WHAT TO EXPECT: Well maintained multi-use park in the Cincinatti area. A course time capsule from Pro-Tours of yester years with a well worn feel to it. Park golf but with enough wooded holes, distance and elevation to challenge even the highest skill levels.

AMENITIES: The Nati Disc Golf pro shop on site. It's always nice when a course has a pro shop on the grounds, especially at a free to play course. Trash cans and benches present at almost every hole. Multiple modern bathrooms and port-o-johns throughout which help keep you from searching too hard to find one. Practice area with practice basket and throwing net.

TEES/SIGNAGE/BASKETS: Level concrete tee pads, small in relation to most new course installs but plenty large enough for the shots the course requires. A little worn and slick when wet and could use resurfacing but no major issues. Signage is great indicating multiple pin locations (and thankfully which position the pin is currently in). Baskets are Reddish/Orange DGA's that have seen enough sunrises to begin to fade into a rust brown color that makes them difficult to see in amongst the trees at times. They still catch well.

DESIGN: Course is very long, or at least feels that way, depending on pin locations. It feels like almost every tee shot is uphill, over a crest in the hill, to a blind basket location. If you are playing this course for the first time you can wear yourself out walking up the fairway to look over the hills and locate the pins before you throw. Course manages to snake its way through the park with some very challenging shot angles and distances and be quite beautiful in doing so, however, there is a feeling of repetitiveness as some holes do feel like mirror images of each other. This may be more of a product of where the pins were located the day I played, but there was a sense of dejavu a few times like we were playing the same hole again. Not a bad design by any means, especially considering this is a public park, more of a warning to those expecting 20 unique holes. A bit of overuse of elevation as the tee off uphill, over a rise, down a hill to a blind basket was used repeatedly throughout. Questionable sharp fish-hook style holes with mandos (like Hole #3) are gimmicky and made difficult just to be difficult. Brings the overall rating down just slightly. Distances on the upper end of skill level needed with several Par 3's over the 350 mark, paired with the uphill hole design require probably 400 feet of power to give a realistic chance at birdie. There are multiple shot angles and power levels required to score well here.

EXTRAS: Fairways, course itself, everything maintenance wise was in great upkeep. Outside of the baskets showing some age and the tee pads showing years of wear this course looks immaculately cared for. Navigation between holes is a breeze and the only hard part of navigating we found was locating where the pin was because almost all the tee shots are blind.

PARK GOERS: As a muti-use park, that is both a beloved course and nice public park this is almost unavoidable as a con. Multiple holes through along park roads, paths and trails. Playgrounds, buildings, and parking lot areas are often in the firing line of errant throws. There are even a couple holes that play directly over roads and paths, some of which can be semi-blind from the tee.

CROWDED: As a beloved course, Mt Airy is usually just as busy as the park itself. There were several large groups and a couple solo's playing when we arrived and it allowed us to catch our breath and play a little slower than normal which was a blessing as we had just played Idlewild that morning. But if you are a fast player and like to stay in a rhythm, expect a crowded course.

BASKETS: While the current orangish DGA's catch fine, they are fading and getting pretty hard to see. Would be nice to see at least a repaint to a color that stands out in the woods, or possibly an upgrade to newer style baskets.

REPETITIVENESS: As I touched on a bit above under course design, Mt Airy just crosses the line of too much of a good thing. I would love to see a little less of the same shot shape holes, a little less uphill tee shots to blind baskets. While it is certainly not bad design, it's a lot for us older guys to throw and walk uphill all day without truly knowing for sure where we are going.

DIFFICULTY: This is more of a warning than a con because several skill levels and age groups might be forced out of enjoying themselves here. One gentleman in our group was a 75 y/o who throws probably 150 feet on a full flex. Though he loves the sport and uses it to exercise, this course was entirely too much for him.

I can certainly see why this course rates so high and is so well regarded. The on site pro shop, the practice area, the well kept fairways, the difficulty, the rolling hills, the nostalgia. It's actually very hard to rate this course appropriately. Based on my personal scale this course comes in at a 3.75 but the pro-shop and difficulty for me personally push it up to a 4.0 and I feel comfortable rating it there. While not on the same level as Idlewild or Eagle's Crossing, and lacking some (in my personal opinion) on the design side due to public park limitations, this is still a very solid course and a must play if you are in the area. A couple tweaks making a very beginner/old guy friendly way to enjoy the course beyond what it currently offers, and updating the baskets would probably shoot this up to a 4.5 for me.

The Nati Disc Golf pro shop! There are lots of pros to this course, but this is what pushed it up to a 4.5 for me.

Decent variety of shots needed to succeed.

Solid, concrete teepads that are appropriately long for the holes

Good to decent tee signs. They do tend to exaggerate HOW much a hole will move, but they're good enough to allow new players to not walk up on every hole and will provide a good reminder once you've played here a couple times.

Multiple restroom opportunities throughout the course. Always a nice bonus.

Trash buckets and benches at every hole, and larger trashcans throughout the course.

Multiple pin positions ensure you won't get bored.

The damn Nati! I leave broke every time!

Crowded. I've never been here when it wasn't busy. When a course is good, accessible and has a pro shop that's to be expected, but it doesn't mean it's not something to be aware of.

Yes, it's always busy and yes the tees and baskets could use some refurbishing, but I'm honestly not sure how you develop a reputation as a top notch, classic course and also look like you were freshly installed. TBH, a $2 greens fee that went into making improvements would be a great solution to both problems.

It's southern Ohio. Be ready for elevation. This will not be a nice flat walk in the park.

