Seattle, WA

Mineral Springs Park

2.715(based on 45 reviews)
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20 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.1 years 652 played 629 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Netted Chaos

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 4, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

(2.612 Rating) A 4-Acre wooded course with 8 or 9 fairways claiming to be an 18 hole course.
- CRAFTSMANSHIP - I wasn't expecting much coming here. I knew it was a small urban park parcel and that the ratings were mixed. Walking to tee (1), I instantly observed 4 concrete tees sandwiched together. To my amazement, the 4 tees were 4 different holes. Somehow the locals managed to claim 18 holes in this park by reusing most fairways twice. In addition, there are numerous hand-crafted wood barriers protecting tees and sitting areas. Lots of log lined terraced greens and fairway edges as well. This place is among the most hand terraformed courses I've ever played. It was cool to see the amount of love the volunteers were putting in to such a confining site.
- CHALLENGING - Again, I wasn't expecting much here considering the small park size attribute. To my surprise, the course difficulty seems best for MA2s and MA3s. Lots of tricky shop-shaping lines, several +300 foot holes and numerous tricky greens. I got a small adrenaline rush when I cleanly hit a couple lines.
- BASICS AND EXTRAS - 18 new Chainstar Pros. Thumbs up. Concrete tees and lots of ornate seating areas. Descriptive tee signs, course map posted, trash cans and even some stairs on a couple of the steeper slopes that need to be traversed.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I scored this aspect roughly average, but again was surprised considering the urban park setting. Several areas had a zen feel to it. On the flipside, the crammed in fairways and surrounding built environment are not ideal aspects. Not great to see nets either, but I get why they are there.

Cons:

Tighter packed than a can of sardines lying on the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
- SPACING - Every micro-meter of this small park is used. Discs will end up in other fairways. The black ace factor here is easily in my top 15 out of the 612 courses I've played as of this review. In busy conditions, getting hit or hitting someone could definitely happen. There are nets and other barriers protecting a lot of the tees and fairway edges, but that didn't stop me from ending up near baskets on other holes. Players need to keep their head on a swivel here.
- 8/9 FAIRWAYS - Mineral Springs is billed as an 18 hole course. Except for those that are local, I see no reason to throw them all as they run together. I actually had to re-tee 3 times due to me throwing from the wrong tee or for attacking the wrong basket. It did not feel like an 18-hole course to me, but I get it that the locals want to be able to have 18 different looks, even if it's only mildly different.
- NAVIGATION AND FLOW - The signage was great as noted in my basics and extras pro. However, with so much going on, it will be near impossible to seamlessly throw this one first time solo without making mistakes. I questioned myself on where to head at just about every basket. Transitions are not intuitive. I applaud the locals for all the navigational aids they provided. It would have been a nightmare had they not made any attempt.
- PARKING - Street parking only.
- TIME PLAY - I have a feeling this is a very busy place to throw. I spent over 30 minutes here which is very rare for me when I only throw 9 holes. I also threw right when it opened at 6AM, and had an empty park. I would imagine lots of delays at prime times.

Other Thoughts:

An interesting course to evaluate. I liked the feel and look of several holes here, but the confined quarters element was a definite drawback in my eyes. Trusted reviewer scoring has generally been between a 2.0 and 3.0. I saw one 0.5, but the main con of a homeless camp, no longer exists. Anyways, I'm going with a solid 2.5. Not a destination course, but for travelers finding themselves on the north side of Seattle, I'd say its worthy of a look see during non prime-time hours. The course reminded me closely of a course I played in Traverse City MI, called the Backyard, but no other courses I've played feel closely related. This course is set in a rather unique setting in my opinion.
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18 0
Bluehills Drive
Experience: 3.8 years 30 played 14 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun course but a quirky layout 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 28, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful little course with friendly locals that were willing to help us navigate the course after our confusing first run. If I lived in Seattle I would hit this course often, primarily because it's the only course in Seattle proper.
There were many narrow tree laden fairways leading to numerous basket locations. The good signage still left one scratching your head saying WTH? Though, like any first run it takes a few games until it all comes together and this course is no exception. The baskets were bright with ample chains, the tee pads were all concrete, the place was super tidy although I could see some slippery moments on the pathways in rainy conditions.

