Ocala, FL

Ocala Greenway DGC

3.915(based on 49 reviews)
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9 0
Moose33
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.8 years 239 played 236 reviews
3.50 star(s)

24 holes and panda squirrels! What’s not to like

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 20, 2024 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is in a very interesting park that is mainly a walking path and the mainly wooded disc golf course.

As you walk up to the first hole there is a simple course map, picnic table and practice basket where you can adapt to the very nice but different looking Mach 5 baskets.

Most of the holes have two concrete pads and a single basket. It's a beautiful place with Sandy rolling terrain and a mix of pine, winding oak and palmetto trees. The distances are mainly between 250 and 450 from the longs and 180-350 from the shorts and other than the fire ant mounds there isn't a lot of danger from bad lines or risk of losing a disc.

You can enjoy this course well if you have a right turning and a left fading shot no matter how you can execute it, and there are a lot of very fun lines and mildly elevated baskets.

With the variety and beauty of the course the 24 holes nearly merit a 4.

Nice benches one most holes and good signs, but mainly just on the long tee.

Cons:

There are just a couple of funky things here that push it from being a great course. It crosses over itself a few times, so navigation can sometimes be tricky.

A few of the lines are a little funky and could be better from on teepad from the other. Nothing too bad but not perfect.

It's also really basic as a park, so only port a johns and a parking lot. No place to fill up a water bottle or anything if that matters to you.

Other Thoughts:

It's a beautiful place and tons of wildlife. I saw deer, hawks, and a few huge fox squirrels that look like mini pandas!
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3 1
gatoremt
Experience: 4.7 years 10 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

In the pines 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 31, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a very beautiful course. We drove 3 hours to play this course. One thing I have to say is whoever made the signs on the course. They were Awesome. We never had a doubt of where to go after we finished a hole. No doubt where the short and long pads were located( Sawmill. needs to talk to the person that set this course up) The pads were in great shape.

Cons:

There are a couple of holes that you have to cross over fairways. Not that big of a deal just be careful.
Sand lots of Sand. So be prepared. Ants there are a lot of ants. I was pulling a cart so they didn't bother me at all.
Ace Race. There was an Ace Race going on that we were not aware of that started about an hour after we started. They caught up to us and really put the pressure on our group of 4. There was no knowledge they would be there that morning.
Hydration: There is none on this course so you better bring it with you.
No place to warm up throwing. After driving 3 hrs to play this course. Kind of hard to jump out your vehicle and start playing.

Other Thoughts:

If you are in this area. This is a course to play.
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13 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.6 years 764 played 387 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Florida Fun for 24 Holes 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 18, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

A nice park , Cross Florida Greenway offers a full 24 hole disc golf course for your pleasure . It sits away from most everything in the park , so you Shouldn't have to maneuver around non disc golf foot traffic . The idea is there , but I did run into a few hikers and a family that was mountain biking on the course , ( will talk about it later ) so please be aware . The park is well kept and clean and the grass was mowed . Port O Let at the front of the lot . Bring your water/essentials with you because once you start the course here , you won't swing back near the parking lot until the 24th hole . There are 2 good sized cement pads per hole . The signage is pretty good, with hole # par , distance and flight path . The Mach 5 baskets catch well . There are also plenty of Next Tee signs to help keep you on track . There are a couple of confusing areas to navigate . Print the map . I referenced it a few times . There is some elevation here by Florida standards . What the park has , the course designers used . This is a technical player's paradise . Tight fairways , good but fair pin placements . There are no holes longer than 474' ( hole 9 ) , but any time you feel the urge to air it out a little , it will have to be controlled . The course can bend some , with equal amounts of straight , righty and lefty shots . The course seems popular . I was here on a late Saturday afternoon , and several holes had 2,3 and foursomes playing . There are enough trees here to make most of your tee shots shaded . Some spots here for resting , benches and semi shelter areas for you to ttake a break .
There were some good holes to be played here . After a good warmup #1 hole ( 276' ) into a tight alley , The course stays tight , a lot of time from the tee , until #4 , which has an open tee with a right or left fairway angle to a tight basket placement ( 324' , 397' ) . #5 is an open S shot at over 400' but with a slightly larger fairway . #8 has trees/brush in the middle of an ascending fairway with tight door shots on the right and left to the basket and green that sits on a plateau only 248' away . The basket is on the edge of a dropoff and brush behind it . 9 is a long drive 474' . on the Next Tee , when you walk up a small hill , remember to take a hard left . You will have a little walk along the edge to #10 , a cool short shot 239' with the basket resting on a slit of dirt that drops off on both sides . Miss you midrange or putt slightly , and you could have a long putt back . 12 is a good downhill drive into tight quarters . #24 is a good finishing hole at 424' to a baskets that sits slightly uphill . Signature Hole ; For me , it was #11 a shot going slightly uphill , with a dropoff on the right , and leveling at the top . The basket sits on an elevated platform . The fun factor is definitely in the air , Solo , it took me about an hour and 20 minutes playing from the longs . I figure it will take a foursome close to 3 hours .

