REVIEW EDITED AND UPDATED FOR ACCURACY THANKS TO SOME COMMUNITY INPUT


This classic monster Eastern PA course (site of the 2005 Worlds) is gradually re-opening after 4+ years of being closed due to what I remember as an ash-borer infestation requiring the removal of countless trees. This review (and 3.5 rating) is based on the conditions I found in late September 2023. The back nine is now open for play.


+ The good news is the few indicators of bringing the course back: several new turf tees interspersed among the nine holes. The gradual re-opening has provided the opportunity to change several holes . I have been told that Hole 12 went from being a par 4 to a par 3. Hole 13 went from being a par 3 to a par 4, and Hole 14 has a new green.


+ The back nine mixes woods and open, incorporates natural elements like a ring of boulders protecting the slightly sunken 10th green and some low stone foundation elements from a long-gone building in front of the 11th basket. The amazing view of the marina and lake beyond still frames the view from the 15th tee, the 16th tee is a top-of-the-world shot, and hole #18 is a great closer: 730' downhill par 4, turning left with a green protected by trees

- No tee signs yet (the posts are there, but no signs on them yet), uDisc aids the first time player with navigation, most tees are rubber with timbers around them. The baskets are old DGA's, and sometimes difficult for the first time player to spot. The fairways of the wooded holes have felled trees in various stages of being cut up and stacked. Keep in mind that this is a work in progress, and seeing the several new turf tees means these Cons will be resolved.

~ Somewhat cart-friendly. There are plenty of times where the cart would be easy rolling. But between the rocky fairways on the early holes and the dramatic elevation changes later on, the cart will probably slow you down and create more effort than it's worth.


~ The nine plays in a loop, and even though the 18th green is lower than the 10th tee, the round felt to me like I was throwing uphill more often than downhill. The overriding challenge is length, but the amount of uphill (holes 11, 13, 14, 17) makes it particularly tough - and suited to longer throwers. Case in point is the 800' hole #14. Sure, it's mostly open and a par 5 on uDisc. But it's uphill a lot of the way. This is a hole where the layout on uDisc appeared to be inaccurate. The new green has the approach bend around to the right. As always, walk forward and look if you're not sure!


~ I didn't play Nocky back in the day, so the tree removal may have opened up and tamed a few of the back nine holes. For example, it appears that the downhill toward the marina on #15 has fewer trees early off the tee (comparing old DGCR pictures to what I experienced).


~ The closest comparison I can think of is the Quaker's Challenge layout at Pinchot State Park. Though Pinchot is more thickly wooded, it is a tough course that also puts an emphasis on distance. Pinchot has the advantage of not having been closed for four years, so the upkeep and course amenities have stayed current.


~ Finally, I understand that more detailed information is available on Facebook -so check it out if you use FB. DGCR and uDisc (my usual sources) might be incomplete.

+ All holes are within the woods. The population density, tree thickness, ceilings and arrangement vary from hole to hole. It never feels like the same hole twice.
+ Decent rubber tee pads.
+ This course is clearly geared more towards experienced players, but the pars still feel fair.
+ Water hazards on about half of the course add some risky drama to the fun.
+ This place has some pleasant scenery. There are streams and creeks everywhere with a few tiny waterfalls. There is a nice quiet pond. There are many different types of trees. There are dozens of rocks everywhere you go that a player can hop on if you want to play 'the floor is lava.' Walking through the forest is less boring when there are fun things to look at along the way.
+ The course feels as though it has sprouted up from the ground itself in how it coexists with the natural setting.
+ There are quite a few elevation challenges here. Some are stark and steep. Others are slight and steady. It also makes for an invigorating hike. Wear sturdy footwear here.
+ Benches at nearly every hole allow golfers to relax and enjoy the view if they have to wait for others to finish.
+ Holes 9 and 18 both bring you back to the parking lot with bathrooms and trash cans in case you want to get something from your car partway through.

- It's muddy in several spots. Wear footwear that you won't mind getting messy because some holes seem permanently saturated. Hole 9 is affected most by this. The path leading to it, the tee pad and even the first dozen yards of the fairway are all mired.
- All 'current tee' signs should be replaced. As of early Oct 2018, they are faded hand-drawn diagrams with just the pars and distances. Some have loose illustrations of the hole ahead, but they are not sufficient. For such a great course, this is an odd thing to take a hit on.
- There are also very few 'next tee' signs. A course this large needs signage directing players to the next hole. It looks more professional and keeps the navigational guesswork to a minimum. Otherwise, players could go the wrong way or feel frustrated and more likely to stop playing. The walk between 8 and 9 is the biggest offender of this.
- No trash cans along the way. Please do not litter!

My favorite hole at this course might be hole 15 mostly because of that view. You can see the marina in front of a huge lake at the bottom of some forested foothills. It's especially nice to look at as the Sun is setting because the golden orange light catches the leaves and makes a sharp shadow that slowly creeps upward as the colors deepen and it sinks lower behind the horizon at your back. At no other point in the disc golf course is there quite a sight like it. (Maybe at the end of hole 4, now that I'm thinking about it.) Up until then, the player is surrounded by trees in all directions, and it gets a bit tiresome. 15 is a visual treat. Plus, that putting area has a risky downhill slant. One bad throw, and your putter will roll away. My least favorite hole here is the one just before it. To my mind, 14 is a nightmare to play. High grasses + tree pinball = bad time.

