Norwalk, CT

Cranbury Park

3.875(based on 50 reviews)
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5 1
Whit
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Updated pads/ signs drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 28, 2023 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

New turf pads and signs are great. More work to come as course is being revitalized. New holes 3 and 11 are off path. Tight and challenging with good use of terrain.

Cons:

Lots of dog walkers on final few holes.
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15 0
HyooMac
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.7 years 415 played 380 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Hardwood, Solid Challenge

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 7, 2024 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

`
*** REVISED AND UPDATED: 2024 ****

Mostly-wooded and hilly layout with single tee and two baskets per hole. Short baskets (Blueberry) old difficult-to-spot DGA's with blue number signs atop. Long baskets are faded difficult-to-spot DisCatchers. Excellent turf tees and new signage (but see "Cons" for more about the signs)


The woods are thick and the rough is punishing. You will pay for anything off the fairway


#14 - #18 are open, park-style holes. The first ones not in deep woods since #1. None of them are particularly memorable, but they're fine, and their contribution is to make the overall course better with the added variety. And stepping up to wide open expanse on #14 is a pretty big relief following 12 tight, wooded holes


A few holes feature old rock walls to clear, or to stay inside of. The back nine starts with a realy nice run of excellent holes. Red basket #9 is atop a large rock. #10 is a straight 375' par 3 that plays over a bluff into a steeply-sloping valley with the basket perched to create potential deathputts and rollaways. #11 is a dramatic uphill with a rock wall crossing the fairway peak of the ridge, and then #12 is a beautiful left dogleg back down into a clearing bordered by another section of that rock wall. #13 is a flatter 332' par 3 to a basket guarded by trees in front and OB behind - and then you come out for the park-style run of holes the remainder of the way.


The course is clean and very well maintained. I was pleased to see hole #15 improved by re-routing it and tearing out a wall of low trees that used to face the tee. It's not a particularly good hole (though the new basket position is on a slightly raised mound), but it used to be a very bad hole.

`

Cons:

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- The new tee signs are pretty, they're large, and they clearly show the hole number. Length and par. They are dominated by hole illustrations featuring no indication of significant trees or other landmarks. There's just generic "woods" illustrations on either side of the fairway. New, expensive, not made by players - so, useless.


- Once you get into the woods on the front nine, next hole navigation is spotty, especially from 2 to 3 and 3 to 4. Some of the pathways aren't marked, and can be full of leaves (you're in DEEP woods here). It gets better on the back nine, but expect to spend some time confusedly walking around in the woods. Just a handful of arrows affixed to trees could solve this easily.


- Dog walkers. At all times. Often walking packs of dogs. The park permits off-leash walking, as long as they're within "voice control." Whatever. Just expect to be slowed down to wait for others to clear on many of the closing holes.

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Other Thoughts:

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~ Hole #6 is a "tweener" - 392' par three with a hard right dogleg at about 175.' Narrow fairway that goes steeply down from the tee to the turn, and then steeply back up for the remainder. Because of the severity of the dogleg and tight fairways, I don't see how you can do better than a C2 or fairway throw-in for birdie. The global uDisc average for the hole is 3.8 - so it would be a soft par 4. But a helluva lot more satisfying (and fairer feeling) than as a par 3


~ This is a long, highly technical wooded course with lots of elevation changes, Do not bring a cart.


~ PLAY WITH A LOCAL. Less time spent wandering around, and more chances you'll see some "local routes." Playing by yourself it will probably take 4 or 5 times through to really enjoy it, because you'll have learned the gaps, the hidden trees, and which trees to use as aiming markers. First or second time through this really beats you up. But it probably grows on you with enough play. Having played the course only twice several years apart, I give it a respectful 4.0, but I understand how regulars would rate it a bit higher. I'm surprised that the DGCR average rating is 3.8 given the number of 4's I see when scrolling, but that might be because of old reviews and a few pretty negative ones. I think it's an excellent course with a few shortcomings.