Cons:

Due to the tightness of the course and pin locations there is potential to get smacked by a wayward disc, so be aware and if you hear "FOUR" it's for real.
Hole 7 tee box takes you all they way back up close to hole 6 tee box so its a bit confusing at first and lacks course fluidity. There is some other fluidity issues not worthy of commenting on.

Other Thoughts:

Course local....Duncan D.
Brother man, thanks so much for taking the time to walk my son and I through the back 9 and show us the way. Fun stuff with good folk...Gotta love it!
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13 2
Breh
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.8 years 191 played 189 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 23, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Mineral springs where do I start...
Has like 4 practice baskets in very odd places...
Has two teepads per hole to make it a full 18 hole course, some of the pads do change up the shot
The discraft chainstars are extremely nice, and look brand spanking new
There's tee signs at each hole which is extremely important here
There is some fun shots and elevation change as well
Would be a great practice place if not very much traffic here, or fun quick round of 9 or 18

Cons:

This place is kind of a train wreck.....there's tee pads, and baskets, and metal poles that's supports the nets to protect people everywhere,
Even with the nets saftey is huge concern here as your constantly throwing over and through everything. Might be the worst layout I've seen 🤷🏼‍♀️
This park is way to small to try to make it an 18 even with the dual pads...should have just been a really good 9
There's literally 4 tee pads all lined up by each other lol without signs no way to navigate it
The power line on hole 2 blocks a lot of shots and apparently can catch discs as well....there's random metal poles everywhere in your lines that make no sense...
Couple of the baskets are put in pretty awful placements...same with a mando......
The tee pad "area" for 3 kinda sucks

Other Thoughts:

Honestly I'm thankful for all courses, and mineral is a really good 9 hole, with some fun shots playing as the 18 is kinda rough, and it does get player traffic. It's still a good place to fine tune your skills and accuracy. A couple of the alt or back 9 literally is just an extended 30 feet distance on the same line. I do think this would have been better as just a 9 but that's my opinion. Still worth checking out if In the area
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11 3
Schreuds2.0
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.8 years 93 played 81 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Extremely disappointing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 14, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Right In Seattle
-crammed into a small space, kinda effectively
-Yep that's it

Cons:

This course made me re-evaluate other courses I thought were bad.
-Not an 18 hole layout, a 9 hole with alt tees.
-Very tight 9, even tighter 18, good luck not hitting anyone
-The biggest con: the course is a homeless camp, the ground is hopelessly covered in garbage, there are tents everywhere, you see the occasional inside out latex glove with needle caps surrounding it, oh, and some human feces, that's great.
-All the potentially positive aspects of this course are overshadowed by the desperate urge to run away from here as quick as possible. I didn't really care that hole 5 or whatever it was, had a tricky downhill, I was just trying to miss the tents!
-Honestly, this place is not really even a disc golf course, yes it has baskets and tees, but, it has been taken over.

Other Thoughts:

Don't play this course, please I beg you, even if you are like 1 course away from hitting 1000 or something, just don't play it. I'm never coming back here, unless my life takes a horrible turn.
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7 0
wallawallathrower
Experience: 13.7 years 10 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Small with natural challenges 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

• Variety/elevation changes: The course plays up the side of a ridge, then down, then up and down again and again. The constant variety is a nice challenge.
• Nice tees and baskets: The tee pads and baskets are in good repair.
• Not crowded: I played on a summer Saturday morning (which albeit is typically less than busy at any course). It also was not busy here -- no more than me, plus two couplets, between 8-10 a.m.

Cons:

• Super-difficult to follow the course: The course map was graffitied over, and, as well, rarely does one basket flow logically to the next tee pad. Plus many holes share a basket. Altogether, these made it EXTREMELY hard to follow the course. I gave up atfter hole 8.
• Vegetation: Dense vegetation meant I, as a first-timer here, was searching for my driver on nearly every hole. At one point my Valk was stuck 20 feet up in a tree; I had to break off a trunk and repeadly throw it skyward for 10 minutes before I finally dislodged the disc enough to leap and snag it.

