Royal Oak, MI

Wagner Park

Permanent course
2.655(based on 27 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Wagner Park reviews

Filter
6 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.8 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Enjoyable Little Rec Course With 18 Tee Pads And 9 Baskets! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 25, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Wagner Park is a pretty little, green city park with some elevation and mature trees to contend with. The only competition with the disc golf here is a nice little children's play structure.

The disc golf starts near the play structure. There are 9 baskets and 18 concrete teepads. They are a little on the short side. Some are raised eliminating any chance for a longer run-off. Fortunately most players won't need much of a run up on these short holes. There are nine DGA baskets with 18 tee pads. The course is listed as a 18 hole course. There are nine brown posts with the hole information carved in to them. These were done as an Eagle Scout project. They're nice but I guess the Scout got his merit badge after nine and then didn't need to do the other nine. Local player, Dwayne, guided me through the course and he had us play the brown posted holes as the front nine and the others as the back nine.

The course is recreational but does have some decent length with # 1 playing at 460', # 9 at 398' and # 6 at 380. There are a couple of Ace runs in the 230' range and a nice variety of straight shots, hysers and anhyser throes needed. There's only a couple of holes where there is any chance of looking for your discs in the wooded area that runs along one side of the park on holes 6 and 7. # 12 plays as a tight 172' Ace run.

Cons:

Very few in my humble opinion.

The tee pads could be two feet longer. On some the area around the pad has been worn away leaving the concrete pad elevated which makes for an awkward run-up.

It would be nice if the back nine would have some form of tee signs.

Only parking is on the street but I doubt whether that is ever a problem.



Other Thoughts:

This is a great little course for the casual player playing either a 9 or 18 hole round. The only competition the golfers have is the kid's play structure and the course completely bypasses it. Serious players won't spend their time here but it's perfect for us rec players. Then with it's lack of rough, water and obstacles, it would be great for families or beginners. If I lived across the street here, I would play the hell outta this course.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 2
Kennygooo
Experience: 24.8 years 44 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Love This Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 10, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Basically its a 9 hole marked course with 9 more unmarked tee pads. The course has more obstacles than a beginner course and less than a harder course. It has some hills and is moderately wooded. Some holes need to be thrown downhill and others thrown up hill. They have replaced a couple older broken tee pads with new larger pads. The park is generally clean and comfortable.

Cons:

They need some dedicated parking. Finding a parking spot isn't any fun on some days.

Other Thoughts:

This was the first course that I ever played in 1999. I feel like I have a personal connection to it so this remains one of my favorites.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 4
demalthus
Experience: 11.8 years 14 played 1 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Very Dissapointed 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 5, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very close to my house

Cons:

-Where is hole 1?
-Where is hole 2?
-etc., the map online is completely useless
-leaves are very thick, lost a disc into them
-low lands are huge froze puddles
-tee pads are about 6 feet long, with large dropoffs in front and behind

Other Thoughts:

I'm very dissapointed in this course, some real renovations are going to have to happen to make it enjoyable
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 1
Zinc_Alloy
Experience: 25.5 years 5 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Old faithful wagner 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 1, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good hole length. Nice baskets, mostly. Short holes have a nice fifteen foot elevation drop to them around the 200 foot mark. Well placed trees or bushes on the majority of holes.

Cons:

Short and broken pads on every hole. Only nine baskets with 18 pads. Two main roads run along each side of the park. No parking lot. Only two holes measure 400 feet.

Other Thoughts:

the short and broken pads really hurt. If you throw with any sort of run up and are not interested in starting off the pad then i would avoid this place. Most pads require a six inch initial lift to reach. I throw almost stationary. Besides that fact, i like the course. Each hole requires a well placed and thrown drive to reach the basket. Most holes measure around 300-320. Decent elevation changes throughout. Only one throwaway hole.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 2
Sean525
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Nice location, needs to be fixed up. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 23, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Not far from my work.

Pretty cool local spot in a nice neighborhood.

Flat for the most part, but has some holes with some okay hills.

Cons:

Where the hell is the first basket?

Garbage and glass all over the place. Not cool.

This place is in ratty condition. The tee pads need to be resurfaced, some of the baskets need to be replaced, and they need to put new signs on this course. A few garbage bins would be nice too.

Other Thoughts:

This place definitely has potential, just needs some work to be done.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 0
Moose33
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.2 years 202 played 200 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Potential but that's about it 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 3, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a pretty little neighborhood park with a nine hole course a couple of playgrounds and some people just sitting around.

