Dolese Youth Park - East reviews
9
0
Fantastic but windy 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Apr 22, 2022
Played the course:once
Pros:
Hold on to your butts folks. This course is a wonderful ride.
This course is significantly harder than Dolese West. If you're looking for a relaxing round or your new to the game, take west on instead. East is an experience, and I believe professional golfers would find it a challenge.
What makes this course shine is there's no repetition. Each hole feels unique and special, AND you get the best of what disc golf has to offer: Wooded Holes, Elevation changes, and a few open holes that require distance to score on.
Positives
A handful of shots are blind (and feel very DeLaveaga-like if you know that course) Elevation that's fun but doesn't overwhelm.
The wooded holes have TIGHT lines, but not so tight they don't seem fair. The rough on the wooded holes is more rough than West. Stay in the fairway, and you'll be okay.
Many of the par 3's have tough to access greens, so even a good drive can leave you with no putt.
See my hole breakdown in other notes for details on each hole.
This course is significantly harder than Dolese West. If you're looking for a relaxing round or your new to the game, take west on instead. East is an experience, and I believe professional golfers would find it a challenge.
What makes this course shine is there's no repetition. Each hole feels unique and special, AND you get the best of what disc golf has to offer: Wooded Holes, Elevation changes, and a few open holes that require distance to score on.
Positives
A handful of shots are blind (and feel very DeLaveaga-like if you know that course) Elevation that's fun but doesn't overwhelm.
The wooded holes have TIGHT lines, but not so tight they don't seem fair. The rough on the wooded holes is more rough than West. Stay in the fairway, and you'll be okay.
Many of the par 3's have tough to access greens, so even a good drive can leave you with no putt.
See my hole breakdown in other notes for details on each hole.
Cons:
Some of the tee pads are small. I had just enough room to do an X-step on some. No full run up.
No bathrooms that I saw, but there could be some in other areas of the park.
You need UDisc or a local for this course. I would not have gotten through it without it. You will get lost.
VERY easy to lose a disc in the rough.
Hole 18 is the only meh hole. The gap to the basket is very small, and it's the only one I didn't think was fair. Also, the path beyond the hole pops you out into hole 1's fairway. Watch out for flying discs as you exit.
No bathrooms that I saw, but there could be some in other areas of the park.
You need UDisc or a local for this course. I would not have gotten through it without it. You will get lost.
VERY easy to lose a disc in the rough.
Hole 18 is the only meh hole. The gap to the basket is very small, and it's the only one I didn't think was fair. Also, the path beyond the hole pops you out into hole 1's fairway. Watch out for flying discs as you exit.
Other Thoughts:
The Oklahoma wind rips through this course, and it will impact your discs, even in the woods. Somehow you'll be surrounded by trees yet you can feel the headwind on the tee. I personally liked this, because I've heard about the wild Oklahoma winds for disc golfers. I enjoyed experiencing it, but I doubt most would see the appeal.
Hole breakdown.
*All descriptions written from a Right-hand perspective. FH = forehand. BH = backhand.
Hole 1. Blind shot, and the tee pad is slightly right from what looks like the gap to the pin. More or less you want to go straight and end up slightly right from the tee. You'll need to throw high to get over everything, but not too high. If you're facing a headwind, throw FH. The wind here will push your disc where you can't find it. I spent an hour looking for a drive. A stable FH spin should get you to the ground faster.
Hole 2. Another blind shot. This one is more open off the tee. If you move around the tee pad enough, you can spot the basket through the trees. There are BH & FH lanes around the main obstacles in the center of the fairway. Take your pick. The basket is on an elevated green with a tree nearby that can leave you with no putt even if you're inside the circle.
Hole 3 is a downhill bomb. The BEST shot is a stable BH that turns right but fades back. There's a lake along the right side of the fairway. Turn something over too much and you're wet. This is a long hole, and likely not reachable in one shot. You'll want to get right from the tee to see the basket tucked away in a cove of trees. Again though, get too right and you're in the lake.
Hole 4 is a tight wooded hole. It veers right from the tee, so a stable FH fits the shape, but a Turnover BH is probably better. There's a slight left curve 80% through the fairway, so best case scenario, you might get a 45 foot putt.
Hole 5 is a longer than the others so far, and it's hard to reach. The basket is right of the tee, and there's a large tree in the fairway. A turnover BH on the right side of the tree could get you a birdie look, but that would be a superhero shot. The safer shot is to play left of the tree with a distance FH. You'll still have a 150 to 200 foot approach, but you should have a line. Or, take the turnover with something like a fairway driver. You don't want to be off the fairway. I overshot this hole on the turnover flex and had to lay up the cove where the basket was still 50 feet deep.