`
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11 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31 years 764 played 386 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beautiful Park , Mediocre Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 21, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Cranbury Park is a beautiful area with the Gallaher Mansion on it , A performing theater , walking trails for you and your dogs , a garden and terrace . Oh yeah , and a disc golf course . The course is 18 holes , starting just down and to the left if you are driving in to the lot . Make sure you pay your $10 and put the receipt on the dashboard . Bathrooms were mentioned , but I didn't see where they were . . The parking lot was adequate .
The Equipment - The tee pads are rubber , plenty long and wide enough . The tee signs are good , metal with the different pin positions , but no indicator on which position the Long basket is in . There are 2 baskets per hole Short blue and long red . . The red basket is the longer one and has the different pin positions .There is a kiosk under a little shelter at hole #1 .
The Landscape . The course rolls some , and with the exception of a few holes , #'s 1 , 14 , 15 and 18 , the course is encased in woods .There area few older hand made rock walls on or around the course & some rock formations .
The Highlights - Some of the holes might interest you like the slowly descending #3 , through a tight fairway ( 420' ) , or the #18 bomber 550 where you throw from the open and into the woods at the very end .
Signature Hole - #6 397' has a left to right drive into a narrow pass with a basket the tucks in to the right at the very end .
The time - It took me about 70 minutes to play , but several of those minutes were looking for holes . A group of 4 that knows the way will play it in a little over 2 hours .
Extreme Beauty - Not the course but the grounds . Looking out over it in the backround while teeing off on #14 . You will see what I mean .

Cons:

#1 Navigation - You can slip off the path and be lost in a minute . The kiosk at hole #1 has a map , but it is faded and has seen better days ( It won't help ) . Print a map online before coming , or play with a local , or yell for help .Hole #15 has been moved to the outside of a small section of woods . Just walk to your left of the basket on #14 and just a shade forward .
#2 Watch Your Step - The course was full of debris , branches , sticks while I was here . If you have a PAY TO PLAY course , you should be doing a walk-through of the course once a day . Some of it was even on the tee pads
#3 Pay To Play - $10 for non residents . They disguise it as a parking fee . I am normally okay with paying if there is upkeep on the course and some goes back into improvements , but not here . We call this a Cash Register Course . One that the money goes into the pockets , but nothing goes to your entertainment .
#4 Interruptions - There are also a lot of dog walkers that you might encounter I hope you like dogs . Also , watch where you step . Owner are good at letting the dogs go right in the fairways .
One of the things that they could have done right was to utilize the lost and found disc box they have , but it looks like it hasn't been cleaned out or locked in years .
Bring bug spray for the bugs , and a hammer to hit your self with for paying to play here .

Other Thoughts:

I talked to a local that is a resident and doesn't pay . He says the lack of attention that Cranbury pays toward the disc golf course and the fact that they charge $10 to play drove most of the players away . That's sad , because it really isn't a bad course . Cranbury could do so much more with this course . but they just ride on their past reputation . Read the reviews from the 2 before me . It seems not too many are impressed . Overrated as it was , It just barely eked out a 3 from me ( 2.75 ) . If you come here , make sure you put aside some time to walk the grounds . The course is a little more than passable .If it didn't have multiple pin placements and only had 1 basket , it would be a 2 , but the park's overall look is very nice .
My Recommendation - With its 2 basket system - and some good holes , this course should be utilized by any residents that like disc golf . The non residents are wasting their money by coming here . You have 4 courses that are free and within 10 miles of this place . Go to Veterans , where the Fun Factor is high there . Course Collectors - avoid the letdown and pick another course .
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3 5
MEmond
Experience: 8 played 6 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Not worth playing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 8, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

The park itself is very nice as are the tee boxes.

