Canby, OR

North Eco

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2.075(based on 22 reviews)
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1 1
Kirkbetz
Experience: 36 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

a quiet treasure 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 8, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

In the woods well marked except for 6. Some short holes but each had its challenge.

Cons:

6 needs a pad and one more sign to find easily.The woods are unkept, or "natural" if you prefer, so bring a spotter.

Other Thoughts:

Courses like this should be encouraged. Beautiful setting, quiet, and short but still challenging. Great use of some of our green spaces.
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3 0
Jiu-jitsumole
Experience: 35 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

local player 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 26, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A nice little course to be honest. Slightly more technical play through trees with some control needed. Fun back side with 3 decent drives in the field. The rough is tough in places but the more it keeps getting played the more it gets improved.

Cons:

Storm messed up a couole baskets and debris. No tee for hole 6. Could use some up keep.

Other Thoughts:

Could be a great course with 18 hole potential. Needs some better plans, over all a fun play. 2 times makes a good round.
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8 0
Nate32
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.3 years 75 played 60 reviews
1.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 21, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

North Eco is a short par 3 course that plays in the middle of nowhere in Canby, Oregon. This course has all the essentials it could ever need which is rubber tee pads and Discatcher baskets. North Eco plays next to Willamette Valley Country Club in the Canby Parks and Recreation facilities. This course plays on the north end of Eco City park although I don't this this is much of a park as it is more of a hiking ground. This has beautiful scenery but the course is another story.

This course has some fun technical holes but is way to densely wooded. I have no idea why they would put a course here because there is a mile walk down a trail to get to this course.

Course has good navigation through this what seems to be a rain forest. Blackberry bushes are heavily stacked on this course and it can be very challenging to get your disc out of one them. There are a few good ace opportunities which is nice.

No elevation change at all.
This course has a lot of variety except when the Willamette River comes into play on some of the holes. I played this course in the Winter and the water was flowwwing.

Cons:

Now navigation to this course is extremely tricky. I don't know why they decided to put a course here because you can not see it from the parking lot and it is a mile walk down a path to the first tee.
Some holes on this course need extreme clearing as I found my self making my way though thorn bushes.

There is a sewage plant next to this course which is not ideal but it makes since since this course is in the middle of nowhere. I don't think they do hardly any clearing on this course which is not great because soon this course might be a R.I.P course because of overgrowth.

You never no if your disc could skip into a bush so make sure to keep your eye on it because it is very likely that you could loose one of your discs here. Walking a mile to maintain this course is challenging for maintenance people. From the 1 picture on this course back in 2012 most of hole #1 is densely overpopulated in overgrowth.

Other Thoughts:

If you look at this course on Google Maps and you map to 1314 NE Territorial Rd it will show this massive tree overview. I would reccomend following the directions to get to this course on the front page of North Eco.

This course is very secluded which makes it kind of scketchy but there are a few fun holes here as well. I would recommend this as a road stop course and definitely not as a course to travel here for.
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4 1
DubsAndDiscs
Experience: 19.7 years 286 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Course needs to be played instead of ignored 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

A nice example of a NW wooded course that demands some good technical shots to keep out of the underbrush. Signage in parking lot was good since you have to walk a bit to get to the course. Looks to have had recent work done that cleared up some of the problems noted in previous review.

Cons:

#6 teepad was still MIA, as previous reviewers have noted also, likely due to storm damage from the looks of recent ground work. A few holes in need of some clearing in places, but some problems likely have worsened from lack of play. Lack of a map on DGCR - had to take the chance on playing the course blind since I don't have Udisc (some blame on me obviously). The 3 open-field holes are a con to me because I'm not a chucker and really weren't anything but a distance challenge, with just a bit of cliffside-danger thrown in for two of them.

Other Thoughts:

I worried about this course based on previous reviews, and the lack of a map being posted here, but I took a chance on it because I was in Canby for another reason. So glad I did. It looks like course upkeep may be a problem at times, based on previous reviews, but other that #6's tee being lost(?) the course generally needed one major thing - it needs to be played more!. The nine wooded holes here could really use more play to take care of some of the overgrowth issues. It takes a long time for wooded courses to clear out naturally with use and this course looks like it just doesn't get used enough to maintain clearings in some of the spots. Sure, this course will never be on the same level as Milo or Timber, but with some more play and upkeep this could be much better in the future. Maybe someday this course could add alternate tees to make it play as an 18; there seems to be some very good possibilities out there. I plan on playing this course again next time I'm down that way and hope many others will have doing so in the meantime.
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7 0
davypi
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Unplayable due to Lack of Maintenance. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 26, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

First few holes have some interesting challenge. The woods are heavy so you have to deal with obstacles, but they aren't so bad that they prevent good shots. Discs can get lost in undergrowth though.

