Warwick, NY

Brakewell Steel / Warwick Park

4.545(based on 65 reviews)
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Brakewell Steel / Warwick Park reviews

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12 1
jcbnxll
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.9 years 71 played 23 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good course but overrated

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 22, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Baskets/Teeboxes: Not only does this course have two baskets and two teeboxes, but each one provides a truly different look. The pro box isn't just 50 feet farther back; it's often a completely different throw. Same with the baskets: the pro basket might be around a corner, up a hill, or just better-defended. Probably one of the best parts of the course.
The baskets: Nice disc catchers. The blue stripes were eye-catching.
Teeboxes: Nice and big with various angles
Elevation change (good): The park is on a hillside and the first several holes play around a craggy ridge. There are some interesting fairways and some well-guarded baskets.
Clean, Well-manicured: This was an objectively pretty course. Always a treat.

Cons:

Elevation change (bad): A couple holes are just "throw up the big hill."
Lacking "wow factor": You might roll your eyes at this, but nothing was incredible. Nothing was awful either! But I never went "Wow. What a hole." The best part of the course was easily how the baskets were guarded. I've never seen a course where that was the highlight. The course felt… surgical? Not sure how to describe it.
Par 3.5's: I felt like some holes were between a par 3 and 4. Either a tremendous amount of luck–such as accidentally getting through a tiny gap or hitting a 75 foot putt/approach–would give you a birdie, but more likely it's going to be a comfortable 3. Granted, some of this could be alleviated by moving teeboxes.
Absurd lines: Some holes had some, frankly, impossible lines. One hole map depicted the ideal route as a high speed turn, fade left, with a sharp finish right. Uh… Hole 18 was laughable in its difficulty. I just think a good course is one where every hole is one that rewards good throws–not lucky ones–with birdie opportunities.
Lots of blind throws: I get that sometimes a blind throw provides a neat hole experience, but I don't think it's reasonable to have to walk the entire hole to know where you're going. There were also a couple of safety problems with this as well. A speedy player caught up behind me, and there was a close call. One hole does have a bell, but there were at least 4 or 5 that could use a similar safety feature.
Navigation: Other people have said this, but the course really was tricky to navigate. The cell service is spotty to essentially non-existent, so that makes things tricky. The baskets themselves aren't numbered, and with two baskets per hole, sometimes it wasn't clear where I was headed.
Popularity: With an overblown rating (see my note below), this course was busy, even for a blustery spring day. Beware of big, slow groups and ignorant newbies cluttering up the fairways.

Other Thoughts:

I always ask myself the question: What kind of player would I be if this were my home course, played more or less weekly? The answer is a pretty good one! I'd have a solid distance drive, complete with skills at throwing uphill and downhill. With the baskets guarded how they are, I might be a shade conservative with my putting if too many of my putts were errant and rolled off down a hill. My approaches game would be weaker than average since most of the holes are either drive-to-the-basket or drive-twice-to-the-basket. I didn't sling a lot of buzzes or rocs off the tee. (I played short boxes to long baskets. Maybe it would be different short-to-short?)

No doubt about it, this is a good course. With 2 more courses within spitting distance, this is well worth your time to visit. However, do not be misled by the 28 perfect, 5-star reviews. If you've never reviewed a course on this site, 5 stars is labeled as "the best of the best." No way. This isn't Netflix circa 2010, people. You can't just dole out 5 stars like they're candy. People make special trips to play courses, so overrated courses are frustrating. Thankfully, there were the two other courses, both of which were solid as well. I would recommend playing at least two of the three if you come up. Make sure you hit up the pie shop, "Shannon's Eyes on the Pies," for some out-of-this-world pie. Key Lime was as good as it is in the Keys, and the Shepherds pie was plate-licking good. Not sure if Shannon herself helped me, but the woman who did was a total sweetheart.
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4 9
MEmond
Experience: 8 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Very Nice Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 29, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

It's a very good course but I'd stop short of calling it excellent. The pros is that it has plenty of parking and that there are 2 tee boxes and baskets on most holes for the more advanced players.

