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Oak Grove Park - Gold reviews
2
0
the_bird
Experience:
7 years
11 played
11 reviews
Six Dollars Well Spent at Oak Grove Park!!! 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Oct 1, 2017
Played the course:once
Pros:
-The course offers a real, albeit fair, challenge. This is a perfect test for the developing disc golfer that wants to test where his/her game is at.
-The course and park are both looked after really well. The park is trash free, and offers up fairways that are mostly made up of well manicured grass. There are a lot of facilities (restrooms, benches, parking, water fountains, fishing, paddle-boating, walking/biking/hiking paths) in the park, as well as park staff on site (at least on the weekends). Also, the concrete teepads are a nice size and in very good shape. Many of them are grooved for traction.
-The park is quite scenic, with an abundance of mature oaks and multiple lakes. It'd be a great place to take the family along for a day outside under the canopy of oaks.
-I was really surprised by the complete lack of other golfers. I was at Oak Grove on a Sunday from approx. 11:00-3:30, and played 37 holes (throwing multiple discs per hole) by myself. I had both of the courses almost completely to myself. Besides me, I counted less than 10 people total on the two courses during my rounds. It was awesome.
-The park did have some people picnicking/partying, but it was hardly an issue. I was only effected twice during my round on the gold course. There was one delay while a family walked down a path, and there was one shot (drive on the 18th) that was effected by a large family BBQ. On the 18th there's a popular group picnic spot that is in a relatively dangerous blindspot about halfway up the fairway. Because of this I was forced to lay way back off the tee (only biting off about 1/2 of the distance to the basket) because I didn't want one getting away from me and hitting someone in the group having the party.
-This course will offer you a really nice variety of shots, providing a great opportunity to use all the plastic in your bag! You will be forced to deal with a number of low ceilings, so be prepared for that.
-There are multiple potential basket positions on each hole, which really helps to make the course quite challenging. Many of the holes well over 150' of variation between the different basket locations, which I'm sure helps to keep things fresh and interesting for the locals.
-While the course is entirely made up of par 3's, there are multiple holes/basket locations that can really challenge the big arms. For beginners and novices, many of the holes will be well past the limit of your range off the tee (especially on the windy days). When the baskets are placed in their back positions, a few of the holes really stretch out into very solid two shotters for most disc golfers (especially when you take into account the oak trees and wind).
-The designer(s) really took advantage of all the oak trees, which helps turn this flat parkland course into a really good test of your shot making abilities. The abundance of oaks force you into all types of shots: tunnel shots, big hyzers, annhyzers, skip shots, rollers, layups, forehands, backhands, etc.....I really felt like I got my moneys worth playing here!
-The course and park are both looked after really well. The park is trash free, and offers up fairways that are mostly made up of well manicured grass. There are a lot of facilities (restrooms, benches, parking, water fountains, fishing, paddle-boating, walking/biking/hiking paths) in the park, as well as park staff on site (at least on the weekends). Also, the concrete teepads are a nice size and in very good shape. Many of them are grooved for traction.
-The park is quite scenic, with an abundance of mature oaks and multiple lakes. It'd be a great place to take the family along for a day outside under the canopy of oaks.
-I was really surprised by the complete lack of other golfers. I was at Oak Grove on a Sunday from approx. 11:00-3:30, and played 37 holes (throwing multiple discs per hole) by myself. I had both of the courses almost completely to myself. Besides me, I counted less than 10 people total on the two courses during my rounds. It was awesome.
-The park did have some people picnicking/partying, but it was hardly an issue. I was only effected twice during my round on the gold course. There was one delay while a family walked down a path, and there was one shot (drive on the 18th) that was effected by a large family BBQ. On the 18th there's a popular group picnic spot that is in a relatively dangerous blindspot about halfway up the fairway. Because of this I was forced to lay way back off the tee (only biting off about 1/2 of the distance to the basket) because I didn't want one getting away from me and hitting someone in the group having the party.
-This course will offer you a really nice variety of shots, providing a great opportunity to use all the plastic in your bag! You will be forced to deal with a number of low ceilings, so be prepared for that.
-There are multiple potential basket positions on each hole, which really helps to make the course quite challenging. Many of the holes well over 150' of variation between the different basket locations, which I'm sure helps to keep things fresh and interesting for the locals.
-While the course is entirely made up of par 3's, there are multiple holes/basket locations that can really challenge the big arms. For beginners and novices, many of the holes will be well past the limit of your range off the tee (especially on the windy days). When the baskets are placed in their back positions, a few of the holes really stretch out into very solid two shotters for most disc golfers (especially when you take into account the oak trees and wind).
