Disc Golf Course Review

Tee signs in for the front 9, back side was marked with polls
9 DGA Mach II baskets and 9 new DD Vet baskets
Decent use of the elevation and natural fairways

Hole 12
Hole 17
Lack of cement tee boxes, I would rate this course a solid 4 if it had them.

I played the OG 9 hole course. It was a mess with no tee's marked but the area had some potential. I think this redesign to 18 holes did just that. It's actually a course I would recommend now.

So now the first hole is located on the other side of the pond.

The course is a park style course for most of the holes. Lots of large trees and no rough with some elevation. The first 7 holes play around this going up and down and threw all the trees.

The tee for hole 8 can be hard to find if you don't look in the right spot, you have to cross a small creek into the rough, throw out towards the tennis courts. This area does not get mowed often as both times I have been here the grass was knee deep.

Hole 9 is tricky with the sidewalk coming into play.

Holes 10 and 11 are must get birdies with sidewalks coming into play.

Then you have hole 12. This is not a good hole, or might be a great hole depending how you look at it. Tight gap to throw though on your drive with an old Tennis court to the right. The basket is at a 90 degree turn after the tennis courts. There use to be a tree line in the back and this was a hanging basket. However the tree line has been destroyed and that back property built a storage unit place.

13 is a good shot down a natural tree lines fairway, this is a hold over from the old original course.

14 is your first water shot. This is a high risk reward shot. The green is larger than it looks. But come up too far right and your disc is gone. Throw too for left and your down the dam. On top of that you have to avoid hitting Jesus.

15 and 16 are run of the mill DG holes.

Hole 17, your 2nd water shot and the most difficult, at least for me. It's reachable, but the basket is on a narrow peninsula. I was just short and lost my driver in the pond. My upshot skipped off the rim of the basket and landed on the bank, but slipped into the pond to never be seen again. I had 5 aces on that disc...........

Hole 18 is a decent shot over the edge of the pond to a basket hidden behind an evergreen tree. You do have an OB road long.

So, I like this course other than holes 12 and 17, 12 because it was kind of boring and 17 because I lost 2 freaking discs. But I really enjoyed playing the rest of the course.

Would I play here again? Yes, this is a course I would stop at to play if I was driving though. This is a natural stop going from Jackson to Mobil AL. In fact I passed this course twice on my Florida trip a few weeks later and almost stopped to play it again.

So I gave this one 3 1/2 stars because its a decent course, but lacks tee pads to be a true 4 star for me. But if I was to ever play this course again, I am playing hole 17 totally different or just skipping it.

Has baskets
Some tee's are actually marked, even with a sign
Good mix of shots
Cool little Cemetery next to the course worth walking around and exploring.

Mixture of different basket from good to super cheap
Many of the tee's are not marked
Baskets are used for more than one hole so you do have some shared and crossing fairways.
A couple of holes go over a playground, volley ball and basket ball court.

Ok, this is a church course, not a public park. So it was probably built and cheap as possible scraping up what every they could.

So you have all types of baskets. The tee's are mostly just dirt, but a couple tee off from carpets. A few of the holes in the back section still have the tee's marked well. But the ones in the more open area are not marked well if at all and you mostly have to just guess.

The Tee signs that are still there are very informative, but they were temporary and are falling apart. Some where in good shape, others were rotting away.

As far as the holes. Most are short which is good for kids and newer players. There is one hole that is mostly wide open and it's almost 400ft.
There is a cleared out fairway in the thick woods that you play going both ways. This is the only heavy wooded hole and it's not a long hole.
The holes that are dangerous are hole 4 that throws around a fenced in Playground. I figured no problem, its fenced in and locked. however as I was playing hole 5, a class of little kids came out, they unlocked it and it was occupied. I was glad I had already played that hole.

It does come into play again on hole 5 as you across over hole 4's fairway. Then again on hole 7 as you play across hole 5's fairway.

You WILL have to use the map on the other app, this course is VERY confusing and there is no map uploaded here as of this writing.

Would I play here again? No, this is a one and done course. It would be good for working on your short game, skip the open holes 4 to 7 and you are mostly in the shade. This is a decent course for a youth group to play.

I rated this 2 stars because it does have a couple of decent, fun to play holes. but I can't rate it higher due to the danger.

oh, and take a quick walk though the cemetery. You got some CSA headstones including one in a little wooded structure.

