Glenwood park has numerous activities for the whole family. Mini golf, fishing, playgrounds, paddle boat rentals and oh yeah, a really nice 18 hole disc golf course. The course is $2 a person to play from May to October, free the rest of the year. Well worth the price of admission if you ask me.

The course plays along the lake but not really close enough for it to be much of a concern. You do throw over a little inlet on one hole which is the only true water carry here. Fun little ace run though.

The course is a mix of open and moderately wooded, and sometimes both on the same hole. There's a good amount of elevation here and it's used very well. It seemed the mix of uphill and downhill was split pretty evenly.

The baskets are Discatchers. These are all mounted nicely and catch great. Not sure about all the holes but many of them had multiple pin locations. I'm assuming that they shorten them in the winter and place them in the longs in the warmer months. They all seemed to be set in the long positions today.

The flow of the course is pretty easy to follow. There's a few longer walks in between holes, but these are marked pretty well for the most part. I'd still recommend using the Udisc map but it's definitely doable without it.

The tees are a mish mash of different surfaces. Most of the Blues and whites are artificial turf. These are actually pretty nice. These tend to be hit or miss but these ones were nice. It had rained before we got there and then for 10 or so minutes mid round. No issues whatsoever on these. There were also a few concrete pads scattered throughout. The red tees were just grass/dirt with a red paver board marking the front of the tee. Most holes had 3 tee pads/areas.

The design is very well thought out. There's a pretty even mix of right and left turning shots, uphill, downhill etc. They did a great job of getting 18 solid holes into this area to be honest. Well done.

As I mentioned above there's a few longer walks between holes. We didn't have a problem for the most part, but I did use the Udisc map. If any of the next tees signs disappear as they like to do in public parks, navigation could be very difficult/impossible without a map.

There are going to be lots of other people using the park, which in turn can force you to have to skip certain holes or at least play from a shorter tee. There were numerous fishermen and people walking dogs today who ended up parking on or near a fairway. It is what it is, just be aware.

I don't remember the hole number but one of them plays downhill between the fences of 2 basketball courts. Not the best design here. An errant shot can easily go sailing over either of these fences.

The tee signs weren't very helpful. They were just homemade signs with a rudimentary hole map and distances. The map didn't really help very. The distances were fine, if the pin was in that spot. These could definitely use an ugrade.

The tee pads, as decent as they were, are on the tiny side. If they could eventually lengthen and widen these it would be a major upgrade. They're serviceable as is, but definitely not ideal.

This is just a really fun, well designed (except the basketball hole) course. I'm glad that I made the little detour off our route to play here. It didn't disappoint. I didn't get the chance to play the nearby one in Princeton, but there's that one nearby as well. Good looking one two punch if you're travelling through and want to stretch your legs and toss some discs. Pipestem State Park is also a nearby option. Such a beautiful area to play some disc golf.

+ Design: This is a full 18 hole course with three sets of tees can be played to suit all ability levels ranging from beginner to expert. A good mix of holes give players an array of challenges including woods, wind, water, and elevation. Even with some elevation changes this is a cart-friendly course.

+ Baskets: Innova DISCatchers are installed. These targets are top-of-the-line and catch discs exceptionally well. The bright yellow bands can easily be seen from a distance. Several holes have alternate pins to add variety for locals.

+ Location: Glenwood Park is located in Princeton, West Virginia which has options for food and lodging. The course is roughly 15 minutes from I-77.

+ Local Club Activity: The Southern West Virginia Disc Golf is a great group of golfers that are very welcoming to new players. They run a variety of weekly leagues and organize fun tournaments throughout the year. I have played the First Frost and the Southern Shootout in the past. Events were well run and tons of fun. Plan to play a league or tournament here if you get the chance.

+ Amenities: Glenwood park also has fishing, boating, hiking, biking, tennis courts, basketball hoops, mini golf, playgrounds, and picnic shelters. There are year-round rentals available at the Mercer County 4-H Camp next to the park.

+ Proximity to Other Courses: Glenwood is definitely the gem of Southern West Virginia but course baggers can find additional layouts nearby. Princeton City Park and Pipestem State Park are both worthy courses within a short drive of Glenwood. New courses at Little Beaver, Twin Falls, and Lake Stephens are in the works. Players willing to make the drive to the Other Virginia have additional options.

- Tees: There are three sets of tees at this course ranging in difficulty but the shorter beginner layout can be difficult to find. Tees here are turf but some are uneven so players that use a run-up may dislike a few tee boxes.

- Signage: Most of the layout here is intuitive but a few twists and turns along with some blind holes may cause out-of-towners to do some unnecessary walking. Reference a map or take a local with you to have the best experience and make navigation easy.

- Other Park Users: Golfers are likely to share the park with others, especially on weekends or any time there is nice weather. This can include walkers, fishers, and parked cars and may cause players to skip holes. Be courteous and share the park so that everyone can enjoy the space.

- Lost Discs: Know that there are several opportunities to lose some plastic. There are a few small spots where an errant shot could put your disc in the rough but most holes are very fair. The water holes are the ones that may eat a disc. Even when being cautious the wind from the lake can send your disc to the watery abyss. I've even lost a putter to Glenwood! Be sure your discs are inked with contact info as locals do dive in the water and are good about returning plastic.

This is a pay-to-play course most of the year. Greens fees are affordable so this isn't a negative as money collected goes toward park upkeep. Be prepared with a few dollars to gain entrance to the park.