Cons:

#1 Safety . Sometimes , you will have to walk next to or across a fairway in order to get to the next hole . Combine that with a couple of park patrons and maybe a biker or 2 , and you might see an incident once in a while . Please be aware or others and be aware of where you are walking or standing . I was walking with someone and we were trying to determine where we were and walked right into another golfers line .
#2 Navigation . Some bad spots here . Print the map . 9-10 , 15-16 are just a couple of places that can cause you some frustration .
#3 Disc Risk I was here in the middle of January when the rough was manageable , but from looking at the tight fairways and where ricochets can go , it can be tough to find a disc in the summer .Also , it looks like it could be muddy in spots after a good rain . You might want to rethink going to play soon after . The bugs might also be a concern . Spray down before playing . Other than maybe an extra trash can or 2 ( please pack out what you bring in .

Other Thoughts:

The course isn't a destination course by any standards , but it is solid . 24 holes , but not long enough to throw your arm out of its socket trying to cap a 400' + foot drive . Trees ? You are going to hit some , but I doubt it's going to bother you too much . Combining this with Sawmill less than 5 miles away and you double your holes . I had a good time playing this course , and from looking at the amount of locals here on a Saturday night , I imagine they feel the same way that I did .A fairly scenic course , I understand it was built on a n old abandoned barge canal area ( kind of cool , just like the shade that makes up most of this course ) . This would be the kind of course where you meet up with your friends, play and socialize for a weekend or evening . Be aware that because of this course being popular , there are doubles leagues on some Tuesday evenings from February through at least June , and Saturday morning Handicaps March thru June . Check the Facebook page in the front of DGR . My Recommendation : Acceptable for maybe anyone above newbie , casuals , locals course baggers ( 15 minutes off of I-75 ) , fanatics , intermediates , even pros to work on their technical game . Play It !!!
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10 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.8 years 694 played 680 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Wooded Gem 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 19, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

(3.528 Rating) A great woods course.
- RAW BEAUTY - The natural elements here are solid. There are scenic terrain changes, great fauna and minimal manmade features in view. Although nothing here really blew me away, there were no blemishes or yawn type tee shots to be found.
- SHOT SHAPING - A great amount of thought will be required at the tee. I went back to my bag several times after having second thoughts from looking down fairway, with the disc in hand. Technical players will love this course.
- CHALLENGING - With much tighter than normal fairways and with an average hole length of 320 feet from the backs, posting scores below par on a regular basis is likely only going to occur for advanced players and above.
- ELEVATION FOR FLORIDA - Nice elevation changes for a south Florida course. There's a nice 25-30 foot down shot on (12). Holes (8) and (9) are nice 15 to 20 foot drops as well. Hole (10) basket is perched on a 15 to 20 foot ridge and it brings into play the rare Florida death role putt. However, I think several regions of the country would consider this course flat. Just prior to playing this course, it was listed as Florida's only permanent very hilly course. However, considering I've played five Florida courses with more elevation changes, I relisted the course info back to moderately hilly.
- CHILL AREAS - The Greenway course is almost entirely secluded. There are benches at most holes, so there's lots of good break locations to be tapped into.
- CHARACTER - First and foremost, every tee is shaded. Every tee is concrete and most holes have two tees for pros and ams. All of the tees have hole signage as well. There are a few mini shelters along the layout, there are directional path arrows, there is adequate seating and there are a couple picnic tables. As for missing items, I didn't see a practice basket and there are no alternate pin locations.
- OVERGROWTH - For a course this wooded, I was totally surprised by the less than usually overgrown brush areas. I played in mid May when overgrowth starts to build back real heavy too. I only saw one palmetto bush the whole round, although it's probably because my disc found the center of it.

