Ellisville, MO

Bluebird Park

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2.545(based on 27 reviews)
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11 0
Tyler V
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.8 years 147 played 98 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Bring Your Hiking Shoes 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 21, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Bluebird Park is a large, beautiful park in west St. Louis County, located just off of Manchester Rd. The disc golf course here uses the elevation and environment to make for a 9-hole experience that provides a challenging and variety-filled round.

In addition to disc golf, Bluebird has a wide variety of amenities and other activities. At the front of the park, you will find Ellisville's Parks and Rec Department, an aquatics center, tennis courts, and a nice playground area. Further in the park, you can find shelters, bathrooms, water fountains, a couple baseball fields, a dog park, and a community garden. In addition, this park has a large area of woods and fields, along with a trail system that connects to neighboring subdivisions and other parks. Overall, this park is well utilized by the community.

The disc golf course is located in the back end of the park, and can easily be found with the abundance of signage directing you to the parking lot that's next to the course. At the start of the course, you will find a bulletin board that has a course map as well as some Ellisville Parks information. Hole 1's tee is also right next to the edge of the woods, and leads you through the back woods of Bluebird.

Bluebird's disc golf course has 1 tee pad and 1 pin location for each hole. My understanding is that the blue tee pads have largely been abandoned in favor of 1 concrete tee per hole, though you can see some blue tee markers on some of the holes. The concrete tees were added within the last 5 or so years, and are a major improvement over the previous natural tee pads. Each hole also has a tee sign that has info on hole distance, and some show what the basic shape of the hole is. The baskets are DISCatchers that are shallow and look old, and while some folks have commented that they are prone to spit outs, I haven't had an issue with the baskets on this course yet.

Over the 9 holes on this course, you will find 5 wooded holes and 4 open holes that play around a field in the back of the park. Holes 1,2 and 3 all run along a wooded hillside and all have tough but fair lines off of each tee. Hole 4 has you throw through the woods on the other side of the trail, and leads you to the field that holes 5 through 8 use. Hole 9 ends the course with one more wooded hole, requiring a drive up a hill through the woods to the pin.

This way this course is designed makes elevation a major factor throughout the course. Over half of the pin placements are set on or near fairly steep hillsides, making for significant risk/reward approach and putting scenarios. A bad kick off of the pin on holes like 3 or 7 can easily result in your disc rolling 100 feet down a hill. Holes 5 and 8 are really the only holes with no obstructions and without significant risk/reward situations, as even hole 6 can be tricky with its distance if you want a birdie. The tighter fairways in the woods feel even tighter in the Spring and Summer, as some baskets will look completely protected with all of the foliage. All of these factors make for a challenging round of golf for a 9-hole course while providing a decent amount of variety.

Cons:

The physical demand of this course won't be an issue for plenty of folks, but if you come to Bluebird for a round, you should be ready for a hike. The first few holes follow a hillside that is full of rocks and tree roots, making for some rough ground to traverse. You will also find yourself hiking up and down hills a lot. Hole 4 requires a drive and subsequent walk up a hillside, followed by a walk to hole 5 that is further up in elevation. Hole 7's pin is located down on a hillside, requiring a steep walk back up to hole 8. These sections, along with other walks between holes and the walk back to the parking lot, make for a decent hike to go with your round of golf. Having played a decent percentage of the local courses in St. Louis, my legs were more worn out after this course than many of the 18 holes in the area.

Some of the walks between holes are also on the longer side, such as between 3 and 4, 8 and 9, and 9 back to the parking lot. They are not the most egregious transitions you will find, but some are significant. Some of the transitions on this course are also not obvious. For instance, if you don't see the tee pad for hole 7 when walking up hole 6's tee, it could lead to a tough time finding hole 7 after finishing hole 6. When the trees are full of leaves, you may not immediately find the parking lot after you finish hole 9. If you don't have a great sense of direction, this course may prove to be challenging to navigate at times, which could mean even more of a hike on your round.