A lot of nice old growth hardwoods that give this course come challenging lines and some ace able holes as well.

Concrete tee pads with a second placement on many holes and maps on the markers that are still standing.

Just looking around this course is fairly well designed and looks as if it was once well maintained. Someone loved this course once upon a time.

Cons:

Just driving up there is no parking lot, do you have to park on the street in front of someone's house. The hole markers are all either tagged to hell or missing. The pretty little boulders that adorn the areas near the teepads are all tagged up too.

Concrete teepads are good but some need to be resurfaced as the are badly cracked.

This is a pretty course but it needs mowing( might not be able too because many of holes on the lower lying parts are very wet and mucky right now).

There were deep holes around almost every basket and most baskets were older and most were fine but a few were off balance. There was a rusted broken old thing that looked like a soccer goal between 1 and 9 as well that looked dangerous.

Other Thoughts:

I wanted to like this course, it's kind of pretty and there is some thought behind the layout but it needs love. I don't know it a local club would want to take it on but you could make this place pretty cool with significant elbow grease.

Probably won't play there again uses I hear there have been some changes.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Flies are drawn to trash... and poop 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 17, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic-- plays through a smaller (than starr) park with limited amenities. unfortunately plays through a dog run (in the lowlands). This is your best chance of running into non-dgers.

Teesigns-- nice. hole shape, distance, number and ace post are here.

Teepads-- nice, bit concrete teepads in decent repair.

Variety/terrain usage-- the elevation here is used to it's fullest potential. nicely done. There are some pretty decent length holes here and the available land is used very well.

Routing and navigation-- not terrible and not great. Some old signs litter the course and are a bit confusing (from an old layout)

Cons:

Baskets-- some are wonky and bent up... others are fine BUT some added visibility would be helpful.

Garbage-- crazy amounts of garbage on this course. and a ton of sand flies coming out of the ground. no garbage cans present.

Challenge-- not a tremendously challenging course but the variety somewhat makes up for it

Teesigns-- none present on the back 9. This is a bit confusing to me as the teepads aren't always immediately evident on the back.

Other Thoughts:

Some better and some worse than starr-jaycee.. but overall a meh kind of course.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 0
falko1266
Experience: 5 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Favorite Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 3, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Challenging holes for a short course.
Multiple tee pads making it 18 different approaches available.
This course is only a disc golf course. No need to worry about joggers or walkers.
Children Playscape is well out of play.
Smaller groups keep pace really well at this course.

Cons:

This Course is attracts Large groups of High School kids who take there time and cause trouble for other serious Disc Golfers.
City Of Royal Oak doesn't always keep the grass cut short.
Pooly signed (due to ppl ruining the signs)

Other Thoughts:

Mind the massive ponds that take up whole fairways in the spring.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
Feli
Experience: 10 played 8 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice course with a mix of shots 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 9, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course seems small at first glance, but it's a lot of fun. There's a fair amount of elevation changes, mixed distances (mostly 200-400ft) and some woods which will make you think about shot placements.

It has all concrete tees with good baskets. There are 9 holes with alternate tees, so an 18 hole course of sorts (all par 3s). The chain baskets are pretty good, and there's carved wooden posts on each hole stating distance and a basic map of layout.

Cons:

From talking to locals, apparently this course can get pretty busy... but it was fairly avg and reasonable traffic when I've played.

The design is good, but there's not a ton of challenge since most holes are pretty wide and it has no water hazards, but it's a good overall course layout. The only way to go way over par is to maybe shoot out of bounds into a street or perimeter woods, but that's pretty tough here.

Other Thoughts:

This is a very nice and well planned course layout considering the small size of the park. There's even a practice putting basket near the first tee in case you get there early and have to wait for your group. You probably won't need distance drivers, but a few tees still let you wind up and boom it.

A few holes have a downhill basket that's not visible from the tee, so following some locals your first time here does help. It's one of the better metro Det courses I've found so far, and the location is nice since it's near downtown Main St in Royal Oak for dinner, drinks, etc after a round of DG.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 2
zookept
Experience: 13.8 years 4 played 3 reviews
2.00 star(s)

A little Confusing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 26, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

It has alternate tee's so you can play 18 on this small 9 tee course

Cons:

Its a park hangout for a bunch of school kids and a playground as well as a dog park so a lot of distractions. The 1st hole is not visable from the tee, so if you never played there you are confused off the bat, its down the hill so you can hit people ahead of you if you are not careful.

