Estacada, OR

Riverbend DGC

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4.635(based on 77 reviews)
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15 0
jasonc
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.9 years 258 played 35 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Bucket List Course!

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Pay to Play, only $5.00 per car. They could easily bump this up to $5.00 per person (or more).
-This course is located in a stunningly beautiful state park.
-Teepads were a mix of old and new but all of them were in good shape.
-The signs at each teepad were great.
-Navigation was relatively easy, only ran into a few minor issues because of the BSF signs. The course map provided at the kiosk by Hole 1 along with Next Tee signs and udisc were helpful during our round.
-Championship level difficulty on most holes with a ton of elevation changes from start to finish. If you aren't a pro or close to it, prepare yourself for a high score.
-There are no filler/throw-away holes.
-The Clackams River that runs along Holes 6 and 7 looked very nice. We spotted a few groups of kayakers and wish we had time to hop in!
-Multiple restrooms here was great to see, especially for the kiddos.
-#6 on the East course and #9 on the West course are the signature holes here.
-I prefer heavily wooded courses, so this was right up my alley. Even on the holes with more open fairways, I still felt that we were deep in the woods.

Cons:

-The squirrels were just a bit too friendly by the picnic tables close to Hole 1, but I get it...we were invading their territory.
-The rough can be very rough in a few spots with blackberry thornbushes.

Other Thoughts:

-We drove directly to Milo from the Portland airport to add course #250 to my list. I had been scoping this one out for a while and I was extremely happy to share this experience with my kids. It was our first time in Oregon, so all of the scenery...especially seeing Mount Hood along the way was a lot of fun.
-I have played some of the best courses across the country and Milo easily is in my top 10 now.
-We played our round 1 day before the BSF. It was a bit crowded, but well worth the trip!
-One day, I will come back here to play the BSF layout.
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16 0
Horsman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 222 played 100 reviews
5.00 star(s)

BSF EDITION

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 13, 2022 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

----- THIS REVIEW IS FOR MILO IN THE BSF SETUP -----

--- MILO EAST ---

+ Large concrete teepads. Some are brand new and some are old and slightly worn down. Almost every teepad is Conrad approved and if not they are all long enough.

+ Innova Discatcher baskets. Best of the best, no complaints here.

+ Bathrooms are located throughout the park and are easy to find and get to from the course.

+ Professional level design meant for professional level players. Every hole is a great hole to play and you can tell that everything is in the place that it should be in. What I mean by this is that you don't ever run into a situation where you are wondering what the course designer was thinking with putting the tee or basket where it is. Every hole has a fair line even if that line can only be executed by the very best of the best.

+ Island holes. The island holes are just as fun and terrifying to play as you would think. The islands are small yet fair and will either be the jump start your round needed or the nail in the coffin where you are just demoralized. Who doesn't love a good island hole, especially when you can get a hundred people to silently watch you miss an easy 15' putt. Milo east uses its two island holes very well and they each have their own challenges and quirks. Both are a ton of fun to play and a lot of fun to curse at.

+ Elevation. Coming into the property you pretty much go downhill and you would think that every hole would play up and down the hills. Only about half of the course uses large elevation changes but the whole course uses the natural elevation changes nicely. There are times when the hills can get a little muddy and treacherous but it's nothing that can't be dealt with by just being careful.

+ Wooded but open golf. Courses like Milo are few and far between. Where you have giant, beautiful trees with thick, lush rough that is tough yet appropriate. There are some tighter wooded holes in the first few holes but then it opens up to tight but open wooded open shots. This sounds so confusing but thats what it is. You are playing in the open while still playing in the trees. Many courses attempt this without knowing it but very few accomplish what Milo has.

+ The par 5 hole 15 should be in every course designers playbook. This is what the definition of a par 5 should be. You need to have perfect shots to get a birdie, perfect shots to get a par, perfect shots to get a bogey...... You get the point. If you arent moving forward with every shot then you are going to have a bad time. The hole is extremely fair yet very challenging. I enjoyed the physical and mental test that this hole offers.


--- MILO WEST ---

+ Concrete Tees - Some new, some old. All grip well when not overtaken by the moss.

+ Innova Discatchers. Again, the best of the best imo.

