St. Louis (Mehlville), MO

Jefferson Barracks - Original

3.845(based on 67 reviews)
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17 0
sisyphus
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.6 years 397 played 383 reviews
4.50 star(s)

MtAiry + Lincoln Ridge + 72 sleeves!? = Wow!

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 6, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Jefferson Barracks original course is an established and well thought out configuration rolling all over a dedicated part of a huge park of mature trees. It boasts incredible infrastructure (steps and bridges everywhere, not to mention netting protecting hole 5's teepad from any inadvertent misfires from 4), 4x12 level concrete tees, tremendous signage including bag holders and occasional next tee indicators, benches at nearly every hole, DGA baskets (the practice basket is a thinner chain design), and front and back nines that return to the park kiosk near a bathroom and a shelter.

The variety! My goodness! Every hole has FOUR pin positions (the unused ones pegged with PVC so you can see what you're missing), giving you 72 unique shots on this course alone (with another, newer course next to it, deeper in the park!) What I really enjoyed as an intermediate level player with only the distance of a 62 year old is that it felt like nearly every tee was set to allow you a downhill glide or ravine cross. Coming from Cincinnati, I used to say Lincoln Ridge was a favorite (still ranked 11th top favorited here on dgcr, I think), and that Mt. Airy seems a little unforgiving for shorter arms, Jefferson Barracks covers both grounds and adds all that variety. Highly recommended for Intermediates and above!

Cons:

Personally, I had very few concerns. The course plays safe except for a couple of locations where it might get congested, depending on basket placement: the B positions on 12 & 16 are kind of in the fairways for 17 & 13, respectively. A couple of places have adjacent tees (but the signage should cover any wanderers). With this much variety, you'll sometimes be making a bit of a hike to the next tee, but it's almost always worth the trek. There's very little here keeping it just below an ideal course. I guess if you needed to host touring pros, they might tear this up, even in the longs, but that shouldn't deter the rest of us from enjoying this gem.

Other Thoughts:

This fall, in deer season, the course was crowded on a Monday morning just after daybreak (…well with deer, which they're currently trying to manage with some structured bow hunting in the woods adjacent to the course…), so don't be surprised if your round includes a wildlife encounter.
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16 0
Pevio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.9 years 188 played 120 reviews
4.00 star(s)

What did I miss?

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

Pros:

One of the oldest courses in the area, Jefferson Barracks continues to shine with an amazing collection of park-style holes with an incredible amount of variety. All the amenities are in good shape, the hole design works, and there's challenge to be had on every corner. I've known about this course for a long time but only just got to come, so what have I been missing?

While the course is almost all par 3, there is a lot of variety and challenge. A lot of longer pins will play like par 4, but this course is one of the old school "just make it a par 3 because we say so" type of place, and it's real fun.

There are some awesome tunnel shots here. Several are real hard, have the tunnel slowly pinching towards the basket, or have some extra foliage towards the end. Hole 17 has you evaluating risk and reward on the tee shot, but the placement of your drive on the fairway matters if you're playing to one of the longer pins.

Several holes will have you shaping a crazy line around some trees, depending on the pin position in play. Holes 1, 5, and 12, are examples of this, and all bring their own uniqueness to the table. The grass is pretty lush, so skip shots won't be super common, but they will exist on hole 7.

Lastly, there are some low ceilings that will encourage controlled power. Hole 4 again, plus 6 and 18, make for some interesting decisions. Even hole 1, being downhill, brings trees into play in an interesting way, and is a great way to start off the course.

Cons:

The age of this course is starting to show. You throw over a canopy of trees on holes 10, 16, and 17, but those trees have grown too tall for the tee shot to make much sense. As a result, hole 10 pretty much plays on top of hole 9. A few other pairs of holes play near each other (11/12/17, 13/16). Holes 3, 4, and 5 are getting close to being overgrown, and a few holes that finish around a clump of bushes are way too dense.

There are a few lackluster holes, where it feels like you just chuck the disc up there and hope for the best. Holes 9 and 18 are very underwhelming ways to get back to the parking lot. Hole 8 is okay, but it's just a long and slowly uphill hole, and the pin placements didn't feel very intentional given the scattered trees that the hole had to work with.

Navigation is okay, but it's hard to tell where the basket is from the tee on a few holes, and the pin placement can vastly influence your tee shot. You also backtrack after hole 6 to the next tee.

Other Thoughts:

I'm really glad I got to play this course. Pins were mostly long when I came, but walking by the short pins made me realize how many possibilities there are here and how much replayability there is.

The course loops back by the parking lot after hole 9, which is nice, but I don't particularly like the holes that were generated as a result.

