Alton, IL

Rock Spring Park

Permanent course
3.55(based on 35 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Rock Spring Park reviews

Filter
19 0
Tyler V
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.8 years 147 played 98 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A Once Great Course That Needs Some TLC

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 6, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

MAY 2022 UPDATE - Rock Spring will be getting a full renovation by Dave McCormack at Gateway Disc Sports. The course will soon be sporting an updated layout, with the majority of the holes being redesigned by the looks of course maps posted on local online groups. It will be interesting to see how the new course's level of difficulty compares to the original design, and what the reception to the new design is upon completion. This was the premier course in the Alton/Metro East area when it was installed, and while the old design has plenty of nostalgia and challenge, a redesign could be what this course needs to return it to it's former stature, and make it a 1-2 combo with La Vista worth traveling further to play. I'll be sure to check this new design out when it's completed.

Rock Spring is a challenging 18-hole course set in a city park full of trees, elevation, and punishing rough. This course is the elder statesman of an Alton region that now has 6 courses, including 3 18-holes to choose from.

Rock Spring is located fairly centrally in Alton. It's pretty easy to navigate to from any direction, being located off College Ave. Folks looking to play this course should have little issue coming from either direction on routes 3 or 100, or if you are crossing the bridge from Missouri. There's plenty of gas stations and restaurants a short drive from the park in case you need snacks or anything before or after your round. Rock Spring's proximity to other courses also make it easy to hit Rock Spring and other courses in the same day if you have the stamina for it. The course start can be tricky to find: There's a triangle interchange in the middle of the park, and the course starts by the small parking lot right at the top of that junction. You'll see a practice basket, a shelter, and an old white trailer that looks as though it'll be there for the foreseeable future. There's a bulletin board at the end of the lot, and hole 1 is on the left side of the driveway.

Course equipment includes DISCatcher baskets, concrete tee pads, and signage for most of the holes. The tee signs include distances and a general layout of the hole. Some parts of the course also have directional signs that come in handy. The signage has a similar vibe to Woodland Chains in Collinsville if you are familiar with that course. Each hole has 1 concrete tee, all of which are in good condition. There are alternate pin locations, though many are were either gone or hard to find. For those that you can find, the other tee pads are rubber.

The course design here is quite challenging. Elevation is a huge factor on this course, and when you combine that with tight fairways and blind shots, it makes for a mentally and physically challenging round. Most of the holes from the concrete pads are between 250 and 350 feet, with a few 500-foot holes spread out among the final 10 holes, so technical shots are the name of the game here. The course plays like a classic feeling park course, so the fairways will some trees to throw around with occasional rough depending on the hole. No two holes really feel the same here given the terrain. Hole 1 is a downhill hyzer, and that's followed by a longer uphill shot, with hole 3 being more of a forehand approach shot (all for RHBH players). This variety continues throughout the course. Even similar looking holes like 16 and 17 require different strategies to set yourself up for the birdie. If you need a break, the course plays close enough to the parking lot to provide a double loop layout after hole 9.

Course difficulty at Rock Spring caters to intermediate to advanced players. Those who like high risk/high reward situations and can keep their throws consistently accurate will have a good round here.

Cons:

The course equipment is showing its age. There are a few pins that have bent baskets, showing they are past their prime. The rubber tee pads don't have signs by them, and most are either near impossible to find or grown over. The signs on holes 3, 6, and 15 are missing, which can leave you guessing on how to attack 6 and 15. The rest of the signs vary in terms of their helpfulness. The graphics on the signs are fairly basic, which works for many of the holes. That being said, some of the holes on this course could use more clarity so you have a better idea of what's going on. I found hole 8's sign to provide enough information on the hole layout, and the pin was much farther up the hill than anticipated. Hole 5 is also a placement that requires essentially a full U-turn at the top of the hill, which isn't clear from the tee sign. Walking up a fairway isn't the most annoying thing in the world to me if I'm on a new course, but this course is already a significant hike, and also a course where you don't want to be spending time in the rough.

