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Roanoke, VA

Highland Park

Permanent course
3.15(based on 10 reviews)
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4 0
pmay5
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 21 years 483 played 245 reviews
3.50 star(s)

The HIGH-light of Niner-LAND 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 22, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good concrete tee pads on every hole but #4. Practice basket.
Great tee signs, with sponsorship, and all the baskets are in good shape.
Very good elevation change on several holes, up, down, up and down and sidehill.
Surprisingly, a Par 4 and a Par 5 on this Niner.
Large, old growth trees thoughout the park, enough to make you shape shots, but no tunnel shots. Not much chance of losing a disc here.
Stays mostly away from other park users, dog park, softball and football field and brick sidewalks. #7 has an alternate tee to avoid the football field. The park is lined on 3 sides by a nice looking neighborhood, so it is probably popular with dog walkers.
Some really challenging holes for a Niner and a couple of ace runs, #6 and #8.

Cons:

Tee pads are a little short, especially for the longer holes. I usually started with one foot off the back and that worked fine.
ONLY NINE HOLES!! This is the kind of course I really like, a lot like Glenburnie in New Bern, large trees as obstacles, but not dense.

Other Thoughts:

As I played this course early one morning, I kept noticing areas of unused land, behind #1, beside #2, and beside #9. Thinking these areas could be used for another 9 holes, however that would increase the conflict with other park users and could lead to bad things.
I hope the park can be closed for tournaments and an 18 hole layout is used, including the wide-open football field at the top of the park. That would make a great course.
#8 brings you to a different side of the park, staring right at an old-school ... errr elementary school. A three story, brick with large windows beauty, reminded me of my elem school.
I wasn't sure of the neighborhood as I drove through downtown to get to the park, but it seemed to be nice, and few safety issues.
I really enjoyed #3 and #9. #3 is the up and down par 4, I had a decent enough drive, almost to the top of the hill, then threw a forehand that cleared the hill by inches then set sail as the ground fell away, was a little treed on the birdie putt, drop in par. #9 is the par 5, mostly sidehill, somewhat downhill, another great second shot left me in position for an easy upshot, and made the birdie putt, great way to finish a round!
Since Greenfield opened (and an awesome course I understand) I imagine that is where most of the better players in town go, but this is a very good, in town option.
I have no problem raising the current 3.25 rating with a 3.5. Probably the best Niner I've played.
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6 0
ddoublep4517
Experience: 15 years 35 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 29, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I'm from Texas and I came into Roanoke to visit family for the holidays. I am an avid disc golfer and for me to come into a new place and see a nine hole course as good as highland park is awesome.

When I see a nine hole course I see a course that I bring out my putter and take some ace runs! But not at highland park. From hole one I could tell this course would be a place where I could use my drivers and mids as well as putters.

The idea of a nine hole course is to be able to bring new golfers into the community. And I was fortunate enough to grow up in a area with a magnificent 18 hole course. When I play a typical nine hole course it disappoints me at the lack of effort put into the course but not highland park it goes to show that even with a nine hole course you can still have a great experience! The little pitch and putt nine hole courses are what keep people from playing and puts a hault on the expansion of the game of disc golf!

The fact that the course involves every shot in my bag is amazing! Coming from a nine hole course.

Need I forget the tee boxes are concrete which is very hard to come by in Roanoke!

Cons:

Tho there are not many faults in the course I can still only give a 3.5 because of it only being a nine hole.

If you are on hole ones teebox facing away from the basket you can see what could be a very nice mando tunnel shot! The point I'm getting at here is the course design did not use all of the Available land to its disposal.

As well as the tee signs are there needs to be more signage at this park especially in between hole 3 basket and hole 4 teebox, as well as hole 6 basket to hole 7 tee box and hole 8 to hole 9 teebox.

One thought that the city of Roanoke should put in mind is to create alternate tee boxes for every hole to allow the course to be played as an 18 hole course!

As much as I enjoy the concrete tee boxes they could be a little bit longer to encorperate a run up for those long holes.

Other Thoughts:

Highland park is most definitely one of the best nine hole courses I have ever been fortunate enough to play!

If you are ever in the town of Roanoke I recomend giving highland park a chance, I believe it would be a great place to let some steam off!
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7 0
splatbaseball51
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.1 years 182 played 59 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Best course in the county! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 20, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The only course in the county that has concrete pads! It is, perhaps not-coincidentally, the only one I'd consider playing on a regular basis. For a 9 hole course, this one has a wide variety of shots. Nearly all of the holes have elevation changes to some degree (exception being hole 8), there is a nice variety of left/right doglegs and distance goes from short par 3 putter shots to long par 5 (really should only be a 4 at most) where you can air them out. Many 9 hole courses are pitch and putt types, this one certainly isn't. Feel free to bring your bag of drivers because you'll need them as well.

There is ample parking being inside a larger park as well as a practice basket on the flat grass near the parking.

The course plays back around to finish at the same spot you start which is always a plus.

There is little to no chance you'll lose a disc. There is hardly any thick vegetation to speak of and it is located in a well maintained city park. If you shank one right on hole 3 you might lose one but that would be it.

Signs are excellent and give you all of the information you'll need. You shouldn't have any major navigational stumbling blocks, but I touch on that a little in my cons below.

Cons:

It's only a 9 holer...And I know that isn't much of a con for some people but the fact that there isn't 9 more shots for variety dictates I can't rate it as highly as an 18 hole course.

Navigation is mostly intuitive, however there are some potential stumbling blocks such as 3 to 4 (you have to cross the road and jump a small guard rail, but you should be able to see the tee from 3's basket) and 6 to 7 (Walk up the hill on the path towards the football field) Even finding hole 9 could be a challenge without a map.(Up the hill past the playground, near the baseball backstop).



Other Thoughts:

Hole 3 is a blind shot up and over a hill with a dog park on the right on the other side. If you aren't aware of this, it has the potential to fly into bystanders in the dog park. Not so much of a con as a warning. Same for hole 4. There is a distinct potential of hitting a car/walker on the road because you can't see them from the tee. Just something to be aware of.

As far as 9 hole courses go, this one is right up there with the best of them. It requires nearly every shot in your bag and is certainly not a pitch and putt deal. The concrete pads are what makes this course stand out, especially in Roanoke where the other 2 courses are both natural.

If you're in town and have free time, this is the course you should play. I'll give it the highest rating I give any 9-hole course, a 3.5. Would I make an extra effort to stop off of the interstate to play it? Probably not, simply because there is an 18 hole course in Botetourt county just north that is an excellent affair. But if you're in the mood for something quick and yet still challenging and enjoyable, give Highland park a go.
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5 1
Gr8fulgraham
Experience: 15 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Currently Roanoke's best 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 4, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is easily Roanoke's best course. All three courses in the Star City are 9 hole courses but Highland Park is head and shoulders above Walrond or Fishburn. Concrete Tpads appear to be in the installation process. The park makes good usage of its limited space with plenty of large, old trees to protect driving lanes and baskets. Signage is very nice. Practice basket and hole 1 easy to find from parking lot.

Cons:

mixed-use park w/ walking paths cutting through some fairways and foot traffic could be heavy at times because park is located in a city neighborhood

Other Thoughts:

Roanoke deserves an 18 hole course.
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