There can be some standing water on a few holes. It actually makes those holes more interesting by adding a water challenge, but I don't know if it's meant to be there at all.

Despite its flaws, I can't think of any ways to improve this course. It's a fun course all around and is only lacking the next level of excellence from bringing it to the next level.
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23 0
Tyler V
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.8 years 147 played 98 reviews
4.00 star(s)

JB: A St. Louis Favorite

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 31, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Jefferson Barracks, affectionately known as JB by the local disc golf scene, is an 18-hole park style course located about 15-20 minutes south of downtown St. Louis. Jefferson Barracks park is next to a large national cemetery and Army/National Guard of the same name; the area overall has a lot of historical military significance. As for the disc golf course, it is easily one of the most popular spots in St. Louis, playing host to a healthy league scene and multiple tournaments each year.

Location of JB next to the Black Hawk Pavilion, and uses 25 acres of land that doesn't have much else on it other than a couple of roads and walkways. The course location is pretty accessible, being just off of one of the park entrances, and less than 10 minutes from both Interstates 55 and 255. JB is accessed via a one-way circle drive that includes parking along the start and end of the course. There are parking spaces to the right, though if those are full you can park in the grass along the drive. On the inside of the circle drive, you will find one of two sets of bathrooms you will have access to on the course (the second is between holes 5 and 6), a water fountain, and the Black Hawk Pavilion. Next to the first row of parking spaces, you will find, from right to left, the tee for hole 1, a bench and the course bulletin board, a practice basket, the pin of hole 9, and the tee for hole 10. There's just enough a space to make all of this fit, and anyone using the practice basket shouldn't find themselves in the way of folks playing holes 1 or 9. The practice basket is hot pink, so it's easy to discern from hole 9's basket, which will be a similar distance up the hill the parking lot is at the top of. The Bunker is a more recent addition that is located next to JB, making this a nice 36 hole complex if you want to make a day out of your time here.

Course Equipment is in great shape, and has gotten some love over the past couple of years. The bulletin board for JB is very informative on weekly leagues and tournaments, both for JB as well as other local courses. There's even a QR code that will take you to the park's website. The tee signs on this course are large and have all of the information you could ask for. Each sign includes the location and distance of four pins, OB and other obstacles, next tee location, and a graphic of the hole layout. A bolt signifies which pin is being used currently. JB has long concrete tee pads that are in great shape and tend to keep their grip in wet conditions. Each hole also has one or two benches that come in handy to either get a break from walking the hilly course or while waiting for other players on busier days. The baskets are new MachXs, a welcome improvement over the previous aging Mach 3s.

Course Design at JB centers around tricky fairways that play around or through the mature trees found throughout the course. This course has more teeth than it lets on at first glance, as the combination of fairway shapes, elevation, and distances will have you grabbing just about every disc in your bag and bring every shot out of your arsenal. The layout also loops back to the parking lot, providing a potential break between 9 and 10, always a nice bonus. While most of the course is pretty open, holes 4, 15, and 16 are partially or completely wooded, requiring more touchy drives than most of the other holes.

Elevation plays a key role on many holes throughout the course. Hole 1 kicks off with a downhill fairway filled with mature trees. Hole 3 has a tricky valley between the tee and basket. Hole 4 has a gully off the tee and some pin placements that could catch left ending shots out. Hole 5 is downhill with some tricky brush. From there, holes 9 and 17 have some tough uphill drives that are hard birdies to get, while 10, 12, and 13 are downhill drives. Hole 11 has a large hill behind the most frequently used pin that can add dozens of feet to your comeback putt.

Shot-Shapes include just about everything you could ask for. Hole one is attacked both with backhands and forehands by righties, with both requiring you to avoid numerous trees. Hole two is most frequently a gentle right hand hyzer that also requires you tight gap. Other right turning holes include some hole 4 pins, hole 10, hole 12, hole 14, and hole 18. Left turning holes include some hole 7 pins, some hole 16 pins, and hole 17. A lot of the other holes, such as 3, 4, 6, 11, and 13, can be attacked with left or right ending shots, but neither option really has an advantage over the other. Some of the hardest holes, like 3, 4, 15, and 16, are straight tunnels that will absolutely punish your score if you aren't on your game.

Distances are mostly between 250 and 350 feet depending on pins in use, though elevation will make plenty of the holes feel shorter or longer. Holes 1, 6, 14, and 15 will feel the shortest, though they still require accuracy. The longer holes are 8, 9, and 17. Hole 8 has some ills and trees to navigate, similarly to 17, the two holes that will most often be your par 4s on site. Hole 9's pin is always up on the hill, requiring more power than the sign lets on.