Cons:

No real issues with Ocala Greenway, its above average in all five of my core rating areas (Fun factor, Character, Uniqueness, Difficulty and Beauty). However it's also not elite in any of these core areas either.
- FORGIVENESS - Being wooded, this course will not generally be not be to kind to misguided shots. I think I hit a tree on at least half of the holes. Being a good mid range thrower, and scrambling for par, will be key to shoot low.
- NAVIGATION - Passable, but I've experienced much better on other similar type courses. To start. printing or downloading the map to your phone is a must, and I repeatedly checked mine. There are a bunch of directional ques along the layout, but it's missing in a couple spots to confuse the heck out of you. In addition, it didn't help considering the hole signage condition either, see con one line below.
- VANDELISM - I think there may had been a vandal that came threw just prior to my round. Every one of the hole signs appeared to have been beat up with a bat. Hole (9B's) tee sign was torn in half and hole (13's) tee sign was completely gone.
- SPACING - There are a couple of real nice opportunities to walk into the line of fire. (6b) to tee (7) is the best example, be wary of throwers on (6). There is also a close grouping of baskets and tees on holes (5, 7, 9B, 9C and 10). Other than that, not too bad.
- UNIQUENESS - Not to be confused with shop shaping, which is great (see pros). The hole variety is above average, but below average for courses I've rated 3.5 or higher. The greenway is almost all technical wooded shots and many of these holes will blend together after you finish your first round here. Several holes can only be played from one angle. There is no water along the course to force a line. No par 4s and no par 5s from the back tees. There is however a bit of elevation for a Florida course, as mentioned above in the PRO comments, but it's still very minimal. There is a nice dogleg on (12) and a couple other ones that are borderline. There are lots of pockets and tree gaps to hit as well.

Other Thoughts:

I was expecting a bit more from this course, considering its current rating. Still a great course and I would play it often if I lived within a 30 minute drive. IMO, I don't find the Greenway to be at same level as the top courses in the nearby Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville and even the Tallahassee metro areas.
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6 0
screvy
Experience: 17.3 years 58 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Technical non typical FL Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 10, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Will make you use every shot you have. RHBH, Flick Thumbers, Rollers etc. Tees are decent with well defined fairways. Once off the fairways from a non perfect shot is where all the shot uses will come in. Good mix of par 3s and 4s. Great elevation changes. Real challenge for a FL course.

Cons:

Basket could be better. Signage is lacking or missing. If your first time here can be hard to find the extra hole. (After playing 4 go directly right and you will find 4b and 4c). (After playing 6 go to the left of the basket down the hill pass the palms to find 6b. 6b basket is straight down low ceiling shot. Go to the left of the basket up a hill and you will find a trail go left back the way you came walking on the trail to find 6c a short par 3). Rough is Rough, When you get off the fairway expect prickers, burrs, seed pods, sticks, sand spurs etc. Can be very hard to find your disc at times. Does not make for easy single player rounds. Course flow is horrible. After nine holes you are the farthest from the parking lot. All 24 holes is a very big loop, no bathrooms, no water.

Other Thoughts:

Come to this course expecting to work on your technical placement type disc golf game. If you play smart and shoot a 70 or under your doing something right. I have played many rounds out here and def. know when i am on point and having a good day by the score i shoot. really will bring out your flaws and show you what you need to work on.
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1 1
bilborph
Experience: 26 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Florida course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful wooded property, with some elevation changes, a rarity in Florida. 2 tee pads on most holes. Great setup, with options to play 24 or 18 holes. Local players are friendly and helpful. A lot of challenging holes, without being extremely long.

Cons:

Hard for a first timer to find some of the tees and baskets.

Other Thoughts:

Local volunteered to play a round and show me the layout of the course!
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6 1
Jaysauls
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.3 years 129 played 71 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Superb, Phenomenal, Awesome...the verb is yours! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 18, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

If you can't find enough positive adjectives to describe this course, you shouldn't be playing! And not just the course, but the land it is on. Whom ever laid out this course did a superb job of using the available land. I haven't played a ton of courses in Florida, but the ones I have seem to be flat, wide open expenses of land with palms and not that much variety. But not here! Now, this is Florida, so the elevation wasn't crazy, but ANY elevation is welcomed!

