Columbia, IL

Meadowridge DGC

1.865(based on 7 reviews)
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6 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.5 years 1165 played 745 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 5, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Meadowridge DGC, or Meadow Ridge DGC like it should be spelled, is a small nine hole course that doesn't run into any other park activities. You may encounter some walkers but that'll be it.

The tee signs are decent. Basic hole map, hole #, par and distance. Better than lots of other signs I've seen before but nothing amazing. It's all you need here though.

The course was quiet and clean. Appears to be well tended to as well. You'll probably have the place to yourself I'd guess. It'd be a decent place to do some field work or test new discs out. The course is permanent and free to play.

The baskets here are newish looking Mach III's. These are all in great shape and caught nicely. They seemed to be mounted level too. One basket and one pin position per hole.

The tee pads are rubber mats. I don't recall seeing this type before or else it's been awhile since I have. They're plenty big enough for a nine like this. One tee per hole.

The course has enough trees to at least keep things somewhat interesting. It's completely flat and apparently doesn't drain too well. It was bone dry out on our visit so I can't comment on that but I could see it. I can comment on the flatness though, It's flat as can be.

The flow of the course is pretty easy to figure out and to follow. Hole 1 starts by the small parking lot and plays kind of counterclockwise for the first six holes. The last three holes are across the treeline to the east. Hole 6's basket is right by the sidewalk leading over to those holes.


Cons:

The tee pads aren't very good. They worked ok the day we played but like I said, it was extremely dry around this whole area. These things seem like they're going to be super slick with any kind of moisture. Besides that they're started to break apart on the corners and edges. And they're lumpy in spots. Just not ideal.

As others have mentioned it doesn't drain well. So probably not the place you'd want to play after it rains or during the spring.

Not really any shot shaping to speak of out here. You just need to miss a tree or two or most holes. Gets pretty repetitive feeling pretty fast.


Other Thoughts:

This course is worth a visit if you're passing through or happen to be near it. It would serve as a decent place to loosen up the arm before Konarcik too. Other than that skip this one. Much better options only a short distance away.
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12 0
Tyler V
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 17.4 years 163 played 113 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Worth An Eagle Badge, But Not A Special Trip To Play 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 17, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Meadowridge DGC is a 9-hole course that uses a couple of flat, fairly open areas in a fairly small park. The park is tucked in behind a subdivision and nursing home, and makes for a fairly quiet setting for a quick round of golf.

Meadowridge Park doesn't have much in terms of amenities, nor does it really need much. A gravel walking path, the disc golf course, and a playground are the highlights of the park. There's also a gazebo and grill, and that about sums up what the park has to offer. If you need water or a bathroom, there are gas stations and restaurants close by, since this course is only a minute off of Route 3. You can get to Schnucks and back to the course without going back on the highway.

This disc golf course was an Eagle Scout project, and they deserve a shout out for the quality of a lot of the equipment used on the course. The Mach 3 baskets were a great choice and are in great shape. The tee signs honestly have even more information then you will ever need on this course, including hole number, par, a graphic showing the shape of the hole, and hole sponsors. I'll get back to the tee pads, but it's nice that this course has some in place.

While the shot variety leaves more to be desired, this course actually has some good length for a 9-hole. Seven holes top 300 feet, with hole 8 topping out at 355 feet. Hole 3 is nice in that it requires some shot shaping around the tree line to the right of the fairway. Holes 4 and 5 are also placed in spots that will require some thought before you throw your drive when the weeping willow has its leaves.

Cons:

I saw that a big con that others have brought up with this course is that it's in a low-lying area and can get soggy very quick. I played this course 3 days after the area had gotten some rain/snow, and it's clear that parts of this course do not dry up quickly. Hole 4's green was a swamp, and areas around holes 1 and 3 also had substantial puddles. I would highly recommend water proof shoes when playing this course; it is clear that the ground will stay wet for a while after the last rainy day, a quality that doesn't bode well for a St. Louis area course. I would bet that a couple consecutive days of storms could put a lot of this course fully underwater.

I appreciate the effort in placing rubber tee pads, but this choice doesn't mesh well with a course that holds water. Most of the pads had puddles of water on them, and some were being taken over by mud. I opted to throw next to most of the tee pads during my round.

This doesn't strike me as a park that gets very busy, and I don't want to put down the eagle scout that designed it. However, it's clear that the designer was not worried about getting close to the pathways or even crossing them, which makes me wonder why they designed the course to end as far away from the parking lot as you can get. The last 3 holes are in a separate section of the park as the first 6, with a tree line between the two sections. Instead of going back and forth to maximize distance, these last 3 holes could have just made a triangle shape around this area so that 9 ended close to the parking lot. This option could leave you with at least two out of three holes over 300 feet as well.