Cons:

The site does not appear to be maintained at all. This was probably the fifth course in the PDX/Salem area I went to this year, and all those courses have had some kind of maintenance done on them. However, when we got to hole five the grass was over five feet tall and we could not even see the basket. We wouldn't even play the hole for fear of not being able to find the disc. For hole six we could not find the teepad and checked two different online maps to make sure we were in the right spot. For holes 7-9, the tees were in a nice open field for some easy beginner shots, but again the grass was probably 2 feet tall. We could only spot the tees due to the missing patches of grass and again we didn't dare throw discs for fear of losing them. At this point we just gave up because half the course was unplayable. You could say that I just went at a bad time, but again other courses in the area are playable and another review from somebody who went a month after I did also notes that two holes were unplayable due to overgrowth. So this would seem to indicate a persistent problem.

Other Thoughts:

Having at least walked the course, I can see where this course could get a rating of 3 or 3.5 if it were playable. I suppose if you live in Canby and this is all you have nearby its better than nothing, but if you're just passing through, Wilsonville and Champoeg are only a small detour away.

Not related to the actual course, but the walking paths through Eco Park itself are incredibly beautiful. As other have noted, there is a half mile walk from the parking lot to the course, but its worth making a detour to right a bit and going through the wooded path instead of the jogging path.
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4 0
Breh
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.4 years 193 played 191 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 20, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Parking lot seems in a good neighborhood
Tee pads are short but very grippy slipping wasn't an issue. Signs pointing you to disc golf course
Tee signs on every hole as well as navigation signs pointing you to next hole. For only a 12 hole course has great signage. Baskets are in decent shape. Tight lines in the woods however there is lines there. Open field shots are boring but give you a chance to pull out some of your drivers.

Cons:

Walkout to hole 1 is .4 miles. From parking lot!! At least has sign saying that but dosen't make it fun by any means. Hole 6 has no tee pad but has tee sign and area you can tell you throw from. Some thick foliage on a couple of holes...
Holes 3,4,5 and 10-12 might want to use spotter. Most are short enough not major issue, and I was actually expecting worse. I could see it being pretty overgrown in summer though with a lot tighter lines, and some lost discs. The field holes are kind of boring, and more like filler holes but at least you can throw some practice type drives. I feel if they wanted they could make it a shorter 18 hole course, there is room to expand to 18.

Other Thoughts:

I was expecting it to be a worse course than I expirenced to be honest. It's not a destination course by any means, and there for sure is better in the area. That being said there's a lot worse places to play, and with a little more TLC cleanup, and expansion this could become a great place to play. As it sits now it's still not a bad place to come play, specially if you're not playing solo. Come check it out, and hopefully it gets a little more play. I feel best way to say it is not great but not horrible
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7 0
radsnowsurfer
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.5 years 177 played 49 reviews
1.50 star(s)

BRING A SPOTTER FOR A BETTER TIME 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 7, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

By a good margin, the best thing I would highlight about this course, and want to applaud the course designers for, is the nice tee pads, baskets and navigation signage. I would say that most Oregon forest courses, at this relative level of quality/age, don't have the consistent signage that I found out at North Eco. The tee pads are grippy rubber, and while they aren't particularly long, they work well for the mostly shorter holes on the course.

There were a few fun hole designs, in particular, the first three holes were quite a lot of fun, as well as the last two holes on the course. I really liked the distance and shot shapes on these tightly wooded holes, providing birdie opportunities for a well-planned and executed tunnel shot, while punishing mistakes with some thick, but not overly dense rough (not counting ground cover). Hole 1 in particular I would highlight as one of my new favorite local wooded holes. It's a perfect width tunnel shot, to a tight, but not overly punitive green.

Generally nice scenery throughout. There were a good number of dog walkers out and about when I played, so it's good the park is getting some use.

Cons:

It's been mentioned in most of these reviews, but the walk from the parking lot to the first tee is very long. The directions here on dgcoursereview list it at about 1/3 a mile, the sign at the parking lot says .4 miles, I measured it on my phone's GPS and got 1/2 half mile, and I think that's likely accurate. It's all concrete too, with views of a large fence bordering a country club and a sewage plant, it's not exactly an enjoyable trek.