+ Another design masterpiece. No hole is neglected or out of place. You are going to step up to 18 holes where you wish that this hole was on you local course. The course again utilized tight yet fair wooded holes and complimented them with long open wooded holes. You will be rewarded on the fairway and rightfully punished when you get off of the fair way.

+ Elevation. The elevation is used a bit more on the west course, but both courses use it well. I really like courses like Milo West in that you really only throw downhill. There are a few shots that might end on top of a mound or the side of a hill and thats all that you will go uphill. Yet you get the chance to throw a few times off the tops of the hills. Its makes for some really fun play.

+ Great mix of par 3's and 4's. Even inside of that there is a great mix of easy and hard par 3's and easy and hard par 4's. This still leaves enough meat on the bone for the players that arent as skilled while giving the best the opportunity to shine.

+ Park roads are used beautifully. You are greeted right away with a though par 4 that has you throw over the curve of part of the parks road. Add this to the island hole and the few others that bring the roads into play and there is a lot of risk reward. Both courses do this beautifully. I really enjoy how both courses use road and some walking paths as natural OB. None of them are in the way or used just to make the course harder because of the lack of difficultly. The OB's all make sense and are fiar.

Cons:

--- MILO EAST ----

- I would have liked to see some more forced hyzer/anhyzer shots that require you to throw a forehand or backhand off the tee. I was able to play the entire course by throwing backhand(RHBH) off the tee and thats not because I'm way more comfortable with the backhand but because there were zero holes where a forehand(RHFH) was a smarter or required route. This is a very small nitpick but this course is the cream rising to the top.

--- MILO WEST ---

- I will reiterate what I said above. I would like to see more forced shot types off the tee. This is a very nitpicking thing and I might be making something up here but it's how I feels.

Other Thoughts:

This layout is not a realistic layout for most of the year because of all the shots that play over roads and on to the islands in the parking lots. While not realistic for most of the year, the part of the year when it is in the ground it works so well. Every hole between these two courses is a gem. There was no filler holes or any chance to let you mind or game slip. You needed to be present for every shot.

This course is set up for the best of the best and it shows. I consider myself to be very highly skilled at disc golf and this course is still slightly out of my league. IMO you need to have 500' of power and the ability to throw every single type of shot to compete out here. This is not a con or a complaint, just what I consider to be a fact. The long par 3's are too long to reach by 99% of people and that leads to a very selective group to have a much higher advantage out here and it shows. The best disc golfers in the world will be some of the only ones who can score well out here.

Playing and learning these courses was a pleasure and is something I hope I can do again in the coming years. Every round I played here I learned a little more about the course and how to complete each hole safely. Milo is a beautiful beast that every disc golfer should try to come play. Milo is a religious experience that I hope a lot of people get to experience.
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5 0
fastdds
Experience: 6.2 years 15 played 13 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Well worth visiting if you are in Portland area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 16, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Beautiful expansive wooded course with variety of open and tight disc golf. Long and short t-pads to challenge anyone. Course is well maintained and we had the course to ourselves playing on a weekday in the summer.
There is a river ("Riverbend") that is not really in play, but great to cool off in.
Not your typical easy to get par type of course for intermediate player. Very fun risk-reward layout.

Cons:

Blackberries are delicious, but the thorns make disc retrieval difficult. Keep an eye out for poison oak.

Other Thoughts:

After watching the Beaver State Fling coverage at Riverbend it was something special to get to play this course. There are different layouts and one can use Udisc to figure out the BSF course if desired. Much more elevation change than what you get a sense of watching on screen. We played from the amatuer tees and later from the pro tees.
There are bathrooms and water fountains. Food is available about 10 min drive from course. Frozen yogurt hit the spot for us.
Might bring an extra pair of sox if you are playing multiple rounds (stickers).
On many of the holes we would send a spotter (player) up ahead to watch our drives as there are some blind landing areas with tall grass and deep bushes...
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15 0
Schreuds2.0
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.8 years 93 played 81 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Truly a majestic setting 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 7, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Milo McIver is probably one of the most beautiful locations I've ever played disc golf at, or even heard of having disc golf. That being said, Milo doesn't have the "all inclusive" features that I believe make it a 5 star, perfect disc golf experience.
-Tees are great, solid concrete, big enough to work well. There are two sets of tees for every hole on the east 18. These alt tees, unlike some courses are actual unique holes, not necessarily smaller versions of one hole.
-Tee signs are helpful. There is a 27 hole layout that incorporates the 18 hole east course with the 9 hole west course, this is a little confusing if you aren't a local, but the signs are on every hole and every pad.
-Baskets are often somewhat difficult to locate because of the sheltered nature of most basket placements or the big distance on a lot of holes, however, tee maps give you an idea, and bright red bands stand out against all the green.
-This course has truly amazing fairways, I have never played a course like this one, that has the open grassy fairways (that do have the occasional massive tree) which are lined by thick forest. However, there are holes that weave in and out of the woods, so it isn't simple open golf the whole time. This signifies excellent design and land use.
-The rough is pretty much perfect here, there is what I would call positional rough, meaning you are out of position, but still have good footing, and then there is the "rough rough" where you are in the trees and have to pitch out or something.
-Milo McIver has a wide mix of long flat meadowy type areas and massive rolling hills, the course uses those land features exceptionally, as many holes use either one as a key feature.
-As stated above, if you stay out of the rough, for the most part this is an open course. But, on every hole that doesn't dive into the woods, or play exclusively in the woods, there is that one tree that is perfectly in the way. Trees are obviously a key factor on this course, some holes you play out a wooded tunnel, into an opening and then back into the trees, others will give you a wide open tee shot into a tight gap in the trees. Etc... the combinations are endless, and wonderful
-Navigation is easy here. I recommend playing the east 18 and then the west 9, it's just much easier that way (if you haven't been here before)
-If i were asked to define the "wow factor" of disc golf, I would point right here at Milo McIver State Park, the setting is simply so majestic and grandiose, that it is humbling to think that there is a disc golf course, that you get to play, just right there. I mean, I literally walked up the the first tee and said "woah"
-This course challenges every player, it gives you oppurtunities to throw everything you've got, I'm the type of guy who carries tons of discs around, and I threw every single one more than once out here.
-No garbage at all
-You can get super creative out here, some holes are tight and force you to do what they want, others you can do virtually anything and still have a shot at par.

Cons:

-The grass in the fairway is pretty long, not that I think that it could or should be mowed, because there is an insane amount of land, but I played in the rain, and the long grass with ran on it soaked me to the bone.
-As stated above, this falls into the category of an amazing course, that isn't quite a 5 star. In my mind, a perfect five star course is the kind of place that has everything that you could possibly need there, like a practice area, a pro shop, a driving range, etc. And I think you might be able to rent discs or maybe even buy them, but I'm not sure where, or if it's clearly marked. This is an amazing course, defiantly worth the trip out, it just isn't that all inclusive disc golf paradise that constitutes a 5/5

Other Thoughts:

FYI: yes, this is listed as a 27 hole course. Yes, you can play 27 holes back to back. But, the layout is intended to be 18 and 9, and the flow of the course is designed thusly, so that is what I would recommend for people (like me) who road trip out here, play the east 18 and then the west 9
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6 1
Breh
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.8 years 191 played 189 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years

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

Pros:

I don't even know where to start! This place is so majestic. There's multiple layouts including the famous beaver state fling. However most the year it's divided into a East 18 and a West 9 so I'll submit my review for that layout as it's the most common. The East 18 starts in the main parking lot with a nice easy 500 footer to start it out. There's a kiosk board with maps and scorecards right before tee pad 1. The course is marked with tee signs representing east 18 and west 9. Very nice tee pads good baskets however could use some new ones soon. This course will give you a chance to bring out your big boy drivers hole 2 on East is over a 1000 feet, and hole 1 on West side start you out over 900 feet. Good mix of holes however as there is some driveable par 3s mixed in. The feeling here is incredible the course is long enough and spread out enough player traffic isn't an issue. Pro/am pads if you're not trying to destroy your disc golf confidence. So many great holes none of them really feel like filler holes

Cons:

Hole 9 on the west side should be hole 4, and the rest pushed back one. The layout feels a little off on west side if trying to play holes in order. Personally wish it was in the BSF layout all year :/ however the east - 18 and west 9 isn't bad by any means. With the different layouts players do skip holes or play all 27 layout can cause confusion. Baskets are fine but not the greatest for a championship level course. Begginers will not find Milo to be as fun as the lengths and holes can challenge many advanced players even

Other Thoughts:

One of the top courses there is. Go out and play it. Just wish it had both 18s up year round then it would be 5 Star no question asked.
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7 0
coyotepower
Experience: 18.6 years 87 played 34 reviews
4.50 star(s)

ok Wow...just...Wow 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Phenominal is a good way to put this course. Just so ideal and its like the property was made for disc golf. DG Heaven + a River nearby to listen to during the round and get in afterward.
Pros:
- The land/layout is perfect for Disc Golf
- Nice Mix of Forehand/Backhand and nice mix of Wooded/Open. Bring all your skills to this course.
- Quiet except for the river and chains/cheers.
-Pro boxes are hard. Im not Simon. Am boxes still provide a good challenge on a hot day.
-Fun shots to be had all over this course. Many memorable holes.
-Scenic. When you take your camera out at every hole, you know you are somewhere special.


Cons:

-Just the baskets, really. I think it would be awesome if Innova or Someone ran some fundraiser discs just for these amazing courses to have the best baskets. Id gladly pay 20 bucks for a dela or milo stamped disc. These rusted out red 24's are a disservice to the quality of this layout and history behind this course.

Other Thoughts:

27 holes totally currently. East 18 made sense but finding next hole and Layout (Both 18 and 9 hole course) was semi confusing..especially the starting point on the 9 hole. Didn't help the group in front of us made a cut over to the other course at some point for their version of 27 holes. Signage was good at the TeeBox's but not on the map online. The map only shows 1 parking lot but you have to go all the way down past 2 additional lots to get to the West course (9 hole) parking area. You will see baskets (most likely holes 4-9 of the west course) and then you will know you are there. Farther down is the drop in for the river.
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6 0
PapaRick1959
Experience: 7.5 years 27 played 7 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Destination Course in the PNW 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 21, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Pros:
1) Difficult course with wide variety of shots across 27 holes with Pro and Amateur tees. You will want to come back again and again. Was very glad that we made the trek up to the Portland area to play.

2) Many risk/reward shots. Baskets were set-up with wood chips underneath so very inviting to take the aggressive line.

3) Played right after the Beaver State Fling so the course was absolutely perfect.

4) Large concrete tees and great signage on the East course.

5) Lots of close parking.

6) Maps available at the entrance and also online.

7) Lots of other great courses within 45 minutes. The Portland area is truly a Disc Golf destination.

Cons:

1) Signage on the West 9 is non-existent. Hopefully that was a function of the Beaver State Fling and will be remedied. Map helped.

2) Some water fountains don't work.

3) Being in a beautiful State Park you get lots of other traffic so be careful of people not paying attention.

5) Even though it is a little of the beaten path it is very popular so play early.

Other Thoughts:

Great course for 950+ players, good course for 850+ players. Would think that beginners would be a little frustrated with the "bigness" of Milo. But if you can throw 250+ and don't mind being over par it is a definite bucket list course. Glad we made the trip!

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9 0
Prostar47
Experience: 13.6 years 201 played 8 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Easily in my top 5 courses 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 20, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

this course really has it all

-great textured concrete tees
-huge fairways requiring excellent shape shooting
-excellent use of the land, from downhill, uphill tee shots and basket locations and use of left or right fairways. Need all types of shots on this course, i threw rollers, hyzers, flex, anny, skip and thumber shots
- bathrooms several times throughout the course (great for my pregnant wife)
- beautiful scenery with the clackamas river floating throughout.
-Great for picking berries throughout the round for a snack :D

Cons:

-Some of rough can be a little thick and full of thorns if you find your way, but the fairways are more than fair to stay out of trouble.

- course map in kiosk could have been a little bit more informative about how the 18 hole + 9 hole layout flowed together. Didn't realize you needed to jump off the 18 hole path to play the other 9 in the middle, so we played the "back 9" afterwards, which you just drive to the other parking lot to start on.

Other Thoughts:

This course is in my top 5 list of courses easily to go along with Maple Hill, Nockamixon, Moraine, and Deer lakes.