Speaking of rough, Rock Spring sports some of the most unforgiving rough I have seen on a disc golf course. A lot of the areas off the fairways have a complete who's who of things you don't want to walk through, from poison ivy to thorns. I had a disc kick into the rough in the valley of 15, and my reward was a couple dozen feet of thorny plant after thorny plant. There's clear grass cutting that happens in this park, but the rough is absolutely ridiculous. Based on what I saw on my last round, I have no reason to believe the poison ivy issues brought up in other reviews aren't still present. If you're as allergic as I am, that means this course will not be on your to-play list for much of the year.

The navigation at this course leaves more to be desired at times. With hole 6's sign missing, it's hard to tell where the basket is without walking the whole fairway, and more importantly, it's not 100% clear where hole 7 is from the pin. Heed my warning that it's not down the hill. Hole 3 can also be hard to spot even with the sign saying it's across the street; go down the hill once you cross the street in front of you and you'll see it.

The course design also comes off as dangerous at times. This doesn't seem like a park that gets significant car or foot traffic, but some placements still play really close to roads. Holes 1, 3, 4, 9, 10, and 18 all come to mind. Some of these holes, especially hole 4, are also blind shots, which add to these concerns. Hole 2 also plays over a road, but you can at least see where you are throwing.

Park amenities are limited at Rock Spring. There's a couple of pavilions and a playground, a ballfield, and what looks like a bathroom at the base of the hill by hole 6's pin, which you won't walk past on the course.

This course is physically demanding; if you have trouble handling hikes or terrain, this will not be a fun course for you. There's a lot of hills to walk up, including some like on the walk to hole 8 where a staircase would really be appreciated if you're going to have the tee in that spot. That hill looks like it's a real challenge after rain.

Other Thoughts:

To me, this course had a vibe similar to that scene in Cars where the new highway got built and then the town became a bit of an afterthought. That's not meant to be a dig at the local club; it's clear from playing La Vista down the road that they put a lot of great work in the courses in the area. I think part of the issue is that the rest of the park feels like an afterthought as well, which is on the park department. The park gets used for a Christmas light event in the late fall/winter, but other than that, the park has a neglected feel to it. Some other reviewers said the park and area feels sketchy; I'd say it just feels neglected. I never felt unsafe at this park, but I was one of 2 people on course or in the park when I was playing my last round here, compared to a full parking lot at La Vista.

I don't think the reviews on here or the ratings are necessarily bloated. If anything, they may be outdated. Most of the reviews are from when this course was new, and having played this course back then as well, it was worthy of those scores. That being said, time is taking a toll on this course, and it's a shell of its former self. It could use a lot of TLC. The lack of other amenities means disc golf is the main attraction of Rock Spring, and it can be an elite course that could put it and La Vista up there when it comes to 1-2 punches anywhere. It just needs updates. Baskets that aren't bent. Signs that provide more information. Clearer navigation. If this course got some more love, it could really be something special. With the quality and passion that the local club has shown in the construction of La Vista, maybe brighter days are on the horizon for this course. Time will tell.

Check out Bluff City Disc Golf on Facebook for more information on Alton and Godfrey area disc golf. Van Man Disc Golf is also a bit of a hike in Swansea down south, but worth the drive given their great customer service.

Come check out Rock Spring if you're in the area and want a challenge and work out. Just watch out for the thorns if you go off the fairway.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
8 0
Sharkbite
Premium Member
Experience: 24.8 years 175 played 12 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 30, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course would have never happened if not for Mike Bemis. Mike passed away before ever getting to play it, RIP Brother

This is my home course and is only about 5 min from me. That being said I have seen the course evolve over the years and it has gotten much better. They recently added a long pin placements that easily adds a stoke to several holes. I'm guessing the placements wont get changed that often (more on that in cons) but I do like them. Not really for a rec or new player but a lot of fun and very challenging for a regular golfer.

Prepare for a good hike as the course plays up/down hills through the park and there are only a few shots with little to no elevation changes. During the summer getting off the fairway can be painful due to the thick thorn bushes on several holes.

Concrete tees for shorts and rubber pads for longs. All the shorts have signs and are easy to find. The same thing cant really be said for the longs with rubber pads.

There is a nice pavilion with practice basket by hole one tee and nines basket but parking is somewhat limited. You can play the front and stop at your car for a refill before you play the back which is always nice.

Not going to get into every hole description seeing that there are two placements that are totally different from one another. But I feel its pretty easy to navigate and the trails are pretty bet in now for finding your way around with the exception of seven to eight. You finish seven and walk down the hill, across the path and then up a step hill on the other side of the path.

