Atlantic Beach, FL

Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park

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2.445(based on 18 reviews)
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12 0
enragedmullet
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 12.4 years 115 played 79 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Discs ah, find a way.

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 24, 2023 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

+ Concrete tees, Baskets in decent condition, Signage is helpful, so is the map here.

+ Dual tees giving you 18 holes in a dedicated space of a large beachside municipal park w/ facilities and lots of other features; ample parking, all making the entrance fee & drive from I-95 worth it

+ Great example of Florida DG, the course has character

+ Beginner-friendly? Bag-worthy?

Cons:

- Shorter course - if you've just GOTTA air it out during your round you'll be disappointed.

- Rough - It wasn't terrible, but it was present when I played, and I can see how it can be a nightmare if neglected.

- That beachside municipal park mentioned in the pros above? it also belongs here - I wouldn't expect to ever have the park to yourself - it can get quite busy, though I did have the course itself to myself both times I played

- They call it Spiders' Den for a reason. Big ole guys.

- Not beginner-friendly? Bag-worthy?

Other Thoughts:

I got to play Hanna a couple times while in town seeing an old friend in late September. The park itself is great, with lots of features including a decent surf break, splash pad, picnic tables/pavilions, public restrooms and probably other things, too.

The course itself had me thinking of Jurassic Park more than once - TALLLLLL palm trees, Not-so-tall palm trees, palmetto bushes, GIGANTIC spider webs with GIGANTIC spiders. Occasionally you'd hear a child scream. In terms of the golf what I found was, to me, a decent, short wooded course, where your challenge is coming from the usual wooded course suspects- avoiding the Rough, hitting your line/threading needles, distance control, etc. Personally I very much enjoyed myself. The rough was definitely a pain, but it could have been worse I feel - I was able to find all my discs at least.

That said, I could see how someone else might come here and have a terrible time. And this is why I question the beginner-friendliness and bag-worthiness of the course. First, it's not the closest course to the highway by any means. I got lucky and was staying right down the road, but I could see how it would be a pain for someone just looking for a quick bag, especially coming from west of the city on I-10. Then this hypothetical person finally gets here and there's a fee - another thing I didn't have to worry about b/c my buddy had a pass.

So now this poor schlep has dealt with nightmare Big City traffic, got stuck w/ a $5 fee, and negotiated who-knows-how-many other park patrons as well as getting a bit turned around before finding the course. And what do they find? The Spiders' Den. Where errant shots can get harshly punished, where palm trees slap discs right out of the air, and where the word elevation checked out a loooong time ago, and, if you aren't used to the weather, it's probably sticky-humid-hot beyond belief.

Our hapless bagger is also still a bit of a noob, so he's pingin' palm trees and getting punished indeed, searching under seemingly thousands of palmetto fronds, battling webs left and right. You get the idea. It could easily be a nightmare here under the right conditions. But such is life, and such is disc golf.

Beginner-friendly? Maybe not. Bag-worthy? Definitely. Take a swim in the Atlantic when you're done.
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7 0
paul2432
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 44.8 years 123 played 15 reviews
1.50 star(s)

And that's why God invented the machete 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 28, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

I wanted to play a quick 9 and for the most part this course offers that. Each tee has two sets of concrete and a useful tee sign showing that the pin could either be in position A or position B. ( in reality - if the basket was on the left or right side of the fairway.) The fairways were narrow but each gave you fair shot from tee to green. And if you wanted to play 18 holes, you simply threw from the second set of tees your second time around.

Cons:

Remember in the movie "Apocalypse Now" when the chef was looking for mangos in the deep, deep jungle and from out of nowhere a tiger jumps from out of nowhere and scared the guy half to death? Well, if your shot goes off of the fairway, you're not going to come across a tiger, but the tropical brush and undergrowth are so thick, a machete would be needed if you went way off line. The undergrowth did make you feel like you were in the deep jungle at certain points.
You can't see any of the baskets from the tees, so each tee shot is a blind shot until you walk down the fairway to see which position the basket is in. Each hole is basically the same length and you end up putting on 12-year-old Innova baskets with slowly corroding chains that aren't getting any better being so close to the Atlantic Ocean air.
Getting answers out of the gate attendant where the course was brutal. After about 6 questions, he was finally able to give me decent directions to find course. And the course was only marked by one small sign. I could still be there if not for that.
Disc golf is definitely an afterthought at this park.

