Arvada, CO

Bird's Nest Disc Park

3.135(based on 83 reviews)
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14 0
DFrah
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 5.8 years 227 played 224 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A bird's nest in the shadow of the Rockies

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 3, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Bird's Nest Disc Park is a DG-only venue located on the western outskirts of Denver, in the shadow of the Rocky Mountain foothills. Unless you visit on a day with very poor visibility, the mountain peaks will be a prominent feature on the western skyline throughout your round.

The course is mostly wide open, at least compared to the wooded upper Midwest courses I am used to playing. However, the designers here did a good job of using the scattered trees available on the property to help force particular lines on drives and approaches. I also visited in early March when there were no leaves on the trees - summer foliage would likely tighten things up a bit more. There is nothing that I would call tightly wooded by my standards, but one of the later baskets is in a bit of a thicket and it seemed like an over-the-top line might be the best approach there.

There are also plenty of elevation and distance challenges to contend with. The distances average about 350', and range from about 220' to 540'. That longest 540' hole is par 4, and there are seven par 3s over 400'. Several of these are almost entirely open, testing your long-distance drives and approaches. The elevation changes here are not extreme, but enough to affect play on several holes. The most memorable hole for me was the opening one, which is a gentle dogleg left playing downhill the whole way and tightening up as you approach the basket. Off to the left is a low-lying area that could be a water hazard if there had been enough rain or snow melt to fill it recently.

The infrastructure is quite good. The concrete tee pads were some of the longest that I had ever seen. Perfect for those who like a big run up. The tee signs are high quality and had all of the expected info, including location of surrounding fairways and baskets. I think the baskets were Mach V models. They were in good shape, although kind of hard to spot on some holes - flags or colored bands would be a nice touch for visibility. The front of the course has a kiosk with course map, practice basket, porta potty, and covered seating area. Benches are also installed at periodic intervals around the course.

The tee signs showed multiple pin positions on most, if not all, holes. Only one basket is installed per hole, but if you are a returning visitor the assumption is that baskets get moved periodically.

Cons:

Navigational signage could be improved. I only saw a couple of arrows hanging on baskets. The course is so open that you can pretty much just look around to find the next tee, but on the flip side that itself can be confusing when multiple options are nearby. I played with a group that included someone who has played here several times, and he wasn't sure which way to go on a couple of occasions.

The course doesn't offer as much technical challenge as most courses I have played. "Grip and rip across a gently rolling field" gets a little dull for me after a while, but again that's partially just preference based on what I am used to.

A couple holes seemed to play pretty close together. We didn't have any close calls, but there were only a couple other groups on the course at the time.

You'll only really be able to play multiple layouts if you are a repeat visitor/local.

I think there was only one trash can, at the beginning of the course.

Other Thoughts:

This course has 27 holes, but I was only able to play #1-18 because my group ran out of daylight. Actually, we ran out of daylight around #16 but were able to finish up with flashlights since the course is so open. #19-27 looked like they would have a similar feel, with possibly a little bit less elevation change. It's not difficult to play only #1-18 or only #19-27 if you are likewise short on time.

Overall, Bird's Nest DGC was a nice introduction to Colorado disc golf for me (my first course played in the state). I was between a 3.0 and 3.5 rating, and decided to round up based on the assumption that the pin positions are moved periodically. I haven't played many courses this open, but it seemed like a pretty solid design here that used the available space well.

I was fortunate to have friends host me for this trip to Colorado, and I let them choose this DGC for us to try. The things I will remember about my experience here are likely the view of the mountains on the horizon, and the fun time playing with the group of friends (none of whom I had ever thrown with before). When I return to the area, I would play again here if it made sense but would prioritize getting up to higher rated courses in the nearby foothills/mountains - like Beaver Ranch and Bucksnort.
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7 4
waynewf
Experience: 23.7 years 31 played 7 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Disappointing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 2, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice views of the mountains? It's such a frustrating course it's tough to think of any pros.