Cons:

No one really takes ownership of the course so not a lot of if any maintenance gets done. The park cuts the grass but that's about it. There are a couple places that could use a little bridge and the hill to eight could really use some sort of steps. Its really hard to get up when wet or muddy.

When the water gets high or it rains the creeks are flowing so its hard to get across. A few bridges would be really nice. The course could easily be a solid 4-4.5 with a few improvements and regular maintenance and I think there are enough people in the area that would help but for what ever reason it just never gets done. Could be the park is not willing to give the ok, not really sure

Other Thoughts:

Great course that is really challenging to all players. Can be a work out but worth it. Just wish we could get the little things squared away here.

During the holidays they put up xmas display and you have to park outside the park to play but its playable. Would be cool to do a glow round with lights on.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
8 6
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.8 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Rock Spring Park Course Never Lets Up!

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 23, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

If you were given a piece of land like Rock Spring Park with it's rugged hilly terrain and told you could design a disc golf course that maybe only the top 25% of the disc golfing population would enjoy playing, then I believe the course designers have achieved that goal here. That is why reviewers mention not seeing players on the course here. The course is long, extremely technical in places, never bending, always grueling and mentally exhausting. I can see why the advanced players and above would welcome this challenge. Also some younger gung-ho type players. What you won't see here are your average recreational players, your families, beginners, seniors, beginners. They will all gravitate to all the player friendly recreational courses in the area.

The designers here to seek special pleasure in hiding the baskets, finding hills to throw uphill and over, putting baskets in extra precarious positions. When I finally reached # 6 and found what I consider to be a "normal hole", that is a little 248 throw where I could actually see the basket off the tee, I was amazed to find that the basket was perched just 10 feet from a very steep 35 foot drop off on the left side.

Then later I arrived at # 15. A 375 hole with a 20'x 30' to throw through with nasty rough on both sides. Who was this hole designed got? Certainly not a player of my minimal talents!

Cons:

A previous reviewer describes the neighborhood as kinda sketchy and downtrodden. That's exactly how I felt about the park too. It was just kind of trashy. Areas where a big section of fence was down. Just doesn't look like it gets a lot of attention and care. Like a CSI crime scene.

To me, the course has a small target audience. Appeals to the young, the hung-no and the advanced players. The rest of us aren't coming back. I think it proves the point when no-ones playing there.

Other Thoughts:

The course has a lofty rating. Good for it and your guys who are enjoying playing here. I doubt very seriously if you have much trouble with beginners or families or one disc wonder players ever bogging down this course. If I lived close, I'd take my sorry old bones and go chase ACES at the Eagle Scout course at Gordon Moore Park or I'd go play at the perfectly challenging 18 at Kutter Park in Cottage Hills.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 0
Vonbeezy1
Experience: 8 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

An "IVY league" course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 22, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Nice mix of wooded holes that were easier to get a deuce or bogey
- Very few cars or people to have to wait on to throw
- Nice elevation changes
- "Long tees" make for a more challenging course than it already plays
- Just an overall great course with perfect amount of technical shots and distance
- Tee signs for distance

Cons:

- Too many blind shots
- Tee signs for distance did not post which pin position baskets were and tee pictures were backwards when viewing them head on
- POISON IVY worse than any course I have ever played. It was as if someone was planting poison ivy all over the course. Also, the poison ivy was growing underneath several baskets which is not normal
Was this review helpful? Yes No
10 0
Wise Fool
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.1 years 125 played 116 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Tricky Tricky Pin Positions 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 12, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Good concrete tee-pads for the main tee-pads
-Good mix of distance on the holes. There were some holes right around or slightly below 300, all the way up to a few holes that were over 600 feet long.
-The pin positions near the baskets were awesome on this course. A lot of them were on side-hills, uphills, or downhills, or with some thicker brush near the basket. This course really puts a premium on placement near the basket and making sure you hit your putt, because you don't you could have long come back or be stuck in some brush. This course definitely has quite a bit of risk/reward to putting.
-Great use of elevation on this course. Many of the holes incorporate either uphills, downhills of side-hills, sometimes near the baskets and other times the whole course incorporates it. Hole 16 was fun downhill, open at first then through a wooded corridor, then the hole opens up after that leading to a throw up-hill. Hole 18 was also a fun elevation hole that was quite a bit up-hill. Over this course makes good use of the elevation that this park has.
-There is a good variety of holes types too. There are tighter wooded holes that force specific shots, some more wide open holes that allow you to be a little more creative, and then some holes in between those. I also felt like there was a good mix of straight shots, and doglegs left and right.
-The course uses the foliage well to punish for bad shots. A lot of the holes have some thick foliage on them, and it will definitely punish you for throwing into the foliage.
-With the exception of one or two baskets, most of the baskets were in good shape and caught well.
-There was a lot of creativity to these holes and the holes on this course very rarely feel similar to each other.

