Brownsville (Smiths Grove), KY

Chalybeate Springs Sports Complex

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2.895(based on 22 reviews)
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13 0
PastorofMuppets
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 4.7 years 129 played 115 reviews
2.50 star(s)

However you pronounce the thing

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 22, 2023 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

1) This quant school property set course is quite a bit off the beaten path if you are in the Bowling Green area, probably 10-15 minutes from Ephram White and another 10-15 from Holler in the Hills. It won't wow you with it's beauty like some of the other courses in the area, but it does have its charm.

2) The main 18 is a short, mildly technical track with a mix of open park style golf holes and a few short but technical wooded holes (which are the stars of the show). The first time I played this course it had 27 holes, but they have built new baseball fields where the additional 9 holes were, I was able to spot a basket or two, but nothing else of the old added holes.

3) Gives off very similar vibes to Bowling Green's Hobson Grove and Basil Griffith in terms of distance, mildly wooded, hit your line deuce or die style course. Recreational players and below should enjoy this course and the level of difficulty without it being overwhelming. Intermediate on up will probably get bored with this course as you should really be taking birdie on every hole.

4) The course has a decent natural flow that once started from hole one is pretty intuitive to follow. Course signage used to be stellar but has been damaged or stolen over the years, concrete teepads, and older discatcher baskets are all in well loved but still good condition. (You will find random stickers and sharpie marked aces on almost every basket band and tee sign, which might be a negative for people upset about that kind of thing)

5) Solid use of elevation change on an otherwise pretty flat piece of land. Designer smartly used gradual slopes, and steep drop off, and tight mando lines between trees to create a sharp shooter course rather than a let it fly course. This course definitely rewards accuracy and good putting.

6) Holes are very easy to Par if you are off your game and there is only mild danger as far as OB or natural tough spots to scramble from. But for those determined to put up a snowman, a couple of the wooded holes afford you that chance.

7) Holes 4-7 and I believe it was 13-14 are the stars of the show. These constitute the lions share of the wooded holes. Hole 4 in particular is a very short tee shot over a steep cliff drop off that forces you to go under the low ceiling of the trees at the bottom of the cliff or carve a super tight line to an elevated basket hanging from a cable between two trees. The basket is above head height, there are small creeks/streams to the left and behind the basket making every part of this hole intimidating for lower level players. And it is beautiful to look at, and fun to empty your bag and ace run.

8) Hole 7 inverts hole 4 and forces you to play straight up the side of a cliff probably 4 stories in elevation. Without the elevation, the straight line distance from tee pad to basket is probably 75 feet. This basket sits perched at the top of the cliff protected by trees and rock outcroppings and anything short or hitting a tree comes back down to the tee with you. (I watched a guy in our group land his tee shot past the basket safe and proceed to miss his birdie putt on a fly by and it landed back down the cliff near the tee pad. Sad walk back down. He pitched up onto the top, long walk up and again missed his putt and it landed at the bottom again in almost the same exact spot. He abandoned his lie and reputted and made it this time and left his putter at the bottom of the hill refusing to make the trek back down and up again. You know how a group of friends can be, and the laughter and razzing that ensued made this trip all the more worth it.

9) Hole 13 greets you with a tight 5 foot wide gap with an immediate tree in the middle of it only a few feet past and you must choose right or left. This downhill the entire way hole slopes at probably a 35 degree angle with a cliff about 60 feet behind the basket. Can you hit the gap and slide your disc under the basket safely, or will you tree kick launch it into the green river below? Sounds difficult because it is, but its only about 160 feet and you could always not go for the gap off the tee and pitch to the sides on the walking trail and chip down.

10) Very good balance of distances (holes compared to each other) and shot angles despite the short nature of the course.

Cons:

1) There are a couple "sand traps" randomly placed in the middle of some fairways. These have long since been overgrown by grass but are marked as "hazards" on the tee signs. I'm guessing this was intentionally added when the course was built and used to add some difficulty to otherwise bland holes, but I strongly dislike useless penalties. Either it's OB or it's not.