Difficulty is pretty middle of the road at JB, being a course that will provide plenty of challenge for intermediate and advanced players. For reference, at the last tournament held here a couple of weeks ago, most intermediate and rec players were in the high 50s to mid-60s in scores on a par 56, while MPO was high 40s to mid-50s. This course is sneaky in its difficulty, as many newer players will likely take a while to put everything together that's required to score par here compared to many other courses in the area like Willmore or Unger.

Course Highlights probably need to start with hole 3. This hole is dead straight but has a valley and mature trees between the tee and in that catch many players out. Go too far left or right and you'll have rough to navigate. This hole was one that got a lot of honeysuckle removed, which has made the hole a lot more opening the valley area. That being said, the difficulty has not gone down, and will still lead to plenty of bogeys if you don't pure the gap. Hole 17 is likely the most challenging hole, requiring a gap through mature trees with brush below, followed by a left turning fairway between mature trees and brush. Hole 10 is a very fun start to your back 9 being a right hand hyzer downhill around a large bit of brush that will eat your disc if you go too tight with your line. One underrated hole may be 12, an S shot that looks completely closed off looking straight on from the back of the tee. And right-handed flex hyzer is probably the best route to go, getting you around the brush to a more open area near the pin. The most common pin is also behind a downed log, adding difficulty if you're putting uphill.

Cons:

Parking - Perhaps the biggest con to this course is parking space, which is becoming an issue because of the positive change that is the new Bunker course on the other side of the circle drive. While this is a welcome addition and will make this a premier disc golf destination for the area, parking is going to start to require some creativity on busier days. When I played JB during a tournament being held on The Bunker course, some cars were parking on the grass along the path to the pavilion to fit. There is only so much that can be done about this, and your score is not impacted, but it's something to keep in mind when coming to either course on a nice day. The Sunday noon league is probably the busiest consistent time.

Course Design - The land this course is on is just large enough to make for some great disc golf, but some of the holes are a little close to each other. This is most apparent in the plot of land that holes 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17, and 18 are on. An errant throw can easily lead to your shot ending up in the fairway of another hole. Just be aware of your surroundings when either throwing or walking to your disc, and you should be okay. When multiple groups are going through this area, one will often have to wait for the other before moving on.

Navigation and Safety - I personally don't find the flow of the course hard to follow, but I have also played this course a lot as a long time local, and other reviewers have criticized the flow. The current tee signs are miles above the old tee signs that used to only have pin distances and no map, and the current signs should be enough for first time throwers to know both where they are throwing, and where the tee is. The one hole I have an issue with in terms of design is hole 7, which runs close to a street and parking spots, making for a nervy drive if any cars are around.

Other Thoughts:

This was probably the most popular spot in St. Louis for disc golf BEFORE the new Bunker course was opened across the circle drive. JB is one of the top-rated disc golf courses in the greater St. Louis area, and that includes courses that are almost an hour from downtown. This rating is more than deserved, as the course makes the most out of the land available with few obvious improvement opportunities.

With the addition of the second 18-hole course on the property, combined with the quality of design that The Bunker has, this is becoming a real destination spot to hit for any one that's passing through town. JB is a St. Louis staple and one of the oldest courses in the area, and while many new courses have been added around town over the last decade, this is one classic that has earned it's sustained popularity among the St. Louis disc golf scene. If you're a disc golfer visiting St. Louis or you're a new local player, playing JB should be near the top of your to-do list.
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17 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.1 years 652 played 629 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Park Style Bliss 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 25, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