Cons:

-There are multiple tee-pads on this course, but the longer ones are really hard to find because they are a brownish rubber that blends really well into the ground and the long tee-pads don't have tee-signs at them.
-A couple of the holes, especially holes 4 and 9 play a little too close to the park road and could cause some safety issues and conflicts with other park users. Hole 4 was the worse case. It is a blind side-hill shot and if you overthrow the basket, you could easily go into the road.
-Only one pin-position per hole, which is a shame because I feel many of these holes could have some really fun alternate pin positions.
-The tee-signs were somewhat confusing. They didn't always seem to give an accurate representation of the fairway, and I found myself walking the fairways several times to figure out how the hole actually played.
-First tee-pad is a little hard to find from the park road. They need signs inside the park pointing to the course from the park road.
-The rough is thick enough that you could easily lose a disc. It was getting quite thick in May so I can imagine this course might get a little overgrown in the summer, but it wasn't terrible in May.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this was a really fun and memorable course with fun pin positions and some really fun and well-designed holes. While it is a little ways outside of St. Louis, it was well worth the drive and probably my second favorite course I played while visiting the St. Louis area.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
10 0
BogeyNoMore
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 479 played 183 reviews
4.00 star(s)

This place Rocks in the Spring 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 20, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Start with wonderful landscape and terrain that inherently allows for great variety; plenty of elevation of all sorts, but still some sections that are flat. Lots of woods, but still a few places open enough to unleash a nice drive.

Add a solid design that combines these elements in various ways and you get a course where no two holes feel the same and all of them give you something to think about. Quite complete and well balanced.

• Discplay:
+ Elevation used in every way, plays uphill/downhill/flat/gulley/rollaway.
+ Holes that allow for a variety of lines.
+ Holes that force a specific line.
+ Holes range from lightly to very well wooded.
+ Nice range of hole lengths.
+ Pin placements w/pucker factor.
+ Well-guarded or tucked pins.
+ Places a premium on shot shaping.
+ Challenge: yep
+ Risk/Reward: mm-hmm
+ Various combinations of all the above...

• Equipment: Nothing special, but it's all in decent condition. Dual tees (short=concrete, long=natural or flypad). Signs show hole#, distance, shape, pin location and aid helpful navigation - didn't see any graffiti. Baskets were old, but not an issue.

• Aesthetics: hills, woods, touches of green space, nice sight lines... what's not to like? (see cons)

Cons:

• Neighborhood seemed kinda sketchy and downtrodden - wouldn't wanna live here.
• Hard to tell where long tees are, signs only present at concrete (short) tees.
• Routing/Nav: More a heads-up than a con: I really can't say it's bad. Everything was pretty easy with the map, but the way it takes you over roads, walk trails and wraps around all over the place, I'd have been screwed without it.
• While the course itself fairly scenic, there were some places where I saw a decent amount of litter buried in the brush off the fairway, particularly the nasty "not quite a creek" at the bottom of #15, where I saw an old tire and some other debris... a bit of a buzzkill.
• Risk of disc loss: I visited before things had a chance to grow thick, but I can easily see leaving some fairways resulting humping through thick vegetation and lost discs.
• A few holes play too close to the park road for my taste - possible non DG interaction with walking trails and roads. Not all that bad on the whole as most holes are routed nicely away from them, but definitely a concern in a few spots.

Other Thoughts:

Designers had a nice head start with this property, and they did good job creating some interesting fairways and a course with splendid variety... really enjoyed playing here. Yes, I listed a lot of cons, but I found many of them easy to overlook. Pretty sure I was able to get away with more because of the time of year - no doubt bad tee shots will hurt more in a few months, but you gotta know when to step on the gas and when back off if you don't wanna end up in the wall.

