Madras, OR

Juniper Hills DGC

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3.055(based on 10 reviews)
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2 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.8 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice Course At Far End of A Big Park Where The Hills Start! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 18, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Juniper Hills Park is a large park. Actually finding the course was challenging enough. The directions on the DGCR sheet helped. The terrain is high desert with Juniper trees and lots of scrub sage brush. Luckily, I didn't get bothered by what called cheatgrass. I hate those little barbed things that you have to pick off your shoes and socks, one at a time.

We now have concrete tee pads, Yes! There is a garbage can at # 1. The signs give you the #, distance, map and a sponsor. There are skinny round logs at each hole serving as benches. There are alternate natural pads allowing to play and second 9 and a third round for 27 holes total. Unfortunately, I only had time to play the front 9.

# 1 plays 255' mostly flat. # 2 is 261' up a small hill. # 3 is a 204' hyser shot. # 4 is another slight uphill hole at 277'.

I vote # 5 as the signature hole but only by a slight margin over # 7's big bomber hole. About # 5, it's 305' slightly twisting downhill and eerily similar to my Signature hole back (# 13)at Coyote's Den in Redmond. I must be impressed with these types of holes.

# 6 is up and over a smallish hill 317'. # 7 is a fun 478' big air throw to an open basket but you need to turn your drive over to the right. # 8 is a level 404' and then # 9 finishes up with a 382' flat hole.

The course serves up a nice variety of uphill, downhill and flat holes.

Cons:

The skinny log benches didn't do my tired behind any favors. All I can figure is the golfers in Madras must have skinny butts. I did, however, enjoy the flat bench on # 8.

High desert terrain is not my favorite.

I hate cheatgrass, when it's present.

Not easy to locate for traveling players but easy to navigate once you get started.

I'm sure wind can be a factor.





Other Thoughts:

All in all, a nice solid course. I wish I had had the time to play, at least another 9, just to form an opinion. It sounds like the old tee pads were a problem. Sand or wood chips are both terrible material for tee boxes especially when they receive any amount of play. Madras is off the beaten track a spell but some people must pass this way on the way down to Bend and Sunriver.
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1 0
wildphil
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Course Improvements 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 24, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course was set up with 9 baskets and all the tpads were what you see in the pictures. Horrible Horrible Horrible. Well the first phase was to get all the sand out out of them and filled in with packed dirt and leveled. The tpads were to short so they have been extended out and lined with big rocks to hold the dirt in and also make it a more enjoyable round of golf. Being a local those 9 holes got old. To sum it all up we have 18 alternate tpads so 3 times around the course you can play 27 holes. There is signage to navigate the course.

Cons:

we still do not have funding for permanent concrete tpads.

Other Thoughts:

Come play most of the time its like having your own private course. As usual have good disc golf etiquette
since the tpads are dirt repair you foot divots and no defacing the course and dont destroy the rock work.
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5 0
Yves LM
Experience: 11.4 years 147 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Juniper HIlls DGC in summer 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 14, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great layout to the park and easy flow from hole to hole. The park is very close to Hwy 26 and Hwy 97 so this 9 hole course is the perfect way to break up a long drive on your way to whatever outdoor activity, road trip or business brings you this way. If you are playing in the summer and it is 90-100 degrees during the day, you can stop in here about an hour before sunset and really get a nice view of the mountains and have temperatures in the 70s or 80s.

Cons:

The tees have been changed to natural sand and gravel from the previously mentioned woodchips. You have to be careful of your footing and for those that take a big run-up beware. In the summer it can be somewhat dusty and it will get on you and all over the discs you throw. The cheatgrass is plentiful in places and especially on hole 7. It produces a ton of seeds and they can really poke you if they get in your shoes and socks. Some of the baskets were labelled as if they might have recently had a tournament or if they are thinking about expanding the course because there was duct tape with numbers 11, 14, etc taped over the original hole numbers on the baskets.

Other Thoughts:

Make sure to throw at the farthest basket on holes 1 and 9 because there are two baskets and they are sharing the same physical location for the beginning and end of the course.
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3 0
DGShawn
Experience: 12.7 years 5 played 3 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A hiker's course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Being the beginner that I am, this course seemed very technical. Elevation changes on EVERY hole,up, down, sideways. Baskets were nice, as well were the signs and flow. Great little nine hole course that everyone should play at least once.

Bathrooms nearby, as well as soccer fields and a nice park.

Baskets were in great shape, and the grounds overall were very clean.

Cons:

Tee pads. Basically they were all holes with railroad ties/logs around them. I could not even "stand and deliver" out of them due to the bad footing. Either side of the tee boxes are bad as well due to this I am sure.