This park has several "signature" holes that make it special...

#2 is a fun par three with a bowl near the green. A large guardian tree and OB long and left requires a precise drive and an accurate putt to grab the birdie.

#3 is slightly downhill par three. A mandatory along with OB and a sloped fairway make par a good score here.

#4 is your first taste of the woods. Off the tee players will have an open look although they must position themselves in a place to attack the green. Heavy woods guard this dogleg left as the basket is hidden uphill from the main fairway.

#7 is a slightly wooded downhill look that ends with an elevated pin. This hole is all about the tee shot. You can choose to play safe between two OB tennis courts or go big and try to get the elusive deuce.

#12 is a legitimate par four or five depending on the layout you play. A slightly downhill tee shot requires accuracy to reach a landing zone below. Try to land a little left of center so that you can cut the corner on your next shot. The approach to the green has tight OB to keep players honest.

#13 is a difficult par four with an uphill tee shot. You'll want to cut the corner on this dogleg right and make a careful approach to the sloped green in order to score well here.

#16 may be the most fun drive of the day. This is a downhill pull to a guarded basket with a nice view of the lake. From here on out you can expect the wind to pick up and play a factor in your game.

Glenwood is among the best layouts in the Mountain State (especially from the long tees)! The variety will require players to use every shot in the bag to score well. Do yourself a favor and try out Glenwood as soon as you can!

Disclaimer: It's been almost three weeks since I played here. I had final exams coming up and didn't have much time to spare. Grad school is HARD! I love this course a lot and want to do it justice on this review.

-Glenwood's scenery, terrain, variety, and location on the lake stole my heart. I played the blues and was delighted with the thrill of throwing over the lake twice on holes ten and seventeen. Course is very hilly and has some excellent steep downhills and uphills. The baskets were all in the long pins when I played, which I didn't even know there were any! On that layout, I had the pleasure of playing some par 4s and a couple of par 5s.

-Suitable for everyone since there are three sets of pads. There was a doubles tournament going on when I dropped by and the players were all playing the white pads to the long pins. The whites are pretty simple to the original pins, somewhat overparred for intermediate players. The white pads to long pins make this course much more suitable for an intermediate player. The reds are the rec pads and they are fun enough to make a newbie fall in love with disc golf.

-Again. Glenwood is very hilly. I love elevation but relevance and distinctiveness are important to me too. I played Princeton, Glenwood, and then Thornspring and I strongly wish I played here last instead of Thornspring. Thornspring was a very long and a very hilly open course too, but did not have as much meaning to it since it is extremely long and wide open on a golf course.

-Glenwood is one of the most meaningful courses I have ever played from the long pins. #4's long pad has you teeing up instantly up the side of the hill that you throw on the previous hole. The hole continues out in the open gently uphill. The fairway eventually takes you to the woods and then the elevation increase gets steeper and higher. Probably up about 45' in elevation if I have to guess from the long pad. Challenging enough in the short pin. The long pin is harder. It's barely any further, but it's sharply to the left side of the short pin. Very meticulous and surprising how maybe 75' can make a hole much tougher. This is a challenging par four and one that is wonderfully designed! #7 and #8 (especially #8) were both fun downhill shots. #7 was nice and unique being a tricky flex shot out of the woods into the open next to an OB fence. #8 was EPIC! 353' and severely downhill. I threw a putter and was underneath the basket. Not to mention the green has a couple of boulders between the basket. Hole is dead straight so if you hit the line reasonably well, you'll get to see your disc glide! #16's drive down a big steep hill off of a flat lot was sweet too! There's more that I'll get to.

-After playing two joyous downhill holes (joyous to me at least), you get to play another one. Not as far down but slightly downhill the entire way (maybe a 25' decline in elevation change from the long). That is #9. You have a view of the reservoir that you are throwing directly toward. The lake is maybe 40' past the basket, so if you are too powerful, you'll be in the water. Hole is a par four, so if you have a long enough drive from the pad, you'll have a better chance in seeing the basket on you upshot. It's a real grip and rip from the long pad, but there is a gap you have to hit since it starts in the woods.

After #9 you get to play OVER the lake on #10. A super fun ace run. Only about 225' from the long and about 180' from the short. Not a long hole, but you have to be no more maybe 20' short of the basket to not be out of bounds. If you play the blues, you'll have an extremely scary but fun experience on #17. This hole is much tougher than it looks. The white tee isn't very hard, as it is longer but wide open. The blue pad is a 546' beast! If you can't clear 350', play the white pad. There was a slight headwind when I threw, so it took a pretty good rip to have a secure spot in the open past the lake. The basket is tucked in a wooded pocket. From the pads, it looks like the basket is barely in there but not really. It's about 40' past the clearing.

-#11's long pin was a killer par five. Especially from the blue. The blue pad is next to the reservoir, making a unique tee area. The short pin is halfway up the big hill, being a softer par four with it being open. The long pin is all the way up the hill and tucked into the woods on top of the hill to the right. Many holes here have elevation changes past the 25' mark and this hole is just past the 50' mark. It's under 700' and seems easy to birdie, but it's actually quite hard. The next par five, and this is a par five from both pins, is well the next hole! #12. This hole was a blast to play. 644' in the original pin and about 750' in the long. The basket was in the long. The drive is another big downhill and this time it's initially open and through a gap that's pretty far from the blue pad. Many ways to attack this hole and make a birdie. You could go short and have an easier second shot through the gap. Or you could go big and try to hit the gap off the pad. If you hit it, you might have a chance for eagle or you could lose a stroke or two in the woods. The short pin is pretty much straight ahead, but the long pin is tucked in the woods up a small hill to the right side.

