Eugene, OR

Oregon DGC @ Alton Baker

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3.395(based on 19 reviews)
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Oregon DGC @ Alton Baker reviews

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7 0
Anhyzerdaddy
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Course improvements evident drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 21, 2023 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

New layout has long and short baskets on 14 of 18 holes. Longs are challenging with the longest being 860 feet and an elevated basket and the shorts are fun with aces possible. On-site Proshop has drinks and new discs with lost disc return notifications.

Cons:

Terrain is 80% flat being near the Willamette River

Other Thoughts:

Really pretty park and well maintained conditions. Wood chips have been placed in high traffic areas to keep the mud at bay.
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2 2
Sizzlean
Experience: 7.8 years 3 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun, satisfying course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 23, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

no rocks to chip up your discs.
Great tunnel shots, testing your ability to shape things low. Tests your entire game.

Cons:

none. I played very early - I bet it gets a bit crowded.

Other Thoughts:

wish I lived closer to it. Great excuse to go to Play it Again sports and browse their ENORMOUS selection of discs.
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2 0
Breh
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.4 years 193 played 191 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 28, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

When you arrive into Alton baker park there's parking signs for disc golf and a giant disc golf sign. It's got a mini clubhouse that you pay for your round and they do sell disc in primarily dynamic. The holes have nice Turf tee pads. With great signage showing the A/B/C pins and distances, as well as any mandos or obs. The course has had a layout change since I was there a few years ago and has dramatically Improved. The ob and hazards our clearly marked out well now. There's a giant course map on the clubhouse be sure to take picture and follow it after first few holes layout becomes easy to follow. Good mix of hole distances and shots. With pretty cool island hole.

Cons:

Not much elevation change! finding hole 1 can be tricky and then 3 to 4 can also be tricky. Hole 14 and hole 2s fairway play pretty close together. 3 dollars to play

Other Thoughts:

Honestly before the layout change and the work here it wasn't that great to me...however the new layout flows well and it's worth the 3 dollars. Thank you for improving the course up and I'll be back. Lots of elevated pins I guess can be pro or con but overall good course with cool backdrop of autzen behind it
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3 1
[email protected]
Experience: 9 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Pretty flat (no downhills) 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 30, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Lots of various holes, friendly people, lovely park, easy to bike to. Beginner friendly-ish (let faster groups pass you to relieve the pressure.)

Cons:

Very busy, no down hills, a little muddy in winter (what course isn't?)

Other Thoughts:

This is a really good course in town.
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2 3
Life In Air
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Could be fun... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 6, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Has potential to be a really fun course.

Cons:

-No tee signs.
-Course layout is terrible but could be really good with a few minor changes.
-Missing a few pins.
-Overgrown a lot.
-Grass and some branches need trimmed.
-Hard to find your way from one hole to the next teepad
-Map is inaccurate

Other Thoughts:

I was pretty bummed when I went out to play this course today. It has so much potential but it doesn't look like anybody has really put any effort into making it a good playable course in a long time. With some new tee signs, a few changes in layout, a little trimming and mowing, and the pins that are missing replaced it could be a really great course.
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5 3
Pierparknut
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.4 years 90 played 87 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Opportunity For Improvement 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 30, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

-This course is set in an area of the giant Alton Baker Park, very near downtown Eugene. It is convenient and the amount of players showed it.
-There are a lot of interesting holes. Just the right amount of trees make for an enjoyable round. There are four or five pin placements on each hole to mix things up.
-There's a pro shop, but it's basically just a TuffShed. They sell discs, though.
-Two practice baskets are nice. There are a bunch of stones near the practice baskets at various distances with numbers painted on them, to I suppose do a putting-course. This is an interesting feature.
-There are very helpful tee signs, large and in color. However they do not specify that day's basket location.
-The artificial turf teepads were nice. They were soft and grippy. At one point they probably were too grippy but the rain wore them in.
-Elevated baskets were featured multiple times. It's always a nice change of pace.
-The Chainstar baskets were fairly new (this course is only 3 years old) and caught great.
-Trash cans were frequent.
-Many tree stumps/benches adjacent to every tee were great. There was room for ten people to sit on most every hole.

