This is a very challenging course. I played it 2-3 time this last June/July and I hated it. It was so overgrown and nearly impossible to play. It was not enjoyable at all.
I thought after 6 months I would give it another try. It has been improved 10 fold. The lines you have to hit are still very difficult, but not impossible. I would not recommend this course to a beginner.
It is mostly a technical course with one monster hole (707ft). Also another observation...I think most of the distance markers are off quite substantially.

Challenging tree-lined tunnel shots are the norm for this course

Too many damned tunnel shots, no variety. Former dumping ground, it's called "The Privy" becuase it smells and looks like a toilet. Fairways were non-existent, easy to lose discs. It was easy to lose your way with no signage too.

Won't be playing ever again.

Fun layout. Almost all wooded. Par 4s and 5's are entertaining. Lots of challenge with trees, etc

A bit overgrown. Tough trek. Lots of taller than 'short' grass.
Gets realllllly marshy if it's rained the last few days. Lots of standing water. Most mosquitoes on a course i've ever seen.

Fun course. Just dont go if it's rained in the past week, and bring some repellent!

Long pars, very challenging, thick forest, great for all your arsenal of shots. Surrounded by very nice baseball and soccer fields.

Very overgrown and not well maintained. I went in September of 2009, and there was a serious mosquito infestation, I mean serious. 1 swat of my disc killed approximately 20 at once.

Will be a great course if they cleared it up and took care of the mosquito problem. Lots of potential.

I first played this course back in march or so. After I played I vowed not to come back for a few months because it was just too premature in the development.

About 6 months later and...it is still really really challenging... Thats for sure.

I like that there are a lot of trees and the occasional change in elevation. Most the holes do a good job of taking advantage of the space available, and there a few pretty unique holes. One of the very few courses I know of that has a public restroom close to the course.

Still needs some work. A few trees here and there could still be either trimmed of the vines hanging down from them, trees themselves could be trimmed a little and a few trees that just need to come down. Doing this would create nice lines throughout the entire course for throwing thru. Not all the holes need work, and I didn't bring a notepad to write down which holes needed a little bit more attention. Once you get out there and play you will know which holes need a little more trimming.

A lot of the underbrush and ivy that was growing on the ground has been trampled down. Not too mention the heat probably having a helping hand but there are still a lot of nubs left from cut down trees that will stop a disc dead if you try to roll it. If you're not paying attention to where you're walking you can definitely bust your a$$. I don't know if this area was once a landfill but there is a lot of old garbage strew throughout the course. Add in a few disrespectful disc golfers who leave their trash at an already overflowing trash can and it doesn't leave the course looking as pretty as it could be.

I've played the course three times now but I still went down the wrong path a couple times. I even took a picture of the course map at the beginning but it didn't help a lot. A couple more signs wouldn't hurt but it isn't like I had to walk very far out of the way before I realized I wasn't on the right path.

Basically... the course just needs a little bit more attention. Cut down a few more branches / vines, use some total vegetation killer to get rid of some of the tree nubs that are starting to grow back after being cut down, and maybe cut a tree or two down on a few holes.

After these few improvements I would put this as a four star course.

- Extremely narrow fairways make this unlike any other DFW course
- 2 True par 5's. 4 par 4's Total Par: 62
- No gimme birdies (9, 15, 18 are your best bet)
- 4 long open shots to let out frustrations. 18's drive can be very cathartic.

- Course is still developing. Very raw.
- Confusing layout due to hiking trails. Needs more guide signs.
- Watch out for "park boys..." between 12 and 13
- Rough is so thick that most holes require a pitch back for an errant drive

Climo's famous words: "learn to throw straight and beat the game" are a fitting mantra for Gateway. Most holes require a 300' shot that must land perfectly straight. The hardest course in DFW, Gateway will make you work on your technical game.
Navigation Hints:
Hole 2 to 3: Stay straight on X in the path
Hole 9 to 10. Come out of woods, take right, walk along curb
Hole 10 to 11: Cross street, enter woods near the road gate, Hole is parallel to street.
Hole 11 to 12: Cross street again
Hole 12 to 13: Go out of woods, take a left, walk along curb till you hit the pad

If your looking for a real challenge this the course to play. The course mostly plays in the woods with true par 4's and 5's. The concrete tee pads are really nice and the DISCather baskets are new. The are wooden post in the ground for signs with the distances of the holes and what par they are. Some holes are long with a lot of tunnel shots and major trees to keep you honest. There are trash cans throughout most of the course and numbers with arrows in the trees to kind of direct you to the next tee.

