Temple, TX

Lion's Park

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3.765(based on 33 reviews)
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10 0
aclay
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 39.5 years 309 played 231 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Lions (not Lion's) Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 22, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

-- Elevation. Lions (not Lion's) Park has beautiful views all around, and the elevation, especially for Texas, is impressive. This is far from the typical city park course.
-- Water is in play. You've got two water carries, a couple of baskets near water and a couple of fairways that play beside water.
-- At the start of hole 1, there is a kiosk, garbage cans and a big concrete barrier that acts as a bench.
-- The concrete tee pads are good and the signs are small metal ones that have the route and the next tee on them. That is the signs that are still there (about half of the holes). And about half of the signs present are difficult/impossible to read.
-- Two sets of pads (my preference over two baskets) for about half of the holes. The longs can add nearly 400 feet to a hole (2) or add to difficulty (5 makes the water carry longer and more difficult; 12 make a RHFH uphill shot longer and a harder turn).
-- In addition to those holes, I really enjoyed hole 13: 239 feet uphill. It's open for the first about 200 feet, and then you've got a narrow gap to a protected basket that is SERIOUSLY uphill.
-- Restrooms.
-- A practice basket (oddly, it is labeled #5), but the basket is not in great shape.

Cons:

-- The baskets are Discatchers (my favorites), but many of them are not in good shape.
-- Navigation is difficult. Much of this has to do with missing/unreadable tee signs. I played with a local, so I never got lost, but it would have been difficult to navigate by myself.
-- The course is in a multi-use park, but other than the walking path, it avoids much of the other park amenities. However, the walking path is in play a lot.
-- A couple of tee pads are not level, but this is a minor concern.
-- The final few holes (in the woods) are pretty close to each other and bring the risk of someone getting hit with an errant drive.

Other Thoughts:

-- Lions Park reminds me of Michael Jordan -- when he was with the Wizards. Sure he was a good player, but he was nowhere near the player he had been. Based on the land and the hole designs, I can see where this was a 4.0-, or even a 4.5-disc course. Sadly, the tee signs are a mess and the baskets aren't in great shape. This course really needs some TLC. The most-recent review of the course before this one was more than four years ago. Time has not been kind.
-- This 100-acre park features playgrounds, a pond, picnic facilities, softball fields, a dog park.
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10 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.8 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
4.00 star(s)

I Have No Problem Calling This A Destination Course! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 27, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lion's Park is not in Temple, Texas. I must have taken a wrong turn and ended up in Pennsylvania or somewhere else that has some elevation. Lion's Park is a big, beautiful park with lovely, sweeping views every time you turn around. Driving in, I could see that wasn't going to be the typical, flat golf course type course that I have been playing in Texas for the last week.

I was shocked that when you enter the park there is a sign that reads, "Disc Golf-Throw 1." Did the director let his 8 year daughter design that sign? Is there actually someone working for a parks & recreation department who is that clueless? And how about the supervisory staff who approved it?

At the start of the yummy 1st hole, there is a kiosk, garbage cans and a big concrete barrier that acts as a bench. Well, at least, no one is going to walk off with this bench. I've never seen one of these used as a bench on any course before and now, I think this is the 3rd Texas course that has had them. The concrete tee pads are good and the signs are small metal ones that have the route and the next tee on them. The baskets are Discatchers with many miles on them. There are two sets of pads. The longs can add as much as 360' to a hole (# 2 ) or greatly add to the difficulty like on # 5 or 12.

Back to # 1. The course starts you off in grand style with 1 & 2. # 1 is just a fun 289' downhill with a little hyser needed. Then # 2 from the long tee is 871'. The long tee is uphill a ways so you can watch your disc fly forever. That little speck of yellow you glimpse sitting in the far corner of the field is the basket. You can shorten the hole by about 350' by throwing from the short pad but it's not nearly as fun as the tee is almost to the base of the hill.

I think the course designers did a masterful job of mixing the distances such as the stretch of holes 9-10-11-12 which measure 185'-692'-450 and then my personal favorite hole, # 12, which plays 283' up a beautiful, little hillside to the basket set back in this pretty section.

Cons:

For all that I love about this Lion's Park DGC, I do have a few cons.

The navigation is a little tricky at times. It just doesn't flow naturally like some courses. I did appreciate the next tee sign after # 4. I did manage to get semi-lost after # 5 and tried playing to some old basket (# 10) set in the corner and then # 11 playing back to the horseshoe pits before finding # 5, the over the swamp throw.