I really didn't want to mark down the course too much for the thick rough, as I expected it going in. And, generally, I do think that reviewers often overly punish NW wooded courses for the undergrowth. I don't think we should discourage designers from working with true forest properties, nor do I think that it's necessarily a bad thing to design longer wooded holes that require the use of a spotter. All of this is to preface the fact that unfortunately, the undergrowth at North Eco is bad enough that, playing solo, about half of the holes are essentially unplayable right now. I had to skip holes 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12 just because a perfect drive down the middle could still end up buried in dense undergrowth. Sadly, outside of regular maintenance, the only other thing that could help this issue would be a regular stream of players tamping down the brush, which, due to the plethora of better courses in the area, is not going to happen any time soon. At the minimum, having a spotter on most of the forest holes can help, especially as most of the holes are short enough that placing one spotter halfway to the hole should cover enough eyesight.

The three field holes, while a nice change of pace from the forest holes, are almost featureless, and are all essentially the same distance. I was also unable to find the tee pad for hole 9, and had a hard time finding the pad for hole 8.

This is a small con, but, for a short course, North Eco has pretty long walkouts between holes, which don't couple well with the mile of walking required just to play the course in the first place.

While I appreciate novel hole designs, hole 6 is a bit of an eyesore. No tee pad, and the hole throws up and over a steep ~20 foot high dirt wall to a hidden and protected pin.

Other Thoughts:

North Eco is a bit of a tough course to rate for me. I have a lot of respect for the moxie of the course designers to carve a course out of some fairly unforgiving terrain. I think that as a solo experience, given that even as an experienced, ~930 rated player I only felt comfortable throwing 7 of the holes, I would say that North Eco was a 1-disc sort of experience. Playing this course with a group of friends might be more like a 2-disc experience, though if I was playing with a group, I would likely take my friends out to one of the better courses in the area. I would strongly recommend avoiding this course, unless you are a true course bagger, unless you bring someone to share in spotting duties throughout the course.
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1 5
sarpin
Experience: 16.5 years 24 played 3 reviews
1.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Could be a fun little course. Should be an asset to the area. Could-a-should-a. Not many positives to say about North Eco in its current disused state.

Cons:

Ferns, stickers and overgrown bushes everywhere. Use a spotter for nearly every drive and don't throw beloved discs at all.
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4 0
WKS01
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Could be nice with some major work. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Enough land for a short 18 hole course in an area that could use one, also the area is very light on foot traffic.
There is a good mixture of technical wooded and open holes available with some course redesign.

Cons:

A lot, read most, of the fairways or either overgrow or non-existent.
Easy to get lost finding the next tee pad.

Other Thoughts:

This course needs a could overhaul to improve flow and layout. Fairways need to be properly cleared and maintained. Thorns along the rough need to be removed and/or trimmed. It certainly has potential and could make a very nice course in that area.
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5 0
colink
Experience: 9.4 years 145 played 9 reviews
1.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 19, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Variety of open and technical shots
Nice signage for fairways, and between baskets and the next tee.
Very natural park, playing along the Willamette River in Canby.

Cons:

6/12 holes are overgrown with bushes, tree limbs and tall grass. Bring spotters, or be prepared to spend 1-2 hours total searching for lost discs.
Tee pads are rubber covered lumber, not concrete.

Other Thoughts:

There's room to grow this course, and if it was maintained (mowed, pruned, etc.) it would be incredible. That being said, I probably won't play this course on my own.
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4 1
DGPlayer
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Don't waste your time 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 11, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

The good: Well-marked course with quality baskets. Holes 5 and 6 have a beautiful view of the Willamette River.

Cons:

This course is completely overgrown with brush. If you want to lose a few frisbees, this is the course for you. If you still insist on playing, be sure you bring along a frisbee spotter. And be sure you don't use a green frisbee. Also, there is an 0.4 mile walk just to get to the first tee.