A very scenic course to drive to and play. Wide variety of moderate elevation changes and shot shapes.

While I'm a fan of valley shots, the low/midpoints of #14 (500') and #15 (390') are damp, and filled with thick bushes and trees, and will hide many a disc which fail to clear the aspens between the tee and basket.

Amenities: Pro shop with maps, scorecards, water, discs. Practice basket. Port-a-johns.

Tees/baskets: 13'x8' astroturf atop flattened dirt. Basic/temporary tee signs. Currently single basket, but there appear to be plenty of extra baskets, so I imagine it will be multi-basket in the future.

Navigation: Two 9-hole loops, not far from parking lot. Arrows on bottom of baskets pointing towards next tee. Surveyor flags leading towards next tee. Yellow arrows on trees pointing towards blind baskets. Good map available on-site.

Terrain/Elevation: Continuously undulating, sandy/loose soil, many pines of various sizes, (mostly) minimal undergrowth. Good distribution of flat, down/up-slope, up-n-over, and valleys, which were the most dominant. Elevation changes were mild-to-moderate - no scrambling.

Distances/shot-shaping: 2/3rds of the holes were between 200-350', with the five par-4's ranging from 450-620' Straight off the tee would work well off the tee for about half the holes. A few S-shapes, and left-turns outnumbering rights. No shapes were very extreme. Usually a primary lane or window needed to be hit middle or late, but there were often multiple options to reach the basket, the trees scattered such as to rarely force a single do-or-die approach.

Favourite hole(s): 12&16, similar to each other. Both started slightly upslope, with a broad window to hit 200' downrange, with 12 needing to finish a bit left, 16 a bit right. The approach shot was downslope, a steady right-turner on 12, and a sharper/narrower/steeper left-turner on 16. Two good initial shots of these 492'(447) par-4's would leave one with an excellent birdy chance.

Enjoyable course, scenic drive, albeit a bit of an effort to reach it.

Elon Park is home to two separate CDGC courses, Angry Beaver being the longer, more challenging one. From what I was able to collect before my round, I was expecting a course slightly worse than Charlotte's big 3, but easily better than Scrapyard or Eastway. However during/after my round, I noticed that the course has been changed slightly, maybe over the past couple year(s)?
-From what I could tell, the course used to start at the Eager Beaver parking lot, and old holes #2 & 3 were across the road. I would like to know the story behind all of this.
-Although the course was different in some ways, its current layout is absolutely phenomenal. I played the short tees to long pins (when available) and it was incredible.
-There is a great mix of par 3's and 4's. There are no par 5's from the shorts, which is a bummer, but the split between par 3's and 4's worked great. After a couple of par 3's, boom, here's a par 4 or two for you.
-The course is mostly played in the woods, however, it's not all just tight fairways. There are multiple wide fairways and a couple open holes toward the end. Therefore, multiple shots are needed.
-Elevation isn't crazy here, however there are some holes that stand out to me due to their elevation factor. #3, par 3 that plays straight uphill over a small creek, #4, par 3 that plays back downhill over the same creek, and #12, par 4 that starts off going straight downhill, the short basket (par 3) off to the side.
-The little details that are present on this course are nice. Multiple raised baskets (#3, 7, 10, 16, & 18), and smart use of OB (more on this later) forces you to play placement shots on a lot of holes. It really takes a good round to post a decent score.
-There are four real stand out/signature holes on this course, all of which have the same quality as some of the signature Renny/Nevin holes, arguably better. I think this is mainly because of the OB usage. The first of the four is #12. I mentioned earlier about its downhill start, but what makes this hole special is the island green to the long pin. You have to cross two OB creeks to get to the pin, with another OB creek a couple feet long.
-The finishing three holes are the other three signature holes. Not only are these holes great, it makes such an amazing finish to your round. This is why I think the current layout might be better than the old one (but no certainty so don't take my word for it). #16 is a par 3 with a fairly open tee shot, down to a raised basket with OB only a couple feet to the left and long. It takes some balls to throw a putt that's not within gimme range. #17 (old #4, I think) is a par 4 (to the long pin) that has an easy tee shot, but the last 200ft to the pin is incredibly tight and funnel down to the left, which is another creek marked OB. It's going to take some luck to get a par on this hole. #18 (old #5) is a par 4 from the short tee, and has a completely open landing area but has OB marked on either side. The second shot requires a good RHBH shot past some trees to a blind basket. These three holes are just absolutely amazing and ultimately earn the 4.5 ranking for the course.
-There are multiple arrows directing you to the next tee, and they decipher between long and short tees. This is helpful because there are many holes in close distance, and navigation could've been difficult.
-The park is very nice and the woods are very clean. White banded DISCatchers are nice and tee pads were great. Benches on most, if not all tee pads. There is a nice practice area near the first tee with two baskets.