Cons:

For all the space this course has to work with, it's odd that so many of the baskets and tees feel like they are right on top of each other.
This course is very poorly marked. I walked off after 17 after I had missed 4 holes, which might have been more had someone not pointed me in the right direction.
I hadn't played this course for years and now I remember why. It's such a shame. It wouldn't do much to make this course playable, but as it is, I could never recommend anyone play here.

Other Thoughts:

The potential is there, but it's missing all of the little things.
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4 3
duain
Experience: 25.9 years 75 played 14 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Excellent Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 5, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great use of the land. Multiple pins with slight elevation on a few holes and trees on most holes. Some shorter more technical shots mixed with some longer shots that make you think where to place your drive.

Cons:

After hole 18 it's a bit hard to navigate the extra holes.
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5 1
FernBeard
Experience: 9.9 years 16 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Course for the city 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Easy to navigate
- Huge teepads
- Great baskets
- Good distance variation
- Back 9 if you're feeling adventurous

Cons:

- Sometimes grass can get a bit tough
- Not a ton of shade on hot days
- Only a few demanding lines
- Back 9 / some areas off of the fairway will eat your discs if you don't spot well

Other Thoughts:

- If you play here regularly, make sure you contribute to the donations. It's very clear when there are funds for mowing and when there's not.
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8 0
Hey it's Stellato
Experience: 24 played 22 reviews
4.00 star(s)

How had I not played here before? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 15, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Awesome, dedicated disc golf park. There is a dog park next door, but there is noone walking, mountain biking, road biking, playing with their kids or doing anything else in this park aside from disc golf!
- Easily accessible from west side of Denver or Golden area.
- Most tee pads are concrete and well maintained.
- Quality permanent baskets.
- Navigation is fairly easy
- 27 holes in total keeps you enjoying the fun longer
- Great use of the elevation changes on hole #1, #4, and #18.
- Hole 18 is particularly interesting, I've honestly never played a hole with that layout, where you shoot blind and to the right, downhill around the corner of a lower hill ridge.
- Incredibly friendly crew of regulars who have, on more than one occasion, offered me to play in their group when I was flying solo
- Great crew of locals maintaining the course. Awesome gazebo at hole #1, TWO PRACTICE BASKETS, and other improvements seem to be happening all the time.

Cons:

- Hole #4 needs a concrete tee pad. It struck me as strange that every other hole on the course has a tee pad (on the front 18) but that this one hole does not.
- Signage updates are needed at all the holes. Most holes have a pole next to the tee pad where a sign could be mounted, but none there. Some holes have stickers with the hole number, and others people have been kind enough to take a sharpie and write the hole numbers.
- Can get a little backed up on crowded weekends, but is NOTHING compared to the crowds at Johnny Roberts.

Other Thoughts:

This has become my "home course". I live a few blocks from Johnny Roberts, but rarely play there anymore and avoid it like the plague on the weekends. Bird's Nest will always be less crowded, and provides a little more distance and challenge on most spots. You can tell the crowd here is a little more experienced and dedicated... fewer blaring bluetooth speakers, black wife beaters and vape clouds at Bird's Nest :)

Huge shout out to all the awesome locals that maintain and protect this great FREE public course!
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12 2
ZachTuthill
Experience: 18.8 years 48 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

The Nasty Nest. Home Sweet Home 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 20, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Concrete tees and tons of hole placements, including several alternate and tournament baskets.

Holes of every distance and shots demanding every type of throw.

Designed as a Disc Golf park.

You can frequently find John Byrd puttering around and he's always down to shoot the breeze, if not throw a round with you.

Wildlife. A family of Golden Eagles inhabits trees on the North border, and I've seen Baldies and several varieties of hawk as well. I've seen Fox, Coyote, and even a Tiger Salamander retrieving a disc from the "lake." I've never encountered a rattlesnake, despite it seeming like prime territory, and do not believe they live here.

Cons:

Weather. In the windswept western suburbs, storms move quick. The Nest is a MASSIVE course, and if you don't pay attention to those sketchy clouds above Boulder, you'll be running half a mile at a full clip trying to protect your iPhone from getting wet.