Then after playing # 21, I went over a played a couple basket across the park road including one with this amazing, really plush green carpeting. It had a # 15 on the side and I know I had already played # 15, a big sweeping 300' anhyser playing hole.

One of my personal course pet peeves are pads that are not level. Lion's Park has a couple. # 1 slants down and the # 8 pad is tilted up.

Players waiting or teeing off on # 20 could possibly be hit with a drive thrown by a player teeing off on 19. Yes, I know it shouldn't happen if the player teeing on # 19 just opens his eyes and players sitting at # 20 will probably should be aware. But here are some really clueless people around. A small fence/wall should be built by the # 20 tee pad. I just saw a safety wall like this, that incorporated a bench and bag holders in it's design. It was very well done.

Other Thoughts:

Although not perfect, Lion's Park DGC is a top course. I'd call it a destination course, especially for those who haven't had the opportunity to play with elevation. It's beautiful. It has the elements that players are looking for such as water carries, risk/reward throws, long bomber holes, Ace Runs, technical throws through the trees, greater challenge playing from the longs and some lovely views at the surrounding country. And yes, this is Texas, not Pennsylvania.
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1 4
pcoursey
Experience: 13 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 12, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Should be a fun and challenging course, if you knew where the tee boxes and baskets were.
Tough walk for mature players.

Cons:

This is as poorly marked course as I've played.

Other Thoughts:

Simple arrows on the tee boxes and baskets would help
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7 0
markmcc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.9 years 278 played 254 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Like Two Different Courses 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 20, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course offers a lot of variety, from wide open bomber holes to short technical holes.

About half of the holes offer two tees. The long tees really stretch things out, offering a couple of 500+ foot holes, along with 692', 800' and 871' monsters. But for the most part these holes are over open ground, so the challenge is strictly how far you can drive.

Two of the alternate tees (3 & 5) are in place to shorten or eliminate water carries over the pond which will be welcome for those with limited distance.

Holes 12 - 21 seem to take you to an entirely different course. Shorter and wooded, with a huge premium placed on being able to shape your drive. Many of the holes require a late right turn to the basket, so RH players will need to tune up their FH!

Hole 18 was a favorite. How can a 300' be a par 4? From the teepad the basket is visible way off to your right, but there is a mando in front of the tee that must be passed on the left! Your first shot simply positions you at the throat of a wooded fairway that runs 90 degrees to the right toward the basket. Interesting hole for sure.

Concrete teepads are in good shape. Baskets are showing their age with a good bit of rust, but catch fine. Tee signs are getting rough with enough for fading to be an issue.

Cons:

I enjoyed the second half of the course more than the first. The open holes are long and open, and so become "driving range" type holes. Little challenge beyond the distance.

The pond at Holes 3 and 5 is pretty nasty. Discs landing even a couple of feet out are immediately invisible.

Many of the tee signs are faded to the point where detail is lost and a couple are missing.

There is a busy walking trail that runs throughout much of the course. On a weekday morning I found myself waiting to drive several times.

Other Thoughts:

Large parking lot with restrooms located near the first tee and the 21st basket.
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3 1
reezyF
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.4 years 276 played 40 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Lion's Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 28, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

My three pros:

+ nice variety of holes with water, elevation and tunnel holes
+Decent signs showing the hole number and somewhat of an image of the hole
+Concrete tee pads and somewhat obvious course flow

Cons:

My three cons:

-The front of the course is in a low spot which led to serious flooding and lack of drainage which made several holes unplayable.
-There are signs throughout but most dont show the basket location due to fading, so i ended up walking several holes to spot the basket. Others said the navigation was easy but i got a little lost around 10 & 11 and walked around aimlessly looking for the baskets to find none which was really frustrating after having to skip the flooded holes...
-The course plays next the walking trail and road for many holes and #5 plays next to a playground that i couldnt see due to a big tree. I could see there being several conflicts with other park users

Other Thoughts:

I really wanted to like this course but the flooding and invisible #10 & 11 made for a frustrating start to the round. Top that with 20 MPH wind leading to a birdie free round and i left feeling less than great about the course. I imagine on a normal, dry, less windy day the courses cool features shine through. Hopefully i get a chance to play the course on a better day but i usualy only get one chance to play alot of courses and my one time thru here wasnt so great...
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6 0
garrettfreberg
Experience: 29.2 years 57 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Seemed like the front had dried out very nicely, so no flooding to report.
The course is very challenging. Long holes, short holes with hazards like water and woods. Good Variety of shots. Backhands/Forehands. Great use of the hillside on the front for a nice scenic and elevation changes. Baskets are in great shape. Everything was very well marked in my eyes. I am not from Temple area and I had no problem navigating the course. It was very pleasant and I would DEF play again.