The tee sign design has potential to be very nice, but could use some updates. If the blue tee pads are truly not a part of the design anymore, those distances could be removed to save folks a lot of trouble looking for those tee locations. Another issue I have with the signs is that half of the signs don't have a a hole layout on them, but rather just the pin distance. The elevation changes on this course, combined with the density of trees on some of the holes, can result in half of the holes being blind shots during certain times of the year. This wouldn't be as much of an issue on a flatter course, but if you don't have a good idea of the pin location and make a blind drive, you could end up in a very tough spot. Walking up some of the fairways on this course to find the pin can also be rough given the amount of elevation on the course.

Hole 3's tee sign is a good 50 feet in front of the tee pad. Just keep walking and you'll find it.

I haven't played this course is wet conditions yet, but I imagine some of the hills could be unforgiving when wet. Even when the course is dry, watch your footing on the wooded holes.

Other Thoughts:

Bluebird is pretty relentless, especially if you skip leg day. The variety on this course is nice to see on a 9 hole course, but the hiking combined with some very tough fairways could make for a discouraging round. This is close to a love it or hate it type of course, as many will find the hiking and tight fairways on some holes unappealing.

This course isn't one I would typically go out of the way for, but if paired with Schroeder down the road or Logan University, it can be a part of a nice day of disc golf. An new course in Chesterfield is also on the way, which will add to the nice little collection of courses in West County.

While Bluebird is in my opinion not the best 9 hole in St. Louis, I think it's worth checking out if you're close by. Visitors on a short trip to St. Louis should check other courses off their list before coming out to this one. This isn't intended as a smear on this course, but rather a compliment to the continuously improving collection of courses in the area. If you're a local, come check out one of the older courses in the area. If you stretch first, it can make for a good time.
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9 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31 years 764 played 386 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Great Park , Tough Little Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

In a very nice park , Bluebird installed their course way back in 1997 . They have since updated the tee pads to cement , the baskets are still good , although single chained , very good signage with 2 different lengths presented on them . The course designer , Dave McCormack , who seems to design most of the courses in the area , took the area given to him by the park board and molded a fairly hard 9 holer . Set way in the back of the park , anyone playing disc golf should not have distractions such as curious kids or cars or hikers . This course looks to be set up for disc golf only . Several of the holes are set up in the woods ( 1-4 ) and 9 , some are open ( 5 , and 7-8 ) , and 6 is a long downhill open drive into a narrowing fairway with a basket placement to the right . My signature hole on this course . Plenty of wildlife here , Saw 2 deer romping through the woods during my round . The kiosk has a map ( you want to download on for yourself ) , but you should carry one around with you or you may walk off the beaten path to find the next tee pad . This course doesn't seem to get much play . I was there on a memorial Day weekend and saw no one for my approximate hour there . There is some challenging length for the tightness of this course . The real challenge to some of these holes is to approach or putt and not have your disc stand up on its side and roll 100' + down a hill. You will be standing at all angles on this course . The toughest hole on this course would be #4 , where you have to throw uphill into the woods , with the ground always sloping downward left , hope the your disc catches the hill , then throw upwards toward the basket near the top of the hill . No water on this course , but the elevation is unreal here . The course ends with a good walk down a cement path to the bottom of the hill , cross the road , and throw straight uphill to the basket that sits on the hill to the right . A fine finishing hole .

Cons:

The course looks to be clear enough on most of the fairways , Maybe a little attention to mowing in the back . The walks in between holes are very long for a nine hole course . I am not against the long walks , but the longer they are , sometimes the harder it is to find the next tee pad . Many of these holes have terrible angles , where you either are standing sideways left , sideways right , downhill or uphill . This can be a plus or a very big con , depending . Rolling down a hill after hitting the basket bucket will both break your heart and kill your score ( this happened to me on #3 , a short slight downhill hyzer in a tight alley , clip a tree and watch your disc roll away ) . The biggest problem with the elevation and woodsy slopes is that this course will be a wicked dangerous play after a rain . Especially on the downhill descent on 3 and uphill on 4 , and getting to your fairway throw on 9 . No benches or trash cans on the course , but it can be a quick enough play , so carry in and carry out .

Other Thoughts:

A very nice park with a pretty challenging 9 hole course on the premises . This course will instantly make you either like it a lot , or hate it in the worst way . I actually liked it . Don't play this course after a rain , but otherwise , take the long walk and enjoy nature . My recommendation : Not a destination course by any stretch , but couple this course with Logan University ( 18 holes ) and/or Paul Schroeder ( 9 holes ) and TRY IT !
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5 0
mrbro855
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.5 years 363 played 105 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Disc Course or Nature Hike?? 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 4, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Nine new concrete tee pads had recently been installed.