Cons:

The course is garbage for the following reasons:

1) It's not at all clear where the next tee is on a good majority of the holes. I definitely got lost a few times.
2) You can't see the basket from the tee box on most holes, paired with the fact that it's a very heavily wooded course with only a couple open holes, it's no surprise I lost a disc. The group in front of me appeared to be searching hard for discs frequently as well.
3) Instead of having multiple tee boxes, every hole has a couple baskets which are similarly colored. They also have very confusing maps on each hole showing up to 4 basket locations. As those holes don't actually have 4 baskets I'm left to assume it's for if/when they change the course around. As you can't actually see the baskets most of the time, there's no way to tell if you're going for the "A" "B" or "C" basket location.
4) The lost disc case was unlocked and wide open, filled with trash and spider webs.
5) The overall course map in the beginning is simply arrows on a very faded and unclear arial view of the area so it's difficult to navigate based on that.
6) The par ratings on most holes seem unrealistically low compared to any other course I've played.

Other Thoughts:

With so many other solid course in the tristate area I see no reason to come back here.
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1 16
Jtroy
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Not what expected 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 1, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of trees made it hard for some shots

Cons:

Coarse was not taken care of. I drive two hrs because of rating and was Very disappointed. I Usually play At a park on Long Island and is above and beyond this place. Any one who rates this higher than a 1 base to been to many frolf fields. This field was truly bad. Couldn't find the cages sometimes, people walking on the course trees in the way on every throw which makes e every hole to much a like. What a disappointment

Other Thoughts:

Please please anyone who thinks this field is good try the one On long island
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7 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.8 years 216 played 182 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Don't Hurry Through Cranbury 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 21, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ Long tee pads made of rubber anchored to a wood frame have enough space for long wind-ups like mine.
+ The tee signs have a crisp graphic of the hole ahead with pars and distances for all layouts. Plus, most of their anchor poles have hooks built in for players to hang their bags.
+ Each hole has two pins for the player to choose their challenge level, and each layout's pins are colored differently so the player knows intuitively which one to throw towards.
+ Every hole has a bench, and there are a fair few trash cans. Please do not litter!
+ The course is set in a quiet park with dense woods for the front nine and more open holes for the back nine.
+ Some nice elevation challenges throughout.

Cons:

- Some holes have multiple possible pin locations for the red layout, but there is no way for the player to know which location the basket occupies without spending the time to walk around and spot it. Hole 7 jumps to mind as an example of this.
- All holes in both layouts are par 3. This is just fine for the short layout, but I feel as though two or three pin positions of the long layout's holes ought to be bumped up to par 4.
- Some holes share fairways with each other. 14 + 18 is the most obvious example. There might be one or two others.
- There are no 'next hole' signs. This is combated somewhat by the fairly obvious paths to take and the tee sign diagrams, but I still got lost after completing hole 13 because of the lack of signage.

Other Thoughts:

Please note that this review is based on the longer Cranbury layout with the red baskets. My favorite hole here is #4 because of its combination dense tunnel shot and rolling downhill elevation. My least favorite hole is #11 because of how flat and plain it is. To my mind it was the least engaging.

Regarding the course altogether, Cranbury Park is a quiet and efficient course. I'll admit that I tricked myself into raising my expectations upon seeing the fancy mansion and the tiny art exhibit building right next to the parking lot. In my mind I thought that meant this course would be some kind of elegantly decorated and ornate course with pristine fairways and golden baskets. Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but what I'm saying is that the course resides within a very pleasant venue.

Hole 14 here is probably one of the prettiest holes I've played with a postcard-worthy view of a country club (I'm assuming), its patio, gardens, sculptures and statues. However, it was also one of the least stimulating from a disc golf perspective because of how level and open it is. Most of the back nine suffers from that, to be honest. The scenery is nice, but the disc golf difficulty could have been better.
As for the front nine, the vibe is notably different. Those woods are so dense and silent that I half expected to see Slenderman walking about in the background. This forest makes for some fun challenges in the way of tight lines, bending fairways and guarded baskets. The elevation among the front nine is pretty fun, too. I like a well-textured course, and Cranbury Park satisfies that itch.