Other Thoughts:

• Very challenging for a first-timer due to an inadequately marked course, but should be a more enjoyable challenge for regulars who know the layout.
• Previous reviews reference unwanted bystanders. By the time I played here, however, the city of Seattle had cracked down on unlawful camping/vagrancy in the area, so I saw none of this. Save for one tattered sleeping bag, a moldering henley and standard frolf-course litter (bottle caps, joint tubes), the area was pretty much free of signs of signs of unwanted activity.
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14 0
Stardoggy
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 12.6 years 1002 played 214 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Unique...in a very bummy sort of way. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 4, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

What they call an 18 hole course, crammed into the smallest plot of land ever, in Seattle. But let's be real...this is a 9 hole course with two sets of tees and a little variation.

Concrete tee pads, which were mostly good enough. There are a few sketchy pads that hinder runups, and several that may require standstill type drives.

Old school Mach 2 baskets, but they all caught well enough and were in surprisingly good shape, considering the course.

The course is kind of set against the side of a small hill, so you get a bit of elevation change on many of the holes, which is nice.

The course is mostly covered with mature trees, and many of the holes require specific lines to get to the basket. The design of each hole as a standalone entity is pretty good.

There were signs for most of the holes. They are the old school basic signs, but once you find them, do enough to let you know what's going on with the hole.

Cons:

Oh, where to begin.

Mineral Springs sits easily in my top 3 "holy @#$! this course is packed in a small space" courses. This place is like a game of Tetris...every damn square inch of space is used for frolf. In many cases, the same square inches are used for several holes, which of course leads to major safety concerns. Being the only course in the immediate area, you get all types here...soooo many chuckers (which is great...they need to frolf, too), dirty bums (more on this in a second), "old school" frolfers, and a few more serious players. i would wager that somebody gets hit with a disc (or 22) on a daily basis, as it's nearly impossible to know if there's somebody in your path. Easily the most dangerous course I've ever played...and it's not really that close.

Navigation is kind of a nightmare. As stated before, there is not a lot of rhyme or reason to the layout. Sure, some of it flows naturally, but there are a ton of holes that you'd simply be guessing at if you don't have a printed map or local to guide you.

Do you like dirty bums?? Well if so, this is the place for you! As a Midwesterner, I'm not used to rampant homelessness, so maybe I'm a bit jaded on this one...but having a tent city just off one of the fairways is disconcerting. Not to mention the faux-WalMart greeter that hangs out by Hole 1 and begs for spare change after regaling you with stories of his disc golf prowess, of course.

Soooo close to the roads. When you have to put up 30' high nets so discs don't go into the busy roads adjacent to the course, you're probably too close to the road. The worst part is, they couldn't even get this right...hole 5 has a damn gap in the net right at the point where newb hyzers are going to newb hyzer into the road. Deep in the chasms of my imagination, I imagine a shoeless dirty bum chasing his 1994 DX Roc into the road, dreadlocks flapping in the breeze and Seattle rain, and becoming a dirty bum pancake. I can't decide if this is funny or sad...I'll leave that up to the reader.

Other Thoughts:

So what we end up with at Mineral Springs is a bunch of relatively fun shots in the worst configuration and location you could possibly imagine for an urban setting. This would be a fun spot to play if it was always empty...but from what I was told, it's almost always packed. No options is a terrible thing in the pursuit of love, and the pursuit of frolfs.

Am I glad I played it? Yes, but only because I'm a sadist and love craptastic courses. Would I go back if I'm in the area? ONLY if I were homeless and ended up living in the tent city off hole 7.

Enter at your own risk.
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1 4
Emmettsolid
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Holly bushes, blackberries and trash! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Not much for pros other than it's a course in Seattle.

Cons:

Garbage everywhere and poorly labeled baskets and tees, even a homeless shelter in the middle of the course

Other Thoughts:

We played holes 2-6 then left because we couldn't find the tee for 7. Holly bushes, blackberries and trash, I think we'll stick the the nice courses in the area!
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1 2
EverettSilvertips
Experience: 221 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

interesting park 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

the park is interesting, it is designed for disc golf park only. i do not see any bystanders bothering the park itself.

they had signs, and concerte teepads everywhere.

this some baskets are used by almost same teepads, like hole 1 and hole 10, hole 3 and hole 13 is almost same but a bit different techinical throws.

this course have variety of throws, blind throws, downhill throws, throw to left/right baskets, narrow, dodging the trees, etc. i liked it there.