-Lots of forgiveness. The original pins make this a relatively easier course because of par. The long pins are quite harder and were a more enjoyable challenge for me but there were still plenty of easy birdies out there for a 960 rated player like myself. Course is more open than usual but still has some wooded holes.

-The layout I played was epic. The first hole and final hole have more meaning in the long pins since they are quite close to the lake. None of the holes here to me are bland or have a lack in meaning. The only problem was the difficulty of navigation. The long tees don't all have signs and they are sometimes difficult to spot. Only the white tees all have signs. There's no course kiosk. U disc made Glenwood a lot easier to navigate. I needed help from a local on locating #4's long pad.

-I guess the road on #3 and #4 is hard to avoid sometimes. You'll see pedestrians.

-Hole 8 is one of the greatest holes that I have ever played. It was kind of like two other epic holes that I've played, but longer and with even more of an elevation drop. #18 at Inverness in Hoover, Alabama sort of came to mind. More so would be #12 at Stoney Hill in Newberry, SC. That hole is more open but same premise. Straight and a long way downhill onto an island green with a creek. #8 at Glenwood is even funner than those two holes! There's a small creek (or ditch) near the basket along with some boulders. #11 and #13 were both fun huge uphill drives for me and made the shorter distances for their par very well justified. #11 from blue to long plays probably close to 850'. #13 was a dogleg right and doesn't turn until maybe 250' from the blue pad, doesn't seem far, but the top of the hill is probably 40' above the tee pad. You'll have to really crush it to be able to birdie this par four even though it's under 450'.

-#16 was another signature hole. The white pad was more traditional. You know, steep downhill from the get go and slightly to the right side. The danger is the potential (despite it being low) to roll left off of the side and be left with a tricky upshot or even in the lake. The water is visible from the white pad. The blue pad is a very creative and originally thought out challenge. You tee off on the top of the hill yes, but you are further back and the hill doesn't decline until you reach the white pad. From the blue pad, this hole is flat for the first 100'. You have to be very cautious and critical because of the big change of the terrain that you don't immediately get to. It changes the flight of your disc. I had to think for a couple of minutes on how I was going to try and attack this hole. It's hard to throw 400' straight or have it flex to the end at the end of a longer distance. Usually discs will fade left but that's not at all what you want here. The basket is just a touch to the right side. Sidearm throwers will have an easier time with this challenge, but a backhand dominant thrower like myself will have to find their most reliable understable driver.

-I absolutely love Glenwood. I was really stuck between giving it a 4 or 4.5. Based on how much I loved some of the holes here, the creativity, and the mountainous atmosphere along with the lake made me really undermine the lack of proper signage and the difficulty with navigation. Glenwood desperately needs better signage. Some players have a hard time enjoying and seeing the brilliance and effort put in to a course when it's harder to navigate. I think if there was better signage, more people would enjoy Glenwood as much as I did. It's absolutely stunning! I decided to drive three and a half hours primarily to play here and I'm proud to say that I did. It's a real "underdog" that I think it's well worthy of a 4.5. Surprised I rated this higher than the designer.

Some unique holes
Well kept park and course
Some holes require thinking and different shots
Nice tee signs
Good amount of elevation changes
Paper maps available at the office where you pay

Biggest for me was the tee pads
Maybe one or 2 lackluster holes for a 300' thrower but could prove interesting to a bigger arm especially with some breeze coming through

Going to keep this short as it seems the other reviews summed it up well. Was in the general area and took a side trip to play here, glad I did. I really enjoyed the up and down of the course and had some memorable holes, probably my favorite was the tennis court one, threw quite a few on that (settled with a flat forehand Buzzz flexing just a tad then riding straight before fading back to the basket. Don't know why but that hole and shot stuck with me and I really enjoyed it, I think it's just that the shape of the hole and shot are what disc golf is to me.

Only real knock is the tee pads, ended up not using a lot of them, they could use some help or replacement but don't let that stop you from checking out this course. I really enjoyed my round and would play there again.

Glenwood Park is a beautiful, scenic park surrounding a decently sized lake, giving a few holes beautiful views of the water or the surrounding hills and valleys.

The tee signs were cool; hand-painted with distance, map and par, adequate information for a course where most every basket is visible from the tee.

Elevation on this course comes into play a lot. There were a lot of downhill shots, as well as the occasional uphill crush. Definitely some fun options in these scenarios.

A good variation of open holes and wooded holes, as well as holes requiring a left turning shot, or a right turning shot. This gives players a variety of shots to throw off the tee, and you will throw most, to an extent, every shot in your bag.

There are not a lot of holes that require a distance shot, especially if you have a large amount of power. I probably threw my driver on 6-9 holes, even on some of the par fours.

The tees were gravel, which is definitely not ideal and leads to some unfortunate slipping on tee shots, which wasn't a huge problem, but made me think a few times.

There was only one tee sign per hole, and it was with the white tee. If you play a different tee, navigation could be confusing, so I would suggest playing the whites for the most stress free and enjoyable round.

The course plays with the road, walking paths, picnic shelters, etc. in play on a good amount of holes. In fact, there was a car parked directly in the fairway on one of the first holes. C;mon people!