Layout traverses all over the place and playing here is a hike, so be prepared for some heavy duty walking - lots of hills, and a few decent hikes between holes.

Not what I'd call beginner friendly. Roll-a-ways and thick brush likely to be very frustrating for newcomers.

Came here after Sioux Passage - the two complement each other very well: Sioux's about airing it out, Rock Springs is about staying in the fairway and playing within yourself. Both are a ton of fun.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 1
discdanny
Experience: 10.8 years 37 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 2, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Rock Spring is an awesome, relatively secluded park to play at. This place offers a wide variety of shots with a fantastic use of land and elevation changes. You must be sure to capitalize on the early birdie opportunities on the front 9, as these opportunities are not as fruitful on the back. As typical with southern Illinois courses, this park is also loaded full of huge old trees. This course is extremely fun and can be shot on if you have all of your ducks in a row.

Additional Pros:
-Concrete tee pads
-multiple pads
-multiple basket locations
-trash cans
-restroom
-pavilion
-practice basket
-local events board
-Near Fast Eddies Bonair

Cons:

-Some odd walks
-muddy trails

Other Thoughts:

Very neat course.. A job well done.. I wish i could make it out to play more often
Was this review helpful? Yes No
10 0
Golden Tuna
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.1 years 185 played 31 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 1, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Front & Back 9 loop to parking lot - Great use of elevation changes - Challenging - Fairly well-maintained - Multiple Tee Pads (shorts are concrete) - Never crowded - Great variety of shots - Fairly easy to navigate - Plenty of Shade.

Rock Spring Park is home to another great disc golf course in the Metro East area of St. Louis/Illinois. Just over the bridge into Alton, IL, the park is virtually hidden behind a hospital. It offers a great challenge for all skill levels while offering a good hike as well. There are elevation changes on virtually every hole which increases the challenge and fitness level. There are numerous fast greens on the course, including the 6 & 7 which could land your OB and the "make or break" hole 18, which is also lined with OB along the right hand side.
The aforementioned streets run through the park creating a lot of OB and forcing you to really dial in on your shots. They can be easily avoided by staying in the fairway, but this is a risk/reward setup that really rewards you for going for it. That is, if you make your shot. This can be an easy round if you are on your game, or a horrible round if you're off.
The park is well maintained and the grass is almost always cut, but the underbrush is a little neglected. That said, it shouldn't be a problem if you stay in the fairways.
Despite this being a great course, there is almost never anyone there, so you can always play at your own pace. The tee signs aren't the best, but good enough to get you pointed in the right direction. It would help first timers to have "next hole" arrows, but if you let common sense be your guide, you'll end up in the right place.

Cons:

Only 1 pin placement - 2nd set of tee pads are rubber - tee signs are not great - Only restroom is a portable - No running water - Very few trashcans

None of the cons are really that big of a deal. The (shorter) concrete tee pads offer plenty of challenge, so I don't think the longer tee pads get much play. However, they really do take the course to the next level of challenging, so that is a pro as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately, the park does not have restrooms or running water, so bring a couple water bottles with you. Also, there aren't many trashcans, so there is some refuse blowing around, but (again) not really a big deal. Tee signs could be upgraded, but in my opinion, would really help much as you can see most baskets from the pad anyway.

Other Thoughts:

There aren't really many things that could be improved at this course. It is challenging and fun to play and offers a great hike with all the elevation changes. One thing to keep in mind is that this park serves as a Christmas Light attraction during the Christmas months. So, if you go out there around this time, you'll see tons of large wooden cutouts and even more Christmas lights. Please be respectful and try to avoid these items as some of them do interfere with the course. But, again, if you're playing well, you shouldn't have to contend with them at all.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 2
firebotter
Experience: 17.6 years 15 played 3 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Challenging 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Couse offers a variety of challenges for all levels of player. It has a lot of risk/reward shots. Great for fitness seekers as the course plays on some hilly surfaces.

Cons:

Course maintenance is absolutely horrible! The city mows the park maybe twice a season. Easily lose a disc in an open fairway (I lost abrand new Star Destroyer on #9). Pro Tees are hard to spot when grass is freshly mowed and almost impossible to locate when grass is not mowed.