Cons:

yes, i am aware of 18 baskets, but i don't like how we have to use same baskets for different teepad throws, which is a bit silly.

remember, i said i don't see bystanders around... i lied, there is oddballs hanging nearby the park, but doesn't interfare us playing. also there is a homemade homeless shelter in middle of it. i actually faced a police officer to find that person whose was hanging around the shelter.

sometimes you would smell horrid smell from those oddballs, which is not cool thing to smell.

parking was easy before, but now, the city decided to add new plants, etc, and we had to park on street instead of parking lot.

Other Thoughts:

i always loved to played there, would love to play there again, good designed disc golf park.
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6 3
twitchlove
Experience: 12.5 years 7 played 1 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Creepy 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Close to Seattle. Technical throws. Baskets in decent condition.

Cons:

Not family or female friendly. Wife was harassed by creeps telling her that she "should be afraid" of them. Local players just stared at us. I'm not particularly sensitive and I've played all around the West Coast. Legitimately creepy dudes here. Either come without women or come with thick skin. As for the course itself, each of the 9 baskets has two sets of holes, often sinultaneously played on. Would have added to charm if it weren't for creepy locals.

Other Thoughts:

Perhaps we just got unlucky and ran into the few unpleasant locals. Just be wary.
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9 0
b-mart
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.6 years 66 played 61 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A fun round, but not too challenging 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 29, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Being the only course in Seattle proper, this place instantly gets a bump in the estimation of many. Plus Lowell Shields designed it way back in the day and can still be found selling discs out of his van on any given evening. He did an amazing job of putting a full 18 hole course on to a tiny slice of land that nobody cared about. I drove by this place a thousand times and didn't even realize it was a disc golf course until I picked up the game myself.
The layout is well thought out and pretty challenging for being such a short course. Elevation comes into play on almost every hole, and you need to have some control to score low here. It's not heavily wooded, but the lines are still tight. There's plenty for any type of shot too. There's a nice mix of right and left turning shots here, and a mix of open to wooded shots as well. You have your open field holes like 1/10, tighter lines like 9/18, and maddening approaches like the current hole 14. You need most of the shots in your bag during any given round here.
Any course with quality baskets and concrete tees gets a bump from me as well. For being such an old course, this one is in remarkably good condition.

Cons:

It's been said on here a million times before. The course is just too condensed. This is the first course that I heard the word "fore", and it's necessary. I've had a Wraith whizz by my head while standing on a teepad. Not on a fairway. A teepad. You have to call fore on just about every hole if your disc doesn't do exactly what you tell it to. If you're like me, your discs seldom do what you tell them to... While I appreciate how amazing it is that Lowell fit 18 holes here, it's just incredibly dangerous to have so many intersecting fairways and so few mandos. There are four holes that throw across the same clearing at the beginning. That in itself should scare you.
Then there's the navigation. While there's a map at the entrance, it isn't very helpful or clear. My first time there (years ago), I would have been lost if it hadn't been for some friendly locals. Even now when I return, I normally forget which basket I'm supposed to be throwing to. Only about half of the teepads are marked, and a lot of the baskets are blank as well. On my last round I did notice some new basket numbers though, and Lowell was reconfiguring parts of the course. So this could all change in the near future.
As always, my last "con" has to be mentioned since 98% of readers on this site seem to throw farther than me... The holes are all crazily short. The only "long" ones are downhill, so most players should be okay with a putter or mid.

Other Thoughts:

As I've stated, a lot of the tees are missing signs. The four that throw across the same field are the most confusing. The one closest to the street is Hole 1, and I think that one is marked. From there it goes 17, 8, and 10. 10 goes to the same basket as 1, and the baskets for 17 and 8 are hidden from view in the brush to your right. Look at the map or ask somebody. Or just fling a disc in there and yell "fore". A lot of the course is a nine hole played twice. For example, 1 and 10 are thrown to the same basket. The same is true for 2/11, 3/12, and 6/15. Everything else is thrown from a different pad to a different basket, so make sure you know which basket you're going for.
All in all, North Park is an enjoyable round. You just have to know somebody or go early. It does get crowded, and the groups of locals can seem a bit cliquish to outsiders. But if you know someone, just don't care what people think of you, or go early enough in the morning that you get the course to yourself, you can have a fun round where you can work on your mid- to short-game on a rather challenging course.
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5 1
Udon
Experience: 11 years 9 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