2) For the big arms amongst us this course will not satiate your appetite. This will be, in most cases, and unremarkable putter/mid course. The course is in no way a bad course, it's actually well done, but it's just not intended for more skilled players.

3) Not extremely cart friendly with the extreme elevation changes in the woods, footing can be sketchy with all the side slopes and slick rocks, the bottoms (4-7) can flood and be soggy year round. Be cautious if you have bad knees or a hard time climbing steep rocks. Do yourself a favor and leave your carts at the top of the hill and take a few discs with you when you play hole 4-7 and grab your cart after you finish 7.

4) High risk of losing a disc on the wooded holes. Suggest not playing alone and having someone spot ahead in the group. The woods is not always mowed and maintained the greatest either, so be wary.

5) A lot of this course is gimmicky or at least feels that way as you play it. I give it a small pass in that regards because it is on school property. They probably would have been much better served building a solid 9 hole course here than squeezing in (at one point) 27 short holes. But don't get me wrong, the course still has it's charm and is fun to play.

Other Thoughts:

Definitely a fun little course that deserves a one time play if you are nearby. If Holler ever gets into it's old form again you can combine these two. I wouldn't make the trip this far out of Bowling Green just for this course unless you are trying to bag them all. There are just simply too many better courses to spend your time at.
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10 0
craigd
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 179 played 118 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Chalybeate Springs 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 22, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Chalybeate, the course that gets pronounced more ways than it has holes, is a fun little track. It's off the beaten path as far as Bowling Green courses are concerned, a good 30 minutes or so from downtown. But even with the comparatively out of the way feel from the downtown vibe of BG courses, I still enjoyed my round.

My first and only experience here came during the 2018 BG Amateur Champ tourney where I played a hybrid "long layout". It combined some holes, skipped some holes, and brought in some artificial OB's. Still, this gave me an opportunity to see some of the whole course as mapped here while playing the tourney arrangement.

Holes 1-18 had a pretty good design given the park features and will certainly satisfy those who struggle with the longer drives. The shorter holes incorporate some openness, woods, and some elevation changes around the course. Instead of distance, these will require some sharpshooting, good putts, and when in the woods, accuracy. Subsequently, you must load your card with birdies to score well here. Par golf will get you nothing in terms of ratings or a lead on the field.

The hole 4-7 interchange is probably the most notable with 4's downhill shot to a hanging basket, 5-6's scenic forest floor run, finished by 7's uphill shot. (I happened to skip hole 7's uphill shot and played the combined 5's tee to 6's basket) Beyond that, there is some basic, fun, short, city park style golf shots. Over all, considering the short holes, there is a good balance.

Holes 19-27, the apparent later addition to the course, are lengthier and compliment the shorter side of the course. Together they ring up at just over 2700' so look for a steady dose of slightly over or under 300' foot shots. Being primary open, there is not a lot of shot shaping required save for a time or two where an OB road or a ball field presents itself. There were a couple "sand traps" on the open field holes that played as OB hazards (no relief, penalty stroke). That did happen to add to what would be rather straightforward holes. It's also worth noting the elevated basket on hole 24 with OB road just to the left. This makes for a tricky putt when pin high to the right of the basket.

You'll find all the garden variety amenities here. Concrete tees, decent baskets, scattered benches, along with many of the other staples are all represented.

Cons:

Well, for the bombers out there, the shortness will leave you wanting more, even on the lengthier holes 19-27. It's short enough and unremarkable enough where a certain percentage of advanced/open level players won't enjoy the round. Not because the course is all bad, there is just a lack of challenge and/or too many luck factors when in the woods.

The above mention holes 19-27 can be fun but overall, they're uninteresting and unimaginative.
Look out for some steep elevation with some tough footing a few times.

Overall there's nothing too absurd for the cons section. I think the previous reviews touch on most of the complaints and the repeat offenders are made clear.

Generally speaking, I don't think this is a bad course. You just need to understand its uniqueness and play it for what it is. With all the courses to choose from in BG, think of this one as the drunk uncle of the family.

Other Thoughts:

As far as a tourney course, especially the BG Am Champs, it certainly adds to the variety of course types. That's a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you ask, and which version (short or long) they played. I happened to enjoy it.