Other Thoughts:

For newcomers, find a local player to tag along with for your first time out. Beginers, beware of lost disc factor. Pros, bring your hiking shoes.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 0
jjacobs445
Experience: 12.6 years 76 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

First Impressions 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

- fun and challenging
- interesting line options
- great use of elevation (for Missouri at least)
- directional signs make moving through course easy
- concrete tees (red)

Cons:

- tee signs could be a bit more clear
- hidden baskets make first playthrough somewhat difficult
- pro tees can be difficult to find
- rubber tees (blue)
- course plays along park roads in several places

Other Thoughts:

i liked that this course had lots of high risk/reward shots with baskets placed close to steep drop offs (especially hole #7!). although the hills can be annoying to scramble up if your disc goes flying, it really emphasizes accuracy on your shots.

the long holes had trees that seemed to prohibit distance drives. more of a minor annoyance than a real con though. also it had rained very recently before my playthrough, and thus a lot of the pathways were muddy. maybe a fundraiser could afford some pathway improvements?
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 0
donny vomit
Experience: 12.1 years 18 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 16, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very fun challenging course. The hills are fun . Pin placements are fantastic. Nice long holes . Love the old cobbled road going right thru the park . Also water on 10 ,11

Cons:

Not much for me, no # indicating par for the holes.
That's petty I know but I like to know not guess.

Other Thoughts:

I only played 13 holes as it was late in the day , but what a blast I had. Better put your big boy pants on to play here. Its a fun tough course that requires u to be accurate . The hills adds to the challenge .it will wear u down as u go on . Plan on coming back to play again and eat at fast eddies.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 1
Aysizhi
Experience: 16 years 16 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 11, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great use of elevation changes and challenging pin placements. This course will make you use all of your tools.

Cons:

Poison Ivy and a few blind drives that could lose you some discs.

Other Thoughts:

I'm very happy that there is a great course in my hometown. Every time I'm back to visit family, I get a round or two in with my Uncle and cousins.
Alton born... represent!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 2
tuber33
Experience: 17.4 years 34 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good Course!! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Very challenging course with alot of blind shots, and alot of hills!!!

Cons:

Hills are kind of a pain in the butt to walk up and down. woods are unforgiving.

Other Thoughts:

i really overall was very pleased with this course, and there were some guys that lived out there and it was there home course they showed us around and were very cool people. i play alot of disc golf and just now made it there, and will go back
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 3
TreeHate
Experience: 24.8 years 16 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Uphill 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 27, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a very easy course to find, the holes are all laid out well, and there are signs at every tee. A few of the pro tee pad's were missing so you had to shot from the grass, but otherwise layed out really well.
Course was completely empty and we were the only ones there.

Cons:

Most of the holes are shooting up hill, and there are several roads running through the course.
Parking is minimal.

Other Thoughts:

Would only play it again if I lived closer to it, definitely not worth the 45 minute drive.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 8
matt mayhem
Experience: 12.9 years 5 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Not a summer course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 22, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The actual layout of the course is okay.

Cons:

Grass is tall and uncut, trees are not trimmed.
There are weeds and poison ivy everywhere.
Unless you are an expert, expect to lose any errant dark colored discs thrown in the woods.
This is a bad neighborhood.

Other Thoughts:

This course may be better suited for other seasons of the year.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
8 1
stubborn puppet
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 48 played 27 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Rock Springs Park Review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 9, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I'll keep some of my thoughts out, as much of it has been said already in the other reviews for this park. I really dug the isolated, quiet backwoods vibe that you get immediately upon reaching the first tee. While my group was there, we didn't see one other person anywhere in the park (except some guy driving slowly by in a car) the entire time and it was very peaceful.

This course was obviously very carefully designed to take full advantage of the dramatic topography of the area and each tee was very well placed to allow for maximum use of the available space without any basket/fairway overlap. I never once felt like I was wasting time between a basket and the next tee. The signage at each tee was well above average for the area and gave me a really good idea where each basket was; which was very helpful since most of the baskets hide out-of-view from the tees. That made me think carefully about each shot and weigh the risk vs. reward of a poorly considered or poorly managed throw - very nice touch.