Cons:

Having to cross the paths in a couple of places meant I had to wait for the other people to enjoy their walking/running/etc. I hope that anyone reading this knows that we SHARE most parks and that disc golf is just one of the MULTI uses of most parks. So be patient and let the doggers dog and the joggers jog before you huck. Some of the holes just seem to be dropped into some open areas with no real reason. Just huge open areas that could have been more thought out, but if you have a huge arm, you might enjoy chucking down an open field for 900', but I thought with all the open space a more thought out couple of holes would be nice.

Other Thoughts:

I loved this place. A beautiful setting. Goregeous and well maintained. Thanks for all the efforts in getting this course set up and for taking such good care of it.
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5 0
MoFlicker
Experience: 20.8 years 145 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Better of the two temple courses 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 27, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of variety. 1-11 are mostly open, 12-21 are like playing a totally different course. I really enjoyed these more technical holes. My favorite was 17. 220 ft to an elevated tee surrounded by trees. Came very close to an ace on this one

Cons:

Navagation is tough for an out of towner like myself playing the course the first time through. After 2 I was a little confused about where to go next. Also after 9 I had mistaken the 12th tee for number 10. Some next tee signs would be really helpful in a couple of spots. Also I had to skip #3 and #6 due to both hole being completely submerged in water. Luckily it's 21 holes, so I still got plenty of disc in.

Other Thoughts:

Don't know how common the flooding is on the front 9. If they maybe moved these holes to less flood prone areas, and made the navigation a little better I'd easily bump this course up to a 4.
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1 6
steady1
Experience: 15.8 years 5 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Lions 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 21, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Nice sidewalks for 12 holes, terrain rolling. Front 11 open, back 13 wooded., concrete teeboxes, signage good. grass maintained.

Cons:

some long distances with small pars

Other Thoughts:

One of the local favorites. Shorts for me as I am new player. Enjoy the challenges.
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1 4
teamtexas
Experience: 11.8 years 26 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 11, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course was great, it had alot of challenge. There is a good mix of open holes as well as wooded and water holes.

Cons:

A few very long holes with low pars. Some other events going on at the same time, however they were not set up in the way of the course.

Other Thoughts:

We will be back to play here again!
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9 0
bogeymanjr
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.6 years 35 played 24 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Temple's Best DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 26, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is the best disc golf course hands down in the Temple area. It features many challenges such as baskets on hills to putt to, throws over water, and even open areas to air a few discs. Without going into too much detail, I will mention the holes I personally liked. Hole 3 with its 150 foot throw over a pond to the basket 198 feet away was good. Hole 12 with its throw to an elevated basket was interesting. Hole 17 as well, just not as long. And hole 18 with its curving fairway to the right was a challenge as well as the tree dodging that had to be done to get to the basket.

Cons:

First off, most of this course is open and the first 11 holes are scattered through most of the park. This means a disker has to always watch for walkers and runners on the sidewalks. I played early in the day, so I had few problems with this. That said, I did come close to somebody with one of my throws, but they were still far enough away I did miss them. There is always a surprise at these courses sometimes. There is nothing worse than playing a hole and making the required throws to find there is no basket there to play to. This happened on hole 14. That basket is missing. I imagine its been stolen. Not that that would matter, considering you still have 20 other holes to play here. It is just so frustrating when that happens. It is good practice to make the throws, I guess.

Other Thoughts:

This course had several good challenges. I could not see me giving this course more than a 3, though. There are just so many others I have played that are just as good, or better. This is a good course, I am sure for the local people, and I did enjoy my round here overall. Nice park, interesting course.
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10 0
preton
Experience: 20.9 years 94 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course, All Around 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 5, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Temple really does have it pretty good: two really fun courses right in town, and Lion's Park is the superior of the two. This course offers tests to just about every part of your game, with just about as pretty a course as you could hope to play in Central TX.