After a flat start on some easy short holes, you get into a series of small hills 6-11 that create some unique shots. #6 is a blind, tougher than it looks shot up hill. A big tree (oak?) in the middle keeps you honest. I TIGHT right cap is for the brave. Hit the gap, park the hole.

My favorite of the three being 7, where you have to throw a low, right-turn shot under a thick wing of water oak limbs. Keep the shot low and turning, and your parked.

#8 is a long, uphill toss. But thrower beware: flip right, or kick right and you are TOAST! There's a series of ravines that will grab your disc and take it to never-never land.

#9 is a LONG toss to a basket on a ridge, set back in the woods. Attack with something slightly understable so it turns right toward the basket.

#10 is fairly simple, another slight anhyzer shot up hill.

If my memory is correct, #11 is exceptional! Tough, hard, brutal, but fair (yeah, it can be all that and fair!) You throw down hill to a sharp left, land, then progress up to the basket, still turning left. I emptied my bag on this one, found my Eagle to be the best approach disc.

After this, the course flattens into a series of long, straight-ish holes. But can't grip and rip, the holes might be open, but there's enough trees and small islands to keep you honest.

Cons:

Only cons - and this is anal, like not caring for the color of the pin striping on your 'vette - is the additional 6 holes are hard to find. We never did find the other 2 for #6, even after playing course twice.

Other Thoughts:

Extremely easy to navigate, only exception being #7 to #8. There's a tee pad by the 7 basket that is an extra tee for #9. Turn immediately to the left after your approach to find the #8 tee.

Some ingenious person made a lost-and-found box for discs that allows you to slip them in, but they can't be shaken out. All courses should have one of these!
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6 2
S.Cann
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.5 years 158 played 83 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Low Ceilings, Guarded Pins, Sloping Fairways 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 30, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Located on an old abandoned barge canal, Ocala Greenway has a rich history. This course could've been the canal used by ships to cross Florida and there is evidence of digs on holes 6, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 17. The course embraces this history as evidenced by the Lighthouse logo for the course and elevated lighthouse basket on hole 8.
-OG has that secluded feel, but also seems to be played frequently.
-Multiple tees and pin locations for every hole. All tees were concrete and well-sized.
-This course uses the low hanging branches of old oaks to perfection. A lot of the course is navigating tight, but fair moderately wooded fairways. There are even some sloping greens uncharacteristic of your typical Florida course.
-Unfortunately no bathrooms, but there are port-a-potties right by the parking area.

Cons:

-Navigation is almost as challenging as the course. A map is a necessity and you will still end up doing a little extra walking even with the map. You also end up crossing the fairways of other holes while walking to the next hole.
-This course has the worst numbering of any course I have played. It is impossible to know which holes have a B and C, so once again you need a map.
-None of the hole overlap, but you will have to double back and cross fairways.

Other Thoughts:

While it does have strange numbering, you will find 24 well-designed, technical holes at Ocala Greenway. This course also has probably the most interesting history of most of the courses I have played. I would be more than happy if this were my home course.
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4 2
Tom Z
Experience: 9 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Go with someone who has been there 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 17, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful setting if you like central Florida flora (which I do).

Concrete T-pads.

Good signs at T-Pads.

Great information on score card. I loved the average score and handicap.

Fair variety of distances. Nothing under 200; nothing over 500. This is both a Pro and a Con. I like a couple of ace runs for players who don't throw far, as well as a couple of chances to really air one out for the people with big arms.

Cons:

Poor signage. There was a large set of arrows at the parking lot pointing to the #1 T-Pad. Following the trail led to a couple of forks with no signage as to which way to go.

Once a hole was finished it was anyones guess as to where to go next. The course map might point you in the right direction but not accurately enough to find the next T-Pad.

The hole numbering system (4, 4b, 4c, 5) leaves a lot to be desired if using a cell phone app to keep score since the app only numbers thing in sequence. So when you cell phone tells you you should be playing 21, you are actually playing the hole labeled 15 on the T-Pad sign.

Too many blind shots. I walked the fairways quite often to find out where the basket was. The T-Pad sign would give you a general idea but it was still hard to know which set of trees to hook around and how far past them the Basket was.

Other Thoughts:

A previous reviewer referred to the hills. I would definitely not call this a course with hills, although there were a few berms and ditches. Nothing like the 30 ft. elevation changes you may find elsewhere in the country. Of course there is nothing that can be done about this. After all, it is Florida.