The concrete tees were very level, of a decent size and the baskets were all in pristine condition. There wasn't the usual mud and mulch ring around the tees or baskets (as is the usual for St. Louis) and only a couple of places I had to walk to get to the next tee or basket were really muddy or washed out(not bad for a woodsy park just 2 days after rain).

If this were closer to home, I'd play it more frequently. My hats off to the designers!

Cons:

Unfortunately, for every great thing about the Rock Springs course, there was something bad to drag my personal opinion of the course down.
The first thing I noticed was that, unless I was just terrible at reading the satellite map and the directions, there wasn't really any parking near the course. There was a small parking lot a couple of miles from the 1st tee, but we ended up parking in a gravel circle next to a shelter... where we couldn't find anything in the way of a restroom (oh well, we're all used to peeing in the woods I guess... but the ladies won't like that).

Each of the tee signs lists an alternate blue tee, but I only found about 5 of them remain and they are worn rubber mats laid in the grass. The ones that were there were uneven, unlevel and not really useable.

Although Creve Coeur Lake has often been worse, the grass here was really tall on the fairways in some places and showed signs that it doesn't get cut very frequently. That made it hard to find discs and meant itchy, scraped ankles and soaked socks and shoes. Also, there is a very serious Poison Ivy problem on every single hole. Usually, P.I. is a only a problem when you have to go off into the brush to look for an errant shot - but at Rock Springs, it is all over the fairways, growing along with the grass and almost every basket had a big ring of it growing right against the post. So, I constantly had to stick my hand right into the P.I. to pick up a disc.

I thought the underbrush surrounding the fairways on some other area courses was bad... but this takes the prize. Just stepping 1ft. off the fairway usually meant you were up to your shoulders in the nastiest thicket of P.I., thistle, grabber vines, thorny weeds and every other kind of ugliness imaginable. I usually can tolerate to spend a lot of time looking for badly thrown shots, but on this course, you can usually kiss that disc goodbye. My arms are torn to hell and I've got a rash all over both from the 3 minutes I tried to find the first disc I lost on hole 12. If you find it, you can keep it because you earned it. My other friends permanently lost discs too.

Another big issue this park had was garbage. I saw only 1 single trash can on the whole course (hole 10) and it was overflowing so badly that there was 3x more trash piled up on the ground around it that it could ever hold. There was literally trash thrown around on every tee and by every basket. I don't get how it's so hard to carry out the empty, lighter weight containers for what people carry in and why the parks dept. can't take a few minutes to empty the only can on the course.

Finally, I'll add that this course is NOT meant for the physically challenged. Many of the tees require one to actually hike up a muddy 45° hill, slide down a steep roadside bank or jump a small creek just to get where you needed to be. My group and I were fine, but we're all young and in good physical shape. Just saying for those who need to know that kind of stuff.

Other Thoughts:

The course is well worth playing and made for a very thoughtful and satisfying game, but coming prepared will make a difference. Bring a course map for sure (the one found in the DGCR files is great) as you'll need it the first time. I strongly suggest you wear waterproof boots or shoes, long pants and plenty of insect repellant. With some cleanup, mowing and efforts to reduce the Poison Ivy, this course could easily get a much higher rating from me. (Nothing personal, this review is just my opinion... as all reviews are just that.)
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 1
rstevens77
Experience: 4 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Well worth playing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 12, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very scenic, remote felling, challenging course. This course really makes you think, especially because you can't see the baskets from the tee pad on most of the holes. Tough shots, at times, and some fun open shots at others.

Cons:

Because of some of the narrow alleys you're throwing through, there is opportunity to loose discs fairly easily (I lost a Champion Monarch today). ;( A few of the tee pads are a little hidden so you have to search a little, but not too bad at all.

Other Thoughts:

This is a must play course. I'm from the NW and out here for work. I'm hoping to play this again before I head back home.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 0
giddyup
Experience: 13.8 years 9 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

MOSQUITOES! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Beautiful course. It's smack in the middle of an Alton park but feels pretty remote and rugged. Lot's of trees and elevation especially on the front 9. Most of the time, you can't even see the basket from the tee. Good mix of short and long holes. There are a few interesting holes where the basket is teetering on the edge of a hill and one stoke would be the difference between a 3 and a 9. Pads are concrete and there is good signage with A and B locations clearly marked.