Other Thoughts:

The park itself is amazing beautiful with an abundance of breathtaking scenery and wildlife. It was $5 to get into the park, and seeing the park was worth that. If that wasn't the case, I'd want my $5 back. It's an ok course to throw some discs and putt to at some fairly weathered baskets. Beyond that, not much to offer.
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1 1
PumaPaws
Experience: 17.8 years 28 played 23 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Picnic time 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Mostly shaded
Small but usable tee boxes
Beach and lake nearby
Enjoyable for a DG/Picnic event
Need to mix up the shots, some technical challenge

Cons:

Fee to get into the park
short course
lots of trees down and stumps to be careful of
Only 9 holes
Nothing on the course to draw you back to play again.

Other Thoughts:

If you come just to play disc golf, go elsewhere.
If you want to have a nice pleasant park, with swimming and picnic areas and have a fun game of disc golf, then this course will work.
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4 1
Tom Caldwell
Experience: 45.8 years 57 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Tight Placement Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 25, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Enjoyable tight course in a Florida tropical setting just a walk to the beach and a lake visible right nearby.All holes are well shaded. Good use of the terrain with a nice mix of lefty straight and right shots. Somewhat challenging with several blind shots. Nice course for a recreational round without the need for very long throws.

Cons:

The only cons I could find were spider webs and some writing with a sharpie on one of the baskets. It was also hard to find hole 1 but it is right there through a path where the sign is and a bulletin board. After that it was not so bad once you figure out the other 9 holes utilize some of the other baskets and are tees placed further back or in different areas.This is a different type of course in that it is in a tight wooded setting. Nothing wrong with that. Nobody wants all courses to be the same. Some may not like having to pay the $5 entrance fee but this is a large recreational park with beach access.

Other Thoughts:

After reading some of the reviews I was expecting a shabby course that was run down and "unplayable". I like to think that most if not all disc golf courses are fun and enjoyable whatever the circumstances, so I was willing to give it a try. If it's that bad why not see if your game is up for it? Well I'm glad I did! Hole 1 is through a short path right where the bulletin board and disc golf sign is. This course is fun because it challenges your accuracy in a tight very wooded setting. A few holes off the tee pad are straight 250 to 275 ft. shots that require you to throw arrow straight down a trail that doesn't leave much room for error with the canopy of trees on both sides which I found to be fun and rewarding when you are able to "place" the disc in putting range. And your disc is still quite easy to find if you do throw an errant shot. Mostly using a midrange disc (Roc) and approach disc or putter it was challenging to navigate your way down tight fairways using a nice mix of straight challenging lefty and fun righty shots. After the first nine holes the course gets even more challenging and even though I only managed a -3 under I thought I played ok for the first time here. Some shots are downhill some slightly uphill and others take more finese with s shaped fairways into interesting pin placements which I saw 2 placements on each hole which were quite different from one another. All in all I have to say if you get a chance to play this course do so because besides the shorter game technical skill you need to play here the layout and tropical setting make for quite a different course than most you are likely to play.
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1 1
FlickMobster
Experience: 11.8 years 3 played 3 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Definately Gone 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 19, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

In a great setting and a beach across the way.

Cons:

Definitely gone down hill! They park refuse to tend to it because it is not there for them to manage.

The people that installed it do not keep up with it any more and it is growing brush all over, so good luck. Hardly ever see anyone out there playing and that could have a lot to do with why.

Other Thoughts:

Would be nice if it were cleaned up, Shorter than average holes, definitely ace worthy on a lot of them.

Good Luck!
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4 1
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.7 years 278 played 273 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Bordline Playable 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 14, 2013 Played the course:once

Cons:

So this is supposed to be a tight, technical course. It may have once been. It is not now. It is tight, in the sense that the fairways are wide enough for people to walk down them single file, but its not technical. The "obstacles" or "rough" can be thrown over. Nothing inhibits your throws. The only thing that matters is where you land. And besides that foot-and-a-half wide fairway, the only places to land are thick, dangerous rough and rusty baskets. Again, if you do land in the rough, and manage to find your disc before being attacked by the various things that lurk there, (signs warn of gators and feral cats) your shot is not impacted at all by your previous poor shot.