As for the course itself, Nockamixon is one of the very best, hands down. It has earned all of the praise it gets from every review before and after this one.
The terrain is adventurous and tricky. While playing here, golfers will cross streams two or three times using only stepping stones and every other time on footbridges. There are many fallen tree trunks all over the course that you can walk on if you want to feel like Indiana Jones. Plus, the landscape is just lovely. There are steep climbs that players will have to endure in order to progress, and they are not without danger. Slips and trips are a real factor here. Just watch where you're going, don't rush, and you'll be fine. And do your best to avoid to mud. Thankfully, there are rocks all over the place that you can leap on like a disc golfing ninja.

The holes are varied and fun. One minute you're throwing through a narrow corridor of trees, the next you're throwing downhill right alongside a rocky stream far below, and the next you're throwing uphill over a small ravine with a running stream at the bottom. Nockamixon is a dynamic and lively course with a ton of variety. Of course, players who haven't been here before might feel a bit confused with the lack of next tee signs and unclear current tee signs, but I'm sure that this will be fixed soon enough.

In closing, Nockamixon DGC is a wonder of the disc golf world. What few flaws there are can be easily overlooked because of the park's beauty and the course's creative, crazy and slightly dangerous layout! If you have not played it yet, you seriously owe it to yourself to come here and experience what Nockamixon has to offer. Be warned that it will not take pity on you. You will have to fight through the trees, hills and distances for those pars, but I know that disc golfers love a good challenge.
And that's why I really do think that you'll love Nockamixon.

-Championship caliber course with 18 beautiful holes
-Hole length varies so it's not always a huge distance, which makes it even more fun and gives you a break!
-Course is very well maintained and a nice workout trekking across a very large area
-not too hard to find the next tee really except for 8-9, if you've never played it
-uses the landscape to create an excellent assortment of shots

-Very hard to play if you're new so don't expect to get par or close to it, even if you've played for a while it is still very challenging.
-terrain could be dangerous is slick conditions
-signage needs to be updated and can't hardly be seen some holes

Really an excellent course that uses the landscape beautifully to make a champion caliber course, which pros have played on before! Not many things it lacks and it's very fun to play if you have time!

Creative and Challenging
Multiple Tee/Pin options
Elevation change, Sweeping fairways, tunnel shots, if you can think of a shot I assure you will find it on this course.
Naturally Scenic beauty on every hole.
Great parking.
Good Facilities (large bathroom hut at course start).
Well maintained (all by locals, thank them when you are out there!).

Due to its high difficulty it is not quite as accessible to all players, a shorter Tee position might help with this but ultimately doesn't impact my rating.
Extremely rocky fairways lend to slippery surfaces in the rain making this course not only difficult but slightly dangerous if you aren't actively engaged.
Easy to lose plastic, these fairways get tight and if you kick off.... my heart goes out to ya.
Signage is there but in need of a good update as most of it appears to be sharpied onto a white board (although it does add a really neat aesthetic to it).

There is one reason you are going to play Nocki: you want to be challenged in a way no other course in the area comes close to. This course is long, wooded, and immensely challenging. For those reasons it was featured in the 2005 PDGA Worlds along with Little Lehigh Parkway and Jordan Creek, So when you walk these grounds you are walking the same path as Greats like Climo, Doss, Shultz, Dunipace, and many others which adds a harrowing/humbling effect to it more so than playing Parkway or Jordan because you know this is where the tournament was truly fought and won. The course snakes and weaves its way through the massive and beautiful Nocamixon State Park giving you a true nature walk feel and lends itself to an immense plethora of views ranging from wooded rocky glens to rolling grassy knolls overlooking the Marina. This course will take some time to play through especially the first time you play it so budget your time accordingly and this course will wear you down even if you are in good shape so bring snacks, water, and don't feel bad taking a break! It is hard to describe just how challenging this course truly is but to give a little perspective Hole 1 is a massive par 5.... and it plays pretty much all of 5 strokes unless your game is tip top. You will need to have all of the shots in your bag and your scramble game on point and that is just to shoot par if you play at an amateur level. This course is hard to criticize as it truly is a best of the best kind of course but to get that coveted 5 disc score it needs to have it all and to me the only thing on my trip that held this course back was its signage. The hole signage is very faded and appears to have been drawn over/on with Colored markers, well enough that you can figure out roughly what you need to do but could use some improvement and maybe a few markers out there pointing you in the right direction for the next tee as there are a few short walks from target to teebox that you might miss. In summary: the hype is real, Nocki is that true tournament level course. It will stun you with its looks, entertain you with its design, punish you for your bad shots, and break your will if you let it but it is a course that everyone needs to play once to say they have and is a course that proves just how difficult disc golf really can be.

Planning a road trip along the East Coast of Pennsylvania is not easy. Definitely not easy. You have so many courses that are top of the line. However, there is only one Nockamixon. I played a tournament the day before, and I asked local players what course would be the absolute one to hit. Every answer was Nocki, and it wasn't a long pause, then decision. They went into autopilot, claiming that Nocki was the course to play.

