East Liverpool, OH

Thompson Park Disc Golf

2.985(based on 21 reviews)
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8 0
The Red Death 30
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.4 years 88 played 47 reviews
3.00 star(s)

How Much Are You into Adventure?

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 7, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Let's start off with the fact that this is a 27-hole course. If I was really local I'd probably play different configs of 18 each time, but since this is an hour drive for me, when I make the trip I always play all 27. I actually recommend starting at Hole 10. You'll do the hardest part of the course and longest walks early on and leave yourself the "easy 9" for your final piece.

There are some incredible holes here that give you a chance to throw shots that you just don't see anywhere else. #11 is a cool throw along a creek to a basket sitting on the right bank. #13 is a crazy shot down into a canyon to a basket sitting opposite side of a creek there. There is another fun downhole shorty on the final 9 as well that plays off a cliffside.

I am actually a fan of park courses and this delivers just about all of disc golf. The original front 9 plays very much through multi-use park. You get a lot of walkers around you, though never in play, and find opportunities for friendly convos with the locals. There is a huge amphitheater there with a basket in front of it that sets up nice photograph opps. The woods in the final 18 are spectacular. You play very much along the sides of a large hill, so there are a lot of rock formations and boulders and the aforementioned creeks in the course also.

Cons:

The front 9 are pretty much old school disc golf. Many might find them too short and too little of a challenge, then you basically walk into the jungle. There is little to no maintenance happening on the final 18 holes. Watch your discs carefully because the potential for loss is high here. Too often the shot is blind and the tee signs are no help at all. This is rough golf. I don't mind that but many will so it's worth noting. My biggest issue though is the lack of manicuring. Too many holes are just a tee and a basket with a lot of trees between. It's poke and hope more than shot shaping.

There are at least two tees that play off a rock formation. Now, these are great photo shots and unlike most anything you will ever see in disc golf. Also incredibly unsafe. Are the odds low of a fall? Maybe, but any potential on a drive to overstep and fall 30 feet is concerning. Putting that aside, 18 of these are carpet tees. I'd almost rather have grass than moldy carpet.

The walks get increasingly long as the course develops. Think of this as three rings. The first 9 are the inside circle, then each 9 expands around that. By the time you get to 19-27 you are playing a large circle around all of the first 18. There is no signage to help you either. Pretty much follow the dots on a Udisc map or whatever you use because it's all you have to navigate. They really needed to look at an aerial map and re-number a lot of holes after they expanded. There is a more intelligent layout here that they just ignored.

Other Thoughts:

In the summer there is a restroom to use, but it's closed off-season. Bring bug spray because you will be deep in the brush here. Definitely check out the Time Capsule too.

Only one set of tees on all holes.
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10 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.6 years 764 played 387 reviews
3.00 star(s)

three 9s Beats A Pair Of 9s Every Time 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 29, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Thompson Park Disc Golf is set on a multi use park . Parking is somewhat crowded and tight at peak times . I did not see an open bathroom here , but the park homepage mentions that there are restrooms here that are open year round . Look at the online DGR course map for clarity . This is a 27 hole course .
The Equipment - There are short narrow 2 1/2' X 7' cement tees on the front 9 , and the last 18 holes have natural tees . The tee signs are on wood posts with sponsors and some basic information on them . The baskets are Chainstars and seem okay . Some helpful tape at the bottoms of most of the baskets help navigate around here .
The Landscape - The park was mowed and the fairways in pretty good shape when I was here . This course rolls for the first 9 holes and plays park-style , lulling you to a relaxing state ,,, then you walk back to the back 9 and ,,,, nice woods and elevation + . There are still some park style holes like #16 , 17 , 18 and maybe #27 . A creek comes into play a time or 2 . Some nice rock formations show up in spots in the woods . There will be long walks ( see cons ) between the 9 holes sections and some other holes . Enjoy it . The park is pretty nice to look at .
The Highlights - the back 18 holes are where this course starts to glow some . I am not sold on the #10 downhill 420' drive because there is literally no fairway to shoot down . I do like the ending and the green is in a risk/reward area , over a downed tree and a huge drop surrounds the green . #15 is only 170' , but it is straight up , and the basket is guarded by a boulder . #16 , 600' , has a few mature fairway trees with branches that can swat down your drives . #23 is a 400' narrow woods fairway drive to a basket with no green to work with at all .
Signature Hole - #11 , 300' . The hole runs down hill at first and banks left to right over 2 creeks . The basket sits atop the bank overlooking the 2nd creek . It's also the best looking hole .
The Time - It took me almost 2 hours to play the full 27 holes . . A foursome will have their hands full getting out of here in less than 3 1/2 hours .
This is a fun play in a nice park . There were what looked like newbies just playing the first 9 . The back 18 starts at the parking lot , so you can go to your car if you need something .