I guess they meant it to be a course where the landing spot is more important than the path of the disc, but what once may have been landing spots are overgrown. That type of course also is dependent on knowing where to throw, and here, every throw is blind.

It's just not a course worth going too. It's nice that there is a course essentially at the beach, but there are two real courses within fifteen miles. I'm guessing, based on the pictures, that this course has grown to its present state, and that it might have been a much better course at one point. Maybe it could be again, but time would be better spent starting from scratch somewhere else.
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2 1
Rossome
Experience: 310 played 18 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Tight, shortish and fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 12, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Tucked away in a wooded section of a natural park in north Florida. Being right on the coast, there is constant wind, but this course through the woods offers protection for a challenging round of shaped shots. Reminds me of some of the wooded courses in the Northwest, but instead of ferns you have palmettos covering the ground. Fairly well marked out and intuitive to follow. Adequate tee pads, and signage. Blue tees play longer and add to the challenge.

Cons:

Keep and eye on your discs as they can be hard to find once you hit trees. Having a spotter on several holes can really help. A little tricky to find the first hole, but ok once you get going. Several blind shots (pro and con) with dense undergrowth.

Other Thoughts:

If you have time for one or two courses in the Jacksonville area I would recommend either Ronnie Van Zant or Ed Austin park over this one. However, it can get windy and this course was well protected. I was fun playing a wooded course in Florida with its variety of flora compared to the pacific northwest.
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3 4
Jim West
Experience: 12.8 years 14 played 5 reviews
1.50 star(s)

THE SPIDERS!!!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Secluded 9 hole course with some technically challenging holes, some blind tee offs and with a decent amount of challenges from the surrounding forest.

Cons:

The holes were hard to find sometimes #2 is on a Handicapped parking space. The #8 pad I NEVER found and quit after 20 minutes. There are banana spiders up above and be careful of the snakes laying under the saw tooth pimento leaves on the ground. If you throw your disc off course be prepared to fight the Spears, Spiders, Thorns and Snakes! The lay out can be down right confusing at times and I had to go to see the basket and to check the number to make sure what I was throwing at. The signs at each tee off pad were confusing in that they state there are multiple NONEXISTENT secondary baskets to throw at. There were downed trees and signs of very little maintenance on the course.If there was an association looking after this it would get more care I think.

Other Thoughts:

After paying 3 Dollars to play I felt ripped off. The course has Uber potential to be even a 9 hole course that would be great to play while on vacation or even as a break from the norm course in Florida. This course was my FIRST stop in Florida and was massively disappointing. Go to Ed Austin Park if you are near by its only a little further away and is a delight.
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8 1
StPaulie
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 113 played 45 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 29, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great park right next to the beach with abut everything you could ask for. The course is fairly short but plenty of technical challenge. The space given to this course is relatively small but well thought out and designed. There are only nine baskets but double tees on each hole. Both the
"A" and the "B" tees have signs, this was a nice touch. The change was enough to keep my
interest for all 18 holes. There are also multiple pin positions for each hole. You definitely know you are in Florida with the palm trees and other tropical foliage. There are definite lines on each hole most are pretty tight and will require accuracy if not much power. The tees were 2 X 2 cement blocks but played well. The baskets were in good shape. Very fun course.

Cons:

There were quite a few spiders and webs to dodge, however if you stay alert they were not a problem. A few next tee signs would have been helpful since I didn't have a map.

Other Thoughts:

What other place can you get in a round of disc golf and walk on the beach and camp all at the same place? There is a newly fallen tree across hole 6 fairway. Adds challenge but I thought it added interest too. I thought the "handicap"
entrance at hole 2 tee box was humorous. Don't know how a truly handicapped person could navigate the rest of the course. I will return to play again next time I am in Jacksonville.
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3 5
specialk
Experience: 16.8 years 37 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun course in the woods 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 8, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Mostly short course. Its a good thing considering how wooded it is. The two different tee positions change some of the holes drastically. Plenty of shade. Definitly a few holes you could ace.