EDIT 6/29/2024: Having played this course again recently, there have been a few changes to the layout from holes #14-16.
-#14 (the short dogleg right hole) has been completely removed and replaced with a straighter, tighter hole that goes into the open area. This is a good change because it removes a filler hole for a much better, challenging hole.
-#15 has a new layout as well, basically playing parallel with the new #14 and finished in the area where old #14 was. This hole is fine, nothing special, not very birdie able but should be an easy par.
-#16 now uses the old #15 tee and plays to the same #16 basket, with island rules in effect (par 4). Essentially bringing back the OG #18 from the very first layout of this course. This is a great change and makes this hole even more epic.
-Personally, I believe these changes are very good and make the course better. #14 now is a hole to look forward to, and #16 is just another amazing hole laced with OB. It seems as though there has been updates on Eager beaver as well.

-There is only one major con, and it's the hole maps. How can a course of this caliber have no map of the hole? The signs have good information on them, but no direction of where the hole goes. This was a major problem only once or twice, but it would be nice to have. Also, I noticed that Eager Beaver had the standard CDGC maps, so why not Angry Beaver?
-It might be confusing where to park and find the first hole. Thankfully I did not run into this issue, however, I could see it easily happening. The parking lot near the Rec Center is where Eager Beaver starts. If you do happen to park there, you could start on #16 since it is literally right next to that parking lot (this should not be an issue anymore). However, I don't recommend it because you could screw up the pace of play, and you should save those holes for the end. The parking lot next to the ball fields is the correct parking lot. (UDisc says that you should start at #16, so don't get confused!)
-One thing I think would've been better is if #15's basket was down by the creek near #16's basket. I think old #18 was that exact layout, which would have been yet another test to finish out the round (this should be irrelevant with new changes, see EDIT).

I was really impressed by Angry Beaver. I think caliber wise, this course is definitely below the big 3. However, after playing it, I would prefer to play Angry Beaver over any of the big 3. Why? Probably because of the final three holes, but honestly, I'm not sure. The park is in a nicer area of Charlotte, and is more aesthetically pleasing than some of the others. I think this course goes under the lower 4.5 end, but there is just no way I can rate this a 4.0. This park is cool because it is the only park with two completely separate courses, Renny and Nest overlap. Definitely one of the best in Charlotte!

So, there are a couple more interesting holes out here that use the water and trees for fun setups. I played out here on a Friday at about 11AM, and it was a lot of fun.

The pond comes into play a couple times, but less than you would expect. 2 is the main water hazard hole - it's a very makeable drive, though. Not nearly as challenging as the water out at Cliff Stephens.

This is the ultimate course for newbies, IMO - if you stay away from the water on the few holes it really comes in play (1, 2, and 7), it's very friendly. And there's really no holes much over 300 feet, but still some shots that require you to hit a certain line to make it past the trees. In other words, just enough to give a challenge without being frustrating.

The lost disc opportunities are confined to a few holes (more on that later), so that also helps with the newbie aspect.

The park is actually really pretty. I'm pretty sure this is really mostly a floodwater retention area for Pinellas Park, but there were tons of pretty pine trees and some wildlife (birds) when I was there.

Some of the signage was missing, but most of it was intact and generally helpful - although you really won't need it much out here to be honest.

This would be the best place I can think of to bring a group after work to shoot a round. It's very compact, minimal frustrating holes, and a quick play.

One very nice thing is that this is a DG-exclusive area - no worries about walking paths, shelter users, etc.

Parking lot and port-a-john right by the entrance.

The course was maintained well when I was there. I think Pinellas Park had just mowed out here and it was in nice shape.

The course is simply packed in WAY too tight. There are others that play close to each other at times (think Taylor Park on the first several holes), but this takes it to a whole new level.