Cons:

It's not always clear where the next hole is. The ultra high course rating also means you can expect a very busy course at peak times. There wasn't anything about this course I found particularly interesting or impressive. It was just a standard solid course in my opinion.
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14 0
HyooMac
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.7 years 415 played 380 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Spend a Day on Brakewell Steel Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ This is great layout, with two tees and two baskets on every hole that will keep you coming back for more, regardless of your skill level
+ Great use of elevation: a bunch of high tees (#2, #8, #14, #18) and a few intimidating uphills like #5. A special shout out to the placement of the blue basket on #3 (up on top of that cliff) and the silver basket on #4 (death putt, anyone?)
+ I really like it when a layout alternates between wooded and open (not all of one thing, then all of the other). In this way, Brakewell reminds me of other great layouts, like Stafford Woods and Jordan Creek
+ The layout starts with a relatively open first hole. It sort of "eases you in." And it finishes with some real bomber opportunities to try to make up some scoring
+ The course incorporates low, tree-lined rock walls that are part of the property. Most memorable is #16, where you have to choose which side of the wall to throw your tee shot. It bisects the fairway for the entire second half of the hole. This is a really great hole
+ Another seemingly simple - but great - hole is #9. It's open for bombing, but the OB comes most of the way across the fairway, protecting the basket up on top of the hill

Cons:

- As other reviews have noted, the signage is getting a bit beat up with graffiti, and some of the signature steel animals are missing from the Blue tees

Other Thoughts:

* I chose to play Blue to Silver because I had time for only one round (played Wolfe Woods first). If I could do the day over again, I would have played both rounds at Brakewell: first Silver to Silver (to get familiar with the course), then Blue to Sliver
* I love the font on the tee signs. It's a '70's era "futuristic" font that reminds me of roller rinks, "Flashdance" and sci-fi. If they ever update the signs, I really hope they keep the font!
* In summary, this is a great layout that will challenge any level. Even though there's a little bit of disrepair, the course design shines through. I drove almost two hours to play Brakewell, and I'll happily do it again
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2 8
slippingdiscs
Experience: 27 played 27 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Many different configurations 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 27, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Scenic course
Different types of landscape throughout course
Different pad to basket configurations (short to short, short to long, etc.)
Close to another course, Wolfe Woods
Bathrooms

Cons:

Crowded
Not easy finding some of the next tees

Other Thoughts:

This course might be a "4" but I rate it compared to other courses I've played. As a fairly new player, this course has many possibilities to make par. We played on a windy day so with the many open, long holes, it was a bit challenging. I plan to go back and try it again. Hole 11 has a creek - fun but frustrating too. Simple "next tee" signs would be helpful.
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17 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.8 years 216 played 182 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Under the Spell of Brakewell 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 3, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ Two tees and two baskets on every single hole.
+ All tee pads are solid, sturdy and level keystone-shaped slabs of concrete with enough space for a wind-up.
+ Long and short baskets are always blue and silver, respectively, so the player can always know at a glance which is their intended target.
+ Passable tee signs show the hole ahead, the distances to both pins and the par.
+ Clean fairways and well-managed rough. Any OB is unmistakably marked with very many vertical white wooden stakes.
+ So many elevation variables. Some are stark and sudden. Others are slow and leisurely. Flat and level holes are in the clear minority here.
+ A nice assortment of wooded, open and hybrid holes at this course.
+ Either one or two brief water hazards, depending on which layout you play.
+ Course is located within a peaceful community park along a .quiet rural road.

Cons:

- Some of the tee signs are missing. Holes 2 long and 15 long stand out in my mind.
- Some of the fairways feel too close together like 9+10, 13+14 and 17+18. This risks a (very) slight chance of interfering with another golfer's session or hitting someone.
- Almost none of the holes have next tee signs, and the tape sometimes found atop baskets does not point players in the right direction. This is combated somewhat by the fact that the player usually passes the next hole's tee while they play the current hole, but some more next tee signs would not be a bad thing to add.

Other Thoughts:

My favorite hole on this course is tough to say. Just when I come close to deciding, I remember another cool hole that makes me second guess myself. But after thinking for a long time, I'm reasonably certain that hole 14 is my favorite because of its endless downhill slope, bottleneck approach and sneaky stream OB surrounding the pin. It's a lovely hole to play.
My least favorite hole here was easily hole 12. It was flat and pretty plain when contrasted against any other hole on this course.

As for the course as a whole, Brakewell Steel at Warwick Park is an absolute joy to play. Before I go any further, I want to make it known that my first and, so far, only session was played on the blue layout (far tees to far baskets), and I still had a magnificent time.

I chose to make it harder on myself because I like getting the full experience of such a rumored course- especially since I don't live too close to the area. However, any player can select whichever difficulty they like thanks to the two tees and two pins from 1 to 18. This ensures that golfers of all levels can enjoy a session here, which is a positive thing for the sport. Tremendous kudos to the designers.

Brakewell will not go easy on you, though. All players will encounter some tricky elevation changes and more than a few trying tree tunnels- sometimes both. A stand-out example in my mind is hole five. The player tees off in an open field right towards a steep uphill tunnel! Variety like this is what I think most disc golfers hunger for.

