Disc Golf Course Review

nice tees
great signage
love the teak trees, no need for manicure
easy road in and out

just too short for me, played with a putter
5 down first time playing is not what i want personally
has some elevation not taken advantage of, just 1 shot and short

this could be a great course with some work as most things are in nicaragua.
overall, if you are in the area, it's worth a stop. you do not need to contact anyone, just show up, they will point you to the start. it's primarily for paintball, but it's a lovely little place that could be a gem for disc golf. 2nd best course i've played in nica, jiquillilo is the best for all levels of players.

There are a lot of pros. First of all, the maintenance of the course is generally very good, most of the time when I play this course I see the creator out there maintaining it and seeing what needs improvement.
It is a very good mix of open and wooded, you start and end with longer more open holes with tough OB's then the middle is all woods. There is a good variety of angles and shot types, elevation is very well used too.
Very difficult course, with many tough shots through the woods.
They are adding long baskets for some of the holes that make them even more fun and challenging.

In the summer, holes 1-3 and 17-18 have corn fields on either side that can make it easy to lose discs. I almost put it as a pro because the corn fields are OB, which makes the longer, straighter holes more challenging, but they can be a little annoying.
There is currently a very long walk from hole 9-10, but Chris (creator of the course) is putting in 9 more holes and some of them are going in that walk, so this con is getting addressed.
Not very stroller/small child friendly with some of the walks through the woods. There's a steep slope downhill and some bumpy paths that make strollers difficult.

All in all, I love this course! The cons are pretty tame all things considered. There's not much I dislike about it, would highly recommend to anyone in this area or passing through.

A course or not a course? Either way, a nifty park to throw in.

To depart from my enigmatic start - this is a totally charming park. Medium hills, thick pines, other trees, lush grass, and a central pond make for about as good a city park setting as you could imagine. I played here as the day was beginning to cool off, and it was lovely.

Three of those elements - great trees, big hills, and water hazards - make for great disc golfing. I threw some really enjoyable downhills, carefully shaped drives, and nervy water carries during my time here.

The seven DISCatchers are good, and their placement carefully thought out to provide a variety of approaches and greens. This is good, since most rounds here will involve rethrowing to the same basket a couple of times.

Okay, now the big problem: there are neither tees nor tee signs. Period. This is literally just baskets in a park. The definition of safari golf. Is it even a course if there's no defined layout?

Even if you did follow a layout such as the current 18-hole recommended on a certain app, you're going to be looping back on yourself, throwing across and back over fairways, and undoubtedly running into other throwers if any disc hurlers are out at the same time as you.

I hate to scrape so hard against this course. I really enjoyed most of the tee locations suggested by GPS, which made truly compelling shots. But its capacity, at best, is one group, and its flow is infinitely malleable.

Beyond this, there is a big issue of things being in the way. "Things" refers to people and buildings. Two baskets bring the playground into play, several options play over sports courts or storage sheds, and all of the water carries will put fishers in danger all around the pond. Add in some blind walking paths and mid-fairway picnic tables, and you have a safety nightmare.

I loved playing at Ford Park. It had all the gameplay elements of a great city park course. Unfortunately, its lack of clear flow, on-tee nature, constant human and civic risk, and the inability to play the entire property thoroughly due to high numbers of park-goers all draw this back more than substantially. It's a bit of an impossible rating, but overall I wanted to be nice and called it Reasonable. If you want nice safari golf, go ahead, but PLEASE be ultra-cautious of all the innocent park-sharers.

~Similar Courses: Well, none really. But if you ignore the glaring flaws, the gameplay has the feel of Earlewood Park (Columbia, TN), McCurry Park (Fayetteville, GA), or Tyus Park (Griffin, GA).