This is a very enjoyable course if you are with someone who knows there way around. If you are and out of towner you will probably not have much fun as you will spend most of your time trying to figure out where to go.

This course has the potential to be a 4 or 4.5 with awesome signage. I play disc golf to throw disc not to try and figure out where the next T-Pad is or where the Basket is.
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3 1
willsmithfinland
Experience: 12.2 years 46 played 34 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun course and hike 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has excellent signage (yellow poles), tees, and course conditions if you don't mind hiking and some wildlife. There are also trash cans, benches, and a pavilion.

Cons:

Some wildlife signs and course information could have been provided at the parking lot, for example one or two route(s) to take back to parking lot if you get caught in a storm. Unless you have a car/bike, public transportation didn't seem like an option to get to course. Some baskets can be hard to see, so the brush makes throwing and disc recovery a concern.

Other Thoughts:

The most fun course I have played to date. I loved the hiking, elements, and course conditions. DO NOT go to Marshall Swamp Trail entrance unless you want a long hike there and back to course. Watch out for snakes at Hole #2, and be mindful of where you place your bag because of ants. I played during hot, clear weather, so I am not sure how bad the bugs get when it is muggy. Be careful if you play alone since disc recovery can be a problem if you throw into the brush. The course really surprised me after Hole #5, for example the inclines and declines became nice challenges.
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11 0
Peter S
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 30.4 years 165 played 32 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Greenway 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 15, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

New baskets and new tee signs as of this update. Holes have been renumbered 1 - 24. No more letter holes so some of my review refers to the old numbers.

Playing in summer here I expeceted a very green and rough course. What I got was very unexpected. At a time of year that most wooded courses are very dense, this one was very managable. Course is in great shape. Rough is present. However, not growing into the fairway like most wooded courses in summer. This being said there is still plenty of challenge and things to bite you. There are shots with slight up hill with low branches to force you to stay low, but not too low or you are in the ground. 24 total holes. Signature holes such as #8, The Lighthouse that plays a little up hill to a slightly elevated basket with roll away potential on a missed upshot or putt. Another early highlight was #3 that plays slightly uphill to a cluster of spooky large oak trees. Signature bonus hole 6c plays on a hogback with basket under another spooky oak tree.
Elevation on a number of holes, more than most any course in Florida. Built on abandoned barge canal property, evidence of the dig is still very visable and creates a lot of fun slopes and gullies. Another highlight was 11 a slight uphill shot to a basket under a large tree with roots exposed by erosion reminiscent of DeLaveaga Park in CA. The roots are in just the right spot to protect short up shots from skipping to the basket or also may push you into a tricky but fun gully along side of fairway. Hyzer shot on 12 has a key hole trimmed through the trees to view the basket, saving a long recon walk. Trees on other holes are trimmed so perfectly to give tight yet very defined fair lines. Hit the line, not chuck & luck. This is a Disc golf sancturay. The course is dedicated to disc golf with no paved walking trails, no car noize, no playground with screaming kids or other actavities to bring other park users into the area. The short walk to hole 1 brings you into the woods to where you cannot see any signs of civilization making for a very zen round. Concrete tees and baskets are in great shape. Great signage by all long tees give info for long & short tees and DIRECTION OF NEXT TEE so pay attention. Also some occasional next tee signs after baskets show direction to next tee or next bonus hole. Never got lost looking for next tee and we did play all 24.

Cons:

Sand on most greens and on the tees. Sand can stick to your disc on wet days & get inside your bag.
Large red ants everywhere. Bring your stool, not to sit on but to place your bag on or there will be ants on your bag, then one you.
Could not find my way back to the car for more water after what would be 9 or 12 holes and I do not think you come back to parking area until hole 24. No rest room for the ladies. Just a port-a-potty. Hojwever, it was clean with no smell on this day.

Other Thoughts:

Looks like every tree out there was planted to make you think before you throw. I have played Greenway a few times and it is now one of my favorite courses in Florida! I have never given a 5 star review. However, as for the over 50 courses I have played in my home state of Florida, this is one of the best.
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3 4
edwardnaylon
Experience: 9 played 9 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Just Perfect 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 4, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

22 Holes of beautiful D Golf.
Single use park..No tennis, no walkers, just golf.
Great mix of shots, lots of elevation for FL. Very scenic. Some good bird opps if you hit ur lines
Nice signage, multiple tee boxes

Cons:

I wish it were closer to Orlando.
Maybe if there were one Par 5 like a 800+ foot hole.