This course is very hard to navigate without a map. If you don't have a map you could easily take the wrong trail and get lost, it can get very frustrating. This is not a beginner friendly course, this is for more advanced disc golf players. There are a few signs missing but that is no big deal. The biggest problem is major overgrowth on the back holes which almost makes the it unplayable. There were a lot of mosquitoes and spiders and thorns throughout most of the course. If you don't get a good drive off the tee and park it in the middle of the fairway, you could be in a lot of trouble. I spent a lot of time looking for my disc, so a spotter might be a good idea. I usually plan on losing a disc every time I play here because of overgrowth.

This course is a good challenge and will keep you on top of your game. Hopefully with time and a lot of hard work, this course will be a fun wooded and more open course in the future. Until the back holes fairways get really cleaned up, I don't think I will be in a rush to play here anytime soon. You might want to wear jeans and maybe a long sleeve shirt when you play here and bring mosquito repellent because you will need it. I just can't believe a new course is in such bad shape like this, it definately needs more play to get the fairways opened up a little more.

Beautiful park with extremely challenging holes. There are lanes, but they are narrow and hard to find. It takes a few strategic shots to figure out your driving strategies. My score was through the roof the first 3 times, but I am getting closer to par now. Some Par 5s that are seriously long and challenging, and some short Par 3s that will leave you utterly dissapointed. We are talking multiple brakes for a birdie chance. Just shoot for par until you come close to it. Trying for birdies at first is futile. Very few "birdie" holes. You have to earn them. My new favorite course!

It crushes your spirit at first. Is not the best course for city folk : )

If you are tearing up a course like Bear creek and need a good, stern reality check, take a day to go to Gateway. It will humble you and make you actually think about disk again.

Nice concrete tee pads though they're wider in the front than the back which limits the run up angles. Nice brand new double chain Discatcher Pro baskets. Decent tee signs with hole number and distance. For most of the hole transitions there was an attempt to put in "Next Tee" signs, but they need more. This course is all about challenge on pretty narrow fairways. Well balanced course with a lot of RHBH anny shots. About 1/3 of the holes are true multi-shot holes which are virtually un-2-able by most players, they requires skill of hitting a specific landing zone to set up the next shot.

Do not attempt to play this course by yourself the first time. There are many holes with long transitions between them that are not obvious and signage is incomplete. There are a lot of trails for hikers and bikers that weave through the course making navigation even more complicated. The walks between some holes are really long. Hopefully as the course ages it will open up a little bit as some of the holes now are a bit too tight. Some of the more complicated holes need a detailed map on the tee sign to help new-to-the-course players, e.g. #5. There was a lot of trash on the course, and not just recent Gatorade bottles, but old stuff like rusting car parts. Could use some TLC cleanup.

Street and beyond plays OB on this course which adds some challenge hole #10. The were at one time green ribbons tied around tree branches to help navigate from one hole to the next. The brush off the fairway is really punishing usually not much chance to save a '3' once you go in. Like one of the other reviewers said big arms will be frustrated on this course. The course starts out fun, but the tight fairways suffer from law of diminishing returns. I'd about given up on the course when #18 opens up to a beautiful long wide fairway that finally allows you to rip a shot on the last hole. Overall, not really my style of course. I'd play it again, but not without a guide or a really good map.

Disclaimer: Before I get crucified by the locals for this review, please keep in mind I am rating this course based on how it existed on the day I played it (mid May 2009). This course has immense potential -- it will be a 4-star course eventually -- but it has a long way to go to get there. I love challenging, heavily treed courses, but this has a lot of problems that need to be addressed before it is worthy of 4-star status. I look forward to replaying and re-reviewing this course in the future.

First, the biggest pro for this course is the challenge that is represented. This is like no other course in the DFW Metroplex. Incredibly challenging layout and lots need for precision shots that will help shape a players game and ability to carve lines through trees.

Parking is good.

Gateway Park itself is great -- incredible facilities for all kinds of sports, and obviously a huge investment of resources by the city, so it is great that disc golf is part of this effort.

Open areas were well-mowed and the look of the park makes me believe they will stay this way.

Lots of cons -- most of the cons are due to newness of the course.

First and foremost -- and this is one of my biggest pet peeves -- I spent a lot of extra time walking the wrong way on this course. I played for the first time without a guide, and though I took a map, it was of only limited help. The map is very general and some of the holes have changed since the map was created. In addition, there are dozens of foot trails through the woods, and there are only a couple of holes that have any signage indicating which path to take to the next tee. These are long paths, partially overgrown, with little to no signage. I spent an estimated 30+ extra minutes playing this course due to needless walking. This is a huge pet peeve. Especially on a hot, humid day with bugs and thorns in abundance. Clear signage is needed. The sooner the better. Also, a better map (google-satellite based map, maybe?) would be of immense help.