Cons:

The spiders. They are everywhere. No real way of knowing what position the goal is in. I had to walk down to check it out. No water holes.

Other Thoughts:

The course is in a park with beach access, lakes, play grounds, picnics and camping.
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3 1
Thizzle J
Experience: 14.1 years 39 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Better now, but beware... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 21, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Makes you work on the more technical side of your game rather than power, Shade from the hot Florida sun, Usually if you are playing there you are the only one/group.

Cons:

Short, If there happens to be people outh there at the same time it can get a little bit jammed up and potentially dangerous, No trash cans on the coourse so there is some litter that you can tell has been there for a while.

Other Thoughts:

This is a kind of lost course here in Jacksonville... It needs quite a bit of grooming and TLC to make it a really good or even great course, but unfortunately it sits on the backburner. On another note it was nice that there weren't any spiders in the "winter" because I would stay away in the summer when they come out because they are everywhere... Can't walk through that course in the summer without getting a face full of webs on every other hole....
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8 1
billnchristy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.1 years 64 played 56 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Tropical fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 21, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

2 sets of tees making a round of 18.
Small but workable concrete tees made with large tiles, but since the course is short you don't need a run-up anyways.
Not a lot of ground schule so finding discs was relatively easy even with the thick bushes and plants.
Good signs and 2 pin positions, most were set for the lefty (right dogleg) shot.

Cons:

Not that it was an issue (we were the only ones playing) but if you had folks on the course playing the "back 9" and "front 9" at once then you could have some conflict.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun, short course with a very tropical flair. There were a couple of blind shots that a spotter could be useful (mainly 3/12). We played this course before leaving for the disc golf cruise so we both only had 3 discs in the bag and it was more than enough to have a couple mids and a putter.

The fairways are nice and tight and it was basically like playing a north GA pine course but with palm trees and plamettos as the main vegetation which made the experience unique for us.

Again, the course is not hard, but it is fun, the course has multiple tees and pin positions and is in great shape right now (now tree issues or any other issues for that matter).

I felt the 3 bucks for the park was well worth it and enjoyed the course and the facilites in general.

We both loved the Do not feed the cats, alligators, raccoons and possums signs.
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1 6
mrpbody33
Experience: 18.6 years 92 played 10 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Putter Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 22, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

It has Discatcher baskets and teepads. Multiple teepads and basket positions. The park is beautiful around the lake.

Cons:

There is almost no variety in shots and most of the holes are around the 200' mark. Not technically challenging even with the multiple baskets/teepads.

Other Thoughts:

So I went to this park with low expectations. I knew I was going to a "technically demanding" course and so I brought my entire bag of tricks with me to the park. Now despite the fact that no one can seem to agree on whether it is Hanna or Hannah park on the signage it was probably one of the worse courses I have played yet. There were trees down across the fairways making it difficult to play or even walk the holes. One giant tree fell across hole 6/15 that make it almost impossible to play. Now if I was on county land I would be a little forgiving but I just paid money to get in. There shouldn't be a tree down in the middle of the course!

Now I have played a few of what I like to call "Roc and Putter" courses. This is not one of them...it is a putter only. You can practically have a putt within the circle on ever basket by just throwing a putter straight up the middle 180 feet. There are few you have to finesse but otherwise extremely easy.

The rest of the park is nice. Disc golf was a complete afterthought and there is so much more land that could have used but sadly wasn't. What this course needs is a dedicated group of golfers to keep it up and maybe it would be fun. Unless you are in the park for another function I wouldn't go out of my way to play this course.
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1 0
AJ_86
Experience: 19.5 years 17 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

A technically demanding course, this nine hole is a change of pace from the area's two other courses (Ed Austin and Ronnie Van Zant).

Narrow fairways of moderate length require straight throws and the trees are low enough that most holes require shots no higher than six feet off the ground. The first/tenth hole is an exception to this, as you are shooting down an incline.

Two concrete tee boxes are of good size and are numbered 1 through 18, with the forward tees being the front nine and the rear tees being the back nine. Most of the time this is just an increase in distance, but occasionally, the back tees take a different route onto the fairway, altering how you make your tee shot.

Elevation changes. A rarity in Florida, this course does have a few and they are a welcome change from the normal flat courses of the state.