Other Thoughts:

I played the Selah Ranch courses in TX, the two highest rated on this site, and I think Greenway is right up there with them. Maybe better
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7 1
thrembo
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 49.5 years 245 played 198 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun In The Florida Woods 2+ years

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

Pros:

A short to moderate length technical course set in a wooded, hilly park, seemingly dedicated to disc golfing. Very scenic and fun with a lot of different looks.

Two sets of concrete tees.

Very nice benches, some with small covered pavilions over them, make for nice resting spots.

The park is very clean and generally well maintained.



Cons:

Porta potty style restroom.

Some of the tee signs were vandalized or missing.

Other Thoughts:

This is a very nice course, and fun to play. I would be happy if it were my home course and would enjoy playing it regularly if it were close by. Some of my friends consider this their favorite course and it's on my top 10 Florida courses list.
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7 0
BogeyNoMore
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.4 years 512 played 183 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Elevated from the norm 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jan 30, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Solidly designed course in quiet, out of the way neighborhood park with paved bike/skate/walk path and picnic areas well away from the course - makes for a peaceful round.
• Variety: well balanced between L/R/straight fairways, as well as wooded and semi-open. Good spread of distances from short Ace Runs to long open holes with a few long woodsy holes, too. Offers ample opportunity to whack a ton of trees, while providing several holes with the L-R space certain shots need to work, plus some low canopies and several well-thought out pin placements. Many holes are tough par 3's and I can see how some would say this course has a couple of legit par 4's from the longs. Gives you chances to work all kinds of lines and all kinds of shots.
• Elevation: 10-12 holes where elevation comes into play in one way or another (a true rarity for Florida)... not just mildly rolling terrain, but substantial uphills, downhills, gulleys, elevated pins, and rollaway greens. Don't expect mountains, but it's legit and nicely used to make the course more challenging, fun and interesting.
• Equipment: Tee signs with distance and basic overview of the fairway along with occasional Next Tee signs help you get from hole to hole. Concrete tees were adequate and DGA baskets perform as expected. Everything was in good shape and I don't recall seeing much in the way of vandalism. Short, painted posts near each tee tell you if it's short (orange), long (lime green) or single, combined tee (green/orange). Enough benches and trash cans to not be an issue.
• Aesthetics: Ocala's a fairly pleasant course, and while I personally don't find hammocks of scrub, palmetto, oak and pine separated by patches of sand particularly beautiful, it's ubiquitous to central/northern FL. Doesn't enhance the course this reviewer's opinion, but it's certainly not ugly by any stretch and your tastes may differ.
• Disc golf dedicated land: you might come across a hiker or two, but there's little other traffic to contend with where the course is.
• Memorable holes: I liked the elevated basket on # 8 and the use of timbers to box in the base and make it look nice - well done. There's a splendid hole (#12 maybe ??) that tees off "looking" downhill through some tight, well positioned trees, and plays back uphill and to the left of the low point - I'm not sure the basket is really any lower than the tee, but the hole can play quite down-hill off the tee, and unless you carry the green on your tee shot, you'll be throwing up a substantial incline for your approach. I also have to give props to 6B: one of the longer holes, requiring a good line off the tee and a solid upshot to a nicely sloped and reasonable well-guarded green to set up a putt.

Cons:

• Navigation: The original 18 was a bit iffy in spots, but not actually all that bad - it's the supplemental holes that impede flow IMHO. Even with the map I had a hard time finding them. I'm sure locals think its fine, but every course feels OK "once you get the hang of it."
• Supplemental holes: they don't necessarily suck out loud, but five of the six are meh, and definitely are among the weakest holes on the course. Admittedly, 6B is a very good hole, and given how it routes away from the rest of the course, I suppose 6C makes sense to bring you back (not that I'm typically an advocate of "filler" holes). But when you consider what holes 1-18 offer, I don't see the point in adding less interesting holes, particularly when they screw up the flow on a course that already had couple of navigational rough spots. They make a not so bad situation worse while adding no new or interesting wrinkles to the experience. Even if you concede 6B and 6C, the remaining four (4B, 4C, 9B, 9C) don't add something the course was lacking; more does not necessarily = better. Using those baskets as alt pin locations on some of the more interesting, existing fairways would have been a better choice.
• Sandy tees - tees themselves were fine, but Ocala would benefit from brooms more than most courses.
• Hard to spot DGA baskets in the woods, especially well-guarded baskets in the shade - a blast of fluorescent paint on the lollipops would work wonders.
• For what seemed like a "sleepy, out of the way" park, the small parking lot was quite crowded.