This place is beautiful. It has water (creeks), risk/reward, OB, Mando's, mostly wooded holes, layouts that force a huge variety of shots, and the architecture of the holes are amazing. Viewing the photos, will show you what I mean. The tunnel shot on 17 is a fantastic challenge for disc control. Some of the pin placements are tough but fair on many of the holes. It is fairly easy to get around as most of the walking paths are obvious. The creeks here seem to drain the holes nicely and help keep it in decent shape during the rainier months and sunnier days it provides nice shade throughout most of the course.

The uses pavers for the tee boxes and still have just a few holes left to complete that.

The Fun Factor was truly the layout and hole designs. I cannot express enough how nice and fun the holes are to play. It felt like you were really being spoiled with the tree cover protecting you from the sun and the light rain. This has become of my top ten favorite courses in Texas. When I retired, I moved to Longview and live near this course to make it my home course. That is just how much I like playing it.

Review #100 and Course #149 for me is Perryville City Park, a fun park style 18-hole course that snakes all around a vast, 100 acre park. This course makes the most out of the space provided, and has a little bit of everything you'd expect out of a recreational park course.

Location of Perryville is right on I-55, about an hour and a half south of St. Louis and 45 minutes north of Cape Girardeau. You'll most likely access the park via S Kingshighway, where you can take an immediate left and then complete a U-Turn to the right till you reach the parking lot with the disc golf course map next to it. There are some fast food options, mainly a McDonalds by the highway, as well as independently owned foot stops in town. There are also a few gas stations on Kingshighway. If you are wanting a day out of disc golf, There's also a 9-hole course at Northdale Park, just a couple minutes up the road. There aren't really any other super close courses; going south, you'll find another pocket of courses around Jackson and Cape Girardeau, and Chester and Ste. Genivieve have a couple as well.

Park Amenities are robust at Perryville City Park. This park has pavilions, baseball fields, pickleball and tennis courts, numerous walking trails, wildflower preservation spots, and a dog park, just about all of which you will see during your round. The park also has plenty of bathrooms, and I remember seeing a few throughout my round, including one right after hole 9.

Course Equipment is very nice as a whole at Perryville. The baskets are DISCatchers that I'm pretty sure are the originals installed in 2013, and while they're not looking the shiniest at this stage of their life, they're still catching great. The course also has a practice basket right by the parking lot with plenty of space to practice long putts and even approaches. The tees are all concrete and were very nice to throw from. The tee signs have all of the info you can really ask for, including pin locations, which pin is in use, pars, distances, and a basic hole graphic. The course map is also handy by the parking lot, providing a nice overhead shot of the course along with the park as a whole. My favorite equipment on site has to be the prominent next tee directions on every basket, which single handedly made navigation immensely easier on this course given some of the longer transitions. This course also has benches at plenty of the holes.

Course Design is composed of mostly 200 to 350 foot holes with varying numbers of mature trees to navigate. There's a nice mix of tee shots that either require straight drives, a particular shape in either direction, or careful navigation of low ceilings. The distances are fairly accessible to newer players when considering pars, with this course being more scorable for intermediate and advanced players, especially in the back 9.

Elevation doesn't necessarily vary to the degree the hole info page suggests, but there is plenty of subtle slopes throughout the course. Holes 1, 6, and 14 are the most uphill holes (especially 14), and holes 5, 15, and 17 play the most downhill. Other holes like 2, 11, and 12 have either valleys through the fairway, or pin placements that are on hillsides that make roll aways something to be wary of.

Shot-Shaping is going to be an essential skill for you to have on a lot of the holes at Perryville. Holes 5, 7, 9, and 11 are particularly right hand back hand favoring shots off the tee, while hole 13 is the primary spot where an anhyzer is going to be most beneficial for that same throwing style. Holes 2 and 3 will have you navigating a low ceiling. Many holes like 5, 14, and 15 have multiple lines to the basket. Others like the A pin of 14 and 3 require a pretty straight shot. Overall, you'll need a little bit of everything here at some point.