My wife and I had a blast playing this course, and then afterwards we hopped in our swimsuits and jumped in the river and swam around for a bit. Wish we had tubes to float down the river!
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7 2
Chainsgoching
Experience: 22 years 183 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

An Absolute Favorite 2+ years

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

Pros:

Long, stunningly scenic fairways on 27 beautifully carved holes, right on the Clackamas River. Very challenging with stroke bleeding rough. Nice mix of woods and open holes with lots of shot options. Concrete teepads, nice baskets. Benches on most holes. Lots of clean bathrooms. Plenty of parking.

Cons:

The only two cons I really have with Milo is that they don't put the Beaver State Fling layout in more often and dual pin placements would be nice, as they are typically required for my rating of 5. I don't have a problem with either here as it is always a pleaser.

Other Thoughts:

Not too much can be written, that hasn't already been said about Riverbend DGC at Milo McIver State Park. It is one of my all-time top 3 favorite courses and just an absolute gem. I was fortunate enough to play the 36 hole tournament layout after 2014 Worlds and equally as fortunate to play in the 2017 BSF. This course, as the 36 hole tournament layout is one of best and most beautiful courses in the world.
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2 7
TeebirdDan
Experience: 20.8 years 90 played 24 reviews
5.00 star(s)

gods country 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 9, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

this place has huge beautiful fir trees with a 27 hole championship level layout ,like hole 2 is 1200+ feet and all of it is just amazing ,hole by the river with elevated tee is one of the best and can put the water in play if you miss your line.

Cons:

could have better signage

Other Thoughts:

love courses in state parks n forests out west
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4 9
The Katana Kid
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 8.3 years 183 played 56 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Wow! Spectacular course. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 25, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

SPECTACULAR scenery!
The mountains!
The rivers!
The meadows!
The trees!
The spaciousness!
Oh, and by the way, there's a disc golf course!
The signage at each tee is the best.
There is excellent signage at both the pro and amateur tees.

Cons:

The drive is long to get there but worth it.
The hazards are serious, like if you lose a disc in the big, rushing river then history.

Other Thoughts:

If you're in the area you should visit this classic!
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9 2
markmcc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.9 years 278 played 254 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Gorgeous 27 Holes 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 22, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

This was the 170th course that I've played, and certainly in the top two or three in terms of beauty. Playing through the giant trees and across the lush grass, with the Clackamas River rushing alongside the course makes for a really pleasant day of golf.

Holes lengths vary wildly from 175' out to the 1185' Hole 2 (west) from the pro tee. Overall there are a lot of long, open holes on the course. The fairways are surprisingly wide and forgiving, and the course favors those with big arms.

I was surprised at how few truly wooded holes were here, given the amazing forest surrounding the course. Holes 2 & 3 on the west course are the real stand-out wooded holes and I enjoyed them. Most of the other holes were fairly open.

Great textured concrete teepads on all holes, with most offering an "am" and a "pro" tee. The pro pads really stretch the course out. There were very nice tee signsat all 36 pads on the East 18.

Baskets were showing some wear and tear, but caught fine. Most of the baskets had a flag on top with the hole number, and that was a help for first timers like myself.

Two giant parking lots make it easy to access either course.

Cons:

While I thoroughly enjoyed the course, I hoped that there might be a little "more". More elevation, more water in play, or more heavily wooded holes.

Signage on the West 9 was non-existent. Navigation was a little tricky, but with the map and "next tee" arrows you can make your way around.

Other Thoughts:

A standout course in a beautiful location. A bit out of the way but worth the trip.

I played this course after many days of heavy rain, and it remains completely playable with very little mud or standing water.
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5 4
Nate32
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.6 years 74 played 60 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 3, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Riverbend DGC is located in Estacada Oregon and is probably Oregon's best course. This course winds its way through the woods into open fields. Absolutely magnificent course with spectacular views.