(3.828 Rating)A mid-sized park style course that has no weak spots.
- HOLE VARIETY - This course has a ton of basket placements and I hope they rotate them. For my play, I got a 6,581 foot, par 56 layout with a mix a short, middle and long placements. There's lots of elevation movement on this course and with several pockets into some heavy woods. Hole (3) is an awesome valley shot with an elevated window using some low shrubs to shoot over at the valley base. Hole (7) is a neat RHFH skip shot into a right bending pocket with down sloping elevation. Hole (12) is a cool down-shot with a huge dead tree lined in front of the basket. Finally I'll mention (18), which is a snakey par 4 to the far placement that needs a good fairway shot to leave a run at the protected basket on the approach shot.
- BASICS AND EXTRAS - The core equipment is good. The baskets are Mach 3s and they are all in good shape. The tees are concrete and measure roughly 4 by 12. Every tee has one or two big benches, which is needed for a course with as much elevation movement as this one. There is a big community board by tee (1). It has league postings and a mailbox offering scorecards and maps. There's a practice basket and restroom facilities.
- SIGNAGE AND NAVIGATION - I found it super easy to get around this course. As noted above, there's a scorecard with map on it, and it's more than accurate to get around from hole to hole. The tee signs are superb, showing everything one would need, including hole placement indicators which were all pegged correctly on my round. Note, the tee sign on (14) has a distance error by what I assume is off by 100 feet for the white basket placement.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - Not phenomenal or mind blowing, but I thought the landscape was impressive enough to just make my top 60 in this category out of 446 courses played as of this review. There's like a half dozen noteworthy valley shots on this layout. I thought (15) was a very beautiful manicured heavily wooded tunnel shot. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd go with hole (3).
- CHALLENGING - I played very well as an Intermediate and only shot 1 down. I'm going to assume that the course is typically in a mix of rotating placements, like that on my play. Regardless on however they decide to divide it up, it should almost always provide both a mix of technical, power and gameplay challenges. A couple of the placements on my play were well past my skill level or could have been listed as rec par 4s. If configured with all back placements, the course becomes upper Advanced to Pro level.
- MAINTENANCE - The course was in spectacular shape for late July. Completely mowed and many of the off-fairway collection areas were well thinned out. Losing a disc is possible, but it would take a major error to do so.
- SKILL LEVEL FRIENDLY - IMO, the perfect balance between too easy and too hard. Ideal for players between an 800 to 950 rating.

Cons:

A great course with just minor issues or preference things.
- SPACING - Like many park style courses in bigger cities, there's a lot going on in this park. Low use park roads can come into play on bad shots. Other park users, like dogwalkers, could wonder onto the layout. The transition between holes requires crossing a park road 3 times. Some holes boarder each other without buffer. For example, (17) tees somewhat blindly up to the beginning of (11s) fairway. Honestly, I've seen much worse in my travels.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Although I'm sure they've been brought here many times before, IMO this is too complex for newer players. I don't take off any points for this.
- TERRAIN - Lots of up and down terrain that could have those with knee and joint pain hurting. I don't take off points for this either.
- TIME PLAY - This looks like a very busy course and I had to fight my way through a couple groups. It took me 88 minutes as a solo, although I did have my wife and daughter tagging along with me for the front nine. I figure foursomes will take at least two and a half hours.
- PARKING - Limited parking by tee (1). I got the last spot available when I arrived.

Other Thoughts:

For a park style course, this one is up there among my favorites. Interesting lines, superb maintenance, intriguing challenges and a bodacious vibe. It reminds me of courses like Oregon Park in Atlanta, Dretzka in Milwaukee, Turkey Creek in Orlando, Taylor Park in Tampa Bay and George Ward in Birmingham, but with a slightly better landscape to throw along. This is why I've scored it a touch above all of the noted courses. I haven't played many courses in this region, but I'd surmise that it's got to be one of the better ones. I played three Missouri courses on this trip and this was by far my favorite. I highly recommend checking it out if in the area.
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1 5
Otahk
Experience: 7 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 27, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well kept, hilly, challenging course for beginners. Well marked, maps available with scorecards.

Cons:

Could easily lose a disc on a couple holes, could be frustrating for a beginner because of tight fairways on a few holes

Other Thoughts:

Love this course. Great workout with the hills.
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2 8
Dynamic_83
Experience: 16 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice course in a nice park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 2, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course was really maintained well and was in a great looking park with lots of different basket positions.There was plenty of people out with families and dogs so there was alot of nice atomsphere

Cons:

Some of the placements are sloppy and some of the design of the course wasnt used to its full potential.As with the pro with people being around it goes in the cons as well because there is alot of people on a nice day so the danger of hitting people or dogs is there
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8 3
Jacobpaul81
Experience: 25.1 years 101 played 7 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Former Home Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 31, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The Barracks was my home course for two years. Setting is great. Big trees, lots of deer and other wildlife. The course itself is older and reflects its age in many ways. There are some really great holes with elevation.

Hole # 1 tees off the ridge by the parking lot and depending on recent rains and position, can make for a challenging or easy hole depending on conditions.

Hole #2 is arguably the signature hole on the course. It's the most scenic hole on the course. Park walkers are in play to the right on the OB, big elevation change around the basket positions. This hole has aged well.

Hole # 5 offers a big drive opportunity with some downhill elevation and basket out and two the right.

Hole #6 - I personally like this hole cause it's the only traditional 2 par with a nice background setting. The rest of the two pars on the course...