It's fun, but... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 19, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

* Short, technical shots require you to thoroughly think about what to throw and how to throw it.
* Good mix of left and right hand shots.
* Netting prevents errant discs from flying to far off or knocking someone out.
* An interesting back 9 for more advanced players.
* Convenient location for most Seattleites

Cons:

* Very close quarters require lots of "FORE!" and head swiveling. I heard someone yell out fore about every couple of minutes.
* The netting seems oddly placed. There are areas that need it, and other areas that don't make sense to have it. There needs to be more netting alongside hole 5 between the course and the busy 4 lane road.
* The back nine is very confusing and requires prior knowledge/a guide to navigate.
* When it is crowded it almost becomes impossible to play certain holes.
* Wednesday doubles crowd doesn't seem to care about other people trying to play through.

Other Thoughts:

This course would be a lot more fun if no one else was on the course. I arrived on a wednesday evening and the first basket was being used as a practice basket by about a dozen people. They signaled me to throw, but this is a mind game; I am not going to throw the same if there are people walking back and forth in front of the basket the whole time. After skipping the first two holes because of too many people in the way, I quickly learned how goofy this course really is. The huge metal poles seemed to be well placed, but the netting could have had much better placement. Hole 5 needs more netting to protect errant throws from going into busy traffic, and the netting on hole 7 made for a interesting lane, but actually helped errant throws instead of punishing them. One can roll a disc along the netting and get a jump off the last pole for great positioning. It is just silly, really. Combine that with the constant threat of errant discs, and it doesn't make for a smooth game. I would love to try this course out early in the morning when less people will be there, but I will not be eagerly returning to play this course anytime soon. Mineral Springs is really close to being a cool course, but any more than a few groups on it make it difficult to fully enjoy.
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1 0
bleds
Experience: 11.8 years 21 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Techincal but fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 20, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

* Super convenient for most Seattleites.
* Good concrete tee pads
* Given the limited space a good layout.
* plays fast. good quick fix

Cons:

* super tight spacing. fair amount of disc dodging
* a little confusing to navigate given the close proximity of tee pads and baskets.

Other Thoughts:

This is the closest course to where I live. By rights it ought to be my home course, but it's just too tight and technical for regular play...at least for me.

I do play it regularly but mostly when I'm in the neighborhood and just want to stop for a quick round.
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3 0
Phlick
Experience: 42.1 years 134 played 16 reviews
2.50 star(s)

TONG! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 18, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Proximity
-Plays Fast - if it's not crowded.
-Short but challenging
-Nice variety of shots for a 9 hole course
-Plenty 'O Parking
-Accuracy over power course.

Cons:

- 40' high metal poles. EVERY.WHERE.
- No bathrooms + lots of beer drinking golfers + small park = bad smells.
-Attracts lots of rec players from UW - who may be more into drinking beer than playing golf..
-9 holes with multiple tee pads = double the traffic.
-Dense teepad/pin placement.
-Lacking in Hole description signs and next tee signs (esp for final 9) Can be VERY confusing without a guide.
-Did I mention the poles? They're everywhere, with nets between them a lot of the time.
-Little to No opportunity to air out/crush a drive.

Other Thoughts:

Doubles is on Weds nights. Metal poles were installed a couple of years back in front of *many* of the trees to protect them. Now you hear 'TONG!' every couple of minutes as someone hits one. There are a couple of holes where you have to drive down a fairly narrow alley of netting to get to the basket, which is... 'different'.
Finding your way around the first 9 is not too hard, but after that.... you really need a guide to know which teepad/basket you should be heading for next. I played this course over 30 times (over 15 years, it's not my favorite) before finding out (playing doubles) that I was playing 3 or 4 holes completely wrong.
Good course if you are time constrained and centrally located, if you're not there are much better courses in the area.
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1 5
Cipinc3
Experience: 44 years 19 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

My home 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 27, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

One of the first courses in the Seattle area we started this place to avoid playing woodland park way back in the day. I love this course it is home. Very tight layout with lots of grabbing trees. I love the challenge.