Other Thoughts:

I think this course has potential, but it would require major brush removal and ongoing maintenance, which clearly isn't happening. As it is, the course is an exercise in frustration. I will never play this course again.
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4 0
Pierparknut
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.4 years 90 played 87 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Land of the Thorns 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 18, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

-It's a nice little 12-hole course with some wooded and open holes. There are a lot of short holes but they are so wooded you have to concentrate. The three open holes (7-9) are a nice change of pace and longer.
-Nice rubber tee pads, elevated to keep away the rain. They are small, and elevated so big run-ups can be a challenge but then again most of the holes are stand-still shots anyway.
-Wonderful views of the Willamette River on holes 5&6.
-Great signage, and I don't know how I would have made my way without it in this jungle.
-Nice new discatcher baskets.

Cons:

-The biggest issue here is the thorny stubs of blackberry bushes in the fairways. Some of the fairways are cleared but most are just awful. You can tell they are mowed frequently but the stubborn thorny blackberry stubs need to be removed and replaced with grass. Holes 5, 7-9 were especially awful. I cut my hand picking my disc out of a bush on one hole. And just off the fairways are full-grown blackberry bushes. I had to play very conservative so as to not lose a disc.
-Hole 6 was about the worst hole ever. 150ft hyzer straight up a hill with nasty-looking water on the right. The teepad was gone, too.
-On a few holes there was really disgusting looking water. I wonder if this was from the sewage treatment plant next door. I could definitely smell the sewage from most of the holes. Stunk worse than hell.
-It's almost half-a-mile walk to the first tee from the parking lot along a paved path. Normally I wouldn't mind, but after 18 holes of ball golf next door, I didn't appreciate it.

Other Thoughts:

-There is no map on file. Next time I play I'll make one but this time I was too rushed.
-This course has great potential if all the thorny brush were cleared. It's a beautiful site, just needs some TLC. There's space for 6 more holes in the field which would make this a legitimate 18-holer. But for now, bring your beat up discs and heavy gloves to pick your discs out of the thorns!
-I am down this way quite frequently and I think I'll come back. Only course in the area!
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1 1
gdnelson72
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Beware of the brush 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course starts and ends with some fun, technical holes. It is also a beautiful setting as it takes you down next to the Willamette River.

Cons:

It is .4 miles just to get to the first tee. The pads are a couple of feet too short. Once you get in to the middle of the course, beware of the brush, particularly the blackberries. One hole you have to play blind so playing with a partner is a must to lessen your chances of losing a disc.

Other Thoughts:

With some work, this could be a really fun course, but in it's current state I wouldn't recommend it unless you just want to try something new. Blackberry vines vs an expensive disc is not a fair battle.
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1 5
durby800
Experience: 11.6 years 14 played 8 reviews
3.00 star(s)

durby800 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 17, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Fun course, not crowded. Great beginner course. shorter distances. Well worth the short walk to the course. Nice t boxes.

Cons:

Hole 5 had a tree fall and crushed the Disc catcher, lots of stinging nettles.

Other Thoughts:

Great course will play again when I return to Oregon. Had so much fun played back to back rounds.
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5 0
mbressler13
Experience: 12.6 years 50 played 26 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Pitch and pull 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 19, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Baskets catch well
-Good mixture of holes while in the trees
-Not ever crowded
-Good practice basket
-Raised tee pads keep you out of mud for drives

Cons:

-Stinks like hell
-Lots of broken glass in the field holes.
-Grass in field holes can get quiet overgrown
-Whole course can get pretty overgrown
-Trash all over the place
-One bathroom
-1/3rd mile walk down path to find course
-Raised tee pads keep you tip toeing to not break a ankle.

Other Thoughts:

This course has a lot of potential. Too bad it doesn't get the TLC it deserves. Nice little pitch and putt course. Fun when not overgrown. At one point I saw stinging nettles that were as tall as I am. Gotta make it out there again soon. There is plenty of room out in the field to make another 6 holes and make it a legit 18 hole course.
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3 1
mpacker5
Experience: 12.4 years 33 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 28, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- The baskets catch well and are visible from the tee on most holes
- Raised Rubber tee-pads are excellent for muddy days
- The signs are helpful
- Trash cans throughout
- Beautiful scenery
- Good variety of holes.
- Not too crowded, I've never had a problem waiting or felling rushed.

Cons:

- Sometimes the fairways on the field holes get out of control. Though it has been better as of late.
- Next door to a sewage treatment plant. Some days the smell lingers in my nostrils the rest of the day
- The nettles get out of control on hole 5 quite often
-only 12 holes, there has got to be room to make it 18.

Other Thoughts:

This is one of my favorite courses I have ever played. I play 2-4 time per week on my lunch break by myself. I haven't lost a disc in 6 months. This course taught me to control my drives. I am a much better disc golfer because of this course.