Other Thoughts:

No parking lot, you have to park in the street of a residential block and that is limited.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 2
Malachy
Experience: 14.8 years 15 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 6, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is the first park I played so I always will have fond memories

New signs for each hole course is easily manageable
Course is well maintained by the city
The locals are nice people
Back 9 holes are actually different experience than the front 9

Cons:

Some kids hang out here drinking and being loud but don't disturb people playing.

Other Thoughts:

parking is found on the side street if its full theres another street you can turn down and park at
Half the course is a dog run so be on the lookout for dogs (generally not a problem)
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 1
pjveltri
Experience: 14.8 years 20 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A Different Relaxing Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 2, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Mix of great holes, great locals, challenging tree shots and long open bomb shots can be found here, every pad for the front 9 has a marker with a fairly accurate distance on it.

Cons:

Not very well marked to next tee
back 9 tee pads left unmarked
park is overly crowded with people loitering on course and walking through holes while teeing off
short tee pads, can maybe only get two steps on them
Holes crowded together
No parking lot
No maps

Other Thoughts:

Playing on this course for the first time was very hard for me, had there not been a local in front of us I would have been entirely lost.. Hole one is down a hill and completely blind from the pad, also hard to tell where the 10th pad was to determine whose turn it was. I did have a lot of fun here, although I wish the course was more spread out. The tee markers only show distance and although they appear to have a map carved into them, they don't.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 0
BogeyNoMore
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 479 played 183 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Disc Golf in the Heart of Metro Detroit 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 29, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The disc golf itself here is really quite good.

Course design makes very good use of several elevation changes (maybe 15' or so). Dual concrete tees provide significantly different lines to the basket. Throw in some strategically placed trees and the result is some pretty good shot variety and one of the more challenging nine basket courses you'll find anywhere. Surprising # of holes over 300' for a niner - gives you a chance to use distance drivers. Even has some blind holes.

A recent upgrade (for 2010) are some pretty nifty tee signs/posts on the "front nine" tees, with hole #, distance, and spot to sign for Aces (photo posted). Made by a local player/student as part of a school project, they look great, are a nice aid to navigation, and are sure to help first-timers. Hopefully, tee signs for back nine are coming soon.

Good course for Safari rounds.

Small, quiet, park in the burbs is a pleasant setting, looks great in the spring and fall and makes for quick rounds. Easy to skip ahead and come back to a hole.

Baskets are old, but in decent shape.

Plenty of shade on hot summer days.

Cons:

Park attracts some low-life teens weekday afternoons - never seen them here weekend mornings.

Parking is a joke - you have to park on the street in front of houses (but this probably helps to cut down of traffic).

Tons of the leaves in the fall can make it tough to find discs - suggest using white drivers in the fall.

Outside chance of hitting oncoming traffic with an errant drive on hole 13 ( 2nd tee on hole 4).

Dual tees can require common sense and etiquette when different groups (on the front & back nine) want to throw at the same basket.

Typical negatives found on most courses: some vandalism, occasional trash, and idiots have already begun defacing above mentioned tee signs with vulgarities and poor art work.

Other Thoughts:

Wagner is my favorite 9 basket course in the area. Course is showing its age in spots (signs and such) but has held up well considering its age and how little maintenance it gets. This place just has a certain charm to it.
- Thurs night doubles league - if you don't want a slow round, avoid Thu evenings.

Only a couple of miles from Starr-Jaycee Park - another 9 basket, dual tee course, that's not bad, (but not quite as good as Wagner in my opinion). They make a nice combo played in tandem.

Minutes from vibrant downtown Royal Oak - great restaurants, night life, brewery, good times to be had regardless of how your round went!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 0
mohmandm
Experience: 14.8 years 15 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Everything Average 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 2, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course has a wide variety of holes. There are some that force you to go through a line of trees. On other holes, you are left with a wide open shot down hill, over a hill, or slightly up hill. For the size of the course, there actually are a couple of decent over 300' tosses. In the fall, it looks amazing. There's a party store that carries some discraft discs across the street. I'm not sure if many of you knew this but the remake of Red Dawn was partially shot here. Look for a disc golf basket in the movie.

Cons:

There are a lot of annoying players here. It seems like a spot for troublemaking high schoolers to hang out. There is profanity written everywhere. I don't mind having 9 baskets with 18 tee pads. The problem is that the tee pads are just way to short. I like to take a long approach so this causes some problems. It wouldn't be so bad if the ground was level to the start of the tee pad but most aren't.