While I see everyone's point, overall, I think the steep terrain is over exaggerated. I'd say its manageable with no problems for those in moderately good shape. For the cart guys, 90% of the course is friendly but you'll struggle or get aggravated with it a few times.

This is a fun, multi-use city park golf course. If your time is limited in Bowling Green, I'd recommend some of the other courses. But if you are bagging as may courses as possible and can fit this one in, by all means, enjoy!
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12 0
sisyphus
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.6 years 397 played 383 reviews
2.50 star(s)

It’s pronounced Ka-LEE-be-it. You’re welcome 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 23, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Located well north and out of the town of Bowling Green, KY (10 miles past Ephram White), Chalybeate is a shorter, technical, and sometimes quite hilly, 18 hole course good enough to be used some years for the BG Ams. The hole distances are quite manageable for even a Recreational level player, so it's considered a 'deuce or die' course for anybody above 'Rec'.

With good, level, concrete tees and DisCatcher baskets (freshly mulched), the infrastructure was excellently updated in 2015 for the big tournament. New stairs went in on the steep hill going up to basket #7. Snow fencing was installed to catch the roll-aways on the steep hillside holes 8, 14 and 15. There are nice new benches at holes 8 & 16.

Personally, I rate courses as much for their fun factor as for their challenge, and Chalybeate has some fun shots that gave it a definite rating boost in my book. The open shots aren't much to write home about, but it's nice for us shorter arms to have the longest hole (11, at 365 feet) be wide open and definitely downslope. There's a drop shot down into the woods, a couple of shorties down on the terrace beside a beautiful creek, where you can choose your line around and amongst the lightly wooded trees, the fun up-hiller to the 7th basket, and a couple of gut checks along the side of the slope (numbered in the above paragraph).

Cons:

The lack of big distance shots is often lamented, and, combined with it being a little remote, means Chalybeate doesn't get as much play (or as much care, in the past, except when the big tourney uses the course) as some of the 'bigger' courses down closer to BG. I can imagine the course being a little more...'rustic' most of the time.

Some folks might not like the 'luck factor' of the steep greens on 7, 8, 14 & 15, and they are not easy on the knees, if you have problems in that department. It's not that they'll exhaust you, they're just unusually steep. Even I'd probably avoid them if it were really wet. Finally, the course flow might be confusing for first timers around the conjunction by the 9th tee, between basket 3, tee 4 and tee 18.

Other Thoughts:

Edit: With Holler In The Hills now closed, the local club decided to use some of those baskets and add some longer, open holes to Chalybeate so that Advanced and Open players might enjoy this course beyond its 'deuce or die' nature. With strict tourney OB in place, it probably accomplishes this mission for Intermediates (who tend to be a little less consistent), but they might not see as much score separation as hoped for the really hugh ratings players, who will probably deuce most of these holes.

On the other hand, Chalybeate is still a fun course, and, if you make arrangements, The Goat Path would round out a really nice sampler of Mammoth Cave region / central Kentucky style disc golf!
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3 1
kevin24
Experience: 11.4 years 26 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Course Update 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 12, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Chalybeate Springs has a great blend of open and wooded holes. It makes excellent use of elevation. It has a very nice course map. A fence has been installed along the cliff to stop disc from rolling off. Walking trail along course that comes into shot play with OB.

Cons:

Tee signs have been stolen over the years and walking trail leading down to hole 4 has washed out.

Other Thoughts:

Course was just mowed and park benches has been installed on holes 8 and 16. Course is looking good mulch has been added around the baskets. New steps was built on hole 7. looking to install new tee signs this year along with getting the walking trail repaired
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9 0
bjreagh
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.6 years 350 played 317 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 13, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

18 hole course- good concrete tees and baskets including practice basket. Kiosk with large color course map. You just can't navigate on auto-pilot the first time you play, but it is not too hard to figure out without a map.