The drive lone to the course was scenic enough. You are driving through the back country of PA. You should know what you are getting when you walk into a course in the city called Quakertown, but it is a really nice part of the country.

The first hole sets up what you know is going to be an epic course. You are throwing down into the woods, which at 8 o'clock in the morning, has the sun rising up over the trees, illuminating the dewy grass and the millions of rocks that are scattered through the woods. It is truly an enlightening experience, almost religious.

The holes themselves were brutally amazing. You are curving, twisting, winding through the woods of the beautiful park. These holes were just brutal. Up and over ravines, down and through tunnels, hyzer bombs through trees, anhyzers over bushes. Just wonderful shots, designed with a seasoned player in mind.

The scenic shots were easily some of my favorite. You would throw shots that would just glide over boulders, and this is not something you can dream about. You can't watch a video and think, "Close Enough." You have to do it. You have to hit tight gaps that open up to a cliff like drop off. Same exact idea. Shots over ravines, shots over creek beds. It was insanely different, and difficult. Something you only see at courses like this.

This course was not just a fantastic disc golf course, but it is also one of my favorite hikes that I have ever taken. Just the beautiful rock structures, and well aged trees are jaw dropping, and that was just the sights. I was also climbing over boulders, jumping off mini-cliffs, and just huffing and puffing up and down hills. It was just insane.

There were only a few cons, and I know that this course is just fine without the extra stuff, but there could be more things that would easily bump this up to a 5.

The tee signs were old, cracked, and not the most descriptive. They were hand drawn, and it was sometimes faded, or unreadable. This caused a bit of a problem, because a lot of the holes, the basket was out of sight. These could easily be updated with newer, better signs.

I can tolerate Mach IIIs, but at a course that is one of the best, they should have the best. An update is definitely in need if they want to keep up with the many improvements that other courses are making.

The rubber tee pads were showing their age, as they were not super long, or particularly grippy. I wasn't slipping, but when you have to throw 350 foot tight lines, you want a better tee to throw off of.

You could add a tee, but what they have right now is a great disc golf course. No real reason to add, but it is not a beginner course. Bring your A-game.

Navigation was pretty tough on a couple holes. The paths were well beat, but there were a few holes with multiple paths. I don't understand why there were not any signs pointing to a next tee. This goes a long way. I feel even a painted tree, or a wooden arrow on leaned up against a rock. I felt there was a cheap solution to a pretty big problem.

Some holes had tall fairway grass, or really bad gnats. Put on bug spray, because there are definitely some bugs you do not want living in the hairs of your body.

Note- Sometimes, I feel these extra perks are not needed. This usually only applies on private courses, because they do not have the daily visitors, or the humongous club. I feel that a state park should have better amenities than some other courses. Amenities are not nearly as important as the golf, which Nocki had amazing golf.

This course is one of the reasons that disc golf is the best sport in the world. When else can you go through some of the best looking properties on the United States, sometimes not even touched by a saw, or an excavator. Just raw, natural beauty.

Nocki is that course that you go home and say, you know, that course was awesome. You tell you buddies about it over a couple of drinks, or just dream about the day you get to go back.

I feel like with more time and club work, this course moves forward and becomes a 5 star. I will know too, because I am definitely coming back.

It does not get much better than Nockamixon on the East Coast.

here is elevation, water, distance, elevated tees, a hanging basket all layer out in a challenging, enjoyable 18 hole masterpiece.

Hole 5,7, 15 and 16 are probably some of the most scenic and fun to play for a hundred miles. But there isn't a wasted hole there. Even the shortest hole, #13, is this nice technical, ace run of a shot. A chance to catch your breath and get your score a little less lopsided.

This is a course where after you play it, you look at other courses differently for a little while. That 425 ft Par 4 on your home course? A lot less into intimidating after playing 18's 730 ft Par 4.

Could some things be improved? Sure.

Updated signage, new baskets (I find those older DGA baskets really hard to see in the woods)

No disc golfer should go through their playing career without experiencing Nocki at least once.

Wow, what an awesome course and experience. Nockamixon offers a unique round, one that any serious disc golfer should experience at least once. The course plays through a heavily wooded area in a large state park. Make sure you enter through the marina entrance. There is a course map, bathrooms, and a practice basket next to the parking lot and right by the tee for hole 1. There was no interference with other park users, which is always nice.

This is definitely an intense course, but it's incredible how fair it is at the same time. There was never a time when I felt the design wasn't fair, despite how challenging it is. This is even more impressive since it was designed in the early 2000's. There were probably hardly any courses like this back then (Paw Paw, but I'm not sure what other courses would have had a layout even close to this other than there). The name of the game at Nockamixon is hitting long lines to landing zones. The fairways give you room to be creative and the lines are clear. Missed shots are punished but not impossible to recover from. There is a tremendous variation of pars - more so than most other top courses out there - with ten par 4's and two par 5's. Where else can you play a round that a par 3 is the exception?!

My favorite aspect of Nockamixon is that you almost always get multiple options for how to approach your drive or upshot. The thick woods provide line after line and allow you to be creative while you tackle this beast. Other times, there are two very clear options that force you to weigh out the risk vs. reward. Hole 5 is a great example of this, with a longer, more open route to the basket, as well as a shorter but tighter line over a creek that's tougher to recover from. It's great that even the par 3's like this one are very memorable.