Another little safety issue, there was a short, downhill hole where the basket is placed between two playing courts. If I were you, if there was someone on the courts, just skip this hole, or it could be bad news.

This course has a lot of fun shots, and is definitely worth playing if you are, for some reason, in the area, or driving through. With concrete tees and a few different hole ideas, it would be a lot better, but for now, it is a solid course.

This course is a well designed course, the holes are good, challenging, and well rounded. This course is challenging enough that a veteran and a beginner could both play on the course. The multiple tees have good variety in distance and angle.

The tee signs are lacking and not very reliable, the guiding signs between holes could be better as well as there should be more of them. Some tee pads can be hard to find, or not even there. The course just need general maintenance all around. Some trees, bushes, limbs, and even a old worn down building needs taken out.

They have been working on the course and are making improvements, presently they are adding concrete tee pads which is great improvement once finished.

There are may pros to this course. It is located on a beautiful lake that is I believe county owned, so it is maintained well. I am friends with the course designer, and he also does a great job of keeping things groomed. This course has a great blend of wooded shots and long open field shots, and almost every pin is at higher or lower elevation than the tee box. No shots straight into a basket. (excluding hole 10, which is over the lake) I believe that the walks between holes was made as short as possible. The only long walk you are going to have is from hole 17 to hole 18. I have learned to love this walk. It is beside the lake, and gives you a minute to think about what needs to happen on 18.

My con list is pretty short. My main complaint is that there are some rough thorn bushes in a couple of places. They aren't throughout the entire course, but I would say that 7 or 8 of the holes have some large bunches of them that you should try to avoid. My other con is that the people in the park can be pretty stupid at times. I know this can be a problem anywhere, but most people don't realize what you are doing and walk right by the holes and not take into consideration what is going on.

Having a relationship with the designer, and playing with him on a regular basis, I know that this course will only improve over time. Ever hole we play we are constantly thinking of ways to improve the layout, functionality, aesthetics, and dynamics of the hole. I love playing this course, and I am proud to take ownership of it as my home course.

Multiple tees with single DisCatcher basket positions. Decent tee signage and directional signs to aid navigation. Playing the blue tees I thought the walks between the holes were just fine. Good variety of open and wooded terrain holes with varying lengths and elevation changes. The course looks stunning adjacent to the mountain lake which also provides some extra challenge and fear factor.

Only one big loop of holes back to the main parking lot. Course is not secluded from the rest of the park users and you will likely have some walkers coming through. I had a little trouble locating basket #2 behind the hill, could use a flag or some indicator. Some lower limb trimming would help on a couple fairways. I was not a big fan of hole 7 with the basket between the tennis courts.

Mud in the lower laying sections of the course was an issue. Hole 12 was the worst in regard to mud, and basically unplayable/unsafe. If it were me, I'd redesign hole 12 or have some kind of drainage installed. Poison ivy in some areas of the course gave me the willies. The course designer has told me the natural tees will be upgraded, so that's a good thing.

The property the course is situated on is amazing and definitely has the potential to one day be a great disc golf destination. IMO while the course is very good as-is, the course is not reaching it's full potential, probably mostly due to a lack of supply of local players / dg club, and possibly restrictions placed on the designer by the park. Most of the course appears to be laid out in existing open stretches of the park instead of being cut out through some of the hardwood sections, not that there is anything inherently wrong with that, just happened to be more convenient to getting a course in the ground faster. There are some cool large rock formations out there in the woods. I was dreaming about a basket placement on the end of the peninsula between hole 10 and 11.

My least favorite hole was hole 18, IMO the course would end better with hole 17 as the finale in the future(hopefully adding another hole in the middle) and just have people deal with the walk back, it's really not that big of deal to walk 1/3 mile along such a beautiful setting after playing a round. Even though tournament flow wise it might be less than ideal that way, IMO it would be better in the grand scheme and hopefully the course continues to evolve.

Overall Glenwood is a very good course for most players. It is kind of out in the sticks and is the most southern course in WV although there are plenty of nearby modern conveniences.

After a slow start, hole 8 is an epic downhill hole, the first in a series of very good holes. This course had more than a few very good holes that are better than any hole on most courses -- from hole 8 through hole 17, the course is fantastic and more than makes up for its shortcomings.

Beautiful setting. I might be biased because I just played on a 70-degree fall day with changing leaves ... but, the course plays through a nice hardwood forest and along a lake in rolling hill country in mountain foothills.

Great hilly and varied terrain. This was probably the strongest suit of the course. Many of the greens were on hillsides where this came into play. Several epic long downhill tee shots.

Slow start to the course. The first 3 holes are in the open and relatively short and featureless.

Holes 4 through 7 have potential, but aren't sufficiently trimmed out yet. The lines are there but some fairway trees and obstructing branches (hole 7, i'm talking about you) need to come out.

Teepads are a work in progress and aren't reflected in my review. I played next to them. The crushed gravel is terrible footing and hopefully gets replaced with concrete. The rubber mats don't drain well and were puddles on a dry sunny day.

A little tough to find, google maps address takes you to the wrong place. Once you're at the course, next tee signs are way too far from the pins and navigation would be difficult without a course map -- not an issue if you have a smart phone.

This course was rated about a 3.7 when I played it and it was better than expected. I left wanting more. The middle section of the course has a lot of really awesome holes where you could throw a bagful of drives.

Some of the holes felt like liability hazards, but I don't think the park is used enough to warrant much concern.