There really isn't much to playing out here for the most part. There's a few more interesting holes, but you're basically zigzagging back and forth over the same small park for the entirety of 3-18.

This is really a con within a con. The lack of challenge out here makes this course great for ams and beginners, but those folks are generally going to struggle to hit a drive on a tight fairway without veering off too far. You're working with maybe 10-20 feet in spots, so you're going to constantly be dodging other players or throwing into their fairways if it's busy out here.

While there aren't a TON of lost disc opportunities, the ones that exist are pretty bad. The water has gators (most freshwater in Florida does), and the neighbors don't seem amenable to you clambering over to get your discs as there are very tall fences beside 2, 17, and 18.

The standing water out here can get really bad if it gets rainy, to an extreme amount. Sadly, some of the teepads have cracked really badly and are sinking as a result.

Baskets are still functional, but getting pretty old and are behind the newer ones at courses like Cliff Stephens and Picnic Island. As I had mentioned, there is missing signage on a few holes as well.

I wavered between a 2.5 and a 3 on this course, but settled on a 2.5. There are some things that could be done to bring it to a 3 (better teepads, improve signage, bag hangers, etc), but I think that is pretty much the cap it its present format.

My review makes it sounds like I did not enjoy my round, but nothing could be further from the truth! I actually had tons of fun out here. It's a great place to show up, shoot a quick round, and enjoy the sport - I am really glad it's here. It's just that if you're looking for a truly special DG experience, there are so many other options in the area (Cliff Stephens, Oldsmar, Picnic Island, Cypress Point, Taylor Park, Tocobaga, heck even Coachman) where you'll be able to scratch that itch. With that said, disc golf is like pizza - even if it's not especially GOOD pizza, it's still pizza, and I love pizza!

It is such a shame they did not decide to make this a nice 9-hole course, rather than packing in 18 holes way too tight. The trees and the water give enough interest that, if you cut the number of holes down, you could easily make some very entertaining shots out here. You could also allow for a couple longer throws that way.

With that said, it's still a fun play, and makes for a very quick round if there is nobody out here. It's pretty far behind a lot of other courses in the area, but if you're bringing a group after work to go throw some discs, this is probably the best park I can think of. Easy, compact, can run back to the car if you forget something, etc. It has its place in our collection of courses in the Tampa Bay area and fills it really well. Happy discing!

UPDATE (6/28/2024): You can really tell the local club loves and cares about this course. Even 11 years later, the signs are nice and bright, the little brooms and boot scrubbers are still in place, and it's still a gorgeous park.

While there are some holes that play pretty close to each other, I did notice the club has erected some barriers to protect you when you're throwing if someone really overshoots the basket, which is really smart and helps mitigate this a lot.

The bell to ring when you're done with 2 is a nice touch! Why don't more courses do this on blind holes?

I saw no litter while out here and it's been maintained very well. It's always great to see nice places so well cared for and they do a great job! Prior review from 2013 follows:

Can I say creature comforts?!?! Seriously, this has to be the best course I've ever played in terms of everything you need to focus on just playing the game. Not only are there benches, bag hangers, trash cans, and bathrooms, there's also boot scrubbers at several holes and little brooms at every hole to dust off the tee pads. I've never played a course with so many amenities -- hats off to the local club that maintains this course!

Keeping in mind this is coastal Florida, there's not a lot of elevation, so the course does a great job using different shots, lies, and scenery to keep things interesting. I never once got bored playing here.

The active pin marking system is fantastic and something I wish the course designers in my native Kansas City would use more often. Again, just another way this course lets you focus on the game and not on wandering around or being confused.

While this course plays in a fairly busy park in Largo, there are signs abounding warning passerby to watch for flying discs, and the people I encountered walking their dogs/running were extremely friendly for the most part and seemed really aware that they were in a DG area. Again, kudos to the local residents and club for turning what's usually a big con into something positive.

The lake you play next to is gorgeous and makes a nice water hazard on a couple holes. I had to smile at the signs reminding you to watch for alligators (but seriously, this is Florida -- if there's water, there's a chance of gators, and not the blue and orange variety).

Again, the scenery on this course is really pretty and made for a very enjoyable round. It reminds you that in Florida, you don't have to be next to a beach to be in some really peaceful, gorgeous natural beauty.