Distances are mainly in the 200 to 350 foot range, though 16 and 18 have B placements that are par 4s and around 450 feet. A lot of the longer holes feel shorter than their lengths suggest, even those that aren't downhill. For the most part, there's a decently consistent ratio between the length of a given hole and how many obstacles you'll need to navigate, with a lot of the shorter holes having more specific shot requirements.

Difficulty leans towards intermediate players. Newer players that don't have good accuracy or distance on their drives will find a lot of the shots challenging on this course, and may have a little trouble hitting par, as the distance/par combos are fair but tough on a lot of holes, especially in the front 9. Advanced players, on the other hand, will likely be able to score really well on this course. DGCR usually has me in the 890 to 920 range of rating, and I was able to hit a -7 on this course with 5 birdies to end the round. If you can throw 250 feet somewhat accurately, ending with a turkey is in the cards with two fairly open 450 foot holes and a very short hole 17.

Course Highlights: Hole 15 is a fun one, downhill with plenty of trees. You can either go for the straight shot, or hit a wide line either direction. Hole 18 is also a fun design, with 450 feet and a slight hill about 2/3rd of the way to the pins. The A placement is at the top of a drainage ditch with trees on either side, a fun tunnel challenge to end your round if the basket is in that spot.

Proximity To Other Amenities is definitely the main con to this course that was on my mind throughout my round. This park has plenty of other park uses and pathways, and this course snakes around jus about all of them. That comes with plenty of spots where you're throwing close to other paths and fields. Hole 2's pin is close to a path that isn't visible until you are on the green. Hole 4's pin is close to a shelter. Hole 5's pin is close to a path that many player's shots will curve towards. Hole 8 plays over a path, though you can see pedestrians before throwing. Hole 11 plays towards a baseball field that is much easier to end up in than it looks (trust me). Hole 15's pin is also very close to a path. I could see on nice Spring and Summer days, especially those when ball games are being played, a risk for discs to end up where they shouldn't, especially if the disc golfer isn't looking before they throw.

Sogginess and Drainage Holes are also very prominent throughout the course. Hole 5 plays close to a ditch, which was pretty wet given recent rain. Hole 14 has one as well. Hole 18, while a fun design, also revolves around a drainage area. There are also plenty of other spots where there are drainage areas a disc could end up in. Most of them are covered with grates, but there are still plenty of disc sized holes in those areas and I've seen weirder things happen than a disc hitting such a spot just right.

Trainsitions can be pretty long, especially 8 to 9, 9 to 10, 11 to 12, and 12 to 13. The directional arrows on the baskets really are helpful and will get you to the next hole; just expect some long walks, many of which have zero shade.

Course Equipment seems to have been improved overtime given some of the older reviews, particularly with signage. That being said, I wonder how much more life the baskets have given how they are looking. I didn't have any issues with them catching, but the bands and metal are far from pristine at this point.

Course Difficulty may not be very welcoming to newer players, as many of the holes will be hard for any new or novice to score on. At the same time, advanced players will likely score all over the course. The pins don't add too much variety in shot shapes or challenge.

Overall, Perryville City Park provides a fun round of golf. My expectations weren't super high driving down for the afternoon, but the setting throughout the park was very nice to walk around, especially with the parts not around the ball fields. The park gets plenty of use by the community, and it's obvious that groundskeepers and the parks and rec department take good care of this and other parks in town. Perryville really seems to punch above its weight in the parks and amenities department for a town of its size.

This isn't a course I'll be driving an hour and a half out to play again, but I'd be happy if this was a home course for me, and I'll be keeping it in mind if I find myself traveling south on 55 in the future.

If you're driving up or down 55 and want a disc golf break, this course is a nice option for you. I hope this course gets plenty of traffic by the community, and while it's not a destination course by any means, I'm happy to have it be my 100th review for DGCR. Here's to the next 100!

Swope has all the trimmings of a nice course, with 18 massive tee pads and 18 MachX baskets in great condition. Benches have been installed on about half of the tees and 3 and 11 have trash cans on their pad as well.