Cons:

#1 Navigation . The Course breaks off in spots . From 9-10 , 16-17 , 20-21 & 21-22 are just a few . Even on the short front 9 , you are going to be confused if a first time player going from 3-4 ( you have to backtrack and go over the road to find it ) . You might even have a hard time finding #1s tee ( hint : after parking the car , walk past the closest building and it is hiding under a low hanging tree Please update your course and DGR with an informative and accurate 27 hole map .
#2 Equipment - To take this course to the next level , course equipment needs to be updated . East Liverpool may not want to pony up the cash for cement or gravel tee pads , better tee signs or some yellow banded Discatchers , but all should be on the local disc golfers wish list . Some steps & benches would help , too .
#3 The elements - You may want to stay on the first 9 holes after a good rain or snow . 10-27 - mud + natural tees and elevation = injury . Wear hiking shoes if you have them .
#4 Long treks between spots . There are going to be loooong walks between holes . 9-10 , maybe 13-14 , 20-21 and 21-22 . There is a good walk from 27 back to the parking lot . Pack plenty of liquids . If any course needs a few benches , it's this one .
Disc Risk - Medium . Some blind shots , lots of woods , and the elevation here , will cause rollaways and ricochets . Take turns spotting .


Other Thoughts:

I think that the course designers did a good job with the course . There may have been more than 1 set because of the front 9 looking so much different than the back 9 . Nice basket placements on several of the back 18 . I had to round up on my review to a 3 because of Thompson park being 27 holes , and it being divided into the first 9 being for newbies or families and a good warmup for better players before the descend into the woods for the last 18 . The course will give a little something for everyone . This course might empty your bag with it's technical and tight wooded features and its length and park style holes complete with doglegs . Try to link up with a local your first time out so you don't wander around aimlessly in a few spots .
My Recommendation - Front 9 is good for intros , newbies , families , and even dates . It is also useful as a warmup for locals, intermediates and up . Too off the beaten path for travelers , but might be worth it for Course Collectors , since they can get this , Chester City Park ,and Tomlinson run in a little over half a day . This is still a 27 hole stopover . if local or northeast of Pittsburgh , Give This Course A Chance . !!
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10 0
DiscinOhio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.4 years 205 played 195 reviews
2.50 star(s)

The East Liverpool Workout: 6 Pack of Abs and Bulging Muscles Guranteed in Weeks! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 1, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Thompson Park is a 118 acre city park that is set right in the middle of the tall, rolling hills of southeastern Ohio. Better than normal weather for New Year's Day had both the park and course bustling with people enjoying their respective activities. It's a nice, clean park in a town that has the opposite reputation for the most part.

+ The front 9 had concrete tees and was manicured well. I liked the way it flowed around the more pedestrian-riddled part of the park. There's a few fun ace runs to warm you up for the final 18 holes.

+ The Back 9 and Outback are gorgeous. Picturesque views of the tall hills and winding creek. Definitely a visual treat.

+ Navigation was pretty easy for the most part. There's no map on UDisc, so you have to rely solely on the course to provide flawless guidance. While it isn't flawless, there's many arrows pointing the way as well as tape on the baskets.

+ The back 9 features some awesome course design and really unique and fun holes. Some risk-reward comes into play. Some baskets are guarded by rock formations. These formations can cause some tricky greens, adding to the course difficulty.

+ It's an awesome hike, but being in decent shape is almost mandatory to have a good time here. Stretches of the Back 9 and Outback are devastating on the legs, but rewarding once you reach the top.

Cons:

- This course could rival some of the best in the state of Ohio if it had the basic ammentities needed for a hilly, wooded course.

- Holes 10-27 just have a rutted area of mud for the tee. I can definitely understand getting concrete or even gravel to certain parts of this course can be difficult, but it needs to be done if you want a top tier course.

- There's really no stairs or bridges to speak of. This is a really "raw" mountaineer course. Some people might enjoy primitive disc golf in the hills, but I personally want a more polished experience.

- Too many blind shots for my liking across the final 18. As a first timer, I constantly had to walk up the fairway to make sure I wasn't going to lose a disc down the ravine.

- Could use some additional clearing in spots, but it really wasn't as bad as I expected it to be.

Other Thoughts:

This place is an absolute workout. All of the local disc golfers who play this course a few times a week have to have a sculpted body like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Add some concrete tees, permanent signs, and bridges/stairs and you have a 4.0+ gem in southeastern Ohio. But in its current state, it's just not there yet.
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11 0
kinger
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 109 played 109 reviews
2.00 star(s)

A Tale of Three Nines 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 7, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

~Clean City Park environment
~Great use of elevation
~Technical course w/ solid variety & various distances
~Restrooms & drinking fountains in numerous locations
~Three distinct 9-hole layouts provides playable options

Cons:

~Concrete tees on front nine are too small
~Tees on the remaining 18 are natural and in bad condition or undefined
~Navigation is very difficult, can lend to lots of back tracking
~Baskets are very hard to see in the wooded areas
~The Outback strongly favors RHBH off the tee, and becomes repetitive

Other Thoughts:

For me this is truly a polarizing course, due to numerous issues. Overall this course is good, and the potential is there for it to become great. Located in a large city park that is both beautiful and welcoming. The park itself offers many amenities for disc golfers to spend a full day comfortably.