The pin placements are phenomenal, often placed in precarious positions. There are a few very sketchy placements near steep slopes, like hole 4, which is bordered by a huge drop-off. Even on 15, by far the course's most open hole, the pin placement makes it more interesting as it is on a very steep hill from a blind look at the basket. Most likely, you won't be able to see the basket on your drive or upshot, so it makes a potentially straight-forward hole that much more scary. This attention to detail and pin placement really adds to the terrific design and fun of playing here. There are even a couple holes with two permanent positions that really change up how the hole finishes.

Elevation is incorporated tremendously, whether it's the use of rolling hills, sink holes, or dramatic drop-offs. You get a couple really fun downhill shots on 5, 15, and 16. I like the use of water here. There is never really a chance that it'd cause you to lose a disc, more just like, you'd rather not have to get stuck throwing from there. It's mostly used in the form of streams that run through fairways or near pin placements.

The flow of the course is great, and transitions between holes are straight-forward. Not sure why the 9-hole loops were switched around, but I think I prefer this way over how it would've been before. There are a few more open(ish) holes on the back 9 now, which provides some relief. The course conveniently loops back near the parking lot and rest rooms mid-round.

It's very well maintained and I rarely had to look for discs despite a lot of blind shots. I'm sure early fall is one of the best times to play here, before the leaves start falling.

There aren't many cons here, and non that would make me remotely consider knocking it down from a 5-disc rating, but there are a few things that should at least be mentioned. For one, the rocks can be annoying. However, it definitely didn't bother me to the point where it hurt my enjoyment level.

I'm sure it's not always this way, but the gnats were really bad when I was there. Not on every hole, but when there were around they were in swarms.

The other thing that could be a con to some players is that it can only be tackled one way with one set of tees.

This is no doubt a 5-disc rated course to me. The balance of difficulty and fairness is only rivaled by a few other courses that I've played. I can see how the challenge could turn some people off, but this is not a course that's just hard for the sake of hard. Every single hole was very well thought out and a lot of fun. I'm barely an intermediate level player and I had a blast even playing on my own here. No matter how much I try, my words can't do Nockamixon justice. It's definitely a course to experience for yourself to truly appreciate it.

Big course with scenic views. Tests all of your disc golf abilities. Both 9 hole loops bring you back close to parking lot. Love a course where par is a good score and this is one of the few

A bit rocky and in peak vegetation it can be rough in spots. It's a big course and is a lot of work to keep whole course perfectly manicured.

This is one of the most challenging courses I've ever played. Great variety of fairways (uphill, downhill, dogleg left, dogleg right, tunnel, wooded, open, etc). Bring your "A" game! Very scenic.

Course can be brutal some some. Terrain can be treacherous.

I love this course. I wish I was closer.

If you want the ultimate challenge, you must play this course.

I'm not listing any pros or cons for this course as you can decide for yourself what they are. Read through the other reviews and you will find the same thing listed as a pro from one person and a con for someone else. Some people even listed the same thing as both a pro and a con... This is why ice cream comes in 32 flavors.

Nockamixon is the first Disc Golf course I ever played but I've waited 2½ years to review it and until I had played enough other courses to have a good idea of where it fits in amongst them. Of the 75 courses I've played at the time of this writing, Nockamixon stands alone at the top. If I could only ever give one 5 disc review, Nocki would get it.

Sure, it's hard. Might just be the hardest course you'll ever play. And I mean that in more ways than three. I've broken bones on this course and seen my friends go home battered and bruised as well (we've stopped going in the dead of winter when everything is covered with ice, it seems to have helped with this). Even if you don't fall down, it's a long, arduous, rocky hike up and down all day long. And don't come here expecting to score well, I don't care who you are. In an interview a couple of years ago, Cam Todd said about Nockamixon, "It's the hardest course I've ever played." One of the designers told me that when they first put the course in, holes 1 and 9 were the first and second holes. 1 plays away from the parking lot and 9 plays back to it, he said people would come play the first two holes and leave because it was just too hard. Now I know I'm not supposed to comment on other reviews, but if you look at all the sub 4 disc reviews of this course you'll find some common themes, "I just started playing", "It was too hard", "Lost all 3 of my discs". This is the first course I ever played and I was totally hooked after my first round (where I shot a bazillion and a half over par throwing 150' at a time). After the 6th time I joined my friends at Nocki I asked the one dude who had been playing a few years if there were any other courses. A few minutes later I was on my phone looking at DGCR and found out that, yes indeed, there are other courses... And they are ALL easier than Nockamixon! Huzzah!!

Your reward though, for all that hard... Is a truly amazing round of Disc Golf. I have not played a course anywhere that can match up to the sheer beauty that Nockamixon brings to the table. The only one I've played that even comes close is Beachfront Park in Crescent City California where you are literally playing on, over and along a NorCal beach while the sun sets behind a lighthouse off in the distance. You'll probably want to bring your real camera and not just your phone for this one. Vibram used the view from hole 15's tee for their Birdie Bash page background a couple of years ago even though there wasn't one held at Nocki. The waterfall behind hole 2 is a constantly changing spectacle especially beautiful in the winter when it turns into a giant ice sculpture. The sunken green they built for hole 7, besides being a truly spectacular golf shot, is another spot you'll be pulling out your camera. I've seen other hanging baskets but none seem as classic or majestic as hole 17's.