Cons:

-Obviously someone put a good deal of time and work into this course, but it could use a lot of modifications. The most obvious of these has to do with the long grass. Most every hole had a narrow, defined fairway with tall grass on each side and sometimes crossing the fairway. It's a lame attempt at OB. The fairways are too narrow for me to take the OB seriously. Even the pros would find the OB silly. And even if you didn't consider the tall grass OB, it's still a pain to look for your disc in it. You'll be picking thorns out of your socks at the end of the round. Now, a patch of long grass here or there is okay, but when it's everywhere the course is no fun.
-There are a great deal of hazelnut trees on this course. Hazelnut trees are the worst. Short, ugly, thick, and they eat your discs.
-Whoever designed this course must have really liked throwing low shots. It seemed as if every hole had a tree with low hanging branches in front of the tee. Val Jenkins would do good here but not everyone can throw a 300 foot worm burner. Many of the holes aren't easily reachable because throwing a high shot is not possible.
-The course seemed to heavily favor RHBH players. That's my primary shot so I don't mind but I know others do. At the end of the round I realized I only threw one forehand the entire day!
-The course did not flow very well at all. The course crossed itself multiple times and there were many walks between holes.

Other Thoughts:

-The fee is $3 but when I played on Memorial Day it was free.
-This course is on a really nice piece of property but unfortunately the course wasn't designed to its full potential. All that needs to happen is long grass removal, hazelnut tree replacing, and a full course redesign. Okay, that's more like a lot that needs to happen. But it could!
The land is nice, and the course is well kept, so I feel it deserves a three. A redesign could easily bring the course up to a 4 or maybe more.
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3 1
Matt B.
Experience: 32.2 years 73 played 14 reviews
3.00 star(s)

location, location, tunnel shot 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jan 18, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Best part about this course (for locals) is that it is centrally located in Eugene, and can be reached from most parts of town in 10 minutes or so. It's a fun little course, designed well given the constraints on land, and the seasonal restrictions due to the nearby concert venue parking situation. Good practice course, especially for mid-range and fairway. OB markers increase difficulty. I like the artificial turf pads, always had good footing on them. Has many alternate pin locations, including some new longer positions. Pay to play fee is very reasonable especially if you buy an annual pass. Course upkeep has continued to get better and more consistent with many beautification projects happening. On-site Pro shop, rental discs, snacks.

Cons:

The course is short, cramped in some sections, and does not have the kind of varied terrain or vegetation to make it great. The OB at times seems arbitrary. . Some of the newer, longer pin settings make safety an issue on a course with a few safety issues already due to space available.

Speaking of impacts, there is zero tree protection on this course and with the heavy use it gets many of the trees are heavily scarred and damaged already after less than two years. Some simple protection in a few strategic places would do a lot. The operation of the course is by contract with the City of Eugene.

Other Thoughts:

I love having a course I can get to quick and play a quick round. Alton Baker practice rounds have improved my game a lot. A lot of people worked for years to get this course approved and it has been by most standards a big success.
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4 0
Dadio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 40.2 years 174 played 75 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Mixed feelings 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This 18 hole course is in a very large mixed use park that has a nice mix of fairly open holes and shots through trees or true tunnel shots with the occasional very unforgiving blackberry rough. I hadn't played a course with so many long tunnel shots and my score reflected it.
There was a good mix of shots needed; tight doglegs both ways, long and short tunnels, and a couple longer holes with gaps partway down fairway. Course was layed out with eye toward challenging use of available land.
Signs were good and listed lengths to all 4(!) possible pin locations. $3 to play but there is an on site pro shop, snack bar, and course marshal providing good upkeep for the money so I didn't feel taken. There was also a nice shady area for my wife to wait while I played.
Tees were a type of very long astroturf I had never seen before. It took a little bit to build up confidence in them but when I did they were fine to throw off of and local say they are great when wet, necessary in that area.