-The designer(s) really took advantage of all the oak trees, which helps turn this flat parkland course into a really good test of your shot making abilities. The abundance of oaks force you into all types of shots: tunnel shots, big hyzers, annhyzers, skip shots, rollers, layups, forehands, backhands, etc.....I really felt like I got my moneys worth playing here!
Cons:
-Confusing. Unfortunately, there are several places on this course that are super confusing for first time visitors. Whether it's trying to locate the next tee, or figuring out where the basket is, you will be confused at least a few times on your first visit.
-The course has beautiful color maps on each tee box that indicate where all of the basket positions are. The problem is that it seems like a lot of these can be pretty hard to decipher. They just didn't always seem to be very clear/accurate, and like another reviewer I often found myself playing eeny, meeny, miney, tree when looking at the maps (as It all just didn't match up).
-The course could definitely use something on each tee that indicates which basket location is in use! This is especially important because of how confusing it can be on the course. On multiple tees (mostly on the front 9) I stood there having no idea where the basket was. I found myself guessing and just blindly throwing the disc out into an open space hoping I wouldn't be too far from the basket. There are a number of places on the course where multiple baskets and teepads all get bunched together. I even found myself throwing at the wrong basket off the tee on two of the holes!
-In addition, there are a tees that are extremely difficult to find after finishing a hole. I feel like I spent a too much time just walking around (sometimes going way off in the wrong way) trying to find the next tee. I'm sure a lot of this could have been avoided if I had printed out the map I just read about on the local club's website.
-So, if you're a first timer, make sure you print out a copy of the map on the club's website! I'm sure it will save you some of the hassles I had out on the course. They do give you a map when you enter the park if you tell them you're there to play disc golf, its just not at all legible. The one I got had been photocopied so many times that it just looked like a giant black blob of ink that was completely illegible.
-The course has beautiful color maps on each tee box that indicate where all of the basket positions are. The problem is that it seems like a lot of these can be pretty hard to decipher. They just didn't always seem to be very clear/accurate, and like another reviewer I often found myself playing eeny, meeny, miney, tree when looking at the maps (as It all just didn't match up).
-The course could definitely use something on each tee that indicates which basket location is in use! This is especially important because of how confusing it can be on the course. On multiple tees (mostly on the front 9) I stood there having no idea where the basket was. I found myself guessing and just blindly throwing the disc out into an open space hoping I wouldn't be too far from the basket. There are a number of places on the course where multiple baskets and teepads all get bunched together. I even found myself throwing at the wrong basket off the tee on two of the holes!
-In addition, there are a tees that are extremely difficult to find after finishing a hole. I feel like I spent a too much time just walking around (sometimes going way off in the wrong way) trying to find the next tee. I'm sure a lot of this could have been avoided if I had printed out the map I just read about on the local club's website.
-So, if you're a first timer, make sure you print out a copy of the map on the club's website! I'm sure it will save you some of the hassles I had out on the course. They do give you a map when you enter the park if you tell them you're there to play disc golf, its just not at all legible. The one I got had been photocopied so many times that it just looked like a giant black blob of ink that was completely illegible.
Other Thoughts:
-As others have said, this is not a free course to play. The cost is $5 on weekdays and $6 on weekends/holidays to enter/park. For that you get access to both of the courses and all of the other amenities in this fantastic park.
-The wind really adds another level to the challenge of this course. The day I played the wind was gusting to 25-30mph, making this course a real challenge. The wind, when combined with the oaks, made many of the holes for me two shot par 3's, where I was more than happy to escape with my par. Also--I bet this place is boiling hot in early August!
-The water does come into play on a few of the holes, but it's something that can be avoided if you choose to play it safe. I never felt like it ever really posed a threat to me, but I also chose not to challenge it, nor did I throw anything ridiculously errant on the water holes.
-A couple of the holes run right up next to the 5 freeway. The first one of these was one of my favorite holes on the course: a shorter par 3 that required a precise rhbh hyzer off the tee through a small window to a very well protected basket/circle that is tucked right at the base of the freeway embankment. A fantastic hole cut out of a limited amount of space.
-If you live anywhere near this course I strongly recommend that you drive over to this park and spend a few hours here playing both of its courses. They're really a lot of fun.
-Being that it's right off the 5 Freeway (about a 2 minute detour), it would make a nice little place to break up your drive. So, if you're making that long drive up or down the 5, from LA to Portland, this would be a fantastic place to get out and stretch the legs while throwing some plastic.
-There's also a shopping center on the other side of the freeway where you can pick up some food for an impromptu picnic. It has the usual assortment of crap: panera, chipotle, el polo loco, sonic, jamba juice, wendy's, panda express, starbucks, round table, etc.....and you can also hit up Sportsman's Warehouse for all your fishing and camping needs.
*****Wildlife Warnings******
Ground squirrels! Use a little bit of caution when walking the fairways here. There are a crapload of ground squirrels that have dug up about a million giant gaping holes throughout this course. It would be real easy to turn an ankle here.