Other Thoughts:

Because I literally live 3 minutes away I enjoy playing here just to keep the rust off. If you have time, go to Firefighters, Riverbends, or Stoney
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 6
MisterPO586
Experience: 15.1 years 8 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Love this place 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 2, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

It's one of the first courses I've played at and I can never get bored of it. The holes are different everytime and for how small it is it's a lot of fun. I also like it because it's right by my house.

Cons:

Trash and pros sitting on their fold-up seats.

Other Thoughts:

Quit your fold up seat sitting.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 1
discin248
Experience: 16.8 years 11 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Favorite little course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 20, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Decent holes for a small course
short and long holes
good hill shots
quick play

Cons:

One garbage bin in the hole park by play structure so there is trash everywhere
vandalism
can get a little crowded for a small course

Other Thoughts:

Some disc golfers brought in a garbage can on one of the holes.
City removed some of the picnic tables
Fun course to play if your short on time
I live a mile away so i often squeeze a game in at lunch or right befor night fall
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
jmacphee9
Experience: 15 years 2 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 1, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

elevation, not too boring. this course is fine to play at but by no means a great course. the regulars are pretty cool guys most of the time and lines arent too bad for a popular course.

Cons:

graffiti, trash, dirty old man steals discs.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 6
CaptainAnhyzer
Experience: 38.8 years 124 played 18 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Motor City Chain Gang ! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 8, 2007 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Dual tees makes this course an 18 hole course packed in a 9 hole park.

Cons:

Emerald ash borers and vandalism to baskets & tee signs.

Other Thoughts:

I won the 1989 MCCG Novice division here. Aced #2 back when there was bushes guarding the pin and aced the original #5
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 0
cocopop
Experience: 19.4 years 37 played 9 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Dirty gem of a course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 20, 2004 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course is surprisingly long for as small as it is with a couple holes that top 500ft. The shorter holes offer some heart racing ace runs. The tee placement is tricky and challenging in most cases with a fair amount of ellevation changes. Multiple tee pads keep it from getting to be boring and the same 'ol thing if you play it frequently. I really like the different tee pads because it changes the shot selection drastically in some cases, and makes it possible to play a full 18 holes without just seeming like you are playing the shorts and the longs. Unless you have no control what-so-ever you will not loose any discs.

Cons:

Unfortunately, most of the con's of this course have little to do with the course itself.
Parking is non-existant! You must park along the curb, and on the weekends you can be looking for a while.
The course is a city park in a less than safe neighborhood so you should not bring anything valuable. That is a bummer because this course would be a great night golf course because of its size and the small chances of lost plastic. But, if you are playing here, you are familiar with Detroit and it's suburbs and if that's the case then its just an average neighborhood.
Course maintenance is bad. Litter and overflowing garbage cans are everywhere. The baskets and tee pads are old and dilapitated and could use to be updated.

Other Thoughts:

This is where I played my 1st round of disc golf and I learned to love the course and the sport right here. It is a nice little course to get a quick round in and to bring beginners....in the daytime.
I love playing here and would give it a score of 3+ if the cons weren't so bad. I haven't played here in some time so, if it has been cleaned up since, someone leave an up to date review.

If the above mentioned cons do not bother you then do yourself a favor and bang out a round here.

Oh ya, favorite hole, #8
The hole plays about 375ft from atop a small hill down into a valley. Looks pretty straight forward except for the large bushy group of trees on the right just daring you to test them. Hyzer a shot in over top of those trees and you got a nice chance at a birdy, (or an Ace, if your arm is that big!)
Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 3
DirtyMittenDG
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.9 years 112 played 55 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 20, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

Hole Variety/Course Layout--
Mostly open course, but still a decent amount of trees to alter your shots, even though a few of the trees in the pictures have been cut down. Also good use of small hills to make elevation shots on a couple holes. Theres no way to lose a disc here either.

Cons:

Course Maintenance--
Not the best, it has old baskets and small tee pads too.

Course Navigation--
Big map at hole 1 but its hard to navigate for the first time, signs are unreadable.

Other Thoughts:

Course Atmosphere--
Its a typical detroit suburban city park. One reviewer said its in a "less than safe neighborhood", but anyone from the area knows its alright.

Course Access--
There is no parking lot, your gonna want to park on the side of Detroit Ave, and Hole #1 is by the playground.

--Can be busy at times.
Was this review helpful? Yes No

Latest posts

Top