In addition, the hole signs need more information. Right now, the signs have hole number and the par, but lack any other helpful information -- like a basic layout for the hole. No clues as to whether a hole turns right or left or doglegs. No clues as to OBs, Mandos, or water hazards. This also makes the course very hard to navigate, since you have to walk up every fairway to find the basket before throwing.

This is a new course, so underbrush is in abundance, as are tree stumps and roots in the fairways. Rollers are useless here because so much is uncleared. Rough is truly rough with lots of opportunities for losing discs, sometimes even in the "fairway."

Many holes are very repetitive. And by that I mean that there are so many trees in the way -- and NO clearly defined fairway -- that on a 300' hole, your best option is often to put a disc 200' up the best available line, and then pitch up for a three. This is really frustrating golf. Well-designed holes should have a line that it is possible to aim for. Here, birdies are pitch-and-pray, even on short holes. This is not good design and gets very frustrating. Hopefully age and foot traffic will open up some lines, but right now the repetition of trying for threes on ~300' holes is really frustrating.

I love challenging courses, and I love trees, but this doesn't do a good job with either. Challenge is not a matter of skill but of surrender -- play pitch shots to stay in the fairway since there are no defined lines -- and take your threes and fours. This isn't skill golf. It's an exercise in anger management.

Again, I think a lot of this is the age of the course, but it is a really frustrating experience.

Ticks and other bugs in abundance. I pulled a tick off my discs and another off my shoes. Mosquitoes all over the place. Course was so humid the discs and hands stayed slick the whole round.

Layout feels very confused -- more like a maze than a course. Good signage will help, but there is a lot of walking between holes, far more than there should be on a course with this many trees. Course feels dragged out for extra length without any good reason. Very few memorable holes -- just a lot of dejavu.
Plan for lots of walking, and then lots more walking, even if you know the layout.

Overall, design and flow are weak. Weak variety of shots necessary and poor flow to the course.

I will look forward to playing this course again, hopefully in a year or so when it is a little more broken in. I applaud the Fort Worth Parks Department and local disc golfers for including a disc golf course in this parks project, but its going to take a while to make it work.

Overall, one of the ultimate tests for a course is "did I have fun playing it." And the answer here is "no, not really."

I enjoy almost any disc golf anywhere. But here, I found myself hot, bug-ridden, tired-out, turned-around and frustraterd rather than enjoying the round, which isn't a good sign. I hope people play this -- lots -- to break it in. And I hope it gets great signage and direction markers to help navigate the course. Then someday it may be more fun to play, but for now, it just isn't worth the time, with so many other better, more fun, courses in the area.

EDIT: I've updated my rating to a 3.0 from an original 2.5 based on rethinking my experience. If I knew my way around the course and hadn't made so many side excursions trying to find the tees, I would have given this a 3.0... so keep in mind that you SHOULD NOT play this course without a guide the first time through unless you are a masochist. Hopefully this will be fixed soon. So for locals, this course is worth a 3.0 -- for visitors, consider it a 2 or 2.5 unless you're playing with locals to show you the way. This will be a great training ground and tournament course someday... it just isn't there yet, and has a long way to go.

About the only pro I can think of are the tees.They are all uniform and well built.13 and 14 are about the only holes I liked.I shot +6 so it wasn't the difficulty.The teepads all have distance markers.

Very poorly marked trails.I got lost between 14 and 15 also between 16 and 17.The walk between some holes were overly long.
This course desperately needs am tees.At least some staked out.I know how expensive concrete tees are.I've never lost a disc in the fairway before I played this course.Almost all the holes felt like there was only one way to play to the pins.
Some of the shots required to have a decent chance at par are beyond the average players ability.

As of right know I can't recommend this course.The good news is it has the potential to be a great course.Foot traffic will help the fairways and am tees are a must.
This could easily host a pro tourney and give them a run for their money.Unfortunately The average player is not a pro.
I will definitely keep an eye on this course and change my score accordingly.

This is a very challenging course! The first few holes are short with tight fairways that have small little hills on them. Get used to it because this is how the rest of the course plays. Extremely tight fairways and thick brush on the sides add so much challenge to this course, but in a good way. Tunnel shots are needed here more then any other course I have played. Good variety of shots and I like how there are a few holes that open up out of the woods to give you a little break form the punishment they serve you. The baskets are nice and new and the teepads are great.