This course eats discs. Johnny B does his best with the grass, but most of the time it's pretty long. In addition to this, discs here frequently hit and roll up to 60 feet in any direction, regardless of how it was coming down. The result is that even skilled discers who think they know where a 350 ft shot landed might find it 20 minutes and 50 feet later in a sage bush.

Navigation. If you don't know the course, I can see it being tricky. The sheer length of some holes and distance between tee pads can make you question your target. Random bonus tee pads and arbitrary spare baskets probably don't help.

People know about it now (see below).

Other Thoughts:

This is my home course, and I tried not to be biased. But here's my experience with the course I've played the most. I grew up on the nearby westwoods golf course, and in 2005 we stumbled upon this raw, unfinished idea of a disc golf course on a massive and barren piece of desert that the city didn't care about. The appeal for us was to use the secluded parking lot to hook up with our girlfriends and smoke hookah and such. Eventually, however, we purchased discs and decided to learn the game here, which in retrospect toughened us up and helped our game. Playing Bird's Nest was basically committing to a couple hours in scorching heat getting beat up by the course. A course designed by a man with a lot of ambition, few resources and a wicked game. We loved it then and still do.

Although upgrades and expansions were painfully slow, they did indeed happen, and as of 2017, Bird's Nest is a Mecca for tournaments, families, massive groups, etc. While I wholeheartedly support the mainstreaming of disc golf, I can't help what my friends and I are. And what we are now at Bird's Nest are the guys discreetly discussing how to politely play through your family. The guys who, unimpeded, could manipulate this course to fit any time constraint or player skill level. But trying to keep a round fluid while simultaneously playing through less skilled players on every hole is tricky. I've found myself scratching my head after two hour rounds that have somehow stil felt rushed. Bird's Nest now has the funding, attention and equipment needed to set up a quality experience for pretty much anyone now, and John is working hard to make that happen. Now that the public is aware of it, tournaments are being held almost weekly, and the city even boasts about it on its website. This course is an example of disc golf becoming part of Colorado culture and recreation, and I adore that.

But another part of me misses playing 36 holes in 95 degree heat and and only encountering one person the entire time. He had no idea this course existed and just happened to see the sign headed west on 64th.

All changes and bias aside, I highly recommend this course to anyone living in the metro area, and anyone passing through. Bird's Nest is only getting better, and if the price of fame is traffic, I'm cool with that.

12 years later
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9 0
enragedmullet
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 12.4 years 115 played 79 reviews
2.50 star(s)

No signs, high grass and cacti, Oh My. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 12, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

- baskets in decent condition

- plays close enough to a loop

- there's the occasional bench and trash can, and a port-o-john at the parking lot, as well as a kiosk/donation box near #1

- nice mix of distance and good use of available elevation

Cons:

- inconsistent tee pads - some are concrete, some are rubber pads, some are natural.

- inconsistent signage- most holes are just a post w/ number. one (15) has an actual diagram and info. after 18 you're on your own.

- navigation - A map is a necessity the first time out and even with it I got turned around a couple times. Luckily there was a helpful local out also. I also couldn't even locate 25-27. It can get a little confusing as some of the fairways get a little close to each other and, as it's a plain w/ few trees, some of the baskets for other holes are visible near the one you're aiming for

- I played in early June and the brush was getting high enough to hide discs very easily. Couple that w/ the cacti that's present and things can get downright prickly.

- not a great variety in shots needed or open bombs vs technical shots. Most are grip 'n' rips.