Cons:

There were no maps available(they had run out) so I was glad couple of locals let me play with them and showed me the course. Since it was layed out looking toward good holes the course wanders in odd ways and crosses itself a couple times. Not much of a hit hazard for all that but flow isn't very good and that bothered me more than I thought it would.
No indication on signs which position pins are in and as some of the shots are blind that was more of a hassle than it seems.

Other Thoughts:

While this course looks good on paper but I didn't really like it and am having a hard time putting my finger on why. It is very possible this course would grow on me but looking at other nearby courses I don't think it would get the opportunity. Score could easily go 1/2 point either way. Would be glad to have it as a local but for future trips to the area it is low on my list to play.
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2 1
bogeyfreetilinfinity
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

alton baker's great! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 9, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-can ride to the course on the riverbank bikepath!
-variety of lengths, 180ish to an arm stretching 420, but mostly in the 320' realm
- handcrafted benches on every hole
- pro shop with tasty plastic and tasty food cart
- low ceiling dog leg rights force shotmaking
-fun well thought out holes, keep enjoying the course more and more.
-4 hole positions per hole
-holes 8, 10, 16, 17, and 1 in the deep position

Cons:

it seems like most holes are either wide open or have the one obvious gap or tunnel. not a lot of trees in fairways to force a player to pick routes or get lucky. only minor elevation change.

Other Thoughts:

there's a very tight OB outside the fairway for every hole marked on all the tee pads that nobody ever plays. most of the time the only OB played is roads and hole 11 has some bunkers with railroad ties to mark OB. Otherwise the OB lines are not well marked and pretty subjective. IT would be interesting to play utilizing all the OB sometime.
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10 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 46.4 years 1562 played 1507 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Eugene's First 18 Hole Course! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Alton Baker Park is conveniently located right next to Autzen Stadium and the UO. This large mostly flat, sprawling park provides plenty of room for the disc golf course.

The course's many amenities start with great tee signs with hole #, sponsors name, a picture of the hole, distance, routes and up to four pin locations. Currently they use a little piece of red tape to indicate the current basket position. How about drilling a hole in the tee sign next to each position A-B-C-D and inserting a colored washer to indicate basket position. Much better system!

The tee pads are over-sized recycled artificial turf pads set inside framed tee boxes with bark all around. They're very level built over crushed rock. The pads have a painted foul line about two feet from the front allowing for a safe follow through. I've not seen this line on any of the 575 courses I've played. But it's a great idea!

The day I played, everything was in the A & B positions so the course played as a recreational length course. Because it's flat and open in places, it's never going to be an advanced /Pro challenge type course, even from the C-D positions. If you're looking for that challenge, go to Dexter or Whistler's Bend.

I liked # 9 today in it's 198' ACE run position.

# 15 & 16 were a little longer, 300' plus from the A and B positions.

Cons:

This is a pay to play course. $3 is the toll, I guess. There were a lot of players playing today so I don't think $3 is keeping many away.

The recreational length/challenge might be a CON for some but this course will see plenty of players.

Other Thoughts:

The Marshall was out checking on the course so I never did locate the guy to give him my $. I figure Uncle Phil Knight can pay my for my round today.

The disc golfers had to battle long andhard with the runners (The famous Prefontaine Trail crosses through this park) to get permission to construct this course. Only once, at # 18, do you even get close to the running trail. This being such a large expanse, there is plenty of room for runners, bikers and disc golfers to all co-exist.

Now the Eugene disc golf community needs to develop the little three baskets practice area at Sladden Park. That could be a cool little elementary length 9 holer there.
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3 3
puaahunter
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.4 years 45 played 37 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Best course IN Eugene 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Cool park. Good use of available space. Some holes had nice lines/windows. Garbage cans. Good signage. Nice people managing the check-in booth.

Cons:

OBs were over-used and silly. Some holes parallel each other in open fields. Paying $3 is a bummer for a course in a public park.