Be cautious and courteous. If you're in a rush, this isn't the course for you. It's busy and plays near park roads. Plan on delays for disc golfers and other park goers.

This is a long course, even with pins in the shortest positions new players will be highly challenged here. Not saying you shouldn't play here if you're newer, but be ready to allow people to play through.

The pins aren't all in the same position, but they are all accurately indicated on the course sign. It's sad how uncommon this is. Columbus Flyers/Brett Hambrick Memorial, take note, it can be done!

This is roughly a 60 minute drive for me to play and I feel like it's worth it (especially given my other options or lack thereof). Everyone I've met in the park seems to be there for a good time and seems to share the space well. Again, this is uncommon enough in my experience that it's worth mentioning.

Objectively, this course is closer to a 4 than a 4.5, but top notch amenities throughout push it over the top and make it a nice place to spend some time.

1) The atmosphere and amenities at Mt. Airy are top notch. Walking out of the parking lot towards the practice area and first tee you can already tell you are in for a good time. The practice area has two baskets spaced pretty far apart so you can warm up on putting and approaches as well as a net with a few tees to throw into to warmup on drives. There is also a full scale pro shop that carries everything you would expect and a shaded area with tables out front to rest and/or just hang out before or after your round. The post with arrows and distances to a bunch of other top courses is really cool, too, and this all makes the whole experience at Mt. Airy extremely unique before you even start your round.

2) Multiple pin locations on every single hole. Nearly all of the holes only have one permanent location, but from what I can tell they keep the pins moving around relatively frequently to keep the layout fresh.

3) Quality, grippy, and plenty large enough concrete tee pads on every hole. Though, there is only one pad per hole. But, with the plethora of pin placements that isn't a very big deal. Tee signs are also detailed, accurate, and have markers that indicate the current pin location on the hole so you don't have to guess or walk down the fairway on the blind holes. The signs also include 'next tee' indicators to help first timers with navigation.

4) Baskets are brightly painted red Mach IIIs and are in great shape. They are easy to spot in the woods and they catch like you would expect Mach IIIs to catch.

5) Benches and trash bins at nearly every (if not every, I can't recall exactly) tee so plenty of places to rest if you need it and very little litter around.

6) The layout here strikes a very good balance between challenging and fair. There is a great mix of technical, open, wooded, left, right, up, and down holes. The hole shapes play pretty evenly for lefties and righties and the elevation is used to great effect everywhere on the course; you'll need your whole bag to score well here. Depending on pin locations, the par 3s range from must get bridies (like hole 8) to challenging holes that require great shots to get into the circle (like hole 16) and everything in between. The par 4s (with the exception of hole 5 which is probably the hardest hole on the course) are all pretty short and should be in range for most players to get birdie looks with good shots but still technical enough to keep them from being 'gimmies' for most higher level players as being out of position or getting off the fairway very easily takes bridie (or even par) out of play. Other than the awkward mando on hole 3 I have zero complaints and only good things to say about the layout. My favorites were holes 1 and 15.

7) For the most part, very cart friendly. The stairs between 16 and 17 certainly gave me some grief and I had to carry my cart for a short bit, but other than that it's all smooth sailing as long as you don't mind pushing/pulling up and down hills.

1) The biggest con here is the possible safety issues with the rest of the park activities in the area. A few holes play very close to or over roads in the park. Hole 2 plays across the road and is blind off the tee. Hole 3 plays alongside the road and a parking area and despite the mando it's still very possibly to end up over there with a kick or if players ignore the mando. Hole 4, 5, 7, 8, and 14 all play along side the road and any errant shots have a good chance of landing on or going across it. Holes 5, 6, and 8 all have parking lots in play that are pretty close to the baskets/fairways, hole 5 long pin is by far the worst offender here and could possibly make the hole unplayable if there were people using the parking area. Holes 1, 13, and maybe 17 also bring the road/parking areas into play but it would take a substantial mistake to find yourself on/across them. Lastly, hole 18 in the longer pin placements brings the pro shop into play where anything pushed left is probably hitting the building. When I played there was also quite a bit of other park users around the park but, with the exception of the road, the other uses do stay relatively separated form the disc golf course. While unlikely, you may also be at risk of getting hit from adjacent holes when on the pads for 3, 13, and 15. 3 and 15 would take a pretty big shank to get near you, but it is possible, and there is a large tree next to 13s tee that does a pretty good job of catching anything coming towards you but I heard the tree get hit no less than 4 times from people driving off 7s tee when I was trying to tee off on 13 so it's certainly worth paying attention to.

The rest of the cons below are all relatively minor, but worth mentioning.

2) Navigation can be tricky in some spots, even with the 'next tee' indicators on the tee signs as there aren't (that I saw at least) markers anywhere except the tee signs for indication of where to go on the less intuitive walks. The walk from 3 to 4 tripped me up my first round (just go left down the road). I could see the walks from 4 to 5 (same as 3 to 4, go left down the road) and 6 to 7 (again, left, down back past 5s dogleg and across the road) potentially causing issues for some people as well. The long pin placement on 11 also requires substantial backtracking down the fairway to get to 12s tee.

3) The rough is very rough. Many holes have thorny bushes and/or steep hillsides along the right side (almost none have this trouble on the left sides) so despite the distribution of hole shapes, the course plays quite a bit less treacherous for RHBH/LHFH players who don't have to worry as much about finding themselves in the super thick stuff. I did cut up my arm a little bit on hole 11 getting a disc out of the right side rough, so long pants and maybe long sleeves are highly recommended here.

