Nanaimo, BC

Bowen Park

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3.675(based on 15 reviews)
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9 0
srm_520
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20 years 156 played 142 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A Short & Well-Maintained Course drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Bowen Park is an interesting mix of short and easy to moderate technical holes that are designed for most disc golf experience levels. There are a few really cool elevation changes for a public park and just enough shot variation to make you work for it. Signage is good, and condition of the park overall is in great shape. There are nice concrete box and two different boxes for each hole. Make sure you print of a map if it's your first time because you have an option to play an additional nine holes according to the map. Or my advice is just warm up on the blue tees and hit a second round on the white tees to change it up.

Pins are well marked, and we even saw a few passionate locals who were placing down fresh mulch around the pins. This is the kind of course I wish I had in my backyard because it doesn't beat you up like many championship level courses but was just really fun to play. This would also be a perfect course for beginning to intermediate players wanting to improve their skills. Plus, since it's a public park, there are bathroom facilities and most anything you need within walking distance. One bonus that is not DG related is there are also a cool stream with a cool waterfall across the park, so you can enjoy some amazing nature after your round.

BEST HOLE/S: #7; #13

Cons:

Unfortunately, Bowen Park succumbs to the same downfall that many courses suffer from in a well visited public park. It's tight. When you maximize the space available to create the best course you can - sometimes this means you have to place pins closer to roads, parking lots, or volleyball courts that you would prefer. Granted, the signage is clear about warnings and OB play, but airing out a big shot on #7 would be a lot more fun if I wasn't worried about hitting a volleyball player. In fact, we watch a decent player throw a slightly errant shot on #9 and full on dented a car in the parking lot…with the person in it. Awkward. These are the trade offs for sharing the space but take note.

The other obvious negative that any advanced level player will tell you is that the course is simply too short. The course is just over 5000' from the long tees. That's just not that long for many big arms out there. There is only one hole over 500'. I have a bum shoulder, so honestly a short course is a pro for me, but I could see how experienced players would get bored when 2/3 of the course is under 300'.

WORST HOLE/S: #14; #16

Other Thoughts:

Overall, I had a fantastic time having a casual round of play on this course. I'm a sucker for short and technical housed in a well-maintained space. In the summertime the weather is perfect, the trees and park are beautiful, and it's just a fun course. These are the kind of courses that always hard for me to rate since we are not talking the same caliber as a place like Idlewild, but I still want to give it a lot of discs because it's not trying to be. It probably is hovers between a 3.5 and 4.0, but I'm giving the benefit of the doubt because It perfectly pulls off the community park DG course. I would imagine has a lot of devoted local players that would probably agree. If you are ever on Vancouver Island - I would totally recommend a visit!
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3 0
Treeplant
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 8.8 years 109 played 62 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Very nice, well designed, course in a public park. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Beautiful wooded public park, lots of amenities like benches, garbage cans, vending machines, washrooms etc.

- For a shorter 18 hole course, decent amount of elevation changes, which definitely adds some interest level.

- Course is well maintained. Read a note about garbage on the course from a past reviewer, we didn't see anything out there on our round, the course was in fantastic shape.

- Concrete tee pads

- Good signage

- Multiple pad and basket locations for a number of holes, with good mapping.

- Lots of parking.

Cons:

- Couple of the holes throw pretty close to each other or public spaces (I'm sure people hyzer into the tennis courts for example), overall not terrible for a public park but a couple of places to be aware.

- Tee pads are good, but a little short on a few of them.

- Not much variation in distances on the course, and differences between blue and white pads aren't really significant enough to sufficiently increase difficulty level.

Other Thoughts:

- Overall a short course without much opportunity to bomb drives. A very good course for intermediate level players to shoot under par on, advanced/ open players won't find a lot of challenge here, though it's still a beautiful setting with some solid ace runs.