Geese. A lot lot their poop around. Also, avoid eye-contact with them as they can be super territorial and aggressive!!!
-The wind really adds another level to the challenge of this course. The day I played the wind was gusting to 25-30mph, making this course a real challenge. The wind, when combined with the oaks, made many of the holes for me two shot par 3's, where I was more than happy to escape with my par. Also--I bet this place is boiling hot in early August!
-The water does come into play on a few of the holes, but it's something that can be avoided if you choose to play it safe. I never felt like it ever really posed a threat to me, but I also chose not to challenge it, nor did I throw anything ridiculously errant on the water holes.
-A couple of the holes run right up next to the 5 freeway. The first one of these was one of my favorite holes on the course: a shorter par 3 that required a precise rhbh hyzer off the tee through a small window to a very well protected basket/circle that is tucked right at the base of the freeway embankment. A fantastic hole cut out of a limited amount of space.
-If you live anywhere near this course I strongly recommend that you drive over to this park and spend a few hours here playing both of its courses. They're really a lot of fun.
-Being that it's right off the 5 Freeway (about a 2 minute detour), it would make a nice little place to break up your drive. So, if you're making that long drive up or down the 5, from LA to Portland, this would be a fantastic place to get out and stretch the legs while throwing some plastic.
-There's also a shopping center on the other side of the freeway where you can pick up some food for an impromptu picnic. It has the usual assortment of crap: panera, chipotle, el polo loco, sonic, jamba juice, wendy's, panda express, starbucks, round table, etc.....and you can also hit up Sportsman's Warehouse for all your fishing and camping needs.
*****Wildlife Warnings******
Ground squirrels! Use a little bit of caution when walking the fairways here. There are a crapload of ground squirrels that have dug up about a million giant gaping holes throughout this course. It would be real easy to turn an ankle here.
Geese. A lot lot their poop around. Also, avoid eye-contact with them as they can be super territorial and aggressive!!!
1
0
Technically Fun 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 30, 2017
Played the course:once
Pros:
• Easy to find
• Decent baskets
• Restrooms in a couple spots
• Pretty good signage with one glaring omission
• Decent tee boxes, although these are of the roughened concrete variety. Not totally my favorite but workable.
• Decent baskets
• Restrooms in a couple spots
• Pretty good signage with one glaring omission
• Decent tee boxes, although these are of the roughened concrete variety. Not totally my favorite but workable.
Cons:
• Tricky navigation in a couple spots
• Goose poop. It's a thing. What can you do...
• People in play in a few spots
• Goose poop. It's a thing. What can you do...
• People in play in a few spots
Other Thoughts:
Tips
• Use the map and the signs
• Gets hot out here. Bring water.
• On #6, be sure you aren't aiming at #2s basket
• On #8, the water is farther out into the fairway than you think. You hath been warned.
• #9 & #10 have OB on them that's not immediately obvious. #9: It's back left. #10: It's everything left of the path.
Random Thoughts:
Having been to this course in its original form and having played Purple, I was looking forward to seeing what the folks did with Gold. As you might expect, Gold uses many of the original holes with some new ones thrown in. I would say that Gold is a bit easier than Purple with a few caveats. Most of Gold's shots are of the sub-300ft. variety necessitating more technical skill than the bomb-it-out-your-a$$ variety. There are a couple ace runs and a decent amount of birdie opportunities if you hit your lines. There was thought put into the basket locations such that you can rarely just let fly on a shot. You almost always have to shape a shot, either around or, frequently, under a tree. I'd call it 'finesse with power'. Of course this does depend on where the baskets are the day you are there. When I was there, I enjoyed a good mix of short and long positions keeping the round fresh and allowing me to try several shots in my bag. This leads me to my one gripe with this course. For all the obvious love that went into these courses, how the bojangle are there not basket position markers on the signs? At least three times, I was not 100% sure which basket to throw at (due to the density of holes), and once I flat threw at the wrong one (see above). There are some wonderful pictures on the signs but the angle the picture was taken at does not match where the sign or tee box is so you play a constant game of 'name that tree' trying to figure out where the basket is. Granted, a minor con, to be sure, but really odd considering the work performed here. In any event, the course is a lot of fun and being relatively flat, a great place to work on your game. There is water in play in a few spots but if you play it mostly safe, you should be fine (unless a wicked roll-away should strike). It is also advisable to watch the humans particularly in spots where they may be just out of sight (like left of #18s basket). For the most part though, you should be able to get around the course without incident, unless you count people looking at you funny wondering what the heck you're doing in the park.