Hole 6 is a low ceiling BH that needs to skip left. This is a simple rounded shaped fairway, so you can go over stable driver, but you need to skip far. I threw what I considered the perfect shot & was still 45 feet away.
Hole 7 is a blind, slightly downhill shot. The basket is considerably right of the tee, but you have to push 150 to 200 down the fairway first before moving right. I think the only show that could get to the basket is a BH turnover. I went FH (not knowing the pin placement yet) and had a low ceiling approach about 60 from the pin.
Hole 8 is an open, distance throw. From the tee you can see a cove 350 in front of you. The basket is 40 feet or so in and to the left. BH shapes best for the skip in, but forehand would open up your approach to the green if you don't have that distance.
Hole 9 is another more open hole. The lake is on your right, and there is a road on your left, but you have considerable room to land. This one feels like 419 feet. With the difficult winds, throwing something stable off the tee for 250-300 made sense for me. If you avoid the few trees in the fairway, you should have an open shot into the green.
Hole 10 is similar to hole 8, but the green is more straight in front of you. Throw the distance and try not to pinch the tree line. If you get too close, you cut off any ability to access the green.
Hole 11 take you back into the woods. The basket is inside the cove in front of you, deep and to the right. The line to the basket is not clear with how deep it is. Power players may be able to throw a high FH hyzer over everything. I think turnover BH is best for most players. There are a lot of trees at the entrance to the wood line. Pick what you see as the biggest gap and shoot for the best. If you get through the trees, but don't get right, you should have a pretty clear approach.
Hole 12 is just a dynamite disc golf hole. Average players & pros can reach it, and average players & pros can bogie it. This is slightly uphill, and tree at the top of the hill makes you hit a gap at the end. This is a straight shot.
Hole 13 slopes downhill and to the right. There's one tree in front of you off the tee, and a tree line to your right the entire length of the hole. A big FH hyzer could get there around the outside of the tree, but the inside line is more tangible. Either a stable disc that pushes foreword on a FH line or a turnover backhand could get there.
Hole 14 is the big arm hole. It's all of 700+ and there's nothing in your way to block the wind. The basket is left from the tee along the wood line. You start throwing up hill, and once you crest it, it's pretty easy to see the basket.
Hole 15 is LEFT of the basket for 14. Your eyes will tell you to go right, but that's hole 17. This is a tight, downhill, wooded shot. AS long as you push forward enough, either a FH or BH could get there. The fairway slopes to the right, then the basket is back up hill and to the lift. Uphill like 45 feet or so. There are a few limbs blocking lanes up to the basket, so the putt is tricky. In theory, the turnover BH is better because it might cut up the hill some.
Hole 16 is another tight, wooded shot. The fairway slopes downhill and then back uphill. Ideally, it's entirely an uphill shot. To park this, you'll need to throw something stable. The basket is left of the tee, and there's a short tunnel of trees leading you to it. Fade around them, and you have a putt.
Hole 17 is blind from the tee. The basket is considerably to the right. The basket is slightly uphill and guarded by a ton of skinny trees. There's a low ceiling here, so pushing a turnover BH to the basket would be tough. A great shot would get you a circle 1 putt. An over stable disc on a FH line, low, with skip, could park it.
Hole 18's basket is to the right from the tee. There's a tunnel shot to start, and open-ish area in the middle, and then a tight window to access the green. By tight, I mean likely 5 to 8 feet. If you want a birdie, you need a BH turnover, but it's slight, ideally for a stable putter or midrange that flexes out. The green is surrounded by rough, so if you go for the green off the tee, you could end up in a bad spot. Throw 150-200 off the tee with a putter/midrange into the middle area, and you'll have a chance to shape a shot through the gap.
Hole breakdown.
*All descriptions written from a Right-hand perspective. FH = forehand. BH = backhand.
Hole 1. Blind shot, and the tee pad is slightly right from what looks like the gap to the pin. More or less you want to go straight and end up slightly right from the tee. You'll need to throw high to get over everything, but not too high. If you're facing a headwind, throw FH. The wind here will push your disc where you can't find it. I spent an hour looking for a drive. A stable FH spin should get you to the ground faster.
Hole 2. Another blind shot. This one is more open off the tee. If you move around the tee pad enough, you can spot the basket through the trees. There are BH & FH lanes around the main obstacles in the center of the fairway. Take your pick. The basket is on an elevated green with a tree nearby that can leave you with no putt even if you're inside the circle.