And there is certainly no shortage of variety here. Brakewell has some lengthy open holes for the power throwers and some dense tree-dodging for the strategists Plus, many holes can be described as having a discernible beginning, middle and end. Hole 2long illustrates this perfectly. The player tees off through a downhill tunnel shot for the beginning. The middle has the player take a sharp right through a brief clearing. The ending concludes uphill among some guardian trees, which will deflect your putt back downhill if you aren't careful. Playing here almost feels like a pioneering adventure despite the baseball fields, chain link fences and roads on the outskirts.

On the downside, I do have to say that I did get somewhat lost once or twice. After hole two, for example, I had no idea where to go next because there was no 'next tee' sign and the tee pad was missing its sign too, which diminished the fun ever so slightly. I did eventually find hole 3, though. (For the record, it is towards the road beyond the equipment garage.) No matter how small or large a course is, I think that 'next tee' signs are the third most important thing to a course following tees and baskets, naturally. So, that in combination with the other cons that I listed above mean that I can't bring myself to award that coveted 5/5. However, this course definitely comes the closest out of all the courses that I have played so far!

As a side note, other parkgoers can occasionally walk obliviously across your intended flight path as they explore the park and/or walk their dog. This isn't a hit against the course, but it is something to keep in mind as you throw.

Bottom line: Whether you are new to the sport, have been playing for a year or two or are a seasoned veteran, I cannot recommend Brakewell enough. You've got four levels of difficulty, plenty of environment variables to deal with, some devious OB to challenge, and fairways that run the gamut from tight wooded tunnels to free open fields. Pack a snack and have a breakthrough round at Brakewell.
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3 5
MikeSKY
Experience: 9 played 9 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Warwick Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 11, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Gorgeous course with perfect amount of wooded and open holes and a creek through it as well. Amazing layout. There is actually four different option on this course 2 Tees and 2 Baskets for each so choose what suits you best. Excellently maintained. All around top notch course.

Cons:

If this is your first time going there the only thing that can be improved is the signs which was once amazing but has deteriorated over time and can use some fixing. But even so its not difficult to find your way around.

Other Thoughts:

Good luck, go for it! So far in my experience this is the best course I have been too.
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7 0
PuzzledGuy
Experience: 8 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Yes, You Want to Play Here! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 5, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Made a road trip to play this course for the first time, and so glad I did. We played three of the four possible layouts (all but blue/blue).

This is a beautiful park and location. The course plays through woods, across fields, and includes a elevation changes and some water.

I was really impressed by the various tee and basket placements. It creates a surprising amount of variety in a single course.

Signage is very good (there were one or two that weren't quite right, but all tees had something).

Lots of benches and trash cans on the course. Also a few restroom facilities.

Great local disc golf community - players welcomed us and gave advice about the local courses, places to eat, etc.

Cons:

Cons are hard to come by - it would have been helpful to have pointers to the next tee at the baskets, but that wasn't a problem after we played the first round.

The only other con is that it's four and half hours from Rochester!

Other Thoughts:

Playing the silver tees/silver baskets (shortest possible layout) was a great way to learn the course. I think the blue tees/silver baskets was my favorite layout.

Wolfe Woods is another disc golf course right off hole 15. It's a short, technical course also worth playing. The Oasis is across the street and is also fun to play.

Easy to contact the local Skylands Flying Disc Club group on Facebook to get more info and a possible guide. Grab lunch at the Edenville Deli - a great little disc golfer friendly lunch spot just a few minutes down the road.
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9 1
Discette
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.6 years 657 played 64 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Double the Fun! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 27, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a beautiful park and a very scenic disc golf course. Warwick offers a variety of shots from wooded to wide open. It also has a lot of elevation in play. I played this course as part of a trip covering 12 states in 12 days. This was the only course I played in New York.

Double the Fun!
Warwick has two sets of tee on every hole as well as two different targets on every single hole. Having two sets of baskets installed on a course at the same time is not very common in the Midwest or the Western US. This trip to New England was the first time I ever played a course with two targets. By the end of my trip, I played 6 different courses with dual targets. This is one of the better two target courses I played on my 12 states in 12 days road trip.

Two Targets
The two targets and two tees means this course has an endless number of possibilites for play. It appears the Silver Tees to the Silver baskets may have been the original design. I don't know that, it is just the way the course played. Blue tees to Silver baskets seemed the most straightforward and this is the layout I (mostly) played. I played a few blue targets that looked more fun and interesting than the silver targets. Some of the target chains were rusting.

Two Tees
All the tees were concrete and in good conition. Both sets of tees have complete tee signs showing the options from that tee. The blue tee signs also had "animals" welded on the top so they were easier to spot in the distance.