Good variety and balance of open grassy fairway holes and narrow wooded holes that went up and down and left and right. One hole goes straight down and another goes straight up to the top of the bluff about 100'. Each 9 loops back the parking lot. Both 9's start with open holes, go in the woods for a few holes, then finish back out in the open. Adding in the walking paths as O.B makes #1 and #2 more challenging.

Cons:

Signs used to be good, but only about half the color map tee signs still exist, the rest just have hole # and distance faintly drawn on the wood post.

#4 is straight downhill, but the path down is not the safest, could use some steps like found in other places.

For the most part the course is in an area all by itself, but, if the walking trail was busy, there could be a risk of hitting somebody on several holes.

I played in the summer- the open grassy fairways had been mowed at some point but needed mowed again, the wood fairways were narrow and the plant growth on the ground there was often not different than the rough, and the rough was ankle to knee high and dense. I played by myself and basically had to place my bag half way down the fairway, take a disc back to the tee, and in one motion throw and then run down the fairway to watch where the disc landed. I would recommend playing with others and having spotters, or playing in the winter if by yourself.

My opinion, but a couple holes on the bluff (for me) had too much risk for losing a disc off the bluff (requiring more luck than skill)- the fairways were narrow with lots of trees and sloped steeply toward the drop. There was a plastic fence along the two holes to help with disc loss but you could still fly over or slide under or even roll under in some spots. The basket for one was near the dledge and the landing area was steep- I basically slid my putter on the ground for 2 shots and then dropped it in the basket.

Other Thoughts:

It is actually a pretty fun course. Most, if not all, holes are dueceable for any experienced player, but don't let the distances fool you, there is plenty of challenge on the wooded holes where the main fear of losing your disc in the rough or off the bluff makes you think twice about how to play the hole.

A good course for beginner to intermediate players- not too long, plenty of open holes (in fact first timers could just play the open holes 1,2, 10,11,12,16,17,18 or something like that). The woods holes are not long but are tough and tight. This course demonstrates a lot of types of hole styles one will encounter on other courses. Map shows a lot of water but I didn't feel like the creek ever came in to play, and I really only caught a glimpse of it once (maybe in the spring the creek gets fuller and wider?).

Would make for a nice quick warm-up round for advanced players before going over to play Holler in the Hills.

The directions to the nearby school worked perfect on my GPS- the park entrance is just past the school- and once in the park, the course is easy to find.
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8 1
BraveThrower43
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 14.1 years 729 played 59 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Chalybwhatever 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 1, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has a good mix of open and wooded shots that can test your game.

As everyone on my card from the BG ams will tell you I love the uphill 125 ft hole and a few others where MAJOR terrain comes into play.

the Fence on hole 14 was a savior for many.

The open holes were well manicured(for wooded holes see cons)

Cons:

No benches which I like to have on any course even if it is a short one.

I thought that many of the fairways only allowed for a poke and pray line with no true "Fair"way that could be hit.

A lot of this course also required pure luck on whether you rolled away forever or would sit right next to the basket.

I felt like many of the danger zones such as the area to the right of 15 could use some sort of stairs to make disc retrieval less dangerous.

The 140 jump putt hole (#14) imo was a dumb hole and a filler that took away from most ofthe rest of the course.

The rough is extremely rough and there are many hanging limbs right in the middle of fairways that you can really see from the tee that will knock your disc down.

Other Thoughts:

While I enjoyed this course for the most part I felt that it was gimmicky in some places and at best deserved a 2.5. I believe that there is a lot of maintenance that needs to be done on the fairways in order to make this a fair course.
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9 0
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.2 years 1508 played 475 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Underappreciated in my opinion. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 24, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Practice basket available near the parking lot. Always appreciated to help warm up before heading out.

2) Discactchers in decent shape and the yellow band is appreciated in a few places

3) Signs with all the information with Hole # Par distance and a map.

4) This park has tennis, volleyball, baseball, a pavilion and a playground . . . plenty of other activities.

5) Awesome variety on this course because of the mix of open, to moderately wooded, to heavily wooded.

6) The elevation change on this course was dramatic, not only in a couple of the holes going up and down, but also on #14 and 15 where you throw on the edge of the cliff. I executed #14 well but got lucky and was saved by the pole on the basket. #15 I wasn't so lucky, I caught the right side of a tree and my disc went all the way down by the river.