4) Parking is quite limited. The course didn't seem all that busy once I got on the course and started playing but the parking lot near hole 1/the pro shop was completely full and people were parking at the lot near hole 3. I could imagine on very busy days that parking in the small lot by holes 8/9 and starting on 9 might be better than trying to find a spot near hole 1.

The Mt. Airy Forest Disc Golf Course is one of the 'big 3' in Cincinnati, along with Idlewild and Lincoln Ridge, and after having it on my wish list for almost a decade I can say it certainly lived up to my expectations. When I played the grass was very long (nearly unacceptably long) in many spots but a local I talked to said it was the longest he had ever seen it in over a decade of playing the course, saying it's usually kept up pretty well, so I didn't consider it a con as it didn't seem like it's the norm. But if you are hitting the course in the spring like I did, I'd keep that in mind if it's something that may bother you.

Overall, Mt. Airy is a very solid course. The 'excellent' descriptor of the 4.0 rating hits the nail right on the head. The potential safety issues are definitely concerning, but I played on an absolutely beautiful evening and the course/park wasn't busy enough to cause any real issues. Though, on a day where the park was really busy you may need to skip a hole or two if you don't want to risk hitting some cars. Considering the whole course, it's certainly not enough to knock the rating down, but even the complete removal of the safety issues wouldn't make me push the rating up to a 4.5 either.

Either way, Mt. Airy is certainly worth your time to play. But, if you are looking for the best of the best I wouldn't recommend a stop here over Idlewild if you only have time for one course in the area. If you've got time for two courses it's a toss up between adding here or Lincoln Ridge to your plans depending on the style of golf you personally enjoy more.

- The facilities here really are incredible! Having a pro shop, practice driving area, and two practice baskets goes way above and beyond what I've experienced at any other course.
- All of the holes are unique and offer a variety of shot shapes and distances. There is also a good balance between open shots, where you have to control where the disc lands, and tight shots, where you have to control how the disc flies.
- All of the baskets are in excellent shape and the tee signs on each hole are very helpful, as they show par, distance, and the preferred line. The tee signs also show you which pin position you're throwing at so you don't have to run up and check every time.

As a preface, these are both minor complaints about an otherwise phenomenal course.
- The concrete tee pads seem to be losing their grip as I had a couple of slips on the tee during my round today.
- I wish there were next tee arrows below every basket.

The park that surrounds this course is so beautiful! This course is just a slightly bigger, slightly better, and way more consistent version of my home course. (I mean this as a huge compliment btw.) To have a course this good be in the middle of a big city like Cincinnati is just mind blowing to me.

Baskets are really nice out at Mt. Airy, one of my favorite things about the course.

Tee pads are kept in great shape. Much needed for a course like this.

The maps out here are phenomenal. Such a great thing to have at this pro style course.

General course design is good. You will start and end right by your car.

Lots of benches and trash cans around keeps this course very clean.

Major elevation changes at Mt. Airy. For sure one of my favorite aspects of this course. #15 is probably the best downhill hole I have played other than #12 at Buck.

There are plenty of epic holes at Mt. Airy. I mentioned #15 above. I really like #1, #16, #18 and #10. All have different aspects that I really find epic and enjoyable.

Restrooms are around the course.

Running water around the course is great for Summer play. We ran out of water after #11 it was so hot out and right next to the next tee box was a water (fountain, spicket, pump? not sure the correct word here) but it was perfectly usable.

I wouldnt say there is a good variety of hole distances at Mt. Airy because all the holes seem to play pretty long but there are a couple of birdable holes.

You will use a variety of shots in your bag. Some holes may require you to drive it twice, some may put you on a hyzer line, some might require a downhill midrange and of course a well used putter will give you a good score. I learned after my first round at Mt. Airy do not try to challenge this course or think that you are going to shoot low. Take what this course gives you, get out with your pars when you can and at the end of the day you can come out in the low 60's.

Mt. Airy is absolutely a challenge. Possibly the hardest course I have played. Handyman might be the only other course that can challenge Airy on toughness that I have played.

Parking is right by Hole #1 and the course has its own pro shop, how can you beat that!

Tons of events to participate in at this course.

Locals are very nice and welcoming.

I hate to give foliage maintenance a con because I am sure they do every thing they can. The grass was cut both times I have been here. We just all lost a couple of discs each in areas I wish they would trim back a little further.

Not sure about camping?

I wish there were more tight and technical than open bombs at this course but I understand the distances for a pro style course.

This course was extremely crowded both times I have went.

Mt. Airy is a really great course. I would not want to play it all the time because of its difficulty level but this is a must visit course in Ohio possibly the country. It has some really fun holes. The elevation changes can make for a taxing day on the course. Highly recommend visiting this course and seeing what all the hype is about.