Oh right... The Disc Golf. Nocki will test every type of throw you have in your arm, usually several, on each hole. So far, 6 of the holes have 2 permanent baskets (4,5,7,10,14 and 17) and more are in the works. The course plays as two 9 hole loops from the parking lot. The front 9 is more wooded and rocky but the back 9 isn't what I would call 'open'.


Right off the bat on the 821' first hole, you have to pick a line through a field of trees slightly downhill to a 90 degree dogleg left to where Nockamixon's signature boulders begin standing up out of the ground. From there you have a more defined fairway but you'll have to shape your shot around some large trees to get within approach range. What's waiting for you is a stone wall protecting the green... Hellooooooo Nocki!
Hole 2: Uphill. Huge trees in the fairway. Giant depressions to land in. Picturesque island green.
Hole 3: Straight up with a cliff to the right. The "Bridge" across the creek here is the natural stone.
Hole 4: Play the short pin, it's a gem! Tiny little green jutting out atop a steep hillside. Huge premium placed on staying in the fairway. There are 'side fairways' if you miss left or right, but you don't really want to be on them. Missing right can go a LONG way down!
Hole 5: Gut check. What kind of a player are you? There's a skinny downhill hyzer fairway or a slightly more open straight/slight annie route flying entirely over water OB (creek) until you get right to the basket. There's a long pin on the left, but it's an easier shot.
Hole 6: Uphill drive to a really uphill approach with lots of trees around the green.
Hole 7: Just spectacular. Downhill throw with power lines, a boulder field, a creek to cross, and a sunken green with a tight approach line and water OB behind it.
Hole 8: How far can you throw a disc arrow straight and have it lay down? 2 ponds on the left and a huge boulder field on the right. The fairway doglegs right before getting to the green. A third pond is waiting if you go long.
Hole 9: DON'T grip lock your tee shot! There's a pond up the hill and you won't find your disc in it. Lots of trees but a veritable plethora of ways to get through. Short basket is elevated, long is protected by a small OB creek that is often dry but a a bit of a deep crevice to putt up out of.
Hole 10: If you can throw long enough to get there in 2, it's a long sweeping annie off the tee and then a hyzer to the basket.
Hole 11: Uphill with a straight line of trees going up the center of the fairway. There's some OB off to the right before the green.
Hole 12: "It's the hardest hole on the course!" (sorry, inside joke). A lot of trees here. A lot of trees. And for some odd reason, the area short and left of the basket never seems to dry out.
Hole 13: For short arm players, this is probably the only ace run on the course. 2 big trees pinch the fairway about 2/3 of the way to the elevated (stone pedestal) basket.
Hole 14: Probably played here 10 times before I noticed the fairway turns right and goes uphill for the second throw. Always took, "The hero route" straight across the tall grass and tees because I didn't know any better. The long basket here is guarded by a slew of small trees and is perched on the edge of a fairly steep 20' hill waiting for anything that goes long or rolls away.
Hole 15: You're just going to want to sit on the bench here and take it all in for a while. How you land your shot on this green is of paramount importance. Anything that stands up and rolls can leave you with a 75' uphill comebacker.
Hole 16: There's a downhill annie line or one of the coolest hyzerbombs you'll ever throw if you have the arm for it. Don't turn it over or come up short though... The rough to the right is pretty awful and really long right is out to the harbor parking lot (been there more than once). I watched a visiting pro jump up and down like a giddy little kid after his first throw here saying, "I wanna throw it again!" Both of his Orc's spiked in within 10' of the basket.
Hole 17: Wow! Straight uphill off the tee with a little fade good once you get to the plateau but too much right or left leaves you scrambling on your second shot rather than picking one of the uphill approach lines to what I already mentioned is the coolest hanging basket I've seen to date.
Hole 18: A semi open drive out to an expansive open field where, if you place your drive right, you get to crush a wide open approach shot down to a heavily wooded green. There's a new longer pin position on this hole as of last Fall.


Final Thought: If I could only play one course, Nockamixon would absolutely be that course. If that ever changes I will come back and edit this, but I doubt it will.

- Beautiful course. It would be nice just as a hike in the woods.
- Diverse holes with changes in fairway width, elevation, water hazards, and doglegs.
- Well maintained. The fairways were obvious.
- Intuitive layout. On some holes there were no signs to the next tee but just followed the paths and the next hole location was obvious. The only one that tricked me was the transition from hole 4 to 5 (old numbers 13 to 14).

- Not "cons" really but warnings for new players.
- Many reviewers stated this course is intended for more experienced players. THEY ARE NOT KIDDING! I have only been playing since last summer so I am a newbie, and I found this a very difficult course to play. I lost two discs. I only parred one hole. I hit almost as many trees as baskets. I landed in OB water twice. If you are easily frustrated, this course is not for you (yet).

- Wear supportive shoes! The fairways are very rocky at times. This course is a hike through the woods, not a walk in a field.
- Bring a bottle of water. If you can't carry one with you have one in your car that you can drink after hole 9 before hitting the back nine.
- Bring some extra discs, if you have them. I lost two and if I hadn't brought extras I would have finished the course with just my putter.
- This is a great course. I am glad I played it even though my game was poor. I am sure I will enjoy it even more as my skill level increases.