The original nine are laid out nicely, starting in the middle field and zig zagging counter-clockwise around well traveled walking paths and park roads. The first nine are fun and provide birdie and ace opportunities while still requiring shot shaping and careful disc selection to avoid mature trees, and out of bounds paths and roads. Small concrete tee pads are on the first nine only and they don't contribute much. Most holes can be played as stand and deliver or you can use the adjacent grass for a full run-up.

All of the holes have wooden sign posts by the tee areas. Old basic metal signs are on all posts, and newly laminated hole signs have also just been installed providing all needed information. All baskets have tape indicating direction to next tee pad and there are some other directional arrows scattered about to help. There are some large walking gaps throughout holes 10-27, and some non-obvious routes to the next hole along the entire course so navigation is another big concern. It takes a few rounds to get familiar with the entire layout.

The middle nine dives into the woods with great elevation changes, tight gaps, and some impressive rock formations. This section is in great need of maintenance and clearing. You can see the potential of awe inspiring holes IF this area was continuously trimmed and manicured. Travel from tee to basket on a few holes is rough due to the elevation changes, bordering on dangerous so hike with caution. You emerge from the woods and play the last three of this section in a more open park setting with nice elevation.

The outback nine is my least favorite of the three. The terrain is similar to the middle section, but is in more need of clearing and maintenance. My biggest issue here is that after the first few holes it finishes out with dogleg left holes playing around a hillside....this becomes repetitive and slightly frustrating. This section needs the most work, but could also become very good with time and effort.

Originally played a casual round of all 27 holes, then visited a week later for a C-Tier Tournament playing two mixed rounds. It's worth playing, but expect some wandering around your first time out trying to follow the layout.

I wanted to give this a 2.5 to 3.0 but feel it's currently closer to a 2.0, however seeing the potential that lies beneath the ground cover and among the trees makes me optimistic. Normal sized tee pads, better navigational aids, a few downed trees here and there, and massive brush/ground clearing would propel this course!
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2 0
Cdocks
Experience: 7.4 years 163 played 4 reviews
2.50 star(s)

This could be a great course... 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 28, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Thompson park has 27 holes, with a good mix of open and wooded, short and long holes. There are a few very unique shots here as others have said, throwing off of cliffs, through a creek bed, and some really cool elevation changes.

Cons:

Very confusing layout, was difficult to navigate even with a map, and there are several long walks.

Some of the holes could be sweet, but there's no line from tee to basket. Hole 10 comes to mind here. It would be an awesome downhill shot if there was a line.

No teepads, and many of the teeshots are not on flat ground.

Other Thoughts:

Seems like whoever designed this course just popped in tee posts and baskets and never really put any other work into it. The design isn't very intuitive, with several very long walks between holes where you're not even sure if you're going in the right direction. There's a lot of potential here for a great course if someone puts the work in. I drove 1.5 hours to play here and will not be making the trip again, or recommending others play here.
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7 0
Derek B
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.4 years 411 played 47 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Almost a great course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 12, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Beautiful scenery
2) Cliff shots
3) Good mix of wooded and semi-wooded holes
4) Elevation changes

Cons:

1) No concrete tees
2) Only one set of tees
3) Difficult navigation
4) Subpar signs
5) Lack of discernible fairways on some holes
6) Exhausting

Other Thoughts:

Course design: 3/5
Scenery: 4/5
Tees: 1/5
Signage: 2.5/5
Navigation: 2.5/5
_______________
Total/Average: 2.6/5

This course is mystifying because it seems like it should be outstanding, but it falls short.

The course's front nine plays way different than the rest of the course. Here, the course is on well manicured grass, dotted with some trees throughout. The majority of the holes are 250' or so. Nothing special here.

Once you hit hole 10, however, the course changes dramatically. From here on out, there are some very challenging holes, and the majority are in mature forest, with fairly significant elevation changes throughout. The setting is gorgeous back in here and there are some amazing tee shots from cliffs that are a sight to see. Some of the holes are both challenging and fun, but some of them are just plain frustrating because there is no discernible path to get through the woods to the target (hole 10 comes to mind).

While the course has some appeal, the negatives quickly outweigh this appeal. From the get go, I found myself lost and wandering around to find the next hole...and this was so even though: 1) I had a map; 2) there was yellow tape on the target pointing to the next hole; AND 3) sometimes there were arrows on trees pointing in the direction to travel. Something needs to be done to address this problem because it really detracts from the enjoyment of the game; especially because this course has so much elevation changes, that it will exhaust you. The last thing you need is to walk an extra mile or so up and down hilly terrain just looking for the next hole or trying to find the target.

Next, the lack of concrete tees made it particularly troublesome as some of the tees were on uneven ground. This made it difficult to get a run up, on top of the fact that it can be slick in spots because the grass is worn down to dirt (which was muddy when I was there).

Last, the signs looked old and many of them had the hole number obscured by a screw used to mount the sign onto the sign post. This just added to my navigation woes.

The bottom line...This course has so much potential to be great. It just needs some tweaking and some TLC and it could be a 4 star course. I can't say that I'd recommend taking a road trip to this course until they get the above issues fixed, especially since there's such high quality disc golf just over the border in Pittsburgh.