Amenities
Two sets of concrete tees with accurate signs on every tee. There were benches on many holes and lots of trashcans throughout the course.


Upkeep
There was a lot of graffitti on the signs and some of the baskets are showing their age. This course is dated and faded.

Navigation
This is a very easy course to navigate. There were tee signs on every hole and the "animals" on the blue tee signs make it easy to see where to go next.

Kids, Carts and Strollers
This course can handle kids, carts and strollers. There may be a few holes where the going gets rough. However the course is so long and drawn out a cart would be welcome. As I recall, there was only one restroom near tee 17 (but not sure.) Even though it is long, the terrain isn't that tough, so kids can walk along. You could cut out after Hole 7 and 13 as the next tees are kind of close to the parking lot.

All 18 in a row
Once you tee off on Hole 1 you don't get back to the parking area until Hole 18. That being said, it is easy enough to make a quick trip to the car after playing the Blue pin on Hole 7 before heading back up to the 8 tee. It would also be possible to make a quick run over to the parking area from the tee on Blue 14 or Blue 16.

Cons:

Faded and Dated
The only con is that this course is faded and dated. I can see that at one time, this course was a shining jewel. However, the luster has diminished. The rusted tee signs and targets have seen better days.

Other Thoughts:

Not my Top 25
While this course is a top 25 course for DGCR, it would not make my top 25. I guess I was expecting more from a DGCR Top 25 course. While it was a beautiful park and I enjoyed the variety, there was nothing spectacular about the layout of this course or the challenge. This course may have been worthy of a 5 rating at one time, it has now rusted and faded to a 4.

Other

I would definitely like to come back here to play both Silver and Blue separately as well as the Wolfe Woods course on site.
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5 1
iHitTree
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 96 played 38 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Heaven on Earth 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 21, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I'll spare the hole to hole detail and say this right away: PLAY HERE. The course is designed and maintained by a team of people including one of the best players in the world, Steve Brinster, and one of the original disc golfers Dan Doyle, among numerous other people that make this place great. First off, you have 4 options on every hole, leaving you infinite layouts to play. There are pavilions and bathrooms, great tee pads and signs, ample parking, and most of what you hope to find at a top course. My favorite holes include hole 2 blue/blue (nice par 4 that more or less requires a good placement turnover downhill drive, then the entire hole redirects almost backwards for a tough tunnel approach uphill), hole 8 blue/blue (another nice horseshoe type hole with another placement turnover to get out of the woods tunnel, then an uphill approach to a basket with a menacing OB peninsula and trees in front of it), hole 14 silver/blue (signature hole, great downhill bomb through a narrow-ish tree gap with plenty of trees and a creek protecting the basket, great par 4), hole 17 blue/blue (big open crushes, long open par 4 with a protected basket and OB on the right), and finally hole 18 blue/blue (massive par 5, awesome placement tunnel shot off the tee, nice roller opportunity for 2nd shot to get near silver basket, then a big left to right throw over the OB/across road to try to get your birdie).

Cons:

I'm sorry, I just don't have any cons. Sometimes the bathroom is locked. That's the best I got.

Other Thoughts:

This is one of my favorite courses, and being from Philadelphia area, I wish I could get here more, as it's about 2.5 to 3 hours from me. The locals that play there are all awesome guys and gals, and I can't say enough positive about this place. Even the surrounding area/region is the beautiful Skylands mountain area with some breathtaking views.
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6 0
jeditden
Experience: 13 years 12 played 12 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Wowee! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 29, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Amazing variety of holes. With beautifully made change ups. Hole 1 nice and open into a sweet high elevation Hole 2 canopy tree shot. It's got it all
-2 concrete tee pads, as well as 2 baskets on almost every hole. Take note of that. Not just locations, but baskets. Meaning no waiting for your preferred setup. Yeah!
-Very well maintained grounds. I felt like I was playing ball golf at times.
-Hole's 8 and 13 were two of my favorite. Loved the two pine trees flanking the hole on 13. Should be a postcard from the tee box, ha.
-Big park with lot's of parking and bathroom facilites.

Cons:

-Not much that I can think of really. I'm originally from the area, but didn't discover the sport until I moved to the mecca of disc golf in NC. But no course I have played can come close to this one. I get angry if I come up to visit and it's too cold or rainy to play...
-It's the only course really around (Unless you count Wolfe Woods, which is in the same park, but is much more wooded) so I imagine it'd get busy if you came on weekends, which I have avoided so far.
-Some of the tee signs are starting to show some wear and it can be a tad difficult to find the next hole without a map, but that's because it's such a large course.