Other Thoughts:

a lot of mndiscg's review from 2014 still seems pretty spot-on for me personally. That said, I feel like in a different season the course would be completely different - maybe even fun. As it is though, w/ limited shade, high temperature, high grass, cacti, and confusing initial navigation, this course was a challenge to say the least. Bird's Nest kicked my ass my first time here but I think it's definitely worth repeat trips. I can't wait to try it out in winter. Not for the faint of heart though, and I wouldn't call it a beginner's course

#1 is a fun top-of-the-world-ish shot near the only water that could possibly come into play. 9, 14 & 15 are also nice holes w/ good distance making good use of the trees in the area.
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3 3
sjroesinger
Experience: 7.8 years 37 played 37 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 6, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well marked boxes (until 19)
Varied holes
Practice basket and driving range

Cons:

Holes 19+ were hard to follow/not marked
Lots of cactus on 19/20

Other Thoughts:

There was no water when I played, so losing a disc wasn't a risk, but could be if wet
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7 0
Williamburrows
Experience: 21 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Bird's Nest 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 11, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Course is built on a large area
-Friendly locals
-Variety of short and long holes, wooded and open, flat and elevation changes
-27 Playable holes
-2 basket practice area
-Scenic open space park

Cons:

-1-18 holes are marked, but no signs with distances except 15
-19-C have lots of cactus and tall grass. Easy to lose discs on these holes and step on cactus.
-It can be easy to lose your way to the next tee and walk to the wrong tee pad. Specifically 5 to 6 and 13 to 14. Hole 17 basket is hard to see and many play back to 1 on accident. 19-24 and A,B,C are even more confusing and not marked well if at all.

Other Thoughts:

I would give The Nest a higher rating if the holes were better marked with signs stating distances. I really enjoy playing this course, but I'm not even sure if the hole I play as A is actually C, and the one I play as C plays back to one of the 2 practice baskets. The Bird man does his best with the upkeep of this place, I just wish there was a millionaire disc golfer who would throw some cabbage at this course for signs and maintenance to make it just a little better. This could be a 5 star course.
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3 2
Parataxis
Experience: 7.9 years 23 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Good mix of shots for a front range course.
Fun use of trees later in the course.

Cons:

Can be easy to lose a disc on some holes.
Can't say I love the first 8 or so holes.

Other Thoughts:

Make sure you donate! It's pretty amazing that this course is entirely volunteer designed, built, and maintained. It's also pretty close to Phenix Disc Sports which is... amazing.
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5 0
PaddyBudz
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good shoulder season course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 28, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Multiple Pin positions from short to long

Good mix of distance and elevation

27 Holes

-Doesn't get too crowded, good for early morning/evening rounds

-right next to a dog park

Cons:

Wind - with it being right up against the foothills it can get windy

Soupy - The course is in an open space/flood plane so during the rainy season and mid spring when it is wet the course can and does flood from time to time making certain holes unplayable

lack of signage - it looks like at some point in the past there were t-box signs showing pin positions and distance but they wore out or were vandalized and tore down, now there is no signage and it is all LOS or just knowing where stuff is from playing before

navigation on the top 9 - non-existent, so unless you've played it before you won't know where to go

grass can eat discs when it is long

wide open, so you can throw sky high shots without much penalty

Other Thoughts:

Like other reviewers said even though APEX puts their name all over it they don't do anything for it. John Bird (the designer and course manager) does everything from mowing, to moving baskets to other course maintenance. So if you want the grass mowed and play the course more than once or twice a year throw a few bucks in the donation box.
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3 0
Beardface
Experience: 9 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 21, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Long Course
-Varied Shots
-Lots of Fun Obstacles
-No Pedestrians/Multi Use
-Relatively Intuitive Layout

Cons:

-Can be Crowded
-Easy to Lose a Disc
-Potential for Marshy Wet Areas
-Lots of High Grass
-Holes 19+ need some serious love

Other Thoughts:

I played this course for the first time today with no info except a cell phone photo of the map at the kiosk near the parking lot. The course flows pretty well if you take a second to orient yourself between holes, and has some interesting shots throughout.

I spoke a little while with the course manager, John Bird, and learned that this course is entirely maintained by donations. Grass is mowed when there is enough money to by a few tanks of gas and sharpen the mower blades. Most of the cons every review listed would be improved through more funding, so I encourage you to donate!
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2 0
ryyedogg
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 47 played 33 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Decent disc golf course in Denver area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a good 27 hole course that is used strictly for disc golf. With all the tall grass and vegetation, it is pretty clear where to go for the next hole by how the course is mowed. The course has a good mix of downhill, open, and wooded shots. The tee pads are nice and concrete for effective drives.