7) There is a good variety or shots, needed to turnover some drives, some gentle hyzers, you have the option of a spike hyzer on a few shots (although it is risky).

8) The fun factor on this course comes from the elevation changes and the wooded holes.

9) Nice grippy concrete tees are always appreciated.

10) Challenging course but also still fairly beginner friendly because of the shortness of most of the holes.This is the kind of course I could imagine a beginner getting hooked on.

11) Hole #10 uses a tennis fence as the main obstacle. They could also eliminate this hole if necessary to add another wooded hole, but at least they used what they could to force a tough anhyzer or a stall shot over the fence.

12) Overall while I do not like the wide open holes at least there are some rolling hills to create some interest on the hole . . . they aren't all just flat and wide open.

Cons:

1) Overall the good holes outweigh the boring wide open holes, but it looks to me like there could have been more wooded holes than they used, and I simply prefer the wooded holes.

2) A few areas in the woods have severe erosion problems. They tried to fix one of the areas with asphalt and it did help, but even that is eroding away.This is not only bad because of the erosion issues running right down into the river but also because of the tripping and dangerous hazard.

3) Some of the lower areas definitely hold water, it seems like much of Kentucky has a lot of clay soils. I was able to walk around these areas but after a heavier rain I could imagine it is worse.

4) The stairs they used to get you up the hill are falling apart and dangerous. Definitely not built to code of any kind as the board were simply nailed in from the sides and no bracing. I know this is the old way of doing things but disc golf courses need to step it up to current times and do things correctly. If we lose courses because someone gets hurt on something like this I will be disappointed because it could have been avoided.

5) If you go to the bottom of the hill near the river on #14 and #15 you will have to walk all the way around to Hole #8 and down the stairs to retrieve your disc and throw your recovery shot. It will be a hassle for people on 3 different holes and it will slow everything down too. Perhaps a stairway over the cliff would be a good idea.

Other Thoughts:

I want to give this course a 3.5 because of the fun I had, but the erosion, the boring holes in the open, and the issue on #14 and #15 knock this down to a 3 disc course. Improve the infrastructure and maybe remove one of the boring open holes (I recommend #17 because it doesn't even need to be there) and add another wooded hole and you have a winner in my mind.
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8 0
absolutdork
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.6 years 51 played 28 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Better than Reviewed 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice compliment to Holler in the Hills just a few miles up the road. We played this course as our 2nd course of a two course day trip since we live 2 hours away, and it was a drastic and nice change from the amazingly gorgeous, hilly and challenging Holler in the Hills course. This course was either finally taken care of or the reviews below are just being harsh. I'm going with the former. I was expecting a trashy course, but what I got was a bit of a surprise here. Nice open holes, and some nice wooded holes, and a couple had MASSIVE elevation changes that were really neat and tricky. Teepads were in good condition, and the course flow was smooth and cohesive. The kiosk at the beginning was very nice. It plays through a multi-use park with a school very close by, but most of the course, especially the wooded sections were primarily just used for disc golf. Not a destination course, but a good course for those of you looking to get out of Bowling Green, and for those who are looking for a good compliment to Holler.

Cons:

The open holes, especially a couple seemed TOO open. No obstacles, just chuck it and land close for a birdie or automatic par. One hole plays right next to a basketball and tennis court, and an errant drive to the right could possibly land right in them, as well as an errant drive on the one open hole next to the school could land in the school yard.

Other Thoughts:

This course is in good shape as of today. Nice and easy, not too long, not too short. Nice challenges and some nice elevations. Great wind down course. If you are in the area, play this course, it's not the best course around, but far from the worst, and not nearly as bad as what I thought it would be.
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10 1
AdamE
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.5 years 264 played 143 reviews
1.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 7, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Chalybeate seems like a nice quite park. The course is a little on the short side, has Discatcher Pros baskets and looping 9's. It has a nice mix of open and wooded holes. Most of the course is fairly flat, but there are a couple cool shots with big elevation changes. There are a couple turnover shots here, but for the most part it's hyzer city.