A beautiful course that truly utilizes the landscape and topography of upper Bucks County. Every hole is unique in design. Very challenging, very long. Easy to navigate. A super course.

Some of the "Pros" need to be restated: Very challenging, very long. It will take a while to play this course. Double the time it takes to play an average par 54 course. The rough is ROUGH. Don't expect to see basket until after your first (and sometimes second) shot on some holes. Signage is OK but faded and should be re-done or replaced.

Drive accuracy is rewarded here. Love this course but need to plan the time to play. Some very rocky fairways.
Since the course is two 9-hole loops, they can and have reversed the map layout. 1 is now 10 and 10 is now 1. The hole that overlooks the lake and marina 6 is now 15. Hope this helps.

Nockamixon is one of those courses you hear about; it's one of those courses you take time to just scroll through the pictures and imagine being there. I probably watched the DGM videos five times the week before we took our trip up to play.

It has this lore about it that you get not only from this website but from personal stories of others who have played it. It's one of those places you ask people about and they get this look in their eye as they remember and instead of busting in to every great detail they just say.. "you absolutely have to go there, it's that amazing."

Now I'm one of those people. We played great course after great course on that trip and the one I tell people they just have to go play is Nockamixon.

It all starts with the location, you can not find many better places to put a disc golf course than Nockamixon State Park. As you play through the round you hit an array of environments. There's the rocky forest areas near the pond and where the creek is flowing through. Then you hit elevation changes and wind on through to a more grassy side with sparse trees. Now the trees are scaling back to a more open field and right when you're thinking 'wow can this place be any more beautiful' you get all the way out to the basket on 6. That's when you know it, that's when you realize everything you heard about Nockamixon doesn't even come close to the reality of it. It is that amazing, and you do absolutely need to see it, to play it for yourself.

After that it gets better... yeah. You get a few more open type holes, including one giant bomb off a hill, then you're back in to forest beauty. More holes that wind with the creek and mix in rocky fairways with undulating elevation changes. The scenery within itself, the platform the course dances on is everything you could ask for. Then there's the course itself and yes, it measures up to the expectations in every single way.

If you want a true test of your disc golf skills Nockamixon is that in perhaps the most pure form I've yet to see. There's no tricks, no gimmicks; it's just hole after hole of challenge that uses almost every type of landscape feature a disc golf course can have at it's disposal.

You have long bending fairways that make you work a disc over hundreds of feet and control every twist and turn of its flight the entire way. You have shots where you need to hit gaps at varying distances and shots you need to hit a spot to set yourself up for the next shot.

The par 4/5's here are spectacular in design. Not being on point with every shot leaves you scrambling and wondering what kind of shot you're going to need to get back on pace. Now with all that taken in to account remember a lot of these fairways are so rocky you have no real runup.

There's multiple fairways and options on top of options on how to play each hole. The key is knowing what to throw and when to throw it; where you need to land to proceed, how far short or long of the basket can you be.

The greens here are definitely the best I've ever seen. There's island greens, protected greens, fast greens, hidden greens... and some that incorporate multiple variations.

As you play through the course it just amps up the round and never takes its foot off the accelerator. At no point do you think well this doesn't measure up; the course builds upon itself in a way not many courses do.

Now with all of that in consideration remember this.. Nockamixon is incredibly fun. It's a shot shapers dream, with all of the challenge present the ability to be creative and at times just stop and enjoy the experience is the best part of it.

I love this course if you haven't figured it out by now. Out of all the courses we played and even the ones I have ranked higher it's the one I want to bring other people to and just see them experience what I experienced.

Equipment - Rubber pads, baskets in good shape. Great tee and directional signage. Map of the course at the beginning plus the course flows well and comes back to the parking lot at the middle.

Yeah there's not multiple pads that some of the other top courses in the area have; and yes it doesn't have a a bunch of alternate pin positions like those others have as well.

... though to me why would you want to play any other layout but the one put in? if you want a shorter and sanitized version just go somewhere else.

The rocks can be dangerous if you're not careful; I have no problem with their effect on the play of the course just keep in mind to be safe.

All things considered I wish they could of at least managed one shot over the pond in some way.

Can they just go ahead and put another course in at this park?

My last note is that the design of this course is aimed at more skilled players, if you lack accuracy over distance you will have a hard time playing many of the holes. Also remember it is a long and sometimes hard walk.

Having said that I think the sheer atmosphere of the park will make up for the difficulty some might experience in playing the course. Party on Garth.

Nockamixon is the most balanced course I've played thus far. Some aspects that attribute to this are:

*Fairways. The best wooded fairways I've ever played. Clean, clear, multiple routes, and fair treatment for errant shots into the rough. Room to work fairway drivers off the tee and on upshots (In comparison, I typically use putter/mid combos at Tyler C's or Greystone Woods). The ability to use fairway drivers effectively in the woods helps manage the added distance on Gold Level tees. The rock and boulder fields add to the aura and provide unique shot opportunities.

*Elevation Change. Steep grades both downhill and up. Not only elevation challenge off the tee, but also mid-fairway and around greens. Only 3 "flat" holes.