I barely remember most of the holes, though. Not much reached out and grabbed me other than the scenery. I definitely remember having fun, and I would likely make this my home course if I lived in the area, but I didn't retain much as I played.
Still, I do recommend this course to players seeking golf in the woods, in a few fields and on some tough hills. It strikes me as a course to slow down and enjoy the view while you play, which not every course can pull off. Cranbury does.
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7 0
Sharknado2
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 34 played 34 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Worth coming to from near or far 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 3, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Ample parking, free during the winter
- course was in excellent shape, all tee boxes and signed in tact, at least 2 baskets on each hole that have correct hole numbers, no mud, broken in fairways, no fallen trees in patha
-a variety of shot shapes and distances required, overhand shots and forehand will really come in handy
-well placed baskets with greens that are guarded either by trees, rocks or slopes
- short tees are great for accuracy and slower arms. Long tees are sometimes easier lines to hitbut tough to reach. Awesome risk/reward in terms of picking the tees
- the park itself is gorgeous with a performing arts center and lots of beautiful stone buildings
- tee signs were perfect, they show distances for each basket AND the location of the next tee which was a godsend.
-fairly good flow, not too much walking from tee to tee
- mix of woods and park style holes, a couple just shoot across a grassy field
- saw lots of friendly disc golfers, the locals clearly love this place!

Cons:

- handful of dog walkers who seemed oblivious to the course
- didn't find any bathrooms
- looks like it coats 10$ to park there during the summer, is that true? If so that seems too steep
- no water or signature picturesque holes

Other Thoughts:

This is the first 4 I have ever given and it is well deserved. I had a blast playing this course and sped through it in 90 mins. Excellent condition, creative layout and lots of choices on each hole in terms of tees and shot shapes. Happened to stop by on a drive from NYC to Waterbury and I'm so glad I found this place! Highly recommend anyone to check this out. Had trouble thinking of cons because this was such a joy to play. Thank you to Norwalk for putting so much thought and TLC into this course!
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3 2
Scotty346
Experience: 10.8 years 21 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Bugs, dogs, and trees 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Nice large rubber tees.
-Nice tee signs.
-Dog friendly (also a con).
-Nice mansion, gardens, and meadows.

Cons:

-Lots of bugs!
-Nice signs but not always accurate. Need clear Next Hole signs.
-Dozens of dogs, all off leash. One lady had 6 by herself. Not surprisingly, this leads to lots of dog crap on the course. Watch where you step!
-Blue baskets are very old and extremely hard to see in the woods.
-Good amount of blind holes.
-A few holes use the walking trails as fairways which can be annoying.
-People picnicking and lounging on the fairways on a few holes.
-Lots of trees, some holes don't have clear fairways.

Other Thoughts:

Good course but very buggy and you may have to wait a while for pedestrians and dog walkers to clear out. I just played it and not one hole stuck out to me as memorable.
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1 1
maceireann
Experience: 8.9 years 11 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great course for a hot day. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

lots of shade.
Fun 'tricky' shots with trees and technical challenges.
There is a sort of hut with a bulletin board, benches, a table. A good place to muster for a group or wait for others to play through. Overall, this course is well built for high traffic with benches, bag hooks, signs, multiple baskets per hole and I think you are close to the parking lot for the fron/back turn.

Cons:

lots of trees.
If you like to make long drives, you may not enjoy this course.

Other Thoughts:

I will definitely return!
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1 1
atompell
Experience: 7.8 years 5 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Super technical, but fun! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 4, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Great signage
- Fun wooded holes
- Many options of baskets distances, for beginners or experts.
- Overall, beautiful course and a beautiful park

Cons:

- Back 9 can be difficult with park members and dogs. So be careful!
- Bugs, make sure you bring some bug spray.
- Pay for parking for out of state residents

Other Thoughts:

The first hole starts off pretty innocent, but very quickly becomes a very technical course with various wooded areas.
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8 0
srm_520
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20 years 156 played 142 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A Solid Wooded Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 19, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

There are alternate pin locations at every hole, with the red pins usually playing longer, but not always in the more difficult location. Blue pins play considerably shorter, but mix in quality pin locations to give the recreational player a good challenge. Length is varied, ranging from just under 250' to 550', but with most holes being heavily wooded, the length mixed with tough lines will challenge even the advanced player. Many of the pins also have blind locations from the box and some have tall flags to help with this.