The course is really two parts, Holes 1-11 and then 12-21. Holes 1 through 11 will stretch out your power game, but demands little technicality in your shots, with a couple of exceptions (#3 is an example, with water surrounding the basket on three sides). The course does make good use of the moderate elevation chanes, with 8 and 9 as notable examples. A chain out on either hole usually turns into a three-put, as these misses have a nasty habit of rolling 25-35 feet down the hill. 10 and 11 present two good scoring opportunities before the second half starts.

The more technically demanding second half of the course features trees on every single hole, and elevation changes on others that offer a challenge for even very skilled players. You will use nearly every shot on these holes, from power throws, hyzers, anhyzers, tomahawks and even rollers. #17 is the showpiece of the course, with a basket tucked high on a the side of a hill, protected by trees on all sides except for a small window in the very front. The hole is especially picturesque in the spring, when Bluebonnets frame the foreground of the wooded area where the basket sits. 18 is a short but wicket par 4 that almost requires a well-placed roller off the tee, and a 2nd shot (and maybe a 3rd) through very tight windows framed by trees. Even the last three holes are tricky. They appear short and accessible at first glance, but a drive that misses even by a few inches can turn even these shorter holes into trouble in a hurry. The designer did a great job with the last half of the course, where great shots are almost always rewarded, but good shots rarely so.

The facilities at the park are good, with concrete tee pads on all holes except one, and well-maintaned, two-layer chain baskets. The open section of the park offers more in the way of paths and facilities (i.e. bathrooms) than the latter half. The course is mowed regularly. Signs at the tee pads are accurate, and tees are generally easy to find, but, as always, it never hurts to ask a local where to go if you're confused. Other patrons are typically very friendly and more than happy to help out.

Cons:

The first eleven holes are a little dull for some, especially juxtaposed to the last ten. I talk to many who skip the first eleven for this reason, but I also talk to some who say they skip much of the last ten because they're too hard, so skill level may come into play. South Temple may be a better place to learn the game for most beginners.

The park has soccer and baseball fields, and people often go out to exercise or just relax in the sun. This is typical for a well-kept park, obviously, but some of the non-golfing patrons seem oblivious to players on the tee sometimes. Almost every time I play at Lion's, I end up waiting for a mother and child(ren) to look at some grass between me and the basket, though this is never a problem once you get away from the high traffic areas after 11.

Another problem the course suffers from is poor drainage on the lowest holes. Holes 2-7 may be unpleasant to play after a good rain. I've seen 6 require over 2 weeks to dry out.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, Lion's Park is a very fun round of disc golf, and the best experience between Waco and Austin. Bring your favority playing partners and get ready for a great round that will likely test your entire game.
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2 8
xcaosxgirlx
Experience: 12.3 years 70 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

my 1st birdie! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 12, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

accurate map. good combination of long and shorts. got my 1st birdie on hole #5

Cons:

watch out for walkers along path. very wet after several days of rain. lost a great disc on hole #6.

Other Thoughts:

i would definitely play this course again.... after dries up.
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10 0
pablo.diablo
Experience: 14.1 years 66 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Excellent 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 10, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

I played this course for the first time on Dec 10, 2011. We are playing this course again for our League round on Sunday, December 18th, 2011.

#12-21 are the best part about this course for my particular style which favors technicality over distance.

Nice baskets and teepads, and some water comes into play which I always appreciate. I think every course should have a water hole or 2 to be considered excellent or better.

Has a decent variety of shots: big bombs, placement drives, thumbers, over the water throws, downhill/uphill, a few technical throws. I mainly throw RHBH and don't think I used a sidearm once?

21 holes that are all very fun to play using contrasting styles.

This is a great course to play doubles from the longs.

Cons:

Perhaps unfairly, I had a friend tell me that this course was better than Circle C, which is generally considered to be the top course in Austin. It's easy to get spoiled by such courses.

I would say East Metro Park in Manor and Circle C in Austin are more worthy of a 4.5 rating as many people are giving Lion's in these reviews. Lion's had a couple of minor flow issues in comparison and holes that were long for the sake of distance. Which makes this a solid 3.5-4.0 instead.

Let me also say that I truly prefer technical woods courses since I don't throw 450'+. If you are like me, then you may want to play #12-21 twice and just skip the entire front part of the course thru Hole 11, although there are a few cool holes that are worth checking out there, too.

#9 could be improved by adding a teepad in the section of grass behind the normal tee, maybe 100' straight back or more just across the little road.