This course is very new. The lines and fairways are ill defined. Lots of weeds and branches to get in the way. Some of the hole are so tight with the trees that it is almost too much of a challenge that takes a little fun out of it. Definate trash issues with this course, most of which is from a long time ago before this course was built. Navigation issues here.

I think once this course gets used a little more, than it will make it better. Definate potential with this course. I would certianly come back and try it again. Beginners should definately stay away from this one. One of the hardest courses I have ever played, but because of that, it makes me want to try again.

This is an exceptional course, and extremely extremely difficult!! From hole one you get can either get with the program and start drilling lengthy and super accurate shots, or you can start working on chopping the trees down on shot at a time...(my 2nd round was best defined by the latter). So, yeah...hole 2...15' away and 15' wide is your window to a short hard dogleg left, but really it's not as bad or difficult as it looks. So, it's after this hole you REALLY need a map...hole three is a mess of an ordeal. From the tee-pad all you can see is woods, nothing else really...well, you can kinda see a little path in the middle of the 3' tall weeds. But still, the hole is awesome and even though I couldn't see the basket, I just kept shooting to where I thought the pin was and all worked out...so I guess you can say the layout is intuitive.
I could keep going hole-by-hole, since they are all impressively difficult and thus very enjoyable. But there should be mention of hole 5...300'-ish through WOODS, then another 300'-ish up a hill...fun stuff for sure. Nine is nuts...totally doable though, and after 9 is over remember that 10 is a ways away...or wander around for 1/2 an hour like a jackass like i did.
The back 9 are definitely sweet, with a wide and wicked array of holes/shots. Also, there is a giant creek/gorge that plays as a backdrop on a few holes, and unless you really screw up you shouldn't really have to interact with the creek. All and all, just keep you shots down, try to keep your aim true and you should be alright.

Underbrush, thorns, tight to non-existent fairways, and if you stray from one of them or happen to ricochet off the side of a tree (of which there are a'plenty) you are screwed 90% of the time, or at the very least scratched to all hell by the thorns.
The tee signs are LAME, and yes, the distances are good to have, but for as extreme as the holes are there really should be much better signage. And yeah, if you have a map you are better off, than without. But the bottom line is, that if you are going to make a hard ass of a course, you should take the time to invest in some signs that will allow folks to know where they're headed...
This course is only going to get worse for the next month or so as spring progresses, a freshly cut course with all the vegetation trying to grow back, nature's little creature friends emerging from the winter...and me and the dude I was playing with both kept stating how it felt like if you weren't careful you could very possibly step on a snake...

Okay, so my complaints about the course are nit-picky, and I will admit that the improvements this course needs are probably only missing since the guys who put this course together had to fight to get the funds to even put baskets in, for which they deserve much kudos. And I fully understand WHY the signage may be lacking, but none-the-less the addition of better signs would be superb. Also, the course being on the rough side is just a by-product of putting a course in the midst of a freakin forest...and really, the hardcore rough does well to encourage a player to stay within the tree lines. All and all, this is really a spectacular course and truly is one of the hardest courses I have played to date...it's so hard I actually played by the signs, if it said par 4 or 5 then dammit that's how I played it! So yeah, do yourself a favor, pack a lunch, plenty of liquids, your bug spray...and then go out to Gateway.

This course is a monster. It has enough twists and turns in the tunnel fairways to keep you looking for new routes constantly. There are about 4 holes in the wide open and maybe 2 of them you can throw big on. There are lots of technical fairways and trees to navigate around. I personally love that kind of course. You may find yourself throwing many mids until this course gets used enough to clean out the rough more. The par lengths are excellent and the basket placements are actually quite fun.

The cement tee pads are of a suitable length and are well placed. The signage on each hole does have the distance (seems to be GPS) and the hole numbers. The welcome sign at the beginning of the course is beautiful and has a great map. The baskets are obviously brand new and in great shape. There are a few signs pointing toward the next tee on some trees (could use more of these to help first time play).

I would like to start off by stating this is a freshly cut out of the woods course. So some of the negative things I am stating here will go away with time. For now, you should be wearing pants when playing here. I have already seen one guy looking like he was in a razor fight on his legs. There are LOTS of thorns, briars, brambles and anything else that scratches, everywhere. I suggest taking a picture of the map with your phone or bring one from this site since navigation once inside the course is a little rough (again, it is new.) Until the fairways get worn down more, you may want to be using bright colored discs as some of the ground foliage is growing green and thick and makes it tough to find a disc. You need to really watch your disc all the way to the landing point or you may be looking for it a while. It would have been nice to have tee signs that show the hole layouts on them. There are no bathrooms or resting areas along the way so far.