Another huge kudos is in order for the local club for the FANTASTIC signage everywhere on the course. I spent no time wandering around; there's literally signs everywhere pointing you directly to the next tee from every basket.

Very friendly locals abounded to help me out, give pointers, and ever offer extra discs if I needed them -- thanks guys!

Signs at the tee are visually stunning and give you all the info you could ever need.

I played in October, so the course had dried out nicely and was ready for play. Even if it hadn't been, there was grass almost everywhere to help with being waterlogged. I hope to come back sometime in summer to see what it's like during the rainy season.

The shelters and playgrounds in this multi-use park were generally pretty secluded and wouldn't come into play save a horribly thrown drive, which I've been known to do, but was lucky enough to not do this time around.

There's great signage pointing you to the parking lot and ample parking. This park is pretty big and has a lot of non-DG areas, so I appreciated knowing where to go. Made it very easy.

UPDATE (6/28/2024) - I've moved to the area in the 11 (!) years since I wrote this, and have been updating my reviews accordingly. One thing I didn't really note back then but really noticed this time was just how close you're playing to peoples' yards on a lot of the front 9.

A lot of the fairways play pretty close together, as well. It's not as ludicrous as, say, Youth Park in Pinellas Park, but you still risk tossing into/over other parties while you're playing.

I already mentioned the walking path earlier, but it comes into play a LOT more than I remembered; compare and contrast to Cliff Stephens, where it's only a couple holes. There is a retirement community right across the street, so it sees a lot of use. Original review follows:

I feel bad listing this as a "con", but keep in mind this is coastal Florida -- there's not a lot of elevation on this course which will probably be very different for most of you from out of town.

While the people frequenting the trails around the park seemed very friendly and aware of the DG course, there are still trails that cut across, so think before you throw and remember that they can come into play occasionally.

UPDATE (6/28/2024): I have brought this course back to a 4.0. It's not that Taylor got worse - but, I do think it's a step behind Picnic Island, Cliff Stephens, and Oldsmar. Maybe even Cypress Point. Each of those courses has multiple pins active now and several longer holes, and generally doesn't have as many obstacles in the form of private property, walkers on paths, and the like. This is still an awesome course and it's obvious the club puts a ton of love into it. Well worth your time and a lot of fun. Original review from 2013 follows:

This course is just southwest of the heart of Largo. Take 686 westbound from 275, left on Clearwater/Largo Road, and right on 8th Ave. You should see signs from here. Also, Bay Drive cuts over to the barrier islands at Bellair Beach, so if you're staying in Clearwater Beach like myself or on the other barrier islands it's a fairly easy drive.

As far as layout, scenery, and the like, this course is probably a solid 4.0. What sets it apart is the sheer amount of amenities and little touches that just take the game from good to truly enjoyable. I have never seen a better maintained, signed, thought-out course, and hats off to the local club that makes it all happen. Thanks for giving me a great place to play!

That's why Taylor Park gets a 4.5...when I got back to Kansas City, the gf and I went out to one of our local courses and I was searching for the pin position markers, benches galore, shoe scrubbers, and the like that I saw here. I'd love to see my local KC courses incorporate this (and also, pick up the garbage as well as was done here...maybe I can bring back some ideas!). It truly stands out in my mind for both the amazing play and the first-class experience of playing here.

To reiterate, 4.0 because of the course itself -- 4.5 due to the experience and ease of play. Because I felt it was everything a DG course should be and more. Happy discing in paradise!

Really great course. Use of forest is perfect. Everything is parable but challenging. Best signs any where. Nice layout and flow. Lots of different throws.

Everyone needs to stop by and play the new course it is really fun.

New baskets and sign

It has been months. The rest of the property is awesome. The disc..Not so much. Weeds over grown in baskets. forest so high you cant see baskets or paths. I think this will be like alot of church courses and not ever be used and thus disappear into the forest.

As is it is almost unplayable.

Baskets on ball golf course

They are super crowded with ball golfers. Even in 100 Degree weekday there are dozens of ball golfers playing.

Too crowded. I am confused why they needed to put this in.

Hand drawn signs. Fairway mow cuts. Nice baskets. Historical sight. Everything is able to par.

The fairways are mowed narrow and the grass next to it can get high.

They are lucky to have a course in a small town. I hope more people go out.