Cons:

No really long holes and few open straight holes

Other Thoughts:

Disc control is a must. I love this place
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3 0
chainedwraith
Experience: 17.6 years 156 played 19 reviews
2.50 star(s)

flying discs in all directions! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 11, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Solid technical hole design for such a small property. The holes are diverse enough to require a decent shot selection and even after you double back and play from different pads it gives the hole a different look in most cases. You will even throw at different baskets from different pads sharing the same holes as the front 9.
- Nets are in place to keep people safe on other holes where necessary since the property is so small.
- Locals were friendly and seemed to be doing a good job maintaining the course. I didn't see any litter or loose debris anywhere.
- Can be played quickly, lunch-break style since property is so small.

Cons:

- The holes are very close together, again, due to the overall size of the property. The nets help, but there are a few sections of the course in which it is hard to tell if the group in front is clear so communication (yelling "clear!!" or "fore!!") is a must here.
- This course gets crowded! This means lots of waiting on the teepad during peak times. That, combined with the close proximity of the holes to one another and it is apparently not uncommon for people to get tagged by a flying disc. (happened twice in the one day I was there). One of the locals joked to me that if you play this course enough, getting hit by a disc is practically a rite of passage.

Other Thoughts:

Not my top choice in the Seattle area but if you've played all the others in the area, this one is still a good fun challenge. If you want to play when it's not crowded then weekday mornings might be your best bet.
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1 5
ferret_1986
Experience: 14.7 years 21 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great for 9 Holes 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

It's a good layout for 9 holes. Very challenging course for the length.

Cons:

It's Not really a 18 hole course like the descriptions says. Most of the alternate tees are just a couple feet away from the first set.

Other Thoughts:

The nets are nice so you don't have to worry as much about other discs flying by and hitting you.
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2 3
GiggleWorks
Experience: 13.4 years 5 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Decent park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 29, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I like the park. Its highly technical, and a good challenge. While I have parred white river and Steilicoom, I still can't par this one yet. Not that its much harder, just a lot more technical. Easy to follow.

Cons:

In the rain its very muddy. And all the other usual cons here...when it gets crowded sometimes you here "fore!" being shouted every few seconds. The underbrush is easy to lose a disc in and the holly bites.

Other Thoughts:

Overall I think its a great course. May not be as good as the big 18 hole courses, but enjoyable and I play it everytime I am in North Seattle....
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8 1
bfrank
Experience: 21.8 years 16 played 3 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Urban DG Madness 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 24, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The only course located in Seattle proper.
This is an uber-technical course, in a very small area, played mostly by hardcore disc golf players.

Cons:

Overall, this course is not noobie friendly.
Your first time out, this course is pretty much impossible to properly navigate all 18-holes without a guide. Not all the holes have signs, and for the most part the signs that do exist are crap.
The back 9 overlap the front 9 with slight variations.
A lot of people play this course, especially when it is nice outside. It gets packed. Welcome to disc golf, city-style.
Walking from hole-to-hole without crossing one or two other fairways can be difficult to do. So not only do you have to figure out the line to the basket, you have to figure out the "proper path" to take to get to the next tee pad without crossing another fairway. So the locals get pissy when noobies are wandering aimlessly around the course. (Which I guess is understandable since this course is a bit of a cluster to begin with, but getting scowled at can be off-putting.)
Similarly, a bad toss on any given hole will put you on the fairway for a different basket. On hole 3 you could easily end up on fairway 2, 4, 9 (and 11, 13, 18 respectively), or the green for 17. This issue exists on every hole out there.
The regular players of this course are hardcore disc golfers, so you should try to make friendly with these folks and get some guidance. Otherwise, you could get some scowls if you are holding other people up, or wandering aimlessly and making this cluster-of-a-course even more difficult to play.
Watch out for stray discs! And don't be bashful about calling out "fore!"

Other Thoughts:

I am thankful that there is a course in the city, and once you figure out the layout it is definitely playable with lots of technically challenging holes that require a variety of different throws and skills. That being said, this is my home course due solely to the fact that it is the only course within a 30-minute drive of my house. And truth be told, all the other courses outside the city limits are better than this one, so if you want to play a good course and can afford to make the drive I would do it.
The dudes out there are friendly as long as you say hello, ask for navigation assistance, and make an effort not to hold anyone up or get in the way. So it's a spot for serious disc golfers.
I don't love this course, but it's close to my house and I have played it enough that it's tight lines and experienced patrons have helped my game.
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5 0
Cinque
Experience: 15.7 years 64 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Only the lonely 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 30, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nope...