A few spots of tricky elevation. 1, 2, 9, and 18 have scary slopes on some of their pin spots. Long downhills on 6, 13, 14, and 18 are contrasted by shorter uphill throws on 5 and 16.

Some trees to avoid off the tee of 1, and staying low to reach the longer pins of 3 is important. 18 has a treeline on the left to either avoid or go around, and 8 and 9 are shorter holes with a bit of tree challenge.

Eight of the holes have zero obstacles, and in certain pin spots that number could go up to ten! The obstacles that exist are fairly easily cleared besides 18's trees. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's pitch and putt as some of the open holes approach 400 feet, but bogies are hard to come by if you have decent distance and approach game.

Wayfinding has declined over time. In the beginning each tee had a large white sign, now the only one remaining is on 15. Paths through the grass are somewhat worn to help, but longer transitions (5 to 6, 17 to 18) may be difficult without a map.

Creek crossings are highly dangerous. Hole 1's long pin, 1 to 2, 3 to 4, and 9 to 10 all require crossing a creek just large enough to be annoying. Wood pallets were out down early on to keep you from having to jump over... all but one of those have rotted away.

Maintenance is below average and inconsistent. Thigh high grass awaits if you get off the fairway on 2-9 and 13 and 14. 1, and 15-17. 10-12 and 18 were freshly mown, but who knows how they'll end up. Just be aware it may be an unpleasant time.

Parking might be an adventure as this is a popular hangout for locals and there isn't much parking available for the course proper.

At the beginning, improvements were said to be coming. It's been nearly four years since course installation and things have only gone south from there (apart from the benches being installed).

I don't recommend this course to anyone unless you just have to bag it, and especially if you've heard the name "Swope" as something great. I'm glad I never got to play the old one so I have no comparison to make. The course of legend sits half under an animal shelter since the city lied about where it was going (do NOT bring that up with the locals. Still very sore), and the replacement is a bore that no one seems to care about improving. Change is welcome, but doesn't seem to be on the horizon.

(3.013 Rating) A two tee, two basket niner in a Florida like setting.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - Alligator Lake is bursting with a lot of positives for a nine hole course. Perhaps my favorite thing about the course was the natural setting. The park feels separated from built environment. There are big oaks draped in Spanish moss and lots of Florida-esque vegetation lining the fairways. The raised mound on (5) has some added pop to it and the course appears to be reasonably maintained.
- TWO BASKETS TWO TEES - Had Alligator Lake been a 1 tee, 1 basket course, I would not have rated the course this high. There is a lot a variety added due to this and it allows players to chose the difficulty right for them. Locals can also switch it up from time to time, thus the re-play value is much higher than the typical niner.
- HOLE VARIETY - Even though the course is very flat, the 4 layouts pack a lot of play-type diversity. Hole distances range from sub 150 feet to almost 600 feet. Breaks occur both ways and there are a couple dogleg par 4s. A couple holes have a parkstyle feel to them while a couple others feel like a jungle. I used most of the discs in my bag and I appreciated the mental mind games on how to attack each hole.
- CHALLENGE - The long tee to long basket configuration is listed at 3,693 feet long. MA1s should be tickled by the enhanced challenges from that layout. I personally threw the Short tees to Long basket and finished at even par as an MA2. The Short to Short will likely appeal to MA3s and MA4s.
- NAVIGATION AND SIGNAGE - Although I did not see a course map (I may have missed it in my haste), I had no issues getting around. Despite tee (1) being well separated from the parking area, attentive players will see tee (1) on the right as they are driving into the park. The tee signage is top notch with all the required info on them.