This is a solid 4.0+ once temporary new course issues like teepads, trees/limbing, and navigation signage get worked out. I'm rounding up on my rating which assumes these issues do get addressed.

Glenwood Park is a solid, all-around course. Don't let the first three holes fool you. Don't let the first three holes fool you. It gets challenging soon enough.
- Don't let first impressions fool you. After looking at pictures on this site, then pulling into the park, my thought was that this would be a pleasant, and somewhat relaxing, round. The first three holes play in the grass next to the water, all of which offer chances for 2s. Then we started walking, and instead of following along the shoreline, we head off into the woods. And then it got interesting.
- Excellence use of the terrain. Plenty of holes have strong elevation factors, from good uphill holes (#4 & 6) to downhill layouts (#7, 8 & 16). #16 was a quasi-version of #9 at Ashe County Park in Jefferson, NC, which is one of my favorite holes anywhere. Then there are other holes that either start out with elevation, and flatten out or play relatively flat until you get to the basket, adding another level of challenge, such as back-to-back stretch of #13 & 14.
- There's a great mixture of open and wooded holes, or holes that incorporate both aspects throughout the layout. One of my favorite holes is the wide-open fairway #9. It's a 412-foot layout from the white tees (which is where the tee signs are positioned), that starts going slightly downhill to the basket. Oh yeah, the basket is positioned less than 30 feet from the lake so don't go long.
- As for the other layouts, I really enjoyed the back-to-back holes of #15 & 16. #15 is moderately wooded, downhill, 220-foot dogleg left. Standing on the tee, this seems like a 'should birdie' or potential ace-run hole. Then, be like me, hit a tree, end up in the trees, and write a 4 down on your scorecard. #16 was one of my favorite holes on the course. It's a 283-foot downhill hole that forces you to throw through a gap to a basket that's nestled slightly back in the woods to the right. Out of three of us playing, only one of us was able to avoid trouble and get it close.
- Throughout the course, there's a solid flow to the holes. I enjoyed that after a tough stretch of holes, things might get easier for a hole or two, allowing players a chance to pick up a stroke they might have lost.
- The course presents a good challenge to both the physical and mental game. The course requires almost every type of shot. A big reason for that is the elevation and wide array of hole layouts. And with all that elevation, plus the fact the course is spread out, there's a lot of walking involved. By the time you're walking up the hill on #13, just remember, the course plays mostly downhill from there. With the variety of holes, and elevation & woods, shot placement is key throughout. Even on the more 'birdie-able' holes, you'll need to throw well or be forced to settle for par, or worse (such as ending up in the water on #10).

I know Greg is going to give me grief for saying this, but it is important to point out for first timers. There are several stretches of long walks between holes. Like other courses I've played (Winthrop in Rock Hill, SC; Randolph Park in Dublin, VA; etc.), there are stretches where you play several holes, then have a long walk to the next stretch of holes, then have another long walk. I list it here because it will effect some people's enjoyment of the course. I look at it as you can either have A. a better course that requires some walks, or B. a lesser quality course with holes that are cramped together. Give me the quality and an extra 5 minutes of walking every time.
- Signage could be better at times, especially on those long walk transitions. If you're a first timer, either print out a map or play with the course designer, as my buddy and I did.
- The holes near the front of the park - #1 - 3 & 18 - have to deal with cars parked in the grass or other park users. As Greg pointed out, cars often park in the grass next to the water, and that can force improved tee pads or skipped holes.
- There was only one hole that didn't have a true 'nature' feel for me. That was #7, and it was mainly due to the fact the tennis courts come into play and/or are part of the hole layout. You tee off from the woods, throwing downhill to a basket situated between tennis courts. The courts are OB, but you can throw off the chain-link fences. I've played holes like this before (#17 at Patriot's Point in Grovetown, GA), and it's just not my cup of tea. Even if I hadn't landed OB on the courts, I still wouldn't be a fan of it.
- The course is muddy and has poor drainage in several different parts. #7 & 12 were two of the biggest culprits. #12 was so bad that we had to skip the hole. That was a shame because that had the layout of an awesome, multi-shot par 5, looking like it easily could have been the course's best hole.

Glenwood Park was a different disc golf course from what I was expecting going in. In this case different was a great thing. I knew there would be some elevation and wooded holes, but there was more variety than I imagined.
- Credit goes to Greg for getting this course in the ground and growing the sport throughout the community. I was fortunate enough to play with Greg, and even a downpour couldn't ruin his hospitality or patience. He's a great ambassador for the game, and it's encouraging that he's got a growing local disc golf club.
- The biggest surprise for me was the skill level of the course. I was expecting a more beginner friendly course, and that seemed to be the case after the first three holes. The fact this course has a fair amount of bite to it, and it's still drawing in new players all the time, is all the more impressive.
- A big note that can't be stressed enough. READ THE DIRECTIONS TO THE PARK BEFORE PLAYING HERE!!! GPS and Google give a different address than what is the actual park entrance. As I learned after the fact, the address GPS and Google give will eventually get you to the parking lot. You're basically coming in to the park from the backside and will have to weave through the woods, past many of the holes, before finally getting to the lot. It is what it is, but at least I've done my part and mentioned it.
- This was a fun play. It was the fourth course I'd played that day, and seventh in two days, and I was still able to enjoy my round. There was plenty here to like, more than making up for a missed putt or hole that I didn't agree with (or didn't agree with me). With quality holes and excellent variety, this course gets a 3.5 rating from me. Glenwood is a strong cornerstone of the growing southern West Virginia disc golf scene. Let's hope the area gets more quality courses like this in future.