Mt Airy is a big armed course. It's got a couple of bumps in the road before finding its stride. This is no Mayberry.
- The most important thing, there are some fantastic holes here. The top couple holes are close to as good as anything at Idlewild. The difference is Idlewild has mostly outstanding holes; Mt Airy has only a handful.
- The best holes also take best advantage of the elevation. You get a sense of that right off the bat on #1. 540-footer that's uphill the entire way, starting in a field, ending in the woods. #2 is a relatively simply par 3. Side note: how did anyone pick #2 as his favorite? Then #3 gives you a long dogleg right.
- I loved that everyone hole (correctly) listed which pin location was in play. With so many blind tee shots, it's vital.
- Course gets significantly better throughout. There's an insufferable stretch that's called holes #5 & 6. The course picks up from there. The three best holes are all on the back nine - #13, 15, & 17.
- #15 is fantastically great. 580-feet of downhill dogleg right play. Hit the gap, or put your tee shot in good position for a downhill approach to the basket. Hitting my 20-footer putt for a 3 was the most satisfying shot I made my entire round. This piece of land was created for a disc golf course.
- For so much going on at the park, this area is almost exclusively for disc golf. You may come across walkers, or people by the playground near #2's basket; otherwise, it's all disc golf.
- The signs highlighting big name courses and their distances was a fantastic touch. You want to know what are the big named courses? Check the sign. I loved seeing two courses within 20 minutes of my house listed on the sign - Winthrop and Renaissance.
- Based on antidotal evidence, this course gets the most play of the big 3 locals - Idlewild and Lincoln Ridge. Makes sense given its location. Oh, and there's a pro shop here. That always brings in the disc golfers.

The biggest negative is the repetitiveness, (somewhat) lack of variety, and repetitiveness. When you've got a wide-open course, there's only so much you can do. There's truly only two wooded holes on the course - #3 & 16. The rest are in the field, with trees and rough lining the sides.
- #5 & 6. They could be good, but something is off about them. Both have sharp dogleg right factors to them. #5 basically hugs the side of two park streets. #6 starts away from the road, then pulls an obtuse angle turn to the right. In both cases, you're better playing out to the left. Too far right and you're in thick, unforgiveable rough.
- What adds to the annoyance is the transition to #7. After finishing #6, you turn right back whence you came, walking the majority of #5's fairway backwards. How about we eliminate #6, put another hole in all the other space in the rest of the course, and reduce long walks?
- A few too many holes are simple par 3s. They're in the 300 - 400-foot range, with little challenge. If you're not throwing 400, you're not seeing birdie putts. For us noodle arms, I was repeatedly getting up and down from 50 - 75 feet away for my 3s.
- After a fantastic five hole stretch of #13 - 17, #18 is a letdown for the closing hole. It's perfectly alright, just would prefer one of the elites to end on.
- Didn't see many, if any, trash cans on the course. Throw in a couple more benches throughout the course too while I'm making requests.

Mt. Airy is a very good course. It's not going to be confused with Idlewild, but it's a good compliment. Big arms and more experienced players are going to eat up this course.
- The longer, station-to-station holes are the course's strongest feature. Both #16 & 17 reward players who land a perfectly placed shot over big arms. I had a tap-in 4 on #16 thanks to two strong mid-range shots. I suffered the consequences of not getting far enough away from the trees on #17. My next two shots would have only required one if my tee shot was 20 feet further left.
- Lots to like here. It's easy to pick nits on a course this caliber. It's a good course, but its flaws keep it from being great.
- From the long tees, the course plays just over 8000 feet - just under 450 feet per hole. Only one hole is under 300 feet, and only six more are under 400.
- Come prepared with plenty to drink. Bring your patience as well, both for a longer round and the possible lack of birdie chances.
- I think 4.0 is an appropriate score. The best parts of this course are excellent. The course designers do confuse length with excellence at times. That said it's worth playing.

This course is super challenging and fun. Not for the beginners unless you plan on getting beat down a bit but it will definitely improve your game in the long run. Same for advanced players and variety of pin placements keeps the course interesting.

not sure, it's a pretty nice course

The Nati pro shop is fantastic. There are practice holes by the shop and hole one. Bring your A game or else this course can bite you. If you are coming to the area to visit, this is probably a top 3 to top 5 course.

Making my way to the Nati, Mt. Airy certainly had the feel of an 'established' course. You can tell that a lot of hours have been put in caring for the course, and that a lot of players have passed through over the years. One major sign of that is of course the Nati, which is probably the best pro shop I've seen. Multiple practice baskets and a driving warm-up area also accommodate players.

Mt. Airy is at its best when it combines multiple elements on its holes. I really enjoyed the multi-shot holes that started out in the open and ended up in the woods or vice versa. Holes 1, 3, 11, 15, 16, and 17 did a great job with this while emphasizing placement. Errant shots are punished but still recoverable. Combining these type of holes with more straight-forward park-style holes gives the entire round a nice variety. It's not just a city park feel or woods golf, you get both here.

I really enjoy playing in a setting with rolling hills and scattered trees, so I enjoyed the holes here that offered that. It isn't quite as extreme as, say, Waterworks, but it does that aspect pretty well. These two combined aspects allow you to play different lines on many of the holes. Again, this is where Mt. Airy shines.

Despite playing in the afternoon and it being one of the most played courses on DGCR, traffic was never really an issue. You may see the same group of players a couple times throughout the round, but fairways are well spread out from each other for the most part.

The course is beautiful and the fairways are in great shape. Unless you land in the thickest patches of rough, disc searches should be rare. The tees and tee signs are also nicely done, while the red baskets are a nice touch to make easier to spot.

For being a highly heralded course, it had a couple holes that definitely didn't live up to the standard. In particular, 7-9 is a somewhat bland stretch IMO. I also wasn't a big fan of 5 which combined thick rough on one side and the road on the other side of a narrowing fairway.

I'm sure this isn't news to those who are familiar to the course, but it is the most lefty-focused course I've ever played. Playing here and Idlewild the next day helped me realized more than ever the need for me to start throwing forehands, but it still would've been nice to have a variety. Mt. Airy screams, "Lefty's revenge!"