Nine fairways
- PARKING - I subtract very little score for this, but it's not ideal to have the parking separated 600 plus feet from tee (1) and Basket (9). Obviously not a deal breaker, or anything close to that. Probably just one of those things that stems from a Park requirement.
- TIME PLAY FOR A NINER - Not the typical 20 minute solo niner. More like 35 minutes, although that will depend on which of the four layouts is selected.
- BOGGY? - I'm not 100% certain this is the case, but the course has a lot of tell tail signs of not draining well. Most of the lowish swales were mushy during my appearance and it hadn't rained in a while to my knowledge. I'd recommend to the I75 bagger to pack muck boots just in case.

Among the nine fairway courses, I've thrown 230ish, this one is in my top 5. Everything I enjoy about the game is found here at Alligator Lakes… except for elevation change. If the course were to ever add nine more fairways designed by Hosfeld as well, I don't see how I don't up my rating to a 3.5, possibly a 4.0. Anyways, as is, a solid 3.0 to me and thus not designation worthy yet with just the nine fairways. A fantastic bonus course for those traveling along I75. It reminded me most of Airport Lakes near Orlando.

- very hilly
- terrain well incorporated on all holes
- unique locally made baskets catch well enough
- good amount of technical challenge
- more open fairways but with tree obstacles and elevation
- hole number cut into metal on baskets
- area is mostly devoted to disc golf
- undergrowth is fairly forgiving

- tee signs have no maps; seem durable but very basic
- a little on the short side
- most wooded area/ravine could have added to course quality
- concrete tees are extremely small
- street parking only; not immediately obvious where to go
- hole 7 throws through picnic area and near walking path
- weird navigation backtracking between holes 8 and 9, and fairways cross
- hole 9 ends far from start of course
- park maintenance is just ok; fairways are combination of grass and weeds

Peru State College is an interesting course. On the one hand, it's a fun enough round with some extreme elevation change and a lot of decent challenge for such a short nine hole. On the other, there are basic tee signs, tiny tees, weird layout and navigation, and some safety hazards. I didn't enjoy this course as much as I thought it would, and without fixing some of the cons I couldn't score it higher.

There are definitely some merits here; while I wish they had incorporated the heavily wooded ravine which would have made this a way cooler course, it still has intense elevation change and some unique shots. The baskets are about the beefiest I've ever played, and I was a few inches from acing a hole here but went off the side of the basket. There are definite opportunities for birdies and aces with several holes under 200 ft (and some downhill at that).

Navigation could have been more clear here, the weirdest part being backtracking from hole 8 to hole 9, and then realizing these two fairways cross and hole 9 ends facing a dead end at the woods nowhere near the parking lot.

You can park on Neal St. on the south side of Neal Park where the course is located. There are not many notable amenities here and I would watch out for other parkgoers. Some of the terrain is a bit strenuous, particularly holes where you have to walk along the sides of hills rather than up and down. This is a pretty quick round and should only take about 30 minutes solo.

Peru State College is only a bit off the highway up to Omaha and looked more interesting than the nearby Ariens DGC. I wouldn't recommend going out of the way for it, but if you are passing by and like to break up those longer courses with a quick 9, I think it's worth bagging.

- high level of challenge with tight, technical fairways
- some variety in hole length, though all on the shorter side
-practice basket
- ample parking
- plenty of benches and garbage cans
- amazing scenery and tight fairways wrapping around the sides of elevation
- baskets are serviceable though showing their age
- limited undergrowth makes finding discs easy in most places
- tight lines force a variety of shots and skill with shaping
- one of the most unique courses you will play
- some intense elevation change incorporated
- even flat holes "feel" steep in places due to dropoffs
- lots of birdie opportunities

- not very clear where Down Under course starts
- some may feel holes are too short
- natural tees are short and rather precarious in places
- tee signs are some of the worst, just numbers on trees
- discs can get very chewed up on this rock/dirt type course
- heavy road traffic noise takes away from mystique of this course
- hole 18 ends kind of randomly and its unclear how to exit woods

It pained me giving Rosedale Down Under a 3.5, which objectively I felt like was the right score, because I loved this place. Tight, technical disc golf with high rolloff/dropoff risk - you almost feel like you're playing on the side of a mountain - in Kansas!