I would say that every hole is a birdie opportunity, from both tees and there are some that are possible aces from the front tees.

Cons:

Brush. Heavy amounts of it surround the fairways... so much so that using a green, yellow or mottled brown disk is asking for trouble. Even if you do find it, you will have to contend with many sapling stumps cut off at a couple inches high, leading to some painful steps.

The brush causes another problem, as well. With so much of it, there is little to no breeze except on most of the course and heat tends to be trapped by the trees. This leads to the course becoming a slow cook oven in the Summer... so plan on throwing early in the day in the middle of the year.

The fairways are tunnels at times and I feel a little judicious trimming on some could open it up a bit.

There are a lot of insects and more than a few snakes about, but a little bug spray handles the insects and I've never seen anything worse than a black snake or a common boa on the course. I'd say the spiders are more of a threat than the snakes, by a long shot.

Other Thoughts:

The course is challenging for multiple skill levels and can seem unfriendly to new players, but this is not the case.

I took a friend for his very first round of disc golf here and he scored a bogey on every hole, except two. He did suffer a double bogey, but made up for it the very next hole with a birdie. While Ed Austin Park might be a friendly course, new players shouldn't shy away from this course.

There is a fee to get into the park, but I have never seen that as an issue, so long as the course is good enough. And three dollars (even less on weekend mornings, I believe) is well spent on a round here, so I don't consider it a Con.
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3 0
r_thomas
Experience: 15.9 years 9 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Technical Course & Lots Of Fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 28, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of fun and challenging shots with some very narrow fairways.

Cons:

HEAVILY wooded. Also I found that navigating the course was rather complex for the first few holes. Once I got the hang of it it was not too bad. The tees are rather grown over and sometimes hard to work with but okay. Also... you have to be very careful when looking for your disc in the rough during the summer. Lots of rattlesnakes and banana spiders.
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2 2
rolltidegopokes
Experience: 18.1 years 16 played 13 reviews
2.50 star(s)

The Spider's Den! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 20, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

My first on the beach type course. This thing is something out of The Jungle Book. All you need is a putter, a midrange, and a decent hyzer/anhyzer disc to get you around the trees.

Cons:

BUGS! SPIDERS! GATORS! This is not a course that you want to go and not use bug spray. Also, this could eat a disc or so, so use nothing that is yellow or green.

Other Thoughts:

I will go back when I visit family in Jax. Lots of fun, well worth the 3 dollars. This is an old park which is just surreal and interesting.
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5 3
CoopDeVille
Experience: 23.8 years 17 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

IN THE JUNGLE!!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 8, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Wow!! I enjoyed this course a great deal. I am from Wisconsin and when I got here it was like a fantasy, like being in the middle of the jungle and playing 18 holes. Unique set up (each hole is two holes) Played 9 from long pads and 9 from players choice(mostly long pads) requires perfect execution and control (not for people who only throw 250 feet +) have to helix around crazy leaves trees and vines which made this course of very short holes a challenge to any caliber of golfer.

Cons:

DISC EATER, lots of flotsam that needs to be cleared off ground. PLAMS CAN CUT YOUR LEGS. hurts alot if you miss fairway!!! SO DON'T.

Other Thoughts:

this course is so beautiful I would have given it a 5, I shot a 3 over (pro par all par 3) This course I would not call easy. But, even if you made the trip here (I drove 19 hours) and you think this course is easy. Its such a sexy course that I think anyone would play them again, if just for sheets and giggles!
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7 1
Jonny_Dread
Experience: 27.8 years 86 played 10 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Palm leaves! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 6, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

Dedicated disc golf course. No pedestrians getting in the way. Short and technical. All holes in thick woods with a lot of palm frans to cover your disc if not shot perfectly. Great signage and navigation. Benches at every hole! They have awesome campsites 100ft from the course. Perfect stop for a DG road trip.

Cons:

Only 9 baskets but set up for 18 holes (a short 9 and a longer 9). Tight tecinal course. Need some trimming on and around a few of the trees. Short, driver needed only once, at that.

Other Thoughts:

Good start for a course. Looks like it will need routine maintenance with tree and palm trimming. Bring a midrange and a putter, maybe a driver... no need to lug the bag on this course. Recommended if passing by the area.
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