I would be more concerned about the proximity of the fairways to the walkways, but the fields are open enough so that you can see the baskets from the tees for the most part. As long as you're aware of your surroundings, you should be okay. If you do happen to be sharing the course with other disc golfers, be mindful of your throws; a lot of the fairways play very close to each other.

Other Thoughts:

Is this a fantastic 9-hole course? No. Is it a good Eagle Scout project? As someone with 2 months of experience in the scouts from 20 years ago, I'd say sure. As the trees that are in the fairways mature, this course could get a little better. Time will tell if the course floods too much for these trees to grow much. Honestly though, I don't see many ways this course could be improved. The park is flat, relatively small, and looks like the lowest spot around other than the Mississippi River.

This doesn't mean that the course is useless. I always love seeing new courses, and this one reminds me a lot of the short, open field 9-hole in Romeoville, Illinois that got me started with disc golf. For any locals in Columbia, this is a course that any new player can use to learn the game. More advanced players will likely disregard the very lenient pars, but I personally will take my eagle on 8 and be happy.

This isn't a course I would go out of the way for if you're visiting the area; there are so many great options in St. Louis. It's pretty out of the way too unless you are already driving along I-255 or Route 3. If you're passing through on your way to or from nearby courses like JB or Konarcik, this course can easily be played in under a half hour. As someone who is working on bagging more courses, this is one I picked up on the way to Konarcik, and I likely won't come back except to update this review every 1-2 years. I'd give someone an Eagle badge for it, though. Props to the scout who designed this course for getting the most out of the land.
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4 0
Cujo
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 30.4 years 254 played 31 reviews
2.00 star(s)

is it time for Scouts to stop building courses 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 18, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Has the makings of a great beginner course. Has straight shots, right finish, left finish. Most players will need putter, mid, fairway and distance driver.

I really like they hole design. I play Hole 1 as an island the size of Circle 1. Hole 2 is a good shot as it runs downhill a bit and is deceptive. Hole 3 requires a shot around a blind-ish corner and is challenging if you play on or over the rock path OB
Hole 4.....oh hole 4. Giant weeping willow tree that blocks the basket. the basket is normally a lagoon.
Hole 5....the same weeping willow forces a backhand turnover.

Cons:

Sadly the course has some major issues.

Why would you build a course in the lowest spot in town? The course is always a marsh. Now with that...the absolute worst pads you could use are rubber, which are used here. They provide no grip, slide under foot and are generally awful.

I really think we need a rethink of having eagle scouts and boy scouts build disc golf courses. This course actually is the best scout course I've played. Most can be played with just a putter.

Hole 6,7,8,9. Basically the same shot over and over...throw 330 straight with stable finish. These holes need OB lines to really make them challenging and safer.

Other Thoughts:

You can tell the scouts have planted trees that, once grown, would greatly improve the course...but...they'll never grow because the course floods all the time.

There aren't any parks in town to house a disc golf course so I suppose this was the "best"(only) place it could go.
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4 0
Three Putt
Staff member
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 29.9 years 158 played 131 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin' 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 1, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Meadow Ridge Park in a small, flat, low-lying park that sits behind some apartments and a nursing home. The park is bordered on the south by a creek and cut into two sections by another creek carrying runoff from the neighborhood to the other creek. Both park sections have a gravel walking path that more or less runs around the outside of the sections, with a land bridge connecting the two loops together. The disc golf course is an Eagle Scout project and features Mach III baskets, good tee signs with a hole map and distances, and rubber tee pads. Seven of the shots are over 300', so there is a little distance to the shots.

Cons:

The design of the course is really uncreative. Holes 2 & 3 shoot back and forth at each other. Holes 4 & 5 shoot back and forth at each other. Holes 7, 8 & 9 shoot back and forth at each other. Hole 4 has the pin stuck behind a weeping willow tree, but otherwise the baskets are just in the open. All along the creeks there are trees and shule, but none of the baskets are close to either of the creeks.

Seven of the nine drives are 300' to 350' flat drives across a mostly open field, so the shots get very repetitive.

Because the shots just go back and forth, the fairways all overlap. The tee for Hole 8 is ridiculously close to the pin for Hole 7 for no reason, and a lot of other tees could stand to be farther away from the last pin. The shots take you out to the park without looping back, so when you finish Hole 9 you are about as far away from your car as you can get and still be in the park.

The rubber mats were a nice thought, but they are super-duper slick when wet and mud has washed over a lot of them. Even in wet and muddy conditions, I teed off from the side of the rubber tees.

Other Thoughts:

The park gets runoff from the surrounding neighborhood and holds water, so it can get very sloggy after a rain.