Other Thoughts:

Tough for me due to EVERY bit of footing was un-level, even off the tee. That and not being in the greatest of shape, getting around the course was more of a hike than a walk.
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4 0
PDXDisc
Experience: 14.8 years 21 played 15 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Pleasently Surprised 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 30, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of variation and challenges for a short 9 hole course. Easy to find. Increadible views, Had the course to myself for 2 rounds.
The variations in distance, uphill shots, and trees made this an absolute blast to play. Much more interesting than I was expecting for a 9 hole course on the edge of a public park.

The tee markers made navigation a snap.

Cons:

The tee boxes are more of a hazard than a help at this point. They have turned into small sand pits and it looks like players are teeing off from next to the pads and tearing up the ground. Kinda defeating the purpose of the tee pad placement.

Just guessing but I played this course April 30 with 70 degree temps, blue skys, and absolute dream conditions. I would expect come July/August when it's 110+ and the cheetgrass comes in the fun factor could wane a bit. But in April/May it is increadible.

Other Thoughts:

Whoever laid this course out deserves an award. Great job! It would be a destination course if it were a full 18.
I made the drive into Madras from the Kahneetah resort where I was staying with my family and was kinda grumbling about the distance for just "a stubby 9 holer". But it was definitely worth the drive.

Please consider making it an 18 and changing the tee pads... Please.
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3 1
Puddy47
Experience: 13.8 years 9 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Early morning 9 holes 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 24, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Fun and challenging both, a range of distances and a wide variety of obstacles. Crazy fun for 9 holes, very fun place with something for everyone.

Cons:

Was flying solo so i almost lost a disc on hole 7 due to the distance and drop off. Easily solved with a spotter though. Wind can be an issue later in the day.

Other Thoughts:

Make sure to bring a disc that will counter wind, be ready for trees and shots that require some curves.
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8 0
radsnowsurfer
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.9 years 175 played 49 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 23, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Very interesting holes for a small 9 hole course.
Great Use of elevation change.
Distances range from 202' to 478' (Big downhill)
Each hole really forces you to throw one direction or the the other a challenge often lacking in shorter 9 holers.
Zero Navigation issues, nice tee signs walkouts aren't an issue.
Consistent high winds add a huge challenge factor.
No free birdies outside of perhaps hole 4.
Hole 7 is an Amazing top of the world-esque shot 50' down 478 feet long with raging winds.
Cool benches.
Nice new baskets.

Cons:

Tee pads are completely Unusable! As of when I played the tees were 2 foot deep dirt pits, I didn't use a single pad during the round due to safety risk.
The Huge wind factor is frustrating in this central Oregon hill course each time I've played it's been around 25 mph sustained.
For more experienced players there are only a few holes that offer a real bogey threat yet at the same time some of the routes make getting a birdie very difficult leading to a par fest.
Only 9 holes, with so much surrounding space.

Other Thoughts:

Juniper Hills is a fantastic little 9 hole course that has a lot of desert charm, I was completely taken aback by the top of the world hole, it's a stunning hole on a course that isn't all that huge by other standards. The tee pads are an unfortunate situation and if they were even just level dirt launch pads the course would be that much better. With the amount of variety and fun hole ideas Juniper Hills is a great course for newer players and offers one of the only places to play in all of Central Oregon. I would definitely stop here if you're driving through on your way to Bend or anywhere else in Central Oregon, it's a fun 9 that shouldn't take more than a half-hour.
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3 0
Oregon_Nole
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.8 years 32 played 18 reviews
3.00 star(s)

If you find yourself in Madras with some time to kill... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 22, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

*Elevation change
*Decent flow
*Empty, I've played there four or five times and have seen two other people playing.
*Fun hole designs

Cons:

*Woodchips make for horrible tees
*Its only 9
*Its in Madras, so unless you live in Madras, its far....

Other Thoughts:

This is a pretty fun high desert course that works its way up, across, down, and around a hill.

If you find yourself in Madras, or more likely driving through, check this course out for a real quick nine.

Once you enter the park, the course is on the hill in the back right (NE corner) of the park
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2 2
rickeyj23
Experience: 15.8 years 3 played 3 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 29, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I like the easy holes mixed with the long hard holes. I like the side hill setting and the Juniper trees.

The fourth hole is my favorite hole I've played yet. The view from the tee toward the basket is awesome.

Cons:

I think the tee boxes were horrible! I didnt feel like I could really get into my throws because I was afraid I would trip or fall. They need to redo them or just have mats or concrete pads. Nine more holes would make this a must play!

Other Thoughts:

Nine more holes would make this a must play!
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5 4
kevin
Experience: 67 played 60 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Forearm course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 2, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Nice little course that goes through trees up the hill and then you throw off the top of the hill back down to the valley. Room and space for improvement.

Cons:

A lot of left drives.

Other Thoughts:

Course is in the far, far, back of the park. You cannot see it from the street so look for the small sign for disc golf. Toward the only house on that hill.
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