Lets start with holes 1-4 on the east side. Hole 1 is a spectacular hole which offers 2 great teepads and signs. Hole 2 Longest hole in Oregon this hole is fun to throw rollers on from the back tee. Hole 3 par 3 is a short great hole perched on a mound. Lets skip to hole 5. This is the iconic hole at Milo this hole is so fun. Beautiful scenery. You have to throw over the creek which it really isn't a creek. Only in the winter. Hole 6 is a downhill bomb. This basket is perched right by the Clackamas River. Hole 7 fun shot right into the woods. Hole 8 is one of my favorite holes. Its one of the shortest holes but the baskets rests right in the trees. Hole 8 straightaway hole. although there is one guardian tree that they need to cut down. Hole 9 short hole. Again another hole that plays into the woods. Hole 10 my favorite hole is a great hole to throw downhill annie shot. Great hole to throw picture perfect annies.

Hole 11 is a another hole where the basket is in the woods. This hole is a great roller shot. Hole 12 the hole the McBeth aced. This hole is in the woods. Great for technical shots. Hole 13 is the shortest hole. Great little hole to practice your woods shots. Hole 14 is a great hole for a righthand downhill skip shot in the woods. This Big Park also has another side to the course. The west side sort of similar to the east just with not a much woods holes. These are my favorite things about the course: Long tee pads, Easy to find the next hole, Great maintenance. - Different layouts. - Walking path.- Steps down from elevated tee pads. -

Fairways and rough.- Great bathrooms. - Very quiet because it is a huge piece of land. -Very cool red Discatcher Baskets
This course has a great picture perfect view of the Clackams River with holes right by it. Milo Miciver State Park has amazing bathrooms. This course it one of the prettiest courses I've played. There are now really nice teepad signs so that is an improvement. The course is in prime shape. And you will have no trouble finding your way around the course.

The west side starts out with the a long shot straight bomb basket is a good 500 feet up the fairway. Hole 2 is a Parking lot shot. this hole is very cool it plays right in the middle grassy are of a parking lot. Hole 3 kind of similar to Hole 2. Hole 4 is a great hole to unleash a backhand or forehand. Awesome wide open shot. Hole 5 is a short hole plays right into the woods. Hole 6 is a right hand backhand hyzer shot. this hole plays far up and over a little creek. Be careful you could loose your disc off to the left of this hole. Hole 7 reminds me of hole 3 on the east side. That is a brief summary of the course.

Some the holes are tournament layout holes but I would like to see them be added once in a while to the regular layout. Hole 9 on the tournament layout is fun as well as hole 10 on tournament layout. Hole 10 is a double decker hole. It plays as a 2 layer hole which is very fun. One time I came there all the basket's were in for the tournament layout. That was pretty fun.

Cons:

There aren't too many cons on this course at all I mean it! This is not the best for beginners. A few more bushes need to be cleared. There is no practice basket.

- Pay $5 for parking unless you have a state park pass.
Some of the chains are rusting. With some brand new discatchers this course would reach the best of the best on DGCR. Long grass is hard to find your disc. Seems like after the covid boom of disc golf that this course has become very popular.

Other Thoughts:

Riverbend DGC is one of my favorite courses to play. Known for the Beaver State Fling this course offers stunning views and and a crystal clear Clackamas River. You should come to the Beaver State Fling if you haven't been here. On the west course some of the signs are not there which is a little disappointing.

One of my personal favorites.
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17 1
Pierparknut
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.8 years 89 played 85 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Top Notch Disc Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 3, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Milo McIver Disc Golf Course is the best disc golf course in the Pacific Northwest, without a doubt. It is located in the beautiful, massive Milo McIver State Park near the town of Estacada. The disc golf course occupies a healthy portion of the park-- I'd estimate 75 acres.

-The scenery here at Milo is absolutely stunning. From the moment you drive in, you can sense that you're in for a treat. The entry road winds down a hill through a forest thick with old-growth Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, and Big-leaf Maple trees. At spots you can catch a glimpse of Mt. Hood as well.

-The regular course is made up of 27 holes, with an 18-hole east course and 9-hole west course. Whether you decide to play 9, 18, or 27 holes, you'll have a ton of fun. The course design is absolutely phenomenal. The Riverbend day-use area, where the course is located, features open areas with scattered trees, plus areas with more dense woods, perfect for a top-notch course.

-No hole at Milo McIver is a gimme or a filler hole. Every single hole is thoroughly thought out and requires you to dig deep into your arsenal of shots. There are a great number of unique holes, requiring shots rarely called for. Creativity is an essential component of a low score here.