There are a few awkward transitions from hole to hole. Sometimes you have a take a less-obvious path to the next hole, and sometimes, there are multiple paths by a basket but it's not clear which one to take. Sometimes I felt like we simply had to guess where the next hole was.

The course plays along, adjacent, or across the park roads a good bit, probably over half of the course.

The rough is very thick and borders a good bit of the fairways.

Mt. Airy has been on my radar since I've been playing, so I enjoyed finally getting to play here. It has a unique feel to it with a combination of park-style play but also has holes that feel like they're in the deep woods. I enjoyed that variety and appreciate the work that has gone into the course. I haven't played Osage Grove yet, but this is easily the third best course in the region. Cincinnati is a great place to take a road trip to with all kinds of courses littered near each other. I'm stating the obvious, but make sure you play this Cincy staple if in the area.

18 unique holes; there isn't a single tee shot that you step up to and think of a previous hole you've played on the course. There are one or two which are similar, but the hole design and tree placement place very different demands on those tee shots.

Excellent use of elevation and mature trees. It is difficult because of the design of the holes, not because there are a million trees which get in the way.

Ample tees for run ups, very grippy.

Well maintained, fairways are mowed and grass is kept from getting too high.

Good flow through the course; it really has various segments where you know you can be aggressive and others where you need to lay back. A fun, engaging round.

Pro shop on site with drinks, snacks, and a great selection of discs. Adam and Jason are also super nice, laid back guys.

Two practice baskets for putts and upshots, as well as a driving net on an old shuffleboard court.

Trash buckets on each tee sign which are regularly emptied.

Water spigots scattered throughout the course with actually high quality water (Bobby Boucher would approve, if his momma hadn't said park water is the devil. And if you don't know who that is, google The Waterboy). They are located in the following places:

- before the pro shop on the right as you walk there from your car.

- behind 14's basket and hole 4's tee, near the playground.

- far to the right about a fifth of the way up four's fairway.

- at the top of the hill near the landing zone from the tee on hole 11.

- between hole 12's basket and hole 13's tee.

Mach III baskets. I'm not asking for super grabby, can't miss if you hit chains baskets. I'm just asking for fair baskets that don't spit out from pole hits or catching the sweet spot in just such a way the huge ring kicks you back out.

Some holes, for my skill level, play more as a par 4 (Hole 11, 13, 16, and 18 in the long) or par 5 (Hole 5 long). The only ones I'd say are definitely that way are holes 11 and 16 in the long. In the shorter pins, all the holes above are definitely par 3 or 4, but in the longs, I'd say the par can be bumped up. I know most don't care or will just play it the par they like, but I enjoy having pars set accordingly. Not a big deal though.

Can be SUPER busy. If you show up solo, you're probably going to be playing through a lot of groups.

Hole 6 to Hole 7 is a long walk, but you're outside anyways, might as well enjoy it.

The course is intertwined with the trails of the park a little too much for my taste. There are a few pins where the trail goes one way and golfers play the other way, so I could see a perfect storm striking and someone walking up right after a golfer has released a disc, which I'm not the biggest fan of.

Some other park goers can be oblivious to disc golf, so check the fairways.

The rough is super rough and there are some semi-blind shots. Be prepared to either have someone go spot on a few holes, run out from the tee to watch your shot, or spend a while looking. Or just stay in the fairway, it's nice there anyways.

Hole 3's mando is somewhat unnecessary, as the road plays OB and there really isn't anything in danger if you throw over it.

Mt. Airy is an old-guard course in Cincinnati, OH, which is the closest of Cincinnati's "Big 3" courses to where I'm currently staying. It winds throughout an old-growth forest with many unique and challenging shots. With three pins per hole, the layout can change to keep the course fresh and interesting. The all longs layout is an absolutely brutal test, while the mixed layout provides for some good birdie chances which aren't exactly gimme birdies. There is a pro shop on site, along with two practice baskets spaced far enough apart for some great upshot practice as well as a net for warming up your drive.

The course is absolutely gorgeous as well, all of the trees are beautiful and the grounds are well kept. Benches are at pretty much every hole and the tee pads are nice and ample on most holes. Each shot is unique and does not feel like you're replaying a hole from earlier in the round. Some of the shots are so much fun to throw that you'll be wanting to replay that hole though! The par 4's link very well and require placement and two great shots to get a birdie, while some of the long pins on other holes are really more like par 3.5s.

My only real qualms with this course are that the trails in the park interlink with the course on several holes, and many park users are also oblivious to disc golf. You'll be wanting to keep an eye out for others, and especially on holes 3 long, 4, 11, 13, 14, and 18. There are also many blind shots with seriously thick rough, so if you don't have a spotter and/or run into the fairway off the tee to watch the shot, you'll definitely be looking for discs during your round. You also may need to check a couple holes (hole 17 in particular) to make sure there isn't a group in the fairway before you throw. Also, I do wish they had upgraded the baskets at this course. Mach IIIs, while not the worst things ever, still give some brutal chain outs and spit outs. They don't really detract overall from the course, but it can still be frustrating. However, these baskets are in excellent shape and catch the best out of all the Mach IIIs I've encountered.

Favorite holes:

Hole 2 long is a super fun throw. Navigate the trees in front of the tee well, then let the disc do the work. Really nice hole.

Hole 9 is an uphill blast; navigate between one large tree off the tee and two others to the right and pray you have enough of an arm to get all the way up the hill.

Hole 10 is a great downhill hole, with a large bailout space to the left, but a canopy to challenge if you want the bird, or possibly an ace!