Cons:

Tall grass and vegetation on most holes can force you to waste time looking for your disc. Watch out for cacti if you do end up looking. The area around tee #3 can get wet and muddy being the low point. The course could use signs to help guide people the right way. Holes #19-27 do not have concrete tee pads so it can be difficult to navigate.

Other Thoughts:

This is one of the better courses in Denver since it does have a good variety of holes and you don't have to deal with any pedestrians getting in the way.
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2 1
00greenwj
Experience: 13.7 years 40 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 13, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

27 holes

long shots with lots of variety

Cons:

poorly maintained, currently covered in waste high grass that eats discs. barely playable.

cactus everywhere on the back back 9

Other Thoughts:

Hopefully it gets mowed soon. might be best played in winter.
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4 4
Rowick
Experience: 9.7 years 18 played 8 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Rat's nest 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 3, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Its a bit more entertain albeit a lot more frustrating than watching grass grow which is pretty much all the maintenance that goes into it

A lot of different holes and a lot of different lines to take on most holes

Could be a really good course like 3.5-4 rated if the people whose job it is to matain the land pretended to care about doing so

Cons:

I could go on for days about what a pain in the neck it is to play on 40 acres of thigh deep grass, but I will assume most people reading this already know that

No tee signs just a pole with a numbed sticker(that a tee sign could be very easily attached to) but a lot of sings saying keep out most of which seem to be right where you need to go making this probably the most unwelcoming course I have ever played after I lost my 4th disc on hole ten all of which would have been easy to spot of the course had been mowed anytime in the past year I was done I will stay in Aurora and play the better courses here

Other Thoughts:

I don't think that all DG courses have to be pristine but I feel like we should at least try to have a fairway of sorts at least on some holes I live in Aurora which is a little bigger but a lot poorer town and some how we keep our course mowed I guess people in Arvada just don't want to spend money on something that isn't a status symbol
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1 4
livin_tll
Experience: 25 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 24, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Fun and long course. Good for just hucking it without having to worry about obstacles. Follow the paths in the dirt to find the next tee or pin.

Cons:

Can be windy. Often. Confusing the first time.

Other Thoughts:

Not many trees. Good and bad
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1 5
nannermonkey
Experience: 15 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

I would nest here if I were a bird 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 21, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Great course for locals
- Easily accessible for regionals
- 27 holes!

Cons:

- Lots of marshy areas with tall reeds on a number of holes
- Can get crowded
- Not too many trees

Other Thoughts:

Definitely one of the better courses I've played in the Denver Metro region. You can bring your dog to the next-door dog park for canine socializing before or after!
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1 4
xskatx
Experience: 14.1 years 22 played 16 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Best Course in Metro area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 5, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very long tees, hard to loose discs (unless the weeds are thick), course layout is fun and spread out

Cons:

not well marked, takes a long time to play

Other Thoughts:

This course is great at the right time of year- when the weeds are dry. the length of the holes makes it challenging
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2 2
ksctrail
Experience: 21.8 years 17 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

It's a decent course needs some maintenance
There is a decent mix of long and medium range shots. There are a few holes with trees surrounding the pin and a few holes with some elevation change.

Cons:

the course is overgrown with weeds. The course layout is difficult to follow. The markings to the next tee box and the pin placement are missing.

Other Thoughts:

I was told that the course has not had the proper upkeep this year due to attention being focused on the restructuring of Johnny Roberts course. Hopefully, the course will have better upkeep after the reopening of Johnny Roberts.
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4 4
Gnuckle
Experience: 10 played 2 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Not in good shape 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

There are a few elevation changes, and a few trees to make some challenging holes. Also some great distance shots to challenge your arm.

Cons:

At the time the weeds were waist deep everywhere on the course. Causing a 10min search on every throw for your disc. Was not maintained at all.

Other Thoughts:

This course has the potential to be a fun city course, but without any maintenance it is abysmal and would not play it again.
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