#12 could stand to have at least one good anny line towards the basket. Right now it's setup for a placement shot to the rear of the upper fairway, but would be more fun if there was a better chance to break through the line of trees and get closer to the basket for a birdie op. Maybe I don't know the secret line, yet.

The first eleven remind me a bit of Old Settlers Park, mostly wide open and mostly long holes with no need for pinpoint accuracy. You can throw almost any line and even on a yank or grip-lock you can still do about the same as if you executed your throw to perfection. I had a few really bad turnovers that left me ~100' to one side of everybody else and we still tied the holes. So if you throw ~350' on flat ground like me, then Pars are no problem here (not a con).

Other Thoughts:

I did not review this to rail on Lion's, it IS a solid course. I was a bit miffed by the 4.5 ratings and wanted to give a fair clarification of my reasons why it is just a notch below that. But hey, such ratings are really arbitrary based on each reviewers frame of reference, so it's better to read the actual review than judge by # stars.

We also played the South course off 5th, which was like a baby Old Settler's Park, but actually better than OSP. It's dead flat and mostly open with a few really fun holes. It's kinda like a burger with mayo and cheese only, one that would be better with some bacon and avocado, but the restaurant just doesn't have those ingredients available. Lion's is better than that one easily. However, they are both worth checking out if you are going thru Temple. The Sin Tex Club from Austin had a great time at both places!
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8 0
rootofthechord
Experience: 13.6 years 41 played 11 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Excellent course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 5, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- This course is quite spacious - 21 holes, and 4 long bombs 696' or greater
- The long holes come first, followed by the short technical holes, which means you're not trying to chunk it over a 900' hole with a tired arm at the end.
- Good variety of holes: long field shots (2, 7, 10, 11), birdie/ace race holes (3, 6, 9, 13, 15), and wooded holes with wicked mandos and unique lines (12, 18).
- Good use of elevation. Holes 2, 8, and 9 are greatly enhanced by fairly typical elevation changes.
- I actually appreciated the long holes. I can see how people would complain that they're "filler", but IMHO being able to consistently let off long straight drives is also a technical aspect to the game.

Cons:

- The only water that comes into play is on holes 3 and 5. There's a beautiful pond between 14 and 15 just begging to be included somehow.
- I didn't see any water or bathroom facilities after hole 5. If I got that wrong, please feel free to correct me.
- The fairway of hole 6 looks like it straddles a drainage ditch. It's awkward even when it's dry out.
- While I liked the "long holes first" idea, I felt like there were two courses: holes 1-11 and 12-21. Some integration of short and long (for example, adding an extra long hole somewhere in the back 10) would be welcome.

Other Thoughts:

This course came as a very pleasant surprise to me. Coming in as a low-to-mid Recreational player, I found this course quite challenging in all aspects of my game - open-field and close-quarter drives, and shorter approach-only holes. This course is not a good place for beginners to start, but once you've mastered the basic concepts of the game and can play with some consistency, this course is excellent. I would consider it a treat to have this course locally. Highly recommended as a day trip for anybody between Waco and Austin, or if you're passing by on I-35.
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1 2
daveseeley
Experience: 13.2 years 64 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Very Nice Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Lots of variety. Great facilities like water and restrooms, benches, and shade. Baskets are in excellent shape. Tee pads are perfect.

Cons:

Very popular softball and baseball complex and community pool in same park so lots of people around, not on course, but around. Also there seems to be a consistant problem with young (middle school or jr high) kids screwin around on the course. A kind word to encourage them to move on or let pass ends with attitudes.

Other Thoughts:

Beautiful course, fun and well planned.
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9 2
Dr.Seuss
Experience: 13.9 years 60 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Quality Disc Golf Experience 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 1, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I will start this review honestly, this is my home course, I may be biased towards this course, however I do believe that my 4.5 rating is correct. I will provide adequate proof to hold this course to a 4.5 rating, I will also give valid reasons that is not and will never be a 5 disc rated course unless changes are made.

My main reason in writing this review comes from the past few reviews of this course and I 100% believe that they have missed the mark in regards to their description of the course during their reviews.

1. This course has everything you are looking for in a quality course, from the tee pads to the bathrooms this course is fully equipped to handle a quick round to a full weekend tournament and everything in between. The park itself has 2 full functioning restroom facilities, each are located on the course, 1st at hole 1 & practice basket, 2nd at hole 6. This is a full functioning park with 2 full sized playgrounds for the kids, covered picnic areas, horseshoe pits, and ball fields. Bring the family for the outing and they won't be bored.