Cons:

The rest of the course. Jefferson Barracks is an older course which isn't aging well. Holes are pretty generic. Most are in the 250-350 range and open and shouldn't present any challenges to a practiced thrower. Trees are rarely in play and elevation is minor on much of the course. I must say, from hole 8-18, I can't remember a single hole as a standout and I played the course almost everyday for 2 years.

Fairways are closely laid out and compact to fit within the space and traffic is high no matter when you visit it because it's the only course in South St. Louis County. The next closest course is
20-30 minutes away at Wilmore in South St. Louis City. The barracks is also just off the J.B. bridge and as such sees a lot of travel traffic as well.

Other Thoughts:

J.B. can be a fun stop but I won't go out of my way to visit it. There are much nicer courses in northwest St. Louis County and in St. Charles County that offer more challenge and usually less traffic and feature more modern layouts that are much much safer.
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2 20
Majicmarkr
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

I did NOT like this course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 23, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Locals were friendly. Some really neat hole layouts.

Cons:

I played this course on Thanksgiving morning. That being said there was an excessive amount of leaves on the ground. I saw numerous people kicking the leaves around looking for their discs. Some of the holes that required accuracy provided NO forgiveness for an errant throw. The brush is thick enough to stop a semi.

Other Thoughts:

The courses is what it is, but with the leaves and the brush it just wasn't fun...at all. I lost my favorite driver, a white Pro Wraith. If you find one on hole 5 with Jeff and a phone number inside the rim please let me know. It was my favorite driver.
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2 7
Rokdawg
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great Run 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Well kept great scenery. Good Long runs and variety of challenges. While a few holes were tucked into the shrubs a bit it was very fun.

Cons:

Deer poop every where. But plenty of deer to watch while playing.Pretty much everything this day was in long. Ha dfun but over my strength.
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3 11
OldGolfer
Experience: 19 played 19 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A decent course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 20, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Park is well maintained, pins are in good shape. I would actually give this course a 3.25 rating if I could. Good variation in shot selection.

Cons:

Mud. Mosquitos. Poor signage. Growth around tees that make the tees difficult to drive from.

Other Thoughts:

I don't know why I feel so unenthusiastic about Jefferson Barracks. Maybe it's my age (late 60s). It's grueling, particularly in hot weather, can be a bit confusing, particularly in the back nine ... but basically this course is, for me, just no fun. There are other courses just as demanding in the St Louis area that I think are much more fun ...
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9 2
dreadlock86
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.9 years 382 played 296 reviews
3.50 star(s)

great rec course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 11, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

-great use of elevation
-awesome park with excellent mature trees
-some lines of brush to avoid but mostly no danger of lost discs
-lots of fun holes
-concrete pads
-nice tee signs with current pin markers but no maps
-kiosk has scorecards with a course map
-Mach 3s are in reasonable condition
-design makes great use of the land features
-some really tricky greens with the elevation
-double loop design

Cons:

-super crowded
-lots of erosion
-crossing streets between a few holes, streets in play on several holes
-many fairways are really close to other fairways
-not enough parking for how busy it can be here
-there are some longer holes that will elude shorter arms but the course is pretty easy
-some weird routing, particularly holes 6 & 7

Other Thoughts:

Jefferson Barracks is a really fun course and is perfect for beginners or intermediate players. It has tons of elevation, large mature trees, and thick brush lines in some places. The holes play really straight forward but do offer some risk/reward opportunities and options for lines. There are multiple pin positions that change frequently. The combination of these things means this course sees a ton of traffic.

That traffic is the source of the woes here. You can find yourself waiting on every box out here. You'll likely also encounter some beginners with little control over their discs. You'll also surely see some impatient players that don't know the etiquette. Combine those elements with the crowded fairways in the main area of the course and you could find yourself in some close calls or worse. All that traffic has taken a big toll on the land too. There is significant erosion throughout the course and wet conditions could be really tricky or dangerous.

The routing works but is awkward in some places, especially holes 6 and 7, whose tees are right next to each other. After playing 6 you have to back track to 7 and the previously mentioned impatient beginners may be throwing right at you. There are 3 places you'll have to cross a road also. Make sure to get a scorecard/map from the kiosk at hole 1.

It's easy to see why this course gets so much traffic and so much love. It's a lot of fun to play and pretty easy to score well. It was the only course I got to play in town so I don't know how it compares but I would gladly play another round here.