Other Thoughts:

This was a decent course. It's nice to have an 18-hole available IN Eugene. I'm actually surprised there aren't more disc golf courses near by.
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2 3
Ioreks
Experience: 12.5 years 133 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Mixed Group Delight 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 23, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Our group of beginner, novice, and veteran were all happy with the course. We even had a "star par" on hole #15.
Excellent signage. Very well maintained with ample waste disposal, and pit stops accessible. Out of bounds are clearly marked. Baskets were visible from all the tee pads (AstroTurf). Nice mix of sun and shade. Convenient location.

Cons:

Veteran pined for a few really long holes. A bench or two wouldn't hurt.
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3 3
beauzen
Experience: 46.1 years 24 played 16 reviews
2.50 star(s)

In Town is Nice 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 25, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

It's very convenient.
Hole #8 is awesome.

Cons:

The multiple basket locations almost change the course "too much", making it very difficult to compare one round to another because some of the basket locations really change the nature of the hole.

Other Thoughts:

When I am paying some amount of money to play, I expect the following items to be part of the experience:
#1 - Interesting layout and/or challenging holes, including elevation changes;
#2 - Good amenities (benches, concrete tee pads, good signage);
#3 - Fewer and/or more respectful players;
#4 - Something unique about the situation.
On a scale of 1 to 10 on each of these (10 being good), here is how this course would rate:
#1 - 5; The course is relatively flat and not too exciting; The fairways are reasonably well-defined. The OB is not so well defined, even though it's shown on the signs.
#2 - 6; It could use some benches. The signs are good.
#3 - 7; Being basically in the middle of town and the closest 18-hole course to the population, it's probably getting more than it's share of players, but at least they are people who are there to play, and have a modicum of seriousness in their efforts.
#4 - 6; It's very conveniently located.
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1 6
mpeters
Experience: 3 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Very Fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 11, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

well maintained and centrally located in the heart of Eugene.

Fun for all levels of play..

pay to play keeps the park full of more dedicated players which helps flow of game

Cons:

not really any....wish it could have been in original foot print.

still need signs and benches

Other Thoughts:

keep it up Eugene more courses please. Remeber all courses are pay to play. at least this one will be maintained by the fee and not dependent on tax dollars and parks people to keep it in shape. everytime you play this course it will be maintained and can only get better. Disc golf is not free never has been, never will be.
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3 4
discomatic
Experience: 5 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Just visiting Eugene, annnnd... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 14, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Well manicured course
- Some roughs had center-mowed strips
- Good variety of challenge
- Both left and right doglegs
- Close by / easy access
- Course Marshall pedaling around really cares about your experience here
- Long, superb tee boxes
- Little potential for cross traffic
- Some coool tunnel shots
- Can only get better!

Cons:

- Can be crowded on weekends
- I'm against fees, but at $3 a day, it can only help the course esp. w/ heavy traffic

Other Thoughts:

- I got my very first hole-in-one here, everrrrr, on hole 13. Lucky 13!!!
(So, I am kinda stoked ...even though its only 200 ft, but hell - I'll take it anyway!)
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10 1
jeverett
Experience: 15.4 years 31 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Alton Baker Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 14, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Preface: Alton Baker Park is still being developed, so I will be updating this review as course improvements happen. To rate this course I used the Disc Golf Course Rating System described here: https://docs.google.com/sprea...h1ZjRPdTNDbVE

Beauty/Peaceful (5/6) - Alton Baker Park is a very pretty, well-maintained multi-use park. Right near the Willamette River, the course is surrounded by duck ponds, running trails, a community garden, open grassy fields and covered eating areas. The course itself plays around oaks, under firs, though old filbert orchards and out into open grassy spaces.

Shot Shape Variety (5/6) - The course includes a good mix of left, right, and straight shots, including many holes with multiple viable routes. A few holes require forced hyzer or anhyzer shots, and there are one or two slight downhill shots, as well.

Tight/Open Variety (4/6) - Although the course is more open than wooded, it makes good use of available trees. There are numerous tunnel and low ceiling shots (e.g. holes 5, 8 and 17), several gap holes (e.g. holes 1 and 4), and a couple open ripper holes (holes 12 and 14), one with OB.

