Helsinki, Finland

Kivikko

Permanent course
3.175(based on 3 reviews)
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1 0
Andrew Gum
Experience: 10.7 years 40 played 25 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A Good Blend of Park and Forest 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 15, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Nice variation in the landscape and hole design.
Scenic water features and dramatic elevation changes.
Lots of warm up space.
Good views and some fun ace runs.
Some tricky sloped or guarded greens.

Cons:

Ridiculously tall grass and stinging nettles, sometimes unplayable as a result.
Lose so many discs and almost never get any back.
Almost always windy.
Lots of pedestrians.

Other Thoughts:

Hole 1 should be 18, much more finishing drama that way and makes more sense because the warm up area is near the start of 2.
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3 0
TBabb
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.3 years 65 played 56 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A must-play in Helsinki! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 27, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Kivikko is Helsinki's newest course on a great plot of land with lots of elevation and trees. The tees here are among the best I've ever thrown off of. They're super level, elevated and huge plywood platforms covered with artificial turf. Yellow DISCatchers are in great condition. Tee signs are comprehensive with hole number, a fairway map, distance and par info. A few course maps are present in the park as well.

The course is really well designed. Just about every hole is very deliberately designed with a few signature holes. Hole 10 plays in a tight grass half-pipe and Hole 8 is a long downhill bomb that is so fun. There are open fairways that play to well protected baskets and tight protected tee pads that open up. There are four short but tight holes in the woods towards the end of the course. Each hole presents unique challenges. The course is less crowded than Tali and they hold weekly league play on Thursdays. The Finns who play here are very friendly and great English speakers.

There's lots of parking here which is great if you're driving. OB is marked with the pvc pipe stakes.

Cons:

The grass gets a little rough here. One guy told me that a while back it was waist high, though it was manageable when I played. Watch out for nökkönen (stinging nettle)! It's all over the place here. It is also fairly easy to lose a disc here, there are two holes with water in play, and if you do in the drink on number one you can kiss that disc goodbye. The water is nasty sewage water and you don't want to go in there. It can also be tough to find a disc if you land in a big patch of underbrush. This place is also tough to get to on public transportation. The 94 bus will get you close but Helsinki buses are really tricky and the route maps at the bus stops are less than clear when you try to figure out where a certain bus goes. After three hours of bus riding, backtracking, asking for help, wandering around, and much frustration, I eventually found the place, but ay ay ay! At least the sun was up till 11pm and I could finish my round!

Navigating the course is also tough, but not to worry. The locals are very helpful and I ended up tagging on with another solo player and he showed me around.

Other Thoughts:

This course and Tali are the two to check out in Helsinki. This course is a little shorter than Tali but it also has some of the coolest holes I've played in Europe. It's great fun playing in Finland with long summer days, friendly locals and great courses. Save some cash, get out there, pack some bug spray, watch out for the nökkönen and have a great time. I sure did!
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2 0
willsmithfinland
Experience: 12.2 years 46 played 34 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A Challenge 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 29, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Sections cater to different playing styles, so there is variety in the holes. Also, the course itself is varied such as long meadows, rocky hills, incline/declines and wooded areas. It is challenging, so it tests your skills and can help you judge your overall game play.

Cons:

Signage to the holes is the biggest con. Holes are marked well in terms of direction to the basket, difficulty and boundaries, but finding the next hole can be difficult. There are two information signs at the start and after hole 12, but sign posts at certain holes would really help out and not require a map to play.

Other Thoughts:

The course is merged with a park and close to the kivikko recycling center and Lapland sports hall, so you have to watch out for pedestrians and bird watchers. As a competition course I would say it is good for that reason, but in comparison to other courses like Tali or the one in Lahti I would say Kivikko is average, but challenging.
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