-It's a long course, but not too long. The course features many par threes, par fours here and there, and two par fives as well. Most of the longer holes have a short tee, making the course more manageable for newer players.

-Every basket is well-placed, adjacent to a massive tree, next to a creek, or on a mound. Precise approach shots are critical. It is very easy to land inside the circle and have a very challenging putt.

-The property has a gentle amount of elevation change, which was expertly used by the course designers. In particular, the hill in the middle of the park is home to the green on hole #5 East and the tee on hole #6 East, two of the most gorgeous and photographed holes in all of disc golf.

-The undergrowth is almost all native plants. Ferns and vine maple abound. It is much easier to find your disc in these plants than if the woods were overgrown with blackberries and other nasty invasives.

The Clackamas River is in view from a good many of the holes and within earshot at a couple of points. Too many disc golf courses are within earshot of a freeway. This is a hundred times better.

Wildlife abounds. Don't be surprised to see deer, eagles, chipmunks, and maybe in the river, salmon. This adds even more charm to an already splendid course.

-Timber Park is right across the river. Two terrific courses within a ten-minute drive is anyone's dream. Timber Park has more of a city park feel, and the holes are closer together, but it's still a wonderful challenge. If you come here to play Milo, check out Timber, too.

-The East 18 has brand-new, nice tee signs in full color. The West 9 could use them, too.

-The Innova Discatcher baskets were replaced just this year (2019). Some of the old baskets were becoming rusted out and losing catch, so this is a welcome improvement. Many thanks to those who got this done.

-Numerous top professionals have named Milo McIver as their favorite course. Nate Doss, Will Schusterick, Philo Brathwaite, and Gregg Barsby just to name a few.

-There are three well-kept restroom facilities at various points around the course.

Cons:

-Tee signs are infrequent on the West 9.

-No practice baskets.

-The course is slightly heavy on the RHBH holes

Other Thoughts:

-This is a gigantic park and at first a bit difficult to find make the proper way around. The regular layout is an 18-hole east course and a 9-hole west course that start from the east and west parking lots. Or, you can skip around and play all 27. For the Beaver State Fling, 9 holes are added to form two 18-hole courses that start from the middle parking lot.

-Milo McIver State Park is an hour drive from Portland. Take advantage of other park opportunities while you're here, including picnicking, fishing, boating, and hiking. If one day here isn't enough, reserve a campground!

-This course hosts the Beaver State Fling every June for a reason. Come out if you haven't already. It's a ton of fun to watch the top pros at one of the best courses in the country.

-If you're just starting out, this course is probably a little much. But that's not to say that you won't have a wonderful experience exploring this truly majestic park.

-For sure, Milo earns a 5-star review. It is a genuinely incredible, unforgettable experience, start to finish. The natural beauty, as well as the flow and design of the course, are simply unmatched in any course I've played to date. I always look forward to my next round at Milo McIver.
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2 9
Oregon32
Experience: 7.8 years 17 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Pretty Good Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 6, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very good course!! There's a Pro and Am tee for just about every hole. Provides some good challenging shots, long distance shots, and elevated shots. Great mixture. Beautiful Park and very fun

Cons:

Some of the Tee Pads are hard to find signage or arrows would be great. Some signs are missing off the Tee pads so you don't know where the basket is and you have to go find it before you throw. If it wasn't for those this would be 5 stars
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3 11
gdnelson72
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

One of the best 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 6, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

You can't go wrong if you decide to give this course a shot as it has tons of variety and is in as beautiful of setting as you will find. Even when this course gets crowded, it is still fun to play.

Cons:

Occasionally, the grass in the fairways is allowed to grow too long which is an annoyance. There are also a couple of opportunities to lose a disc in the river.

Other Thoughts:

I have played this course probably 30 times and it doesn't get old. One of the best I have ever been to period.
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13 1
pdx-disc
Experience: 30.8 years 15 played 6 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Paradise found 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 27, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

* Challenging course with wide variety of shots across 27 holes with Pro and Amateur tees. You will want to come back again and again. This course should be on your bucket list.

* Holes usually have multiple angles of approach, and reward a variety of play styles. Quite a few risk/reward shots to take. Nice mix of long/short, open/trees, and elevation/flat shots.