- We were there on a Sunday afternoon in June and the course was fairly busy with what looked to be rec players, we had to wait more than expected. Not a con, as it's good to see people using the course, but if you have the options of playing at non-peak times it would speed up the round.

- Defiinitely favours shorter, technical throwers with the distances and amount of trees.

- Cart-friendly course.

- Bug free when we played in June.
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1 0
MisterXray
Experience: 11.6 years 183 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

An easy, relaxing course. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 3, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

A few nice elevation changes. Very good signage, easy to navigate (first time playing course). Good mix of open shots with some trees to hack at. From a couple of the long tees, low ceiling can factor in.

Cons:

Baskets could use the hole number on them. Need to be aware of people riding bikes/walking across or near the throwing lanes. Also some of the pads ares fairly close to the baskets so a good throw could bean a fellow player.

Other Thoughts:

Second course I have played in BC, and definitely the best.
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1 1
NickBredlow
Experience: 7 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Easy to follow 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Open course with short and long holes. The trees are not too dense. There are maps on every tee so it is very easy to find your way around.

Cons:

Can be busy at times. There is traffic close so watch where you throw.

Other Thoughts:

Discs can be rented at the recreation centre.
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0 1
Bondobates
Experience: 8.8 years 77 played 10 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Beautiful park setting 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 5, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The holes are well marked. Diagram on each tee post.
Nice mixture of short and longer holes. Friendly locals on the course. Park is well maintained.

Cons:

First time playing, locating a few of the holes was difficult due to their location from the previous tee.

Other Thoughts:

The local players were very helpful in helping us navigate to a few of the hard to find tee boxes. Took several family members for their first time disc golfing, they had a great time on this course.
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2 1
Schleyer
Experience: 20.8 years 10 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Best course on Vancouver Island 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Beauty park. Lots of old growth trees in the park, with grassy fairways. Impossible to lose a disc. 2 sets of concrete teepads

Cons:

Busy in summertime. All par 3's, although the White tees are quite long

Other Thoughts:

Awesome park and awesome course. The best on Vancouver Island!
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2 1
Islandgolfer
Experience: 15.6 years 24 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

local 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

beautiful park.
variety of holes.
fun.
well marked tee pads.
friendly locals.

Cons:

can be very busy in summer months.
people tend to leave garbage on the course.

Other Thoughts:

There will be many upgrades in 2013 for this course.
stay tuned!
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2 0
LaManganesse
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Excellently maintained, varied shot seletion 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 25, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Features a wide selection of shots for people who throw left, right, forehand, backhand.

Tee pads for beginners and the experienced.

The course is excellently maintained by the city.

Features a good variety of long and short holes.

Excellent tee pads, signage, and baskets.

You won't have to hack through low lying brush, manicured lawns as far as the eye can see.

Cons:

Some of the shorter holes are lacking in creativity.

Only two exceptionally long holes.

A few crossing fairways require you to be conscious of safety

Other Thoughts:

The course can become quite busy during the summer months as its location in the heart of nanaimo attracts quite a crowd.
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9 0
jungledonkey
Experience: 13.3 years 10 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

My home course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 8, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Very well groomed
-two sets of concrete tee pads for each hole
-beautiful park
-in the heart of the city
-decent variety of shots
-18 baskets
- short tees and long tees play differently on most holes
-Every teebox has a number marker and a map, and is really easy to navigate. On top of that, the office has scorecards and maps
-Two sets of washrooms
-water fountains at hole 9 and behind hole 12
-trash cans with recycling bins scatter the course as well as benches.
-there are stairs for the main elevation holes
-forehand, backhand, rollers, and thumbers could all be utilized but not all are required. A good forehand and backhand make the course much more fun, and people with a consistent overhand shot can park many of the holes

Cons:

-A couple crossing fairways
-Last few holes are repetitive
-Often busy
-Sometimes people will see a "frisbee" lying on the ground and will throw it around
-Holes 7 and 8 have volleyball courts come into play. It is out of bounds but can't always be avoided
-Could use a bit more variety in distance and could be a bit longer
-Some of the tee pads are a bit too close to the previous basket

Other Thoughts:

A really nice course to play at. The course plays through a light to moderately wooded city park. Every hole has obstacles, some are pretty tight and some are more open. There's no underbrush that comes into play, though in summer there is often long grass in the lower part of the course.