**Like this review? Hate it? Message me and let me know why! I want to make them better!**
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8 1
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 548 played 429 reviews
4.50 star(s)

JB is the Place to Be 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 26, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

There are are a lot of great holes at Jefferson Barracks, bottom line. That's what is most important to me, of course, concrete tees with good signage and proper baskets like these are always a nice touch. And the combination of old grown trees and big grassy hills provides the foundation for many tricky, fun lines. There are converging 9's, if you can't fit in the entire 18 for some crazy reason. I couldn't decide between the two halves myself, all 18 is a must, no question. I understand most if not all of the holes have multiple pin locations, the configuration I played was excellent, and the versatility is an added bonus. The first hole is a nice opener that isn't too long, slightly downhill with a fair amount of trees to negotiate. Hole 2 is longer, also some drop in elevation, with a little bend toward the right and generous fairway through a few good size trees. Hole 3 is when I began to smile. Not super long, but a nice fun drive into a pocket of brushy woods on a hillside that is technical enough punish an errant throw and reward a great one. 4 is another fun throw across great contours and a fair amount of thick rough to make it hard on you if you miss the line badly. The magic continues on hole 5, with an elevated tee and a sweeping line around and over vegetation and trees. Hole 6 is ok, fairly flat and open hole with good birdie potential, and if you look directly to the left from that tee, you will see hole 7. It's a little longer than 6, also with fewer trees, sloping downhill right to left where the pin is placed. 8 runs alongside the road, which is OB, and it's a long one. Tough par 3, but not a lot of elevation or trees adding to the difficulty level. 9 is over the flat and up the hillside next to the parking lot. Kind of longish, and a couple of trees protecting the basket. 10 was really cool. The largest elevation change to this point, and my first birdie of the day. I bombed a big RHBH hyzer down the hill, and avoided the clusters of shrubs on the left side of the fairway, landing just past the tree pin high and about 20 feet from the pin. 11 is a nice hole, respectable distance and a couple big trees, with a slope running downhill if you overshoot the pin. 12 is a crazy line, downhill and then up again, with mature trees early, lots of scrubby growth at the bottom you will hopefully fly over the top of, and more trees as you climb the opposite side. I threw two drives, the first bonked and the second scrubbed out and hit bottom. I would have loved to see that perfect drive, but couldn't get it even with an extra try. Took me 6 very frustrating throws. It would be a lovely sight, maybe I can get it next time. 13 is another downhill fairway, great elevation change, and a straight shot down the middle of a few big old trees. I like these shots, and nailed this one, making a great flexing drive and a 15 foot putt for my second and final birdie of the round. As I walked to the tee at 14 a fawn leapt out of the cozy nook in the dense foliage and bounced across the grass. This hole is ok, fairway is on a significantly slant, downhill right to left, and one large tree protecting the target. 15 is a shorty, but with a lot of crap on both sides of a narrow lane, and a few branches over head also. It got me for a bogey after a terrible drive. 16 is another wild one, a tunnel shot bending a bit right over a low spot filled with thick rough. I liked this one a lot too, but took another bogey. 17 doesn't let up. It is longer than 16 but doesn't have as much elevation, and it also has a big left to right curve in the fairway. Featuring once again, several large trees, and dense undergrowth on the right side. I felt a little better about taking a 4 on this hole. 18 finishes well, and with another big flex shot around trees and over rolling slopes. The basket is tightly guarded by a shield of smaller trees with a window to approach from the right. Another one where the perfect drive is tough, but not impossible to make a birdie.

Cons:

The layout is kind of choppy on the front 9, I would have liked to have a course map after hole 5, but I figured it out eventually. There are road crossings between holes 1 & 2, 5 & 6, and 7 & 8. I was able to follow the flow of the back 9 loop pretty well. There was a few spots of mud here and there. Hole 9 and 10 are kind of close together, and a throw that goes out of control could be hazardous of other players are walking the course. A couple of places where walking trails, roads, and other park users may come in close proximity to the disc golf areas. Also a little bit of litter, which may be unsightly, but will not affect play under most circumstances. PSA: throw ya garbage in the trashcan, thanks.

Other Thoughts:

A perfect park for a disc golf course, and way more great holes than average ones. Weather was also nearly perfect on my visit, fortunately. Seasonally more difficult when the summer canopy is fully grown in I would guess. A lot of the leaves were beginning to fall at the time I played it. Overall, I think Jefferson Barracks is a great course, even though I didn't put up a good score. 65 with 7 pars, 6 bogeys, 2 doubles, a triple, and 2 deuces. Not too good at all. Sure, I could do a lot better, but par of 54 is a really great score for most players here I would guess. I threw some lousy shots that day. On the other hand I had a couple of great ones also. I have wanted to get to this course since the first time I visited St. Louis in 2004. After much anticipation, I can report to you that it is pretty awesome. I am sure any time the weather is decent you will usually find some people playing here. No secret to most of the authors of dozens of reviews prior to mine, or to all of those who may have been slinging plastic in this park for a couple of decades now. St. Louis has some good things going on these days, so there's no reason not to find an excuse to plan that trip. Even if disc golf IS the reason for the trip, JB might just be worth it.
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10 0
itsmerowe
Experience: 8.4 years 20 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good course, but keep your eyes open 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 25, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice mixture of elevation changes.