* Beautiful scenery along the Clackamas River - wildflowers, wild berries, trees, meadows, bald eagles, blue herons, etc. This is everything disc golf should be.

* Concrete tees, good signage, good benches, nice facilities.

* Ample parking, restrooms and water fountains near some tees for pit stops.

* Well maintained grass, OB, facilities (that's what your fees pay for).

* Paper maps available at the entrance, very helpful.

* Really helpful staff at the front desk and campground. Don't be afraid to ask questions about the facilities or where to go.

* Camping and day-use facilities available at this enormous state park. Clackamas river has a boat launch and an old (but operating) hydroelectric dam to check out. Lots of hiking trails and good picnicking.

* Short drive to another great course, Timber Park.

Cons:

/ Thoughts:

* Some water fountains don't work at present and need to be repaired.

* Watch out for people crossing your path on the way to the river who don't know there is a disc golf course there.

* Watch out for poison oak and blackberries. They are minimal but they do exist on a couple holes. There is a hornet's nest (marked with signs) on #17 right now as well.

* Due to the awesomeness of this course, if you are playing on a nice-weather weekend day get here early, say 10am or earlier.

* Some shots are very long. I recommend playing the amateur tees the first time you play, or you may find your arm too exhausted to finish all 18 / 27 holes. The pro tees really are for pros at this course - they will wear you out.

Other Thoughts:

Good course for: people with a half day to full day to play disc golf. Good for pretty much any reasonably experienced player, although even the amateur tees may still be too much for new players.

Bad course for: absolute beginners, green-colored discs, people who don't look before they throw

King for a day: I would fix the drinking fountains and get some crews to eradicate the occasional poison oak and blackberries, but otherwise, it's great.

Definitely a 5/5 - "best of the best"
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6 9
ODRB
Premium Member
Experience: 15.9 years 190 played 7 reviews
5.00 star(s)

The tops. Nothing more to say. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Everything except the signage. Gorgeous natural beauty. Good mix of shots. History. Location. Views on the drive out and back. Truly world class.

there is a reason (there are lots of reasons) why it is a top course for anyone who has ever played it, and a favorite among many top pros.

Cons:

Needs better signage and next tee markers for visitors.

Other Thoughts:

As good a course as I've played anywhere. Ever.
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4 16
dgyp
Experience: 35.8 years 42 played 9 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Epic! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 25, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Incredible course. Played twice and loved both rounds. Challenging and long (both good things). If I lived in the area it would be my goto course.

Cons:

A bit of a drive to get there. Can be tough to follow some layouts.

Other Thoughts:

This is a world class course. No question.
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9 2
waterhyzerd
Experience: 125 played 20 reviews
4.50 star(s)

as good as advertised 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 25, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Massive variety- hole length, elevation, wooded & non wooded, a bit of water.
Great (dual) teepads
27+ holes with more than one signature hole
Helpful and plentiful scorecards on site

Cons:

Super crowded. We got there at about 10:45 on a Saturday so we definitely weren't expecting to have the course to ourselves. However, 3.5 hours later we were actually relieved to have finished after struggling to pass MULTIPLE mob groups that were extremely slow due to either lack of ability or obvious use of alcohol or other substances.
There weren't any real threatening water shots, which in my personal criteria is what keeps this particular course from being a perfect 5.

Other Thoughts:

More on the casual mob groups: like I said, we got there late morning so we weren't expecting the fastest round ever. I was just so taken aback by how many large groups there were! To top it off, why did it seem like everyone regardless of skill level played from the long pads? Coming from Michigan, we aren't immune to large groups and casuals on the weekends, but the novices are usually good about sticking to the short pads which expedites things a little on days when playing through is difficult. As a group of four with various skill levels playing Milo for the first time, we chose to play a mixed layout (mainly the longs with the beautiful elevated shots). But I just couldn't stomach watching and waiting on groups that obviously didn't have the overall skills to efficiently play the longs on such a crowded day. Sorry for the rant; for the record, the crowds and slow play did not affect my rating of the course. We were from out of town and it was our fault for getting there late on a weekend. I'm sure there are plenty of smoother rounds to be had at milo.
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