Hole 14 is a well set up hole, great flex shot in the C pin or a fun dead straight shot in B.

Hole 17 is a huge throw off the tee, but play for placement and try to set up a great second shot for the birdie three.

Hardest hole: Hole 11 long. There's a flex/turnover line for a 2, but unless you were just playing for the World Championships, odds are you just want your three. The tee shot is a hyzer placement shot around two trees up the hill from the tee, with a narrow tunnel leading to a seriously sloped green. The rough on both sides is thick, so be sure to keep an eye on where your shot is headed! Really fun hole, but seriously tough.

All in all, if you're in the actual city of Cincinnati and can't make it down to Kentucky for Idlewild, this is the must play course.

Beautiful park. concrete tee pads. Signs for pin selection with distance. Has a disc golf store. Offers lessons. Used and new discs. Two practice baskets. Watering pumps on 1, 4, between 7 and 12's basket, 11, and 14 (behind the basket).

It is a city park, parked cars, picnic areas can be an issue, but it's manageable.
Needs a few arrows for new timers to point them in the correct direction such as going from 5 to 6 or 10 to 11.
A proper 'mando' arrow with a 'mando' warning at tee pad 3 would help new players.

Adam and Jason work very diligently to upkeep this course, leagues, & tournaments. If you're new, there is a facebook group page called Cincy Disc Golfers, reach out, and someone can always help you.
I would never play this hole without another set of eyes if you're new to the course. There are some blind holes, wooded areas that love to eat discs.
Name and Number on ALL discs before playing here helps...

Sitting high above the city of Cincinnati is the disc golf course that is called Mt. Airy. Before starting your round, a visit to the pro shop is a must. It's a shame they don't stock advanced arms for sale, I couldv'e used one on the course. There you will find an awesome selection of discs, knowledgeable sales people and just about anything else disc golf related.

Right off, you can tell that this is a labor of love. There is the usual practice basket. Then there's a practice net to warm your arm up. You'll need it warmed up before and iced down afterward. And there is a basket set down a hill to warm up your mid-range shots. At the first hole you'll find a bench, nice tee signs giving you the usual information as well as a washer system indicating which position the basket is in at the moment.

Now is when reality sets in and you step up and see the basket is in the B position today, just 489' up a decent sized hill. I would describe Mt. Airy as relentless. It never lets you catch your breath. Hole after hole keeps the pressure on, both in the distance and in the challenging terrain and design. I was playing with local brothers, Tony & Kevin, they of the 400' drives, and to see them struggle at times made me wonder, what the hell am I doing on this mountain with my rec arm and tired old body. Thanks guys for letting me tag along on your round.

I really liked # 4, throwing over the ravine, but it's still a 400' hole. It would be so great to be able to play this course being able to throw 400'. The course is made for young, strong armed players. What a great challenge for them.

There's not much to complain about. I won't complain about this course being a little too much for us recreational types. I get tired of hearing better players complain that the little rec courses aren't challenging enough for them.

I guess the park's road come into play on a couple of holes.

The rough is nasty in a few places. I'm glad I was able to join up and play with other players. Those extra eyes helped finding discs on more than one occasion.

If I'm being extremely picky, I'd say there's no water in play. Another thing, IMO, is Mt. Airy lacks that signature hole, one that players talk about over campfires and is passed on in awe from generation to generation. It has lots super challenging, world class challenging holes but not that awesome downhill bomb. Again, I'm being picky.

I've been really torn over my rating here and I'm usually very quick to decide. I'd love to give Mt. Airy a 4.25 because that's what I'm comfortable with but I guess, with some regrets, I'll give it a 4.0 rating, it is an excellent course with great challenge for those players Intermediate rated and above. Enjoy!

The Mt. Airy DGC is set in a great multi use park just outside downtown Cincinnati. Visit in the pro shop with a HUGE selection of discs, bags, accessories and other things to prepare for the round. The shop has great prices and the workers are great! Before you start there is a field with about 100 feet of grass to a practice basket, allowing you to practice upshots. Another basket is set up for putting as well with uphill, downhill and flat putts. Their is a driving net set up to warm your arm up your arm, which you will need! There are not many holes under 300 feet, requiring a driver for most holes. The course is very well designed and will require you to use every shot in your bag. The baskets are well kept and catch well. They are extremely visible painted red. The course is very well maintained, but has rough that can swallow discs! A great place to practuce everything that you need for a complete life of disc golf.

The biggest con for me is the fact that their is only one teepad per hole. This course will be very difficult for a beginner. As I said earlier, not too many holes under 300 feet. Their are alot of lefty friendly holes, which is good for a southpaw like me, but can get repetitive over time.

If I could give this course a 4.25 I would. I really enjoyed ny experience and look forward to coming back and playing again. The local club is awesome and I will most definitely reccomend this to anybody.

+Teepads and Baskets: Pads are concrete, good size, generally good condition. Baskets are DGA Mach III and in good condition.
+Layout: The course has multiple pin placements to provide a good amount of re-playability.
+Tee Signs: All were generally in good condition, provide necessary info, also have pin indicators that are a great help on blind holes.
+Challenge: This course requires a pretty good variety of shots and has a good bit of length to it depending on the pin locations.
+The Nati. I'll get into this more in the "Other Thoughts" section.
+Other: Very nicely maintained, clean, the park offers a bunch of picnic areas and trails and playground equipment, restrooms and water also available. Also has two additional holes available during the winter.