Other Thoughts:

-Not much else to say. It's in the town of Warwick, which if you don't know is pretty high $$$, so that probably explains why this course is so nice. But the small amount of players I have encountered there have
been super nice and friendly.
-Get out there and play. I wish I knew about this place before I left NY.
Lousy stinking NC (I kid, I have some great courses down here.)
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1 3
Lance Philip
Experience: 9 years 7 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Interesting and Well Maintained. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 16, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Clean and well maintained. All tee box signs are in place. There is a great variety in hole types. The baskets are all in great shape. Great for all skill levels.

Cons:

There are some steep elevations that are a bit challenging to climb and descend if you are not sure footed. There really needs to be signs at the end of holes to guide you to the next tee.

Other Thoughts:

I really love this course. It's clean, well maintained and offers a nice variety of holes. There are some tough elevations to climb on the front 9 but levels out on the back 9. This course provides enough of a challenge to keep it interesting every time it's played.
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8 0
Disc Golf Chuck
Experience: 11.9 years 74 played 5 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Is there a better course? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

• This course has it all. I felt like I was at a country club as I played the beautiful holes that this course offers. This is the best course I've played in the three years I've been playing.
• The two tees and two baskets on every hole makes this course suitable for the beginner, the intermediate, and the advanced player. There are four separate, and permanent, layouts because of the two tee pads and two baskets on every hole.
• The variety of the holes was excellent. There were some tighter, wooded holes, some short holes, and some open holes that allowed you to really test out your arm. Just about every shot was needed to play this course.
• The signage was very good and informative.
• The course was very clean and the beauty stunning.
• A few locals saw that we were first-timers, gave us tips, and were very friendly.
• The creek, large trees, squirrel, and other natural habitat just added to the experience.
• The park has a pavilion, ample parking, and restrooms. The tees and baskets are in fine shape.
• There is some elevation on many of the holes and the pin placements are done well to allow for enjoyment as well as difficulty and challenge.

Cons:

• Some may consider the remote location to be a con, but I would drive nearly two hours again to play this course.
• The course is a bit on the long side and took some time to play. This isn't the course for you if you want to play a quick round. But when you're in these surroundings, you want to take your time, soak it in, and enjoy every minute. There is no need to rush.

Other Thoughts:

• I played the silver tee pads to the blue baskets while my 12-year-old son played the silver tees and silver baskets. The walking for my son was a bit much, but he also enjoyed this course.
• Being from Arizona and in New York for two weeks, I had to play this course. It was well worth the trip...the 2,500 mile trip from Arizona as well as the 1 hour and 45 minute drive from where I was visiting in upstate New York.
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4 1
itstallchris
Experience: 11.9 years 14 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Favorite course, bar none 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 26, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Excellent, diverse, well maintained landscape for a disc golf course.
Four permanent layouts, accommodates all skill levels.
Course design teaches disc golf skill progression very well, not found at many other courses by themselves.
Another course with two layouts located in same park.
Three baskets (usually) available for putting practice (two blue baskets near parking, 7 and 18, don't get a whole lot of traffic)
All things considered, great disc golf experience.

Cons:

Vandalism (sign damage and ace signatures), but nothing more than what's common at other public courses.

Other Thoughts:

This is the kind of course every disc golfer wishes they had as their home course.
This is where I first encountered disc golf, and I've played some courses in school and in travel, but I've learned the most here at Warwick.
If you want to give someone a best impression and modern representation of disc golf, bring them to Warwick.
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2 5
krismarvin88
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Love this course!!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 26, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I absolutely love this course. It's very well maintained, the fairways are always mowed, the baskets are very well take care of, the courses are all marked as to where the different baskets and tees are, and what the par is. There's even a pro shop across the street and bathrooms.

Cons:

I can't seem to find any, the only thing I could say is that some of the signs for the holes could be updated, some have gotten wet and started to run, others have had the par or hole number changed with a magic marker. But I can deal with that so long as I can read them!

Other Thoughts:

Great great course. The other players are always friendly. Best part is, cell service is next to nothing out there so no one bothers you while you're playing!
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6 2
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 548 played 429 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Warwick Park Well Worth the Break 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 19, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Two! Two! Two for you, because one won't do! Brakewell Steel/Warwick Park has two tees on each hole.Two baskets on each hole. There is even a second course on site, Wolfe Woods, though I didn't play it. Tees are concrete, and signs are full of good information about all of the possibilities. I chose to play the long (blue) tees and short (silver) baskets, I think they call this the blue-silver layout. The short tees are referred to as silver, and the long baskets are trimmed in, and called blue. Blue-silver par is 57, and I was surprised when I played my first round at 56. Under par on a first round at a course of this caliber is not common for me, giving me one more reason to like the place. All of the equipment was really nice, grass was cut, course was fresh and clean. Obviously popular, and for good reason. Lots of people were spending the gorgeous August afternoon there, but the course was not overcrowded on a Tuesday. On the front nine I started and finished with a birdie, and only bogey was on hole 2. Bird on one is a nice start, but no big deal. I gave it right back with a two putt on 2, a fun downhill hole with a hard right turn. 3 is a cool shot uphill, with stands of large trees around the top end protecting the basket. 4 runs a corridor through the woods, and 5 begins in the open grass near the park entrance, but the pin is up the side of a fairly steep, wooded hill. Six is a 364' run through the woods. 7 plays more open, on a lengthy drive towards the parking lot. 8 is a tricky shot downhill and turning right through dense trees, but if you clear, the basket is wide open back in the grass near the tee for 5. I nailed the drive, but missed a 40' look at a two. 9 is open and uphill, with the basket tucked behind a group of trees, and I hit the birdie putt on this hole. The back nine I played even par disc golf (30), with a bogey on 11, but getting it back on 15, with some good driving on a par 4 that measures 550'. 10 is another big throw down a sun-drenched grassy hill, before 11 takes you into the low spots in the creek bend, and I took bogey after a poor drive that avoided the water luckily. 12 plays back the other way on the opposite side of the creek. There is enough water to lose a disc here, so beware. 13 comes out of the trees and climbs the hill toward the parking lot, longer but open once clear the short tee. 14 is a highlight. Long tee throws over the road, with the silver pin cutting right in front of a line of tall trees, and descending the hill over 480'. Very fun shot for RHBH, or anyone else I guess, had to get 2 off this tee. 15 blue passes between an early gap, and is long and open if you hit your spot. Scored a 3 with a great approach. 16 again drives across the road, and downhill, with some scattered trees. Fun and reachable from the tee. 17 tees near the soccer field, and it's the monster on the course, 651' blue to silver. Up and over a large hill, down the other side, second shot hopefully in the trough shooting to the edge of the trees, on another hill in the corner. 18 is not so long, and the long tee is elevated, but still two hard throws to get close to the silver pin. The versatility of the course ranges to make it as easy or hard as you can take. Most of the holes are really good if not great.

Cons:

I had some trouble getting to the course, the apple map app was smarter than google maps on this one. Traffic may require you to wait when teeing across the road, but it is worth waiting for. Sunscreen is in order if you are prone to sunburn, several holes are exposed and long.

Other Thoughts:

Planning the trip, this park was one I looked forward to playing, and looking back I remember how impressive it is hole by hole. The silver-silver, silver-blue, or blue-blue, and the Wolfe Woods leave a lot I didn't see, and with that in mind I believe the 4.5 rating is well deserved. The town itself, and the trip to get there are very nice too.
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6 0
BigAl724
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.6 years 178 played 144 reviews
5.00 star(s)

A Complete Round of Golf 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Steve Brinster is one of the best disc golf players on the planet, people are well aware of that. But man, can he also design a course. The Brakewell Steel course in Warwick Park is right up there with the top courses in the country in terms of design, variety, and maintenance. The course covers many different sections of the park to provide a thoroughly balanced round. It clearly is the priority of the park and is immaculately groomed. There is plenty of parking space, a pavilion, and bathrooms very close to hole one.

This course screams "complete". My most dominant thought during and after my round was how thorough my round was. A day at Warwick provides a full experience of disc golf, not lacking in any aspect. The course has an unparalleled fun-factor quality to it, offering a tremendous variety in levels of woodenness, hole lengths, and pars.

All of the equipment is in great shape, starting with the very comfortable concrete tees. Tee signs are informative and are at both tee positions. Blue and silver baskets are respectively colored. The multiple tee and permanent pin positions do a tremendous job of adding variety to the hole, with 4 possible layouts available at any time. The pin positions especially not only make the holes more difficult by adding length, but offer a great difference in risk/reward on many occasions. The different pin positions also often drastically changed the look of the hole in a way that so few courses do.

One aspect of design that I personally love is when a hole is multi-staged and changes its feel as you approach the basket. Warwick is one of the best courses - if not the best - I've played where holes evolve in different levels of woodenness and elevation. Hole after hole (after hole) greatly changes in its quality from tee to basket. I love holes like 2 that have so many great aspects about it. From blue-blue, the hole plays downhill through a tight lane in the woods, hits a 90+ degree turn, and plays uphill as you approach the basket among trees. Holes like this cannot adequately be described, they must be played to experience their level of completeness. This rings true for many holes here, with 3, 5, 8, 14, 15, and 18 also being great examples of providing multi-stage par 4's and 5's.