Cons:

I feel I have to review this course in the condition I played it in, and this course shows no signs of being taken care of. Nine of the holes had tall, punishing rough over knee high in many places. That included the fairway on many of these holes making them extremely difficult if not borderline impossible to play. It was so bad I played many of these with a bright colored putter because my goal quickly changed from "play the hole well" to "throw a putter 75ft so you don't loose a disc or spend forever looking for it."

The tee pads were pretty short, but they're level with the ground so it's not a big deal.

About 4 of the holes are wide open with no obstacles.

Holes 3 and 9 play through tight gaps so small they're almost unfair. Trying to hit an 8-10ft gap roughly 100ft off the tee is a bit ridiculous IMHO.

Hole 6 has so many trees in the way there is no fairway. Just poke and hope.

Other Thoughts:

Overall this COULD be a nice, fun little course if it was taken care of but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be happening right now. I wouldn't recommend anyone play this course in the condition it's currently in.

Hopefully this will change and I'll update my review if I find out it has. With a little TLC, this course would be playable and enjoyable and I'd probably rate it a 2.5 if it was in good condition.
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4 0
discgolphinmafaukner
Experience: 28 played 13 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun short course to play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 15, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Chalybeate disc golf course sits in a public park close to a school. The course has a good balance of grip-and-rip and technical shots. There are times where you are pulling out your fastest driver, and on the next hole you are pulling out your putter to throw through the woods. Some of the wooded shots are really cool! This course comes back close to the parking lot after hole 9. There is lots of OB in the form of walking paths. Lots of elevation changes on this course; the course makes good use of the terrain. All of the baskets were in good condition. There are straight ahead shots, hyzer shots, and anhyzer shots. This course has a little of everything except for huge distance.

Cons:

More benches and trash receptacles would be nice. Some of the holes' fairways cross each other which can be dangerous on a busy day. Also coming out of the bottoms on some of the holes can be a little tricky. I didn't notice any bugs but I played in middle October.

Other Thoughts:

I gave this course a three because of the cons. However I would still say the pros outweigh the cons! There may not be a lot of distance but the course still presents it's challenges. Come play this course it is a lot of fun. I can see how some of the holes in the bottoms could be flooded. However when I played the course the bottoms were fine. I thought this course was a lot of fun.
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6 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
2.50 star(s)

An interesting mix 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 10, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a multi use park, but doesn't conflict with other park activities. There is a nice mix of open rolling field shots and some tightly wooded holes. There is a steep drop into the woods, and a couple holes play up and down the hill, and others bring it in to play as a possible hazard, making for some fun and interesting shots. There is some length on a couple of the open holes, and the wooded holes will make you hit tight lines with brushy rough waiting to punish an errant shot.

There is a nice course map at the beginning of the course, and the flow of the course is good with no navigation issues. There are decent concrete pads and tee signs for every hole, and the discatchers are in good shape.

Cons:

The open holes are wide open, and get a little boring and repetitive. The wooded holes are nice and technical, but all are short so they don't end up being all that challenging. The short downhill hole is fun, but a longer shot down the hill would be a nice complementary hole and add a little to the fun factor.

It's quite brushy and wet down in the woods, making for a pretty buggy and possibly mucky round. It ends up being a pretty easy course overall, with lots of birdie opportunities, and not too many holes that really threaten a bogey unless you screw up multiple times. A little more challenge and more tough wooded holes instead of all the field holes would add some variety and challenge.

Other Thoughts:

This is a decent warm up course for nearby Holler in the Hills or on your way south to Bowling Green, but isn't worth a long drive by itself. There are some fun holes, but too many wide open shots and not enough challenge to make it a must play. Beginners will enjoy the mix of wooded and open shots, and won't find too much length. More experienced players will be able to score well here with only a mid and putter, and won't really be tested.
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8 0
ChrisWoj
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.1 years 158 played 26 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Another fun BG Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 7, 2006 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Chalybeate Springs has a great blend of open and wooded holes. It makes excellent use of elevation. It has a very nice course map that illustrates clearly what the competitor is getting into (other than the elevation, difficult to portray on a map). The use of elevation is a noted pro, and for good reason. There are fun downhill holes, fun uphill holes, and a couple of great holes that play along the bluff. The open shots aren't all clumped together, which allows you to ease into the round with a couple of easier holes, you get a break from the elevation and wooded shots in the middle, and then you finish off with some nice birdies attempts in the open.