The average rating for the course was 2.6, which I'm rounding up to 3. Really a 2.6 should be rounded down to 2.5, but I felt there was enough there to warrant a 3 just because of the setting and the potential.
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6 0
BigAl724
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.2 years 179 played 144 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Great Variety, Lack of Course Flow 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 11, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Thompson Park Disc Golf Course is located in a huge city park that has numerous pavilions, a pool, tennis and basketball courts, football and baseball fields, and hiking trails. There is plenty of parking space here and there is a bathroom, water fountain, and garbage cans near the parking area. It is located on top of a hill in East Liverpool, and is only a few miles off of I-30 and I-68. There is a board with local tournament info. near the first tee. The course uses sturdy Chainstar baskets that are in good shape and have hole numbers on them. The designers did a great job utilizing a lot of the park's land and the course is largely spread throughout.

-The outback 9 is the most up to date part of the course featuring numerous next tee signs that are very helpful and make that part of the course easy to navigate. The tee signs are newer and include arrows pointing to the next tee. There has also been a serious amount of deduction of trees in the woods on holes like 19, making the fairway more reasonable.

-The best aspect of the course is the great variety of hole types with many open holes that give you a chance to bomb your disc, numerous super tight holes in the woods, and everything in between. There is a nice variety of hyzer, anhyzer, and straight shots in the open and in the woods. The course also offers huge differences in difficulty. The front 9 are all pretty simply, fairly short holes that are good for beginners. You could call some of these border-line throwaway holes as there is not a lot of line shaping or diversity to the front 9, but they can serve as a nice warm-up for the rest of the course. If this was my home course, however, these holes definitely would be boring. The back 9 start out with a few super tight holes in the woods and offer a great variety of elevation and hyzer, anhyzer, and straight shots. Holes 11, 13, and 14 play over a ravine and have a stream running through the holes. Then the holes open up and offer a lot of distance. The outback 9 mostly features super tight holes in the woods and offer a few tunnel shots through hiking paths and have a few open holes (22 and 26). The elevation is greatly utilized throughout the course as there are a few shots off cliffs (13 and 21), extreme uphill holes (15), and holes that play on significant slopes (10, 16, and 17).

Cons:

While the course offers a ton of variety, there are numerous - pretty serious - problems that detract from the overall experience of playing here.
-First off, the tees here are awful. The front 9 have very thin and narrow tees that are useless in giving any sort of comfortable run up for your drives. The natural tees for the back 18 holes are often on uneven ground, so they are not too comfortable to drive from either. I enjoyed the drives off cliffs, but they can certainly be dangerous for someone who is young or not coordinated.

-Navigation is pretty horrendous for the front 18, and the course overall does not flow well. There is a lot of back tracking on the front 9, and there is not any flow to the next tee. This caused me to search a lot, even though the front 9 all play in the same section of the park. A few times I went to the wrong tee at first, so next tee arrows would help a lot here. Traveling through the back 9 can be somewhat dangerous if it is wet at all, as it requires you to hike down very thin and steep paths in a few parts. You have to walk over a moss covered tree on hole 13, and if wet at all it is very slippery. I like the hiking/nature aspect of this course but it would not suit players who aren't in good shape and have good balance. This greatly limits some part of the course's playability and should be taken into account. Some of the next tees of hard to spot in the woods due to the small wooden tee signs. There are also many long walks to the next tee for holes 10, 12, 18, 19, 21, 22, and 23.

-Holes 10 and 20 have nonexistent fairways. I appreciate tight holes, but these two holes require total luck as there are way too many trees. Arguments can even be made for hole 26's fairway and 27's upshot to the basket that those shots require luck and do not have distinct lines. Again, I thoroughly enjoy tight, wooded holes, but these shots require luck only. Simply put, there are parts of this course that are beautiful, but do not have good topography for disc golf and are sometimes even unsafe.
-The front 9 also play very close to and in one case across the park's walking loop, which was highly congested the two times I played here. There were numerous times I had to wait to the throw.

Other Thoughts:

As I stated above, I appreciated the course's diversity of open and tight holes, something a 27-hole course needs. The tees (or lack of) and navigational problems on the front 18 are what hurt this course's score for me and are certainly below average. The variety of hole types offered here are great, so that balances out the rating as being "typical". My favorite holes were:

13- Very tight shot through trees and you drive off of a cliff
16- 600 ft. anhyzer of a slope that plays through a few trees. A nice chance to air out your disc after playing the tight shots in the woods
21- Another straight shot off of a cliff with a tight line
23- Super tight and long tunnel shot

Took two hours to play by myself
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8 0
Qikly
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.3 years 181 played 150 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Disorganized & Underwhelming 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 6, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course contains a very large variety of hole lengths and levels of woodedness and difficulty, meaning there's something for everyone. The front nine would be great for playing a round with someone new to the sport, and personally, I don't think they're total throwaways, either: there's enough variation in elevation, obstacles, out of bounds, and pin placement to keep you going, even if there's nothing particularly memorable about them. Holes 10-15 play in dense woods, and 16-17 across a broad, sloping fairway before 18's relative openness. I didn't make it to 19-27, unfortunately.