Other Thoughts:

Of the ten or socourses I've played in the state so far, Ocala Greenway is easily one of the best (Magnolia and River City Nature Park being the others in that conversation), and is the only one of those with real topography - a welcome breath of fresh air in FLatland.

I like my courses "greener" than this and freely admit the indigenous landscape isn't my idea of a beautiful course, but the disc play here is damned good, and that's why we throw, right? Fun, challenging, and makes you think. Trying to put my personal tastes aside, Greenway it isn't quite on par with some of the other 4.0 courses I've played... upon revaluation, I've dropped it down to 3.5, but I'd actually describe it as a 3.75... falls just a bit short of being a truly excellent course.

Tenting it? Santos Campground (state run) is 7 miles away. Nice campground with clean facilities.
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8 1
Horsman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.2 years 222 played 100 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 22, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- 2 very nice concrete teepads for almost every hole. Most of the pads are also quite long, tall person approved. The longs and the shorts offer a lot of playability for every skill level. The shorts are a good mix of very playable par 3's while the longs offer a bit more of a challenge with added length and tighter/longer lines. Both layouts are a lot of fun.

- A very nice mix of straight, hyzer and anhyzer shots. When I play this course I tend to use a lot of different discs in my bag. I throw a good mix of forehands and backhands and the occasional roller. I love the variety that this course offers.

- Tee Signs for every hole. Now the signs could use a bit more info on them but they do the trick.

- There are quite a few next hole markers and arrows that point you to the long and short pad placements.

- Most holes are very straight forward and easy to figure out where the hole is. There is also a good mix of distances with most of the holes being decent 300'ish par 3's

Cons:

- Tiny Parking Lot

- There is a sign that points to where the course is from the parking lot to point you in the right direction but once you go down the path there are a couple ways that it splits from there. I walked down 2 incorrect paths before choosing the correct one and finding the first hole. This is a non-issue after you have played the course once but it can be annoying your first time thru.

- The flow from hole to hole is not the greatest. I had a heck of a time finding a lot of the holes. Having uDisc is almost a must to figure out the layout for the first few times. Along this line, figuring out if you are playing the long or the short tee can be a bit confusing at times. There seems to be stakes in the ground to indicate what pad you are playing but they are not consistent.

- Hard to tell what pin position the baskets are in. The teesigns show alternate pin positions but then don't tell you what position the baskets are in.

Other Thoughts:

- Overall I would recommend that you play this course if you are in the area. To me, Ocala has two of the best courses in central Florida. This course is a bit more playable then sawmill but you will have a great time at both.

- I liked the amount of different shots I had to use to complete this course.
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2 1
WholeLottaWampum
Experience: 11.4 years 9 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great day of Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 6, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course offers a wide variety of shots! There are several wide open throws that allow you to let the disc rip, but there are also shots that require a little more strategy. The tee pads are all concrete and the course is well maintained. It is a very well shaded course that is consistently wooded. Great for players of all skill level!

Cons:

The signage for the next hole is difficult to locate at times. There will be a brown sign posted high up on a tree pointing to the next tee pad. These are sometimes blocked by other trees. Other than that I had absolutely no problems with the course!

Other Thoughts:

There are a few extra holes to be played that are just as fun as the rest! Make sure to bring water and bug spray for a fun and enjoyable day!
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4 3
icandisc
Experience: 12.3 years 61 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A very nice surprise 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 7, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Nice course flow once you know the layout
Several nice holes for lefties or forehand drivers
Elevation changes
Difficult holes still felt rewarding
Wonderful scenery, the walk is worth it even if you are not playing the course :)

Cons:

Annoying to get to (coming from the highway or anywhere else in florida, it's tucked back in an out of the way place next to the Nat'l Forest)
Extra holes can be confusing the first few times
Inconsistent amateur pads
No water

Other Thoughts:

Overall this course exceeded my expectations, and is worth the hour drive to play it. The locals were friendly, and overall the course made me "think" about my throws more than other area courses. It was a challenge, but in a good way. There is much more you can do to add challenge besides just lengthening the hole, or making a tiny fairway and this course seems to get it right.