Cons:

The course isn't as well kept as other BG Courses. Some of the open shots do feel somewhat repetitive (though not so much that it is a major issue). The biggest con to the course though is that it isn't right there near the other BG Courses. It would get a lot more play were it nearer the main BG circle. It feels like its a little further out, and not really a part of the main community even though it very much is.

Other Thoughts:

This is another in the long list of BG courses I enjoy playing. There aren't many I don't enjoy in that community. If it was better kept it would be a 3.5. As it is - I hold it as a 3.0 because it IS a genuinely "good" course. It is a lot of fun to play, it offers some unique shots (hole 4 is the most notable - I witnessed an ace and I circle-3'd it off the tee during my one tournament round there), and it is worth at least one play.
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5 0
skottyb
Experience: 24.9 years 54 played 26 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A course that offers variety 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 27, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is very original in my opinion. There are some nice cliffs that offer elevation changes that I have seen nowhere else. The holes are realtively short which offers more for beginner players and forces seasoned players to be accurate. As with any course it seems to punish bad shots and reward good shots.

Cons:

There was one hole on the front nine at the bottom of the creek that seemed like a poke and hope type of shot. I believe I threw a forehand roller each time and hoped I would get up there for somewhat of a putt. Some people might call the cliffs a con for safety purposes but I think it offers a different challenge then most courses. It seems to be off of the beaten path as far as where the course is in relation to Bowling Green.

Other Thoughts:

I'd come back and play this course anytime, the location of it doesn't bother me. Obviously someone has put some time into this course and it shows. The man hours it took too install and clear everything (mostly the woods shots) are nice. The cliffs that you could throw off force you to be careful, I love this. Risk-Reward right!
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1 3
rinneal
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

The course offers a wide variety of shots. If you can't throw the long shot, this course is great. Wooded holes are great and challenging.

Cons:

Course could be better taken care of.

Other Thoughts:

This is my home course. Play a minimum of once a week. Played last year in the snow. I enjoy playing this course because of the accuracy required on wooded holes, and the challenge.
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17 0
tamahawk
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 50 played 50 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 21, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The Chalybeate Disc Golf course will provide you with an interesting and unique disc golf experience. The course uses DISCatcher baskets that are in great shape, appropriately sized concrete tee pads, and accurate tee signs at each hole.

The course does make two complete loops, with hole No9 and No18 ending back at the start of the course. The holes flow well from tee to tee, and the course is reasonable to navigate. There are no crossing fairways on the course. There is some underbrush on the course, and a lot of small brush and trees through the wooded areas that are just waiting to swat down a good drive. There are a few trash cans scattered around the course, but no benches that I can remember.

There are some moderate to severe elevation changes throughout the course which makes for some interesting holes. There is a great mix of open and tight, technical holes. There are 5 holes that are open, and 4 light to moderately wooded holes. The other 9 holes are short, technical holes that are heavily wooded, some with defined fairways, some not so much. The course as a whole is very short with only one hole topping 300ft. This hole is wide open with no obstacles, so not much of a challenge. Most of the holes at Chalybeate are set up for either a straight or slight right to left hyzer shot. There are a few places through the technical holes where you could get creative with the shot-making, but pretty straight forward otherwise.

The technical holes can prove quite challenging, but the open holes are just that, wide open. Length is not an asset at this course. An accurate, well-placed tee shot will yield the best results. Watch out through No14 and No15, these holes play right along the edge of the bluff, and it would be easy for an misplaced drive to fly over the edge or for a shot to turn up and roll over the edge. I have played here 5 times, and have never seen another group playing the course, you will more than likely have it all to yourself. There is plenty of parking available at the course.