Elevation is used tremendously throughout the course, with many holes playing through rollings hills (in the woods and in the open), as well as a few uphill and downhill bombs. No two holes use the elevation the same way. For example, there are a few holes that play downhill, but they are all vastly different from one another.

There is not a remotely boring or out-of place hole on the course. I really appreciated how every hole allows you to be creative on every shot, combining the offering of multiple lanes and the great elevation changes. There is no hole that just offers one line, one way to play it. A great deal of risk/reward is offered with some crazy pin positions on holes 3 and 5 and the creek on 11 and 14. Some fast fairways also make you think twice before you throw on holes like 4 and 8.

The course is nicely sprawled throughout the park and does a great job of playing through vastly different topographical sections of the park. The expanse of the park's land that is used is really amazing, and thedesigners did an awesome job of utilizing each part of the park to create a great blend of holes. The course does a great job of avoiding other park traffic and winds its way back to the parking after 18.

Cons:

-My biggest complaint, which is a very minor one, is that there is some backtracking from the blue pins. It feels like the navigation of the course was designed around the silver baskets, which often have a path closer to them taking you to the next tee than the blue ones do.
-Navigation was great for the most part, but there are a few times where next tee signs would be helpful, especially from the blue baskets
-There is a good bit of poison ivy on the heavily wooded holes

Other Thoughts:

For a course to be in the best-of-the-best category, it must have a very balanced variety of shots and hole types, offer a great deal of risk/reward play, be well maintained and aesthetically pleasing, and have a certain character about it that distinguishes it from the other phenomenal courses out there. Warwick provides each of these aspects.

The fact that it offers 4 permanent layouts is awesome, and the variety of that this course has makes its replay-factor through the roof. How can the shortest layout double in length when compared to the longest layout, and have a difference of 14 for par? Only Warwick provides this type of awesome variety.

I was a little skeptical about its high praise coming into my round, and was viewing the course with a critical eye. Though I was ready to find flaws in the course to keep from giving it a 5-disc rating, I did not find anything worth knocking it down. This course is awesome, offering unparalleled variety and such a complete round of disc golf.
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7 0
JohtoVillage
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24 years 160 played 73 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Almost Perfect 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Wow is a great way to start this review! This course is as close to a 5 as you can get in my opinion. Here are the pros for this course:

1) Options options options. Having two concrete tees and two baskets per hole is such a pleasure. Also, its great that the baskets are distinguished from each other. One being powder coated blue and the other being silver is a great way to let players know what holes they are playing.

2) The long holes have obstacles and variety. I love bomber holes but get a little bored with bomber holes that are literally wide open. The long holes really had some obstacles and made you think. The obstacles ranged from elevation, trees, roads, etc. Long for the sake of long is no fun but these long holes were some of the best long holes I have played. Kudos to the designer for making these holes great.

3) This course had a ton of variety. There was a hole over two creeks, a hole over a rock wall, a hole between two pine trees, a long downhill bomber, a triple option hole, a hole that had a basket right on the top of a cliff and everything in between. There were some super tight holes and some huge bomber holes. This course had the PERFECT variety of elevation and open and wooded holes.

4) This course was literally manicured like a ball golf course. The grass was cut perfectly and the grass was very green.

5) Even though the course was very long and hard from the back tees/long baskets, the course was very fair. The course was challenging but I did not have any qualms with holes being too hard or unfair.

6) This course had some epic signature holes. The basket position/green for hole 3 was one of the coolest greens I have ever played. The basket was literally right on top of a cliff wall. Amazing! Hole 14 also had the WOW factor. The drive on that hole was literally amazing as you had to thrown downhill about 450 feet over a wide open field. The second shot (to the long pin) was through a tight tunnel to a protected green with a creek snaking right around the green. Also who could forget hole 17? This was actually a better hole from the silver tee (see below) but still was an amazing hole to throw. The drive was pretty much in an open field but had some nice elevation. The second shot was simply awesome, with a protected green and a picturesque view.

Taking all of these things together gives this course a 4.5 rating which is considered Phenomenal according to DG Course Review.

Cons:

There's not much to dislike about this course. Here are just a few things I noticed when playing the course:

1) Artificial OB: There were a few holes that included artificial out of bounds. This essentially means that there is not water or road but simply an area flagged as being worthy of a penalty stroke. This is not a huge con to me, but on a few of the holes the artificial OB was actually just not necessary. The main reason is that if you are in the area that is flagged as artificial OB your shot will be penalized enough as it is and there is no need for a penalty. I believe that one of the holes included the artificial OB so players wouldn't cut a corner but on one hole the OB was marked right in the fairway and it seemed unnecessary. This is not a huge con but just worth mentioning.