*Par 4 Dominant. 10 Par 4's, only 6 Par 3's.

*Water. In play on 9 holes, and placed well in relation to landing zones. The lake in the park is gorgeous; viewing it from Hole 6 & 7 is very cool.

*Signature Holes. Every holes is memorable and unique. Defined Front and Back 9 that begin and finish at the parking lot.

*Baskets. Mach IIIs fit this course nicely.

*Flymats were good, even wet. Teesigns were attractive and informative.

*Bathrooms are located at Holes 1 & 10.

The only thing I wish Nocki had is 1 more Par 5.

When I wish to gauge my game, I come here. Nocki is truly special.

Nockamixon is taking me somewhere I have never gone. The 5 star rating. At last! What a scenic, and challenging disc golf course. I'm strongly considering moving to the area just for the disc golf. There is hole after hole that will keep you on your toes, while letting you show every skill you can muster on a course. There are wooded, rocky fairways. Grassy fairways with many mature trees, big down hill bombs, catwalks, ridges, boulders, water, climbs, rolls and all other manners of flying disc obstacles. Each hole has a distinct flavor, though it may share characteristics and themes to the ones before and after it. The area near the pond where hole 1 and 10 tees are located will quickly show you the natural beauty of the park. 1 warms you up to one of the common features of many holes here, length. There are also a fair amount of trees, and rocky earth around the "green", with the pond a ways to the right. 2 is long and grassy with the unusual green walled in, and elevated slightly above its surroundings. Made a great approach barely clearing the wall, and hit the putt for my only birdie on the front 9. 3 is a long dogleg right with extremely rocky fairway. One of the courses original designers and caretakers was weed eating there. Keep up the great work my man! 4 is one of two holes measuring around 250, and requires hitting a gap between trees half way, and clearing a stony wall to the green area. I missed the gap, but save a par. 5 is very long, grassy with scattered mature trees. 6 is a really fun drive out of a few trees, down an open hillside. Masts of boats peak out of the marina from the water at the bottom. I brushed a tree branch with my drive, and blew the upshot, then two putted for a bogey. If you like 6, you'll love 7. Longer, and with a bigger drop in elevation. Can't help but throw an extra shot here. 8 is back up the hill, with trees at the top protecting the basket. 9 takes you back to the parking area on a 730 footer downhill on a more gradual slope. I was hanging tough at 1 over par after 9 holes, and made a 5 for par on the courses longest hole, the 821 foot hole 10. 11 is where I began to lose my touch. Another long hole where the target is behind a wall of stone, I three putted for a double bogey. 12 is the second shortest hole, and I threw a good drive up the hill, converting the putt for my only deuce on the round. 13 is along a catwalk, dropping considerably downhill to the entire right side of the fairway. I showed less than perfect control, and took another double bogey. 14 is down the hill, with the basket on the bank of the creek at the bottom. 15 is on the opposite side of the creek, long and wooded. on 16, I bonked a tree with my teeshot, but had a decent look at the approach. The basket is not visible though, across an outcropping of rocks, and in a low spot near the creek again. I lost a disc on my second shot, and couldn't make putts either, carding a circle 6 on the par 3 eventually. The search for my red, star Excaliber took a lot out of me and I limped in taking bogey 5's on hole 17 and 18. Don't miss left on 17, it gets mucky over there. 18 is long again, very rocky and uphill dogleg right. Excellent but tough finishing hole. 8 over on the back nine, and 9 over 76 all together. I loved this layout, but it really got the best of me toward the end. The tees were concrete, the signs were hand painted and pretty cool, and the baskets were in good condition. The maps I printed were good, but the course isn't to hard to follow without one. Painted rung in the basket points the general direction of the next tee.

Limited in versatility compared to other parks boasting more tees, pin positions, or dual baskets. Lost the disc on 16, stepped in mud, upset loud flying insects and knocked out about 20 spider webs searching. Long course totaling over 8900 feet, a legit par 67 that will beat down novice players. Leash rule gets Charley yet again. Too bad, buddy.

Nockamixon is awesome. That is the bottom line. A fella mowing on the fairway of 5 knew a few of the same guys I do. I think his name was Steve, and he said he moved to the Quakertown area because of this course. Good move if you consider Nocky', as well as many other stellar courses in the region. It may not be perfect, but it's as close as I've seen so far. The critics agree, 4.5 out of 5 at least. An instant favorite for me.

Let me start out by saying that this course really lives up to it's word and more. Aesthetically this course puts other courses to shame. This is a champion level course not for the feint of heart.

The biggest pro to this course for me would be the diversity found on the course; wooded, open, mixed, uphill, downhill, flat. It can all be found at Nockamixon. Because of the diversity found along the course no two holes feel the same. Each hole here could easily be a signature hole, especially holes 6 and 7 overlooking the marina. The diversity of the course will also make you pull every shot out of your bag throughout your round of 18; backhand, forehand, thumber, tomahawk, roller, etc.

On the wooded holes the course doesn't have those ridiculous tight fairways that some wooded courses fall victim to.

Another thing I like about this course is the rough. I mean I hate being in the rough but I like how the rough here punishes and forces a smart shot out of it without the high possibility of losing a disc.