The short tees are what most people play and are great for beginners but don't offer much challenge (with the exceptions being 7 and 11) to experienced players. I've seen multiple people score under -10 on the short tees. Most holes have one or two trees lining the fairway and a bunch of trees guarding the basket. Many are aceable. Length varies between 170 and 370ft.

The long tees vary in length from 220 to 535 feet. Par is a good score for these. If you only have time for one game, play the advanced holes.
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1 5
DB-TT
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

DB-TT 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Very nice looking Park, Good baskets, good tee pads.

Cons:

Way to short, Crossing fairways, U only need 1 disc to play

Other Thoughts:

This course is great for beginers, Does not allow for a full bagged day of golf. Bring your Roc.. thats all u will need..
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3 0
Bobbily
Experience: 21.7 years 39 played 22 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great layout 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 16, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

A great layout. 18 holes, lots of people playing the course. I got my first Ace here on #3! Lots of Ace opportunities througout. There are 2 sets of tees, the longer of the two are REALLY long (a few at over 500 feet). There are some GREAT elevation holes here. Big arms will LOVE it. Overall an outstanding course.

Cons:

Busy busy. Try to play mid-week to avoid crowds. A little short. (Some will call it REALLY short). For those who like wooded hiking style courses, (like me) this may not be for you... I still think this course is worth a go though. Update: Not at all as short as I remember it. Possibly a new layout. Course is fantastic now.

Other Thoughts:

That pic makes no sense to me, because its all baskets here.
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3 0
maniak
Experience: 15.8 years 15 played 13 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun but could be better 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 12, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is right in the heart of Nanaimo in a busy park and is easily accessible by foot, bike, car and presumably public transportation. The park is full of amenities such as benches, a water tap near the course, picnic tables, gazebos, swimming pools and many other things of interest. For more, check out http://www.nanaimoinformation...wen-park.php.

There is a kiosk at the first tee with a map and for the most part, this course plays through a nice grassy area with tall trees all around. There is a very low chance of losing a disc as there is pretty much no underbrush here. If you play on a hot sunny day like I did, you'll be happy to get out of the sun. On the flip side, if it was raining, the trees would likely offer protection and allow for at least somewhat enjoyable rain golf. There are two sets of tees to choose from on this course and there are tee signs on each hole. The blue tees are the short ones and the white tees are the longer ones.

The short tees offer many birdie opportunities and ace runs. I only ended up playing eleven holes due to time constraints; I had to get back to ferry but I shot -6 on my first try through which is the lowest I've ever shot on a first time playing a course. I would attribute this to the short length of most holes.

Some holes offer some nice elevation changes (ie #7).

I met some of the locals who play there and they were a very friendly bunch.

Other than the above, the course is well kept, the tees are concrete and as far as amenities go, this course has most things you could want.

Cons:

The only real downfall of this course I can speak about is how short it is. Even from the long tees, hardly any of the holes stretch over 300 feet. Not only are a lot of the holes short but a lot of them are the same distance between 175-210 feet. The course felt a little repetitive due to many of the holes being of similar distance.

Because of the shortness of many of the holes, I could see this course getting boring rather quickly. There are only so many times you can shoot -10 or -12 before you get bored. It is also hard to improve your game on a short course I've found.