The park is beautiful and offers a few other amenities beyond the course itself (mini golf, picnic tables and kiosks, walking trails, etc.) The disc catcher baskets are like new and are easy to spot from the tees. Hand painted signs are easy to spot and they add some character to the course too. Navigation is mostly intuitive, though I did get a bit confused trying to find the 9th tee. The course is well designed, the 18 holes go in a complete loop, every hole is well thought out, and the sequence of holes allows for a nice progression of difficulty. 3 sets of tees allow for varied difficulty and a few different approaches to the same basket. The course is challenging due to tricky basket placement, varied elevation, several tight wooded shots, water in play, OB, mandos, and more. There are several open holes as well as wooded and a variety of distances. Highlight holes include #7 (a down hill throw with a basket situated between two tennis courts), #10 ( a short straight shot over the pond, #12 (the long bomb) and #16 (a steep downhill shot that bends right at the end). There's plenty of parking, lovely scenery, and the park is very accessible for those in the Bluefield area.

Natural tees were really muddy on the rainy day when I played. Concrete would have been nice. Briars made the rough very rough. First three holes were pretty boring. Free during the off season but pay to play May-September. The fee is modest ($2) but I've played many free, better courses. Hopefully the cash that comes in will make the course continue to improve! I also imagine that bugs will be rough in the summer, and the ground gets pretty saturated in some spots due to rain and snowmelt.

It's a lovely place to play a round. Be advised that the address listed on the DGCR listing (1823 Glenwood Park Rd.) will not get you to the course. Follow the directions listed instead, it's off of New Hope Rd. With 3 sets of tees, lots of challenge, and great mountainous terrain, this course really lives of to WV's state tagline: "Wild and Wonderfull!"

I'll preface my review by saying I was lucky enough to play my round with the designer, Greg, which provided me with additional insight that I'll go into below.

The beauty of the park is the first thing I noticed. The course begins near a mini golf course, both on the banks of a beautiful lake. I didn't see any wildlife while I was there but we did see deer tracks and Greg mentioned he has seen them in the past. I give the scenery an A!

There was an ample amount of each type of shot at Glenwood. A few holes required bombing at least a fairway driver from the whites, while others will be putters. Plenty of elevation changes, namely holes 8 and 16(signature hole) which were both really fun. As short as it is, I really liked hole 2 as well.

The lake comes into play on several shots along the final stretch of holes, but is only thrown over once. It was unfortunate that a longer water shot couldn't have been implemented, but Greg informed me that the obvious spot for such a shot is a typical wedding venue and was off limits. Bummer.

Anyone playing Advanced or higher will probably crush the whites. From what I saw from the blues, the course does become more difficult but I have to say I disagree with many of the pars. See my cons below.

Despite the course being all par 3's (in my opinion, only exception being maybe the par 5 being a 4), there was plenty of challenge on the course. At least half of the holes required technical placement of the tee shot in order to play effectively. There were plenty of open shots where a poor drive could be remedied, however, by a good up shot. The real challenge of the open holes was the wind, which I imagine is present most of the year.

Greg also hand painted the tee signs, which were honestly really nice and I salute the effort.

As others have pointed out, the walks between holes can be rather long at times. As I was playing with the designer, naturally navigation wasn't an issue for me, but it might be for someone without a map. Just be sure to print off a map. The way the land is set up, it seems like it would be hard to have 2 9-hole loops. If it were up to me, I'd probably lengthen many of the holes to shorten up the walks in-between.

Again, the other top complaint are the pars. There are many holes that are par 4's and even one par 5 and I honestly feel that they could all be taken down by 1 stroke. The pars make a little more sense if you play blues. The other thing to consider, however, is that the disc golf community in the Princeton area is so small/new that you wouldn't want to scare people off with all par 3's. It would be demoralizing for a newbie so given the circumstances, the pars might be ok for this course for a while. The idea of this course isn't to make an A-tier level venue, it's to give the community there something to play and it does a great job.

It seems like the course can hold a lot of water. Not a major issue as many disc golf courses suffer from this and it is uncontrollable, just something to keep in mind when you pick out your shoes.

The tees were natural. I feel like a broken record when it comes to this, but I will add that Greg specifically asked for concrete but the parks and rec denied the request. Just be careful if it has recently rained.

Glenwood is a great course to introduce someone to the game (perfect for Princeton) and yet still offers experienced players challenge as they pass through town. I'll be stopping anytime I'm in town.

It's really nice to see new budding communities of disc golfers. I know how hard it can be to start a disc golf scene, so I wish Greg and the other locals the best of luck going forward.

Course has a great mix of open and wooded holes as well as a great mix of throws needed. It isn't a terribly long course but strategic basket locations makes you earn your putt. Course goes around a beautiful lake and situated in a really pretty park. Open holes are well manicured and the wooded holes while short are technical. 7 open holes, 5 completely wooded, 6 mixed woods and open. All holes have 3 tees (red, white, blue) which makes it ideal for most any level of player. Lots of other amenities to make a whole day of it, including playgrounds, fishing, and mini putt.

As the designer and builder I can still point out some cons. The transitions between some holes are long but there isn't much that can be done about it as it skips playgrounds, shelters, and parking. The park is only technically open may through september but the baskets stay up and playable. Park charges 2.00 per round during in season. Natural tee pads while not an issue yet will become an issue once the grass wears to dirt and become mud pits. Hopefully park allows me to use gravel or concrete in the future. I would also list lack of signage but I am putting permanent tee signs and navigation signs out this week.