The tee boxes are solid with thick rubber mats and encased in the wooden frame. Boxes are around 5' by 10', so most players will have plenty of run up on their drive. The signage, while not spectacular, is solid and gives the player the necessary info on both pin locations. Finally, the elevation changes throughout the course are fantastic, with a fair amount of great up and downs. When you mix this in with pins installed on boulders and huge stone walls, it really does make for a memorable experience.

Cons:

I'm sure most players will argue that a course of this caliber has few flaws, and my observations are mostly nit-picky ones that are more based on preference than anything. First, I always enjoy when a course circles back on itself as Cranbury does, but to achieve this - the location of the first tee is a good distance from the parking area. Again, nothing major, but it can be confusing for a first-timer to the course. In addition, I would suggest bringing a map, because transitions from one hole to another are a bit dicey in the woods. There was usually a rock or indicator with an arrow, but that only does so much.

Finally, players who prefer a more open course may not enjoy Cranbury to its fullest. It's a wooded more technical course with some open shots to satisfy most players, but some holes play extremely tight. Though I only felt that only one to two holes where the best line felt more like luck than skill. Just know what you are getting into - there are trees but if your skill level is good, none of this should be any real negative - just more of a preference thing.

Other Thoughts:

Cranbury Park has almost everything you would hope for in a wooded technical course. Being from Houston where an overpass is the only elevation change - I loved the great up and downs that force to be creative and think out each shot. The thought the variation in distance was just enough to keep my attention, and keep the course highly enjoyable without feeling unfair. I can see why it's currently rated the second highest course in Connecticut. It has no glaring negatives, and gives players of all skill levels a challenge.

While the course didn't blow me away like some signature courses in some states that I've played - it's simply solid. It's basically one of those courses you wished you lived near to help you improve on your skills as a technical player. I would love to come back and play Cranbury whenever I'm here, and you should too if you're in the area.
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9 0
adlacro
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.8 years 149 played 125 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Cranbury Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 5, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

18 holes with two baskets, a short (blueberry) and long (cranbury) to each hole. Mostly wooded with a few open holes mixed in as well. The course doesn't play favorites among lefty or righty because they will both be equally challenged. You will need to execute a full bag with controlled power to have the opportunity to score well. Baskets in fair shape. Arrows underneath cranbury baskets point the way to the next tee. Tee signs are quite nice and accurately depict the hole. Clean. Tees are rubber mats in great shape.

Cons:

This course seems to lack a "wow" hole; there are several good holes that require different shots, but not one that leaves you wanting to come back just for that hole. Definitely not a beginners course. The dog park comes into play on 15, so if you're laying down a roller (which I recommend if you have one) make sure dogs don't go chasing after it, or much less chasing a dog away with your drive. People picnic on the 18th as well (wasn't an issue when I played, but after all it was under 50 degrees when I played).

Other Thoughts:

This is a good place to come and challenge yourself, but when you do, be prepared to make sure you score when you can (the open holes and some of the shorter holes). This is worthy of a trip if you're in the area, but there are courses with more of a wow factor in CT. The locals do a good job with keeping the place maintained. All in all it is a solid course.
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1 3
KnickerbockerLAG
Experience: 11.9 years 20 played 12 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Cranbury Park is beautiful and challenging 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 18, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Cranbury Park has some great highlights. If you are into architecture or horticulture, the grounds have much to look at. The wooded course has some very memorable holes. Overall the course is designed to be purposefully challenging, and it succeeds.

Cons:

The pedestrians (aka aimlessly meandering city folks) and DOg walkers can become annoying REAL quick. You regularly find yourself standing on a tee box waiting to drive, because people are on the fairway taking selfies, as if totally unaware that its a disc golf course. The dog park is also a pain because dogs regularly will grab your disc and run away with it.

