Grand Island, NE

Stolley Park

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3.355(based on 10 reviews)
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11 0
rayoflight
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12 played 14 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Great local course in a cramped space.

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 6, 2024 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-9 holes, 18 tees. If you play all the short tees then you only have to play one hole over 300'. If you play all the long tees you will get to play multiple challenging holes that play around 400'. That makes this a great course to play with mixed-skill groups. There are also some "long" tees that are similar distances but have more challenging angles. Having a good backhand and forehand will definitely help players score better.

-The entire course is basically shaped like an 8, so it's very easy to navigate once you figure out the shape of the layout. After the first 5 holes you come back to the starting location, and then you come back to the starting location again after finishing the 9th hole. There is also a parking lot by the first hole, so it's very easy to drive here, play a round, and then take off without wasting too much time walking between holes.

Cons:

-The biggest problem with this course is its location in a public park. Stolley Park is a very popular recreational space in Grand Island, and it's not only disc golfers that come here to pass the time. If you come here on a nice day in summer, you have to watch out for pedestrians walking across the fairways, and the left-side tee on hole #4 should NOT BE PLAYED if there are children on the playground next to the fairway. Please don't do something stupid that could result in anyone getting hurt. It's also very common to see people playing basketball next to the fairway for hole #6, though this isn't as close to the fairway unless you throw a really bad shot.

-Roads can also potentially come into play on holes #2, #3, #4, and #5. This generally isn't a problem except on the long tee for hole #5, where the ideal route is to throw a hyzer over the road and let it fade back toward the basket. In my opinion, hole #5 is best played with the entire group agreeing on an unofficial mando that blocks off the right side, so that you have to hit one of the tree gaps instead.

Other Thoughts:

2024 update: This course has been seriously harmed by changes made to the course in the past few years. The playground next to tee #4 has thankfully been removed for safety considerations, but large parts of the park have been paved over for NO REASON, leaving the disc golf course to play over and around all sorts of car traffic. The long tee on hole #4 now plays over a T-shaped road junction where they added an exit to Stolley Park Rd. Why did they add a new place for cars to drive through the middle of the disc golf course, even though there was already a road immediately behind the tee? There is literally a road behind the tee and another road 150 feet in front of the tee, and both of the roads connect to Stolley Park Rd. Both roads go to the same place, and they're separated by tiny unused strips of green land. It's like they forgot that the GREEN AREA IS THE POINT OF THE PARK EXISTING. They might as well call it Stolley Carpark now. Is someone getting kickbacks from the construction company?

This new road also cuts through the middle of the fairway on hole #2. I hope you enjoy waiting for traffic to clear before you throw, because that is the experience you're going to get at Stolley Park nowadays. You have a very busy road behind you while you throw over car traffic on a less busy road in front of you.

They also cut down the only obstacle in the fairway on hole #3, the tree 50 feet off the tee that forced you to shape your shot around it, so now it is a wide open hyzer shot across a plain field. The only obstacle is the road on the left and the road on the right. Are you seeing a pattern here? Go play L.E. Ray, or better yet, go play at Hastings. This course is hardly worth your time anymore. Do better, Grand Island.
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3 1
washabh
Experience: 9 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great For All Levels of Players 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Great variety of shots
- Contrete T's
- Beautiful park with amazing Cottonwoods.

Cons:

- Heavily wooded. (Although I enjoyed the challenge)
- The signs and park property have been vandalized. IT'S A PARK WE CAN ENJOY FOR FREE PEOPLE, DON'T BE RUDE AND DESTRUCTIVE OR SOMEDAY IT WON'T BE!
- Navigation was a little tricky but that's mainly because the signs have been destroyed.

Other Thoughts:

This is a beautiful park with some great landscape. Needs a little maintenance and care for the signs and property. There are Cottonwoods I swear have been there since the beginning of Grand Island! During the summer it is absolutely amazing to walk through the park and they provided awesome shade. There is a variety of shots including short, moderate and distant with plenty of trees to make even the most seasoned player think twice about their shots. If you're around the area I would highly recommend playing a round!
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1 1
CGChase
Experience: 11.8 years 23 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Trees 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 17, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is relatively flat but has a lot of variation and some decent distances.
Concrete T's
Easy parking and restroom facilities.

Cons:

Some of the markings have been broken (vandalized?)
Lots of trees.

Other Thoughts:

Though there are some wide open shots, Trees are the characterization of this course. A relatively flat course it is heavily wooded with pine. Often the T is lined up with a row of pines with the basket at the end of the row. You Choose to play left or right of the row
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2 3
Gardengrower
Experience: 11.8 years 10 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Shaded and a challenge. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 30, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A challenging course with lots of trees. Tees are well marked, baskets as well. The park is well maintained and has restrooms and a nice playground for the kids.