Good use of trees and foilage - shooting over, under and tunnel shots abound.

Great signs! Other parks should take note...Finally signs that had different pars for different basket positions! I wish our local course would take notes on this.

Very well maintained, which is probably why it's so busy.

Plenty of tables at each tee pad, and bathrooms aren't hard to find.

Cons:

Busy park. We had a line of people waiting behind us, as we were waiting on others in front of us. We let some others more familiar with the layout play ahead of us twice to buy us some time, but it wasn't long before we had people waiting on us again.

WATCH OUT: A lot of fairways throw over other holes. The holes are very tightly squeezed in a small area. We heard a truck get nailed with a disc and heard the moans of either the driver or the thrower. A lot of baskets are right by the road.

Despite what I had read, the signs didn't tell us which position the basket was in - some had 5 positions - and we spent a lot of time trying to scout ahead to find baskets.

I assume so many basket positions is due to the fact there is only one tee pad per hole. Not really a con, I guess.

Other Thoughts:

A really fun course, but if it's your first time, try to come when it isn't busy - which isn't a Sunday at 9am.
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3 1
bwgrotha1s
Experience: 6 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Challenging but Fair 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

-Very smooth course; most holes have well kept fairways and disc retrieval is easy, even in wooded holes.
-Some holes have up to 5 pin placements, variety is the spice of life.
-Course offers many chances for players to "impress themselves."
-Most players here have great sportsmanship and are extremely courteous.
-Helpful maps at kiosk for newcomers

Cons:

-A few overly technical holes (#3 and #4's blue pin placements).
-Having so many different pin placements requires players to scout the basket's position before throwing on most holes.
-Course and park are very nice but reside in a questionable suburb.

Other Thoughts:

-One of the elite courses in St. Louis county, very much worth the trip.
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2 2
jvbh792
Experience: 8.1 years 16 played 12 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Jefferson Barracks (JB) 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Bigger course with a few true par 4 holes. Very challenging tee shots. The course uses the trees it has very well (a few guardian trees, a few window shots, a few ceiling shots)

Probably the bets maintained course I've played on in St. Louis as far as consistent grass height and course marking. The flow of the course is easy to follow and pins are easy to locate.

FAVORITE PART behind hole 9 there is a liquor store that is a licensed innova store as well. Need I say more?

Cons:

Lacks a true forested hole. One of the more crowded courses (because its a good course and well maintained)
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4 6
mdejong
Experience: 12.6 years 4 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Best Course in St Louis 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 7, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

First of all, this course is in a gorgeous park just outside the city of St. Louis. There aren't many pedestrians walking near the course, so you don't have to worry about them slowing you down. There is an amazing variety of elevation changes on this course, and an even better variety of wooded vs. open fairways. This course is challenging, and I always leave wishing I had some shots back. If you can only play one course in St. Louis, this should be the one.

Cons:

The ground is in pretty rough shape in some places. A good bit of erosion on the hills and soft spots and holes in the fairway that could cause a rolled ankle.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, it's a fantastic course. I love playing it whenever I get the chance.
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5 2
TheSinator
Experience: 14.1 years 28 played 18 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice gentle challenge 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

I really like the elevation changes, as there are some nice rolling hills that increased the challenge. There are a lot of shrubs that come into play, but the cool thing is that it's pretty well-trampled beneath, which made it easier to find some of my bad drives.

The signage was fantastic, showing each of the possible pin locations (most holes have at least 4) and their distances. Great tee pads, with benches and hooks to hang bags.

There were two locals who were extremely nice and helpful that made the experience into a nice round.

Cons:

Poison ivy. There is a decent amount of poison ivy on the course, which sucks considering how much greenage (trees/shrubs) there is.

Other Thoughts:

There has been a ton of rain recently, and I was expecting the course to be a lot wetter tan it was, so there's some pretty good drainage.

I really like hole #3, where you have to drive over a huge shrub patch. I do wish, however, that more holes had protected pins, as many if the puns are in a wide open or semi-open area. Most approach shots were too easy. Being VERY picky, I think less distance and more pin protection would make things more interesting. With that bring said, this is a great course that I would love to play again.
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1 4
TheGodfather
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 17, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I love the signs on each hole. They give a pin location with the distance. Multiple pin locations. It seems like they change the hole locations all the time which keeps it interesting.