Cons:

One of the biggest cons of this course is the location. It is the small town of Chalybeate which is probably a good 30 minute drive from downtown bowling green. There are a lot better courses in BG and many great courses within 5-10 minutes of each other in town. The closest course to Chalybeate is Ephram White park, which is about 15 minutes or so. If you are in this area, and have the time, it would be a great course to play. If you are in the BG area and looking to play several different courses, I would cross this one off the list. The open holes are wide open, maybe adding some more trees, or even sand traps to add to the visual appeal and challenge of the course would be nice. The stairs leading up the edge of the bluff to No7's basket aren't that great. They are a little unstable, and when I was there, there were a couple of steps missing, this definitely needs some work!

Other Thoughts:

Overall, Chalybeate is a decent little course that is fun to play. This course is similar in style to Preston Miller, so if you are looking for a shorter, more technical course in town, play Preston. If you happen to be around the Ephram White area, I'd say it would be worth the 15 minute drive to check it out.
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11 0
SimonCarr
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.9 years 115 played 57 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Interesting course... 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 29, 2006 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is a weird one. There are the standard hyzer/anhyzer shots in a field, but it gets ineteresting when you get into the woods. Highlight of the course are the extreme elevation shots. One hole plays 40 feet forward and 100 feet downhill, you can literally throw a jump putt from the teepad and let the disc drift down. Alternatively, there is another shot that goes back up the cliff which requires a thumber, tomahawk or a crazy roller shot. Most of the holes on this course are short, with a lot of birdies to be had.

Cons:

Not challenging enough. Not really worth playing this one if you are visiting the Bowling Green area since there are so many other great courses around.

Other Thoughts:

Overall the course feels like it was kind of haphazardly put together, although there are some interesting holes.
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7 1
jgentry
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 47 played 36 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun little course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is a fun little course to play that has very little traffic. There are decent sized teepads with nice signs. There are a lot of heavily wooded short holes that have extremely tight fairways. There are also a couple of holes that are either straight up a cliff or straight down it. It has some open holes as well. It is a nice change up course because the holes are short and very different from what you would normally see. You will need to be very creative with your shots

Cons:

The course is a little short, I only threw driver on 3 holes. It also seemed like you were either throwing at a hole with no fairway or one that was completely open. Some of the holes are too tight with no reasonible way to get to the basket other then luck. The steps going up to the straight up the hill hole are missing some steps and are very unstable.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun course to stop by and play in you get the chance. I promise you will have not played another course like it. I would not want to play it all the time, but it's definately a good change of pace with a very unique style to it.
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2 2
darnella
Experience: 17 years 65 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

i love this course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

this was a jewel of a course. it is not long at all but it will take everything you have in your bag. hole 7my favoriye hole on the course it is a challenge to the mind and the body you will think of 10 diferent ways to attempt it the picture dose not give it the real scope

Cons:

out of the way but that is part of the beuty

Other Thoughts:

it is worth the 15 mile out of the way drive and you can play in a lot of shade on a hot day
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9 3
Russell Gore
Experience: 30.8 years 80 played 38 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Very Technical course. Hands down the funnest small course out there. Most shots are less than 200 ft yet are harder to birdie than a 1000 ft hole. Must know your shots and be confident or this course can really rack up strokes. Can be an Amateurs worst nightmare. Basket placements are killer. Love the downhill lies with the chance of putting off the cliff side. Holes 4, 7, 14, 15 are all the craziest holes you may ever play. Great use of the cliff!

Cons:

It's in the middle of BFE. Not really close to anything!

Other Thoughts:

Ranked as one of the top 10courses I have played.
I would recommend this course to anyone. Great place to learn shots. Quiet setting with little distractions. Beautiful park with several other recreational activities.
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3 3
Big Woolly Mammoth
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Lots of Gimmick holes 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 30, 2007 Played the course:never

Cons:

There are some pretty strange shots here. Extreme elevation changes, both up and down hill. One hole has no fairway. Two others basically play along the side of a cliff.

Other Thoughts:

It's not the worst course I've ever played, but not really a good game of golf either.
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