Signage at each, though with two distances listed, the second tees no longer there.

Blend of wooded holes (#1-4) and open field holes (#5-8), finishing with a wooded hole.

Lots of elevation.

Cons:

Seeing as the last review prior to this was over 2 years ago, I am guessing the course has not had much activity.

Some of the wooded holes had you throwing from sides of the hill with lots of leaves making for slippery footing.

It appeared overgrown in some areas and several of the baskets were thought by hikers to be trash receptacles.

Lots of elevation.

Way too much walking between holes, especially with the lack of any "wow" holes to be throwing to.

Other Thoughts:

I noticed the course was designed in 1997. It appears that what were probably some cool wooded holes have had their throw lines grow back in.

Like the reviewer before me, I am over 55 and rate the courses by their fun factor. For me, this course was more of a nature hike than it was a fun disc course.

The new concrete pads make me think, though, that there is hope for the badly needed bit of clean-up and redo on the course.
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7 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.8 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Enjoyable Is Not The Word That I Would Use To Describe Bluebird! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 22, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

The Bluebird Park DGC is like two different courses in one. Holes 1-4 play up,down and through some very rough, extremely tight and challenging terrain. Then 5 to 8 opens up and give you reason to take a breath again before finishing with quirky little # 9.

Bluebird Park is a large city park with aquatic center, tennis courts, playgrounds areas, picnic facilities and a dog park. The disc golf course seems to be in a section of the section little used by the general park population. I understand why, It's too rough and treacherous to let mere mortals in there, only us crazy disc golfers can venture in!

The course has a small kiosk at the beginning. There's a small sign pointing you to the disc golf course. There is a mailbox at the beginning. It was filled with cobwebs. The course has these nifty little tee signs. They're brand new looking, made out of a stone quartz material, with the information painted on. They are very pretty and I think they'll hold up to the vandals. The tee pads are natural, very rough and ugly. The baskets are single chain Discatchers with the yellow bands and multiple numbers on them. I personally didn't have any putts spit out.

Hole # 1 plays 261-347 down an extremely tight fairway on a sloping hillside. Miss right or hit a tree and it could be really difficult to recover.

# 2. 257-377' plays along the same sloping ridge only with a tighter 20 foot wide fairway. Footing was extremely treacherous here. I didn't even want to miss right and have to climb down and back up the steep embankment.

# 3. 170-258' Another tough hole throwing an anhyser shot downhill shot all the time praying you don't have a rollaway down the steep bank. And just walking to these baskets is a test of your balance, agility and overall fitness level. I'm truly surprised I survived these holes.

# 4 was the most difficult hole for me although not quite as scary. It's 256-304' playing uphill with a tight impossible angle, all on the hillside of the mountain.

By now, playing by myself, I'm thinking about how I'm not having any fun, there's too much pressure on me to execute perfect throws, I hope just to not to go tumbling down the deep ravines and probably break a major bone or two and mostly I'm hating on this course!

Then the course opens up into some open fields. # 5, although a blind basket placement ends up being a rather boring hole with the basket sitting out in the middle of an open field.

# 6 was a very cool hole 466-701'. It's a long straight downhill with the large open field narrowing to a smaller gap before opening up again. The basket was placed on the far edge in the woods. Good challenge!

# 9 was a very strange little finishing hole. It's just a short 164-180' uphill throw over the "Cross At Bridge Sign". The basket sits up in the trees above you to the right.

Cons:

Crummy natural tee pads.

Very treacherous footing, loose rocks, makes walking dangerous, especially on first four holes. I can't imagine playing this course after rains.

Extreme sloping hillside and dense trees making first four holes as much luck as skill. Errant shots punished harshly.

Lack of maintenance is obvious.

Other Thoughts:

As challenging as this course is, there just wasn't the enjoyment factor here for me. Playing alone, I was so concerned with shot placement and so worried about caroms skipping down the steep, nasty embankments on the right and to top that off, the trekking from pad to basket was extremely nerve wracking. And I actually killed it with great shots (for me) on the first three holes before crumbling on # 4.