Cons:

Hole #3 is a disaster! I lost my Valkrie disc there yesterday. Seems like they could keep the shade in the front but all the brush in the middle causes for chaos & lost discs. We searched for about 20 minutes for the lost disc & didn't find it. I really hope they clean this hole up soon.

Other Thoughts:

Other than hole #3 the course is one of my favorites.
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6 0
MonkeyShine
Experience: 11.5 years 3 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

So so 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Multiple pins, if you're into that kinda thing. I say this as a "pro" because it means potentially you'll find some par-4s.

Nice tree coverage, St. Louis gets pretty hot in the summer, and often muggy, and you'll find a lot of shady spots here, even on most of the "open" fairways. I only recall one section of the course, maybe three or four holes, that involved a great deal of walking with no shade.

There were some memorable holes, a few with distinct "personality". Several play over a dip with underbrush as a hazard. Many challenging tee shots.

The underbrush itself seemed well maintained. I threw a few into some thick spots, and imagined I'd be wasting good time trying to get my disc back, but once I was in it, I had very little trouble navigating, and the ground itself was bare dirt, so there was no grass or weeds concealing my disc. So kudos on that, hazards you want to avoid, but you're not going to tax your stamina in a 30 minute search for a poor shot.

Cons:

This course could use some re-design. If I recall, this course was advertised as being designed by one of the best, but I find that hard to believe. Many tee shots pass too close to other tees or other fairways. One fairway requires you to throw hyzer around the next tee pad if there are people waiting to tee off. My sister and I waited for an oncoming group in the fairway next to us, and noticed while we were waiting for them to be out of the way, that the basket they were throwing to was right next to our fairway lie. They even have a sign up on one tee pad, warning to look out for players, as you have to make a blind hyzer shot that puts another fairway in the danger zone.

Multiple pins are a "plus" if you like seeing the occasional par-4, but this course has as many as 6 pins, making it a chore to find where you're throwing to if you're new to the course. If you played this course thrice a week for 6 months, you might just start to get familiar with it.

Other Thoughts:

I'd play here again, but next time I'm in St. Louis I will "shop around" for a better course before I come back.
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7 0
Wise Fool
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.1 years 125 played 116 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Beautiful Course in a Historic Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 13, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Nice concrete tee-pads
-Tee-signs are awesome and a good lay-out each hole, show all of the pin positions, length to each pin positions and have a screw to mark which pin position the basket is currently in, which makes navigation easier.
-Multiple pin-positions on each hole. Most holes seemed to have 4 or more different pin-positions, which would be nice for those who play the course a lot.
-Lots of hole variety on this course. There are open holes, some tightly wooded fairway holes. There are pin positions that are more in the open and then some more tightly wooded pin-positions.
-The course has decent amount of elevation change. Quite a few of the holes incorporate either uphill or downhill into their design.
-I never felt like this course felt repetitive and I always looked forward to stepping up to the next tee-pad to see what was in store for me next.
-Good variety of distances on this course. Depending on the pin position the hole was in, the distance ranged from the lower 200 feet range all the way to 600 feet and over.
-Good use of trees and underbrush to provide the opportunity throw a variety of shots.
-There were a lot of fun memorable holes on this course. Hole 3 was at first a open shot that then made you throw over a big thing of underbrush to a guarded pin position. Hole 15 was a laser straight shot down a tight foliage lined corridor. Hole 16 and 17 were both elevation valley shots over valleys with some underbrush to a more clear area.
-Baskets are in good shape and catch well

Cons:

-Erosion is getting really bad on this course. Based on the erosion, I could tell that this course gets a lot traffic. I played this course after a rainstorm and parts of the course were really muddy due to the erosion.
-Several holes play too close to sidewalks or parking lots for comfort. On hole 8 I think it was, I almost nailed a car because the parking lot was very close to the fairway of the hole.
-While there are a lot of fun memorable holes on this course, none of them are overly challenging.
-Parts of the underbrush are a little thick and you could easily lose a disc in it.
-Some navigation issues. There are lots of tee-pads and baskets in the same area, so it is sometimes hard to know which tee-pad is next and which basket is next.
-Baskets can blend in with the foliage and they can be hard to see from the tee-pad at times.

Other Thoughts:

While not the most challenging course, this course was a blast to play, with a lot of fun and memorable holes. If you are in the St. Louis area make sure you make it out to this course. This was my favorite course I played on my trip to St. Louis.
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