2. The TDGA has invested a lot of time and money into the upkeep towards this course, all 21 holes have identical 10x4 cement tee pads (very nice, you don't see this type of tee pad many other places), there are also pro/am tees on 9 of the holes. Each tee pro/am has quality signage. At hole 1 there is a very large map of the course, information on how to play DG and quick info about the TDGA and the sport of DG. There is also a practice basket. There are trash cans on 1/4th of the holes which are emptied by the park & rec department, they also mow the course regularly.

3. Variety of holes: this course includes every type of hole that you are going to see on any given course. Terrain change, open bombs, tight and technical, wooded shots, tunnel shots, water hazards, par 3's & 4's. One of the biggest complaints that I have read about this course is the distance this course requires you to have. I completely disagree with previous reviewers on hole 10 & 11. These are back to back 700 & 800 ft. holes, they test the big arms with accuracy and distance in order to score well. They have tight OB which forces good play to come out ahead. I understand how some players believe this to be a detriment to the course, but I believe that it adds a very challenging section you don't see other places.

4. My favorite holes are 4, a long tight drive with a high risk/reward choice, hole 11, 2 solid drives are need to 3 this hole, with OB on both sides this becomes much easier said than done, hole 17, a shorter hole with a tight window looking at the basket heading up a hill, and 21, a 300 ft shot that is very tight one mistake and par becomes much more challenging.

Cons:

1. The biggest issue to Lions Park and what I believe is something that is truly holding it back is the lack of alternate pin placements. Many would benefit greatly from adding alt pin placements, some easier, some harder. This would give a much needed variety to the course for the locals, as well as providing options for higher level tournament play.

2. The 2nd biggest issue that I have with Lions are holes 6 & 7, hands down these 2 holes take away from the technicality that the other 19 holes hold. They are the very definition of filler holes. This creates a very boring 2 hole stretch moving from the bottom half of the course to the top.

3. Summer time heat/sun, this course is fairly open on the 1-2,6-17 holes, during the summer this can really take its toll on afternoon rounds. Bring water, take advantage of the courses facilities when you can and stick to the shade.

Other Thoughts:

If you are looking for an easy course this is not it, this course will challenge you from the short boxes. It has a lot of distance which understandably can be seen as a con, however the distance that Lions Park presents is not without merit, the distance is challenging and rewards good drive placement.

You will be forced to bring out all of your shots to shoot well here, you can air it out, and then be forced to dial it down. The elevation changes are used to the fullest here and create challenging shots not seen at other courses.

The highlight of playing Lions Park is the little things that add up to make this such a great place to play DG, having nice facilities to traversing such a wide variety of terrain will bring you back to Lions Park over and over again.
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3 2
thshistory
Experience: 15.2 years 10 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

I hate to hate on my home course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 29, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Holes 12-21 are pretty great holes with a variety of shot selection needed through modestly wooded areas. Hole 4 is nice with towering pecan trees and hole 3 is a great ace hole with water surrounding.

Cons:

Quite honestly, I find the cons to this course out weigh the pros. Not that it's a terrible course, but many holes are completely unimaginative. Hole 1 is not bad, but then you get to the massive depression of the lower part of Lion's Park where, with the exception of holes 3 and 4, the designer basically placed baskets in the middle of a field trying to create a course that make some sense in terms of its layout. I realize holes 5, 6, and 7 are part of a redesign, but geeze, just scrap the holes 2-7 and 10-11 and start over. Actually holes 8 and 9 kind of suck too. And it's terribly unfortunate because holes 12-21 are pretty awesome. I just don't like throwing in massive fields disguised as disc golf courses.