Amenities (water fountain, bathrooms, and parking) are very accessible.

The staff that we met were very nice and eager to help.

Cons:

I feel that there are a lot of drawbacks to this course that impede the overall experience.

First and foremost, navigating the first 9 is indeed horrendous. We had several extended searches to find the next hole, causing the front 9 to take at least twice the necessary time. Perfect course flow isn't always possible, especially in a more open area that lacks obvious directionality; that said, the layout on these holes is a downright head-scratcher that can easily frustrate. The fact that these holes play across the park's central field also has the potential to lead to major conflicts with non disc golfers. There was no visible attempt in the course's layout to avoid such a problem, when there seemed to be space to do so.

There were several kinds of tees on this course, but all had their problems. Most if not all of the front 9 were concrete, but they were exceedingly short and narrow, making them unusable for me (and I don't have a big run-up by any means). Furthermore, their positioning often prevented me from driving in the grass next to them. This hindered my ability to play and enjoy these holes.

The tees for holes 10-15 had a completely different problem. They were natural tees that felt unsafe for a variety of reasons: 10 was at an absurdly steep angle, 11 was from atop a slippery (at the time I was there) rock overlooking a steep drop off, etc. This kept me from getting any legitimate run up on my drives, severely limiting how I was able to play these holes. I understand that it's harder to establish quality tees within a wooded setting, but seemingly no effort was made to do so on these holes. I've seen it done elsewhere in the area (Orange Crush, Moraine, etc etc) enough to know that it's more than feasible. The poor quality of these tees really detracted from my experience here, since I couldn't play these holes to the best of my already-tenuous ability.

In general, the wooded holes felt built around a desire for pizzazz more than quality; they came off as gimmicky and lacking of substance to me. Yes, the playing environment is gorgeous, and potentially interesting, but this portion of the course seemed very raw. There was an absence of lines and general effort to shape these holes or provide them with any form of a path or fairway. Paths/bridges/etc were also missing, which would go a long way to making this section disc golfing friendly. As is, I had some precarious moments trying to navigate the severe elevation and unsure/rocky footing. I'm fit and experienced at hiking through rough conditions, so if my sense was that the environment these holes play in was dicey, I can imagine that they'd be impassable for more than a few disc golfers. I can think of a lot of folks I've played with who I wouldn't take through here. My complaint isn't so much the natural topography as it is the lack of any visible effort to improve the conditions.

Based on the size and proximity of the creek that cuts through 11, I'd guess that it would flood after a decent rain. In such a condition, I imagine 11 would be wholly unplayable, and other holes might be affected, too.

The fact that none of the holes I played (1-18) stood out to me is itself a pretty bad sign.

Other Thoughts:

I feel obliged to further highlight that I did not play the final 9 holes: we ran out of light, unfortunately. I initially hesitated to review the course because of this, but I had strong opinions on the safety, playability, and organization of the course that I wanted to share. The last 9 holes had little chance of impacting these opinions. In general, I would not recommend this course to others if they asked me: it's not terrible by any stretch, and it has some potential, but it also has some real problems IMHO. Coupled with the fact that there are such quality courses nearby that offer better versions of the same basic experience - if you have a hankering for woods then play Two Mile Extension, 11 miles away - I doubt I'll make an effort to try Thompson Park again next time I'm in the area. As always, YMMV, folks.
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4 0
jblough
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.5 years 85 played 85 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Multiple Personalities 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 8, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Like many 27 hole courses, this can be basically broken down into three 9 hole courses. The first set of nine appeals to beginners and families playing disc golf, as the shots aren't very long or difficult (they play wide open with a few trees here and there).

The middle 9 holes (10-18) are the best IMO. Some holes play through dense woods with a giant ravine in the park. Thus, nearly every hole plays with steep elevation changes uphill and downhill. The holes proceed out into the open with #16 and 18 being 600 and 400 foot drives, respectively. It's a nice balance of steep wooded elevation and wide open bombs on this set of nine. Hole #18 is kind of a unique hole, throwing the whole way over a baseball field from a top a hill. Can you hit a home run?

The last nine holes, called "The Safari," aren't bad, but they're not as memorable as the middle nine. Some of the holes play open in the open park space, while others are wooded fairways with varying lines to the basket. I feel like in an effort to get the last nine to wrap back to the first tee, they sacrificed some uniqueness and challenge for the sake of looping.

Cons:

- There's a long walk from #20 to 21. Navigation in general is kind of iffy in the sense that it's not intuitive and some holes aren't right next to subsequent ones. I was definitely happy I had a map.

- The park was pretty crowded when I was there, but no people really came into contact with the holes. I'm not sure how often this could be an issue with joggers and other park patrons.

- The first nine are comparatively boring compared to the other 18, but I'm glad to see some variety--especially for less experienced players.

- The tees on #1-9 are too narrow and short, and the rest of the holes have no real tees to speak of at all. A set of concrete tees on #10-27 would be awesome.