A lot of people overlook this when designing a course but I really like how there are two distinct 9 hole loops. Allows you to stop at your car or the bathroom facilities halfway through the round if you need to.

Navigation for the most part was a cinch and there was never any long ridiculous walk from the hole to the next tee pad. The tee pads aren't too close either to the last hole causing a possible danger of getting hit by a disc.

I personally do not like the rubber flypad tee pads, I prefer raked concrete. Also the lack of alternate tee pads. Having alternate tees would be great, especially for tournaments with a spread of different divisions.

Footing here can be a pain in the a..(nkle)! Lots of rocks and boulders everywhere making some of your shots forced standstills.

Overall this course is a true championship level course in not just difficulty but also in beauty. What sucks is this course is 2 hours away from me, I really wish it was closer as this is, hands down, my favorite course.

Not only is there disc golf at Nockamixon State Park but after the round you can check out the other facilities the park has to offer. The park offers, hiking, biking, camping, fishing, boating, swimming, fishing, horseback riding etc.

nice scenery cool throws great for high level players

quite a few problems it takes 2 and a half just to play and an hour of that is looking for discs a lot of the holes are long and frustrating the average hole is 450 or higher so unless you have a gun like David Feldberg and accuracy you would be happy

need more shorter holes because when you shoot 90 you just want to quit and go to covered bridges or south mountain to make you feel better about yourself

located in one of the greatest disc golf settings i've played. well maintained with restrooms, flymats, great new tee signs, mach IIIs. many signature holes, variety in elevation and terrain. very fair and workable fairways for being a heavily wooded course. tests physical and mental endurance.

cannot think of any. i don't consider things like rocky conditions or no trashcans course cons.

as a side note, when i play nocky, it feels like i'm playing disc golf on sports champion. the best course in the region, hands down.

Full disclosure- This is one of the closest courses to my house and I learned to play disc golf here. So my opinion may be biased, but I prefer to think this just makes me more of an expert on the course.

Let me just start by saying- the course is AMAZING. The closest to a challenging course of ball golf I've ever come across- after playing for 5 years on 15+ courses. I've heard it called the "Pebble Beach" of disc golf, and that is correct. It's long, varied, sometimes quite difficult, and always interesting. Not a single hole seems like filler, and several of them could easily be signature holes on lesser courses. (2, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, and 16 come to mind, though I'm sure you could make cases for others as well)

In addition to this being a great course, it is also set in a beautiful state park. The front 9 plays along a huge hill with amazing views of Lake Nockamixon- especially the basket on hole 6. The back 9 is set back in the woods and by itself could be a great nature hike.

Tees- usually pretty well maintained. Some bumps/uneven patches, but generally very solid. Maps provide decent views of holes and give good info. No complaints.

Fairways- often long, sometimes narrow, but always fair. Despite Nockamixon's difficult reputation, I think the fairways are usually pretty open as long as you keep your discs low and take your time. There are definitely holes where the trees can be infuriating (#3 for example), but there is always a workable alley through them. This is not one of those courses where the difficulty comes from a designer that thought it would be a good idea to leave 40 trees between you and the basket. There is always a viable means of getting through- if you can't then you'll just have to swallow it. tl;dnr- difficult but fair

Rough- if you don't manage to stay in the fairways, there is a variety of obstacles ready to eat up your discs. For most holes, this would include some bushes, high grass, or trees- I find it's usually pretty easy to find your disc as long as you pay attention when it lands. The real trouble comes with the boulder fields in the woods. If you can, play with a spotter to help see where discs land on these holes (16 and 17 especially). If your disc lands in there and you don't have a good idea of where it went down, you could be searching for quite a while.

Diversity- this is the best part about nockamixon. There is every type of elevation change you can imagine. There are tees on pedestals, in (relatively) open areas, hanging from baskets, next to streams, and on the edges of steep hills. Some fairways are long corridors with trees or cliffs on either side, while others allow for open shots over trees, down hills, and across fields. Some holes are monsters (well over 700 feet), while others are short but tricky (there is one hole that allows legit ace runs- you'll have to play to find out). All of these differences keep you on your toes. And while it adds difficulty, pars and the occasional birdie are always options for adequate players.

Lots of rocks. Makes fairway run-ups difficult or impossible at times.

The key is to take your time, figure out your lines, and stick to them. Keep it fair, while still getting some distance, and you'll be fine.

I've enjoyed my rounds at Nock. My initial impression was it was crudely designed and built when I first played it several years ago. Time went by and took another crack at her. What a gem! As I played hole after hole, I was reminded of the beauty within....great mixture of terrain that challenges many aspects of your game. Some holes have multiple pin placements...check the info board for that intel. The amount of rocky terrain brings a new obstacle to the game...no extra distance on the skip and if it hits the ground hard..look for the ricochet. Not going to go into specific holes...but I loved the back nine, especially 14, 16 and 18. Just alot of fun.

The rocky sections...be careful where you step..had a few mis-steps and some difficult lies to get a halfway decent footing for a shot.
Signs were o.k., not very informational for the first round...after that, not really necessary.

Tyler is my home course, so I'm used to what a good disc golf course should play like. Nockamixon really shines as an all around excellent 18 holes of challenging fun! Put this one on your must do list...and do it!