Other Thoughts:

Dont expect to get near parring this course unless you are playing a godlike game.
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4 0
BPC2000
Experience: 12.2 years 54 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Went early on a weekday 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 5, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Every hole had Rubber Mat/Wood Framed tee boxes that were neat and level.
-Signage at each tee describing the hole layout, distance etc.
-A good mix of landscape...majority of wooded holes with some wide open field holes.
-Some nice elevation changes on a few holes
-Challenging tight fairways in the woods on some holes that advanced players will enjoy.
-I found navigation (first time player) pretty easy, because of adequate markings/signage, a little help from the course map found online, and the beaten paths probably created from frequent usage
-wooded fairways had sort of a "groomed" look, seemed to be mostly clear of fallen branches, overgrowth, and "debris". It helped with navigation.
-I went early (6:30am) on a weekday and had the course to myself (no other disc golfers)
-Nice setting on the grounds of a mansion.

Cons:

-Challenging tight fairways in the woods on some holes that beginners might find difficult to play through.
-Whether you do or don't like dogs, be prepared to see some dogs. I like dogs so it didn't take much away from my round, but there were several dogs and dog owners passing through on a handful of holes.

Other Thoughts:

All in all I was impressed by the effort put in by the design and maintenance of this course. You can tell the locals love their course. Cant say when I'll get to play there again, but I'm glad i checked it out.
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4 0
Hector Chain
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 222 played 189 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Do you have to let it linger? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 1, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This will draw inevitable comparisons to Borderland, and for good reason. The course plays around the woods, rock walls, and the lawns surrounding a nice mansion with two baskets on every hole. I don't know how they got a course installed here, but congrats to whoever did.

The multiple baskets is a huge plus. It's an expensive option but a great way to add to the replayability of the course. The red baskets - which are pretty visible - are the longer baskets (the "cranberry" layout; see, because cranberries are red), and I would recommend these for anyone above a novice level. The blue baskets are shorter. That layout didn't look boring but certainly had more ace runs.

Elevation comes into play on many of the holes and really add to the challenge. Hole 9 was one of the best, a 375-foot throw over a hump with the baskets on a second incline. Hole 8 was also a fun one with the red basket perched on top of a rock pile. If you miss your putt, it might get stuck on a rock edge or more likely will roll away.

Tee signs were good and showed what you needed them to show. Tee pads were good.

Cons:

Park users come into play on a lot of holes, particularly the late ones. On hole 18 I was afraid I was throwing past a huge clump of shrubbery in the fairway and wasn't sure who might be walking on the other side. I can't imagine what it's like on a weekend when the foliage is in full bloom. The dog park hole (15, I think) is another. I was nervous throwing here because there is no good route to the basket that I could see other than a roller, and I can only imagine what most dogs think when they see a rolling disk ("red squirrel!").

Navigation was mostly okay, but I had to consult the map several times. The course plays in a non-intuitive square late in the round from holes 13-17.

Other Thoughts:

To complete the Borderland comparison, Cranbury has much better elevation, slightly worse design, only one tee pad per hole, presumably much less traffic (I was there on a Wednesday, so I don't know what a summer weekend looks like) but is pretty comparable in fun.
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6 0
cedman1981
Experience: 12.6 years 32 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun Course But Let's Calm Down a Bit 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 22, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful park. Some interesting holes. I like courses that offer a long and a short option. Nice easy off/easy on for the highway.

Cons:

1) Lack of Signage - Fortunately, I ran into a local and finished the round up with him. Otherwise I'd probably still be looking for the Hole 6. Sometimes it's easy to see the next Tee. Othertimes, not so much...
2) Dog Walkers - Holy crap, these people are EVERYWHERE! On the fairways, in front of the tees, by the baskets, aimlessly wandering off and onto the holes. I understand that the course designers had to work with what they were given, but I have never seen so many people just blatantly not care they are in the way. I'm all for sharing space with other park users, but there has to be some form of mutual respect. I feel like I spent half my round waiting for people to move.
3) Layout - A lot of repitition. Only two or three really memorable holes. Also a very local friendly course. A lot of holes that are very tricky to know how the layout really works until after you have already thrown.

Other Thoughts:

I know my cons sound like I'm hating on the course. I'm really not. I had a fun round. It was a pleasant walk through some beautiful scenery. I'll play again (it's the perfect halfway point for a break on the drive from MA to family in NJ).