At times, I felt like this course could use some built-in stairs in steep spots. I'm not sure I want them though. Part of what makes this course so cool is that rugged, rough around the edges style. Dare I say natural tees make sense here? Some quarried stone might play better, but it's not like you need huge run ups on these sub-250 ft holes. While the equipment is just ok and this course is definitely a bit haggard in places, the feel, scenery, and mystique of this place cannot be overstated. On hole 6, I almost felt like I was on the side of a Colorado mountain with the rocky terrain and evergreens about.

Besides the equipment, I think one of my biggest cons here is navigation - not so much during the course, which mostly flowed ok - it's just getting there and getting out! The start of the course is hard to find, you have to follow the directions laid out clearly. A sign near the parking lot would help immensely. Then the course ends more or less in the middle of the woods and it's totally unclear how to get out and back to the parking lot. It was just weird, really.

This course is scored very well but I could definitely see some people not enjoying it. The disc golf is very technical, there are almost no long holes, and it is kind of dirty/dusty and strenuous. I love courses like this, but some will not. If you don't have good shot control you will struggle here. Being able to throw both backhand and forehand helps to not fall victim to the sheer dropoffs. If you can't do a forehand, an anhyzer may substitute ok. This course feels for awhile like it's just wrapping around a mountainside (ok, hillside I guess) so there is always that "oh crap" opportunity, though thankfully I avoided ever losing one off the edge.

You won't really see grass on this course, but you won't see a really open hole either. Most are heavily wooded though a few have a bit more space. Honestly, anything over a 4 seems generous; this course is rough and it feels like maintenance might not be the best, but I still loved it. This feels like an older style of disc golf before longer holes and it's just a ton of fun. If you are in the KC area I highly recommend checking this course out. It's probably my favorite course in the KC metro, I had more fun here than Water Works. Clover Cliff to the west is even better, but in the KC area this is one I wouldn't miss.

I played this one at first in the rain and then again the next day in better weather when it became obvious I wouldn't make it to any more far flung destinations.

The park is huge and very busy, walking paths soccer fields the dog park and people generally picnicking and lounging everywhere which can make some throws more high tension than would be ideal. It made me kind of glad I got to play it in mild rain to see what it would be like totally unimpeded.

The course plays around the lake at first including hole 3 that has about a 250-300ft water carry on it's 600ft length if you want to go for birdie.

After hole 4 you cross the street by the soccer field and play several low curling pushing shots that are a totally different vibe and shot shapes.

After hole 9 that is kind of a filler hole near the bathrooms you cross that parking lot and play some longer shaping shots and deal with the little bit of elevation that exists on the course and then one little shorty hole before finishing once again crossing the street by the parking lot.

16-21 are in that area and in a way might be the most interesting as they are for the most part 250-350 and require a mix of shot types that are score able but not easy. I'm not usually one to break out a roller, but to reach the pin on 17 I did and was able to birdie.

The pads are concrete and in the dry they were good, and the tee signs are very nice and show the line well.

Baskets are traditional yellow banded Innova baskets and in good shape.

I think the mix of shot types make it a pretty fun course and I could se ethos being a good league track.

The biggest cons here are the fact that other park goers commonly pass through many of the holes and can create an uncomfortable environment for the disc golfers. I never want to throw near kids so I'm my second round I ended up skipping a few green with kids near a basket.

Navigation is kind of a mess as it seems like there have been a few versions of the course and many of the cues are not accurate.

There are also some lines where the trees have grown so low you either need a crazy over the top line or a very indirect one.

It's also a small nitpick but some signs are really far from the tee and you may see them way before the pad.

The concrete pads have significant wear and in the wet I could barely keep on my feet.

Overall it's a fun course that I enjoyed but probably wouldn't try to play it in peak after work hours again, the traffic here is just too high.