Other Thoughts:

I've been meaning to play here for quite some time and I'm glad I did. In addition to a quality 27-hole course on site, there are other recreational opportunities in the park, such as a nice swimming pool, pavilions, tennis courts, etc. In fact, Thompson Park has that big city park feel, like I was in Denver or Indianapolis or somewhere. In fact, without overstating it too much, this park kind of felt like a very short and slightly less challenging version of Water Works in KC, MO.

IMO, I think the course does a nice job of accommodating both beginners or experienced players. The first nine satisfy the former, and the last 18 satisfy the latter.

Nearby Chester City Park and Tomlinson Run State Park are other opportunities for disc golf in the area. Play all three in a day for a fun experience and a sore arm!
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1 3
hogwild428
Experience: 25.6 years 303 played 25 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Long Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 20, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Thiscourse offers a big variety for anyone. If you want big wooded holes or short shots across a field you can get a little bit of everything here.

Cons:

The signs aren't great so be prepared for some walking through the woods. Most tees are ok, but some spots are uneven and have roots sticking up in the way.

Other Thoughts:

This course is definitely worth taking a trip to go play. If you aren't up for a huge day the front 9 holes could easily get skipped and just move right into the heary of the woods.
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3 2
timbur3
Experience: 17.4 years 111 played 52 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A Long Day Of Fun 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 20, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

The baskets are great. There are a ton of fun elevation change holes. There is a mix of shorter and longer holes throughout the 27 different holes. The pars on the signs were very fair. A couple tee shots off of these huge rocks were awesome.

Cons:

Some tee pads were iffy with roots and uneven ground. The course is very confusing to navigate because the signage is not very good and it does not tell you were the next tee is on most holes. You will spend a bunch of time wandering looking for the next tees. We only found "The Outback" (19-27) on accident because we just took a guess after walking around for 5 minutes. It is across the road on the left of #18 basket in the woods.

Other Thoughts:

It has a great mix of holes. With better signs this course would be even better because of the use of elevation. This course would definitely be worth driving an hour to go play on some weekend because it is that good.
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6 0
Bikinimower
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.2 years 174 played 67 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Dr. Jeckal and Mr. Hyde 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 12, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Front 9 in a clean and well kept park
Back 9 has some of the best disc golf I have ever played, in Ohio or elsewhere
Out Back 9 (As they call it) is excellent at times
The land, absolutely perfect for Disc Golf
Good mix of distances
Great mix of shot selection
Fantastic mix of Open to wooded
Amazing use incorporating natural features into the game
Combination killer Disc Golf Course and killer nature hike

Cons:

I found the front 9 while pretty to be somewhat boring.
Flow is big problem here, even with a map it will give you fits
Tee Pads were beyond bad, either way to small or non-exisistant.
Growth and brush are out of control
This course will wear you out if you not in shape

Other Thoughts:

My recommendation would be to skip the Front 9 all together and go straight to the back. I know most of you will ignore my warning, I know I would. But at least save your arm for the back 18 and do it first. Save the Front 9 for last.

I found the front 9 very Ho Hum and extremely frustrating to navigate, even with a map. It weaves around a very nice park. The Tee Pads are worthless and don't allow for anything other then a flat footed release. Don't give up on this course though once you get warmed up here your in for a treat.

Some of the early holes in the back 9 are Disc Golf at its finest. Beautiful setting, you'll play off natural Tee Pads (which I prefer) around ravines and streams and boulders. I say this a lot but I really mean it here, this is a combination Disc Golf course and gorgeous nature hike. I loved it, I can wear you out but you'll love every second. The back 18 tails off a little after the first few holes but not much. It's really well designed.

The wooded fairways are a little to tight. I'm all for tight and I love the challenge of shaping a great shot but leave us a line. Slight flow problems on the back 18 but not as much as the front. Also the growth can be difficult to manage, not just OB but the fairways as well. Be ready to spend a lot of time searching for your discs. I rarely lose discs but I left two good ones behind there.

I wouldn't take a person with a lower skill level out here, it may be a bit much for them but I would definitely recommend this place for a road trip. I know I trashed this place a little in my review but trust me when I say that the positives far out way the negatives. I loved it here. If your a fan of the nature aspect of disc golf like I am then run to this place. It has it's problems but with some work this place could be phenomenal.
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1 4
honestdead
Experience: 24.4 years 41 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Thompson Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 21, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful scenic course with plenty of challenging holes. 27 holes in one location. Creative use of space. Very friendly course supervisor.

Cons:

Some trees need to be removed to make a few of the fairways a little more reasonable. (I'm not being a baby go play it and you'll see what I mean) Tee pads would be a great addition.
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7 0
gobias
Experience: 22.2 years 267 played 8 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Lots of potential, but needs attention 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Located in a beautiful park, with a creek that comes in to play on many holes.

27 holes- if your goal is to get a lot of throws in, this is a good place to do it. Holes provide a good mix of open and wooded shots.

Good use of natural features- I love it when course design incorporates the natural landscape. Two holes on this course feature medium sized boulders as tee pads, which is great. Also a good use of elevation with holes that go both steeply up and down hill.

Cons:

Tee pads!!! The tee pads are horrendous on this course, making a run up nearly impossible on several of the wooded holes. Natural tees are not always a bad thing, but the tees at this course need to be leveled and generally cleaned up.