What? I can't just put that and have everyone give me a helpful vote?

Fine. I'll go into a bit more detail then.

North Park (Mineral Springs) disc golf course is situated on a four-acre triangle piece of wooded land and is complete with decent concrete tee pads, baskets, hand-drawn signs, slight elevation, metal poles and giant nets.

I've read and come to believe that the metal poles are there to not only add obstacles, but to help protect the trees of this old arboretum. The giant nets are in place to protect the cars along 105th St. and Northgate Way, but more importantly they help protect your noggin.

I appreciate what this course has to offer in regards to tight and creative lines, but North Park offers something else once a few groups arrive - mental unease. That's for the next section though.

Navigation of holes one through nine isn't too hard without a map just as long as you remember what the signs at each pad say. Mad kudos to whomever sketched the signs, because they helped me out immensely. The back nine is basically a replay of the front, but some of the tees are a few feet further back and others, although close, are in different locations entirely. Some holes like four and 13 have different baskets, but like the tees they are close by.

There's no doubt you'll enjoy yourself at North Park if you have some accuracy in your game. Recalling my experience, these fairways required straight mid-range shots with slow fades left and right, low skips to get around hanging branches, forehand rollers to cut corners, thumbers and tomahawks to get out of trouble, hyzers, anhyzers, prayers, wishes, crossed fingers and... I think that about covers it.

The people I saw were really nice and willing to help me with navigation and even pointed out a drop zone for a missed mandy shot.

There's plenty of parking, but if you ever see the parking packed full of automobiles displaying disc golf related stickers then you might want to go play somewhere else, or wear a helmet.

Cons:

If North Park was strictly a nine holer I probably wouldn't have much to say in this department, but with the 18 holes jam packed on this small piece of property I will say I'm inclined not to return unless I arrive at a time when hardly anyone is around.

I arrived about 10 a.m. on a Friday. I believe there was only one other group out because I heard someone hit a putt off in the distance. I was completely enjoying myself until I got to hole six. That's when I noticed a bunch of other people showing up and that's also when I realized my head needed to be on a swivel.

Walking to hole seven I felt like I was just in the way. I think the guys waiting for me to move were playing some local's safari route, so I began rushing. The rest of the time I had it stuck in my head that I was either going to accidentally hit someone stepping out from a bush or I was going to get hit walking to my disc. It's not necessarily errant throws you need to be careful of. Someone could easily hit a perfect line, but accidentally tag you because you happen to not be looking in that direction at that moment.

Other than that I guess I could mention some of the litter I saw. I didn't think it drastically affected the look of the course, but it was there and litter is litter. I didn't notice many trashcans either. Next time I go I will bring a bag.

Other Thoughts:

One of my life goals is to own a small piece of property and if I was fortunate enough to own four acres I would use North Park as a reference when I install tee pads and baskets. That's what this place mostly reminds me of. It's like someone's back yard. It's great when you're alone or in a small group.

I will definitely be back, but next time, if I'm able to, I may show up at 7 a.m. on a Monday.
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4 0
MudDisk
Experience: 13.8 years 7 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Small Setting-Fun Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Friendly locals welcomed us and invited us to join in the weekly doubles;
Compact design in small urban park;
Easy to find and get to;
Safety nets to keep discs on course/protect the trees/keep discs out of adjoining yards

Cons:

The doubling back can be confusing if you are trying to play the full 18;
Popular course-some slow down to wait for groups ahead of us;
Some crossing over of fairways getting from holes to next tee

Other Thoughts:

While on recent family vacation, tried out this course located in a small neighborhood park. We happened on the Wed (?) weekly doubles and were encouraged to join in, but passed. Friendly locals made us feel welcome right from the start. A bit crowded, but that made it easy to find the holes and tee pads, so we just followed along. A large group of local teens made the going a bit slow, but they allowed us to play through no problem. I guess better they were on the disc golf course than selling drugs on the street corner. A good afternoon/evening outing and again a fun and different way to vacation and connect with the local folks. Not the usual tourist stuff but well worth packing a few discs in your carry on.
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