Update: over half the tees have been upgraded to crush run which is a lot better than the natural I had.

Being the designer/installer I wasn't going to review my own course but decided to go ahead and do it. Once the course gets some play and once a club is formed to help raise money and take care of more clearing this can be a very nice course. It is definitely the best in the area but then again there are very few other options. As of now I give the course a B but can go to an B+ after singage and to an A- after better tees.

UPDATE... moved course up to 3.5 with addition of signs
UPDATE... most tee pads have been upgraded to crush run and the ones that needed leveled have been with landscaping lumber. With the addition of safe teepads I'm increasing my rating to 4.0.

UPDATE: sept 2018. I installed turf with crush base on all holes that were not already concrete. Having all great tee surfaces lifts my rating to 4.0. Next are alternate pins.

Breakdown of holes...

#1 Par 3 357, 315, 281 ... Good wide open hole to pop the joints and loosen up. Lake on right definitely comes into play and road on left is OB. Basket on slope inviting roll aways. Update: I have added a roped hazard area just shy of the green which really comes into play. Even a putt is a gut check now.

#2 Par 3 234, 216, 183 ... Blind shot to a basket on roll away slope and under a guarding tree. Road in play on left is OB. Should be birdied.

#3 Par 3 317, 260, 210 ... Hole is a left to righter as it has a mando left to protect parking area for shelter. Very unique green protected by large boulder and trees within 10 feet of basket.

#4 Par 4 406, 295, 240 ... Course enters woods on this hole. 200 ft open placement shot then uphill narrow wooded gap to a well guarded green. If first shot is not executed par is a struggle.

#5 Par 3 261, 226, 138 ... Short but technical left to right. Next to impossible to get a birdie putt within the circle. Hit fairway to card your par.

#6 Par 3 197, 175, 127 ... Another short but technical wooded hole. Right to left shot and slightly uphill. A very good birdie opportunity. Blue tee while short is a "U" shaped fairway.

Update: Blue tees were moved back 35 ft now playing 232 ft. There are now multiple options off tee for blues. A flick shot narrow gap and a bh hyzer gap.

#7 Par 3 301, 260, 235 ... Downhill wooded tee shot to a basket placed between two tennis courts and stuck on a severe roll away slope. Risk/reward hole as if you play aggressive you can get an birdie while if you misplay that shot you are taking a drop at the bottom of the hill and taking bogey or worse. Smart play gives an automatic par.

Update: I have cleared a new fairway for blues which unveiled a cool V shaped tree to maneuver through.

#8 Par 3 353, 296, 203 ... Severe downhill wooded tunnel shot to a green guarded by a huge boulder in front and trees all around. An epic hole.

#9 Par 4 596, 412, 346 ... The best opportunity to rip a drive. Long straight shot toward the lake and usually into the wind. Three huge trees midway down fairway forces you to be careful of your tee shot. Par should be automatic with a well played upshot should give birdie chance.

Update: moved blue tee back adding almost 100 more feet and an elevated tee. 150ft off tee is a very narrow tunnel of trees. Very challenging tee.

#10 Par 3 225, 175, 100 ... What's better than a true ace run hole? An ace run hole over the water. While this hole should be a great shot at an ace it is hard not to let the water get in your head as the basket is 10 feet on the other side of the inlet. Extremely fun hole to play.

Uodate: Hole plays as an very shallow island green in tournament play.

#11 Par 4/3 453, 248, 208 ... Deceptively tough hole. It plays more uphill than it appears and tree line on right does not allow for a hyzer shot even though the basket location calls for it. Very few birdies here. Get your par and move on.

Update: Moved blue tee back 175 ft and making it a par 4. Plays well over 500 ft.

#12 Par 5 644, 518, 454 ... Longest hole on the course. Definitely not a grip it and rip it hole. Hole lays out with an open tee shot which plays through a gap in trees into a landing area. Second shot through another gap in trees. If these two shots can be executed a good upshot will give a birdie putt. If not you are looking at bogey or worse.

#13 Par 4 420, 375, 249 ... Hardest hole on the course. Hole plays as a 90 degree dogleg with no cutting the corner. First shot is a severe uphill shot to a landing area. Then a second shot around an old stage foundation which plays as OB. The basket sits on a slope going away from your approach so getting a shot to stick is extremely difficult. Be happy with par and jump for joy with a birdie.

#14 Par 4 414, 367, 303 ... Shot plays 300 feet across a wide open field where you then have to throw through a fairly small opening in the woods to a basket 70 feet down the hill. Too far left or right on the tee shot leaves a very difficult approach into the woods.

#15 Par 3 243, 220, 180 ... Downhill right to left shot with woods sloping downhill on the left and scattered trees throughout the fairway. Should be a par most of the times.

#16 Par 3 358, 283, 231 ... Signature hole on the course for both its view and its fun factor. Scenic downhill shot through the trees with lake in the background. Shaping the shot can be difficult as there is always a headwind coming off the lake. This is one of those holes where you have to take out your camera.

#17 Par 4/3 546, 352, 298 ... Very tough hole. Lake down the left with crazy wind and tree line down the right. Need a long straight shot. Basket is just into the trees whose branches overhang, requiring a low approach. I've never carded nor seen a birdie on this hole. Get your par like everyone else and move on.