Much of my rating is always based on my personal enjoyment factor and it just wasn't there for me at Bluebird. It's not a course to tackle alone. It's a not a course for beginners or those who can't control their drives or those not in decent physical condition. And seeing how much of this describes me as a disc golfer, it's not surprising that this course was not to my liking.
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5 0
blake13
Experience: 11.9 years 74 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

The Bird 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 24, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Disc golf course in West County St. Louis
- Well-used elevation changes
- Good mix of technical shots and open drives
- Good mix of short and long holes
- Holes allow for different drive techniques that can be effective (backhand, sidearm, tomahawk, roller, etc.)
- Beatiful scenery--trees, squirrels, deer, rocks, grass, etc.
- Well-maintained park with aquatic center, dog park, tennis courts, pavilions
- Course does not overlap with other park features; no major safety concerns of hitting pedestrians or other park guests

Cons:

- No concrete teepads; natural teepads are often rocky or eroded which prevents a confident run-up and also creates safety concerns with landing on natural features
- Baskets have one set of chains and generally do a terrible job of keeping putters in the basket
- Holes 1-4 require a higher fitness level, as the terrain has steep inclines filled with rocks and roots that slip; I have fallen several times trying to go down the hills for discs
- Long walks from 3 to 4 and 8 to 9
- Horribly unforgiving putting circles--no mulch on the rocky, hilly holes leads to a lot of putts turning from birdie-looks to 5s. It is obvious this course is left to the elements, as no noticeable effort has been made to maintain the course
- The ample trees on 1-4 provide a challenge that can punish decent shots; the fairway on 1 is especially nonexistent, so even the best of drives can kick off a tree and glide down into the dried up creek 50 feet down the hill

Other Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoy playing at The Bird. It is one of three courses in the Ballwin/Manchester/Chesterfield area, and even though it is only nine holes, it requires a number of different shots and discs to complete.

The course divides itself into two "halves": the technical, densely-wooded front 4 (and hole 9), and the long, open 5-8. 1-4 can be quite frustrating, as you are a bad roll away from turning a birdie-look into a 5 or 6. In any given round, you will have at least one instance of horrible luck, with a gem toss being kicked by the elements to bogeyland and beyond.

With that being said, it is still possible to put together a decent round, as the open holes reward good shots with deuces. The kicker is that on the open holes, the wind is often a major factor, so you need to bring a nice selection of distance drivers to account for the various winds that play on top of the hill for 5, 6, and 8.

Unlike the rest of the park, the disc golf course receives little to no attention in regards to maintenance. The natural teepads are long past their lifespan, and I can never take a 100% effort run-up when throwing my drives. After a little rain, the natural teepads become softer than a RFF Wizard and non-careful x-steps could result in a nice slip and fall.

I have played this course probably 100+ times because it is so close to me, and I keep coming back. My personal best for the 9 holes is a 27, and my average score probably ranges between 30 and 32. The bad luck adds strokes like you would not believe, and a few of the holes (4 and 6) are very difficult birdies, so it is hard to erase the several bogeys that will likely occur.

Come prepared for a hike, enjoy the scenery, and aim for par. The Bird is a fun one if you have patience and some nice weather.