Keep in mind I'm from Idaho, our idea of a wooded course consists of a couple trees halfway down the fairway.

The short walk doesn't bother me one bit, I often run into friendly folks and have a good chat on the way.


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5 2
3j0hn
Experience: 21.7 years 87 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Beginner Friendly Gem 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 28, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Good signage - easy to follow course
- Great baskets
- Some decent variety of shots
- Reasonable, but small, tee pads
- Good flow
- Single purpose disc golf land - very few non-golfers walking through.

Cons:

- The 10 minute walk from the parking lot is annoying.
- Some evil blackberries to contend with if you get off the fairway on a number of holes. (and even some on the fairway too)
- Those nice rubber tee pads feel really short on two longer field holes.

Other Thoughts:

This is a very nice addition to the course on the South side of the Portland metro area. For me, it is really nice to be able to take beginners to a decent course that isn't as long as the Estacada courses.
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4 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 46.4 years 1562 played 1507 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Parts Are Good, Parts No So Good! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 17, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

It's a shame that the fairly long walk in and out (1/3 mile) is going to partially eliminate a part of this course's target audience. That is, the families, the seniors and other newbies.

The Discatcher baskets with the bright yellow rim are a nice touch here in the thick wooded course. The pads are currently rubber pads which are fine for this course. right now, there are laminated tee signs and arrows around the course. I'm not at all positive that they're going to last long out here in the remote forest area. There are already signs of vandalism. The holes are short pitch and putt with fair lines to the baskets. It's a pretty Northwest forest area. I like the fact that the designer didn't try to build a championship course here, just kept it short for the area. That works well.

# 5 and # 6 gives you some pretty views of the Willamette River although it's close enough to be a hazard to your tee shot on 5.

I liked the # 6 hole. It's a blind upshot probably only about 180', with a hyser on the end of it. it's a possible ACE run but with a little challenge besides.

Cons:

The grass on the three holes in the field (7-8-9) was badly overgrown. There was a 20' fairway mowed down the middle long ago but it had not be cut recently and the grass in the rough was waist high. Few players playing this course will be able to stay on these narrow little fairways.

# 5 was a throw over a nasty 6'-8' tall patch of stinging nettles to a basket not visible from the pad. I passed on it. Not worth the itchiness and scratching involved. But ***note to players*** Remember when you do stung by the nettles, the Brachen Fern is a natural remedy that takes the sting out. Just tear off a small piece of it and rub it on your place where your stinging. It's the fern that looks more like a houseplant and is a little more delicate looking than the Sword Fern , which is the heavier looking one you'll find out here.

Is there a sewage treatment plant close by? Instead of smelling the wonderful Northwest forest pine type scent, I kept getting whiffs of a nauseating sewage type smell and my sense of smell is very poor.

Ugly grafitti on baskets already.

The long walk in had me wondering had I missed the course somehow?

Other Thoughts:

I think this course would better be served by either relocating the three holes in the open field into the forest somewhere or removing them altogether and making this a nine hole course. They aren't going to be any fun on the typical wet, Oregon day when that grass is soaking wet. I believe I would end up just skipping over them most days.
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4 0
ColinR
Experience: 6 played 1 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Needs care 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Location. I'm occasionally in the area, so nice to have a course this way.
Not crowded. Not a 'bring the family' course.
Layout. Interesting, tight lines on the holes I was able to play.

Cons:

Location. Proximity to water will keep this course muddy, damp, and overgrown.
Foliage. Nettles and blackberries galore. It is annoying enough to have to dog through brush for discs on the fairway (or where the fairway should be). It is hazardous to comb through man-eating plants while doing so.
Grooming. Most holes will require constant trimming with the nearby water and hazardous nature of plant species. Without, the course will be simply unplayable.

Other Thoughts:

This course is a very ambitious effort to turn a very wet, overgrown, nettle and blackberry ridden environment into a decent course. While I think it is possible, it will require a lot more clearing and constant maintenance to keep it playable. As it is, I wouldn't play it again.
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1 7
MciverDog
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

grab your midrange 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 17, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

a great test of your midrange control, fun lines to carve and a couple of ace race shots. 3 big distance shots in open field too

Cons:

its not an 18 hole course...but there's room for it in that field hint hint.

oh and the pads i can't wait until cement pads

Other Thoughts:

fun place to play some doubles.
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