Lack of maintenance. A few of the holes on the back portion of this course are nearly unplayable from the tee- you will be standing on the tee and looking at a wall of forest between you and the basket. I am all for difficult, technical holes that weave through trees, but the golfer must be provided with some sort of line to aim for. Many of the holes require some tree removal and trimming to make them realistically playable- there is more to designing a golf course than just placing a tee and basket 400 feet apart in a forest.

Single tee and basket locations. In fact, the baskets lack a "female piece" in the ground, and instead the poles are just buried in the ground, which makes the target 8-12 inches lower than a typical basket. A minor issue, but something I noticed nonetheless...

As already mentioned by other reviewers, but worth reiterating, the course has little flow, and the golfer is faced with several long walks from basket to next tee.

Other Thoughts:

Despite the problems of this course, I still enjoyed my round. However, if you are traveling from the Pittsburgh area to play this course, as I did, I would advise sticking to Deer Lakes/Moraine/Knob Hill, as these are all far superior courses in my opinion. If you are looking for a wooded course and want to venture away from the city, I would suggest the Orange Crush course in WV, which provides a challenging, but better maintained, wooded golf experience.

This course has a ton of potential- with better tees and some course maintenance, this could easily be a course with a four disc rating, but as of right now it is only average.
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12 1
optidiscic
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.4 years 156 played 149 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Under the Radar 27 Holes! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 19, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

A beautifully landscaped park for the first 9 holes followed by some truly adventurous woods holes. This course has recently been expanded to 27 holes. The front 9 basically are a smattering of ace/birdie chances played in the groomed area of the park. The shots are short and require a delicate touch as often there are trees, access roads, and some slight elevation that make the shots interesting for their small size. Any bigger and the holes in this area would be too dangerous any smaller and it would be very boring. Pleasant relaxing front nine. Take a walk past the parking lot and bathrooms and the entire theme changes and you feel as though you are in a big state park and no longer a city park. 10 gives you a 420 foot dive straight down to a basket perched in front of a stream. 11 follows with a fun shot over the stream. 13 is a memorable throw off a boulder across the stream to a boulder laden green. Woods and elevation are everywhere on holes 10-15....some of the best woods golf I have played. 16 plays back in the open, but this one is a 600 foot L to R bender with the mountainside sloping hard left and the basket is 2 drives away so get your anhyzer ready but don't mistakenly throw a roller or your gonna roll down down and OOB into the access road below. Great hole here. Every hole on the back 9 will be enjoyable for experienced golfers. I saw several of the basket locations and tee positions for the new 9 (total will be 27 holes) These follow the same theme as the middle nine so basically it's a fun beginner nine hole course followed by a challenging and exciting 18 holer. I apparently was in town the week before the new holes were completed. From what I saw I want to rate my score up to a 4 but I can't do that as I didn't play them.

Cons:

The tees are natural and in this course's case...better tees are needed here. Navigation was an issue. Even the map can be confusing. The front nine play generally in a counter-clockwise loop around the groomed interior of the park and the following nine play in a clockwise direction around the rugged exterior of the park. (1 is not near the lot and 9 finishes far from where 10 begins and then 18 finishes far away from everything. I can only imagine where the other 27 will take you.....perhaps somehow it will tie everything together and it will make sense?) Also some long walk on the woods holes..such as 11 to 12 (across the picnic grove way opposite corner from where you come out of the woods) and then 14 to 15. Theres bound to be some confusion I advise first timers to definetely print out a map. Some may gripe the front 9 are too easy. As far as holes go..#10 did feel like a poke and a prayer...perhaps theres a local route but I never saw it. I do think if the tee was moved a bit perhaps a chute like lane would appear...I would never want those giant trees cut out for sake of a disc golf hole.

Other Thoughts:

If the final 9 holes are as strong as the middle 9. If the tees improve and the navigation is improved with clear marked paths and signage. If they can maintain and groom the woods and keep it clear of fallen limbs and improve some of the steep banked areas with steps and ropes to aid in the walking. I would feel this is a destination course. It has a bunch of problems but it still has some great disc golf holes and shots you will remember. Worth a stop especially now that it is 27 holes. I think if the courses were split with the front 9 being a separate course and the following 18 was it's own course that the ratings would tell a different story. I'm thinking 2.5 for the simple niner and 4.25 for the back 18. The first nine holes would be a great warm-up, cool-down or glow course.
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9 1
Innovadude
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 26.4 years 235 played 185 reviews
3.00 star(s)

potential 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 28, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good mix of shots. Front and back 9 completely unique, not alike. Beginners can stay up top and if you got the guts try the back 9 but you need to be in shape. Challenging. Scenery.

Cons:

No flow. Back 9 was added later, but neither 9 flows well or together, long, blind walks. Tee posts sometimes placed in the only spot flat/safe enough to tee off from making a good shot near impossible. Poison ivy is unavoidable in season.