HOLE SUMMARY:
1. Short, RHBH slight hyzer through a densely-wooded valley. I usually throw a Roc3 or Gateway Warrior and hope to miss trees.
2. Medium-distance, wooded tunnel shot. Throw a RH flick, and you will end up in the dried up creek at the bottom of the hill. Throw a RHBH and you will pray to not roll down the hill. I typically throw a Thunderbird and try to keep it straight, but a stronger arm would be best with a straight, low-flying putter drive.
3. Dogleg right down a hill and through trees. I typically through a Thunderbird or TeeBird with a RH flick that will go long if it happens not to hit the many trees. An understable RHBH drive can do the trick as well, but you are always at the mercy of the disc golf gods in keeping you from hitting trees and rolling down the hill.
4. Long, uphill drive. Good RHFH route, but the natural teepads prevent a full-power run-up, so drives are often left short of the basket. 40% of the time your drive will roll down the hill to the valley and give you an ugly 5.
5. Medium-distance, blind drive over a hill and onto an open field. Definitely aceable, but the lack of vision adds to the difficulty. Crosswinds normally play on this hole, but it does not favor BH or FH.
6. Long, straight bomb with a slight downhill. A large guardian tree swats discs halfway to the basket, so be prepared to throw a decent fairway drive to save par if you hit it. For power arms, best route is a RHBH flex shot that bends around the large tree. A RHFH with some power can curve around the tree nicely and set up for a good upshot. Usually a nice tailwind plays, so bring out the high-speed drivers and let it rip.
7. I hate this hole. Lay-up or suffer the wrath of the massive hill that the basket sits on. And then, workout your calves when walking to 8's teepad.
8. Straight shot in an open field. A right to left crosswind will alter your shot, but good players will deuce this hole consistently.
9. Short, sharp uphill shot. I throw a hyzer RHFH and end up with a good percentage of birdies. Tomahawk also works. Fun hole to end the course.
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3 0
jasonrigler
Experience: 11.4 years 120 played 15 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Billy Goat Rough 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 8, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice park
lots of wildlife
first half is shaded
some helpful signs
challenging placements
open field was mowed
good exercise
offers a good challenge for very technical play.

Cons:

not beginner friendly
some tee signs are not descriptive
would be dangerous if wet
first few holes are really only suited for goats due to the steep angles and loose rocks.

Other Thoughts:

2 seems like a low rating but the truth is despite it's character, some elements of the course make it difficult to play. The first few holes required a lot of caution. You must watch your footing. the holes are not very long but the slopes and trees are aggressive and the lines are small. I didn't mind playing the course but I wouldn't bring any non dg friends there to learn. My wife (a good lefty) and i played it blind and shot +5 and +4. 1 was fine. 2 was brutal. 3 was a blind downhill toss. 4 was was a tough uphill toss with minimal lines. These holes basically required carefully placed layups. 5-8 were easy pars, birdies once you know the basket placements. 9 was an odd hole. I guess you throw over the sign that tells you to use the bridge. The course was very lefty friendly, or righty sidearm. Even well placed shots could roll away at times. And we spent too much time looking for discs that hit a tree and rebounded down a hill. I have also played Kircher in Eureka which is the opposite of this course. Better for beginners, very flat, faster play.
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1 0
discdanny
Experience: 10.8 years 37 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Ole Bluebird 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 5, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

1) This is one of the first courses that I played regularly when I began playing.
2) For only 9 holes, this course packs a decent punch.. you are forced to pull a few different shots out of your bag that may or may not work, due to..
3) Unforgiving, densely wooded holes that have some type of steep grade on each and every hole. (1-4 can be exceptionally rough)
4) Tee Signs
5) Relatively easy to navigate
6) Relatively secluded with tons of wildlife around.
7) Park is extremely clean and also offers. Walking/workout trail, dog park, water park, softball fields, pavilions, bathrooms etc.

Cons:

-Concrete Pads
-More Trash Cans
-Better course Maintenance/ Care
-Restroom/ Water closer to the course

Other Thoughts:

Awesome 9 hole Course.. I wish is was played and utilized more!! Great design Dave Mac and Gateway Disc Sports--- Should try to get an additional 9 holes in there, plenty of room!
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2 0
Manteca
Experience: 13 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Awesome Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 20, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Offers many types of shots and challenges. I used all my go-to discs on this course (6-7 discs) where as on other courses I typically can get by with 1 driver, 1 mid and a putter.

SECLUDED - I have never ran into other players while on this course which is nice when you want to go at your own pace or have a private round by yourself.

Awesome terrain - great elevation changes.

Baskets in good shape

Great variety

Great scenery - this course buts up to castlewood, so if you like the ozarky type scenery, you'll love playing here

Cons:

Natural tee pads (i dont mind them but some people do)

Hard to navigate on the first round but gravy after that.