Other Thoughts:

If you're in Temple and want to play a round of disc golf, go to the 5th Street course, referred to as Lion's Junction or Rotary Club course also. As far as lay out goes, it's not the most creative course in the world, but it's consistently good (with the exception of hole 1. Again, a basket in a field). The distances are nicely diverse and holes 7-11 are commonly referred to as "birdy row" with some very entertaining par threes. Unfortunately most tournaments that make their way through Temple are at Lion's Park due to holes 12-21.
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4 0
backward_axis
Experience: 13.3 years 14 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Lion's Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 15, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This place has an awesome mix of shots. From open driving-based holes(#2,7,10,11,14) to technical 90 degree turns through heavy woods(#12,13,18), to holes with hills that seem to be able to send your disc rolling very far away from your intended lie (#8,9,12,17), to shots that go over a water hazard which will gladly take your disc forever(#3,5); this course has everything. Through all 21 holes, the scenery keeps changing and changing. It is a very big course. If you go out with a few friends, prepare to spend about two hours there if you intend to play all 21 holes. The first half of the course is mostly open. So if that's your thing, it's there for you. The last half is mostly heavily wooded areas for all you technical people. Either way, the shot balance that is set up in this course makes it a well-rounded experience for any player. The upkeep here is very nice. Taking into account the size of the park, the fact that they're able to keep the grass at a decent level is amazing. There are bathrooms in reasonable locations, (one by the parking lot by Hole #1 and another by Hole #5). My personal favorite hole is #13: it's a cool little par 3 where the basket is uphill, to the left, across a creek, and surrounded by trees. Hole #12 is also a nice one. The basket for that one is set blindly up a steep hill, which itself is surrounded by relatively tall trees, and the basket is to the right. If you don't have a good shot that will fade right, (which I don't), this hole will make you wish you did. Also, the baskets for holes #12,13,15,18 are all blind baskets.

Cons:

Some fairways have mud that takes a long time to dry out. There is a walking track that runs the entire length of the fairway of Hole #6. That same walking track comes into play on a good number of other holes as well, but hole #6 is the worst in that regard. The navigation can be confusing in a couple of spots. Namely, going from the basket for #2 to the box for #3, (alot of people mistake the box for #7 for #3 because it is way closer to #2 than #3 is), and going from #9 to #10 (if you don't notice #10 and #11, which are in a field by themselves, you might accidentally continue to #12 since it is closer to #9 than #10 is). Also, there isn't anything overly special about Hole #7 and #10. #7 is just a straight ahead and open par 3. #10 and #11 are both straight ahead par 4s that are located right next to each other in the same open field, but at least Hole #11 plays across a creek, whereas #10 has nothing that is really distinguishing.

Other Thoughts:

Watch out for pedestrians! First time = Bring a map. Don't lose a disc in the pond by Holes #3,4,5. I've been in there twice and neither time was enjoyable. Unless, of course, you like standing in calf-deep mud and chest-deep murky water while constantly regretting your decision to enter the pond and retrieve the special disc that you just couldn't let go of. Overall, I am very glad that I have the chance to play this course as often as I do. It is definitely the nicest and most well-rounded course between Waco and Austin.
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4 0
rgp626
Experience: 13.8 years 19 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Redesign needs a redesign 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 31, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Course redesign affects only holes 5, 6 and 7. 5 now plays longer and drives directly across the water. Nice reworking of the space. The remainder of the course is intact. The remaining front nine are challenging with a great use of changing elevation. 10 and 11 are skipped by many players, but offer you an opportunity to really wing it. the rest of the back nine is an assortment of uphill shots that calls for a variety of shorts and some can baffle newbies. The last tree holes should definitely not be skipped. They are all short skill shots that can play as easy as pitch and putt or end with bogies.

Cons:

The redesign of 6 and 7 are weak. Seven is now longer but the tree hazzard has been taken out play. Now it is just a boring par 3. I save my most harsh criticism of the redesign for hole 6. It now plays down a narrow gap between a trench and a fence. This in itself is not the issue. What is an issue is there is a walking/jogging track the full length of the hole directly in the center of the fairway. The trench is a rancid mosquito pit in the spring .It would have been better to move the teebox to where the basket is located and take basket back nearer to the old 6 location. This jogging trail/fairway is going to be a mess during high activity times.

Other Thoughts:

Long walk from 2 basket to 3 tee box.
Water and Restrooms at 1 and 5 are welcome niceties. The RR's are usually really clean.so don't be afraid to take your girlfriend or wife.
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2 1
michelsea
Experience: 20.8 years 25 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Killeen area discers. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 18, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great course lots of variety on distance wooded clear and water. Best course my wife and I have thrown in Texas.

Cons:

A little heavy on the itch weed and it seems like stray discs are in no shortage we have both found and lost discs on this course.

Other Thoughts:

The back 9 and 19-21 are favorites short but wooded really test your ability to manipulate the path of your disc. A few holes should be par 5 but over all its a solid course though its no Todd park.
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