I'm being overly critical because this course simply does not deserve 4 discs. It was a fun, very average park course. Borderlands in Easton, MA is a 4 disc public park course. Wickham is a 4 disc public park course. West Thompson is a smaller course with 1 layout and is still deserving of a better score than Cranberry..

Definitely check this place out if you are in the area. It was a good time. But after seeing such a high rating, I was definitely a little disappointed when I actually got here.
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6 0
runningDoc
Experience: 9.9 years 3 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course Tight Greens Challenging and Dog Friendly 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 14, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Challenging Course - lots of TIGHT wooded fairways with many twists,turns, and elevation changes. 3 open field holes, and even a roller hole.

Its been mentioned before that a scoring a 54 here (every hole is par 3) is an EXCELLENT score. There are so many holes where you have to make two good shots to put yourself in position to putt for par.

The best example of this is the roller hole on 15. You have to make it through the trees in the middle of the fairway either with a perfect roller, or perfect low shot under the branches and through the trunks, or a perfect spike hyzer/anhyzer placed 60ft above and around the trees. From there you have to make a great shot towards the basket which is on an 4 foot elevated mound. Then all your putts are "go for its" often resulting in 2-3putts. the best part? the hole is in the dedicated DOG RUN area! its actually fun seeing local pros do this hole and show you their way of scoring par.

Plus the holes that are Birdie-able are deceptively tough.

There is two options, and easier/closer Blueberry, and a challenging Cranbury options per hole.

Its a public course that is free and has ample parking thats free too.

Great Tee Boxes per hole, wooden frame and rubber pads on every hole.

The course measures about 2.2 miles of walking so its a decent way to get some exercise. You can finish the whole course (and even take some mulligans/ multiple practice throws per hole) in under 1.5hrs

The whole park is a large public park with beautiful green fields and picnic areas is also a mostly off leash dog friendly park too (with a dedicated area for dogs. Dogs can be off leash on the trails as well). You can definitely bring the whole family and the dog to hang out (if they aren't playing), maybe have a picnic, and walk the other trails while you play.

Cons:

Its a daunting course for 1st timers (even pros) because so many of the holes are very long tight wooded fairways and the basket blind from the tee. When first playing you have to jog half way up some of the holes to see where the Cranbury basket is located.

The Blueberry (easier) basket options aren't played often and you can see that their baskets aren't as nice/sometimes a little bent or missing a 2nd chain ring. Since there's so little foot traffic to the Bluberry baskets the leaves/bushes/branches in the area are grown in.

Since its a large pretty park, often times people will hang out and picnic/sunbathe on some of the open lawn areas of the holes. Most of the locals have figured out where its safe to lay, but still if you shank a throw you could hit someone.

There are lots of events being held on the grounds from weddings, to the Highland Games (scottish guys in kilts doing scottish games like log toss), ect. So sometimes parking is tight or the open field holes are closed.

You do have to watch out for trail hikers, joggers, mountain bikers, and the occasional people on horses.

Lastly the Pro of being a "dog friendly" park is also a Con, because there are sometimes professional dog walkers who'll bring up to 10 dogs with them and basically abuse the park letting the dogs run rampant and sometimes hold up play by taking their time to move out of the fairways/holes. I think if you're going to bring your dogs its fine, but professional dog walkers in reality can't keep up and keep tabs on 5-10 dogs at all times.

Two of the holes cross through the dedicated dog run open areas (and even a roller hole) but 99% of the time everything will clear up for your shot.

Other Thoughts:

This is my local course - I live less than 10min away from this course. I consider myself spoiled to live so close to this park.

I'm glad and was also sort of traumatized that this was the first course I learned how to play DG on!