Cons:

The mosquitoes were horrible. I got at least 15 bites. And the grounds we're poorly kept. The grass was almost waist high on a few holes. Didn't see a lot of poison ivy, though.

Other Thoughts:

Fast Eddies is only a few blocks away. This classic American dive is one of the best eating establishments you'll ever eat at! Make sure you play disc golf AND eat here when you go to Alton
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 0
Martin Dewgarita
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.4 years 1587 played 93 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Romantic Three-Dimensional Specifications 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 9, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

An enjoyable round of DG in a large wooded city park with lots of elevation in play.

Amenities. Large relatively undeveloped city park with trails, minimal parking, shelters, and bathrooms.

Variety. Great variety of shots with many technical lines of different shapes, elevation comes into play on many holes with several VERY fast greens and some hilltop bombs.

Length. The holes vary from a few ace runs, to short technical lines, to more open 500+ foot holes. It felt like a great balance of length and technical challenge.

Local Scene. Sunday leagues were posted as well as local tournaments, would be a great course to participate in local happenings. The locals I ran into were all friendly and helpful.

Well Maintained. Some fairways were a touch muddy, one of the baskets was bent up, and there was a bit of trash scattered about. Minor cons for what was overall a clean well manicured course.

Tees. 1 set of concrete that were level and in good shape. The dual pads were rubber and were not in as good of shape though usable.

Navigation. Easy to follow, in areas where it might get confusing there were signs to point the way.

Map/Scorecard. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here in that the empty box will typically be filled, it would probably be nice to have a map though not entirely necessary, if it is never kept full, we'll call it a minor con.

Links. 2 9 hole loops if you only have time for 9.

Access. Near St. Louis, not far off of a main highway, easy to get to for travelers and locals alike.

Scenic. Nice wooded course.

Cons:

*some minor cons mentioned in the pro section above.

Other users. Walking trails and roads come into play in a few areas, not a huge deal - I only had to wait for a few moments on occasion. Could possibly be a problem on blind holes, check to see where you're throwing.

Not necessarily beginner friendly. This would be a fine place to learn and practice the game - so don't let me scare you away. Some long technical holes and extremely fast greens could get frustrating for even some more advanced level players though, just go in expecting that.

Long tees. The rubber pads were often uneven and covered in debris, usable but not the best.

Other Thoughts:

Well worth the stop if in the area, I'd make this one a priority.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
8 0
AirMcNair
Experience: 16 years 82 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Morning Round 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

This was a very nice course. A buddy and I made a trip to play a few courses up near St. Louis and we decided to hit this one and I am glad we did.

Starting out you can see this course is going to have some elevation and the distances are going to play with your mind. I like that you know a hole is 280' away but you need to throw a teebird to get there. They had great signs at every teepad that showed a route and distance. Since it was our first time I still walked up to see the basket due to the elevation you could not see many of the baskets which was cool. You have your wide variety of short holes and long holes then a couple bomb holes which I loved. A few high lights for me was hole 4, 6 and 7 I really liked where the pin was located. It was on the edge of no return (hill). You had to make the decision to go for it or lay up.

Hole 4 was a huge up hill then back down hill to the basket being about 25'-30' away from OB.

Hole 6 and 7 were short straight forward holes but the pin placement is what gave it its touch.

Hole 9, 12, 14, 18 were nice bomb holes through mature trees that you had to hit your line or you would be getting knocked down by a limb or two.

Hole 9 and 14 were throwing downhill a good distance and hole 12 and 18 the tee was lower and throwing up hill which was a nice change.

My favorite hole was hole 15. It was a pretty short hole but was laid out nice. The tee was elevated and you had to throw a perfect straight low shot to get through the tunnel then get a skip up to the basket. I nailed it while my buddy hit the tunnel.

I really enjoyed this course and if I am ever back in the area would stop by and play it again.

Cons:

A few things that I always look for is if the courses have trash cans and places for people to sit. This had no places to sit (my knees are old for how old I am) and maybe two trash cans (that were over flowing) on the whole course.

Other Thoughts:

I did notice that they were trying to add longer teepads but they seemed a little sketch so we decided to play from the concrete pads.

I think is course is a great place and think if they got the longer pads installed and a few other these other things in it will be a super course.
Was this review helpful? Yes No

Latest posts

Top