Other Thoughts:

I put this course as one of the most under rated courses in the St. Louis area, sure Paul Schroeder is right down the street and a very nice park, but, Bluebird offers a completely different challenge. I live in the city and usually play 2 rounds here then hit Schroeder for a couple rounds on the way back and that makes for a great couple hours of disc golf.
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0 2
dandruff1138
Experience: 7 played 4 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Ridgeline Walker... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 22, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very interesting course, no one else was playing so we had the place to ourselves. Holes are a good balance for challenging/distance, especially for a beginner.

Cons:

Tees, forget about it. Also some of the holes you will be walking perpendicular to a ridge, so you are constantly throwing along a slope that is just shy of being uncomfortable to walk on.

Other Thoughts:

Had fun, only a 9'er but there is another 9'er just down the road to make it 18! http://www.dgcoursereview.com...e.php?id=1669
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2 0
discoholic
Experience: 15.8 years 123 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

hard fun 9 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 10, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a fun course with lots of elevation and a good mix of wooded and open shots. It's a challenging 9 hole course. The wooded holes are tight and demand accuracy off the tee. The open holes offer a little distance (more from the blue). The elevation change is used well from tee to green. Almost every shot on the course requires planning and execution. This course has some unique holes and even a signature hole (you choose)

You will probably have the course to yourself. There are 2 tees, so you can play it twice and get 18 holes in. The park is well kept, and the course is maintained. The course changes with the seasons.

Cons:

The tees are natural and I mean really natural, rocky and slippery. The signs aren't great. The blue tees are impossible to find (you need a local). It's kind of hard to find your way around the first time. (4 is down hill and across the path, 9 is down hill across path and to the right). I played here 4 times before I found 9 (once I found it I saw the huge sign, lol) There are no trash cans or benches. The park is popular for joggers and dog walker, but they don't get in your way.

Other Thoughts:

There's a club house with all amenities and they sell discs. (I've never gone inside)
After hole 8, it's fun to throw from the basket down to the amphitheater stage on your way to 9. Can you ace the "50 foot brick basket"?
I'm not a fan of 9 hole courses, but this one will not get a minus point.

ROAD TRIP WORTHY?... There are better courses near by, but could be a filler course
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4 0
Martin Dewgarita
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.4 years 1587 played 93 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Daydreams of a butterfly 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 5, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

An impressive 9 holes located in a large city park with a ton of other activities available, that makes use of tight woods, big elevation, and some open space

Variety. 6 of the 9 holes are tight wooded technical lines most of which include impressive elevation. 3 of the 9 holes are open making use of longer distances and some minor elevation.

Well kept. Sporadic garbage cans keep the trash down, the park seems well taken care of though the disc golf course seems somewhat neglected, everything was in good playable shape.

Replayability. An intermediate to advanced level player could find this a good place to learn/practice tight wooded elevated lines, I could see visiting this course many times to try and improve my score.

Other Users. The course nears a couple of walking paths, but it is mostly only an area for DG, other users shouldn't be a concern.

Senery. A nice natural wooded area of a large city park makes it a pleasurable hike.

Baskets. Single chain disccatchers all in good shape (No practice basket).

Navigation. Directional sign point direct the way, with a little detective work I was always able to figure out where to go next.

Map/Scorecard. Scorecard box (Was empty, maybe they keep it stocked in the busy months), and a map was on the kiosk at the beginning.

Cons:

Unfairways. Lines are extremely tight on a few holes but the roughs aren't terribly unforgiving. 2's are luck, 3's are relatively easy on many of the holes.

Beginner Friendly. The tight fairways and elevation may make this course quite frustrating for someone just learning the game.

Tees. Natural tees were mostly level marked by bricks. Several were quite rough or muddy. Some of the holes it was difficult to find both sets of tees.

Other Thoughts:

Not by any means the best course of the area and not one I would make a top priority, but if you have some extra time after playing the higher rated courses nearby, these technical 9 holes are worth a visit.
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2 1
joy4all
Experience: 15.1 years 82 played 13 reviews
3.00 star(s)

not for the faint of heart 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 8, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good challanges await to test your skills. Holes 1-4 are steep hills with tons of trees and punishment for bad throws. 5-8 basic openess. 9 is steep upshot.

Cons:

9 has a sign in the way if your a low sidearm throwing flicker. the rocks on 1-4 are everywhere to hurt your feet let alone slide down a hillside, just plaine poor footing. pads on 1-4 are horrible natural messes.