Hole 3 is a downhill bomb. The BEST shot is a stable BH that turns right but fades back. There's a lake along the right side of the fairway. Turn something over too much and you're wet. This is a long hole, and likely not reachable in one shot. You'll want to get right from the tee to see the basket tucked away in a cove of trees. Again though, get too right and you're in the lake.
Hole 4 is a tight wooded hole. It veers right from the tee, so a stable FH fits the shape, but a Turnover BH is probably better. There's a slight left curve 80% through the fairway, so best case scenario, you might get a 45 foot putt.
Hole 5 is a longer than the others so far, and it's hard to reach. The basket is right of the tee, and there's a large tree in the fairway. A turnover BH on the right side of the tree could get you a birdie look, but that would be a superhero shot. The safer shot is to play left of the tree with a distance FH. You'll still have a 150 to 200 foot approach, but you should have a line. Or, take the turnover with something like a fairway driver. You don't want to be off the fairway. I overshot this hole on the turnover flex and had to lay up the cove where the basket was still 50 feet deep.
Hole 6 is a low ceiling BH that needs to skip left. This is a simple rounded shaped fairway, so you can go over stable driver, but you need to skip far. I threw what I considered the perfect shot & was still 45 feet away.
Hole 7 is a blind, slightly downhill shot. The basket is considerably right of the tee, but you have to push 150 to 200 down the fairway first before moving right. I think the only show that could get to the basket is a BH turnover. I went FH (not knowing the pin placement yet) and had a low ceiling approach about 60 from the pin.
Hole 8 is an open, distance throw. From the tee you can see a cove 350 in front of you. The basket is 40 feet or so in and to the left. BH shapes best for the skip in, but forehand would open up your approach to the green if you don't have that distance.
Hole 9 is another more open hole. The lake is on your right, and there is a road on your left, but you have considerable room to land. This one feels like 419 feet. With the difficult winds, throwing something stable off the tee for 250-300 made sense for me. If you avoid the few trees in the fairway, you should have an open shot into the green.
Hole 10 is similar to hole 8, but the green is more straight in front of you. Throw the distance and try not to pinch the tree line. If you get too close, you cut off any ability to access the green.
Hole 11 take you back into the woods. The basket is inside the cove in front of you, deep and to the right. The line to the basket is not clear with how deep it is. Power players may be able to throw a high FH hyzer over everything. I think turnover BH is best for most players. There are a lot of trees at the entrance to the wood line. Pick what you see as the biggest gap and shoot for the best. If you get through the trees, but don't get right, you should have a pretty clear approach.
Hole 12 is just a dynamite disc golf hole. Average players & pros can reach it, and average players & pros can bogie it. This is slightly uphill, and tree at the top of the hill makes you hit a gap at the end. This is a straight shot.
Hole 13 slopes downhill and to the right. There's one tree in front of you off the tee, and a tree line to your right the entire length of the hole. A big FH hyzer could get there around the outside of the tree, but the inside line is more tangible. Either a stable disc that pushes foreword on a FH line or a turnover backhand could get there.
Hole 14 is the big arm hole. It's all of 700+ and there's nothing in your way to block the wind. The basket is left from the tee along the wood line. You start throwing up hill, and once you crest it, it's pretty easy to see the basket.
Hole 15 is LEFT of the basket for 14. Your eyes will tell you to go right, but that's hole 17. This is a tight, downhill, wooded shot. AS long as you push forward enough, either a FH or BH could get there. The fairway slopes to the right, then the basket is back up hill and to the lift. Uphill like 45 feet or so. There are a few limbs blocking lanes up to the basket, so the putt is tricky. In theory, the turnover BH is better because it might cut up the hill some.
Hole 16 is another tight, wooded shot. The fairway slopes downhill and then back uphill. Ideally, it's entirely an uphill shot. To park this, you'll need to throw something stable. The basket is left of the tee, and there's a short tunnel of trees leading you to it. Fade around them, and you have a putt.
Hole 17 is blind from the tee. The basket is considerably to the right. The basket is slightly uphill and guarded by a ton of skinny trees. There's a low ceiling here, so pushing a turnover BH to the basket would be tough. A great shot would get you a circle 1 putt. An over stable disc on a FH line, low, with skip, could park it.
Hole 18's basket is to the right from the tee. There's a tunnel shot to start, and open-ish area in the middle, and then a tight window to access the green. By tight, I mean likely 5 to 8 feet. If you want a birdie, you need a BH turnover, but it's slight, ideally for a stable putter or midrange that flexes out. The green is surrounded by rough, so if you go for the green off the tee, you could end up in a bad spot. Throw 150-200 off the tee with a putter/midrange into the middle area, and you'll have a chance to shape a shot through the gap.