Uodate: Again moved blue tee back adding another 140 ft. But not only is it moved back, it is also moved around the lake giving you a long tee shot over the lake. There is a shorter bailout to the right. Blue tee is now a par 4.

#18 Par 3 315, 250, 197 ... As the designer this is one of my wish I could've came up with something else moments. It's ho hum as a finishing hole as there are really no obstacles other than a sloped green and deceptively longer than the hole seems. Tournament play will be a much longer basket location closer to the lake but for normal play it's just a gimme par.

Beautiful course, right by the lake. Winds through a pretty nice public park. Good variety of holes. Extremely fun course to play. Course designer is really nice guy.

As some have mentioned, several of the holes have a long-ish walk from basket to tee. However, it seems like a brief walk is necessary at some parts to cross roads and avoid other park fixtures. Water is in play on several holes. Also could be some poison ivy. Paying any amount also kinda is a bummer, even if it is $2. Natural tees are kind of eh, but i think there could be plans to get new ones so... we'll see.

This is the closest course to my home (for now) and I'm pretty excited about it! I've played several times and will probably play many, many more!

-The pros are that its an affordable and nice course to play on.
-More difficult holes than the course at pipestem, but thats a good thing.
-Beautiful scenic shots.
-Friendly staff
-They allow you to rent discs at an excellent rate, and the discs you get to rent, float on water. (Definately comes in handy)
-You will often see animals

-Extensive distances between the holes
-Could use a few more open holes as well
-More par 4's and 5's would be amazing
-No player that plays this course on a regular basis, will be able to avoid losing at least 1 disc in the water at some point
-The briars are harsh, and rather dangerous, especially if you bring childeren to play

I'm a beginner with disc golf, but thought Glenwood was great. 1) The views and scenery are great. The park is beautiful. 2) For a beginner, the course offers a nice challenge, but doesn't challenge you so much that you become disheartened and want to give up. 3) There is great variety to the holes. Some open. Some wooded. Even a water hazard or two mixed in.

Although I don't have much to compare it to Glenwood does involve a fair amount of walking in between holes. Also, I would suggest playing with someone who knows the course well for your first time. Some holes can be tricky to find.

- Better variety than most courses I play. Alot of holes had a unique feel to them.
- Great mix between wooded and open shots.
- Water in play on a few holes.
- Nice park setting that really showcases WV.
- Two to three tees per hole.
- Appropriate distances for various tees.

- Only major con for me was the natural tees with the block markers. While they all provided enough room to do a runup, many of them weren't quite level.
- There were a couple places with a bit of a walk in between holes, but it didn't bother me much.
- A $2 fee to play, but it's worth it.

Considering this course is brand new, I'm hoping the tees will get worked on sometime in the not too distant future. Having tees that aren't level is a pretty huge deal. Not everyone uses a runup, but a decent percentage of disc golfers do. And not having a flat surface to throw from can really lower the quality/entertainment of a course. Still, even in the current condition, this course was a blast to play. I definitely recommend it to anyone in the area or someone looking for a mini road trip.
Also, I played this on a Saturday in good weather and didn't have much of an issue with park goers getting in the way. That's always a plus.

Picturesque 55 acre lake surrounded by 325 acres of beautiful land. Nice, new discatcher baskets. Great variety-half wooded and half open.
Three fantastic holes; #8 a 296'downhill bomb, #12 a 518' tasty open/wooded combo and #16 an epic 283' downhill wooded masterpiece. It also has a short throw over a narrow inlet of the lake on #10 to give you a water carry shot.Others good holes;7,9,13,14,15...giving you a great run of holes 7-16.
Basket locations were well thought out and have direction to next tee painted.There is also good course map in the links/files to help with navigation,print it out before playing...you will need it.
Two sets of pads;red and white.

The biggest con for me was the excessive distances from basket to next pad. Definitely the longest transitions I've ever experienced. Many of the holes could have been improved by being longer, so, lets throw instead of just walking to the next basket. ! It seemed like there was as much walking between holes as there was playing the holes. Consequently, the course in it's present condition does not flow well. Signs are not up and tee pads have not been installed, so locating the tees can be tricky on your first play since pad markers are flush with the ground and not visible from a distance. Without a guide, navigation would have been an issue.
All the really good stuff here is around the 4-h camp (holes 7-16). The other holes were basically filler holes in my book, but that may just be my preference for wooded holes. Poison ivy is vigorous here and good luck staying out of it on #4.
The par here is very generous...518' par 5 for example on hole 12...the five par 4's ranged from 260'-412'. Back home, the guys would call everything a par 3 and still shoot under par (like Hognosesucker did with a 52).
I thought the close proximity of the walking path might be an issue,but the designer does not seem to think so.

We had the good fortune to play with Greg, (the designer) and he is enthusiastic about disc golf at Glenwood and wants feedback, so here it is.
I hope he will consider shifting the hole numbers around, starting and finishing at the 4-h camp, if that is an option.

The first take was good, but Glenwood has enormous potential and could be a destination-worthy disc golf course. That's a big responsibility placed on the designer. My advice; don't let good prevent you from making it GREAT ! Tweak and revise until you get it right, then work on pads and signage.
On the other hand, Greg's target audience are the locals who appear to be at the novice level, so maybe it's fine as is.
I look forward to playing this course again and see how it evolves. A 3.5 now, but potentially a 4.5 down the road.