Other Thoughts:

If you have bad knees or poor sense of balance skip this course. Wear good rugged hikers not sneakers.
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2 1
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Fun 9 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 5, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a hilly multi-use park, but in an area without much interference from other park uses. Half of the holes are in tight woods with narrow fairways and plenty of punishment if you get off the fairways. The other half of the holes play out in the open with mowed fairways through taller grass rough. Both sections of the course have great use of elevation, nearly every hole has enough up or down to keep things interesting, and makes for some tricky greens with roll-aways possible.

There is a nice variety of hole shapes for a 9 hole course, I was glad I carried my full bag. There is some distance, along with a couple shorter reachable holes for variety. There are basic tee signs and next tee signs where necessary, so it's not too difficult to follow the course.

Cons:

The tees are terrible. They are natural and marked with painted rocks that can easily be moved. Some were unclear where they were, the second set of tees was basically invisible unless you know where to look. The pads were often slanted and rutted out, making for pretty poor footing on drives. The baskets are showing their age and don't catch all that well.

A few holes play near walking paths, we had a couple people come around blind corners as we were throwing so keep an eye out. There are some long walks here, and the course doesn't end at the parking lot, so it feels like you do as much walking between holes as you do on the actual course. The long grass rough on some of the middle holes is not my favorite obstacle, especially on blind shots where it's hard to get an exact mark of where your disc went in.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun 9 hole course and surprised me with how much variety there is. The elevation is used very well to make some fun downhill shots and tough uphill ones too. Beginners will probably find this one a little tough and punishing. More experienced players will find some good challenges here, and will need to hit some different lines through the woods to score well. This one isn't a must play, but it's worth a stop if you're in the area.
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4 0
DaddyD
Experience: 13.8 years 9 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

On Second Thought... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 21, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Most holes were extremely challenging and required more strategy than driving power. If you overthrow, you could end up with a roller that ends up farther away from the hole than the original tee was. It was much better to settle for shorter, controlled shots with good placement than go for the pin.

Holes 5-8 were in a wide-open grassy area and the fairways were mowed and wide, giving you an indication of where the hole was, since 5-7 were not visible from the tee locations due to hill crests. A narrower path was mowed from each of these holes to the next tee area.

Hole 9 was a real trip! You shoot across a small stream and up a hill at about 1 o'clock, but are instructed to take a detour to the right to use a bridge to cross the stream for your next shot.

Cons:

As we started the course, my sons actually were scared of it, because of the obvious difficulty and the density of the woods right off the bat at hole 1. I have to admit that it was a bit scary.

The tee signs are nearly useless and we only successfully found 2 sets of white tee blocks. The blue tee blocks were loose and scattered at some holes.

Each hole was an adventure, and I learned immediately of the value of having a spotter halfway to the hole not only to point out where the hole was but also to point out where each disc landed (or rolled to). We didn't do that on hole one and spent about 10 minutes looking for one disc.

The course is big on extremes. You move straight from four nearly impossible holes with tongue-dragging elevation changes to wide-open pasture throwing on holes 5, 6, 7 and 8. The only real challenge with these was that you were driving blindly on 5, 6 and 7 since you could only see hole 8 from its tee. The others were over a hill crest or around a bend.

Other Thoughts:

This course was our second choice during this weekend trip with my sons. First choice was Creve Coeur Lake 18-hole course, but when we got there, we found a sign saying it was "reserved" the whole weekend. No information about a tournament or anything, just a big "public NOT welcome" sign at tee one on a "public" course. I was tempted to go ahead and play. What's the worst they could have done? Told us to leave? Oh well.

For most of Blue Bird Park, I thought it was a mistake for us to play, but as it went on, I really started to enjoy it. I don't know if I would want to play it frequently, but definitely would like to try it again on a day-trip to STL with some DG friends, now that I know where all the pins are and what I'm in for.
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1 0
urdone00
Experience: 43.8 years 136 played 15 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 10, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

good 9 hole course with plenty of elevation changes. 1st couple of holes are wooded then it opens up some.