Other Thoughts:

As far as amenities go, this course has the most out of every course I've played. It has benches, garbage cans nearby, hole signs, two sets of tees, concrete tees, and a course map. There isn't much more I could think of that would make playing the course more enjoyable. It's such a shame how short this course is. I played 11 holes when I was there and I think I played all of them with my Aviar. It felt like a pitch and putt. Next time I go back I will definitely play the long tees and maybe I'll be able to use my Roc or Leopard.
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2 2
josser
Experience: 20 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Bowen Disc Golf Course Review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 29, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Some very interesting holes in the back 9 with elevation changes and lots of obstacles. Tons of birdie opportunities from the regular tees.

Cons:

From the regular tees, most of the front 9 is all pretty similar with trees causing a narrow fairway and a semi-protected basket. The holes are packed together pretty closely so you have to be careful about the group in front and behind you.

Other Thoughts:

It is great to have a true 18-hole course in a city park. I look forward to playing this course each and every time I pass through Nanaimo.
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5 1
PhilP
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Bowen Disc Golf Course Review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 9, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course in in a Provincvial Park, so the city of Nanaimo takes care of it pretty well.
The course has parking and restrooms at both ends of the golf course. So people could start at different points of the course.
This course is perfect for all types of skill levels. From the technical/finesse shots to the distance holes. The layout is pretty good there are 18 basket holes, and the length vary in distance from 177 feet to 337 feet. I myself like the tecnical hole on this course, i get close to the hole most of the time on my first shot. Each hole is east to follow, at the teepad there is a post with a map on it, telling where top shoot as well as obstacles that would be in the way. The teepads are made out of rubber so it is easy to plant your feet for the throw. There is a definate flow to the course, there is no general overlap of the fairways. There is not that underbush, the only thing that you would have to worry about are the garden areas and the hitting a tree. The middle holes are toughest because you need to have a reaaly good flick to get the distance, especially for hole 7. Hole 7 is a dogleg and is the longest hole at 337. The overall challenge is outstanding because you will need good distance and excellent finesse. The locals there are friendly and always willing to help.

Cons:

The golf course always seems to be overrun by people drinking and smoking pot, so the smell could be a problem.

Other Thoughts:

There is a local shop for those people that are begining this great game, that want to buy a disc. The shop is called the Velvet Paw and is located across the street.
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4 1
BCDan
Experience: 15.9 years 17 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful and diverse Bowen Park Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 3, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

It's the best course on Van Island or any of the coastal Islands.

The course is located in Bowen park, which means the course is well groomed. The Grass is cut, leaves & snow are collected. Washrooms, picnic shelters, benches & walkways are throughout the course.

The course is fun for all skill levels since 2/3 of the holes are roughly around 180-210 feet and they are also the more wooded and technical holes as well. The course can be challenging since there are a few long and technical holes that will challenge the intermediate player, and the shorter holes have alternate or "pro" tees that require distance and precision. The course is well marked and the locals are friendly. The course is not too crowded except for tourney's.

Hole 7 & 8 are the most fun holes in any course I've played Hole 7 is the longest hole(340 feet) and requires a long Anhyser or hyzer shot around trees. Hole 7 & 8 are challenging because having a long drive doesn't mean instant birdie, yet a short initial shot doesn't mean you can't par. these two holes will keep and attract advanced players, and if you birdie them, you get high fives.

Cons:

The course can be frustrating for power throwers who want to throw a wraith all the time.

People casually drink beer and sometimes smoke pot. Not a biggie for me, but some may not like it.

Other Thoughts:

If you need discs or accessories,they can be purchased at the Velvet Paw across from the the teepad of Hole #3.

There is a friendly local who plays the course religiously. He sells discs and likes to give out advice. Though he sometimes is inebriated and will talk your ear off. Be careful though, he tries to sell Excalibur discs to everyone when he should be selling Buzz's. If you had to play the course with one disc, a Buzz would be it.

The course is getting 18 additional holes though in 2008 and some are going to be 400 feet or more.

If you want to mix up your recreation this course is good. Bowen park has tennis courts, horseshoe pitch, lawn bowling field, beach volleyball, lacrosse field, skate park and more.
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