Playing help: When finishing hole #14, the path splits along the river, take the left path back into woods to avoid a REALLY long walk to #15. Watch for the yellow wooden "mando" arrows on hole #5. There is one on a tree in front of you on the tee and one on the tower in the open field.

The Fun Factor on this course was as high as it can be. I loved all the technical stuff and great use of terrain. I will be coming to this course often. It is by far the toughest course in the Fort Worth area. I am rating this course high as most of the negatives will be as it is gets more use. The fun factor and difficulty is so worth it.

The challenge level on this course is very high. There are many very tight fairways with very small windows to try to shoot through. This is definitely a course where you have to pick a line and commit to it and hit it if you want to shoot well. There is not a lot of room for error, and if you do err then you'd better get lucky or you'll end up with an even tougher second shot. There are 4 par 4 holes and 2 par 5 holes that are true pro par 4s and 5s. I really enjoyed the fact that most holes offered a variety of options on how to drive. This course has come a long way since its inception a few years ago. Fairways are much more fair and the course is much more friendly to play. Especially, during the winter time, this course is a lot of fun to play. For the most part, bad shots are penalized and good shots are rewarded. There are a few holes that run next to the Trinity river and offer a nice view. The tee boxes and signs are great here as well as great discatcher baskets.

This course will be difficult to navigate if you go without a map. You will have a better experience if you can play with someone that knows the course layout. It is somewhat easy to lose your disc if you go off the fairway and get buried in the thick...it may take some considerable searching at least. There is some poision ivy at various places on the course. No restrooms. Trash cans are sparse.

This is a tough par 62 course that is a lot of fun to play when conditions are right.

Top 5 in the metroplex.As of September 2016 I have volunteered with the help of a friend into adopting hole 17! This course will be maintained by us the golfers since the city only helps a little.The entire course is in great shape. Excellent low ceiling corridor shots,tight lines thru narrow fairways,decently technical.Hole 3 and 16 have a newer longer pin from its original placement congrats to the design team it really helps keep the course tough.Long course,knowing where to land to shoot low scores here will challenge you.The short holes are difficult enough to be fun not boring,4 and a half (hole 5) out in the open holes stand out compared to the majority of the course being heavily wooded.Holes 5,12 and 16 three of the top holes in the Metroplex.Only Crossroads of Life in Duncanville, Harry Myers in Rockwall an Z Boaz own only one hole each as difficult as holes' 5(when construction is done and its back to 707ft)and 12 and 16 at beautiful Gateway Park along the Trinity river.Holes 1,2,8,9,13,17 and 18 at night have light on the fairways from the streetlights shining thru after 5:30p.m. you can start your round on hole 10 and finish on 9 and play the last three four holes with plenty of light!Sweetness! Deciding what line to take then actually hitting hit keeps this course...HARDCORE! Play this course... even if its just once.

If you throw off the fairways a weed whacker or a machete' would be very useful.Gnarly brush here.Wear jeans to keep your legs from scratches although the grounds have been cleared alot since conception.Find a buddy to play with you you'll need one to help find discs lost into the taller viney tree shrubs here.Please do your part by helping clear fairways as you play.Funkytown has taken over maintenence but every disc golfer should pull a weed or two while strolling the fairways to help out.Cutting trees down is illegal.Please respect that not all courses are plain-jane.Course put in over the top of old landfill on some holes,very little elevation throughout.Queerbaits are thick in the parking circle near hole 13,(almost dizzying watching them drive round and round the park).hopefully we can get them to leave permenantly,watch your six.

Keep in mind if you have never played here that the photos on this site are from 2009.Those photos absolutely do not look like the fairways of todays' Gateway.A whole lot of time,effort and energy has reduced the low shrubs an taller grasses you see in these old photos to almost non-existent status. It was a great experience in 2009 when the course was brand new and 62 won the Hangover and the course record.Heavy clearing of the fairways using a bobcat occured in summer of 2012.The new top scores after that "de-jungling" of the fairways really say something for the courses difficulty level then and now. A 52 is the lowest round as of 2012 in the "Meltdown."

I played this course in the hangover classic on new years day. This course is great. It is a finese players dream. It has a mixture of long dog-leg shots as well as a ton of obstacles to throw around. I dont think there was a simple hole on the whole course. I loved the way the developers used fallen trees and bushes as obstacles. This course ate alot of peoples lunch yesterday. There are a couple of mando shots as well as maybe two open field holes. People with big arms and no finese will have nightmares on this course.

Since it was the first time anyone played on the course, there were thorns and briers everywhere. Once people play it enough this shouldn't be a problem.

I think this will be one of the favorite courses in the DFW area. The tournament was great, and the course was THE BOMB!