The course itself is a mix of florida scrub, a couple meadows, some pine woods and live oaks. There is plenty of elevation changes, but despite the trees, the course plays fairly open. The trees are mature and if you stay close to the fairway undergrowth is generally not an issue. Benches are scattered throughout, and shade is plenty to be had. However, the course is kind of in a bowl and wind can be lacking (thus feeling hotter despite the shade at times -- sticky florida summer humidity). Some sandspurs can be found on holes 14 through 18, in sandspur season (sept - feb?).

Playing this course feels like a hike in the woods, and I find it much more relaxing than something more urban. You aren't likely to run into anyone, barring your fellow disc golfers. The course is big enough that you aren't necessarily going to even notice others playing, except at the few crossing points in the middle. Courses that can deliver that experience rank more highly in my book (this might be the only course in this area that is solely dedicated to disc golf -- Northside Park being similar, with 90% of the park being solely for disc golf). If you want a little time with the trees and your discs, this is the course to play.
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8 1
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.3 years 278 played 276 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Out There 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 11, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Ocala Greenway may not actually be far from civilization. You drive through a neighborhood to reach the entrance, after all. But it feels as if it is a world away from anything. Part of that is the long drive that it takes to get to Ocala from, well, anywhere. But mostly, it is due to the raw, almost primordial landscape on the course itself. We saw one other player out there, a solitary gent who we let play through.

The terrain is best described as light woods, with a mix of sand and soil supporting a multitude of trees with little underbrush. By trees i mean big beefy trunks with thick branches covered in surprisingly solid leaves just waiting to knock a disc down. Considering that this is Florida it's mostly flat but the natural escarpments are used well to create a few elevation changes. (Typically, there will be a sharp rise at one point in the fairway, after which its flat again to the pin.)

The Greenway also features some of the nicest benches I've seen on a course. They aren't on every hole but they all feature a small roof for shade. This makes a ton of sense because A: it gets hot out there, and B: its extremely likely that you will wait out a short downpour at some point. Very thoughtful. They really did think a lot about the needed amenities here.

Cons:

That said, this course needs next tee signs badly. There are a multitude of trails out there, which I assume are used for dirtbiking or hiking perhaps. Some of the greens have several trails leading away that could go to a tee. Frequently had to split up and yell back and forth when the next hole was found.

Other Thoughts:

I would love for this to be my local course. Great mix of shots that I could play again and again. But it falls into a bit of a grey area for me. Not awesome enough to be a destination. Not close enough to anything to be a regular course. If I regularly traveled I75, this would be a frequent stop and if there was a 3.75 option, this would be the ideal candidate for it.
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1 2
djpatch28
Experience: 11.3 years 23 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Tight, Tight, Tight 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Tight holes
Elevation variety
Extra holes
Under tree cover for a majority of the course
Nice baskets
Doable signs
Tee pads!

Cons:

Too tight in spots
Hard to follow the setup, especially the extra holes... missed a few of those
Sandy...should have worn shoes, not sandals

Other Thoughts:

I got rained on at hole #15 and it was a Godsend...so hot, even with all that tree cover. I was the only one out there and wanted to play another 18...darn you rain! Fun for my first time out, when i visit the state again, I will gladly play this again!
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1 3
boursin
Experience: 12.8 years 13 played 13 reviews
4.50 star(s)

very nice course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 14, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great scenery, not a house to be seen. Some nice open holes and some that need target throwing. Some nice hills (for FLA). great landscape nice pads (concrete) pins have great placement Just a super course.


Update, Just played this course again July 31st 2016. My friend lost his truck keys on the course. Dan (our friend) went to look for his keys with another guy Adam. We played on. When we finished 18 we went buy the picnic table on number 1. THE KEYS WERE THE ON THE PICNIC TABLE. Thank you to the whoever you are for finding those keys and leaving them on the table for us to find and for not stealing an awesome truck. DAN DID lose them on the course, he was never at the table when we started on hole #1. Great course, great people. Please play and respect this course.
Again thank you very much--- Oh yeah we live four hours from this course .

Cons:

It is very hot in July, other than that no cons at all except navigation takes a little time to find a couple of the holes. But Who Cares. It was super fun.
Update, July 31st I think we stood next to the sun this was the hottest day we have ever played. BUT awesome coursr

Other Thoughts:

If you have a chance play this course you will not be dissapointed. No really long throws but some good intermediate distances. Quiet and serene
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