Bottom Line:
Gold is a fun and technically challenging course with a nice mix of risk/reward shots. It's a nice walk around a pretty park, and a very nice complement to Purple. It's, of course, tough to really rate one independently as, if you're going to go out there, you may as well try both, unless you're allergic to water and goose poop, then you might want to skip Gold. But fear not, and get out there. Great job Oak Grove course crew!
• Use the map and the signs
• Gets hot out here. Bring water.
• On #6, be sure you aren't aiming at #2s basket
• On #8, the water is farther out into the fairway than you think. You hath been warned.
• #9 & #10 have OB on them that's not immediately obvious. #9: It's back left. #10: It's everything left of the path.
Random Thoughts:
Having been to this course in its original form and having played Purple, I was looking forward to seeing what the folks did with Gold. As you might expect, Gold uses many of the original holes with some new ones thrown in. I would say that Gold is a bit easier than Purple with a few caveats. Most of Gold's shots are of the sub-300ft. variety necessitating more technical skill than the bomb-it-out-your-a$$ variety. There are a couple ace runs and a decent amount of birdie opportunities if you hit your lines. There was thought put into the basket locations such that you can rarely just let fly on a shot. You almost always have to shape a shot, either around or, frequently, under a tree. I'd call it 'finesse with power'. Of course this does depend on where the baskets are the day you are there. When I was there, I enjoyed a good mix of short and long positions keeping the round fresh and allowing me to try several shots in my bag. This leads me to my one gripe with this course. For all the obvious love that went into these courses, how the bojangle are there not basket position markers on the signs? At least three times, I was not 100% sure which basket to throw at (due to the density of holes), and once I flat threw at the wrong one (see above). There are some wonderful pictures on the signs but the angle the picture was taken at does not match where the sign or tee box is so you play a constant game of 'name that tree' trying to figure out where the basket is. Granted, a minor con, to be sure, but really odd considering the work performed here. In any event, the course is a lot of fun and being relatively flat, a great place to work on your game. There is water in play in a few spots but if you play it mostly safe, you should be fine (unless a wicked roll-away should strike). It is also advisable to watch the humans particularly in spots where they may be just out of sight (like left of #18s basket). For the most part though, you should be able to get around the course without incident, unless you count people looking at you funny wondering what the heck you're doing in the park.
Bottom Line:
Gold is a fun and technically challenging course with a nice mix of risk/reward shots. It's a nice walk around a pretty park, and a very nice complement to Purple. It's, of course, tough to really rate one independently as, if you're going to go out there, you may as well try both, unless you're allergic to water and goose poop, then you might want to skip Gold. But fear not, and get out there. Great job Oak Grove course crew!
1
1
Fntsygamr
Experience:
9 years
62 played
27 reviews
Fun course for sure 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jan 19, 2015
Played the course:once
Pros:
Easy to navigate (with exception, see below)
Great signs
Nice teepads
Flat; no elevation changes
Mixed shots for big arms and not so big arms
Great signs
Nice teepads
Flat; no elevation changes
Mixed shots for big arms and not so big arms
Cons:
Goose poop everywhere
When park is in use, could potentially cause hazards for golfers
Navigation from hole 10 to 11 is tricky. A sign showin where 11 pad is could be helpful.
When park is in use, could potentially cause hazards for golfers
Navigation from hole 10 to 11 is tricky. A sign showin where 11 pad is could be helpful.
Other Thoughts:
Took a day off to play with friends. Loved the course as a whole. Friendly Windjammer members to show where to start and continue. No need for huge throws. Great mix of technical and precise shots. Basket placement was easy to find. Washer system or colors to show what hole is in use would be more helpful. I will certainly come back again. $5 to park, $6 on holiday.
1
1
nagabrain
Experience:
2 played
2 reviews
Gold-- the Harder of the Two. 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Oct 17, 2014
Played the course:once
Pros:
The more technical course of the two in this park. See my comments about Purple. I do believe that this is the more challenging course at Oak Grove. There are more low ceiling shots, required carries over obstacles and varieties of wind shots. Your score will be higher here.
Also, there is a shopping center nearby. So you can get provisions you will need for the entire 37 hole run (both purple and gold)
This course is also deeper in the park and has more shade.
Also, there is a shopping center nearby. So you can get provisions you will need for the entire 37 hole run (both purple and gold)
This course is also deeper in the park and has more shade.
Cons:
Water on 5, 6, 7 and 8 have cost me some plastic. 9 and 10 have some serious brush walls in the way of the fairway. This is more of a challenge than anything.
Since you are deeper into the park, the bathrooms are further away.
Other than that, the cons are the same for this as they are in Purple.
Since you are deeper into the park, the bathrooms are further away.
Other than that, the cons are the same for this as they are in Purple.
Other Thoughts:
The new signs and pads are in, just like the Purple Course and things are looking finished. It's going to provide a really long and varied 37 holes of golf for the Central Valley!