-Hazards: Several holes play close to roads or parking areas, one hole has you throwing over a road. These make me a bit nervous but probably don't bother more experienced players too much. It seems like the park can be very busy at times and that means there may be some unexpected spectators oblivious to flying discs.
-Variety: Generally the variety is pretty good but there were a handful of similar straight open throws. Not a major problem, but noticeable.
-Navigation could be a little bit of a problem so take a map.

Mt. Airy is probably the best top notch course in Cincy for the widest range of skill levels. The course plays fairly quick, but does put up a pretty good challenge. I believe most of the pins were in B and C positions when I played. You will certainly use a variety of shots and may find yourself in a bit of trouble if you don't hit the fairway on many of the holes. However, other holes can be very forgiving too. It's very well balanced course and offers a fun round of golf.

One of the best aspects of this course is the Nati. This place is awesome for just hanging out and exudes a traditional clubhouse vibe. They stock a great selection of plastic and snacks for pre or post round munchies. In addition to the pro shop, you can warm up your arm at the driving nets or at one of the two warmup baskets. If you want to make a day of it, pack a lunch, eat at the picnic tables and challenge one of the locals to a game of "porch-shoes."

Hopefully the concern over this park getting closed passes and golfers can enjoy this course for many years to come. I'm very glad I had the opportunity to play at this classic course.

I have not been playing that long (about a month or so). I have played a few of the smaller courses and decided to play a longer one. Let's face it, Winton Woods is tiny compared to this place. I thought I was pretty good until I came here. I only managed to par a few of the holes while a couple of the others really kicked my butt. It didn't help that I came on a day when all of the tee's were in their longest position. I have a long way to go in my game.

Being my first time here, I had trouble finding my way from tee to bucket. (Maybe it was because the tee's were all the way back.

The pro shop was excellent and loaded with discs and accessories. The guy working was full of knowledge and actually talked me out of buying a couple of discs because he knew I wouldn't be able to throw them. Instead he personally took me outside to the practice driving net and gave me a lesson real quick. I bought another disc that he recommended. Also they have maps in the pro shop to help you out.

Personal Rank: 108

A great selection of holes at Mt Airy offers challenges involving a variety of elevation, wooded and open, lengths from ace runs to par 4s. All in a beautiful escape from the city, one of the more secluded feeling city park courses that I've played.

The Nati Pro shop is a big bonus with a huge selection of discs and equipment, knowledgeable staff, practice area outside with the only driving net I've ever come across.

Of the Cincy area big 3, this is my second favorite in that it has a bit more overall variety than Lincoln Ridge, and is a level below the awesomeness that is Idlewild. The area is a great weekend disc golf destination with Mt Airy being one of the shining gems.

After playing 1000 courses, I'm excited to share my opinion on some of my favorites. My top 100+ list can be found on my blog, my favorites list is at 110 of 1020 as of writing this review. Of all courses played, the top 1.5% receive a rating of 5, down to 6% is a 4.5, and 15% is a 4.0 creating a bell curve distribution. I apologize that my reviews are not as detailed as they have been previously. I have included the details as to why this course stands out to the best that my memory serves.

My personal criteria is very subjective, a gut feeling:
~Physical beauty stands out, both scenery and the beauty of each hole.
~Amenities don't mean much to me, it doesn't much matter if there's benches, concrete tee pads, or garbage cans.
~Technical design - How well designed are the fairways/airways and landing areas? Are there unique holes that stand out? Variety of holes - distances, shapes, elevation, tree density, rough thickness. Pars 4 and 5?
~I love extreme/adventure golf. Rugged and secluded courses stand out more than park style courses. In general I prefer more technical over more open.
~Local Scene. If I was involved in a tournament or league or met up with some locals and played the course multiple times I appreciate different aspects of a course.

Thank you, enjoy my reviews and if you don't find this information helpful, please let me know what I can do to improve.

Mt. Airy is located in a huge park. There is a nice building with a pro shop near the tee of #1. The land has rolling hills, open areas, and wooded areas. I'ts a really good mix of land and holes. There is a restroom and water located right in the middle of the park and accessible from several holes during the round. The locals do a great job taking care of this course.

Near tee #1 there is a great practice area. There are 2 practice baskets. One has astroturf lining it so there is no mud to contend with. There is also a net to throw into. I've never been to a course with a better practice area.

Each hole had 1 concrete tee pad. All were flat and long.

Each hole had a very desriptive tee signs showing all 3 pin placements.

Mach 3 baskets were in great shape. Looks like they just replaced them.

With the use of a map I had no problem navigating this course.

This course was challenging and fun. I could see newer players have a good time as well. There was rough but we did not have a hard time locating discs.

Roads come into play on quite a few holes adding challenge.

Hole #15 was a super fun hole crushing it down the hill.

There was quite a bit of traffic on the park roads the day I played. Our group almost blasted a car on accident. Not fun.

The course has very fun "tunnel" type shots.

The day I played it seemed like there were many holes in the 300 to 330 foot range.

This is a very fun course and well worth the stop. I had played Idlewild and wanted to try something new. I was not let down by this course.

This course is a great place to practice moving around obstacles and has a wide array of hole types to keep things interesting.

You will have to go back toward the 3rd/4th holes to find the 7th hole, because it is not in an obvious spot.

The course is missing many signs and the tees are in need of repair.

1) There are two practice baskets by the first tee as well as a net and two 60' strips of concrete for you to practice your drives. I didn't bother throwing on them because I had just enough time to play this course before we headed back to WI.