2) Navigation was a little tricky in some spots. On a few holes if you were playing the blue baskets there was some backtracking to get back to where you needed to go to get to the next hole. I brought a map so it wasn't too bad but on a few holes a local had to help us find where we were going.

3) This is not a huge con but also simply worth nothing: I really appreciated the option of having multiple baskets and multiple tees but on a few of the long tees it seemed that the long tee was just thrown a few hundred feet back to make it longer and harder when the shorter tee would have sufficed. A great example of this is hole 17 - from the silver tee this is a signature hole on the course from the elevated pad. But going backwards 175 feet and having to throw uphill on the tee takes away from the joy of throwing from the silver pad. This is not a huge con because long tees are supposed to be hard but a few times it added a lot of extra walking and didn't add a lot of value. In my opinion this did not take away from the overall flavor of the course and is not a huge con. If you don't want to play the long tees then play the short tees!

4) Some of the walks are very long so be prepared to get a work out. My buddy and I were pretty exhausted after playing this round but it was worth it!

Other Thoughts:

I agree with a few other posters here: I truly wish we had the option of going with .25 increments. To me this course is SO close to a 5. It has almost everything you could possibly want in a course. The cons are minor compared to the awesome pros. This course is HIGHLY recommended and is literally one of the best courses in the Northeast. I would put this course right behind Nockamixon and Maple Hill and ahead of Iron Hill and Brewster's Ridge when it comes to Northeast disc golf. I would put this course on the same level as Idlewild, Moraine, Deer Lakes and Tyler.
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8 3
sidewinder22
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 297 played 197 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Animal - Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Unleash your inner Animal with 18 unrestrained and spectacular world class holes over elevation galore mixing par 3, 4, and 5s. Two concrete tees and two baskets on every hole providing a ton a variety from funky fun to electric mayhem! Perfect mix of woods and open and use of elevation, stone walls, creek, and ob. Nice signage and navigation for the most part. Two loops of 9 hole back to parking lot. Course plays well for any level of player, but is a bombers dream from the longs. Very well manicured and maintained course. Disc golf area of park. Bathrooms over by the playground.

Cons:

Really not much to complain about. There is a little a bit of poison ivy around the edges of the woods. The short tee for hole 7 says hole 9. A little bit of backtracking on some holes. You cross hole 18 long going from basket 15 to tee 16. You play over the park road on 14 from the long tee, and man what a shot! It's a bit of a hike up and down the elevation. If you can't handle the hike or style of play head down the hill to Wolfe Woods which is the other course on site and is heavily wooded and short.

Other Thoughts:

The Warwick course is nestled in the southern NY mountains and features long sweeping fairways up, down, over and across elevation with some vista views. Want to watch your discs fly? Come play here! I parked the short basket about 600' away on 14 which is one of the signature holes, and is about downhill 80', but I was playing the par 5 long island basket, and chained out for eagle. Every hole here is freaking awesome!

A-ni-mal! A-ni-mal! What does Animal do? Eat drums! Eat drums! No! Beat drums! Beat drums! Animal does a little bit both. Someone needs to chain me down like Animal to keep me away from this course like Animal trying to chase after "Wo Man!" or "Car!" The Animal Course at Warwick is the course I would pick if I could only play one for the rest of my life. I wish I didn't live 4+ hours away, but I will definitely make trips to come back here. I've had the Three Days Grace, "The animal I have become" song stuck in my head since playing. This is my kind of course!
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1 13
EWSdiscgolf
Experience: 10.6 years 89 played 28 reviews
3.50 star(s)

I love this! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 22, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

It was great! Two baskets, two tees? I've never been to a course as good as this!
It was very well marked. The silver to silver was for beginners, silver to blue or blue to silver was intermediate, and blue to blue was for advanced disc golfers.

Cons:

Not many. Some places were marked out of bounds that shouldn't have, but I let that go.
Some holes on the silver to silver are a little bit short, too.

Other Thoughts:

They should make more courses around here like this. This places was awesome!
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1 9
TKdicker
Experience: 10.9 years 5 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Awesome 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 19, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice assortment of holes, some long some short some wooded some open, clean as a whistle, beautiful park setting, lots of options with two tees and two baskets on each hole, nice concrete tee pads,

Cons:

Some signs with par info missing or baffling (hole 16 silver tee to silver basket a par 4 really?). Direction to next hole confusing in spots.

Other Thoughts:

Fantastic course. Hopefully this doesn't set me up for disappointment on other courses this being my first course played. The bar has been set pretty high. My rating could go up after I play some other courses.
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