Cons:

there is a good walk between 4 basket and 5 tee, if you havent seen it before you most likely will play to wrong basket

Other Thoughts:

with what the parks department let the course designer use , this is a fun and challenging 9 holes with the exception of hole 5.
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2 3
green_hornet915
Experience: 14 years 136 played 10 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Everything a disc course should be 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 12, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very challenging loved the start in the heart of the woods and the tough shot selections need all your skils here. The course opened up as you get to the later holes.

Cons:

I thought they had a good thing going til the open holes the woods are where I like to play. For only playing blue bird once we found our way around pretty easy.

Other Thoughts:

A must play if you are a real dger tough hick but worth it
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8 0
Emptv
Experience: 38.1 years 74 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Toughest little 9 hole in St. Louis 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 13, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great road signs in the park giving directions to the course. Elevation changes through woody terrain & not very many other golfers play this very tough course, so you usually get through the round seeing only wildlife and great scenery. This will give you something extra to enjoy while shooting your round.
For the first 3 holes, feel lucky to come out better than +2, then cross the bridge for #4 which is a challenging par 3. After crossing a ravine to get to hole 5, a nice open drive over a hill with backyard out of bounds awaits. #6 is the signature hole with another good rip for a drive, while the basket is barley tucked back in the woods. Walking back up the side of #6 fairway will take you to #7 tee pad, which is a short open shot over the crest of the hill, which puts the basket out of sight from the pad. #8 is one more field shot on the top of the hill. Down the hill and across the jogging path to pad #9 and you will tee up the hill, shooting at around a 1 o'clock spot. Usually you will throw straight and dogleg around to the right.

Cons:

A 9 hole course, no recyclable containers, and not enough trash cans. Natural tee pads, not leveled, with marker stones that are not planted in the ground. 2nd set of tee pads are gone, known only to a few of us old locals and they are totally overgrown. The baskets are terrible for catching disc, but everyone playing is shooting at the same baskets. This is a very coarse course; it is hard on your body, disc, and score. Tee signs are good for holding your bags up but not for much information because of the movable tee stones. Never any scorecards in box, no drinking fountains, and no restrooms on the course. Lots of tiny livestock in the summer time, ticks and chiggers.

Other Thoughts:

This is the toughest 9 hole course in the Saint Louis area, IMHO. Lots of signs directing you where to go and plenty of deer, chipmunks, fox squirrels, bluebirds, foxes, and even spotted a eagle soaring overhead. Basket #3 has been repaired, new paint on a couple of others, and the stolen basket, #6, has been replaced. Close proximity to 9 hole courses, Watson Trails, John Schroeder Park, Kircher Park as well as being close to St. Charles County.
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2 5
discdork
Experience: 21.7 years 11 played 11 reviews
2.00 star(s)

bluebird 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 1, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

challenging technical, woody,elevation changes

Cons:

can be a muddy mess at times , no teepads

Other Thoughts:

this seems to be the least liked course in the st.louis area but its still a classic in my opinion many local golfers would not have a shot style or two with out getting there ass kicked here at some time
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6 1
jartiv
Experience: 18.9 years 4 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Woods 101 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 19, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Challenging wooded shots.
- Open field holes 5-8 let you pull out your drivers but still challenge hour accuracy.
- Elevation not only challenges your drive, but also effects your footing.

Cons:

- Dirt Tees
- Difficult to navigate

Other Thoughts:

Looking at some of these reviews... ticks and hiking are cons? I thought DG was an outdoor sport? But yea, bring the 40% deet.

Not every course is Winthrop Gold. A DGer can learn ALOT from a place like Bluebird Park. The elevation changes can be quite extreme... especially when you find yourself off the fairway. I learned how to improvise and develop new stances at Bluebird: an invaluable skill no matter what course you play. Play Bluebird a couple of times and you may learn a couple new ways to save par.

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0 7
heger_246
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Great Hike 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 16, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

If you like to hike, this is your course. You may find a disc to take home.

Cons:

The course follows a narrow path through the woods.Very possible for one to twist an ankle during a throw. You may lose a disc for someone else to take home. People do not respect the land. There are beer cans/bottles everywhere. No variety of shots. You are either in the woods or in a wide open field for 3 holes.

Other Thoughts:

If you want to play and are thinking about Bluebird, just play at Paul A. Schroeder. It is a MUCH better course and only four miles away.
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