2
5
Ginganinja
Experience:
5 played
5 reviews
Fun and clean! 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Apr 10, 2016
Played the course:once
Pros:
-Pretty good layout.
-allot of easy birdie/ace opportunities.
-good use of elevation
-don't have to mess with people not playing or traffic really.
-allot of easy birdie/ace opportunities.
-good use of elevation
-don't have to mess with people not playing or traffic really.
Cons:
-need to new signs bad.
-the course can get confusing to read but me and a buddy made it through pretty easy on our first attempt.
-basket are alright
-the course can get confusing to read but me and a buddy made it through pretty easy on our first attempt.
-basket are alright
Other Thoughts:
The course is really fun and a nice walk in the woods and you don't really have to worry about losing your disc here! Fun course!
3
3
rerun32
Experience:
1 played
1 reviews
Best course in OKC Metro 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 7, 2014
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Extremely fun course
Easy & hard pins
Discs rarely lost
Names for every hole add a little fun
Good variety of open and blind holes
Follows itself pretty well
Easy to find
Fun for all levels of players
Doesn't get boring after playing multiple times
Always people to play with
Easy & hard pins
Discs rarely lost
Names for every hole add a little fun
Good variety of open and blind holes
Follows itself pretty well
Easy to find
Fun for all levels of players
Doesn't get boring after playing multiple times
Always people to play with
Cons:
Signs graffitied on
Basket on hole 4 is very small
No idea as to when baskets are on hard pins or easy pins
16,17,18 are very repetitive
Not a lot of room in main parking lot
Basket on hole 4 is very small
No idea as to when baskets are on hard pins or easy pins
16,17,18 are very repetitive
Not a lot of room in main parking lot
Other Thoughts:
This course is very fun and always worth a play. My one request of this course is to have some kind of guide as to when baskets are on hard or easy pins.
4
1
sweettone1221
Experience:
13.7 years
4 played
2 reviews
I LOVE THIS COURSE! 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Oct 12, 2010
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Ok, so I am definitely a beginner but I must say, I love this course. We have been playing on it almost daily since our first round there. The hole variations are my favorite. As I said, I am new but my husband is a fanatic and we both have quite a few discs. After playing this course over and over, I am starting to get a good grasp of what discs and throwing styles I need to use for certain layouts. I feel that it is well maintained, there are benches at every hole, and the layout is very fluid. It is extremely easy to find the next hole and there isn't a lot of walking between them. There are also tons of well definied small paths through the rough/wooded areas which definitely come in handy for a newbie who ends up in the brush a lot!
Cons:
They could use more trash cans but, ultimately, I have no complaints!
Other Thoughts:
Holes 4 and 5 are my favorite but "The Monster" is a bit out of my league. Still, I love this course.
2
2
Brinks
Experience:
23.1 years
16 played
4 reviews
Dolese 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 24, 2010
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Love this course!! One of my favorites. Lots of trees. The baskets are in good shape and are placed in one of two positions, "longs" and "shorts". Most of the "longs" are in the trees and most of the "shorts" will be in the open. There are lots of benches as well as trash barrels (please use the trash barrels). Great course for day and night play.
Cons:
Lots of traffic during peak weather days! This is a youth park and sometimes when the weather is nice people will walk out in the middle of the fairway (not often, but known to happen).
3
0
OKC444
Experience:
16.8 years
20 played
6 reviews
Arcadia (B) is only other in 50 miles 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Aug 1, 2010
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Heavily wooded, expertly laid out to maximize the terrain, multiple pin placements to allow for challenge and change... there are so many nice little touches present here (already noted in other reviews) that I could regurgitate but you've heard all that. But thing is... no other local disc course can tout half as many. This is by far the best OKC has to offer... and in the Metropolitan area you won't find another FREE course that's this good.
Cons:
Summer time can bring out the bugs due to the courses proximity to Dolese Pond so bring some bug spray. Local youth have in the past utilized the park as a late night hangout and it has pushed the park authorities to remove many of the benches/tables/trashcans from the wooded areas. 
Other Thoughts:
I may eat my words one day after having played "80 courses in 10 states"... which I clearly haven't and others clearly have... but I say with no reservations that this course is underrated and is the most technical and challenging course short of Arcadia (Blue) within 50 miles. To the naysayer Pros who think it's too easy... it's a YOUTH PARK. I stand by my rating.