2) There is a pro shop located on site which I have rarely seen in disc golf. It is in an old historic building that has been in the park for a long time which makes it an even cooler experience, I just wish I could have gone in to see what the store had, but no one was around when I was there.

3) Awesome and attractive red powder coated Mach baskets. That is a really nice color and will probably be helpful in finding the basket on occasion. They were all mounted in valve boxes . . . something I would recommend to all courses with multiple basket locations, because it helps protect the basket sleeves from damage and it also makes it much harder for someone to try and break or pick the lock that keeps the basket in place.

4) A bathroom and water are available in the middle of the course over near Holes 2 and 15.

5) Benches and garbage cans are available in many spots on the course.

6) The concrete tees are nicely sized and nice and grippy. I played on a chilly morning and didn't have to worry about slipping on frosty or icy tees.

7) Mulch was used in the key spots where mud would be visible. The only spot I felt could have used more mulch would be in the woods on #1, there seemed to be some bare spots in the wooded portion . . . but the rest of the course was in really good shape.

8) Nice tee-signs with Par, Hole # Distance, OB marked, hole sponsors and a decent hole map.

9) This course is set on the typical Kentucky landscape (even though it's just across the border into Ohio). There are rolling hills all through this entire park and the course uses those hills as one of the main features of design. Not a single hole on this course is flat and the rolling fairways even have some side slopes that make them even harder to land your disc on.

10) They used gravel in a few spots where mud must be consistently present. Stone won't decompose like mulch which would always need to be refreshed.

11) There are a lot of different
throws out here but many holes have options too. You will want to work your disc both directions for sure and also know how to take advantage of elevation change and how it affects the disc flight because there are some nice elevation changes here, both up and down. While I do prefer wooded courses, I do like to air it out when elevation change is involved. It is fun to try that perfect shot to throw the disc an extra hundred or more feet because of the drop.
12) The scenery here is amazingly beautiful. Idlewild was cool because of the disc golf pictures you can take. . . Mt. Airy Forest is cool because of the natural beauty and the scenic photos you could take, not necessarily the beauty of the disc golf (and this isn't a knock on the course).

13) There is plenty of challenge out here, some from OB some from the elevation changes, some from the perimeter woods.

1) The single biggest thing I disliked about this course had nothing to do with the course itself (It's called Mt. Airy Forest so I would assume the forest gets used) . . . it had to do with all of the awesome woodlands on the perimeter of the holes. I was shocked they decided to not use any of the woods other than to just to form an edge of the fairway with it. Perhaps they were not allowed to cut trees or perhaps they wanted to provide a different kind of disc golf experience than Idlewild and Lincoln Ridge by offering up the park-like setting instead. I much prefer wooded holes to par0like holes even if there are key trees to avoid. I just love throwing technical shots over distance shots.

2) The second biggest issue I had was the walk between Hole #6 and 7. There were no directionals and there was no way to know if the next hole was off in the woods on the left across the road or if I was supposed to continue up that side of the road and hug the woodline some more. I wandered around a bit looking for the next red basket and I didn't see anything. You have to backtrack halfway down #5 to get there which would create a safety issue and a backlog during a tourney.

3) This is a perfect course for advanced players and intermediate players wanting to stretch their arms a little bit. For me I am a mediocre Intermediate player who doesn't throw very far but has an excellent upshot game . . . so I have a lot of dropin 3's. Those get boring and old. It would be more fun if I could park more holes or throw an excellent shot and make a great putt for birdie, but the holes are like 30-50' out of my range to do that.

4) There were a few signs missing unfortunately.

I suppose it wasn't a good idea to play here after playing Idlewild. I really should have saved the best for last because I think Mt. Airy disappointed me because I had just played the #2 course in the country. With that said Mt. Airy is a solid course with a lot of nice features, it just maybe felt like it wasn't quite as nice because of how impressed I was at Idlewild even though I played it the day after. I recognize that this is a well designed course that is fairly diverse. It uses elevation and the wood-line to create a fairway edge.

Upgrades for 2011: 20 brand new powder coated Red Mach 3 baskets from DGA, purchased by Cincinnati Parks and installed by volunteers. Addition of up to 3 Pin locations per hole for added challenges and erosion control. New benches and bridges built by local boy scouts. Planting of numerous trees and continued removal of Honey suckle throughout the Park.

As I read through these reviews I notice many do not understand that we are still working on these renovations and most of the complaints will be taken care of when we accomplish our final goals. Hence the new signage and last few alternate sleeves will be finished by next spring. All I ask is please be patient while we continue to renovate this course to make it the best it can be.

Maps can be found at the Nati Pro shop for current layouts and info.

We will be pulling out Holes A and B which play between holes 3 and 4 for the winter months. These two holes where removed due to the Parks dept. had concerns of the erosion back in 2006. We are always looking for hole sponsors to help cover costs of these renovations, if interested please contact me anytime for further details.

-forces use of many different types of shots and challenges you technically
-signs show layout of holes, distance, and par
-pro shop at course is awesome and has almost any disc you'd ever want
-beautiful course in 1500 acre forest
-bathrooms onsite
-some narrow and challenging fairways without extreme overgrowth in the woods to lose discs
-excellent practice/warmup area
-logical flow between holes for the most part
-garbage can and bench at almost every hole

-some holes are missing their signs
-sometimes a little muddy in the woods

This is an excellent course in a great natural setting. It's not often you have a pro shop on site and I loved that, it has an amount of variety you can usually only find on the internet. The course is technical and challenging but a lot of fun. If you're in Cincinnati this is definitely one you have to hit.