Multiple Configurations (4/5) - There are four (occasionally five) pin positions for every hole except #13, and baskets are moved on a weekly basis.

Tee Pads (4/4) - The tee pads are recycled artificial turf, placed on a bed of leveled gravel. Each pad is 12ft. In length, including 2ft. of walk-through past the tee pad front line. They seem nice and grippy even in wet weather.

Maintenance (4/4) - The course is impeccably maintained, thanks to constant work at the course, including frequent mowing, undergrowth removal, spreading wood chips, etc.

Cons:

Shot Length Variety (3/6) - Most holes are 250' to 330', with a few over 350' and a couple pin positions under 200'. With a reasonable drive, you will be putting on your second throw.

Risk VS Reward/Punishment (3/6) - Overall, there is not much risk around the course greens (e.g. low chances of rollaways). Some holes include guarded baskets or OB, providing risk vs reward/punishment opportunities, and the old filbert orchards the course plays through can also punish bad drives.

Layout / Flow (3/4) - The layout is a little confusing, with several loops and crossing points. Fortunately there is lots of signage to help direct players to the next hole, so a guide is not essential.

Benches (0/3) - Currently, there aren't any benches, tables, or really anywhere to sit on the course. There are a number of covered eating areas with tables in the park itself, but these are quite a distance from the course.

Other Thoughts:

Alton Baker Park is a greatly-needed (and greatly-anticipated) addition to disc golf in the Eugene, OR area! A white-level recreational course, the course is ideal for new players, while still providing some challenge for competitive players.

This course has been in planning/development/negotiations for a number of years, and many aspects of the course layout (e.g. the overall footprint of the course) have changed greatly over the years, due to pressures and concerns raised by various groups. Despite these concessions, I feel like the course and layout makes excellent use of the available space and features. In particular, the holes that play through old filbert orchards (holes 8 and 10) provide unique risk / reward opportunities, and although the course is very flat in elevation, the few holes with elevation changes are excellent, particularly hole 4.
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5 3
Ian Goldberg
Experience: 29.5 years 167 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Alton Baker - finally pay-to-play! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 4, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Located right in the heart of a disc golf - starved community. Utilizes the space that the city made available very well. The tee pads are very nice, and I love that they are made of recycled materials. A lot of variety with all of the pin locations. The park is open until 11 pm so it will see some glow action, too.

Cons:

It's brand new, so it still needs some amenities like benches and a porta-potty.

Other Thoughts:

This disc golf course could really turn the tide in finally getting the Eugene area some more course. I love pay courses and happily will compensate someone for this great sport.
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4 1
masterlurk
Experience: 13.7 years 93 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Brand New 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 3, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Some tight fairways.
-plays quick.
-nice typical oregon park
-lots of basket locations that will move often
-manicured cut grass through most of park.

Cons:

-a little Repetitive.
-pay to play (if it wasn't, wouldn't exist)

Other Thoughts:

You can buy an annual membership. I think the course is still young and needs time. A lot of the basket locations were straight ahead but there is possibility for more variation. I would like to see other setups before I completely make up my mind. Better than west Moreland.
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7 8
ryan.elliott12
Experience: 14.7 years 21 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Always improving! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 29, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-18 hole course in Eugene
-Very well maintained and groomed
-Clear cut fairways and rough
-4 pins on nearly every hole
-Long artificial teepads that extend past a marked foul line to allow for a safe follow through
-Beautiful park

Cons:

-No signature hole, every hole feels the same from the teepad. Short, straight and low.
-The flow from hole to hole feels confused at times
-Missing markers as to which of the 4 pins your playing
-Most pins are straight in front of the teepad and not long. If you can throw a Roc 300' that may be the only disc you need here
-No beverages
-Other than tunnel shots, lack of trees. No manipulation of trees necessary. If you get a fair drive off the tee, par on every hole is easily attainable

Other Thoughts:

This course gets better everyday!

Andrew is doing a great job making this the course that Eugene has needed for a long time!
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