shed provides scorecards
Wish I lived closer. the local league should get together or have some fundraising events to hook this place up
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6 1
BogeyNoMore
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 479 played 183 reviews
3.00 star(s)

s'alright... 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 15, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Relatively challenging without feeling intimidating - good for beginners and experienced players alike. Makes good use of the many trees scattered about this open city park.

Long and short concrete pads were in good shape (although some were a bit short). The different pads really change look and line of about half of the holes, while only varying length without significantly changing the shot on many.

Mostly flat, with some slight to moderate elevation changes.

Nice, clean city park with no brush = low risk of disc loss.

Cons:

Navigation was the biggest issue. Gets confusing around hole 10 or so, plus the walk from 16 to 17 made no sense. Had some difficulty, even with the course map. Apparently, some baskets were moved not that long ago, so red/blue spokes aren't necessarily pointing in the right direction.

Not always clear what basket you're aiming at (only a problem on a few holes).

Not an issue when I played, but discs could end up in nearby roads on a couple of holes.

Other Thoughts:

Decent, typical course, but certainly nothing out of the ordinary. Holes 15, 16 & 18, were my favorites, and I enjoyed my round, but personally, I don't see how this course racks up 3.5's and 4.0's. Nearby Vienna may be flatter, but is more interesting and offers more variety.

What's up with the 3rd set of distances posted under Hole Info? There's only 2 sets of tee pads - perhaps 3rd set is for temp tees for tourney? Neighborhood was a non-issue, and the park is pleasant enough (although the ride to the park goes through isn't exactly scenic).

Worth a round if you're in town, but definitely not "destination disc golf."
Only a few miles from downtown Toledo, so you can enjoy a bit of what Toledo has to offer without going too far - went to a Mudhens game after my round.
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2 1
bygwyllay
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.9 years 93 played 77 reviews
3.00 star(s)

MECCA***City 'Til I Die! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 1, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

OK OK so to call this course "Mecca" is a bit of a stretch, but that's certainly what it felt like, trekking down from J-town to play. And I wasn't alone. Literally a hundred golfers there to play, and not once were we slowed down. The atmosphere was something to behold. Despite what other reviewers have said, the park was extremely clean and everyone very friendly. The holes varied enough to keep the course fresh, and there were two additional holes in for the doubles tournament that was going on (did I mention no wait?!).

***update***
Got to play this course on a drizzly Friday afternoon, and it was quite a contrast from the overpopulated sea of people I encountered on my last trip down.

I was able to get a better feel for the terrain and layout, and I came away impressed. Elevation changes and O.B. areas are the main challenges here, as this city park has mature oaks and pines and a fairly clean underbelly.

Concrete tees were in good shape and they had changed up a couple holes so the old cement was still around - a good sign that they are keeping things fresh. Dual tees on most holes, too.

Some darn good lines for a city course, especially as the course moves along. One or two errant throws and you will be paying for your mistake. I wasn't expecting such a challenge from the looks of things driving in.

Cons:

It is kinda ghetto on the one side of the course, but there weren't any issues with that. Some of the tee pads were short. Not much elevation change throughout, although the last two or three holes took advantage of what was there. Not many hazards (is that a con?)

***update***
Main complaint is signage. There isn't any. There's a nice big sign at the beginning of the round, but that's it. And since the whole course plays through one big plot of land, there isn't a natural guideline to follow. I play with one of the locals who knows his home course very well, but without him I would be lost. There isn't even a distinction between pro and am tees, and without tribal knowledge it would be a pain to navigate.

Several holes nearly overlap. A few times you are staring at a group of people that look like they are aiming straight for your teepad. Again, without local guidance, I would've aimed at the wrong pin several times. (Actually, I did, but he corrected me).

Other Thoughts:

I guess the course was just recently modified. Apparently the park guys went in and cut down a bunch of trees that made it challenging, so the designer pulled all the pins (except for three) and moved them to new locations. I wish I would have been able to play the old course, so I had a comparison. The holes were a lot of fun regardless. The grass was green and the sky was blue. I wish Cass Benton was more maintaned, like this course. Despite the amount of traffic everyone was having a good time and they should turn that boarded up house by 15 into a Throw Shop. Or a bar. Or both. Recommended golfing!

***update***
The extra holes were gone and that was fine. I would say Ottawa Park's sister course would be Begg Park in Springfield, MI. Both city parks that are cared for and are a step above the standard fare. Ottawa gets the nod here because of the local scene.
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