It taught me how to play super tight demoralizing wooded fairways and that even pros will be victimized by shots that were good but were still victimized by the trees/obstacles.
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3 0
Rplus84
Experience: 9.8 years 15 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Perfect Rubber Tees 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 6, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Rubber tees makes for enjoyable drives
-Multiple baskets adding variety to the course
-good use of elevation
-good mix of open and wooded holes
-Well marqued
-Two practice baskets
-Benches on every hole
-Well maintained
-Woods r rather clean, little vegetation on many holes

Cons:

-Bluebury baskets look old compared to the cranbury baskets
-Some baskets are missing the brick with the arrow that points to the next tee... in addition, at least 2 arrows r pointing the wrong way
-Ocasional dog walkers

Other Thoughts:

Enjoyable course to play... I played here once on a sunday morning, 6am, the front gate was still closed, had to go in through the exit and walk my way to the first tee... its a beautiful park with a lot of dog walkers so be careful when throwing... some holes have up to 3 cranbury baskets which i think its too much, one red and one blue is enough in my opinion, but i understand this gives variety to the locals... not far from route 7 which gives access to i-95... worth the 12 minute drive from 95 if ur traveling on it, i recommend this course very much
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6 0
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.7 years 278 played 273 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Cranbury is a solid course made up of solid holes. Great signs, easy navigation and two baskets on each hole add to a very enjoyable experience. The signature element of the course is the use of stone walls to create OB. I'm not one for arbitrarily decided OB lines, but these feel very natural and add to the challenge as well as to the aesthetic quality of the course. Very nice use of an already in-place resource.
The second basket is also a nice touch. Locals can get a bit of variety by playing the blue baskets on occasion without moving the standard reds from their great positions. Alternatively, players of different ability levels can handicap their round by each playing to a different basket. But, if you are just playing once, you definitely want to play red.
The course isn't overly difficult and combined with the low level of underbrush and the existence of short baskets, it should be very playable for novice players, although the standard layout is clearly geared towards intermediates. Just about any player will likely enjoy their experience at Cranbury though.

Cons:

I do appreciate the variety here but the open holes here aren't very interesting. It's easy to compare the course to Wickham, the in-state neighbor and the open holes on Wickham are all so different from each other. They keep a player interested with a variety of directions laid out over some very significant elevation changes. Here, not so much. The open holes at Cranbury are much flatter and grow tiresome rather quickly.
It's also tempting to compare the course to Borderland, as both inhabit parks built around a historic mansion. Here though, the course doesn't have a hole that opens up to it to create a memorable moment. There is no real signature hole at all. Cranbury is a very solid course, and a recommended stop, but it isn't a destination course. Good discing, but not truly memorable discing. Worth playing but a notch below both Wickham and Borderland, both of which feature the same variety of wooded and open that plays so well here.
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4 1
Highway Bill
Experience: 25.8 years 67 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Tight Lines 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Cranbury Park is a better than average city park disc golf course. Most of the holes wind through the densely wooded portion of the park while a few of the holes crisscross some of the grassy fields.
The fly pad tee boxes are ample, well constructed, and a pleasure to throw from. The signs are pretty decent for a park course and the red DGA's catch discs efficiently. The routing here is pretty inherent but there are a few areas where a next tee sign would be helpful.
The designers made good use of elevation change but the course's strongest attribute aside from the tee pads must be the treacherous greens. Many of the baskets are on or near dangerous slopes which will make players think twice before attempting a putts from "the wrong side" of the bucket.

Cons:

With no legitimate par 4's, Cranbury Park is hardly a test of golf. This is a glorified par 3 course but as you can see by the SSE, a 54 is actually a pretty good score here. This is due to super tight "fairways" combined with awkward distances. There are many holes here that are too long for par 3's but far too short for par 4's. For instance, there are a number of overly tight holes ranging in distance from 300'-375'. On top of that, a few of the slightly uphill holes ranging from 275'-290' played over 300', adding to the long list of "tweeners". There is pretty good directional balance off the tee but that doesn't make up for the course's other shortcomings.
Also, Cranbury could be renamed "Dog Town" if one were so inclined.

Other Thoughts:

Because it's located in a city park, the course builders are limited as to what trees they can cut and that's too bad. I realize this is an issue in all public parks but Cranbury suffers more than most from this policy.
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