Cons:

I think that the biggest con is that, for whatever reason, this course has some of the rudest people. The amount of cussing and unsportsman-like conduct is rather annoying. I believe we have only been once or twice that this did not occur. We have left early before as a result.
The terrain is mostly level, with some interesting angles at basket...number 7, I believe. Very nice course.
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7 0
mndiscg
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 480 played 478 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun City Park, Big Trees 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 8, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Nice tee pads, two on all but one hole I believe. With the trees, the pads offered different looks at a hole. You could play 18 different holes essentially.
-Nice baskets
-Nice big trees make you throw certain lines. Many curve right, left, you could throw an overhand or two.
-Adequate parking along with a lot of other amenities in the park. This is the city park here. It felt safe and was very clean.
-Good hole variation. Some were reasonably long but nothing too long or short. A well placed shot could net you an ace but there wasn't any 100 ft straight shots.
-This course would be fun for anybody. Beginners might hit a few more trees but it would be good for their game to play this course and learn control.
-Tee signs had distance and hole # on them at least (see below)
-The flow was good. Had no trouble finding my way around on my first time at the course

Cons:

-The tee signs were of the variety that was made with stickers that indicated trees, ob, tee, pin, etc and many of the elements on a hole were peeled off. Some of the signs were relatively useless. Especially on the occaision that the basket was hiding behind a tree.
-No elevation change. That could really spice up the variety. They used the land well, this was no fault of the designers.
-I could see this park being quite busy with both disc golfers and non disc golfers.. It has a lot of fun stuff crammed into one city park.

Other Thoughts:

I had a lot of fun here and wish that I had enough time to play a few times. I would have played the short tees my second time around. I did stop at each of the shorts and looked at the line and it was often quite different than the longs. It was a well cared for park. Like other reviewers, I was hoping for a back 9 or something. It was fun but over too fast. If you are cruisin I-80 I would recommend a stop here. It's a fun city park course.
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2 1
RomePK
Experience: 13.9 years 20 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun gem 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fun Course. Has a variety of technical shots around trees and tunnels. A few holes to air it out for distance. In a nice park setting which is usually maintained pretty well. Great course to stop by and play if you are in the area.

Cons:

Due to the fact its in a public park, you have to watch out for pedestrians and little kids sometimes when you are playing, but the course is laid out in a way that minimizes potential hazard of this.

Other Thoughts:

I enjoyed playing this. It would be nice if this was your local course because you could practice a wide variety of shots on a consistent basis.
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3 0
888HUSKERS
Experience: 53.4 years 19 played 18 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beautiful Park w/Lots of Trees 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 28, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Alternate tee pads for beginners and league players.

A large map at the beginning of the course shows you where all of the holes are and the alternate tees for each hole.

Lots of big beautiful trees which are tall enough that their branches rarely come into play but they are dense enough in placement that you have to "thread the needle" on a few holes to get to the basket.

Easily accessable location within Grand Island on a main road.

Playground, picnic shelters, pool, bathrooms, and plenty of places to sit for a minute.

Cons:

Only 9 holes! For such a beautiful DGC you would think they would have 18 holes or at least another DGC in town somewhere but at the time of this review there is only 1 in town.

When we went there was a TON of people in the park and people were setting up picnics and playing football or softball right were we were throwing across. It made for a few uncomfortable throws but I'm sure this was only because of the holiday weekend.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this DGC but found that it was very over crowded. I was disapointed that there was not a back 9 in another section of the park or another 9 hole DGC somewhere else in town. I think it would be a great place to play if your passing through town or live near the area but until they add more baskets or another DGC in town I wouldn't get off the interstate or go out of my way to play this. Good DGC with lots of shade for those hot sunny days.
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2 3
scottritta22
Experience: 15 years 15 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 19, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

a good mix of technical and open holes

well maintained

alternate tee's gives each hole a different look and the possibility of different routes

rarely crowded

Cons:

little elevation changes

roads do come into play on some holes

Other Thoughts:

Defiantly worth a stop if your in the area!
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14 0
Donovan
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 37 years 300 played 187 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Drive Responsibly...I mean, Accurately 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 29, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Nice looking park and a well maintained course. There are lots of trees and just a little elevation changes in the last few holes. There was a creek to deal with on #7 behind the basket. #1, 4, & 5 are like a lumberjack's dream. Lot's of fun there! This course was an excellent challenge to make your drives accurate. There is a hole that makes you avoid the tennis courts and the fence. So, if you are RHBH, better throw forehand or get you anhyzer out. ;) The fun factor here was good enough to make sure I played this one twice. The tee signs were getting worn, but they were all there and the cement tee pads were nice and long. Bathrooms are located right before #2 tee and I did see an occasional trashcan. This is safe course and the only people on the course were golfers. The message board was informative and had a map with distances on it.

Cons:

There are roads that could come into play as far as OB, but not much of a worry. Navigation wasn't too bad. The signs that were legible did tell you where the next tee would be located.

Other Thoughts:

There was a beautiful flower garden with walking paths behind basket #1. It never comes into play, but it was something to see. This was a very nice 9-hole course all around. It seems like they may have been able to make 18 holes, but why make things too crowded.
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5 2
High Flyer
Experience: 23 played 22 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 26, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

A fairly challenging 9 holes here. A little water hazard on holes 7 and 8 to make things a little interesting.

Nice trees, plenty of shade.

Cons:

Flat course, limited space in some areas.

Some conflicts of interest. There were a lot of cars parked on the grass and in the way when I played here.

Other Thoughts:

Not too hard to find your way around. There's a large map at the beginning of the course, and red arrows on the pins will point you toward the next hole.
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