Other Thoughts:

I helped design the back 9, didn't plan to leave it 'unfinished' like it is, but I can't do anything about that. If they could clear more trees as was planned it would be epic.
With some tree work and some better tees and signs this would easily become a destination course. Time will tell if that can happen.
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7 0
tistoude
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.3 years 200 played 61 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Thompson Park - It's Ok 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 8, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a very nice park with great trees and neat surroundings. The Front 9 is short but makes good use of the trees, elevation changes and some difficult pin positions. The front 9 is good fro all skill levels. The Back 9 is a collection of very different holes, huge elevation changes, wide open and tightly wooded. I really enjoyed the wooded holes (except 10) they were very imaginative. The course plays very quickly and is very fun.

Cons:

This course has zero flow at all. The holes do not really follow a good path at all. Hole 4 took a while to find since it is actually significantly behind hole 3's Tee. Hole 9 finishes in the middle of the park and there is no indication of where 10 might be. Also hole 10 should just be removed from the course. 10 is a steep downhill hole that has absolutely no path to the hole. You just throw into a wall of trees and hope that you don't land too badly. (I threw both a hammer and a backhand and neither of them came close to getting through the trees). Also its a fair hike from 18 back to the parking lot. The tee's on the back 9 are kinda scary and have no room at all for a run up.

Other Thoughts:

You can tell that this course was designed by amateurs and with that in mind it came out pretty good. With the space they have, especially in the woods it would have been nice to see all 18 holes tie into each other a little better. The park was also somewhat busy when I played but everyone seemed very pleasant and helpful.
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6 3
chris deitzel
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.2 years 286 played 54 reviews
2.50 star(s)

We're gonna have a good time 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 11, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is very enjoyable to play. The front 9 is nice and easy with some decent holes. All of the holes on the front 9 are reachable yet have some challenge involved. The trees in the park are spectacular. Some very old trees and quite a large variety. Beautiful park. Cool little amphitheater that you play by is pretty neat. The front 9 will give you a nice walk through the park that anybody of any skill level will be able to enjoy.

The back 9 is a very fun back 9 with many shots with elevation change and some water thrown in as well. There are some really neat shots out here. Cool pin placements on rock outcroppings, near the edge of a nice little creek. Kinda reminds me McConnells Mills in PA.

Cons:

As much as I like the back 9 of this course, hole 10 is just plain silly. It's actually a really cool hole, except there are 2 trees that really ruin what could be a really great hole. It's basically a poke and hope through some trees downhill 300 feet or so.

The teepads on the back 9 are very rough, and are often muddy or on some sort of angle. Not much chance for a run up or follow through. Yet even with the pads it is still fun to play.

Other Thoughts:

After playing 130+ courses over the last 15 years, I would have to say that this is a really fun course to play and most people will have a really good time. It has a few memorable holes on the back 9 which give help to give it a good rating. The front 9 is a great place to practice your midrange game, and the back 9 will have you wanting to throw lots of extras because of how fun some of the holes are.
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6 6
thadon
Experience: 19.5 years 33 played 31 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 10, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The front 9 is fairly short and simple. How ever the holes on the outer edge can be tricky , and drive placement is must. Holes 4 & 5 i believe, if your disc rolls , its gonna roll for a awhile. The back 9 is absolutely awsome.

Hole 10 Straight down hill about 400 or so ft. through very a heavily wooded area.

Hole 11 plays over a winding a stream through more thick trees.

Hole 16 will test your anhyzer for sure ,playing 600ft around the side of the mountain

As for all the back 9 Good shots will be rewarded , errant shots....will make for long day

Tee pads are now on the front 9

Cons:

Some tee pads, but are very are small.
Course appears to be neglected, damaged tee signs overgrow in some areas.

Other Thoughts:

::::Update::::::
I ventured down to play the outback . Needless i was a little disappointed. Most of the outback needs more TLC, and broken in . Some of the Fairways are undefinable . The paths have arrows pointing you in the direction of the next hole, but even with that some of the holes don't flow together as 1-18 does .
21# however is a very neat hole. Much like 13 shoots from high above a rock 40 feet (est)down. 280 some feet. The only hole you will remember for 19-27. Hole 27 ends where 10 starts.

I had to drop my rating simply because the course hasn't changed much. The overall flow 3-4-5-6, is really awkward shoot forward , walk back..etc. from 21-22-23-24 are all holes in which you hike a min or 2 to the next tee.

This is still a fun course and is one the most physically demanding course's in the region.


. Still one of my personal favorites. Playgrounds , pavilions , swimming pool and stand alone grilles are among amenities.

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8 4
calcuttajoe
Experience: 12 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful, challenging 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 15, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I am a new player over 50 and have thrown frisbees all my life. I started on this course.
After playing other courses I.ve found this is one of the best. The front nine is short but challenging enough to make a nice warm up and work out if you play it a few times in a row.
THE BACK NINE - I had no idea that you could play in the woods. Now I know. Very beautiful and some of the best looking holes that I have yet seen. Throwing across a valley to a basket set in the boulders is intimidating but rewards a good throw.
There is alot of Family activities available here. Ballfields, Pavilions, Tennis courts, Picnic areas w/grills. Very nice to bring the whole family.

Cons:

Bring water
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