Really when it is all said and done with, the park is small, flat and open. The course design could be better, but it wouldn't fix the fact that the park is small, flat and open. You would end up with 9 holes that had more of a variety of short and 300' shots and looped back to your car that were flat and open. Because of the land available, It's just going to be a below-average recreational course no matter what you do. The way it is, you at least get some 300' drives to throw.

The course was an Eagle Scout project, and the kid did a pretty good job and got nine more holes of disc golf in the ground. Hopefully the community will use it. Having said that, I don't want to over-rate the course just because I appreciate the effort. For traveling disc golfers looking for courses to play, it's a skip.
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5 0
Dthunderchicken
Experience: 3 months 9 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A Great Place to Hunt Eagles 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 8, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Not terrible.
A good course for a "You call the mando" round.
Well maintained public park.
New and well mounted Mach 3s.
Great for a quick one disc lunch round.
Good signage.
Rubber tee pads.

Cons:

Pars not realistic. (But what is par anyway?)
No elevation changes.
I suspect the course doesn't drain well after a rain.
No score cards nor a place for them. (They aren't really needed.)


Other Thoughts:

Given what the designer had to work with he did a good job on a short course. I expected less when I pulled up to it. I played the course on a summer day with one disc and one drink. (Didn't even put the drink down after the tee shot.) I like the rubber tee pads better than concrete. They will be easy on the shoes.
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7 0
mrbro855
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.1 years 391 played 106 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Typical Eagle Scout Project 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 3, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

New niner in So Illinois just south of St Louis.....

Nine Mach 3 baskets, excellent signage, easy to follow flow...

Course used some of the vegetation as obstacles...

Couple of memorable baskets....

#1 Threw between two large bushes about a third of the way down the fairway....

#3 Tree line protection on right with a slightly right bend throw needed to find basket

#4 Big willow providing basket protection....

Cons:

Absolutely flat...... no elevation at all any where

Rubber t-pads starting to get uneven already....

Mostly all just 300+ ft holes with minimal obstacles...

Other Thoughts:

This was another Eagle Scout project that I have had the opportunity to play.... Having been an Eagle Scout many decades ago, I appreciate the effort that goes into the final project....

Unfortunately, too often, these type of "project" courses get built by individuals with minimal exposure to the sport and fail to use all the possible elements.

As I looked back from the parking lot, it seemed as though more of the trees could have been adequately incorporated into the design.

Part of the challenge for me today was that I played Konarcik Park in Waterloo first, which left this one paling in comparison.

All in all, it is a "reasonable" effort. If you're close by, it's worth a stop, but if you have to travel, add a few other courses nearby to make it a day, and play this one first as a warm-up.....

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7 0
klooster
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.7 years 392 played 23 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Newb-tastic 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 30, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Easy to navigate and (if you're old and/or fat ), its flat! No hills. Solid DGA Mach 3 baskets catch well. Good signs and easily movable diamond-embossed rubber Tpads. Good warmup course for the more challenging Konarcik in Waterloo.
Hole 1: 244 ft Par3 Slight Ani line thru or over 2 bushes about 90 ft out. Hole 2: 316 ft Par4 open field Hole 3: 307 ft Par3 ani shot open field Hole 4: 323 ft Par 4 has willow trees on both sides of and in front of , the basket, you can ani your shot between the willows or hyzer around the rightmost tree. Hole 5: 265 ft Par 3 willow on the near right and small tree just left of center, ani line or great Lefty shot. Hole 6: 348 ft Par 4 1 oak tree 100 ft out in fairway, can throw either side of it to approach pin. Weeds on far right. Hole 7: 343 ft Par 4 2 pre-pubescent trees 80 and 100 ft out in middle of fairway then 2 teenage trees 180-200 ft out in the middle, and you can go hunting in the weeds if you can throw 340 ft and shank it right. Hole 8: 355 ft Par 5 2 small trees 300 ft out left of pin and 1 on the right..rarely an issue. Hole 9: 330 ft Par 4 48 ft from Tpad is a sugar maple that pretty much makes you take the Ani route, then there 2 8' tall "slapplings" that can pooch your drive. then 2 more near the pin that could(and did ) mess up a 30 ft putt. Fun course that can easily be played in 45 minutes.

Cons:

The pars are too high for the distances..my bud Erik ( over age 50 ) threw a 25 with a DX Shark (speed 4 ) and Magnet putter. But if you want bragging "rights", then you can shoot under par here if you can fog a mirror. Alternate longer pin placements are hopefully in this fine courses' future. Some of the uneven rubber tpads had small puddles.

Other Thoughts:

I like this course because if i want to play a quick round, it is easy to throw under 27 and I don't waste time looking for lost discs. It's a relaxing place to play with the only other activities being people walking their 4-legged pooping machines.
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